World Cup 101 - The Roleplays

[United States Of Alpha]

MatchDay5 Preview:
United States of Alpha (137) vs Anewkansas (71)

Details:
Coming off of a draw against top-40 team Drawkland and leading a 4-way tie for second place, our team heads into another game in an attempt to turn Anewkansas into Ableedingkansas. Looking at the rankings, it once again doesn't look too good for us. However, given our performance against Drawkland, I believe that we will be able to hold our own.

Again, we need to play our best, like every game is the final match. However, that kind of advice is starting to get stale. We need to lean in hard on our offense, since that is what wins games and makes it more likely to qualify for the finals. Remember the old adage, "Offense wins games, defense wins championships" _{ignore that last part}

With that, I wish everyone on our team the best for them, and hope that they knock Anewkansas back to 1857.

MatchDay6 Preview:
United States of Alpha (137) @ Sernet (113)

Details:
This match has by far a better environment than any of our previous two matches. We have a similarly ranked team (sort of), the Sernetians.

Again, if we can manage to hold a high ranked team such as Drawkland scoreless, then we can absolutely do the same thing to Sernet, paving the way for the offense to seal the deal. Again, of all of our matches left in the first cycle, I am the most confident that we will win this one.

With that said, we still have to lookout for being caught off guard and stuff like that, so everyone needs to still try and all. They're ranked higher, even if just by a bit.

One more thing: GO ALPHANIANS!!!

[Flavovespia]

Any fears of a Flavovespia hangover with a new captain were abated with a near perfect opening 4 games to the World Cup Qualifiers. Eriadni were plucky in their debut game, visiting Flavovespia and it was just 1-0 at the break thanks to Peter Langdon. Ambition to get a equaliser from the saw Flavovespia find two goals later in the second half, easing to a 3-0 victory. No dramas either against Afanc Strait, Flavovespia with an early goal to lead, and indeed that would prove to be the only goal in the game.

Drawkland would prove a challenge to Flavovespia, and indeed the 1-1 result was the first dropped points for Flavovespia, along with a first goal conceded. A win 1-4 in Anewkansas looks to have settled Flavovespia. Christopher Hill if anything looks stronger now he’s captain, and the attack is fluid with all 3 strikers looking capable, giving Victor Adeyemo a slight headache in squad selection. No changes yet seem to be suggested in goal or defence, Peter Marriott still looks comfortable, and George Pearce continues his strong development. Flavovespia will look onwards to continue an unbeaten run, consistent with good performances in previous qualifying campaigns.

Away from football, and new elections seem all but inevitable, as the Flavovespia Forward led centre to centre-right coalition collapses with a clear majority looking to vote them out. There won’t be a long time fir a post-mortem of this months long government, but blame is aimed at Flavovespia Forward for trusting the FDP (Freedom and Democracy Party), and the fact the FDP had 13 defectors to the far-right Independent Democrats which tipped the government into an unstable minority government. Polling offers little clarity, with no party clear of 20% in the proportional system. If the Modern Republicans and Democratic Conservatives can merge into one centre-right to right party, there’s scope for them to have more sway. Meanwhile on the left, the Socialists and Progress Party, similar in many ways, will be trying to become the most sizeable bloc on their side, who’ll they’ll enter coalition with and on what conditions are key. Flavovespia Forward looked left, then right in forming governments, now they could be looking from the outside after two quick collapses.

[Snestar]

(AI generated image in the background)

WC101 Matchday 3: Konstantino 0-3 Snestar
Goalscorers (Snestar):
33' Nicola Acanfora
62' Veronica Lodigiani
67' Davide Scognamiglio
Player of the Match: Veronica Lodigiani

(AI generated image in the background)

WC101 Matchday 2: Kamijiro 0-1 Snestar
Goalscorers (Snestar):
90+4' Nicola Acanfora
Player of the Match: Federico Calvaresi

Surprise victory for Snestar against 18th ranked Kamijiro: the Viola flies to first place alongside Ko-oren

After the interesting start to Snestar's qualification campaign, the Viola has managed to defeat 18th ranked nation Kamijiro, which gave Snestar a hard-earned six points, together with the 90 minute domination away at Konstantino. This currently puts the Viola in first place of Group 16 of the qualifiers, tied in both points and goal difference with favorites Ko-oren.

Konstantino 0-3 Snestar: Match Summary

Before the match away at Konstantino, Snestaryan media doubted the inclusion of promising striker Veronica Lodigiani in the Starting XI. Wihle Edoardo di Palma's decision to rest Tero Sjölund was understandable, the press criticized the coach for including another competitive debutant, instead of starting the more experienced Giacomo Martinelli, who'd had more appearances in the National Team, as well as having more experience with the top flight of Snestaryan football: in fact, Lodigiani had just ended her first ever season in the Women's Division Alpha with Brega, before joining Calgasian club FC Bohunice. Regardless, Snestar's domination of Konstantino was mostly devoid of any risky situations: right from the start of the match, the Viola defended the opponents' attacks with ease, and retaliating with powerful counterattacks when needed. The initial struggles of reaching the opponents' goal faded away almost immediately, as the Viola became gradually more comfortable with the pace of the match. The first goal came in the 33rd minute, after a corner kick saved by Federico Calvaresi culminating in a punishing counter-attack by Veronica Lodigiani, who allowed Nicola Acanfora to score the first goal after challenging Konstantino's defense in a 2v2. And while the first half was rather goal-less (at least compared to Snestar's expected goals), the last 45 minutes proved Snestar's real strength: in the 62nd minute, Veronica Lodigiani found her first goal for the National Team, with a rather unceremonial tap-in coming from a free kick assisted by Riccardo Cavaliere, while just five minutes later, Davide Scognamiglio found the 3-0 to complete the scoreline. Luckily for the Viola, Konstantino seemed incredibly disoriented after conceding these two extra goals, so Edoardo di Palma chose to sub in a few fringe players, including goalkeeper Matteo Caprini, to rest the important players in preparation for the clash in Kamijiro.

Kamijiro 0-1 Snestar: Match Summary

After Snestar's dominant victory against Konstantino, the players were quite worried about having to face 18th ranked nation Kamijiro. It's not like they hadn't faced stronger opponents in the past: however, Audioslavia's batterings in the qualification rounds for WC100 reminded the Snestaryans that they had yet to become a big name in the Multiversal football scene. Still, Edoardo di Palma made sure to motivate the players enough to show up on the pitch with grit and challenging spirit. Initially, Kamijiro seemed undefeatable for the Viola: despite the hyper-defensive 5-4-1 formation put in place by Di Palma, the Snestaryans struggled against the superior attacks, leading Federico Calvaresi to put in a spectacular performance just to keep Snestar afloat: in the 26th minute, the star goalkeeper even managed to miraculously save an open goal, facing Sōji Kokubun in a 1v1 and stopping the ball a few centimeters away from the goal-line. Save after save, Snestar managed to crawl its way towards the end of the first half with the scoreline still being 0-0, but the whole team seemed already tired.
However, at the start of the second half, Edoardo Di Palma decided to make a substitution that changed the view of the match: Angelica Malavoglia, an experience player that had yet to find her place in the national team, was subbed in in exchange for Nicola Ragusa. A tragedy, according to the commentators: subbing in an attacking midfielder, when the Viola was already struggling with holding the blockade tight seemed suicidal. Still, something seemed to have changed in the Snestaryans' behavior: Federico Calvaresi started to deliberately miss goal kicks, forcing Kamijiro's Sōji Kokubun to be stuck in an endless loop of pressing and throw-ins. Edoardo di Palma had figured out that, if Snestar couldn't hold the ball, it might have been better to just force Kamijiro to play the way he wanted, effectively playing for the draw. This balance continued tightly until the 87th minute, when Riccardo Cavaliere slid a bit too harshly over Katsu Fujiwara, in the penalty area. Instant yellow card, instant penalty kick awarded to Kamijiro, the VAR check lasting for only a few seconds. Once again, all hope seemed lost: Federico Calvaresi against Sōji Kokubun for the second time... But he saved it! Snestar continued to fight, until the very end of the match, where Nicola Acanfora finally scored the winning header in the 94th minute, fooling Ichi Asumi and granting Snestar three crucial points.

A day after the final whistle of Snestar - Kamijiro, we decided to interview Edoardo di Palma. He seemed greatly pleased with the results obtained, and remained relatively talkative throughout the entirety of the press conference, despite his voice still being sore from the match.

“I'm obviously glad for the six points we gained over these two weeks, but I feel like it's important to applaud Kamijiro for overwhelming us so... thoroughly. And while we did manage to squeeze out a win in the end, us Snestaryans still need to not get over our heads. There's 14 matches left, and qualification is still very far away, so it's time for the Viola to focus once again, and prepare well for United Aidakes and Biyambi.”

Matchday 5 vs United Aidakes
4-3-3 Formation
GK 1 Federico Calvaresi (C)
LB 22 Rinaldo Larizza
CB 23 Fabio de Rossi
CB 32 Sebastiano Balestri
RB 13 Marta Camilla Barami
CM 8 Nicola Acanfora
CM 14 Nicola Ragusa
CAM 16 Arminia Cremisi
LW 11 Mattia Castelletti
ST 7 Tero Sjölund
LW 19 Matteo Gagliardi

Matchday 6 vs Biyambi
5-4-1 Formation
GK 1 Federico Calvaresi (C)
LB 5 Riccardo Cavaliere
CB 23 Fabio de Rossi
CB 3 Valentino Garnati
CB 32 Sebastiano Balestri
RB 15 Daniele Maratea
LM 10 Martin de Roux
CM 14 Nicola Ragusa
CAM 16 Arminia Cremisi
RM 20 Fabio de Filippi
ST 7 Tero Sjölund

[Crpostran]

---

---

Images of the Crpostair aircraft, both in the news article and the poster are created with AI. All other elements in the poster were crafted by me (except for the city below, which is a picture of the Dutch town of Vlissingen). RL picture of player celebrating in the scorecard was morphed with AI to add on the jersey,

[Pyazhnaya]

Danila Terentyev: "Remind me to never accept a dinner invitation from Motyka."

I laugh out loud, almost spitting out my beer in the process. "You needed to watch 'Nine Circles of Glory' to figure that one out? That girl is a menace! On and off the pitch!"

Lina Vyrypayeva:"I'd go."

Danila and I turn toward her. "Lina, sweetheart, do you have a deathwish?"

She narrows her eyes in that way only a woman can, sending this feeling of impending doom without saying a single word. "I'd trust her cooking over yours any day!"

Ouch, that one hurt. "Someone chose violence tonight. So, you're telling me that you would eat whatever she puts in front of you, no questions asked?"

Lina Vyrypayeva:"So far, nobody has died or gone to the hospital, no?"

Danila Terentyev: "Oh, that is an interesting phrasing there, 'so far.' No, nobody has, but that still doesn't mean it's fit for common consumption. Did you see that strange purple stuff she used?"

Lina Vyrypayeva:"Fermented plum paste, yes. So what? People ferment a lot of things and eat them."

I take a deep breath. "Yeah, people also mushrooms and--"

Wrroooong thing to say.

Naira Akhatova: "What the hell is wrong with mushrooms?"

Danila Terentyev: "Mukha, I thought I knew you, man. But seriously, who are you? How could you do mushrooms so dirty? The velvet philosophers of the forest floor, quietly turning decay into life while your salad just sits there accomplishing nothing. To reject mushrooms is to look upon the moonlit umbrellas of the earth and say, ‘No thank you, I prefer despair.'"

I blink. Twice. The rest of the room falls silent as well. What is wrong with him?

Danila Terentyev: "The mushroom asks for nothing but darkness, moisture, and patience - and in return offers transcendence. Without fungi, the forests would collapse into silence and leaf-choked ruin. Yet somehow you think you’re the reasonable one."

Lina Vyrypayeva:"You know, I'm with Mukha on mushrooms, but since when became you such an enthusiastic poet, Danila? And for mushrooms of all things?"

Danila Terentyev: "Mushrooms possess the kind of ancient humility usually reserved for monks and abandoned libraries. They do not grow so much as emerge dramatically from the earth like prophecy.”

Maksimilian Kartashov: "Can someone turn him off and back on again? I think he's stuck."

Danila stands up, his arms wide as he if he stood on a stage. Danila Terentyev: "Civilization itself rests upon fungi, yet you recoil from them like a medieval peasant fearing moon magic. Mushrooms are proof that the earth occasionally experiments with poetry instead of rocks."

Silence across the room. Someone clears their throat. I have to put an end to this. "Okay, Danila, thank you for your exuberant TED talk, I am sure mushrooms across Pyazhnaya are currenlty celebrating and sending spores sky high in your praise, but come on, it's just mushro--"

Danila Terentyev: "Just mushrooms? They are tiny woodland cathedrals, grown overnight from rain and mystery."

Maksimilian Kartashov: "Someone make him stop..."

Alright. I get up and grab Danila, clamping a hand over his mouth. "Enough. We get it, you love mushrooms. Can we now please get on with our lives?"

---

We're taking a walk through the old town of Tikariot City, in the shadow of the old citadel. It's a beautiful place, old, historic, but not in the mouldy and musty way, but in an 'the past hasn't just crumbled to dust' type of way. Old wood and stone houses, cobblestone streets, street vendors, small shops, all of them with old cast iron guild signs hanging off their fronts, giving the visitor an immediate idea of what lies ahead. Peaceful. Far away from the hubbub of the city that is just on the other side of the citadel hill, well, mountain, uh, whatever is between a mountain and a hill, I guess. Actually far away from the World Cup qualifiers.

Lina Vyrypayeva:"So nice and quiet. Let's find a restaurant near the old harbour, shall we?"

Naira Akhatova: "Yes, good idea, get some real food without our nutritionists getting a heart attack. How about that over there? Looks bistro-ish."

Everybody's head swivels. It's a small place with a wooden patio that extends over the water. Quaint, unassuming, exactly what we need. We take over the patio, pushing two tables together. Immediately a waitress glides over with menus for our drink orders.

Lina Vyrypayeva:"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, they have kvass!"

Danila Terentyev: "Seriously? I'll have some of that!"

Of course, everybody orders kvass, a touch of home, after all. The menu is not big, but feels comfortable. The laminated menus are a little warped from sea air, corners soft from years of handling. Everything is handwritten in looping blue ink, daily specials clipped on with tiny clothespins. Nothing fancy, nothing trying too hard, it just feels real, authentic. The menu itself is hearty, and clearly a leftover from when the, now, old port was still the heart of Tikariot City. Food meant for cold mornings, wet boots, and long shifts unloading ships.

FROM THE WATER
Pan-fried whitefish with dill butter, boiled baby potatoes, and charred lemon
Mussels steamed in dark beer with onions and rye toast
Smoked mackerel pâté with pickled cucumbers
Thick seafood chowder with cream, fennel, and chunks of cod
Open-faced shrimp sandwiches on brown bread

FROM THE KITCHEN
Beef and onion hand pies with mustard cream
Roast chicken with cabbage slaw and warm carrots
Potato pancakes with sour cream and chives
Mushroom barley stew served in a black bread bowl
Sausages with braised apples and fried onions

SMALL PLATES
Pickled beets and goat cheese
Salted cucumbers with cracked pepper
Fresh rye bread with whipped butter
Hard cheese, smoked fish, and preserves
Hot garlic potatoes in little cast-iron pans

DESSERT
Honey cake
Apple tart with sea salt caramel
Sweet farmer’s cheese dumplings with berry sauce

Not long after, the waitress returns balancing six sweating glasses of kvass. I play for Viathyn Park and had no idea this place existed. I have to get out more... Lina grabs hers immediately. “This smells exactly like summer.”

Danila takes a sip and his eyes light up at the sight of the mushroom barley stew. Danila Terentyev: “Oh, look, mushroom stew! Mushrooms--"

I immediately lean over, my hand over his mouth. "Oh no, you won't. They have mushrooms. You like mushrooms. You get mushrooms. End of story, right?"

Danila nods and a collective sigh goes through our group. Somewhere beneath the patio, water knocks softly against the pilings. A gull screams overhead.

Naira Akhatova: "So, I know, we shouldn't be talking shop, but anywho, Andso Magnis and Kimi-Suomi. Thoughts?"

Maksimilian Kartashov: "Meh. I don't like those games. If we don't win, we'll look like idiots, but especially those Finns are a pain in the rear. You can't even insult them properly, they just grunt and move on. No fun."

I take a sip of kvass, that is good stuff, better than much of what you get back at home. "I mean, we're sitting at 2-1-1, that loss against Hanalia stung, but with the exception of Audioslavia, we'll have the bigger names out of the way, at least for the first half. But we have to look more alive out there."

Danila Terentyev: "Yes. We need to have fun again. Are we having fun playing right now?"

Silence for a moment. "No, we don't. It feels like showing up for work. Which, fair, it technically is, but you know what I mean. How about we try to find that again, that certain something that makes Zubova's eyelid twitch?"

Chuckles all around.

Lina Vyrypayeva:"That sounds like a great plan, actually." She raises her glass. "Here's to giving Zubova her much-deserved aneurysm."

Naira Akhatova: "LINA!"

We all laugh.

[Eshialand]

On the Way Up

“A loss… to Saperetia… at home?!”

As much as the arguments about an adjustment period were still strong — after all, this was a team adjusting to new management for the first time in 13 years — it was still a bit difficult to swallow the idea that they could be starting a campaign this weakly. Any loss to a team in the slushier pot could and should be treated like a cause for concern, and it happening in Eshialand City was even more of an issue for a team that should be doing much better than this… but the format extending playoffs down to anyone finishing in the top half of the group meant there was built-in slack for situations like this.

“Yeah, I get that it looks really bad right now…” Mel said in the post-match press conference, “but you all know there’s plenty of time to iron out the kinks and finish in at bare minimum the top 5. We’ll work harder to win the next pair of matches, and reassess depending on how things go.”

That next pair of matches, however, would be absolutely critical. Home against Tanirinthia, away to Dantopia. If there ever was a time when wins would be the most necessary, it was this one.

The only other time Eshialand had met Tanirinthia was in the qualifiers to World Cup 97, when the 35th-ranked Owls managed two wins against the 14th-ranked Mighty Oaks. Despite this positive record, however, there was a general feeling that this was a completely different Owls team. That one had gone 14-2-0 in qualifying, finishing on top of the overall table in a completely unprecedented performance. Compared to them, this was a team that was struggling to get anything done at all. Meanwhile, Tanirinthia was now a top-5 team which had managed multiple podium finishes in the intervening Cups. The wins were difficult then, but they were even more unrealistic-looking now.

As for Dantopia, this was a team that didn’t have that much experience in the World Cup. they were a very well-known sporting nation to be sure, but their time in World Cup football was, surprisingly enough to Josh Seametzle when he was doing his research, just reduced to two cycles, in WC94 and WC100. Despite that, the loss to Saperetia shows that absolutely nothing could be taken for granted in a match like this, and given that the Owls would likely be coming into it exhausted from their match against Tanirinthia, expectations among fans were a lot lower than their rank disparity would suggest.

“I really don’t think this match today has anything to do with what we can do in a few weeks time…” Mel continued as the journalists in the crowd kept grilling her. “We’re a strong team. I know that and you know that. Now that we’re a few matches in, we can kick things into high gear. Just remember, we started WC99 at 2-1-2. Then we won our next 12 in a row like it was nothing. A weak start absolutely does not mean a weak finish.”

Josh Seametzle was quick to point out that the team had been fired up from the Reńban Incident in that 5th matchday, and had to ask “what makes you think the team can do a similar pivot in this campaign? We haven’t really had the same sort of pivotal event here…”

“A change in mindset doesn’t necessarily have to come with something like that happening. Just because a loss isn’t so bad it gets imprinted in the national psyche doesn’t mean it can’t serve as a wake-up call and get us out of the rut we’ve been in. We’re ready for this. Our offense is weak, but we’re going to be drilling that. Our goalkeeping has been on-point the past 3 matches, and I’m going to make sure it stays that way.

“From here, the only way to go is up, and where would I be if I didn’t take us there.”

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

Oh, and the Bitterneans are in the international collegiate sporting business now and doing well at it. And there's the nerve-shredding "is this the moment the NUP get back in and make Isolation 2: Panic Boogaloo happen?" emotion of election season. These two, as it turns out, are related...

The catalyst for this Kytlerian election was the violence at Clituleng Giisost Stadium when BIU came to Alaer.

PM Alice Muiholland-Pearce called this election explicitly off the back of it, gaining the necessary parliamentary majority to call a vote thanks to the backing of the smaller parties that have supported her minority government of late. The consensus across this coalition is that these scenes would make it a lot harder for right-leaning parties to return to power because this was so explicitly political violence - and while notionally from Varnian extremists that even the mainstream Varnian separatists have disowned these days, it was in the name of re-implementing the flagship policy of the last right-wing administration. Ever since Clituleng Giisost swept to power and ended the Isolation, his Workers' Party has remained in power - Mulholland-Pearce having led the country since his forced resignation following an epileptic seizure returning home from WC97.

But the NUP - the main right-of-centre Kytlerian party - have been trying to detach themselves from that history almost ever since, and as time goes by they have more chance of making it stick. They'd been leading in some opinion polls prior to the BIU incident, and even if many (especially older) Kytlerians don't trust them not to threaten a return to sporting isolationism and moral panic, the overdue emergence of a well-backed and well-organised liberal-centrist party in the PKP might help with that. Most believe that the PKP will ultimately back an NUP government if push comes to shove - they are, after all, technically an NUP splinter group, albeit one that has since gained a couple of defectors from the Workers' Party (and one from the indigenous party PIN, who have helped support the Mulholland-Pearce administration). The NUP-PKP dynamic is going to be central to this election - does the presence of the PKP make the NUP seem less scary as a party of government because they would nullify the fear of a return to isolationism that has been the single biggest electoral asset for the Workers' Party in recent years, or does it simply absorb all the moderate NUP vote and effectively push the party back to the margins? And does the use of ranked-choice voting for both local and regional seats provide an advantageous dynamic for either?

Much would hinge on the campaign, and in particular how much each leader would be able to control the narrative. After all, this election was explicitly called by Mulholland-Pearce and her allies on the assumption that they could repeat the "only a Workers'-led government will prevent a second Isolation" narrative one more time...

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The Commonwealth of Baker Park National Team's 3-2 loss at home to Sarzonia on matchday 3 was just the third competitive defeat since matchday 4 of World Cup 100 qualifying and the first in Baker Park in qualifying since World Cup 99; in fact the last two home defeats during qualification have been by the same scoreline, on matchday 8 of WCQ 99 to Devonta and matchday 11 of WCQ 98 to Hapilopper.

The next two fixtures will be a blast from the Atlantian Oceanic past, with a trip to Andossa Se Mitrin Vega, whose glory days harken back to a time long before BP was a part of the multiverse, and a home date at Collins Park in Oceana versus Equestria, whose glory days peaked concurrent with the Bees' rise from obscurity to the World Cup 85 semi-final. The Ponies won the 58th AOCAF that was co-hosted by Baker Park and Banija, which kicked off a stretch which saw them win a World Cup title and a second straight regional crown. But the Pony Principality has fallen from its' lofty perch atop the sport, although it would be folly to underestimate the side that still can conjure up the magic of yesteryear when it suits them.

[Valanora]

There is a belief that trying times make for more sturdy folk, as the ability to withstand troubles makes them more capable of doing so in the future and that will pass on from generation to generation and permeate throughout the society. If that is true, what of those who are pampered and are given no trouble whatsoever and only ever able to live through times of pleasure and prosperity? If enduring and overcoming hardships is the fire that forges a hardy and sturdy people, from what do you get when that fire is but the flame of enjoyment and merriment, not one that has brought suffering that need be overcome? A greater question still, what happens to those people who have been forged through the hardships but through time both in their age and in the ages that come after them they transition from those who have endured to those who have enjoyed wealth and bounty? What sort of people does that create, what sort of culture is created or transformed to when you are part of a people of plenty and have not needed to worry about what is on the table for your next meal?

While recent times the lives of those within the Eternal Empire have been one of plenty and merriment, that has not always been the case, even just half a century ago there was a time of trouble and the people faced potential annihilation. There have been times aplenty where the eradication of the Vanorian people seemed all but certain, as demonic invasions, evil deities, and even plan foreign mortal invaders have threatened the people of Valanora. Each time when it seemed like the nation and her people were on the brink of complete peril, they stood tall and repelled whatever invaders or circumstances were threatening them and the nation. Every threat that has come against the nation has been met with force, has been responded to with the will of a people who refuse to see their flame to wither and be put out. By the reasoning of hardship makes might and might makes right, Vanorians should have never had that ability to repel any of the threats that threatened their civilization and yet there was resilience within them to stand tall in the face of even complete obliteration and tell death that today would not be the day they could come to collect.

Now how might that apply to the Marauders, while they are clearly Vanorian as it is kind of the point of a national team, all that most people know of the national team is that of success upon success. While it is true that there have been many generations since the ultimate success in lifting the World Cup trophy, all anyone knows the national team for is their records and perennial presence in the top ten of the rankings. That presence is what has many people believe that every single edition of the World Cup, that the Marauders are a real threat to winning the title and securing that elusive sixth title, being the first to do so and setting yet another record in the annuls of World Cup history. While that is mostly true, it is not the complete truth to the Marauders, though the struggles and tribulations of a constantly high ranked team are far from the easiest tale to tell as those who are constantly suffering seldom care for the suffering of those from the higher echelons. While suffering is not a competition, there are those who treat it as such rather than build bridges and commiserate in struggles, such is the divisive nature of some.

The Marauders of now are a force that very few wish to reckon with, yet it was not always so and when the team entered into the World Cup during the twenty-ninth edition of the event, they would suffer longer than most in their attempts to qualifying. During that period of the World Cup, the normal qualification campaign consisted between ninety to a hundred twenty entries, a significant lower amount from nearly any edition of the "modern" World Cup, usually thought to have begun around World Cup 47. In those times it usually took only two or three attempts to qualify to do so, with the chance of a first attempt qualification more likely. It took the Marauders five attempts to finally breach through the glass ceiling of the time to finally make it to the Finals, though once they did so what they accomplished afterwards is the stuff of legends. Yet among those miraculous runs through the World Cups, there were plenty of times where their progression stood on a knife's edge and a bad result could have easily seen the records that we know now to have never come to be, of World Cup titles never to have been won.

The World Cup is perhaps the single most difficult trophy in all of international competition to win, besides perhaps a gold medal in either Ice Hockey, Basketball, or Football in the Olympic Games. That teams like Valanora, Starblaydia, and The Holy Empire have five to their name is nothing short of a miracle, of which teams are able to defend their title it is a triumph that is so incredibly difficult to do. Qualification is even more a risk in the modern World Cup, with significantly more nations throwing their hat into the ring to try and compete with the best of the best, where a poor run of results could be enough to see even an elite team like Banija fail to make it to the Finals. We think of these nations and these national teams as being elevated and beyond, that they have a given right to qualify, but the games on the pitch seldom will go to plan. These teams of plenty are also teams of hardships who have forged themselves to be where they are. If the Marauders are to finally capture the sixth title, it will be the sum of their experiences that have forged them to what they are today as well as no small amount of luck that sees them through. The qualifiers have started well for this version of the team and the bitterness of their recent exits in both the Finals as well as the ARC are no doubt the sharp edges that have further honed this team to be the best versions of themselves to pursue those lofty goals no matter the adversity put ahead of them.

[Libegeist]

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Downtown Pink City

Play music.

...

Actually, not yet.

Jim woke up and was getting out of bed. He lived in an apartment that was silver in color. He turned the TV on that's on your dining room counter, which also had the kitchen sink. After he refreshed himself with a glass of water, he had the TV on to show the World Cup coverage from the Big Shot sports channel.

Among the cityscape of Downtown Pink City, Jim went to work at the company of Victoria shoes, named after the Roman god of victory. The office building was in a white and orange color scheme, to which sports items were all around the offices. Jim worked as a businessman, to which the company of Victoria shoes were pushing in their release for a new line of sports sneakers to correspond with the ongoing World Cup. Jim didn't know, if his own nation would win, since soccer was a serious thing in the multiverse. Hell, Libegeist wasn't even good for the World Bowl.

"I swear, I don't know what those high rollers over at the offices at Timaz are up to." Anto said to Jim, while the two were on a coffee break.
"They are too busy trying to sell basketballs over there. Or have the next office meeting be on tennis." Jim commented.
"You're still going up to the roof tonight? I got the paper planes like you said."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. You're still going to be in?"
"You and I, even the boys went to that trendy pharmacy-themed restaurant. You should be glad that I got you the reservation."
"So what? The two of us can hang?"
"I think what you like to do is something that suits me and my ascetic tastes."
"Ascetic? Ascetics don't wear suits."
"There is what happens at my place. I don't do an apartment like what everyone else does. All I want is a large bed with white covers and pillows, a clock, 5 jugs of water for fluids, a fire extinguisher, and a tank of nitrogen. That's all I need."

Jim paused when Anto explained his living situation.

There was something to consider.

After work was over, the two got to work. Jim had the boombox with him that he carried upstairs onto the roof. Anto had the paper planes that he folded in advance. He was careful to not damage them, since they needed to fly. Anto was generous enough to get one of his jugs of water that he mentioned.

The two men had a good view of the city. The lights on the skyscrapers were on, so the two of them can see the paper airplanes when they were being thrown.

Jim got the boombox set up.

Now, you play music.

"If you don't mind me asking, weren't you in a band?" Anto asked Jim, when he started tossing the paper planes through the windy air. "Once. That was more of my high school days. Now, we're split. I went for something of pop. Everyone else wanted to do alt-rock." he mentioned to Anto.

Anto tried his shot at tossing a paper airplane.

"You think these would make it to the ocean?" Anto asked him.

"That's what I'm hoping for."

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Timaz

Play music.

People prefer to go to Timaz when it wasn't snowing. Whenever it did, the city would be in a state of rest, even when the tourist traps applied. When it came to the snow, Mitsuru wouldn't mind. She took her time in having her peace, when she was in the now snowy forests of Timaz. She knew of the "Atrocity Prince" serial killings, but she believed that it wouldn't affect her. Even when she was at the woods at night, she can appreciate its beauty.

She did have a job as a photographer, but it was for Victoria shoes. For all of the photos she had to shoot for the company, she was glad to get through another presentation at a meeting. She heard that the offices at Downtown Pink City take it more easy, though it was probably also due to them being a smaller location, compared to the whole complex that were the offices at Timaz. The benefits to her, though, was that the offices at Timaz had their own air coolers.

Things were still going well for her. She can still remember the first kiss from her boyfriend. The two of them would play video games in their spare time, or if they wanted to go outdoors, her boyfriend had a large thrown model toy plane that he would send alongside the lake coast.

She would still be able to meet her boyfriend over at the snowy woods. A pleasant night in which in their smiles, they exchange a kiss with one another.

Yet, Mitsuri didn't know what she had.

The ex-girlfriend of Mitsuri's boyfriend just happened to work at the same Victoria shoes building in Timaz and lost what she should've had. She wasn't far off from both Mitsuri and her boyfriend. By the time, she was alone, she went over to a bridge in the middle of the woods within her sorrow.

Would she consider?

She wondered on if she would consider, when she peered over the edge of the bridge into the river below.

[Zenic]

"Does this count as a trend?"

"I think we need a few more games before it officially counts as a trend. Plus, the next window is all on the road so I would hope it isn't one."

Zys and Tapi were discussing their current situation within Group 15, huddled around a whiteboard they managed to drag out of one of the storage closets. "At the moment, there are only three constants in our group: we're always fourth, Libegeist are always 7th, and no one else's spot is assured," the manage stated, drawing one circle with a few words for each 'constant.' "The Libegeist one is not necessarily relevant to us now but could be in the future so we'll set that aside for now," Zys said, wiping the circle off the whiteboard and redrawing it on the opposite side. "Essential, we need to change our constant while taking advantage of the other constant. Find a way to move up the board while everyone else is being bounced from one side of the table to the other, like a tennis ball in an intense rally."

"It certainly doesn't help that all of our wins have been shutouts at home and all of our losses are on the road WITH back-to-back road games up next," Tapi stated, doubling up on her hope that this was not a serious trend for this squad. The fact that both losses were both by a single goal against teams that made the World Cup recently and both wins were shutouts definitely gave the assistant manager some hope but that kind of hope had been squashed before. "Oh, I agree. But there are some positives that lean us closer to our first perfect window of these qualifiers. First, we've won multiple matches already while our opponents have one or none," Zys said as he wrote out the checklist. "Second, our offense is working pretty well. Not at max effectiveness but close enough or else we wouldn't be tied for third most goals in the group so far. Third, our defense is working: Mosley and the 'youngsters' in the back have given up only three goals in four games. The only team with a better defense than us? Libegeist," the manager said, smacking the back of his hand against the whiteboard as he pointed to the circle he drew on the other side of the board.

"And that's just looking at us. Woodsmere are struggling to get anything going offensively while most of Sharktail's stats come from their huge crushing victory over last place Delitai." Tapi turned her head slightly. "By that definition, wouldn't most of our stats be inflated thanks to our 5-0 win against 9th place New Eastern Canada? Take both games out of the equation and we'd still in the same position relative to each other but wouldn't that count as cherry-picking stats in general?" Zys paused to double check the math. "Valid point. I do still believe we'll beat them thanks to our 3-5-2 stifling their two strikers and only really needing to generate one goal in order to claim victory but I lost track of the facts in the heat of the moment. Good shout," Zys exclaimed as he corrected the information on the board.

That was one of the advantages of having Mara Tapi on the staff: she was able to keep Zys grounded so he remembered to focus on player relationships as well as the X's and O's. It also helped that Zys was willing to do the same for her so it became less of a business relationship and more of a friendship that has lasted 15+ years and that they somehow convinced people to pay them for it. And every once in a while, FZF President Luke Killian had a brief moment of existential dread at the prospect of another federation luring Tapi away from Zenic while Zys was still manager. Zys and Killian both felt that Tapi could absolutely do a fantastic job as a national team manager and the only thing stopping her was her own desire, which she appeared to not really have any to be the big boss at the moment. But for now, it seemed she was content with helping Zenic go all the way to the top of the futbol world.

To help achieve that goal, Zys and Tapi felt that a 4-0-2 record after this window gave them the best chances for automatic qualification alive in this cycle. Especially as they were reaching an "easier" part of their schedule... or as easy as a World Cup Qualifier schedule can get.

[The Sernetian Empire]

SERNESPORTS TV

ooc note: sernesports tv logo is ai generated, i will make a human made one asap

contents:
1) 2-3 loss in Sernetesen
2) 2-0 victory against Choppyhausen in Sermeslau
3) Pre-match analysis
4) Guide for visitors: How to reach your stadium

2-3 loss in Sernetesen
Damian Weslom

Sernetesen Lighthouse was absolutely packed with supporters; a large base of Sernetian fans, but a relatively large amount of Indusseans had turned up to watch the match, which was arguably the most energetic one so far. The opposition was not silent this time. The Sernetians and the visitors from Indusse were trying to outdo each other's noise before the game even started. When there was silence for the anthems, it felt quite uncanny after the lively chants and blaring horns.

The game started with a spell of Indusse dominance, but that was quickly reversed following some solid defending by Głolin, who was stepping in for Mantrostem for the whole game, as well as Zoliba and Tworpowski. The ball was chipped up the pitch to Komstrowski, who at the 4th minute looked like he was about to score an early miracle, but to no avail, as the shot was deflected by keeper Shehzad and cleared up the pitch. The Flocking Blues, the name for Indusse's fanbase, likely all had goosebumps after that close encounter.
After that setback, the Steamers pressed on, and the match was very much up for grabs for either side. Both teams had multiple shots on goal; for Sernet, a corner taken by Stork at the 10th minute almost led to Bolsting scoring a header, but unfortunately it rebounded off of the post. Another attempt by Jatrowski at the 18th minute was a very close shave for Indusse, and a clear by Morpowski was on target for the goal but unfortunately failed to hit the back of the net. The Indusseans came close to scoring at the 15th minute when Grundjee delivered a cross to Djetson, but Pasarowski slapped the shot away and it was promptly cleared by Głolin. However, the first goal of the game was by O'Shaugnessy at the 35th minute, which came from a pass intercepted by Djenkzo, who assisted O'Shaugnessy. Pasarowski was centimetres away but his dive failed to stop the ball. For a moment, it seemed that the Flocking Blues were louder than the Steamers.

Sernet refused to give up. After nearly 10 minutes of pressing harder than before, a masterful pass by Bob Yarisem gave Sporius Bolsting the opportunity to score, which he did. A spotless finish, dead centre of the goal at the 44th minute, not long before stoppage time. After the goal, the Sernetians were once again happy, with flares covering the stands in a blue cloud.

During the early minutes of the second half however, disaster struck. At the 52nd minute, Indussean forward Mersiás took a corner which landed at O'Shaughnessy's feet. He took a shot, but the Steamers conceded. The game was getting dangerous. There was no more room for slip-ups. The Steamers ploughed on, and at the 66th minute Lansor Sakayo scored a great goal from an assist by Wasori Oluwawa - which was discounted due to foul play. To add to this, Djenkzo scored a goal at the 77th minute, taking advantage of Pasarowski's dive to save a shot by Bhattacharya. Things were looking grim. The fans were dismayed, but they certainly didn't give up.

Fortunately, a remontada was taking shape, and Sernet started to dominate possession and overpower the Indusse squad once more. The climax was at the 82nd minute, with Bolsting making a beautiful cross to Korolianus Stork, who finished with class. The light at the end of the tunnel was getting closer... but unfortunately Sernet failed to score an equaliser, therefore, when the whistle blew, the scoreline stood at 2-3 to visiting Indusse. An unfortunate loss at home but not a complete faliure.

Final Score:
Sernet 2 - 3 Indusse

Goals:
Sernet: Bolsting 44', Stork 82'
Indusse: O'Shaughnessy 35', 52', Djenkzo 77'

2-0 victory against Choppyhausen in Sermeslau
Tadeusz Uwalski

The previous match against Indusse in Sernetesen was a good match despite the loss. This match was of a similarly high quality, but even better, it was a win. Up north in Sermeslau, the atmosphere was quickly electrified by both the Sernetians and the Choppyhausenian visitors, each side hoping to bag 3 points by the full-time whistle. We had just come from a 2-3 loss on home territory, whereas the visitors had won their previous match against Anewkansas.
The battle was on from the very start of the game, with the Steamers looking fully locked in and the fans chanting and supporting relentlessly. Several good attempts were made by Sernet in the early minutes of the game, with shots by Bolsting and Komstrowski coming close but not quite going in. The first goal was right round the corner, from a free kick at the 25th minute in fact. Bolsting took and struck the ball with awe-inspiring precision, which was on target anyways but a touch by defender Til Lampe meant that it was unsalvageable for keeper Manuel Weiner-Kracht. The stands were filled with celebrating Sernetians and the deafening silence of the dismal visiting fans, whose faces had big frowns on them. It was looking like this would be the first defeat of their campaign.

As the match progressed, Choppyhausen pushed for an equaliser. For most of the remainder of the first half, the Choppyhausenians struck again and again, without a single attempt getting past Pasarowski. Almost immediately after the Steamers scored, striker Jule Corte fired a shot at a distance, but the ball met Pasarowski's gloves instead of the net. Another attempt came from Dominik Keil, who received a cross from Tommy Lukeson, but he was shut down by fellow Dominik, Dominik Zoliba. Three more attempts were made before half time, by Haferkreis, Ferry and Iduna, with Stirius Mantrostem, Salod Zerning and keepr Tomasz Pasarowski denying them an opportunity to score in that respective order. A late attempt by Poltus Esingfort unfortunately did not go in.

The second half was largely dominated by Sernet, with midfielder Kilegram Dassaro making his debut for Sernet after being brought on. Sernet went hunting for a goal, but out of three attempts by Paweł Wołystowicz, Stefan Jatrowski and later by Zenobiusz Kusek, neither were scored. Tytus Andrejano came on for Pasarowski, and made an epic pass which flew to Wasori Oluwawa, but unfortunately that didn't go in either.
The second goal finally came along at the 85th minute, when a corner taken by Kusek darted to Esingfort; he took a shot but it was cleared by defender Holdenbeck. However, the clear went straight to Wasori Oluwawa, who took a chance at the goal from the edge of the box which got the better of Weiner-Kracht, pummeling into the net in the last few seconds of the 85th minute. The stadium was submerged in cheering. The match was basically over for Choppyhausen. Stoberus Pond got a bit overexcited and ran onto the pitch in celebration. The fans, the miracle fuel of the Steamers, the ones who make it all happen, each and every one of us, were going absolutely wild as if we had won the final. A futile attempt was made by Lukeson at the end, but Andrejano stopped him in his tracks. The final whistle blew right on cue, with both the players and supporters partying it out.

Final Score:
Sernet 2 - 0 Choppyhausen

Goals:
Sernet: Bolsting 24', Oluwawa 85'

Pre-match analysis: MD5 vs Flavovespia @[unconfirmed], MD6 vs United States of Alpha @ The Big Donut Snarisosnum
Grzegorz Woskiewicz


P.s. We're keeping the lineup the same. Stoberus Pond and Don Swordsman will make sure all players do something for Sernet this world cup.

Table:

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Group 9                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Flavovespia               4    3   1   0     9    2   +7    10
 2 United States of Alpha    4    2   1   1    11    4   +7     7
 3 Sernet                    4    2   1   1     9    7   +2     7
 4 Indusse                   4    2   1   1     9    8   +1     7
 5 Choppyhausen              4    2   1   1     4    3   +1     7
 6 Eriadni                   4    1   1   2     9   11   −2     4
 7 Anewkansas                4    1   1   2     5    8   −3     4
 8 Kharakia                  4    1   1   2    11   17   −6     4
 9 Drawkland                 4    0   3   1     4    5   −1     3
10 Afanc Strait              4    0   1   3     1    7   −6     1

Our loss in Sernetesen and our win in Sermeslau mean we have brought 3 points, and 4 goals, to the table. Coming up next is the most dangerous opponent in our group, Flavovespia. After that, we face United States of Alpha in Snarisosnum. With Flavovespia, we really need to lock in. Because here's the thing: they may be #3 in the KPB rankings but that doesn't mean that we're going to choke against them. We've defeated giants before, who said we can't do it again? An away WIN against Flavovespia would be bloody monumental. A draw would be good. If we lose the match, alright oh well.
Then for matchday 6, we face the United States of Alpha. Not exactly a piece of cake, but much easier compared to matchday 5. They believe that they can beat us, and while it's not impossible, I highly doubt they're leaving Snarisosnum with 3 points. As for the table, we are still at 3rd place, but no longer joint 3rd as Choppyhausen has dropped down to 5th. Some Alphanian fans are already coming into Sernet, and some Sernetians are flying off to far-away Flavovespia to watch the Steamers hopefully put on a great show, at a venue which is yet to be confirmed. Good luck everyone...

Guide to Alphanian fans: How to reach your stadium

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 The Big Doughnut stadium in Snarisosnum 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, 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 SuperFast Express, another high-speed operator which is more tailored to the south of the country, towards Snarisosnum Central, where you should alight. You may take a Sernetesen & Southern service to Snarisosnum, but this will take a bit longer due to it not being high-speed. There will be staff on site to assist with navigation and purchasing tickets, which can be done online. Once at Snarisosnum Central, staff will direct you to a metro service for Snariport, where you should alight. There will be a slightly higher amount of trains running to Snariport. Once you alight at Snariport, the stadium is virtually adjacent to the stadium, so you have now arrived at your destination. 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 Snarisosnum. 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!

#sernetishim #thepowerofsernet

[Delaclava]

Cleo's Chatter

CUM announces launch of reality competition show for new "Wet Prince of Cleopatrana"

Entertainment and culture conglomerate Cleopatrana Universal Management (CUM) has announced in a statement the creation of a new reality competition TV show, with Ryan Keating as executive producer, with the goal of the show to anoint a new "Wet Prince of Cleopatrana".

The title "Wet Prince of Cleopatrana" is famously associated with Keating—the former football star and noted lothario who parlayed his notoriety into a successful business entertainment career, including founding and serving as CEO of CUM. The nickname was coined for Keating early on in his career and stuck to him as both his football career and personal exploits flourished. CUM's first major television project was the show of the same name, a fictionalized drama series based on Keating's life and the culture of Cleopatrana.

The game show, operating under a working title of The Waterboys, will select sixteen gay, bisexual, or "merely curious" men to compete in a series of challenges, measuring physical and athletic prowess, sexual charisma, business acumen, general cattiness, and ability to handle the nightlife of Cleopatrana. Contestants will be selected from an open casting call; applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 29, and must have either resided in the Cleopatrana metropolitan area for the past three years or otherwise have resided in the area for at least half of their lives.

The statement wrote: "The 'Wet Prince of Cleopatrana', and the man who has carried that title, our King Ryan Keating, has been a icon, a symbol, and a renowned franchise for more than two decades. As Ryan has undergone a life transition from sports star and playboy to roles in business, film, and TV production, it was his vision that his handle had transcended one man, and could serve both as an aspiration for all the fabulous young men of Cleopatrana and an exciting entertainment product that everyone else won't want to miss."

The statement also stated: "The winner of The Waterboys, in addition to being crowned the Wet Prince of Cleopatrana, will receive a cash prize of DK250,000 and a 360 entertainment contract providing film, TV, music, and other entertainment engagements, potentially including a reboot of the Wet Prince of Cleopatrana series starring the winner."

Since his retirement from football, Keating, 48, has remained in the spotlight in his leadership role in CUM, the success of which has rendered him the richest man in Cleopatrana for more than a decade, but also as a musician and film and TV star. He played a slightly fictionalized version of himself in the Wet Prince of Cleopatrana show for all thirteen seasons it ran, a role which started during his playing career. That expanded into six feature films within the franchise: The Wet Prince Returns; Cleopatrana: Thicker, Wetter, and Uncut; Wet Prince: After Dark; Wet Prince of Cleopatrana: Drowning in C; Wet-Ass Princey (WAP); and The Wet Prince Has Finished. The wrapping of the final season of the TV show four years ago, the announcement of The Waterboys, and the rather conclusive ending of the final Wet Prince film, indicates that Keating intends to retire as a leading man and focus on his leadership and behind-the-scenes roles.

Although the casting call will be open to all who are eligible, an insider who spoke on the condition of anonymity indicated that CUM casting staff were seeking out a handful of prominent Cleopatrans, including footballer Johnny Pavia, actor and model Javi Papi, DJ Ion de Plume, and guitarist and singer Keenan Newell.

The statement from CUM did not indicate what role, if any, Keating might play in front of the camera on The Waterboys.

Applications open next week and will continue until July 7, with filming set to take place in late summer.

[Vdara]

Vdarawls

Think about it. What does ‘Vdara’ end in? that’s right, ‘ra’. what do two ‘V’s make? Correct again, W. What if you take the D and chop off the roundy bit? Yep, a small l, you’re good at this! That makes Rawl. But a country is more than a singular. Thus, we have Rawls. Isn’t that beautiful? Now, of course, ‘Rawlsian’ is not a multiversal term. This gives us the ability to frame it in whatever way we see fit. Henceforce, instead of Rawlsian, we shall name it after one of our many economists, from the University of Chania’s famed Faculty of Economics - Stavros Recessopoulos. Now, our lovely Dr. Recessopoulos believes that economic inequality has gotten far too out of hand, and wishes that governments co-operate to ensure that society’s most disadvantaged have their utility maximised, through economic fairness, progressive taxation, and other measures, such as perhaps a Universal Basic Income. But maybe not that far. Now, economically speaking, none of that will ever happen ever, not even in Cloud Cuckoo Land - also known as West Vdara. Dr. Recessopoulos, however, believes such a theorem could apply to something much closer to home.

Today, we bring to you, the latest and greatest innovation in ideas - Vdarawlsian Thinking. You could also say Recessopoulosian, but that’s a bit of a mouthful. The theorem goes as such. Currently, there are 458 nations in the World Rankings, with the top 22 teams each having over 20 ranking points. Added together, the top 22 teams hold 520.94 points. The top 4.8% of rankings hold nearly 22% of the available ranking points - extended to the top 10%, 39%. Such a high concentration of ranking points is unsustainable in the long term, and comes as part of a long history of rank concentration. Now, we must naturally consider that a large number of these nations are not regular participants – economically inactive, so to speak. Thus, we shall evaluate only in terms of those that are economically active, with a helpful 160 participants provided to us by the benevolent overseers at the World Cup, split into 6 pots.
For ease of calculation, Farfadillis is included in pot 2, Paradystopia in pot 3, and Wight… wait, why are we talking about Wight? There is no Wight to speak of. Alas, moving on. This takes us up to 162 economically active nations.



Quite preposterously, the bottom 10% of nations hold none of the ranking points. Even the bottom 20% hold but 3% of the available ranking points. Expanded to the bottom 60% - i.e., pots 5 and 6 – only 23% of points are held. Is it not absurd that a majority of this competition’s participants, many of whom are storied names, are held in abject poverty as a result of such a system? For reference, the top ten percent hold 27%, and the top twenty percent nearly half. Such inequality is unsustainable – why should only 20% of the nations hold 50% of the rank, leaving the other 80% at a disadvantage? Some may say that this comes as part of sport, and that such a thing would be preposterous to change. We vehemently disagree. Hence, we propose radical Vdarawlsian rank redistribution, or RVRR for short. Since time is not on our side, we propose in short that no decile holds over 20.5% of the rank, ensuring that the bottom three deciles hold, at the very least, 5% of the total rank each. Such redistribution would be a revolutionary, but effective method of increasing fairness across tournaments, ensuring that new and returning teams are able to leap from a much greater starting point, and that stalwarts do not engage in excessive rank accumulation, or hoarding.



Now, it’s natural that many will take up issue with this. After all, don’t we want nations to have the incentive to succeed? Surely, by taxing and redistributing rank, teams will just tank to ensure that they don’t receive such a big rank hit? Well, no. That would be stupid. Teams want to win, they want to succeed, and they want a higher rank. Levelling the playing field somewhat will not change that, especially given what we’ve seen with recent editions. In addition, maybe some teams won’t be fans of giving newer and lower-ranked nations a fairer shot at success. Tough titty. As we all know, the most enjoyable outcome is very rarely the expected outcome. We think such changes will shift the window towards more fun, more tense, and more rewarding outcomes for all. What’s not to like?

---

[Pasarga]

Igor Topić was sitting in the film study room, it was a quarter to eight on Thursday night and most of the rest of the staff had already left for the day an hour or two earlier. Only assistant manager Lazar Meier had stayed with the manager well past the usual business hours watching film from the last two games that the Wanderers had played with, but even he had excused himself to leave fifteen minutes ago. Igor did not blame them, their normal work hours were from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon, though the coaching staff usually stayed until five either wrapping up the work of the day or getting things ready for the following day, at least during the international windows when they were completely at work. That many of them had stuck around even an hour after that really told him just how much all the staff was doing to try and ensure that the Wanderers were not going to have a repeat performance from the last cycle, even if none of the current staff had been part of that failure in Pavola. None of them blamed the former coaching staff for the failure but they all knew that those results had been unacceptable and their resignations while sad were entirely understandable.

The adjustments that the team had made from the first international window for the second had been considerable, though if he was being honest getting solid performances out of both of the starting strikers in both of those games was a large part of the team's success. Being a naturally defensive minded manager, Igor disliked how much it felt like the team lived or died by the form that the attackers were in, he would have rather been able to win every game one or two to nothing and not have to worry about if the attackers were having a day. Unfortunately the national team was experiencing something of a lack of quality defensive options outside the ones who were already part of his staff's national pool and so the need to be good in the attack was even more important than normal. At least when the defense was broken down then they had a good option in net in Óskar, though relying on a young keeper like that still felt a little off. Maybe he was just too traditional in his views and thought keepers really were not at their peak until their late twenties or early thirties and he was only in his mid twenties.

Five goals given up in four games was a good record though and it was obvious that the slight shift towards a more defensive posture was helping the defense maintain their shape and keep scoring opportunities to a minimum for the opposing team. Jóhanna was being something of a revelation at the destroyer position, having taken the position at Turkish in the SuperLiga and blossomed quite well to the point of being the usual starter for the national team. He admired her tenacity as well as her positional awareness, knowing when to press up to provide passing outlets or dropping back to be a screen for the defense, allowing the fullbacks to press or go into the attack if needed. The positional play of the entire team was quite well in the last two games and it allowed them to overcome stiff competition in traveling away to Kaumann, that was a huge improvement over the way the team had played in their first away game. That it came off the backs of a highly clinical performance in front of the opposition goal against Natanians and Nosts in Torgos the four days before did mean that the team was building momentum and definitely playing at a high level.

Shutting off the projector and heading towards his office to collect his jacket and keys, he hoped the momentum would continue in a few weeks time when the next international was upon them. Facing forming World Cup Champion Zwangzug was going to be the next big test for the team as well as the staff, though fortunately this game was going to be in Torgos and not away from the Dual Islands. The fans had helped the team turn the Stade de Torgos into a fortress and made it quite difficult for any opposition to come into the capital and leave with a result in hand, though Zwangzug would prove quite the challenge. Igor did not particularly like that the window was going to be two home games, as it meant there was going to be a window later in the campaign that would have the squad have to play two away games in the same window. Away fixtures were proving quite difficult and continuing to get results from them while defending the home turf was going to be an early indicator as to whether he was making the correct adjustments to the team or if the players were getting results in spite of his tactics, something he was moderately afraid was the case.

[Pomachetti]

Haltoria 2 -3 Pomachetti

Pomachetti 4 - 3 Vdara

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Link to Roster

Pomachetti

Captain:
Sóuminé Dabhí

Players to look out for:
Níoll Éirpir
Seorgís Sarcisian
Íerd Papiola
Síemas Tesplannish

Set-Piece Takers:
Freekicks - Eldú Florensí
Penalties - Seorgís Sarcisian
Left Corners - Fíolom Mambhíní (left-footed)
Right Corners - Eldú Florensí (right-footed)

Goal scoring events for Pomachetti:

Haltoria vs Pomachetti Haltoria
Man of the Match: Loindenbirgh

22nd minute - A ball from Papiola finds Sarcisian. Looking to his left, he spots Mambhíní running a cut line inside. Sarcisian passes to Mambhíní, who ends up beyond the defensive line. With all other attackers blocked off by the defence, he shoots at a tight angle. He scores.

63rd minute - Salbhoé, who subbed on for Moleina, boots the ball up field past the defensive line. Éirpir is rushing for it, but so the defender. They race to the ball, but Éirpir uses his physicality to barge the defender away, who flops like a fish on the floor. The refere signals play on, and Éirpir is one on one with the goalkeeper. Éirpir shoots. The balls sails towards the goal. But it hits of the post. He just about catches it on the rebound with the outside of his boot and he strikes it into the back of the net.

78th minute - He nasty challenge from one of the midfielders on Reautí leaves him injured. The midfielder is booked, and Reautí limps off the pitch with support from the medical crew. Loindenbirgh steps up for the free kick. He decides on his course of action whilst setting up the ball: Hoof the ball in the general direction of the goal. The referee blew his whistle to resume play. Loindenbirgh kicked it. He hoofed it up and to the goal. Not expecting such an ambitious attempt, the goalkeeper is caught off guard. The ball sails into the net.


Pomachetti vs Vdara Núrt Fóníeger Giell
Man of the match: Papiola


17th minute - One on one with the defensive line, Éirpir dribbles past his defender and uses his pace to run away. A controlled shot into the bottom-left corner results in the first goal of the game.

38th minute – Mambhíní running down the left wing. He ran with pace past Le Brun and crossed it. Loindenbirgh got his forehead on it and it sailed into the net.

67th minute - Loindenbirgh cuts the ball back to Papiola in the final third of the pitch. Papiola sees space and an opening to shoot the ball from far away. He wallops the ball. It flies into the top corner.

80th minute - Dabhí lobs the ball deep to Moleina. He passes laterally to Sarcisian. Éirpir recieves the ball from Sarcisian. Sarcisian runs a loop around Éirpir from his outside to his inside. Éirpir gives it back to Sarcisian, who passes behind him to Papiola. Papiola gives a powerful through ball back to Sarcisian to beat the defenders. A simple strike for a goal from a complex play.

---

Press Conference
Pre match at Haltoria
Present at press conference:
Aréosto Tacorbhí
Dúnel De Parseobhil
Sóuminé Dabhí
Níoll Éirpir
Elester Sottíní

"Good afternoon gentlemen, thank you for coming to this press conference. As the press officer for this meeting, I would like to encourage our journalists to keep questions short and sweet. We don't want a repeat where one of our journalists asked a question that was so long that poor Aréosto over here fell asleep. I would like to start off this press conference by asking the first question that I'm sure is on everyone's minds at the moment: Dúnel De Parseobhil, you have developed a monsterous attacking team. Averaging about four goals a match is a feet unheard of. This attacking force has been the reason for this teams success, so may I ask: How have you done it? What kind of mentallity shift did the team have to go through to get to this stage?"
"Well, I can say, as the offensive coach I get most of the praise for our attacking prowess, but really it's not just me. It's a team effort. It's a team sport. I would be completely useless if it weren't for everyone in the team. And I mean people like Aréosto, the staff, the players, the fans. Everyone has their role to play and that's the reason we're so successful in not just attack, but the game as a whole. And as for the mentality shift, there was always this fight in the squad. We just needed a reason to set it off."

More and more questions take place, I'm unable to write about them due to a lack of time.

---

News at Eight
Looking Up for Pomachettian Soccer

"You're watching the eight o'clock news with TVT Nuecht. I am Íebhe Cielleogh here with todays headlines. And what a better way to start off with back-to-back wins for Na Leoidí i Virdi in the World Cup qualifiers. After the two consecutive draws of matchdays one and two, Pomachetti went on to win three to two away to Haltoria, then an impressive four to three win against twentieth-ranked Vdara in Coecria. From Mount Tremblant to Coecria to everwhere in the multiverse, Pomachettians are glued to the ongoings of the World Cup qualifiers. Foedh Cedhle is up the hill of Núrt Fóníeger Giell with the fans that were lucky enough to acquire seats for the match."
"It was a spectacular atmosphere and spectacular performance form the Pomachettians in Núrt Fóníeger Giell. The stadium lay host to a breathtaking view of the glimmering Coecrian skyline, and the fans held their breath at many stages of this thrilling match. If you booked a fine dinner on this fine evening in Coecria, you were disappointed by the sheer noise of the passionate spectators on both sides. It's clear that after the recent success of Pomachetti in soccer, the nation has united under this common casue. A quest for glory where each and every Pomachettian across the multiverse plays a monumental role in. And it is evident from the fans' reactions that this football-mad season in Pomachetti is becoming a special occassion that will stick with people forever."
"You know, it's just mental seeing some blokes from your city and your country performing at such a high level on THE biggest stage on Nationstates soccer." Says local Coecrian and soccer fan Péddí Lotor, "I can't wait to watch the lads again! We're with them all the way."
"YEAAHHH!!! WOOOOOO!!! I actually can't believe this!" Exclaims self-promclaimed 'soccer super fan' Rúnén Poereos, "I always dreamed of us being a soocer powerhouse, and that dreams COMING TRUE! We may not be there yet, but our team is performing like superstars!"
"Foedh Cedhle reporting from Coecria."

---

Top scorers:

Níoll Éirpir – 5 (4 games)

Édhemh Loindenbirgh – 2 (2 games)

Seorgís Sarcisian – 2 (4 games)

Fíolom Mambhíní – 1 (4 games)

Íerd Papiola – 1 (4 games)

Elester Sottíní – 1 (4 games)

Team to face Martian Independent Republic and Maritaine

GK - Síemas Tesplannish
LB - Sóuminé Dabhí (C)
CB - Érúnín Coisteya
CB - Elester Sottíní
RB - Túmes Maoiriedheogh
LM - Fíolom Mambhíní
CM - Seafraí Séhú
RM - Elester Rúmano
CAM - Seorgís Sarcisian
CAM - Déothó L'Aiderlé
ST - Ártan Diríbaya

Set pieces origionally taken by Florensí to be taken by L'Airderlé

[Tanirinthia]

The Last Diplomat - Chapter 15

Chaos is free, the words rang with new meaning in his head. In his position as head of the foreign office he'd come across various religions of the multiverse, one such that seemed to have spread over most worlds was devoted to what he now understood to be one of many names for Chaos; Maggie. It had seemed a harmless enough thing at the time he had learned of it, laughable in fact with it's sacrifices of rubber chickens. But now he knew those rubber chickens were fueling an ancient entity of disorder and destruction.

"Order and Chaos the entities you read about, meant to balance each other till one was tethered and the other bound, now with one diluted the other unshackled and the scales aren't just unbalanced, they've fallen over. But even as we speak there are those working to bring the parts of Order back together again, however it will all be for naught unless we play our part, or rather I should say you play your part."

The small part of Sebastian that was holding on to the hope this was all just an elaborate prank vanished seeing Jefferson's face as he spoke. He was clearly holding a heavy weight and seemed to not relish having to pass it on.

[Smoltrendestof]

Sernetian colony of Smoltrendestof

OOC note: due to Sernet being my main priority this RP is a bit minimal

LAST TWO MATCHES:

MD3: Smoltrendestof 1 - 2 Crpostran, @ Smoltrendestof Civic Arena (H)
Goalscorers:
Deloskov 80'

MD2: Juvencus 1 - 1 Smoltrendestof (A)
Goalscorers:
Waterport 19'


Table:
7th place

NEXT TWO MATCHES:


MD5: Smoltrendestof vs Burikinia (H)
MD4: Marsonne vs Smoltrendestof (A)

Lineup:


Everything below is information copied from the roster, but pasted here for convenient access:

How to reach Smoltrendestof:

Smoltrendestof is relatively easy to reach, and can be accessed by air from Smoltrendestof Airport, or by maglev from Smoltrendestof International station, which is situated near Conurbation Island, closer to Smoltifort and Trentislau. Great Undersea Maglev (GUSM) and Sernetrail Maglev services operate from the station to various destinations such as Sernetesen, Stensemertef, Hostrisen, Nestomerisen, Sultrisend, Terio, Fraymond and Aberstorff. The map can be viewed here. Getting around Smoltrendestof is also easy, with the island having its own railway network operated by Sernetrail under the Smoltrendestof Railways brand, which is further divided into four sub-operators: Metrorail, for metro and commuter services in the conurbation, East Smoltrendestof Railway (ESR), for regional and semi-fast services in the east, West Smoltrendestof Railway (WSR), for regional and semi-fast services in the west, and Smoltrendestof Express, for express services (as the name suggests), but they are not quite high-speed.

Football History:

Football took off in Smoltrendestof a bit later than it did in Sernet, with the formation of two clubs, Smoltrent River FC and Klangersted Imperial, in the middle of the nineteenth century, both of which still function today. However, the people of Smoltrendestof would also eventually be captivated by the game, and eventually a league was formed on Smoltrendestof, consisting of eight teams across the colony. Today there are 24 professional clubs on the island split into two leagues of 12 teams. Until recently, the colony was under Sernefoot, the football association of Sernet, but following the formation of SIFA, or Smoltrendestof Independent Football Association, the leagues were now run by them and Smoltrendestof became entitled to its own "national team," despite not actually being a nation.
The twelve clubs in the Smoltrendestof Premiership are the aforementioned Smoltrent River FC and Klangersted Imperial, as well as Rockistide Tridents, Staffonden MFC, Alliance Smoltifort, Sporting Trentislau, FC Blockport, Stoneshore Warriors, Pledwater UFC, Dosmingen Town, Toferis Island and Conurbation Island, the final club being based on the same island as the government.

Link to roster:
viewtopic.php?p=43562924#p43562924

Come on Smoltrendestof!

[City of Myrtle Beach]

GROUP 10 | MATCHDAY 3
Jeckland 1 - 4 Myrtle Beach

Goalscorers:
Jeckland: Unrostered
Myrtle Beach: 35' Petersen; 50' Chukchov; 54' Fisher; 83' Petersen

GROUP 10 | MATCHDAY 4
Myrtle Beach 1 - 0 Bongo Johnson

Goalscorers:
Myrtle Beach: 43' Waller

---

The most worrying thing about the Jeckland game, to John Jon, was how a team with no players scored a goal. There was no stadium, either. The team had gotten no information on where to go, so they just walked to the nearest pitch, kicked the ball around for 90 minutes, scored a few goals under the watchful eye of the Official WCC Referee, and then went home after. And yet, somehow, in the official match report, the Jeckland team had scored a goal. There was no player name or time or anything, all the scoreline said was "Jeckland 1 - 4 Myrtle Beach" and then immediately went to listing the four goals for the Seagulls. Now, of course, they had won, but something about the spontaneous appearance of a goal which never occurred significantly unsettled John. Who saw this goal? Perhaps it was the Official WCC Referee; they were, of course, an omniscient being whose watchful eye could see all of existence but instead prefers to watch football. Perhaps the Jeckland team went to a different pitch on their world and played football with themselves for 90 minutes and only scored one goal? Was there someone in Jeckland writing this right now? Was he in Jeckland?

Ah! it was pointless to ruminate on the intricacies of the World Cup. The World Cup, as it is known to the general multiverse, is the largest and most complicated interspecies sport competition in all of nature's harmonic simultaneous four-day time cube. In just two matchdays, the Seagulls will play a team of strange gelatinous creatures, the likes of which not seen by the eyes of any living man, except those who did live to tell the tale, and these creatures appear to move incredibly quickly and could easily outrun all of the Myrtle Beachian players, except, perhaps, Hunter Fisher if he's had his "vital life-saving medication." Luckily, they seem to be woefully unable to play football, to the dismay of "Juan Tzimisces" and "Simeone Di Bradini" who are allegedly "hall-of-famers." It should be light work, except that this is the World Cup, and anything can happen in the World Cup, including getting completely destroyed by 5-time World Cup champions, even if everyone on the roster has never played the game before.

Anyways, after the Jeckland game came the Bongo Johnson game and something even more peculiar happened. Fifteen thousand people came to the Grand Strand Stadium to come and watch some mediocre football when the other team just... didn't show up. As before, the team never provided any information on players to the Myrtle Beachians, so when they didn't show up it wasn't necessarily a surprise. Unlike last time, though, the Myrtle Beachians were not content to simply sit around kicking a ball. This time, they were going to have fun. For the fans! They did football tricks, and Kevin Waller performed one of his 32-minute guitar solos which featured him kicking a ball into a goal around the 18-minute mark (which happened to be the Seagulls' only goal in the match). There was a break for half-time, of course, so everyone could get concessions or leave. When the remaining 2,394 fans returned to the stands, they were invited onto the pitch to party hard with the team during the conclusion of Waller's 32-minute guitar solo. The Official WCC Referee didn't bother to get anyone off the pitch because if the other team wasn't going to show up, what was the point of trying to enforce the rules? After 90 minutes of that madness, the whistle blew and everyone went to the beach for the after-party. It was probably ill-advised to have a large party in the middle of the qualifying rounds considering Myrtle Beach had missed qualifying the last time- by a lot- and especially considering they had to big matches coming up. But, nobody said anything, and John certainly wouldn't, so party they did. And then it was on to the next two games...

[Saterun]

OOC: I've been severely lacking for sports-related RP inspiration recently, so I decided to give myself a bit of breathing room and just write about whatever. This is a retelling of a foundational Saterun myth, the battle of Urlhyde. Parts of it may be borrowed from a minor battle between two small European kingdoms in the 15h century.

The sound of heavy metal boots sinking in mud could be heard throughout the valley. Rays of burning sun reflected off the spotless metal, illuminating the entire company in a pristine glow. Sitting atop his horse, at their front, was a knight in armor more splendid than the rest. He directed his men, leading them over the soft hills and shallow streams as they traversed the countryside. They weren’t far away from their destination now, and his scouts were starting to get back to him. “Your Majesty, our enemies seem to have taken a position on the edge of that forest. There’s a small hill leading up to it, barely twenty feet in elevation. We could charge them, but we may also suffer heavy losses. How should the troops proceed?”

“We’ll take the fight to them. Take up positions a small way from the base of the hill, and put my best warriors out in front. We’ll drive them from these lands once and for all.” After a quick nod, the scouts rode down the line to inform the captains. Soon, the army was splintering off, each division moving towards their starting area. A few minutes later, the enemy hill was in sight.

Across the field, at the top of the hill, another army was mobilizing. Far smaller than the approaching force, it had taken this position on a primarily defensive aim. Small contingents of men lined up at the crest, spears bristling between gaps in a solid wall of shields. On the flanks, slightly hidden behind the trees, were two sets of archers, one on each side. Superior to any other ranged weapon in the world, these crested longbows could kill an enemy soldier from several hundred feet away. These were going to be the primary defense.

“My king, the enemy approaches. Shall we fire?”

“No. Keep our bows down for now. Wait until they’re right beneath us.”

Slowly, as the sun reached its peak in the clear sky, the attacking force began to move towards the hill. As they took up their last stationary positions, the generals rode out in front. The air hung still as the two armies faced each other. The final piece of land between them, laden with mud and rain, seemed a thousand miles long. With a cry of battle, the standards were raised. An instant later, the knights charged. Up on the hill, the shields bristled. Arrows were pulled back in their strings. “Not yet,” commanded the defending king. They waited another few seconds. As the opposing forces began to reach the soggy base of the hill, the command was finally given.

Arrows rained down, a hailstorm of steel-tipped, death-carrying projectiles. They caught the charging knights in the mud, taking down many of the first rank. Those who fell were unable to get up, borne down by their armor and weapons. Soon the second rank began to encounter the thick obstacle created by the fallen of the first. Downed warriors were trampled by their own men, further increasing casualties. Those who made it past the initial death pit found themselves charging up a hill into enemy fire, and more still failed this obstacle. The final few, surviving all of that, still had to face a wall of shields and swords. Light casualties were inflicted on the defenders, but nothing of comparison to what the attackers suffered.

The battle seemed to conclude as soon as it had begun. With the attacking army nearly destroyed, its king and generals had been forced to retreat. The defenders retained the hill, secure in their position for now. As they counted their few dead, one stood out from the rest. A lone arrow from an enemy archer had pierced through the crown on his head.

[Drawkland]

“I still think you shouldn’t have come.”

“Why not?” Sarah Arrowsword replied boredly. “Danika sent me an invite. I accepted.”

The trio of immortal athletes on the Kick Corps roster – Nicole Warren, Sarah Arrowsword, and Cam Cross – were resting on the sideline between drills. It was the pre-tournament training camp for Drawkland’s national soccer team, and the three women usually spent those breaks among themselves.

“It’s bad enough dealing with the claims that we get special treatment,” Nicole continued. “I feel like half my interview questions nowadays are basically begging for me to make some sort of apology for ‘stealing’ a roster spot from a good mortal player.”

This narrative was common for the few immortals who plied their trade on their respective national teams. Ironically the three women were partially responsible for that narrative growing legs: most of the old national team complained in a similar vein when the Elite Eleven replaced them as the Kick Corps many years ago. Ironic, considering that the immortal Ellzidan had been on the Kick Corps roster since day one and nobody complained about her being around.

“I get the sentiment.” Sarah said after a moment. “But we’re all top ten among Drawkian players talent-wise. It’d be stupid to not include us on the national team.”

“That argument works a little less when you’re not even actively playing domestically,” Cam pointed out.

“Again, I’m not the one that invited me. Talk to Danika if you have a problem with it.”

“It’s other people that have a problem, not us.”

“So why are you breaking my back about it?”

“You’re not absolved of all guilt just because you weren’t the one who came up with the idea.” Nicole sighed. She wasn’t trying to be rude, but she did want Sarah to acknowledge her fault. “You have agency. You could’ve avoided this situation entirely. For all of us.”

“Maybe I wanted to be here anyway.” Sarah shrugged. “I’ve been cooped up at home for almost a year. No club, no job, just the baby. Is it so wrong to want to get out?”

“Of course not,” Cam answered immediately. “It just … would’ve been nice if you picked a more tactful time to do that.”

“The dad was available for the next month or so.” Sarah took a swig of water, swishing it in her mouth contemplatively. “You know how his schedule is, that’s a blessing. Again, it’d be dumb to not take advantage of that situation. The media will complain like they always do. I’m sorry, should I have given my spot up to a player from a league named after a fast food restaurant? I’m sure those 3 starts against pot 6 teams in qualifiers would really change her life and highlight her career.”

“We fought to get the national team back twice,” Nicole pointed out. “For those exact reasons. Giving girls like us the shot to play at the highest level. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of these players.”

“What, do you feel guilty about being here now?” Sarah cocked a brow.

“A little,” Nicole admitted.

“But not enough to surrender your own spot, huh?”

“I’m putting in the work during the regular season. I’m still a perennial all-star. You’ve made it clear you’re not playing for the next few years at least. There’s a difference between our situations.”

“That’s easy to say when it’s not your own skin in the game. I wonder how you’d feel if you and Mike went through the same thing.”

“There’s a reason Mike and I haven’t had a kid yet,” Nicole said challengingly. “Because we know we’re not in the best situation for it right now. I’m still playing, Mike’s still setting up Elitexis or whatever that garbage is. We have that luxury of being able to wait, and we’re taking advantage.”

“Taking advantage of your unique situation, I see.” Sarah chose to ignore the passive-aggressive shot at her poor timing. “We’re not so different after all.”

“We don’t have to get at each other’s throats about this,” Cam interjected, trying to keep the discussion from snowballing into a snipefest.

“I’m merely explaining my point of view,” Sarah replied coolly. “You have to look out for number one. I’m not going to apologize for prioritizing myself.”

“Oddly selfish view coming from a new parent …” Nicole muttered.

“Is it selfish to let the other parent have a turn in the driver’s seat for a little bit?” Sarah snapped back. “Jack’s been in the backseat since the baby came. It’s about time he had to take care of him for a bit. I’ve kept up my end of the bargain. I’ve done all of the random crap that Iarocav and the rest of the Accords have insisted is completely necessary. It’s his turn to follow through.”

“Again, can we cool it?” Cam stepped in, both literally and figuratively. She wondered if something else was bothering Nicole, who normally wasn’t very argumentative unless she was upset elsewhere. Sarah being snippy was unfortunately just part of the standard package.

“Fine, fine.” Sarah replied quickly. “I’ll admit I’m being a little selfish, but I’m not gonna apologize for it. It’s not exactly a crime.”

“Fair enough. I better not hear you complain about the fallout, though.” Nicole chuckled.

“Me, complain? Never.” Sarah laughed as the coach’s whistle rang out. It was time to get back to practice. And based on how the Kick Corps had performed the last few qualifying cycles, they’d need every minute of practice they could get.

[Libegeist]

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Woodrow

Play music that is coming off of a boombox that is set down by a small crate that was meant for fruit.

A crate that has a known prisoner and street performer Charles Bixby getting ready for his mime/dance routine that he performs for the fellow prisoners that were at the green threat risk area that was Woodrow. Another area of the Exclusion Zone that was meant to be for the upper-class, but has now began a haven of safety from the sickos that were infected with the Kirbyan virus.

He usually got out in the early morning, before the sun had risen, onto the courtyard that had the towering six-story metal elephant that was meant to be a landmark at Woodrow. It was a courtyard that had both City Hall and the city's bank that operated close by, though they were more of different uses now.

He waited until the first convicts appeared, before he made sure the donation box was open. He started with his strongman act, as the community of Woodrow and its prisoners went about their days.

At a private tenement, a man opens up the curtains to see the rising sun.

The trains no longer worked, so one of the ways that people would travel to Millennium Mile or other small green threat risk areas were by traveling on foot underground through the subway tunnels.

Since it was a community, there are usually cafeterias to feed the masses, though some would set up their own food stalls, so that the prisoners can barter their currencies or goods for a better tasting meal than the slop that's unfortunately served at the cafeterias.

There was an old retro arcade that had a bowling alley. Some of the convicts would head there to do some bowling themselves.

The children that were made to live out the life sentences of their parents were being taught both school smarts and street smarts in a makeshift classroom.

On what was left of the freeways, several cars that were repaired with homemade diesel or electric motors rode through to leave Woodrow.

Some of the people at Woodrow were known to wearing fancy clothing. These types of clothing were actually raided from a fashion show venue that got cancelled violently from the Kirbyan outbreak. Luckily, these suits and dresses, among other wearable pieces of fabric were not left to rot away in vain.

Somewhere in a building, some engineers were trying to see if they can get the monolith servers to finally work, but trying to get electricity in the room was a challenge enough.

Bixby was still performing, until someone tossed a silver minimalistic watch into his donation box. "Oh, thank you, my good man!" Bixby replied, but the man who had tossed in the watch didn't say anything.

Nightfall.

The discotheque is still active with people that want a good time. Sometimes, the brawls do still happen, until someone is knocked out on the dance floor. As another brawl happens, the globe of the planet hangs above as a breathtaking prop. To be forced asleep in the orbit of one's own world.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Chincoteague

Play alternative rock.

There was a massive tank of water that was set up in a park by the Washington hotel. It was left for people to walk back and take in the sights. Hundreds, if not thousands of paper cubes with white flower petals were put into the tank, so they can float and drift around to make enough of a spectacle of beauty. The petals and paper continued through, even with the lights of the Washington hotel can be seen.

A man with a black carry-on suitcase paused to see the tank, before he continue walking to the subway.

[Airannia]

...bigger than even football - the game of games, the game that confuses any tourist and native alike, and yet also is considered by those abroad as nothing but a cheap knockoff: Poeleo.

The Code of Poeleo

Poeleo, pronounced as [poʊ'ljo], is bar sport of choice in the Airannian bars. Astute readers will soon realize this game is nothing but a poorly designed knock-off of wordly, popular Mahjong games, but unfortunately for those readers, Airannia exists in a world that doesn't contain China. Airannian bar goers in this case, are commonly well-fed older men, dressed in working clothes and smoking whatever's cheapest — not so much the younger crowd that still goes to clubs and raves. As you enter such a bar; like the one along the Rouman-chary in Quitémish, you hear the clacking of the tiles against each other. It's odd you'd end up here; tourists don't typically visit Quitémish (the capital of Pirágny province) all that much — it's out of the way, and even though the surrounding nature is rather pretty, it's not nearly as pretty as in nearby Foromharmsly, where tourists end up more often. Having said that, it is actually somewhat fitting. You've come to learn about Poeleo, you've come to the right place.
Pirágny province is named that way for the tribe that inhabited this region, on inland side of the Northwestern Ridge's slopes, generally seen as one of the four major pre-colonial tribes. The Pira, you see, are represented in Poeleo as a "tribe"; a suit, you might call it. There are three more suits, each named for one of the major tribes: Arti (the mercantile northern people), Hmala the militaristic people in the south, and Jurti - ironically known as the "island" tribe, despite having lived in what is now known as Autanfile, a solidly attached part of the country. Since you're playing in Quitémish, your guide tells you that a house rule applies - the red Pira tiles will yield a small amount of extra points. You take a look at the palm of your hand, where you made careful scribbles before coming here; realizing the system is actually just as simple as it looks:

Tribe	Symbol	Colour
Pira	Crosses	Red
Arti	Dotted Circles	Black
Hmala	Star Shapes	Green
Jurti	Fish Shapes	Blue

The symbols are quite simple to recognize on the square tiles; as your guide explains, while you watch, in old sets, the symbols used to be neatly arranged in rows, but in modern Poeleo kits, you'll find the numbers 1-8 are carved into the tiles, along with the tribal symbol. There's also Judy tiles, as your guide shows you; briefly picking a discarded tile off the table. These have slightly more intriguing designs; the one you were shown showing a Green traditional calligraphic symbol, along with a simple circle in the corner. "Ecty", your guide says, before putting it back down. "It means, the green colour that is from Hmala." Whatever that means, you don't understand yet.

---

Juvencus 1 - 0 Airannia
85': Juvencus Player 1-0

As it turns out, sometimes the most obvious result is exactly what's going to happen. The last international Airannian match where the Drills scored a goal was in fact the lost playoff against Zenic for World Cup 100 qualification; a streak that wasn't to be broken on this occassion. Managing even a single point would have been an incredible boon; and was nearly possible against a generally uninspired and absent Juvencus, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

Airannia 2 - 0 Siovanija and Teusland
3': Alexander Régervothys 1-0
60': Marten Hiqa 2-0

It would, however, take very few playing minutes to break this dry streak. Before any commentator had even finished their shpiel about the top-heavy nature of Airannia's playing schedule, Sarván-Dendh had already broken through the away team's defenses, and delivered a banger ball directly onto the head of tall Régervothys. Overall, Siovanija and Teusland played much better, perhaps just adjusting to the warmer Airannian weather in the opening minutes, but the defense held tight, in particular thanks to great defensive efforts by Evil Theuter and Quent Pirakel, who made some incredible tackles just outside of the penalty box. ja Dony, the Airannian goalkeeper, had to make a grand total of 8 saves during the first half. In the second half, the Airannian team pressed for the ball with vigor, bringing the game (which at this time had (despite how it felt) been 1-0 advantage for the home team) to a power equilibrium; and it was substitute Hiqa who noticed the opposing goalie off his line, and punted the ball from a distance into the net. Whatever fight was left in the visitor's at this point was drained out; and even though the Airannian defensive line still had a much busier last 30 minutes than the offensive players, the Centerby Stadion was cruised to a 2-0 victory with relative ease.

Burikinia 0 - 3 Airannia
24': Gary Goppré 0-1
27': Quent Pirakel 0-2 (PEN)
78': Gary Goppré 0-3

Compared to previous away matches, the game in Lazarus against Burikinia felt like a cruise. As if born anew, the Drills took control of the match with the same ease that we had come to expect since their run during the latter end of the qualifiers for WC 100. Goppré, who is one of few members of the NT that was brought on for the play-off against Zenic, had a key role in finding the way past Lamiroir, the relatively young goalie for the home team - first scrambling the ball past him with a subtle kick that was slightly redirected off Liyuan Zhang's shin, then by making his way into the box with the ball; earning right back Kaneyama a red card, and his team a penalty kick. Afterwards the Drills had been instructed by coach Rémenessa to control the match, not taking too big of risks against the 10 Azure Dragons, who would not give up the fight, and were reaching ja Dony's goal a little more often than expected - taking shots and working their way past Hotsimya and Évangelique on the left flank more than once with a piece of complex trickery. Near the end of the game, however, the bearded giant Goppré would prove valuable once more - breaking through the defenses, and placing the ball past Lamiroir - and nearly through the net in the Alessandro Belotti Stadium.

Airannia 1 - 1 Tristan de Cunha
77': Colman Umuitau 1-0
81': Olliver Michael Green 1-1

Lastly in this sequence, hosting the Potato Farmers in the Agatha-Uidhobá, a boring match ensued all too quickly between two defensive, careful teams. The Agathan atmosphere is slightly different than the one in Vorácy and Saxalloubhy, which lead to a match that felt almost as if it were played in an empty stadium; the audience only producing loud noises whenever anything exciting happened. This felt almost as home advantage to the Tristan de Cunha team, whose home base has a very small seating capacity — although one of their players was in fact quoted as saying that "at least at home, there's a homely feeling". Near the end, the stadium's calm and quaint neighbourhood inhabitants nearly had to file a noise complaint, however. It seemed even the players were getting bored; as newly subbed on Umuitau took the ball, and marched his way energetically through a sleepy defensive Tristanian formation, putting the ball into the net with a simple lob once he'd come face to face with Channing. The Tristanians, having seemingly resigned to a draw (no more, no less) already, then had a brief recrudescence; playing a comely combination to pass ja Dony with relative ease. No team deserved to take more than one single point from this match; justice was done.

[Saint Eleanor]

OOC: I must apologise, but Gentle Breeze's G29 report from after the Kwrpania game will have to come next cutoff (i.e. this weekend), as my estimate of my free time today went from "a metric ton" to "holy shit, I have THIS MUCH to do?" pretty fast.
One player interview per post has been my practice since time immemorial. Therefore, I will post another RP shortly after this one. They are different roleplays, mind you!

Group of Six meeting (CX) --- Tomerion 3-1 SAINT ELEANOR
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Lydia Vickers [C], Kichirō Matsuda [VC], Matt Morrison [ballot]
Location: Geometrio's, Dignity Cross; Brightway district, Saint Eleanor city, EXT

MAJOR MATCH EVENTS: Morgan 44; Ben-Gurion 32 and 84, Calthorpe 78. All Eleanorians are available, and not a moment too soon.


LESSONS LEARNED: [match summary to be published after midnight. TL;DR was that it was pretty even-matched at first, blow-for-blow, person-for-person, only for Tomerion to let loose and surprise on the upside in the dying minutes]
I like to remind my players that mistakes do happen from time to time; what I have much less tolerance for is the same mistakes happening over and over again. The problem for the defence is that "we aren't quite pulling our weight" (~ Matt). Against Skorpiie, it was stretched, outmatched and outpaced. Against Tomerion, it was prodded at from every angle, then ripped open by the pure genius of Kelis Ben-Gurion and Janis Calthorpe. I do not think that the lack of focus has been so palpable, in any area of the field, since I got here. But "these are the same players, with the same ideas, playing the same way as last cycle" (~ Lydia). So what is going on?


RECOMMENDATIONS: The problem can be easily identified; even Jim Paterson, no friend of the national team, has been giving this some thought. Finding the solution was the contentious part of the discussion. My initial instincts were to shuffle up the defence a bit - most likely moving Diana in place of Katy to start, asking the defensive midfield to keep their defensive focus, isolating the front four - on the assumption that, while we treat our opponents with the seriousness they are due, our performances on the field do not currently reflect this. Some reform would, I thought, have gone a long way in reinvigorating the team.
A lot of fizzy drinks were spilled over whether this was the right idea. Lydia tended to agree; she actually wasn't sure that the plan went far enough. Kichiro was devil's-advocating the whole thing, testing so many assumptions (what if we changed the players up top, as well? what if the midfield went all in? what if we were playing Az-cz at their peak?). Matt was in full support, despite his appreciation of Katy. Reniira thought our starting lineup would do okay. But Stephen wisely sidestepped the issue altogether and pivoted to a wildly different train of thought after a few slices per person had been devoured: recalibrating the team's mindset.

What kind of recalibration is Stephen thinking of? In his words, "not a complete change of ideas - I like to say that you've created dozens of Bridget Coombes already - but a reminder of where we are." And where do we think we are? "Not as good as I hoped" (~ Reniira), "we're performing below expectations" (~ Lydia), "much as we would have been when I was still playing for Squidroidia" (~ Kichiro), "open, exposed to the elements, and about to crumble unless urgent maintenance is carried out" (~ Matt).
Leading Stephen back to his original idea: "right now, we're feeling intimidated - that isn't where we are any more. We need to control our own destiny again." I appreciate where he's coming from with this - there is a sense that we are confused and uncertain, not so long after breaking our last-sixteen curse and Kichiro's in the World Cup - but I thought that the end goal was, while desirable, not perfectly possible in practice. "Yes, madam, I understand. But we need to start treating opponents as people who are seriously beatable, if we pur our minds to it. Tough opponents, but also breakable ones. Both of our wins against Valanora are instructive."
Of course, the other four people did have their own opinion of Stephen's idea - as opposed to their own opinion of their own idea. It took a few minutes, but we converged soon enough on everyone coming out positive about the plan, and mostly unequivocally. Consensus! Kichiro had reservations about how this would be rolled out at such short notice, but was onboard more generally. In the short term, a good number of pep talks will be required; looking ahead to this spring and summer, and much as I said in my press conference all those years ago, I will be more than happy to organise excursions for the team.


MOVING FORWARD: This was a more drawn out, and certainly a more spirited, meeting than usual, lasting for longer than a typical football match and leaving me more exhausted than I expected. You'll note the absence of commentary on my end; I'm sure that Kichiro's recollections will be much stronger ten years down the line! Lydia will be taking on the notes ahead of Natkr's visit, at least technically; in practice, though, I am giving serious consideration to calling the whole Group of Twenty-Nine together, given the pivotality of this match and the real potential that players may raise concerns in large numbers.

~GB

Edward Ruthan: "I don't think I'd make it a week in Sunset Gates"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers digs up more sand than dirt about Saint Eleanor's new starting leftback for now
Originally published on Tuesday 5th February 2019

Edward Ruthan would appear to strike most onlookers as an unremarkable man playing an unremarkable role for an unremarkable team. "Don't say that, please. I won the Associations' Trophy with the club and I bloody well hope to win the World Cup with the country, if you'll mind my language!"

While going to the Broadlands Community School, Ruthan was "about as bang-average as you think I am. Did I get great grades in anything? I got an A in History, by one mark, after studying for it a bit more than I planned because I was having some trouble with planning out my arguments. Why that didn't cross over to the other essay subjects, I have no idea. Maybe it's about me being just about rigorous enough to survive in Eleanorian society, although I don't think I'd make it a week in Sunset Gates." He has written his name into Hiyashi Celestia's folklore despite his parents both being Athletic-supporting small business owners: "the two do go hand-in-hand when you realise that the Chambers of Commerce own the Reds. I don't think they were superfans, but I think they'd like me to get a wife like Bridget [Coombe] or Esther [Launceston]. My Sophia [Lake] is alright by me, though."

Ruthan was a member of the Broadlands CS team that made the final of 2005's Charles Trump Shield, "but not, I would say, an especially pivotal one - fullbacks never are. Sophia was the non-star striker, a bit behind Owen Singer, a lot less flashy than the guy. The group stages were fun, all our away days were to pretty upmarket places, I got myself just the one goal at home to Brightway but what a chaotic thrill ride of a match that was, too. Can you judge me either way? You can say yes or no, but I think Celestia were convinced in the end. They thought okay, we have Nicole Morlock, we can throw this guy in the freezer for a few years and dethaw him on the opening game of some far-away season."

That season would be 2011, which began with Celestia losing 2-0 away to runaway champions Athletic Saint Eleanor, the team they would eventually finish behind by seven points. "I know you stopped asking people about their favourite three games a while ago, and I don't claim to have memory loss or anything or else I wouldn't be here, but when you think about it, it was a great opportunity for me to test my stuff in front of some of the greatest footballers that God has ever made, and Wassy Sareleva. I like Wassy - we have the same taste in food and music and coffee and even the Outbox League, truth be told - but was he one of the greatest wingers of all time? No. Was he a professional who was willing to expose me to give his team the victory? Yes. I've played against a few legends in my time, and Michelle Addison is always really good at this, but when you get down to brass tacks? That match taught me everything I needed to know about how to thrive on the international stage. Stick to defence, don't be afraid to move about if you're asked to, get into as many tackles as is safe to do so."

Ruthan avoided coming in for criticism in Saint Eleanor's 1-0 loss to Skorpiie, which must surely rank as one of the all-time great World Cup shocks. "I would not agree with that; they were just better than us. I do think having me making my debut aged thirty might not be the best thing for the game, though; this isn't Gentle Breeze's fault, either." He does have particularly good words for the captain: "Lydia V[ickers] is not like Bridget in that she considers herself above the fray of inter-squad politics. At the same time, she has quite a number of friends, but doesn't do this whole favouritism thing or else she'll be railroaded out of the job. I like her and I've had a few coffees with her, which is also unlike Bridget. Dinner is something I've only had with Kavezalea [Felaraneta] - great guy, Indy legend, proper straight-talker, everything you could want from a national teamer - and Diana Gray, who's a nutjob in the best possible way. Everyone else outside of Celestia, I'm not really familiar with, but let's see."

Edward Ruthan does not call himself any better than Sareleva, or indeed most other players - he just thinks he's doing his job. But would he really have been called up for the national team if he was doing that job poorly, inconsistently, or with no regard for the team's success? I strongly doubt it.

[Gwarkos]

Rankings of Gwarkosian Mages/Mages in Warkusian Mythology

While the players on the team come from different (mythological) eras, the ranking systems used to sort mages are largely consistent across eras.

Mages are typically sorted into the following ranks:

Unclassified Mage (UM): An unclassified mage is known to be able to perform some spells but has not received any formal training in magic nor do they work as a mage professionally. Most unclassified mages know only a few rudimentary spells, typically E and D class spells. Unclassified mages, if they are minors and sponsored by a noble family (often their own), are eligible to attempt the Akademi Dewiniaeth (Academy of Magic – usually just referred to as ‘The Academy’ in English translations) entrance exams. Less gifted unclassified mages, or those from less aristocratic backgrounds, often end up becoming utility mages. Some stories also include unclassified mages with powerful magical abilities and these are referred to as ‘hidden mages’ or ‘underground mages’ to distinguish them from other unclassified mages.

Utility Mage (Util-M): A utility mage is someone employed in a role that harnesses their magical abilities to complete specific tasks. They are not expected to be a particularly well-rounded mage but instead tend to use a few select spells or spells within a specific domain. For example, some utility mages are hired specifically for their use of water-based spells and may be utilised as part of a group in order to combine their relatively meagre talents to greater effect. A group of water utility mages may be used to put out fires or to counter a more powerful mage that relies on fire-based spells. Other utility mages work as assistants for their fief’s Court Mage or simply work regular jobs and use their magic to work more efficiently.

Student of Magic (SoM): A student of magic is an individual, typically between the ages of fourteen and twenty, enrolled in the Akademi Dewiniaeth. Students of magic study under the tutelage of experienced mages who are typically higher-level Court Mages and lower-level Elite Court Mages for roughly four to six years. The vast majority of students up until the third era are from noble families. Low born students do not exist in any of the stories covering the first era and Bran Kalon from the second era, who is a commoner by birth in West Warcusian mythology but not in East Warkusian mythology, is described as the second non-noble student in the Academy’s history. A small number of graduates go on to become Court Mages, an even smaller number become Elite Court Mages (usually two per cohort) and exceptionally few go on to become Archmages and Grandmages. Most graduates are considered to be slightly above the level of experienced utility mages, but since they are usually of noble birth they do not take up a profession.

Court Mage (CM): A Court Mage is an individual sponsored by a lord to live in their estate and serve as the official authority on magic in that area. They typically have a seat on their lord’s council and serve as a kind of designated magic user who performs spells at their lord’s behest. They are also often treated as enforcers who defend their lord’s domain against magical threats and police the mages in the area. Court Mages tend to vary significantly in ability and strength, which is part of the reason why the Elite Court Mage category exists. Lower-level Court Mages are comparable to higher-level utility mages and unremarkable students of magic. These mages come from wealthy noble families that pay smaller and poorer lords to employ their relatives as Court Mages. Middle and upper-level Court Mages often serve wealthier Counts and poorer Dukes or serve under an Elite Court Mage employed by a wealthier Duke.

Elite Court Mage (ECM): Elite Court Mages are, as the name suggests, exceptional Court Mages. The category was originally created for the purposes of establishing an Archmage candidate shortlist, but by the second era it became more of a longlist. The lower-level Elite Court Mages are meaningfully better, both in overall skill and strength, than standard Court Mages and typically serve Dukes. The best Elite Court Mages typically serve under the wealthiest and most powerful Dukes. They also have Court Mages as assistants rather than utility mages. These high-level Elite Court Mages are the most likely to be considered for Archmage positions.

Archmage (AM): Archmages are the most gifted, creative and powerful mages in the realm. There are only eight of them at any given time, including a single Grandmage. They are so unimaginably powerful that it is said a single Archmage could cross the border and conquer another nation if they wanted to. Archmages are, in times of peace, given a great degree of freedom to pursue their own projects so long as they spend most of their time in the capital. They are directly employed by the monarch and a considerably large portion of taxes are used to pay their exceptional wages. Archmage politicking is seen as a serious problem in all eras and sabotage, assassinations and so on are a common theme in these mythological stories. The weakest Archmages are comparable with relatively strong Elite Court Mages in other eras while the strongest Archmages are comparable with Grandmages in weaker eras.

Grandmage (GM): The Grandmage is the individual deemed to be the greatest and most powerful living mage. In some eras, that means they are slightly better than the other living Archmages. In other eras, such as the second era, that means they are otherworldly beings with powers that could fundamentally alter the world itself.