World Cup 101 - The Roleplays

by **Snestar** » Wed May 06, 2026 11:33 am

(AI generated image)

WC101 Matchday 1: Al-Momenta 1-1 Snestar
Goalscorers (Al-Momenta):
2' [unknown]
Goalscorers (Snestar):
68' Giulio Maritan
Player of the Match: Giulio Maritan

(AI generated image)

WC101 Matchday 2: Snestar 4-1 Kordavia
Goalscorers (Snestar):
3' Tero Sjölund
24' Matteo Gagliardi
51' Tero Sjölund (PK)
65' Marta Camilla Barami
Goalscorers (Kordavia):
84' [unknown]
Player of the Match: Tero Sjölund

A draw and a win for Edoardo Di Palma's Snestar: four points to chase the desired qualification

Despite the fairly positive results leading to Snestar's momentary second place in Group 16 of the World Cup, Edoardo Di Palma seemed rather tense throughout the matches. After the promising start in Solvgaden, one might think that he would be fairly content with the way Snestaryan players were moving, but he still seemed quite wary.

Al-Momenta 1-1 Snestar: Match Summary

Snestar's qualification campaign initially ended with a disappointing. After travelling towards the nation of Al-Momenta (which Snestaryan media considers to be an empty expanse of steppes and fog, due to the lack of information provided), the Viola found itself at a disadvantage: multiple players of the team complained about the conditions of the stadium where the match took place, especially the lack of vision. In fact, the viola conceded almost immediately: a misplayed pass by Daniele Maratea towards Federico Calvaresi was intercepted by the striker of the opponent, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, causing Federico Calvaresi to have no time to react and make an attempt to save the ball. With the Viola already down one goal, the Snestaryans seemed immediately demoralized, and the first half ended up without any major chances. Thankfully, thanks to Edoardo Di Palma's masterful use of words (as stated by the players themselves: the transcript of the speech was not given to Snestaryan media), the Viola seemed to fire up a little in the second half, enough to re-balance the match. At that point, the squad had transitioned to a 5-4-1 to prevent further goals, making it incredibly harder to produce any sort of meaningful attack. However, in the 68th minute, a corner kick by Tero Sjölund (the only attacker left from the Starting XI: Marchesi and Baldriga had both been subbed off in exchange for Balestri and De Filippi) ended up being scrambled back and forth between the Snestaryans and the Al-Momentans, until Giulio Maritan's shot found its way towards the goal, equalizing the match and bringing the scoreline to 1-1. Unfortunately for the Viola, though, the Snestaryans were not able to produce enough chances to find the winning goal, and only brought home a single point.

Snestar 4-1 Kordavia: Match Summary

After Snestar's anticlimatic start away in Al-Momenta, the players of the Viola were hungry for a win. Supported by over 20000 supporters at the Stadio Esmeralda in Fraliso, who had almost completely filled the stadium, the team immediately kicked off the match with a burning fire in their hearts: Tero Sjölund's early goal in the third minute, supported by Federico Marchesi, immediately brought the Viola up to a comfortable place, where the players then proceeded to chase the goleada through a relentless series of attacks. Sadly, shortly after Tero Sjölund's goal, star winger Elisa Baldriga reported a ligament rupture on her right ankle, forcing Di Palma to substitute her with Matteo Gagliardi, with his third ever appearance for the national team (the last two were both in Solvgaden's friendly tournament, against Calgasia and Indusse). The decision proved to be prolific: in the 24th minute, in fact, Matteo Gagliardi found his first goal for the Viola after slamming the ball from the corner of the penalty box towards the opposite pole of the flag post, the angle of the trajectory resulting in a goal for only a few degrees.
With the first half ending without further occasions, Edoardo Di Palma urged his club to chase a higher margin, not to humiliate the opponent, rather to facilitate the victory even further. Tero Sjölund seemed to have immediately understood the assignment, as he managed to exploit a weakness in Kordavia's defense to force a foul, resulting to a penalty kick which he converted with ease. Then, in the 65th minute, defender Marta Camilla Barami gave her own contribution to the victory, scoring her first competitive goal for the Viola. The match seemed to have given all of its entertainment to the spectators already, though Kordavia managed to recover one goal, breaking Federico Calvaresi's clean sheet once again, apparently because of a mistake by Calvaresi himself. Snestaryan media has started to question the keeper's keeping capabilities, seeing how in the last few matches, he has rarely been determinant, putting up some less than stellar performances. Regardless, Snestar ended up claiming a hard-fought victory, which will surely contribute to the overall goal difference in the long run.

Right after the final whistle of Snestar - Kordavia, we decided to interview Edoardo di Palma. During the entirety of the press conference, he seemed rather unemotional, despite the dominant results which had just taken place.

“I'm not sure about the way we're moving, currently. I haven't coached this team for long, but I feel like this squad isn't the same as the one I saw in Solvgaden. Not to diminish the players' efforts, of course... It's that I feel like we have been rather distracted: we're still on the road for qualification, but dropping points against the so-called "roster-less" teams is going to hurt us. We've got much bigger challenges to face: Ko-oren, Kamijiro, Captina Islands... Opponents usually outside of our reach. But I'm just being realistic, that's it.”

Matchday 3 vs Konstantino
4-3-3 Formation
GK 1 Federico Calvaresi (C)
LB 5 Riccardo Cavaliere
CB 2 Giulio Maritan
CB 32 Sebastiano Balestri
RB 13 Marta Camilla Barami
CDM 6 Davide Scognamiglio
CM 8 Nicola Acanfora
CM 14 Nicola Ragusa
LW 17 Federico Marchesi
ST 21 Veronica Lodigiani

Matchday 4 vs Kamijiro
5-4-1 Formation
GK 1 Federico Calvaresi (C)
LB 5 Riccardo Cavaliere
CB 2 Giulio Maritan
CB 3 Valentino Garnati
CB 32 Sebastiano Balestri
RB 13 Marta Camilla Barami
LM 10 Martin de Roux
CM 8 Nicola Acanfora
CM 14 Nicola Ragusa
RM 20 Fabio de Filippi
ST 7 Tero Sjölund

by **Bonusia** » Wed May 06, 2026 11:42 am

Round 1: Nusandara 0-3 Bonusia - W
@ Nusandara
Round 2: Bonusia 3-2 HUElavia - W
@ La Caravana, Op, Bonport, Bonusia
Round 3: Libesia vs Bonusia
@ Libesia
Round 4: Bonusia vs Katzeburg
@ Estadi de la Unificació, Somorrosta, Detrívora, Bonusia
Round 5: Beal an Mhuirthead vs Bonusia
@ Beal an Mhuirthead
Round 6: Bonusia vs Aamathyr
@ Tomàtic, Sant Molina, Ralí, Bonusia
Round 7: Aphrilia vs Bonusia
@ Millennium Dawn Stadium, Darlingtown, Aphrilia
Round 8: Bonusia vs Warkus
@ La Cova del Tigre, Unom, Plana d'Unó, Bonusia
Round 9: Carpathia and Ruthenia vs Bonusia
@ Carpathia and Ruthenia
Round 10: Bonusia vs Nusandara
@ Estadi d'Avellanes&Turró, Minga, Tionera, Bonusia
Round 11: HUElavia vs Bonusia
@ Estadio Porto, Portimao, HUElavia
Round 12: Bonusia vs Libesia
@ La Blanquinada, Tarraconova, Tarraconensis, Bonusia
Round 13: Katzeburg vs Bonusia
@ Anchor Field, Inverhaven, Katzeburg
Round 14: Bonusia vs Beal an Mhuirthead
@ Hepepelioli, Wèep, Pungapu, Bonusia
Round 15: Aamathyr vs Bonusia
@ Aamathyr
Round 16: Bonusia vs Aphrilia
@ Estadi Bonusià Inda' Regareka, Kekla, Keklagara, Bonusia
Round 17: Warkus vs Bonusia
@ Dome of Virtue, Nyareth Newydd, Warkus
Round 18: Bonusia vs Carpathia and Ruthenia
@ Estadi Casa Tarradellas, Kynetbo, AMK

MATCHDAY 1	MATCHDAY 2
NUSANDARA 0-3 BONUSIA	BONUSIA 3-2 HUELAVIA
SETTING THE TONE A very solid Bonusian squad takes the three points from Nusandara without much difficulty.	HISTORIC WIN IN OP Captain Caterina Bruch scores the definitive 3-2 for Bonusia to get the win against one of the group's favourites.
Events (NUS): - Events (BON): A. Dou 37', A. Obiols 48', A. Valladares 82'	Events (BON): A. Cea 14', S. Casas 59', C. Bruch 86' / \|\| I. Jara 76' Events (HUE): J.M. Sartori 29', U. Conde 72'
SUMMARY: The Estrella Negra starts it's journey to the World Cup in the best possible manner. In the far away nation of Nusandara, the Bonusian side gave it's best face, and imposed common sense with a solid 0-3 victory that sets a good base to face the upcoming qualifiers. It was not as easy at the beginning, though. The Nusandarans were very well positioned on the back, not allowing almost any spaces for the wingers to attack, and they were also very attentive to avoid any possible filtered pass issued by the midfielders. However, while all their efforts concentrated on the defense, no attacking on their behalf was percieved in the goal defended Anna Cloquell, who had an uneventful game. Nusandara aimed for the draw, and that proved to be a mistake. Because eventually, Bonusia did find an opening. The one to inaugurate the scoreboard was no other than Antonieta Dou, who broke the opposing defense by sheer willpower, powering through the defense in a very classic play from the barretina winger. With this lone goal the game would reach halftime, but from then on forward, the Nusandaras became progressively more disorganized, giving Bonusia an even greater edge in the game. Obiols brought chaos to the dead space between the local's midfield and defense early on the 2nd half, disorganizing them and getting a precision shot when less expected, leaving the Nusandaran goalkeeper completely motionless. And finally, after a second half completely dominated by Bonusia, the Keklaneka star Ainara Valladares managed to weigh in and score the 3rd goal with a nice combination play with Yonatan Morad, sealing the deal for Bonusia.	SUMMARY: One of the biggest wins in Bonusia's short yet eventful history in multiversal football came at the La Caravana stadium, in Op. In front of them, a HUElavian side that is one of the favourites to qualify directly for the World Cup. HUElavian manager Ignacio Casillas, given their next game against a Katzeburgian side that, a priori, is more capable of taking their top 2 spot than we are, decided to rotate and give some chances to the younger players of the squad. L'Estrella Negra, without nothing to lose, head forward and started the game very agressively, trying to get to the goal custodiated by Belluci. This persistence ended up paying off, as in the 14th minute a delightful filtered pass by Isaac Boleda left Aitor Cea in a 1v1 against Belluci. The Petari striker, of course, didn't miss and got past the HUElavian goalkeeper to score the first goal for Bonusia. The quality of the HUElavian side showed quicky, though, and around a quarter hour after Cea's initial goal; young midfielder Juan Manuel Sartori, after a good back-pass by Xabier Goy left the Bonusian defense out of their position, got a great shot into the net to equalize the game. With the game tied, it became a very contested game, with both teams pressing high and attacking quickly after recovering the ball. This game rythm provided each team with one more goal. For Bonusia, it came with a long-shot by Casas to make it 2-1, and HUElavia equalized later by means of Urma Conde, who tapped in a great center by Serra, who entered in the second half as the Independent squad saw itself behind in the scoreboard. The goal of the victory could have gone to any of the two squads, but it ended up going for the one player who wanted it the most. After a corner kick by Arnau Poveda, the first and only Bonusian captain Caterina Bruch jumped above everyone else in the ptich, and with a powerful header she scored the definitive 3-2 that wroke havoc in the Opiace stadium, granting Bonusia their second win of the qualifying campaign.

(S. Bonet):- Good evening everyone, and welcome to El Ressopó! I'm your host, Salvador Bonet, and next to me are my usual co-hosts, Ramon Berenguer...
(R. Berenguer):- Glad to be here, Salvador.
(S. Bonet):- ...Berenguer Ramon...
(B. Ramon):- Salva-
(S. Bonet):- ...who returns UNDER THE CONDITION of avoiding stereotypical/borderline xenophobic comments.
(B. Ramon):- Whatever, okay. Hmph.
(S. Bonet):- The big plate of the day; football, of course! More specifically, the spectacular win of the Bonusian national team against HUElavia by a close 3-2, with a final goal from the eternal captain, nevertheless! We'll have the first game highlights with all the goal and all the big plays in no time; but first, the headlines! Ramon, what's your headline for today?
(R. Berenguer):- Salvador, my headline is clear: "Important win against group favourite leaves Bonusia topping group 14 on it's own."
(S. Bonet):- What about you, Berenguer?
(B. Ramon):- Clear is my headline, Salvador: "Bonusia, off the hook in the last minutes while playing against HUElavian teenagers".
(S. Bonet):- Alright, and what about you... uh...
(R. Berenguer):- Now that I think about it, I feel like we're too few in the set, aren't we?
(B. Ramon):- Ramon, agree with you I must for once.
(S. Bonet):- Oh yes, I forgot... actually, I'm going to start with some related news, and then I'll build into that... so, uh, as you may all remember, we had to cut our retransmission of the qualifiers draw short, as the president of the FBF showed erratic behaviours after... exceeding himself on the venue of the draw. After quite a while now, the FBF has finally issued a statement regarding the situation.

(R. Berenguer):- It doesn't really look like they're actually apologizing, are they? Like they are just blaming the Farfs and vaguely promising to fix... what exactly? Like, the president not getting wasted at an official event?
(B. Ramon):- Growing a spine I see you. My friend, glad much!
(R. Berenguer):- It's just that football is such a beautiful sport, that I can't see it being misrepresented, it makes me hurt.
(B. Ramon):- And again here we go... Kid, disappoint me you do!
(R. Berenguer):- What do you mean kid?! We're the same age!
(S. Bonet):- Whoa, alright guys, take it down a notch... But in the end, what else do you want the Federation to do? They apologized!
(R. Berenguer):- They could find a replacement for the president, that behaviour was unacceptable.
(S. Bonet):- As I was saying, nothing they could do about it. But sadly this incident, amongst other reasons, has eventually prompted our co-host, Regina, to finally quit. She stated that "the sporting world hasn't got the class for me to engage with it". Well, apparently she, somehow, landed a new job at Radiotelevisió Bonusiana.
(B. Ramon):- In cereal boxes the jobs are gifted, nowadays!
(S. Bonet):- Yeah, I don't know how she managed, but we're glad for her... although we surely will need a new co-host. Anyways, we'll now go to the highlights of the Bonusia-HUElavia, stay tuned!
...

PRESENTS...
PORTA ENLLÀ
Bonusians fora de Bonúsia
Amb REGINA QUARESMA

by **The Sernetian Empire** » Wed May 06, 2026 11:42 am

SERNESPORTS TV

contents:
1) Opening triumph against Drawkland
2) Sernet takes a stalemate against Anewkansas
3) Pre-match analysis
4) Guide for visiting fans: How to reach your stadium

Opening triumph against Drawkland
Salman Ferisen

Seven Bridges had been filling up with electrified supporters from both sides long before the match started. The flags were out early, the noise constant, and by kickoff there was that familiar sense of anticipation, the feeling that a campaign was properly beginning.
Sernet didn't take long to respond to it.

When the game started off, Sernet was dominating possession. Passes were being fired out with excellent accuracy between Stork, Jatrowski and the rest of the midfield, asserting our dominance, Drawkland struggling to even make a touch. But the goal was still yet to come. The opening goal came from a moment of sharp, vertical play. Zbigniew Komstrowski found space between the lines and slipped a quick pass forward, catching Drawkland slightly out of shape. Sporius Bolsting did the rest: a clean finish which sent goalkeeper McKenna Reed flying, at the 16th minute. A nice early statement, and the stadium lifted immediately. The whole country rejoiced at the first goal of the tournament. The fans were going ballistic in the stands, chanting and singing. It felt, briefly, like it might become a comfortable night.
It wasn't.

As time passed, the Drawklandian team woke up and realised that Sernet were properly locked in. So they did too. Gradually they started picking up possession and working well with the ball, making a few shots on goal forcing the defence to work harder. At the 21st minute Wasori Oluwawa made an attempt on the goal, but unfortunately his shot rebounded off the crossbar and was cleared by Rachael Bright. Mantrostem, Zoliba and Tworpowski (who was subbed off for Zerning at the 25th minute) worked their socks off defending, with Pasarowski saving one shot made by Cecilia Benbow. The game was no longer dominated by Sernet. All of this eventually amounted to a lucky goal by Drawklandian forward Jazmin Myers at the 30th minute, a tap in from a corner that just slipped past Pasarowski's fingers.
For a short time the Drawklandian fans were actually audible over the noise of the Sernetians. They thought they had come to Sernetesen to watch Drawkland get steamrolled by Sernet, but now they were hopeful for a different result.

After the goal, Sernet kept pressing. At the 37th minute, Oluwawa struck again, this time scoring, but unfortunately the goal was offside. A great big sigh of disappointment washed across the stadium. Both sides pressed on, with, in all honesty, excellent defending from both teams. However, at the 41st minute, Zoliba fouled Drawklandian forward Tara Fulsome, resulting in a yellow card and a penalty. Sernet went silent and prepared for the worst. But there was no need, as the shot taken by Addyson Santana straight into the top left corner was expertly and majestically saved by goated goalkeeper Tomasz Pasarowski. A beautiful leap. The nation celebrated the save as vigorously as they celebrated the earlier goal, because the saves matter too.

As the match progressed into the second half, a boot by Pasarowski that soared three quarters of the way across the pitch was delivered straight to Bob Yarisem, who darted past midfielder Kallie Wembley and launched the ball into the back of the net at the 49th minute, immediately followed by an eruption of cheering from the stands. The legend from Sultrisend was also very much overjoyed, and was celebrating long after the goal had been scored. But unfortunately an equaliser was to follow, scored by striker Benbow against Pasarowski at the 62nd minute.

The atmosphere was tense, the scoreline at that time meaning Sernet would get a single point for the match. 2-2. Not bad, but could be better. Sernet kept pressing and pressing with excellent shots from Bolsting, Alforez, Stork and Sakayo, none of which went in. Until, at the 76th minute, a corner by Stork led to an excellent finish by Oluwawa, firing the ball through the keeper's legs. Every sernetian in the stadium jumped up collectively and started singing "NUTMEG NUTMEG!" Oluwawa, after multiple unlucky misses, finally managed to score, pushing the scoreline into Sernet's favour. After the goal, the match became more relaxed; the Drawklandian team was clearly exhausted at this point. However, they didn't concede any further goals despite two excellent shots by Kusek (who came on for Oluwawa as he was spent) as well as one by Urstof Langost, meaning that the score remained at a satisfactory 3-2, a win which the Steamers very much deserved.

Final score:
Sernet 3 - 2 Drawkland

Goals:
Sernet: Bolsting 16', Yarisem 49', Oluwawa 76'
Drawkland: Myers 30', Benbow 62'

Sernet takes a stalemate against Anewkansas
Peter Ram-Ostorisk

Having netted three juicy points in Sernetesen against Drawkland, the Steamers were ready to face off against Anewkansas at Fallstaff Stadium in the city of Bridgehead, the nation's capital. The stadium itself looked, as locals describe it, like a "soulless block of concrete," but the atmosphere inside was anything but soulless. The atmosphere in Anewkansas was different from Seven Bridges, tighter, louder in bursts, with the home crowd quick to react to every challenge. The Sernetian supporters, although outnumbered, had a presence.

The match itself kicked off rather lazily, with the stars pleasantly beaming down onto the pitch as if they were spectating. But the tempo would soon build up. The first ten minutes were rather uneventful, with both sides passing back and forth at different points in time, looking for a chance but never quite finding one. At the 13th minute, the Steamers finally properly infiltrated their defence, with Bolsting charging past Piotr Gaziewski and Sven Almsund, delivering a cross onto Jatrowski's head, but unfortunately the header was saved by keeper Jouko Pesonen. Later on in the match, Stirius Mantrostem had a shot on target, but unfortunately that too failed to get past Pesonen. Closer to the end of the second half, Anewkansas striker Pershing Major took a shot, which was deflected by Pasarowski and cleared by Janusz Tworpowski. The first half ended at 0-0, with both sides thirsty for goals.

However, almost immediately after the second half had begun, Lemar Philips exploited a slip-up in the Sernetian defence and gave the ball to Pershing Major, scoring against the Steamers at the 47th minute. The Sernetians were now a bit glum, but the equaliser was just round the corner. Sernet had been awarded a corner, taken by Komstrowski and received by Janusz Tworpowski, with the defender executing a perfect finish, skimming through a cluster of players and forcing Pesonen to concede at the 52nd minute. The travelling Sernetian fans were delighted.

The game continued more as a war of attrition, with neither team getting a single shot on target for the next 25 minutes. Any attempt by Anewkansas was closed down by the Sernetian defence. Then, out of the blue, Samir Dottman tried his luck with a long shot at the goal at the 81st minute, rocketing through the wall of defenders and miraculously flying straight into the top right corner. The score was now 2-1, and the Sernetian fans were having fun. But sadly the Steamers' lead was not to last, as at the 86th minute, striker Pershing Major scored from a free kick which was awarded to Anewkansas, this time against Polin Twisk instead of Pasarowski. A draw once again. A last ditch attempt was made by Anewkansas, with Guy Marchand making an attempt but failing to score against Twisk. In the last few seconds of the game, Twisk lobbed the ball to Alforez, who made a cross-pitch chip to Dottman, who then passed the ball to Bolsting, but unfortunately, he failed to score. The Steamers, although not taking another three points, have at least managed to squeeze out one point.

Final score:
Anewkansas 2-2 Sernet

Goals:
Anewkansas: Major 47', 86'
Sernet: Tworpowski 52', Dottman 81'

Pre-match analysis: MD3 vs Indusse @ Sernetesen Lighthouse, MD4 vs Choppyhausen @ Linsakion International Arena, Sermeslau
Damian Weslom

P.s. We're keeping the lineup the same.

Table:

Group 9                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Flavovespia               2    2   0   0     4    0   +4     6
 2 Anewkansas                2    1   1   0     4    2   +2     4
 3 Choppyhausen              2    1   1   0     2    1   +1     4
 = Sernet                    2    1   1   0     5    4   +1     4
 5 United States of Alpha    2    1   0   1     7    4   +3     3
 6 Indusse                   2    1   0   1     5    5    0     3
 7 Eriadni                   2    1   0   1     3    4   −1     3
 8 Drawkland                 2    0   1   1     3    4   −1     1
 9 Afanc Strait              2    0   0   2     0    2   −2     0
10 Kharakia                  2    0   0   2     4   11   −7     0

[/box]

Following our win against Drawkland and our draw against Anewkansas, we have 4 points on the table, putting us in joint third place with Choppyhausen. Our next two matches are both at home, with Indusse awaiting us in Sernetesen and Choppyhausen being the fixture after that, who we will play up north in Sermeslau. Both teams are dangereous opponents, with Indusse being ranked 34th and Choppyhausen 81st, compared to Sernet at 113th. However, Sernet has proven time and time again that the rankings are just a number... and so we have a very real chance of winning this. Stoberus Pond has also agreed that Sernet's current formation and lineup is perfect, and there is no need for experimentation with "the Dream Team," but he has said that he will make sure that Lansor Sakayo and Bob Yarisem will play at some point, along with of course, other benched players. The supporters are already buzzing with excitement for the next two matches, and away fans are already trickling into Sernet. Now it is just a matter of time. Good luck Steamers.

Guide for visiting fans: How to reach your stadium

For Indusse fans:
Welcome, Indusse fans, to the wonderful country of Sernet! Thank you for visiting Sernet. You may find that our extensive rail network may be challenging to navigate, or that you can't seem to find where Sernetesen Lighthouse stadium is. This guide is designed to help you!

When you arrive at Sernetesen Storimidros International (we're assuming that's where you land), follow signage until you end up at the SMR station for whichever terminal you land at - for you lot it's likely to be Terminal 4. From here you have two options: take the slow SMR service down to Sernetesen, or take the fast Airline service to Sernetesen Arsenal. We'd recommend you take the Airline; it gets you from the airport to Sernetesen in just 15 minutes (a bit longer if catching it from Terminal 4) for a very slightly higher fare. Once at Sernetesen Arsenal, utilise the covered walkway to get to Sanosia Junction. From there, catch a westbound SMR Lime Line service towards Damonesiyum. Be careful, most SMR lines have a ton of branches, and the Lime line is no exception. However, the Lime Line has helpfully been named after the colour it is shown as, so that's nice. Just make sure to catch either a train that terminates at Spaldensen Banks or a train that says it goes via Lighthouse Wharf. You shouldn't have to wait too long as frequency on the SMR is good. Get off at Lighthouse Wharf, and from there it is literally a 2 minute walk to the stadium. Sernet has an abundance of public toilets should you need the loo. The SMR train doesn't have toilets, but Airline does. Upon arrival at Lighthouse Wharf, you should find all the amenities you need; restaurants, cafes, shops, you name it. Free wifi is available at the airport, on the trains and at the stadium. If you wish to stay at a hotel, there are plenty relatively cheap but high quality hotels at Lighthouse Wharf. Staff will be at all mentioned stations and around the stadium to provide assistance. We hope this guide will allow you to navigate to your destination with ease. Enjoy your visit to Sernet!

For Choppyhausen fans:

Welcome, Choppyhausenian supporters, to the wonderful country of Sernet! Thank you for visiting Sernet. You may find that our extensive rail network may be challenging to navigate, or that you can't seem to find where Linsakion Arena stadium is. This guide is designed to help you!

However, you guys are in luck, for we have managed to charter some exclusive flights from Choppingen to Sermeslau-Durslomof International Airport, meaning you won't have to bother flying to Sernetesen and then having to take the train to the other side of the country (although Sernetian railways are first-rate, its always more convenient to end up as close to your destination as possible). For those of you landing at Sernetesen Storimidros, follow signage until you end up at the SMR station for whichever terminal you land at - for you lot it's likely to be Terminal 4. From here you have two options: take the slow SMR service down to Sernetesen, or take the fast Airline service to Sernetesen Arsenal. We'd recommend you take the Airline; it gets you from the airport to Sernetesen in just 15 minutes (a bit longer if catching it from Terminal 4) for a very slightly higher fare. Once at Sernetesen Arsenal, go to the mainline platforms, where you should be able to easily locate a high-speed service of either Sernet Rapid Express (SRX), Sernet's flagship high-speed operator, or Northstar, another high-speed operator which serves Sermeslau, towards Sermeslau-on-sea, where you should alight. There will be staff on site to assist with navigation and purchasing tickets, which can be done online. Once at Sermeslau-on-sea, you can take Sermeslau Metro Line 1 or Skorkrosol Connect, like those arriving at Sermeslau-Durslomof.

From the airport, take Sermeslau Metro Line 1 to Linsakion (or you can take Skorkrosol Connect, your choice) and Volia, there you are. Sernet has an abundance of public toilets should you need the loo. If you wish to stay at a hotel, there are plenty relatively cheap but high quality hotels in Sermeslau. Staff will be at all mentioned stations and around the stadium to provide assistance. We hope this guide will allow you to navigate to your destination with ease. Enjoy your visit to Sernet!

#thepowerofsernet

by **Valanora** » Wed May 06, 2026 11:47 am

Qualifying is an oft dreaded part of the World Cup process for many fans of the Marauders, with the natural assumption that come the end of the process that the Marauders will have navigated through their schedule regardless of the difficulty or stylistic choices for qualifying for the Finals. Given that the Marauders have only missed out on qualifying for the Finals once in the last sixty-five editions of the World Cup, a streak that started with the first qualification of the national team to the Finals of World Cup 33, that assumption does make a small amount of sense. Bar a single cycle where the national team fell to live up to their own staggering expectations in the early seventies editions of the competition, the Marauders have been a mainstay of the second half of the competition where the field has been whittled down to thirty-two or as it has been for the last decade, forty-eight. That repeated success breeds a sort of contempt as well as boredom with the qualifiers, provides reasons for the fanbase to not be as engaged or as enthusiastic as they are during the Finals or in a smaller scale competition like the regional championship.

What can a federation or marketing department do to try and keep the fans engaged and not to help facilitate that feeling of contempt of the entire qualifying process from a fanbase that has been spoiled for generations with success in every measure, except for the obvious one that they and The Holy Empire are still driving for. The unending quest for the sixth World Cup title, being the first team to do so and definitely mark the Marauders as the greatest footballing nation of all time, a fact that few would argue is perhaps already established given the amount of records that the national team holds, is perhaps one of the single greatest driving forces for fan engagement. However fans seldom look at that path that is traveled to get to the destination, most will start to tune in during the group stage while even some wait until the first or second knockout round to truly engage with the team simply on the assumption they are going to get there. It is the true believers and true footballing connoisseur and fanatics that are there from the first game of qualifying and fully engaged with the team from the outset, cheering them along every step of the way.

Starting this qualifying process on the road probably was not a helpful part for the federation's desire to get the fan base engaged with the team from the opening game, even if it was within the region so that travel was not as bad. With the regionalized structure of a handful of the qualifying groups, that is going to be the case for a lot of the away trips for the Marauders during the qualifying campaign, six of the nine opponents in the group being from Arrosia. The Vegai showed out for the return of their national team after a century, by their own calendar, of missing from the international scene and their first official match being against an old foe. They gave as good as could have been expected and gave plenty of reasons for their own fans to think that there is a good amount of hope of the horizon for a campaign not to be completely filled with losses but that a midtable finish and perhaps even sneaking into the playoffs through the fifth placed spot is not off the table. Even though it was a closer than desired final result, the Marauders still showcased their class in taking the three points, with Hawk doing what he has done for decades and securing the win and Vanorian pride in tact.

It is by the benefit of a large population that is football mad that every game is a sell out for the national team when they play here in the Eternal Empire, as the Hatire Memorial in Capri was awash in navy with a few of the white away strip and even green alternate kit being dotted throughout the stadium. Those in attendance got to see an exercise in clinical finishing with the Marauders slicing through every attempt at resistance that the Equestrians threw up in vain hopes of slowing down the Marauders vaunted attack. Seven times did the Marauders strike true against their neighbors in the southwest of the region, though the downfall of Equestrian football has been a decade in the making and this merely only another chapter and reminder that the Equestrians are far from where they once were among the highest of thought of national teams. Six points from a possible six is exactly what you need but a scrappy win away to what was supposed to be an overwhelmed side and then a merciless demolition of a faded rival does not bring out the passion from fanbase, even if the latter does move the needle a bit. Consistently hitting the highs and maintaining an elite level of play will be the tonic to this very first world problem that only a few besides the Marauders are doomed to suffer through.

by **Of the Golden Harp** » Wed May 06, 2026 11:58 am

Dublin Grand Harp Training Center, Seven Days Before Game One
Seamus Murphy, president of the Golden Harpian Football Association, enters the film room which is already filled with the entire roster of the Holy Harps. "Good evening, gentlemen," he begins. "We know the lack of a proper manager may be of concern to you, as it should be, but the federation has selected a manager for this World Cup. I present to you, your new manager, Aodhan McCurtain." The room fills with polite applause as McCurtain walks in, They recognize him. A tactical genius almost comparable to Sigmund Reynolds. The manager of Rebel Cork who led them to the double in the recent season. "You may be wondering about how my attacking tactics will pair with the defense of this team." many of the players nod. "I will use this to our advantage. Our opponents won't be expecting a back line of steel. They'll try to break you with their 'Halalball', but they shan't. I know how these offensive strategies work. And I know how to stop them."
Dublin Grand Harp Training Center, Six Days Before Game One
"One fullback attacks. One defends. We cannot let our defensive structure be compromised. One break and the water pours out. One fullback advances into the frontline. The defenders move to the center. Now onto the defending midfielders. One will stay right in front of the defensive line. He will start attacks, and regain possession. The other will play in the position of the CAM. He will be behind the front four. He will hold the ball until an opportunity strikes. We get the ball into the box, and nothing can stop the charge of all five attackers. Now line up in your positions of the field."
Dublin Grand Harp Training Center, Five Days Before Game One
"Nothing can improve your skills in a game more than practice under pressure. Attackers. Try to score against the defense. Defense, stop them. The winners get steak for dinner. The losers... hope you like sandwiches."
Dublin Grand Harp Training Center, Four Days Before Game One
Garbhan runs down the flank while Kelleher chases him. The defenders crash the box as Garbhan lobs the ball into the box. The ball lands at the feet of Steed who shoots the ball. Hefferman sticks his leg out to block the ball, but it brushes off his knee altering the direction of the ball just enough so that Mac an tSagairt cannot reach it.
Dublin Grand Harp Media Center, Three Days Before Game One
"Sir," a reporter from News of the Harp asks McCurtain, "How will the team continue without O'Finnegan between the posts?"
"Simple. We have Kelleher, and I am confident in him, along with our two promising youngsters."
"Are you saying you're unsure on which goalkeeper to start?"
"I'm saying I will do what is best for the team.
"Do you believe that Keane can fill the captaincy to the same proficiency that O'Finnegan did?
"Without a doubt."
Dublin Grand Harp Team Recreation Center, Two Days Before Game One
"Boys, you have done well this week. Take the day off. Relax. Prepare yourselves for what is to come.
Dublin Multiversal Airport, One Day Before Game One
The players enter the navy blue plane. One by one the greatest of our nation walk up the steps for the trip to Libegeist. Whether they win or lose, they are the pride of our nation. They represent our nation, our world, and God.
Millay Stadium, Libegeist, The Day of The Game
After an impressive show from the supporters of Libegeist, their players take the field and line up in their positions. The crowd erupts in cheers for their team. The crowd goes silent for the entry of the Golden Harpians. A sense of nervous anticipation ones over the crowd. Even the most faithful of Libegeist supporters know that their chances of a victory are slim. The Holy Harps March out in their formal Blue and Gold collared uniforms. A golden cross down the middle, the most visible part of the uniform as a tribute to God. The players take the field to the tune of their national anthem. They walk with the confidence of experienced veterans. Ready, and knowing they should win, but still nervous. Gavin Kelleher, in his green and gold, is the last man to reach his position. He walks to his goal as the few Golden Harpian fans watch him with an uncertain admiration. He has to fill the shoes of Jason O'Finnegan, the legendary goalkeeper of the nation. He reaches the six-yard box and turns around, ready for the game to come. The referee blows the whistle, and Lang of Libegaist kicks the ball back to Johnson, who launches the ball forward to a running Lang who cannot control it. It comes to Hugo Lennon, who passes it back to Kelleher. The pass was too fast, and it bounced off of Kelleher's foot right to Lang. Kelleher rushes to the ball, but Lang shoots before he can get there. Kelleher feels the ball on his shoulder, but goes to the ground before he can see where it goes. The first thing he hears is the cheering of the away section. He turns around and finds the ball sitting in front of the stands. His first save for the nation. Libegeist takes the corner, and it is caught by Kelleher. Twenty minutes dominated by the Holy Harps pass by. possession goes back and forth between the midfield and defensive lines of the Golden Harpian team. After a pass back to Kelleher from Hefferman draws Libegeist's right winger forward into open space where Kelleher finds him. He controls the ball with an expert touch, and runs along the left flank. He reaches a point about ten yards beyond the half line where he passes forward to Garbhan. Standing in front of Garbhan is Libgeist defender Wright. Garbhan fakes a pass to Paul Johnson throwing Wright off guard. He flicks the ball past him, but Wright catches up to him. With his last opportunity he passes to the edge of the defensive line to Steed, who taps the ball with the outside of his right foot to give himself space, and shoots. The ball goes past Carpenter and into the goal. The first goal of the World Cup. The rest of the game stays about the same, possession dominated by The Golden Harp. After the 90 minutes are up five minutes of extra time is added. Knowing they only have one opportunity, Libegeist takes every shot they can but none come through. They have one corner. They bring Carpenter up to the box. Woodard gets a head on it, but it goes to Kelleher. Kelleher drop kicks the ball to Garbhan at the half line. He kicks the ball to the side away from the defender and shoots on the open net. It goes in as the whistle blows.

by **Pasarga** » Wed May 06, 2026 12:14 pm

Dread it, run from it, set up defenses for it, none of it matters for the inevitable dropped points to a team that the Wanderers have absolutely no business dropping points to arrives all the same. After a gutsy performance in Torgos on the first matchday, getting a late goal from Mór Buday in the eighty-second, after Bogdan Laszlo had originally given the Wanderers the lead in the first half, the team completely fell flat on their face away to Epicly Amazing Giraffes. The hosts had been thoroughly bested on the first matchday when the visited Kaumann, getting pumped for six goals in a four goal victory for one of the teams that are perceived as being a real threat to the Dual Islands hopes of finishing in the top two and earning an automatic berth to the Finals. Yet when they played host to the former World Cup Champions in our team, they found a resilience that had been completely absent from their first game where it had looked at times that they were not even playing the same sport as their opponents and were going to be an easy six points for all the ranked teams in the group. Yet two goals from four shots against the Wanderers was enough to hold our squad to a draw and see points dropped in a game the team really could not afford the drop points in.

Fortunately for the Wanderers, the rest of the heavy hitters in the group also seemed to have stumbled out of the gate, as there is a three way tie for first in the group as four points, with the Wanderers tied with fellow former champions Zwangzug as well as Natanians and Nosts at four points, after those two sides drew in Zwangzug on the first matchday. Zwangzug was able to win on the road on matchday two while Nosts was able to overcome Kaumann at home in order for all three to be tied at the four point marker. However make no mistake, the Wanderers on paper have looked the worst of the three sides who are level on points after the first international window, even if they defeated a difficult team on the first matchday in the form of Natkr. These are the sort of results that have plagued Wanderers teams for decades, the banana peel of a match against teams who on paper they are vastly superior than and yet still somehow are not able to come away with the full three points and are often fortunate to be coming away with even a share of the spoils like they have done here.

Thor and his staff resigned from the team at the end of the last Finals because of three straight results of the same nature when they collapsed in the Finals, yet these results have been persistent in Wanderers history aside the early seventies when the team went to three straight championship games, winning one of them. There had been such hope and belief at the time that all the inconsistencies of the national team for the first several decades of its existence had come to an end with those three editions where the team was one of the very best in the World, even if that run if oft overlooked by historians of the game. The Wanderers are not as flashy as the Euran side that came after nor as much of an intrigue as the Osarius team that came before them, that three Cup run simply happened and most of the rest of the footballing world simply failed to notice. Perhaps that is the curse of this national team, that even when they have found an elite level, there is a sort of disregard for the team and its achievements because there is a belief that it is simply a flash in the pan and not expected to be sustained, which unfortunately has been proven true in the long run.

To move on from this disappointment, the staff has to preach much of the same that they would have done at the start of the campaign, that the best players have to be the best players and they can ill afford to allow their levels to drop when on the road or playing against weaker opposition. The difficulty of this group is too high a barrier to be as wildly up and down as the team, particularly the strikeforce, have been in recent history and the team's general history. With Natanians and Nosts coming to Torgos in the next match, the Wanderers have a huge opportunity to show they have a short memory and are going to be able to keep up with the rest of the top of the group and perhaps even exert their influence. A win by any measure would be signs that this coaching staff can get the team's mental state back right even at the first signs of adversity, get the team ready for each and every opportunity that come before them and have a chance to have success. A win there will set up the next test of will and determination, a trip to Kaumann who at home looks to be as difficult an out as any of the rest of the top of the group.

by **Saint Eleanor** » Wed May 06, 2026 12:26 pm

OOC: Squid has approved of Matsuda's notes for MD2, as the Wunderbars were his characters to begin with.
More generally, a convergence of factors has meant that I have had to defer the G29 report (number CVII), following last time's 3PPO, to MD5/6 - I cannot do it justice in the extremely incomplete state it currently lies in. Know that the goalscorers for that match were Rynropeka-gyv 3, Magnws-rym 71; Matsuda 86, Emmerson 89. Please enjoy G6 reports CVIII (post-MD1) and CIX (post-MD2) in the meanwhile - and brace yourself for the return of player interviews on Friday.

Group of Six meeting (CVIII) --- Skorpiie 1-0 SAINT ELEANOR
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Lydia Vickers [C], Kichirō Matsuda [VC], Rick Goldsmith [ballot]
Location: Premium Coffee; Central district, Saint Eleanor city, EXT

Stephen here. For the second cycle in a row, World Cup qualifying has begun with an obscure, unranked team defeating one of the best sides in the world - a remarkable achievement, given how multiple generations of football fan have until recently survived purely on a diet of Polar Islandstates vs The Weegies, although maybe not for our fans specifically. WCQ99 was relatively plain sailing, with only Baker Park and Loyo taking points off us... but in the other three cycles among the last four, we have lost to Island Fusion (362nd beat 19th), Himurajima (336th beat 6th), and now Skorpiie (unranked beat 2nd - only The Weegies WCQ67 + Baman and Juket Liberationists WCQ100 have defeated #1 while unranked).

Unlike Himurajima or Island Fusion, this was a genuinely unproven opposition, and we do not even have their names. Edward and Elizabeth on the left wing actually carried their weight on debut, and Izzy Bright was mightily close to an equaliser. However, their attacking players appear to have acted unpredictably well in kind, were keen to employ strength in numbers in an attempt to overwhelm their defence, and clipped the top of the bar with two minutes to go. All in all, it was a worse day at the office than usual for us, and the best day in the office that they have ever had.

Gentle Breeze, as per usual, says that this kind of mistake is forgiveable, once, but that some degree of improvement and reflection is required and that such mistakes should not be happening again any time soon. (My personal assessment of where we went wrong, which may not be GB's, is that we were more disorganised or careless in defence than is typical, especially as far as marking and pressing were concerned.)

Lydia, also as per usual, seems to think that the goal was the result of a lapse in her own thinking - something which the rest of the party disagrees on - but feels confident in saying that there is "no game too small" for Saint Eleanor. She is satisfied that teams are now meeting us on our own turf, so to speak, rather than try and out-defend us and scrape out the narrowest win possible. She doesn't have any anecdotes on whether other David vs Goliath ties are being played to a similar standard, though.

Kichiro, in a break from his usual self, is frustrated that this could have possibly happened, and is seeking answers that are not coming any time soon, but is not quite the ax-grinding madman that he can be on a really bad day. Reniira, almost remarkably, has little to say - but she is a bit more introspective about Race to the Top and understanding of the fact that we still have many games ahead of us (which we will naturally be approaching case-by-case). Rick, in what I can only assume is a position he genuinely holds, thinks that this is the worst team Saint Eleanor has had in a while - less Coombe, Launceston, Richardson, Davies, and more - but that he thinks that a single defeat, even to this opposition, is a price worth paying for squad cohesion in the long run... a long run he will not be in the team for.

That leaves me to leave my thoughts on the game. I am not seeing anything particularly wrong with our players, and neither are the press (as I'll come to). Overall, I think that the consensus here is not that either team "had an off-day," but rather that Skorpiie just had that special stuff, that touch of Margaret around them - dare I utter her name? We will, of course, keep on fielding 1-11 for future opening matchdays of qualifying. I trust that everyone has the right mindset - there have not been any egos in this team since Priscilla's great big clearout two decades ago. On this occasion, however, our eleven were just not quite as organised or intent as theirs (depending on whether you are an optimist or a pessimist). We do not need to have a repeat of August 1998 or December 2007 around these parts; there is nothing that cannot be fixed quickly, easily, and relatively painlessly. "Blame the system, not the people."

Nation states logic will need to apply just as much to our team as it does to theirs if we are to avoid possibly the most humiliating sequence of events in Eleanorian history. Speaking without having watched their last game (we were pre-occupied), I am getting a bad feeling about Iakakskak Qiaiuaua and Lalskskmemeqmak. Lydia insists that NSL could be dangerous and prepared following their draw with Tomerion, no slouches in their own right having been dumped out of the BoF on penalties to the eventual winners. Reniira, not quite the calmest person ever to have lived, insists that I am taking this too far and that a more holistic approach would be welcome, as it normally is for "the smaller games."

I have read in a couple of the local papers that the usual 4-2-3-1 has its shortcomings, but the Reporter and the Evening News seem to align on the point that these players are "new to the ecosystem" and that competent, motivated teams and players are obvious predators. We Eleanorians tend to think that there are no bad days, or even necessarily bad players (certainly not in international football); just good teams, even better teams, and razor-sharp teams who have their stuff together. Skorpiie was a bit of the second and a bit of the third; we cannot count on Nation states logic being any different.

In terms of tactics, we understand that NSL are more attack-minded, much like Tomerion, so a bit more defensive "huddling" will be necessary; Maria, Kichiro and the back four have this on pat. Michelle gets the nod over Nacle, as she is - of course - that bit better when attack becomes counter-defense. Gisken is more of a pragmatist for their attacking midfield position, which is the one and only time in my life I'll ever say this. Izzy is a solid striker. In general, changes to the team are limited, on the assumption that the team will be truly functioning as a unit ahead of Matchday 2. (If they are not, however, I expect GB to impose a new lineup for Tomerion on MD3 by managerial fiat.) Certainly, however, I imagine that some changes in mindset will be required.

Kichiro has kindly volunteered to make his Group of Six note-taking debut for the aftermath of this game. I can only hope that his notes are better than mine, although I am the note-taker of last resort to be sure.

Group of Six meeting (CIX) --- SAINT ELEANOR 3-1 Nation states logic
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Lydia Vickers [C], Kichirō Matsuda [VC], Michelle Addison [ballot]
Location: Home sweet home; Central district, Saint Eleanor city, EXT

What happened: We actually did much better than I expected! This might be a surprising judgment to you, given that the scoreline is roughly what you would expect, but things were ticking on pretty nicely. Keith Barnett, of all people, got the opening goal, cutting inside past Ksksksk and humiliating poor Keopwa Wmwmwjwm with a curler from just outside the area. Gisken Aldra was no match for the rest of the team - theirs or indeed ours - as they were involved in both of the other goals, probably should have scored more than one, and was more useful than Isabella Bright was. Of course, those goals were sandwiched by one of All Akajashower's own, a perfect shot for a perfect rebound, but the end-of-the-day summary is that we were individually and collectively good, while Nation States Logic were okay in all areas but not as good in defence as you'd expect.
* Defensively: Lydia isn't complaining about herself this time like she did last time, and no wonder, as she did a good job keeping Delogger Alajwjsjw and Lalalakakasks Quauauaua at bay. (Today was a zonal marking day.) A good word must also be put in for Kirsti Sundgren for avoiding any obvious mistakes - that goal was a banger, come on now.
* Offensively: I know I smack-talked Isabella earlier, but she certainly does deserve to get a promotion in the Army; she did a fine job today breaking past NSL's back line. The whole front line was on good form today, even if not as red-hot as they were against Bythia or Norway-Sweden-Finland last cycle.

Thoughts on the next match: TOMERION have done well to get to this point. I like to think that, if SEFA had as much integration with their non-existent baseball federation, for instance, (although my homeland would be a better example) as Tomerion do with all of their sports, our grassroots at least would be in a slightly better place - saying this both as the byproduct of the Wunderbar masterplan AND as someone who can most politely be described as "addicted to football" (actual Bridget Coombe quote). Tomerion lost their Baptism of Fire quarterfinal on penalties to eventual champions Pomachetti, did well to hold Zwangzug to a single goal if not quite as well as Skorpiie, and are trying better to make a good impression than the vast majority of underdogs in international football.
I am aware of what some of the Tomerians are saying on the internet, albeit not on Cicada. From what I understand, they remind me of Esther Launceston and Bridget, and to some extent Liz Wootton. They like having fun and being expressive, they like pop culture, they love their friends and family, and they have regular team meetings, possibly very much like what we are having right now. I don't think we have any spies here, but I would be interested in seeing what would happen if Lydia V and Benito Carey hit it off and were told to keep it strictly Azertienne-only. Olympia has been forced into retirement now, but I think she would have had a good time with Crystal, too. Ayumi Drumpf loves her dogs, but I'm not sure how much common ground they would have with my pet parrot.
We know much, much more about the Tomerians as people than we do about the Tomerians as players, which is surprising - Steve and Jessica have, in past, been at pains to let me know that the international press sometimes lurk around the later stages of the Baptism of Fire. On first sight, an attacking 3-5-2 is - we tried it, with a bit more of a defensive tilt, for the Eastfield Lodge game at WC97 and they ended up losing in extra time of the quarterfinals to the eventual champions. Gentle Breeze and Lydia, at the very least, would be at pains to insist that Tomerion are a serious team that can go toe-to-toe with the very best (and we are #2 in the rankings, after all), if I didn't intervene to point out that this actually happened last time and I was less than satisfied with the outcome.
Without much further knowledge of - for example - how the midfield operates, whether the wingbacks are defensively solid, if this is a return to the sweeper system of yore, etc. I am forced to assume the most dangerous case scenario: Tomerion are tactically competent, individually flexible, and willing if not confident of total victory. The usual starting lineup would be a good base (although I don't think there are any "bad bases," so to speak). Two exceptions: the defence may be fluid and proactive, so we need to act in kind; Isabella, more of a pure striker, may not be the best choice, so Kevin should be trusted for his debut. On the right wing, Michelle is - on balance - a bit more defensively competent and well-rounded than Nacle, so I would back her to get the nod. My assessment is that our defence is solid and our midfield is otherwise strong enough to "flood the zone."

Canvas:
* GENTLE BREEZE thinks that my analysis was spot on
* STEPHEN likes what he's hearing but is alone in suggesting that Abdullah be given a start in goal
* RENIIRA vocally supports giving Kevin his debut and has suggested more of an attacking approach, although let's see if the pegasus agrees
* LYDIA agrees with Stephen about Abdullah - while Group of Six is a consensus platform they have been "outvoted" on this occasion so Kirsti stays
* MICHELLE welcomed the opportunity to start + has suggested that even more substitutes be used if needs be

Bottom line: The usual 4-2-3-1 will be put into place with Kevin and Michelle in place of the usual starters. We will not necessarily be deviating from our usual tactics, but we do need to be on the lookout for any fast-moving attacks or surprise changes in their defensive posture.

- Quatro
(special thanks to Lydia for helping me get some of these names right)

by **Tanirinthia** » Wed May 06, 2026 12:30 pm

The Last Diplomat - Chapter 14

Sebastian sat there dumbfounded, maybe he was the one having the mental breakdown, hells he had only just come out of one. Or maybe he was still in the middle of that one and would wake up back in St. Cirith strapped down to a hospital bed. However for the moment he felt lucid, and he found himself staring at the book. Not helping for his sense of lucidity it almost felt like there was a faint pulse emenating from it. He gingerly picked up the book. He waited half expecting someone to scream out "You must not read from the book!". But no cry rang out, so he began to read.

And read he did, so cosumed by it's contents that he did not notice night turning to day, nor Jefferson sitting down opposite to him as he reached the end. As he read the final sentence his senses returned to him with a bang, jumping clear out of his skin upon seeing Jefferson across from him.

"Magic is real!?" Sebastian's head was swimming with a million questions as true to Jefferson's word his world had been upended again. Finding out who the Uniter really was, the why and the how of his grand plan, the very foundation, the bedrock of our society based on lies or half-truths, he had questions yes but truly that Magic the thing of children's stories and fairytales was real that's what it all boiled down to.

"Yes my friend, it is real and wonderful and terrifying. Case in point Chaos has broken free, and while this has led to Tanirinth opening up to the Multiverse, I repeat again Chaos is free."

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Wed May 06, 2026 12:45 pm

“Bernard, listen: So there’s this guy. They are calling for a flood to hit his city, but he’s refusing to evacuate.”

The guy sitting next to Bernard was setting up a joke.

“The gendarme go to his house, knock on his door. ‘We’re here to evacuate you,’ he says (each who would properly evacuate). ‘No need,’ says the guy. ‘God will save me.’”

What was this guy’s name? Bernard tried to recall. The guy knew his name. He sits at this bar as often as Bernard does. Maybe less.

“The flood comes, and the water rises. So he’s sitting on his roof when a guy comes by in a boat. ‘Climb aboard, and I’ll get you out of here.’ ‘No need,’ says the guy. ‘God will save me.’”

Bernard looked down at the glass he was holding with both hands. What is that guy’s name? He tried to remember, but he couldn’t think over the din.

“The guy keeps sitting on his roof, and the water keeps rising,” continued the man at the next stool. “Now, a helicopter from the Army comes by. It hovers there, and they call over, ‘We’ll drop a ladder down to you, and you climb on.’ And once again, the guy says, ‘No. God will save me.’”

It wasn’t that much of a din. A few barflies, the bartender, music lightly playing from a jukebox, and a TV murmuring. This was not a happening spot. Bernard thought he wanted to be away from things happening.

“The flood keeps rising and goes over the house completely. And the guy ends up floating on a plank of wood, waiting for God. Until he can’t stay afloat anymore, and he cries out, ‘Why God? Why didn’t you save me?’ And then from up above he hears a booming voice, ‘I sent you a car, a boat, and a helicopter, what more did you want?!’”

The joke teller laughed uproariously at his own joke, as Bernard slowly got off his stool and made his way to the bathroom.

He entered the room and found the light switch. The halogen light flickered on. It wasn’t the grossest bar bathroom Bernard had been in over the last couple of years, but it wasn’t the cleanest either.

He stumbled to the sink, holding its edge tightly. He looked at himself in the mirror.

“I’m going to be sick,” Bernard declared to himself. His eyes were bloodshot. His stubble had grown beyond a five o’clock shadow to where it obviously showed that he couldn’t always be bothered to shave. His hair was going gray in splotches, and his skin was hanging more. It made him sick.

Actually.

Bernard fell to his knees at the toilet and puked. He paused, gagged, and vomited again. An off-yellow liquid sprayed into the bowl. He slapped the side of the bowl in frustration. Maybe it was the alcohol, but he still felt disgusted.

Tab paid, Bernard stumbled to his car. He shouldn’t be driving. He didn’t need to be at his apartment, but he no longer wanted to be here.

He drove poorly, speeding above the limit, then hard on the brake to slow down, drifting out into the oncoming lane.

Even in his impaired state, he saw the patrol car pull out of a parking lot behind him. Bernard tensed up, his hands gripped the wheel. Would they pull him over? Arrest him? The last time he drove home from the bar drunk, he was pulled over. The officer took one look at his ID and flatly told him, “Sorry to bother you, sir. You’re free to go.”

Tonight, the patrol car sped up and passed him. No lights, no sirens. He watched the car as it pulled away into the distance. Bernard could only work his jaw.

Being untouchable had a benefit. Less so when he stumbled into an empty apartment and fell into his empty bed.

In the dark, he could make out the frame holding awards earned from a lifetime of service. The lifetime was over, and the frame now leaned against the wall. Bernard rolled away from it.

This isn't how it's supposed to be, Bernard thought as he closed his eyes and tried to keep his stomach level.

Based on the clock on the car radio when he got in, it must have happened around 2:10 AM.
Bernard had eventually fallen asleep into a dreamless sleep.

Then it happened.

He bolted from bed, hangover gone. He found his clothes, his go kit, and his keys and burst from his apartment. He turned the ignition, backed out, and started driving in the direction that seemed correct.

In his sleep, he received a communication. An order. Simple and clear:

“Deliver her.”

by **Solgavden** » Wed May 06, 2026 1:20 pm

Túslingen House, Kolvereid District, Lysborg
10:33 AM

Tucked on a side road between two of the district’s busier streets, first-time visitors to the city often miss this understated landmark. While the Georgian-style townhouse may seem unassuming on the outside, considering that it shares a similar exterior with its neighbors, this building houses one of the most crucial organizations to the Solgavish way of life: the Royal Solgavish Football Federation. As the name might suggest, the building was originally owned by the aristocratic Túslingen family, being used as a temporary landing pad when they had extended business in the city, as opposed to coming to and from their main properties deeper in the country. The last member of the family, Joachim von Túslingen was killed without an heir during the First Great War, and thus the house came into possession of the government. After trying for years to sell the property (a civil war going on in the background made the process difficult), the building was refurbished to serve as the headquarters of the new RSFF. In the decades since, the boardrooms of Túslingen House have seen some of the most drastic changes in the Solgavish footballing world, from the creation of the first Solgavish National Team and the Kongensliga, to more recent decisions such as the league’s expansion to 18 teams, yet today’s meeting might be the most consequential of them all.

For Marika Andris-Rainer, this is only the third time visiting Túslingen House since her appointment as Minister of Culture & Recreation. As her heels made rhythmic tapping sounds on the cobblestone sidewalk leading up to the building, she noticed that almost all of the lights were on inside, which was very peculiar. Her two previous visits were one-on-one meetings with senior officials in the RSFF, with her only noticing a few administrative workers there at a time. The rise of the internet meant that with instant communication, the RSFF can spread their operations out across the country, with branch offices popping up in cities like Orliss and Vennesberg in recent decades. Yet today, there is a level of hustle and bustle in and around the building that she’s never seen before. Rumors have been floating in recent weeks about the possibility of allowing Solgavish women to join the men in all sporting competitions, especially football. Naturally, opposition parties such as the Social Republican Party and the United Left were the biggest proponents of such a measure, with Leader of the Opposition Annelise Brandt giving an impassioned speech in the Riketsdag, saying that they “...need to give Solgavden’s young girls a chance”. Marika was the first on her side of the aisle to give their support, with more and more of her colleagues joining her in recent weeks. When asked directly about the issue, Chancellor Sondergaard gave the beautifully non-committal answer of “I support whatever measures the RSFF and SOSF seem appropriate”, effectively saying tag, you’re it to Solgavden’s sports governing bodies. It looks as though the vast majority of the country wants to see Solgavish sports officially end gender-based segregation, no one wants to actually pull the trigger to see it happen (and deal with the weeks of paperwork to see it implemented). A court case has meandered its way up to the Solgavish High Court, where they ruled that leaving women out of men's competitions was unconstitutional, and gave the RSFF and SOSF a deadline to come up with a plan to implement integration in Solgavish sports. Left with no choice, RSFF President Laurin Allebrand (whose name appears next to the dictionary definition for “lethargic”) is forced to do his actual job, call for a meeting of the Board of Governors…on the day the deadline is set to expire.

As Marika approaches Túslingen House, she is quickly ushered to the meeting hall on the second floor, and is greeted by the who’s who of influential figures in Solgavish sports. As previously mentioned, the RSFF Board of Governors are present, and as the organization’s main decision making body, its ranks are full of the nation’s best. Legendary coaches such as Nils Damgaard and Holger Mazeroski are members of the Board, as well as prominent former players like Kurt Landau and Olve Carlssan. RSFF Patron Prince Albert is present as the federation’s co-leader and public face of Solgavish Football. While those names might be expected, there are a few that made Marika finally understand the gravity of the meeting. Names like Renz Staebler, who is a member of the Board due to his work as an executive with Kosmo Lunaris, but is notably here in his capacity of SEL Commissioner, and SOSF President Rasmus Thorstein. Thorstein is an interesting figure in Solgavish politics, serving as Leader of the Opposition for years, until he lost the 2018 CLP leadership election to future Chancellor Nicklas Sondergaard. Ever since then, he has served as the leader of the Solgavden Olympic and Sporting Federation, which covers pretty much every sport other than football. Despite their wide-ranging scope, the RSFF is powerful enough that the SOSF follows their guidelines, deferring to them on most issues. With all parties now seated, what followed was one of the most mind-numbingly stupid debates of her life.

Marika is, of course, an MP, representing the East Amrisfeld & Simriberg constituency. While the area is known mostly for its endless plains of farmland, she has distinguished herself as a passionate debater in parliament, earning the favor of Chancellor Sondergaard in the process. She guessed that something about her reminded him of himself, as he also started out as a young MP from a backwater, and became known for being a pain in the ass for both the opposition and party elite alike. Thanks to her fiery attitude, she was given the role of Minister of Culture & Recreation after the most recent election, and has been loving it so far. The position was traditionally given to promising MPs as a steppingstone to higher offices, as it mostly consisted of attending events across the country and shaking hands with athletes, while also being a senior ministry in the Council of State. This meant that she could attend the monthly meeting with Queen Sophia, and is in the line of succession should something happen to the Chancellor (although she's about 12th in line). Minister of C&R is one of the cushiest positions in all of the Solgavish Federal Government, and she is going to enjoy every minute of it before going on to bigger and better opportunities. Yet, this meeting is probably one she'd love to forget, as it was basically hijacked by Emil Vardaman, former Roslund Mirakaler manager.

After his unlikely Kongensliga title in 2008, Vardaman failed to replicate the success with his subsequent teams, ending his managerial career where it started, relegated to the SFL Third Division with his childhood club, Kouranta FF. After that flop, he continued to soil his legacy even further, joining a right-wing podcast where he spouted conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory. Now thoroughly disgraced, the Solgavish footballing world thought they could sweep him under the rug, until the unexpected death of a member of the RSFF Board of Governors a few years ago. The federation tried, and boy did they try, to elect a more suitable replacement, but all of the more qualified candidates were retired, and wanted nothing to do with the job, or were still active, and wanted to avoid the conflict of interest. So, in a place of pure desperation, the former Kongensliga champion Emil Vardaman was voted in as a RSFF Governor, and the organization has regretted it ever since. Vardaman has opposed nearly every popular move the body has made since his appointment, and now, today, he is ranting and raving about the possibility of allowing women to join the men in Solgavish sports. For the vast majority of those present, this should have been a slam dunk, merely a formality to hammer out the details. Yet Vardaman’s strategy is clear as day, spitefully delaying the proceedings until after the deadline in a couple hours, putting the entire organization that has done nothing but disrespect him in a bind. With time running down, more sensible members of the group tried to talk sense into him, with Vardaman and Prince Albert getting into a shouting match loud enough to be heard from the street below. While they were sparring RSFF President Allebrand, who hoped to leave this mess for the next sorry bloke who happened to take his office after his retirement, is slumped in his chair with his eyes closed, as if hoping to teleport to somewhere warm, and more quiet. Finally, with all of their options extinguished, most of the men in the room turned to Marika, the only woman present, as if she could convince a man whose only point in being here is to ragebait. She sighed, and instead of launching into a tirade that she was known for in the Riketsdag, she instead gently tried to appeal to his humanity. Giving him the respect he deserves, she mentioned his daughters, who have spoken to him less and less in recent years, as well as his young granddaughter, who has started to fall in love with the game of football. She talked about young players like Helena Hoffman and Andrea Keppler, who has played with male players, and have excelled in representing Solgavden in international competitions. He relented, and with 3 minutes and 44 seconds until the deadline would expire (and the RSFF would be in deep shit), the measure passed unanimously with the Board of Governors, and with the SOSF soon looking to follow, sports within Solgavden will be officially integrated between genders, at all levels.

by **Banija** » Wed May 06, 2026 1:28 pm

The big games arrive early for the Kadongo Kamu, as Pot 2 Zenic travel to the Stadium of the Restoration on Matchday 3 of World Cup Qualifying

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- Sometime, a World Cup Qualification campagin starts off disastrously. And other times, it starts off well. Many times, it is something of an in between. That is currently where the Banijans find themselves. They are, of course, 2-0-0, and there's nothing to complain about- wins are not easy in Qualifying, especially away from home, and being able to get off to a start like that gives you wiggle room as the campaign goes on. But how you do against smaller teams, generally, gives you some sort of a window in how you will do against the bigger squads. The Banijans got two wins in two games played- obviously, that's exactly how they drew it up! On the other hand... The performances on the pitch were not up to level.

We are ranked 180 places above Delitai. It is the first game of the campaign, at home- Delitai is an opponent with talent, of course, but this was a game where the Banijans were favored heavily- and instead, we were quickly fighting for our lives. Suddenly, and quickly, we were down 2-0 on the day, just 15 minutes into the match. Their #9 was on the correct side of a couple of counter-attacks, and 15 minutes into the campaign, the Banijans were in panic mode. How much does poor performance in these pre-Qualifying friendlies really matter? At this point, it mattered a lot. But credit to Trischuk- he steadied the ship. Kept his players calm, and they really began to overwhelm the Delitai defense. Just before halftime, Son-Saka scored on a rebound to make it 2-1, cutting the lead in half for the visitors. And then, in the second half, the Banijans exploded- three goals in a 25 minute span flipped the match on its head, and we took a 4-2 lead. The visitors scored a late penalty to make it 4-3, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't how we drew it up- but 3in the marathon that we call Qualifying, 3 points earned are 3 points earned.

Next, a visit to Sharktail. The final score was misleading- the team really did not play that well. Hell, for the first half, they were thoroughly outplayed on the road, by Sharktail- even giving up a penalty in the 42nd minute. The home team's momentum disappeared entirely, however, when Liam Owen missed a penalty. He skied it- had nowhere to hide, nobody to blame but himself. The second half went much better for the Banijans, with a 56th minute strike from Resnais-Mahama giving us the lead on the day, and then Banta Kairaba coming off the bench to bury the match in the 83rd minute. One that we had to struggle through, this time against a team ranked nearly in the 300s, but- two wins from two are two wins from two. Can't afford to drop points in games like these.

"While we left a lot of meat on the bone, it is Matchday 1- we are going to get better as time goes on." Trischuk told reporters. "What matters, is that we got results- the performances will follow."

The level of competition is going to step up dramatically, and quickly. Zenic, who are ranked 23rd in the multiverse, are in Pot 2- and will pay a visit to Banija on Matchday 3. Now, unlike most Arrosian nations, we are not in group 3, the designated Arrosian group- we got nations from all over flying to Busukuma, and we will be flying across the multiverse as well. The biggest game of the campaign, theoretically, and it has the venue and hype to match. Stadium of the Restoration- site of the World Cup 99 Final. A Zenic squad, who got off to a poor start on MD1, but roared back on MD2, with a 5-0 shellacking of New Eastern Canada. "Two top teams, evenly matched, both teams will feel as if they are fully deserving of earning one of the group's auto qualification spots." Son-Saka, the captain, told reporters. "Our goal is simple- play our game, create chances, and ride the energy of the home fans."

Kickoff is at 8:30 PM Local time.

#

by **Hamborn** » Wed May 06, 2026 1:28 pm

Hamborn - Boring Paradise Matchday 3 to the Castle of Lavandeum !

It was after a double defeat away of their country that Hamborn will be playing against the fourth of the classment gain these 3 precious point to continue and be in a better position for the play - off.

He just interviewed the manager of Hamborn, Joseph Lastat and here is the textual transcription :

"Are you ready for the match day 3 ?"

"Absoluetly, we worked hard with my team to have a better offensive plan and a more defensive plan."

"Will you keep the same players than Match day 1 and 2 ?"

"I won't, I will rotate the team to have a better view of what could work or not but I wont touch the attack as it proved that it's a good formation"

"Your prediction for the match"

"Sincerly, I would bid for a 2-1 for Hamborn, Thank you for your question and have a good day."

We just seen that Joseph Lastat trust on his team attack and a bit less on his miedlefield/defense it could show that he's a very offensive coach. It could scare the 4th of this competition I think not, they are still a weak team but we could be surprised by a better defense.

Composition of the team :

Bench :
Every others player are benched

Super Earth - Hamborn, 7th of the classment an accessible match ?

Welcome to the analytics on Hamborn 2 !! This is the place to talk about statistics and tactics !

We should remember that Hamborn is the last of their group and didn't score any goal except an offside goal. What we should see in this match after a potential win against Boring Paradise ? Well, I would see a domination of Hamborn by Super Earth why ? Because Hamborn is in a bad dynamic and we could see less motivation on Hamborn's side.

But we could be surprised with the changed of Joseph Lastat, we could see a more surprising attack that could freeze the Super Earth's stadium because we know this attack can hurt the defense we see it to the club's league where Joan Von de Polux is the most goalsoccer of Hamborn.

I will predict a 1-1 after a long domination of Super Earth and a surprise attack of Hamborn.

We just received that Joseph Lastat will use the same composition that he uses against Boring Paradise, he trust in this composition the defense that he saw with is team before the relegation in Star League 2.

The match will start soon, we will talk about this match after it, have a good match !

by **Natkr** » Wed May 06, 2026 1:37 pm

My Beautiful ~~Dark~~ World

chapter 1: regret.

They say no man truly knows where home is, but they never said what home meant to you. Home is not just a place you live for the rest of your life. Home is a place of comfort and love; home is where you truly feel loved and comfortable. For Adam, home was everything to him. Home was his life. But more importantly, home was the random doodle he made randomly one day, when he was bored in his school free period. Adam honestly didn't have many friends in his life, so this was mainly his priority at the time.

Adam loved his world. But honestly, he was a dumb kid. He stated he named his imaginary world. My Beautiful World. I mean, it was nothing too special to be honest. It was just his beautiful world. It was something that happened to him, to concentrate especially during his parent's divorce.

by **Busoga Islands** » Wed May 06, 2026 1:51 pm

President Kavak, in a suite, with his predecessor, Delbin Kasekende Sr.

The current President and the former President were both sharing a suite, here ahead of Busoga's World Cup Qualifier against Qusmo. Why not share a suite? It was good for the cameras, to show both of their commitment to bipartisanship. Or cooperation. Or whatever you wanted to call it. And while the two men shook hands, and smiled for the camera, both of them promising to root for team Busoga? Here in the suite, with the cameras off, it was ice cold between Busoga's two most prominent politicians- a football association President (and former actual President) on one side of the room, completely ignoring the actual President on the other side of the room.

There were about 50 people in the suite- so it was easy for them to ignore each other. And, frankly, that they did. "Honey." Said the First Lady of the Busoga Islands, Alyssa Kavak. "You know, you could go over there and have a conversation with him. Just saying hello, talking about the team."

"No freaking way." President Kavak responded to his wife. "I'd rather go for a relaxing stroll through the Szorisian desert than have a private conversation with that buffoon." He scowled. "Look, Kasekende has done plenty for Busogan football- but he's a disaster. For the country, for the nation, for the people- he's consistently sold us out. If it wasn't for the fact that we have a legit democracy here, he'd have sold this entire country out to the Banijans. Will not pretend to be friends with that guy."

"Why not?"

"Nah, let him enjoy it." The President said to his wife. "Come the day after tomorrow, he's gonna have a brand new day job. And this job? Well, let's just say that's the last time he gets to be in this suite for a while..."

World Cup 81/82/83/84

The Commonwealth of Baker Park National Team opened up their World Cup 101 qualifying campaign with a 3-1 victory over Arrosian side Milchama at the Newport City Stadium followed by a frustrating 1-1 away draw against debut nation Frayston and now head into the second international doubleheader with a pair of home fixtures that could go a long way towards determining how the rest of the tournament shakes out for the Gold & Black.

Sarzonia will make a visit to Rogers Stadium in Endborough on matchday 3 to renew a rivalry that has been a bit quiet in recent years; the Stars opened up with a pair of win against the previously mentioned Frayston and a comprehensive 5-1 rout of Qasden; like BP they have a new boss in charge of the national side and of course they must negotiate a gauntlet of regional opposition that seems likely to be an exercise in which nation can drop the fewest points against familiar foes.

Sajnur are one of the non-Arrosia nations in Group 3 but of course are a familiar name in Baker Park due to their assistance in administering the Jenna Raven Cup for a few cycles; they will visit the CONAGCO Stadium in Shirley four days after the Sarzonia match, having split their opening two matches including a 2-1 away defeat to Milchama.

by **Marsonne** » Wed May 06, 2026 1:57 pm

Shock results in World Cup qualification: minnows Marsonne fend off Group 8 giants
Four points from two games sees Marsonne rise to first in group standings
Marie-Ève Pichon (@MEPichon)
^{Sports | Sarlat, Marsonne}

Marsonne 1 — 1 Dhemixia

DHE — 3-1-4-2
GK — Wesley Williamson
CB — Drew McMahon
CB — Rick Wilson
CB — Dominic Sanford
CDM — Adrian Bush
RM — Mario Hutchinson
LM — Gregory Baker
CM — Grant Clarke (C)
CM — Timothy Hawkins
ST — Jonathan Obisana
ST — Randy Calhoun

MAR — 4-2-3-1
GK — Pierre Corneille
RB — Arsène Chaufourier
LB — Alphonse Godefroy
CB — Paul-Louis Fargeau
CB — Paul-Gustave Blot (C)
CM — Luc de la Motterouge
LW — Joachim Bonaventure
CM — Antoine Ladmirault
ST — Guy de Fougerolles
CAM — Jacques Le Cam
RW — Yvan Sarrault

Match Statistics
15
10
2.08
9
6
8
4
1
0
466
82%
6.92
52%
7
1
1.70
6
6
6
1
2
0
430
83%
6.92
48%
Shots
On Target
xG
Corners
Free Kicks
Fouls
Offsides
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Passes
Pass Completion
Average Rating
Possession

MOTM: Le Cam (MAR)

Goalscorers
Le Cam - '70
x
Clarke - '90+1

SARLAT, MARSONNE — Before a capacity crowd at Stade Eden Roc in Sarlat, the Centaurs nearly pulled off the impossible in their first ever World Cup qualification game as they took a late lead against Dhemixia, the 60th ranked team in the world — but the honours would be even at the final whistle, the away team's captain, Grant Clarke, having stolen level at the last with a stoppage time header. The result was certainly a shock: Marsonne, though playing at home, are ranked 321st in the world, fresh off their first foray into international football at the most recent edition of the Baptism of Fire. And yet, it was the Centaurs who largely controlled play throughout the game, significantly outperforming Dhemixia in terms of expected goals but unable to capitalise on their chances, their best efforts hampered by the profligacy of a snakebitten forward group.

Jacques Le Cam, Marsonne's creative engine, scored the home side's lone goal — a curling shot from thirty yards out to cap off an excellent offensive cycle. Arsène Chaufourier registered the assist, playing a robotically accurate crossfield ping to set up the goal. Though the Centaurs could perhaps consider themselves unlucky not to have come home with three points, earning any at all against a team seeded in the fourth pot remains a feat nevertheless; the game was not supposed to be close, and it was not supposed be in Marsonne's favour, either.

Crpostran 0 — 2 Marsonne

MAR — 4-2-3-1
GK — Hippolyte Taffanel
RB — Arsène Chaufourier
LB — Alphonse Godefroy
CB — Paul-Louis Fargeau
CB — Paul-Gustave Blot (C)
CM — Luc de la Motterouge
LW — Joachim Bonaventure
CM — Antoine Ladmirault
ST — Guy de Fougerolles
CAM — Jacques Le Cam
RW — Yvan Sarrault

CRN — 4-4-2
GK — Lourens Rino
RB — Marco Santoro
LB — Thomas Martin
CB — Tadgán Bjarni
CB — Miroslav Mohsin
RM — Ernust Mikuláš
LM — Wilton Fred
CM — Xavier Moreau
CM — Ambrogio Alan
ST — Sevastian Fionnbarra (C)
ST — Widald Valentín

Match Statistics
9
2
0.82
7
8
11
3
0
0
497
84%
6.60
52%
18
8
2.92
7
7
8
4
0
0
457
86%
7.23
48%
Shots
On Target
xG
Corners
Free Kicks
Fouls
Offsides
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Passes
Pass Completion
Average Rating
Possession

MOTM: Taffanel (MAR)

Goalscorers
None
x
Bouchut — '60
de Fougerolles - '65

BRUGSTADT, CRPROSTRAN — The Centaurs outdid themselves on their qualification campaign's second matchday, following up their exploits against Dhemixia by claiming a famous victory against Crpostran — on away soil. It was, in fact, the very first time Marsonne had contested a fixture at an opponent's home ground, only making the feat more flabbergasting — and on top of that, a 17 year old Hippolyte Taffanel also recorded a clean sheet against the 41st best team in the world. Having only started once before for his nation (against the Kaisers Syndicates in the Baptism of Fire) and also produced a clean sheet then, the teenager retains a 100% save percentage.

The result was utterly unexpected, and sparked wild celebrations back home. The giant-slaying performance was only more peculiar for the fact that it wasn't even a particularly close affair: David outproduced Goliath's expected goals by a factor of 3:1, with Crpostran's forwards unable to produce any sustained momentum throughout the game. The deadlock was broken in the 60th minute by a bit of a collector's item in a Franck Bouchut goal off the bench, with Guy de Fougerolles recording his first goal of the campaign after scoring four in the Baptism of Fire to close the proceedings.

101st World Cup Qualification Campaign — Marsonne

Schedule
MD1: Marsonne 1—1 Dhemixia @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat
MD2: Crprostran 0—2 Marsonne @Bramley Road, Brugstadt (CRN)
MD3: Marsonne vs. Juvencus @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat
MD4: Burikinia vs. Marsonne @Alessandro Belotti Stadium, New Burik City (BRK)
MD5: Marsonne vs. Airannia @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat
MD6: Marsonne vs. Smoltrendestof @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat
MD7: Kaisers Syndicates vs. Marsonne @National Stadium, LonChiParLin
MD8: Marsonne vs. Siovanija & Teusland @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat
MD9: Tristan de Cunha vs. Marsonne @Hardies Point Field, Hardies Point (TDC)

MD10: Dhemixia vs. Marsonne @Brigantine Park, Columbus (DHE)
MD11: Marsonne vs. Crprostran @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat
MD12: Juvencus vs. Marsonne @Nuovo Stadio Olimpico, Pomena (JUE)
MD13: Marsonne vs. Burikinia @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat
MD14: Airannia vs. Marsonne @Jongo-Lydia Stadion, Saxalloubhy (AER)
MD15: Smoltrendestof vs. Marsonne @Civic Arena, Conurbation Island (SMO)
MD16: Marsonne vs. Kaisers Syndicates @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat
MD17: Siovanija & Teusland vs. Marsonne @Nationalstadion, Borograd (STL)
MD18: Marsonne vs. Tristan da Cunha @Stade Eden Roc, Sarlat

x

Goals
Guy de Fougerolles - 1
Jacques Le Cam - 1
Franck Bouchut - 1

Assists
Joachim Bonaventure - 1
Arsène Chaufourier - 1
Jacques Le Cam - 1

x

Appearances
Paul-Gustave Blot - 2
Joachim Bonaventure - 2
Arsène Chaufourier - 2
Paul-Louis Fargeau - 2
Guy de Fougerolles - 2
Alphonse Godefroy - 2
Luc de la Motterouge - 2
Antoine Ladmirault - 2
Jacques Le Cam - 2
Yvan Sarrault - 2
Pierre Corneille - 1
Hippolyte Taffanel - 1
Franck Bouchut - 0(1)
Antoine Carême - 0(1)
Laurent Melville - 0(1)
Napoléon de Pernety - 0(1)
Marius Rougier - 0(1)

x

STARTING XI VS JUVENCUS (MD3)
4-2-3-1

DE FOUGEROLLES
BONAVENTURE ---------- SARRAULT
LE CAM

DE LA M-ROUGE ----- LADMIRAULT

ROUGIER ------------ CHAUFOURIER
BLOT --- BOUCHUT

CORNEILLE

STARTING XI VS BURIKINIA (MD4)
4-2-3-1

DE FOUGEROLLES
BONAVENTURE ---------- SARRAULT
LE CAM

DE LA M-ROUGE ----- LADMIRAULT

ROUGIER ------------ CHAUFOURIER
BLOT --- BOUCHUT

CORNEILLE

by **Paradystopia** » Wed May 06, 2026 1:58 pm

by **Warkus** » Wed May 06, 2026 2:07 pm

A four-nil loss to a debuting pot six side followed by a narrow win over another debuting pot six side. This was not the start that anyone in the Warkus squad wanted. This was not how things were supposed to go. This was more or less the same Warkus team that made it to the Quarter Finals of the CAFA Cup and the Semi Finals of the Cup of Harmony. And here they are, getting battered by Libesia – a team that had never played in the World Cup Qualifiers – in the first game. It was all the more painful when Bonusia, the team ranked only one place below Warkus, had the exact opposite performance. They won three-nil under fairly similar circumstances: playing a pot six side away from home. And then they went on to beat HUElavia, brilliant.

Jack Blethyn knew it was still too early to lose his head and give up on the qualification race, but he also knew that something was wrong. Something that, if left unaddressed, would ensure that Warkus definitely wouldn’t make the playoffs. His side made mistakes in both games and, for better or for worse, they were the same mistakes. A poorer than usual work rate, the attacking players failing to track back and the defenders switching off at the worst possible moments. After the first game, Jack tried to address these by changing up the training drills. He increased the amount of fitness work, both directly and by introducing punishments in the form of sprints for the ‘losing’ side in competitive group drills. Made sure that the defenders spent more time with the coaches reviewing their mistakes on video and introduced distractions in the form of extra balls thrown near the defenders during drills to improve their concentration. All pretty typical stuff.

But the mistakes were repeated in the second game, with the team only getting away with them because they remembered how to score goals. Jack would be the first to admit that these things can take time to fix, so it would be good to persist with the updated drills. He knew, however, that the problem wasn’t only a matter of preparation. It wasn’t something that could be fixed with training alone. The players were, for the most part, fit and tactically astute. They could run fast, know when to track back, press and all of that. The problem was psychological. The players had gotten lazy and complacent – they were playing like they were just happy to be there. Happy to go through the qualifiers with a few good results and a few bad ones, hope they get a Cup of Harmony invite and enjoy the life of an international football player. And they knew they were, at least on paper, good enough to potentially qualify. This was a starting eleven full of players that know each other well and more specifically know exactly how good everyone on the team is. It’s almost like each player feels like, subconsciously, that they can afford to switch off or jog a little slower than usual because their teammates would pick up the slack. That’s a poor attitude to have, but it’s inevitable that some players would feel that way every now and then. It’s a massive problem when everyone seems to feel that way.

In the last two competitions, Jack’s approach involved letting go of some of his anxieties and trusting in his players to play their game without him shouting a thousand instructions from the touchline. Perhaps that was the wrong approach for this qualifying campaign. Perhaps it was time to remind the squad that this isn’t a fun holiday and that the starting eleven weren’t guaranteed starters for life. Because if they play like they did in those first two games in their next game against Aphrilia, then they might end up setting a new record for their biggest defeat. It’d be a horror result for Jack’s seventy first in charge, given that it’s the same match where he’ll surpass Victor Vos’s record for the most games managed by a Warkus national team manager. It was slowly dawning on Jack that the next few games could make or break their qualifying chances.

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Wed May 06, 2026 2:08 pm

CW: Natural disaster, allusion to death and injury

The bright Sivolvian sun shone warmly down on a gently sloping hillside, disturbed only by occasional puffs of bright, white cloud. It shone on a man, lying on the hillside. He lay there long enough, unmoving, that a pinkish tinge began to appear on his exposed skin. This near the southernmost point of the Confederacy, the sun had more potency to it. At last, the man stirred. Legs shifted first, then an arm, half raise then settled back down. The man groaned and opened his eyes.

At first he saw nothing. From where he lay, on his back, staring up into the sky, the sunlight was blinding. He squinted and raised an arm to shade his eyes, surprised at how much effort it took. As his eyes refocused, he noticed numerous specks of dirt coating the skin of his hand and forearm. He laboriously lifted his other arm, finding it in the same condition. Where am I?, he suddenly thought. He moved his hands down to touch his body and lifted his head to look down. Instant regret. The first tiny movement of his head shot a bolt of pain through his skull, like someone had driven one needle through his temples and another from the base to the crown. He closed his eyes and let his head rest back on the hillside, waiting while the pain slowly faded.

His hands carefully made their way over his chest. His shirt was damp and crusty-feeling. His arms were dry, though, and as he moved them more, he felt a subtle stretching sensation over his skin. Salt? He let his hands work their way further up, past his collar to his face. His beard was also slightly damp and quite stiff. He licked his lips, noticing for the first time how chapped and cracked their were. Moving them stung. Definitely salt. Carefully, tentatively, as if afraid of what they might encounter, his fingers continued past his face, working back over his temples and probing along his scalp. Along the right side, he felt something odd. Stickyness, and a loose flap of . . . something? Whatever it was didn't like being moved, and let him know with another pulse of pain. The fingers instinctively withdrew, but the man forced them back, pressing more firmly despite the warnings of pain, trying to satisfying himself that the bone underneath the stickyness was still sound.

Nothing seemed to be shifting, so he resolved to try sitting up. He certainly wasn't going to figure anything out lying on a hillside all day. Carefully setting his elbows to either side of himself, he took a deep breath and then pushed, trying to stiffen his neck to hold his throbbing head steady. Slowly, ever so slowly, with his nerves screaming at him the whole way, he levered himself into a sitting position. Eyes closed for a few long moments, catching his breath, he opened them and looked down at himself. His arms and upper body seemed to work, and as he watched, his legs responded to his commands, shifting back and forth, flexing his feet and toes. He noticed that he only had one shoe on.

Satisfied with his bodily inventory for the moment, he risked moving his head again to look around himself. He was seated on a gentle, grassy slope that stretched out in either direction without significant land features for as far as he could see. Behind him, as much as he could turn his head over his shoulder, the land continued to rise up toward the distant mountain spine of the Sivolvian peninsula. In front of him, the slope ran down into a shallow valley before rising again to another low ridge. Over that ridge, and perhaps one or two more such features, somewhere off in that direction was the sea. Thousands of miles of trackless water and eventually, Sarzonia. He turned back to the ridge around him. The grassy slope was covered in, for lack of a better term, stuff. Nearly within reach of his left hand was a blue plastic bucket. On his other side was a long board, splintered at one end, that looked worn and weatherbeaten enough to have been part of some old pier. Looking further he saw a child's plastic tricycle, an upside-down rowboat with its boards stove in, a beer keg, a tangle of fishing net wrapped around several motor scooters, and . . . he caught his breath in recognition.

There were people. He let his eyes go unfocused, roaming over the littered landscape without seeing, without registering the grisly details. The man didn't know where he was, not exactly, and he didn't quite know what he was going to do next, but surfacing in his mind, he know how he'd ended up on a hillside covered in debris.

Tsunami

by **Katzeburg** » Wed May 06, 2026 2:50 pm

Aphrilia 1-0 Katzeburg
Forrestal 73'

1 Ry Whinery, 2 Katharine Howland, 3 Laurence Herman, 4 Cale Fux, 5 Elicia Morton (Prudence Deering 65'), 6 Serena Plank, 7 Babe Barr (Starla Baumer 65'), 8 Elmer Spears, 9 Meriel Arkwright, 10 Lloyd Field (Brianne Chaplin 65'), 11 Elvin Greenberg

Possession - 55% / 45%
Shots - 15 / 6
Shots on Target - 7 / 2
Fouls - 11 / 20

Katzeburg 4-1 Carpathia and Ruthenia
Greenberg 37', Field 41', Barr 50', Fuchs 82' // Crocetti 31'

1 Ry Whinery, 2 Katharine Howland, 3 Laurence Herman, 4 Cale Fux (Jerrold Dallas 65'), 5 Elicia Morton , 6 Serena Plank, 7 Babe Barr, 8 Elmer Spears (Brandt Godfrey 65'), 9 Meriel Arkwright, 10 Lloyd Field, 11 Elvin Greenberg (Kester Fuchs 65')

Possession - 54% / 46%
Shots - 18 / 10
Shots on Target - 10 / 5
Fouls - 9 / 7

The Robin Franz Papers - Document #1
In which Otto and Robin attempt to be invited into the Katzeburgian Royal Court...

"Ok, so what I'm imagining is we walk up to the entrance, you know where they have those big couple of guards who stand there with their chests puffed out and going 'oh, we're part of the Kaiser Guard, look at our fancy armor' while waddling side to side to move up and down the entryway?"

Out of the two of us, Otto was always the ideas person. He had always been, ever since the two of us were kids back at Deerhaven Castle all those years earlier. But for as long as I could remember, he had been fixated on a single goal - getting invited into the Katzeburgian Royal Court. And it was in pursuit of this quest, this mammoth undertaking, that he was now pacing end to end in the main room of 187 Grey Street in Katzestadt - the small and often cramped two bedroom home we shared in the royal capital.

"You mean the great big terrifying ones who aren't afraid to brandish a sword at any commoner which dares pass the entry of the Royal Court?" I ask, sitting across the room from Otto besides a small writing desk where I would often put down my musings on parchment in a manner not unlike what what I am doing now.

"The very same!" Otto yelled with a flourish, before dashing across the room to snatch a piece of parchment from the desk and return to the opposite side of the room, working to pin it up on a hastily made board littered with other notes and ideas Otto had done so many times before.

"That was our last bit of parchment!" I protest. "We'll get more," Otto interjected. "We can do so on the way to the Royal Court - we'll look more learn-ded."
"Do you mean learned?"
"N-no, it's learn-ded. Like you learn something, and then you die. Cosmos, life is meaningless isn't it? You spend most of your life learning useless bits of knowledge like how to write or how to wipe your ass properly and the one day - you just die."
"I don't think that's what the word means, Otto."
"That's not the point!" Otto shouted, beginning to scribble on the parchment in big letters, very much resembling a child attempting to write his first sonnet.

"So this," Otto explained, "is the 'We've Been Here Before' plan. We go up to the entry where the guards are..." he trails off as he draws a rudimentary stick figure of a pair of guards and two other stick figures - presumably myself and Otto. "...And we just go, 'hey there - we're regulars here, can we come in for our evening of debauchery and delights at the expense of the average peasant?"

"And what if they don't recognise us?" I enquire with a raised hand. "We're not regulars?"

Otto's face freezes for a moment, mid-thought. I took the chance to examine the face of the man - a highborn who had long been the forgotten son of the Brand family, Otto was informally known within his family as the 'replacement child' - only due to step into any real sense of power should his two older brothers meet with untimely ends. But as Otto approached his early twenties, his mindset shifted to how he could make his own mark in the real world, and to an extent I was thankful, because he was bringing me along for the ride too.

"That's... a good point there," Otto concedes. "Ok, how about this? We use fake names."
"Fake names?"
"Fake names. I can be the highborn Otis Longwood of Axmund, the second son of the ruling lord renowned for his combat abilities and the fact his surname is incredibly accurate."
"But you're already the son of a ruling lord? Why not just go as yourself and ask?"
"Ask to be let in?"
"Ask to be let in!" Another moment of mid-thought froze across the face of Otto. "It wouldn't work," he said as a matter of fact.
"It wouldn't work? Why not?!"
"No-one who simply asks to be let into the Royal Court will be allowed - how lame would that be?"
"Could we at least try it?" I enquire, my words batted away by a swift flick of Otto's hands as he extinguished the very notion.
"No! We only get one first impression with this crowd, and you want to waste it on just walking up and being like, 'oh hello, w-we'd like to be invited into the Royal Court pwease'?"
"This hardly is our first impression, Otto - we've been trying to get in for months now! Cosmos, this plan of yours is built off the very fact that we're pretending to be well past the first impression!"

Otto huffed and threw his arms out by his sides as if he was screaming to the cosmos themselves to say 'what would you have me do?' before shaking his head to summarily reject my notions.

"We're getting off the point here, let's go back to the plan," Otto said, turning back to his parchment. "We approach the guards and say that Otis Longwood of Axmund and his squire..." Otto searched for a name to affix to myself. "Patches Shortrock!"
"Patches Shortrock?" I exclaim. "That's clearly just the inverse of your own name! We'll look like a pair of idiots!"
"Quiet Patches!" Otto yelled, pretending to brandish an air sword as if he was holding me up in the dead of night on the road from Katzestadt to Wolfenholm. "As my trusty squire, it only makes sense that you'd have a name vaguely similar to mine - and not just because the author is too lazy to come up with something broadly original."
"Author?"
Otto continued unscathed. "So Otis and Patches then say that we're regulars here and often come in via the back entrance, but our carriage ran late getting us to Rivoli Street - so we need to come in the front this time and if they could just let us pass, no-one will get hurt."
"I'm... I'm sorry - no-one will get hurt?" I say, my voice shaking with pure confusion. "What are you intending to do to these guards Otto?"
"What? Nothing! It's just what people say when they want to make a demand."
"Yeah, in a hostage situation in castles, not in the queue to get into the Royal Court!"
"They'll see it as charming!"
"I don't think thinly veiled threats are often charming, Otto."
"Can you- Can you please let me finish the plan?" Otto says, with an air of frustration pushing its way out of his nose. I hold my hands up in pacification as he turns back around to the parchment for a final time.

The sun was in the process of hiding itself away behind the taller buildings in central Katzestadt as we shuffled down Rivoli Street. Four steps ahead of me the entire way from our home on Grey Street was Otto - bounding back and forth as a leaf sitting on the wind, revelling in the excitement of his latest plan.

"Can you believe it Robin? Tonight's the night! We're finally going to get into the Royal Court. Who knows what they have in there - incredible performers, the highest of Kazteburgian society, and a buffet which would stretch further than the eye could see. And we're going to be in there tonight!"

Otto was the type of person who would rouse the darkest of a room with his optimism at times and on that night, he had helped crack a smile upon my own face with his sheer force of belief. After all, maybe it was just a case of confidence which would be all that was needed to breach the walls of the Royal Court? We would soon find out. The queue to get in that evening was relatively light, thanks in no small part to a banquet which was being held up at Katzestadt Castle that same evening - with the Kaiser and many of his close confidants there instead of festivities at the Court, myself and Otto flew up the line until we came face to face with an absolute unit of a man. Built like a tower and as wide as a four person carriage, the brute stood over us like Mount Mercer itself was between us and the entrance to the Court. But Otto would not be dissuaded, and took a giant step forward with a beaming smile stretching across his face.

"Good evening good sir!" he trumpted. "I am Otis Longwood of the ruling clan in Axmund and this here is my trusted squire Patches." Otto shot a glance at me as if to introduce myself to the building-sized man in front of us.

"P-patches Shortrock," I squeaked out, while extending a hand towards the man. Otto quickly slapped it away and continued. "We are down from the area and staying in the city to visit some of our other royal chums and we are due to meet them inside this very Court. Would it be possible to allow us entry this evening?"

The guard took a broad step forward towards us, the remaining rays of the evening sun snuffed out by his hulking body. "No," came the reply, pushed out in a blunt yet gruff tone. Otto squinted his eyes for a moment in a mix of confusion and anger. "I see," he said after a brief second. "And, why per chance, may we not be allowed in?"

"Already a Longwood and Shortrock inside."

"Wait, what?" I exclaimed in legitimate surprise. Otto just nudged me in the ribs with his elbow and muttered "and you thought these were clearly fake names?" While his nudge had stopped me from commenting further as to the ridiculous scenario we now found ourselves in, it could not stop me from shutting my jaw once more - it remaining agape in surprise as Otto continued. "Well, clearly they must be fraudsters!" Otto flourished. "Out to steal my reputation and sneak their way into the Court! You must go in there and remove them at once and allow us as the rightful owners of these names to be let in!"

The guard pushed his hands together and cracked his knuckles, the sounds echoing off the cobblestone street and bouncing around the crowd as he took another hulking step towards us. "You got your royal papers?" the guard asked, the excitement in his voice at the potential of being able to grind us into dust with his fists alone rising to the surface. Otto's stance of aggression quickly shifted into a light chuckle and a nervous step back from the action.

"Papers, papers - You know what? We'll go get them, won't we Patches?" I could only nod in agreement, my legs too frozen to move underneath me.

Half an hour later, we found ourselves sitting on the edge of Grey Street once more, wistfully watching the hustle and bustle of central Katzestadtian life. Couples walked down the road in careless abandon, a pair of guards stood at the street's intersection making sure no-one was getting up to trouble against the Kaiser, and Otto and myself sat dejected after our plan to get into the Court fizzled out like a firework shoved into the River Cuomo.

"I think it was the names which let us down," Otto said after a long and heavy sigh. "What kind of a name is Patches Shortrock?"
"You came up with the name!" I said, exasperatedly. "We could have thought of a better one!"
"As if the Royal Court would allow someone in with that name - Patches Shortrock," Otto spat. "Well, we'll just have to come up with a new plan to get in there, one so fool proof they can't say no to inviting us in!"

Hooves clicked along the cobblestone street in front of us - it was the nightly delivery crew which serviced the nearby pub to bring fresh food and ingredients for brewing from as far away as Blackmouth. The horse whinnied as it passed us by, as close as a hello as a horse could give us. "Well we can figure it out tomorrow," I say with a sigh as I push myself off the gutter to stand up and head back into the house. "Let's get something to eat and turn in for the evening." But Otto did not follow me - his eyes transfixed on the horse and carriage as it made its way down the street.

"Otto?" I asked. "Are you coming?"

"Food delivery plan," Otto said. "I've got it!"
"Food delivery plan?" I ask back. "What do you mean?" Otto jumped to his feet and immediately started heading towards the door of the house. "We've got no time to waste, Robin - let's get inside and I can run this down for you. Tomorrow evening - we're going to be invited into the Royal Court once and for all."

Mixed bag as Katzeburg kick off World Cup 101 Qualification campaign

By Otis Huffman, KBC

Katzeburg could have a long road ahead of them as they attempt to qualify for the World Cup for just the second time in their history, after the side picked up one win and one loss from their opening two qualifiers for the 101st World Cup cycle.

Coming into the opening day matchup against Pot 1 side Aphrilia away from home, the Blue Cats took a different route of preparation this time out - heading over to Banija for a pre-qualifier friendly in Jinja City. The game would be a tight affair against the world number 14, and despite going a goal down after just 14 minutes to a nation Katzeburg has been forming closer ties to of late due to their overlap at the NSCF level, the Blue Cats would fire into the lead with a quick-fire pair of goals in the second half - Lloyd Field converting a header after 60 minutes, before Leith Coburn would come off the bench to score the eventual winner in the 67th minute in a display which was untypically dominant for a Katzeburgian side away from home against top opposition.

Hopes that they could duplicate that result in their opening qualifier would evaporate late on away to Aphrilia however, with Ines Forrestal scoring the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute with a curling effort from the edge of the box. The defeat extends a horrible run of form in the opening qualifier for Katzeburg in World Cups - only in their debut campaign in WCQ97 did the side start their campaign with all three points (a 3-2 away win at Osterhalten). But while Katharine Howland would celebrate the game and her 100th cap for the nation, attention immediately turned to the first home fixture of the campaign against a side Katzeburg took on in that WCQ97 campaign - Carpathia and Ruthenia.

While the Blue Cats snuck away from Katzestadt Arena back then with a 1-0 win over Carpathia and Ruthenia, the first home fixture of the campaign would be mostly one way traffic in favour of the Katzeburgians - but not without some slight hiccups. The visitors would take the lead in the 31st minute through Róza Crocetti against the run of play, but Elvin Greenberg would restore parity six minutes later, nodding home a Meriel Arkwright corner. Lloyd Field would fire the Blue Cats into a half-time lead in the 41st minute with a simple tapping home of a loose ball and momentum had suddenly swung in favour of the hosts. The second half would be dominated by Katzeburg - Penntop's Babe Barr, coming into the side off the back of a strong KNL campaign, would claim her first international goal with a stunning free-kick from 23 yards out, before substitute Kester Fuchs would lock up the three points with a pinpoint effort which slid under the diving arms of Federica Antonini.

The three points and three goal boost to differential has the Blue Cats sitting in second after the opening two matchdays, leading the massive pack of sides in Group 14 with one win and one loss after two games. Only Bonusia - Katzeburg's opponent in the looming matchday window - have started their quest to Paradystopia and Farfadillis (but not Wight) with a pair of wins.

"These were a couple of really big games right off the bat for us," manager Becka Haberkorn told media after the win over Carpathia and Ruthenia. "Aphrilia away was always going to be our toughest game and while we didn't come back with anything, we put in a good showing and then kept that momentum with the win here. I thought we really dominated the play well here and the fans - who have been through so much following along with the national team of late - were a huge boost behind us to help build that confidence heading into another pair of difficult away games. HUElavia are a quality side and despite starting on rough pace, they'll easily regain their footing quickly, so we need to strike while the iron is hot and snatch something where we can against them, while Bonusia are on a hot start to the qualifiers - they're a real dark horse in this group and if we can escape with a point it will be vital to the wider campaign."

by **Drawkland** » Wed May 06, 2026 3:51 pm

Iarocav was dreaming. He deduced that fact around the time he arrived at the shopping mall which vaguely resembled a place he’d been before, but with a layout that was bizarre and illogical. Perhaps the fact that he’d been driven to the mall by a Drawkian general who’d passed centuries prior could’ve tipped him off sooner. Dreams are bizarre enough, but when you’re a couple thousand years old with memories to match, they become even less coherent.

Centuries of living allowed Iarocav to recognize his unconscious state more frequently. It was rarely enough to allow fully lucid dreaming, but being cognizant enough to recognize patterns of the subconscious could occasionally reap some rewards. This dream seemed to be a dry well, a rather boilerplate mix of people and places that lacked any structure. It’s only a dream, after all.

He could feel his waking consciousness rising, as if a bubble was slowly expanding from behind his face. The dream was fading, becoming a faint layer which was sure to fully evaporate any second. Just when Iarocav thought he’d wake, he thought he heard something more direct. It was a word, muffled at first, but he thought it said “please.”

It was too late to turn the train around, but Iarocav tried to hold on to the fleeting subconscious world for a moment longer. The visual noise in his sleeping vision made it difficult to pick anything out, but he thought he recognized a wavering translucent silhouette of a face. He couldn’t recognize it immediately, but it felt familiar. Iarocav struggled in vain to keep himself from waking, hoping to analyze the face for another moment and place it. He failed, but the answer came alongside it.

“Dad.” The voice spoke with such emphasis that Iarocav woke immediately. He whipped his head around, looking for the source of the voice. It was so loud and clear that he swore for a moment that somebody in the real world had tried to wake him up by speaking. When he looked around his bedroom, though, there was nobody to be found.

That wasn’t the reason Iarocav knew the voice came from his dream, though. He recognized it, and he knew its owner could not have been in his house.

—

By the time Iarocav made it to the downstairs kitchen, he’d made up his mind. His wife Meliauden had just finished fixing their morning coffee, and smiled warmly as she offered him a mug. The smile morphed into a quizzical smirk once she got a look at Iarocav’s face.

“You look perturbed.” Meliauden followed Iarocav to their breakfast nook overlooking the grounds of the Drawkionel’s manor. “Bad dream?”

“No.” Iarocav dipped his head in thanks when he took his mug. He tapped his fingers anxiously on the side of the ceramic. “I think I have to resume the Search.”

“Oh.” Meliauden placed her mug on the table, looking out at the yard before bringing her glance back to Iarocav. “A very bad dream, then?”

“It wasn’t the dream.” Iarocav returned the glance. “I heard her speak to me.”

“Dear …” Meliauden tried to keep herself from condescension. “You know this has happened before. A dream is just a dream.”

“Not this one. It felt different. Her voice was so loud it felt like she was right next to me when I woke up.”

“If it wasn’t a dream, then what was it?”

“A message,” Iarocav answered. “Maybe she finally escaped. Or maybe she’s being held somewhere close enough to Sonnel now. I swear, it was a message from her. You know she could have developed a skill like that by now.”

“It’s Commemory Day,” Meliauden sighed after a moment. “You know how we are. I’m sure it’s your brain dredging up the memory of her.”

“I’m telling you, it was no ordinary dream.” Iarocav insisted, but his wife’s words made him pause. It was true that the immortal mind was cyclical in nature, and the exact accuracy and symmetry of the Sonnelian calendar facilitated that. Iarocav and other immortals often had dreams thematic of particular days or events throughout the year. Perhaps Meliauden was right, and the voice was just an oddly jolting echo of remembrance in response to the Drawkian holiday designed for honoring the dead and lost.

“Even if it was a real message,” Meliauden said when Iarocav didn’t continue speaking, “what do you expect to do? You’ve already charted a thousand worlds. You’ve had your plan for centuries.”

“I just have to find a starting point. Maybe this is that point,” Iarocav said deliberately.

“What is it, then? What was the message?”

“Two words. I couldn’t discern the first one. But the second one was ‘dad.’ Clear as day, it was her voice. And I saw her face, or at least I think I did, across my vision.”

“Some message. Where would you even start with that?”

“I told you, it could mean that she’s close enough to send a message like that.” Iarocav frowned, looking out of the window. “Maybe I could get Kanyo to track the arcane signature. Or at least confirm that it was an intentional message and not just my mind playing tricks.”

Meliauden hesitated, trying to find the gentlest words she could manage. “I miss her. I really do. And maybe she is still out there, waiting to come back one way or another.” Her face was somber, but she seemed more concerned about Iarocav than anything. “But don’t you think you’ve punished yourself enough? Will sending yourself on another wild drawk chase find some closure that you’re still lacking?”

“I’ve come to terms with losing her.” Iarocav returned the look, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “That doesn’t mean I’ll walk back the promise I made.”

“There’s a fine line between faithfulness and fanaticism.”

“I’m going to go whether you like it or not.”

“I know.” Meliauden sighed, but she didn’t sound upset. “I merely want to ensure you remain aware of yourself. You’ve given in to desperation before.”

“I told you, I’m over it. This is just for peace of mind.” Iarocav took a slow sip of his coffee, which had cooled down a bit.

“If Kanyo finds anything, let me know.” Meliauden smirked. “It’s been quite a bit since we’ve dusted off the old armory.”

“All this grief over wanting to follow a trail again, and suddenly you want to tag along?”

“Adventuring is no fun unless your heart is in it. I needed to make sure you were serious.”

“You confound me, woman.”

by **Kamijiro** » Wed May 06, 2026 4:28 pm

World Cup 101 Log Book: Day VII

It's been a week since the training camp opened up again for the Lightning. Already, there's been some friction between the Louissaint Toulouse, Jiro Mazzocchi and the rest of the squad. The biggest issue, of course, is Jirini independence from Miraisaki. For reference, Jirinho is a secluded, very sparsely populated island just south of Kaminho, which is a much larger island compared to Jirinho, but both are dwarved by Kami Island and Jirō Island. By population, Jirinho ranks dead last of all departments and special economic zones in Kamijiro.

Population table

Department/SEZ            Population
Miraisaki                 11,429,000
Jirō Island                7,840,000
Porto de Kamijiro          3,542,000
Chamonix                   3,261,000
St. Jerome                 1,925,000
South St. Jerome           1,349,000
New Volendam                 839,000
Kaminho                      421,000
Jirinho                       12,000

TOTAL                     30,618,000

That's right, Jirinho comprises just 0.04% of Kamijiro's population, but they have a fierce independence movement. Why, you might ask?

Well, right now, they're officially under the government of Miraisaki. Miraisaki and Jirinho do not speak the same language. Miraisaki speaks Japanese, Jirinho speaks French.

On top of this, Jirinho does not currently get representation in Parliament. Their current representation is whoever Miraisaki sends and they very frequently ignore whichever issues the Jirini have, which are... quite a few.

For instance, the literacy rate in Jirinho is the lowest in the country. They also have the highest effective poverty rate, lowest quality of life index and the highest alcohol consumption rate in the country. Despite this, due to their low population and the fact their stats are absorbed by Miraisaki's in every census, the stats essentially get glossed over and ignored. So, the island wants the right to either seek independence from Kamijiro as a whole or seek departmental rights as opposed to special economic zone rights. The difference between those two things is small but very important.

A department in Kamijiro is defined as being a territory that has its own representation in Parliament and holds its own elections and has the right to set its own economic agenda.
A special economic zone in Kamijiro is defined as being a territory that does not have its own representation in Parliament, does not hold elections for a head executive (governor, mayor, etc.) but does have the right to set their own economic agenda. Kaminho and Jirinho fall under 'special economic zone.'

So why does Kaminho not have the same issue? For one, Kaminho's primary language is Japanese, which means that they have a much easier time communicating with Miraisaki, their official representation. Secondly, they have a much larger population and, as such, their stats matter much more to the census. So, their needs are more likely to be addressed. Furthermore, they have much higher economic output than Jirinho does, almost entirely powered by their tourism industry.

In the terms of Jirini independence, it is one of the most supported bi-partisan issues on the island. With a support rate of 92%, nearly every man, woman and child wants to be rid of Miraisaki's governance. However, there's a hard line between the conservative Parti Politique Bourbonien and the liberal Parti de l'Independence. The Bourbons want to remain in Kamijiro, the Independents want full autonomy for the Jirini. Economically speaking, it would be very, very difficult for Jirinho to sustain itself. However, that doesn't stop them from wanting it.

The first sign of friction between Louissaint, Jiro and the rest of the squad was when Jiro played a very poor pass out of the back and it allowed Sōji Kokubun to pounce and score. There was an immediate snide comment from Akinari Akaminai, who'd been the intended target of the pass. Something about "can't play a simple pass but wants independence, make that make sense."

Jiro immediately took exception to that and confronted Akinari. Louissaint came rushing all the way back down the pitch to pull them apart, but that was seen as him simply just sticking up for his countryman instead of actually trying to help the team. So then it turned into "those two versus everybody else."

This ruffling of feathers ended up costing the team on the pitch, too. The team looked disjointed and disinterested in both of their first matches against Brusselstein and Konstantino, with both matches ending in draws.

Brusselstein 1-1 Kamijiro
Goal (KMJ): K. Nakaji (41')

Kamijiro 3-3 Konstantino
Goals (KMJ): S. Kokubun (17'), K. Fujiwara (55', 78')

Schedule:

MD#    Opponent        H/A      Result
MD1    Brusselstein     A        1-1 D
MD2    Konstantino      H        3-3 D
MD3    Captina Island   A
MD4    Snestar          H
MD5    Ko-oren          A
MD6    United Adaikes   H
MD7    Al-Momenta       A
MD8    Biyambi          H
MD9    Kordavia         A
MD10   Brusselstein     H
MD11   Konstantino      A
MD12   Captina Island   H
MD13   Snestar          A
MD14   Ko-oren          H
MD15   United Adaikes   A
MD16   Al-Momenta       H
MD17   Biyambi          A
MD18   Kordavia         H

by **Biyambi** » Wed May 06, 2026 5:18 pm

Isaac Pinto (Former Ziwani Football League President, 1986 – 2005):
“The Ziwani Football League Board was quite smart, they realized that the issue was more than just an amateur vs professionalism debate. It was about control.”

Mahala Nohana (Mansanduni Union attacking midfielder, 1964 – 1988):
“The issue was simple, football in Ziwana was political from the beginning. The Ziwani Independence movements had been born from the terraces, the Ziwani government had realized the power of football and wanted to control it. Now my brother Dustin, knew that the government viewed football as a tool of distraction and they wanted to keep it that way. As such before officially launching the league he sought audience with the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Thompson Ttakanika for support.”

Isaac Pinto (Former Ziwani Football League President, 1986 – 2005):
“Thompson Ttakanika was an avid football fun, and as an alumnae of King’s College Mnodza, was a chief supporter of Ngwazi Strikers. The three musketeers convinced him about the power he would ultimately gain from supporting the ZFL vision.”

Mahala Nohana (Mansanduni Union attacking midfielder, 1964 – 1988):
“With the backing of the minister, the founders of the ZFL met with the Royal Ziwana Football Association to pitch their league.

The pitch was quite simple the national league would be one of amateurs. Even though there was fear of professionalism, the Ziwani footballing landscape could not sustain it. There was a lack of quality stadiums and training facilities, there was also a lack of urban population to sustain professionalism.

In the pitch my brother had proposed that instead of players being payed club sponsors would instead provide stable jobs for players.”

Voice Over:
“With pressure from the government and fearing the risk of the game slipping beyong its control, the RZFA made a decision.

In late 1964, during the hot months of the year, the Ziwani Football League was sanctioned under strict conditions and would function under the mandate of the RZFA.

In August of that year the first season of the ZFL would be played.”

by **Soviet Kem** » Wed May 06, 2026 5:27 pm

Post Matchday 1&2

Stev: Welcome back from two matches that were both wins, I am Stev Burlam with Bahav Xakin, Yasmin Lulu, and Lalia Matxin! What are your guys' opinions on the two matches?

Bahav: Well, the two matches were great. They show the strength of this team; we may have a chance to make it to the World Cup officially. After our failed attempt to make it to the 100th World Cup we may now make it to the World Cup for the first time. We are possibly on the cusp of history for Soviet Kem!

Lalia: Well, these two matches may be a signifier of possible wins to come. However, this may also be a false flag, we must know that anything can happen on the pitch.

Yasmin: Well, the two games were close with us winning by a one goal margin so this may be the start of some greatness.

Lalia: Middle Alba played rather defensively, but Karamzin got through off of a through pass by Grisha. That goal was a lucky break in their defense.

Bahav: No, it wasn't it was a calculated way to win, and we won by only one goal for a reason...

Yasmin: We just couldn't make it through their defense. We need to find a way through their defense.

Stev: Well, our two goals against Hispinas scored by Grisha and Karamzin were great, the game was good too! Usategui from the Hispinas team scored their sole goal through a great run.

Bahav: That goal was a fluke on our end, we need to be better on the defensive side...

Yasmin: No, they were just good enough to make one goal.

Lalia: Well, sadly that is all we have time for today, please join us next time for our post-match review for the next two matchdays!

by **Saperetia** » Wed May 06, 2026 5:29 pm

Troublesome start
Xanneria 1-0 Saperetia

As the qualifiers for World Cup 101 begin, we head off to the nation of Xanneria for our team's first game of the campaign. We go up against a nation we have faced twice before, in our two Cup of Harmony campaigns, 85 and 92. Our first matchup ended in a 3-3 draw, while the second one ended in a 1-0 loss. We have hope of course, that we will complete the trifecta of scores by winning against them. While they are ranked nearly 100 ranks higher, this is about the same margin when we played out the draw in CoH 85. But with none of our players from that time in our current roster, we will have to see whether lessons from that time are remembered by our squad. As such, the SAP 4-3-3 lined up against the XAN 4-4-2:

Saperetia: GK Hranislav (C) DEF Abdelkader, Carloza, Damjan, Anatoliv, Simmage MID Gil, Inget, Camilo ATK Jacques, Seppel, Seppo

Xanneria: GK ? DEF ?, ?, ?, ? MID ?, ?, ?, ? ATK ?, ?

The match began as has been commonplace throughout the last campaign: The Crimsonites on the back foot, the Xannerians attacking. For anyone new watching our team, this would seem like a recipe for disaster, but anyone knowledgeable about the crimson game will know that defence is what this federation has set it's focus on. Sometimes for the better, mostly for the worse. Both sides would be demonstrated in this match, as a Xannerian goal came in just the fifth minute from a fierce counterattack, most likely already dashing any hopes for a win, let alone a draw. Such an early goal can lead to the defending nation going on the back foot and getting dominated, but that's apparently a secret of Saperetian football: You can't go on the back foot if you are always on the back foot. Whether this is the fault of the federation's culture, the players, or the Manager, is often a point of discussion amongst our supporters. But it was clearly demonstrated here, as despite continous attacks from the Xannerian side, The Crimsonites managed to hold on to not concede more goals in the rest of the game.

While we have lost our first match, Silivia was quick to point out the positives of the match: We held out against a stronger opponent to concede 'only' 1 goal. Some disgruntled fans complained that each goal was one goal too many, but Silivia argued back that we are not on top of the world, and that opposing goals are to be expected. "You have been dealt a hand, and you need to play with it" spoke the manager. After this, he excused himself to focus on the quickly approaching match against Gwarkos.

It comes in three's
Saperetia 3-0 Gwarkos

Despite the loss against Xanneria in MD1, fans came out in support of The Crimsonites as they take on the first lower-ranked opponent in Gwarkos. An entrant to the most recent Baptism of Fire, they are relatively inexperienced and many hope to try and take advantage of that. A notable way someone has tried to take advantage of this is in our starting lineup, as Silivia has decided to give a chance to three out of the four newcomers to this roster. Simmage, Hardin, and Shah will all make their debut as the SAP 4-3-3 lined up against the GWA 5-3-2:

Saperetia: GK Hranislav (C) DEF O'Connel, Carloza, Damjan, Simmage MID Hardin, Inget, Shah ATK Jacques, Seppel, Seppo

Gwarkos: GK K. Kalon (C) DEF E. Kalon, N. Kalon, Gofannon, M. Kalon, Aur MID E. Siarkol, G. Siarkol, Kerrig ATK B. Kalon, Blaidd

The match began somewhat unusually, with The Crimsonites being on the attack for once. Spearheaded by some of the new arrivals, seemingly eager to prove their worth, the match was a box-to-box game of attacks and counterattacks, with neither side being able to break the deadlock. About halfway through the first half, both managers seemed to try and switch up tactics to try and catch the other off guard, but the deadlock continued on being dead set. This state of affairs lasted until the referee blew his whistle to end the half, for now a scoreless 0-0. Fans sat nervously, hoping that Silivia learned how to give proper team talks that don't result in the team immediately conceding. This seemed to be the case as what appeared to be a somewhat routine corner by now just 4 minutes into the 2nd half saw Inget send the ball to Seppel's head who headed it over the head of the Gwarkos goalkeeper as all she could do is turn her head to see the header flying into the goal, giving our team the first goal of the campaign and the lead. This was extended to 2-0 in '55 as a foul saw Shah take a quick free kick, catching the opposing GK off guard. This also seemed to take the wind out of both team's sails as the 2nd half was calmer in action compared to the first. Just as regular time ended and injury time began, Jacques extended the lead by one more goal while giving it his all in a counter.

The three goals by three players hands us three points and sends us to third place. A fantastic place to be at the end of the period, but we are not there yet. Matchday three is coming up soon, but Silvia does not seem to pay mind to it. "I'm confident we will win. We can have some nice time now after a nice game" he said at the press conference after the game. Meanwhile, fans are critical of his lax approach, as they hope the team will give everything every match.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lax loss
Allamunnic States 3-0 Saperetia

Going into matchday 3, Silivia seemed to be more relaxed than usual about the team. Casually coaching and asnwering more questions than usual to the media, it seemed as if the coach was ensured of victory, one way or another. As he answered questions, it was slowly reveled that he had not put much thought into the game, especially as he answered tactical questions with "the usual". And as such, the unsurprising standard SAP 4-3-3 lined up against the ALA 4-4-2:

Saperetia: GK Hranislav (C) DEF Abdelkader, Carloza, Damjan, Anatoliv MID Gil, Inget, Camilo ATK Jacques, Seppel, Seppo

Allamunnic States: GK ? DEF ?, ?, ?, ? MID ?, ?, ?, ? ATK ?, ?

The game started as it usually did, with our team on the back foot and the Allamunnic team on the attack. Despite a lower rank, the Allamunnic team did seem to have a fire in the way they played while the crimson seemed more lax than usual. And as anyone could have predicted, in minute '36 the second conceded goal of the campaign was a fact. And while this should have awoken The Crimsonites, they seemed to not play to their potential despite a flurry of attacking activity at the latter stages of the first half, but it was a question whether this activity came from their own play or the opponent going defensive until the break. When play resumed, nothing seemed to have changed on the side of the crimson and as such, a little over eleven minutes into the 2nd half the score was 2-0 for the Allamunnics. This seemed to throw our team into complete disarray as it took just two more minutes for the score to become 3-0. At this point, Silivia did manage to put his team into organized positions, and the team managed to stave off another concessions for the remainder of the game.

Apparently when answering the questions with "the usual", Silivia had forgotten that this federation's "usual" is defense, not attack, which is an important part of the game if you want to win one. The players also seemed tired after three straight games. Silivia seemed to realise that you cannot just blag your way through a manager position, as he withdrew from the press and decided to reflect in private. Irate fans are already drawing parallels with the horrendous start of the previous qualification campaign, which at least gives the hope of a turnaround in the coming matchdays.

Hello, here we go
Saperetia 1-0 Eshialand

After the loss to Allamunnic States, Silivia kept away from the public and the media and seemingly reflected on the match. He was seen soon afterwards coaching the team, with that being at least an improvement from the previous game. Many fans are hoping to find the form the team had at the end of the previous qualifiers, and to hold it for the entirety of these. Despite the slight setback, they still flocked to the stadium as they saw the SAP 4-3-3 line up against the ESL 4-3-3:

Saperetia: GK Hranislav (C) DEF Abdelkader, Simon, Ante, Anatoliv MID Gil, Inget, Camilo ATK Jacques, Seppel, Friedhelm-Rodolf

Eshialand: GK Bruske DEF Hopal, Blair, Elgin, DanielsMID Meilling (C), Cromlin, Young ATK Davis, Sandrie, Forsen

Fans feared as the start of the match mimicked the last matchday, and while they prepared for the worst, they hoped for something different. As time slowly ticked on, the constant barrage towards the crimson goal kept getting stopped one way or another. The backup centre-backs of Simon and Ante held their own against the onslaught with Hranislav occasionally coming into action. This deadlock continued for the entire first half as the Owls battered the goal and The Crimsonites looked for oppourtunities to counterattack, but neither managed to find a breakthrough. Both teams headed into the locker rooms for the team talks as fans in the stadium grabbed refreshments. The second half did finally deviate from the previous matchday as some standard attacking action occurred for the home side, though at the start in limited capacity. This slowly ramped up until finally in the 72nd minute, a ball from Gil sent Jacques down the left wing, who then crossed it over Seppel and Bruske towards the head of Friedhelm-Rodolf who headed it into the net for a 1-0 lead. The final 18 minutes of the game were marked by the Owls trying to score an equalizer while the crimson defended their goal whatever it takes. Eventually, the defense came out on top for the 2nd win of the campaign.

This win against the 2nd ranked country in our group bring us the highest-ranked opponent this team has defeated in World Cup Qualifiers. It also brings what-ifs about our defeat last matchday round. Silivia, despite calm comment, seemed a bit nervous talking about where in this group we may end up. "It's too early to tell," he said "and we should focus on winning every match. I made a mistake, I need not do it again."

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