World Cup 101 - The Roleplays

[The Martian Independent Republic]

Sometime later.
"It's rather late, Olivia. Are you sure you want another story?"
"Yes, Mom!"
"Alright. This next one, though, is rather long."
"That's OK. I can stay up."
"If you say so, darling."

---

Once, there was and there was not a man. His name was Roderick, and he was simply ordinary. He had many friends, and he was rarely without one of them, but none of them seemed to know each other. One day, he was strolling through one of the squares in Aeolis Base - Horvath Square, I believe it was, because there was a market in the square - with one of those friends, Clio. Clio was a historian, but she was also stuck in the past, more focused on what had happened than what could.

"Roderick! So great to see you!"
"Ah, Clio, it's been a while."
"Four months, if I remember correctly. Hey, did you know that today marks five Martian years since the portal to Anaia was discovered?"
"It seems like so much longer."
"That's what I said! I love how we always have the exact same wordings for things."
"Still playing the trumpet?"
"Yup, even got to do it in the festival two weeks before Tuesday!"
"Are you hungry? We should get lunch somewhere, chat for longer."
"Nah, but I could go for milkshakes."

And so they went to the ice cream parlor, Clio getting an experimental new flavor - lemon and olive oil - while Roderick got his usual vanilla.
"So, what have you been up to recently?"
"Well, you know I study the history of transport, seeing if there was anything forgotten in days of yore that may help us today. Now, you probably have seen a car before, you know the personal transport from Earth times. Well, look at this model of one, from five years before Yellowstone. A Cadillac, with chrome-plated axles on the wheels. Pure excess."
"How is this something that could help us Martians today?"
"What not to do."

Roderick always felt like he was being told what not to do, and not what to do. There was an infinite number of other options for transport, why did it merit study of one Cadillac from an early year of a decade not long before Yellowstone if the result was already known? That felt absurd and inefficient, and Roderick was always against inefficiency. But how could he tell Clio? He didn't want to hurt their feelings. Words upon words abounded. Once again, there was an infinite number of options for what to say. How could he choose which ones? Was there even a way to choose? Zermelo and Fraenkel had said you could arbitrarily choose one, but in the set of all words he knew there were plenty he didn't want to say, either rude or incoherent. So how, then, could he construct some sort of way to speak? He felt like he knew what he should say, but he'd forgotten somehow how to do it.

"Roderick?" Clio snapped their fingers, bringing Roderick back into reality.
"grwsh- Yes? What?"
"Are you still listening?"
"Yup, I just had one question."
"What?"
"What's the time?"
"5:08."
"Is that an analog watch you're wearing?"
"Yeah! I love the clock face."
"I feel like I've been seeing a lot more analog clocks lately. Look, there's one on the wall here, too."
"Maybe one was behind that mysterious ticking noise that you were telling me about!"
"Oh, yeah, that. I still haven't gotten that checked out."
"I can relate. Wait - get over here, you little rascal!"

And thus their conversation was over, Clio going after some kid who had knocked over their milkshake while the mother just sat there and stared at Roderick like he was to blame for it all. This was how things always ended whenever he was with Clio, he felt. Why were they still around in his life? They were stuck in the past, but time ticked onwards.

---

"And that's where we'll stop for tonight."
"I thought you said this was a long story!"
"It is, but it has many parts. This is just the first one."

[Saint Eleanor]

Group of Six Twenty-Nine meeting (CXI) --- Zwangzug 0-5 SAINT ELEANOR
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Lydia Vickers [C], Kichirō Matsuda [VC], all other players [by convention]
Location: Most likely a hotel, name TBD; somewhere in the local area, Spenson, ZWZ

MAJOR MATCH EVENTS: Matsuda 6, Bright 18 and 39, Diro 65, Wootton 77. Local reporting has been prominent and I'm aware that a few members of the team have been reading it of their own accord. Matsuda has been ruled out for the next match as he went off the handle in the second half and will shortly be offered what I assume would be a nice, soothing cup of tea.


LESSONS LEARNED: "We can do this shit!" (~ Gisken). I took the decision to hold this meeting a few hours before kick-off, but the mood in the camp was even more wildly optimistic than I could have possibly hoped, and if I had time to type out everyone's feedback or lack thereof in this space, I imagine that I might well break my typewriter! There was, however, a lot of praise for "how we really worked the lines this time; we aren't normally this consistent" (~ Kevin), "everyone in the team worked together really well, we need to keep up this form for every game we ever play for into the future, put it on loop in the National Museum's lobby" (~ Denise) and even "the single most comprehensive defensive effort I've ever seen from any team this side of Space Laser Dinosaur Robot Pirate Land, and not just pressing, either" (~ Tina). A couple of players who weren't at Geometrio's last time were even convinced that this was Reniira's doing, as she's more of a systems thinker, but "I'm sorry to break the bad news to Isabella and Abdullah" (~ Reniira).


RECOMMENDATIONS: Speaking of journalism, "I bet I've landed the scoop" (~ Rachel); she's aware of ReemSports reporting which says that the Manuelian Empire, a team much more underrated than Saint Eleanor, cracked the Natkrian code last cycle by pressing high, moving the ball between themselves, and keeping the defenders focused, "like we just did against Zwangzug" (~ Naclé). Shockingly, Mason Wilson in for Elmer Webb is the only difference between their starting lineup this time and theirs from last time, and their tactics appear to be similar. "Absent any other evidence, it's the same as last time" (~ Reniira). I have therefore decided that we will therefore be fielding our normal starting lineup once again, but with the expectation that everyone push up and press their opponent, and more of an expectation to confuse the opposition before heading straight for goal; as Maria and Kichiro are okay being more "vanilla central mids" (~ Rick) and Isabella is a classic targetwoman, I expect no problems.
As a side note, half-time refreshments do include coffee, as highlighted perhaps over-eagerly by the Misanthrope, but "it obviously isn't mandatory or else what Jamie wrote about me would be wrong" (~ Kirsti). Exandra's love of satsumas will be missed. We are investigating how to professionalise the quality of the coffee itself - it was much appreciated this time around and I know that Peak'N'Break are a trusted name in most countries that started playing football before Saint Eleanor was even independent, but can be hit-or-miss on a bad day - although if our work on professionalising nutrition and diet is anything to go by, I would not hope for much progress.


MOVING FORWARD: This was, at worst, "a job better done than most" (~ Elizabeth); at best, "a simple and elegant disproof of the critics" (~ Keith). While Matt is aware that I was seriously considering more of a root-and-branch approach to change, Stephen's lighter-touch ideas have won the day, the game, and - if you're feeling particularly cynical - my continued job security. Far be it from me to be an unequivocal optimist - I never relished in the title of "Goddess of Goalkeeping" - but they will continue to be implemented ahead of the very winnable game - and, this time, I know that everyone in the team will agree - against Natkr. Lydia V's notes have been deferred until after Natkr.

As a final note, there has been some discussion in the camp about this being the second activation of Operation Plimsoll. It would therefore do me a world of good to formally note down the different types of Operation that I have in cold storage:
- Group of Six: No operational name. Has historically made tactical decisions by consensus of the manager (myself), the assistant managers (thoughts on tactics/strategy), the captain and vice-captain (thoughts on how this impacts the team and players), and a balloted player (representative of all the players who aren't in the meeting) - although, in practice, everyone has thoughts on everything.
- Group of Twenty-Nine: No operational name. Is an opportunity for all players to contribute their thoughts on the team, their performance, their expectations, and where we go next after each tournament. "Saint Eleanor will field 1-11 for MD1 of qualifying."
- Operation PLIMSOLL: Group of Twenty-Nine meeting called other than after our elimination from a tournament - for example, because there is widespread demand, I feel as though the players generally have a lot of thoughts about our next opponent, or there is such a great crisis that I simply must bring everyone together. Normally, I will decide on a lineup for the game following this meeting. Invoked twice, prior to WCF100 3PPO and prior to WCQ101 MD5.
- Operation MOTORWAY: Ballot on who the next captain ought to be. Captains since Liam West's retirement have been elected from among their fellow players; they cannot be "recalled" as such, although great pressure may force their hand into resignation. Invoked twice, ahead of West's retirement (pre-WCF94) and Coombe's retirement (pre-WCF99).
- Operation SLUMBER PARTY: Ballot on the future of the manager. Never invoked, nor will it be unless there is resentment and disappointment on the level of 2007. However, I will abide by the results.

I am happy to offer this guide to whoever succeeds me as manager.

~GB

Elizabeth Wootton: "When I'm out on the field, I tend to have my own ideas as to how I should do things"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers probes into one of the national team's most thought-provoking new characters - but not its single most incredible, somehow
Originally published on Tuesday 22nd February 2019

Elizabeth Wootton is one of the few people in the Eleanorian game who we can truly say is a larger-than-life character. The first demonstration of this is when she holds up her right forearm to reveal a glaringly-obvious piece of scar tissue, not exactly the first lifelong injury that you would associate with a quick-witted wide midfielder. "I got this when I was twelve! To be fair, though, I should have learned not to break windows open long before that age. I don't even think it was an emergency, when I think about it."

Wootton's life at the Eleanorian Academy "was, by any account, a more exciting one than normal. I come from a family of unassuming, middle-class people who make more money than you think, but they trust the school system enough to send me to the local one. I think I made friends with, more or less, everyone I interacted with. I wouldn't really call myself a peacemaker, but I did get the bullies off my back and convinced a couple of them to stop randomly picking on people. It did also help me to pick up some study secrets on the other side; I could have gone to university and done just about anything if that is what I wanted, although I didn't see any point for that unless I wanted to follow my dad into medicine or become an Army officer, which I didn't." Was she ever considering the arts as an alternative to academia? "I like playing music and listening to music, but I am more of a singer than an instrument player, and I could never do the visual arts or filmmaking or anything like that. Maybe I could write a novel, but I wouldn't be as good as Sarah Lewis or even Tina [Falconer]. I like to think I can get away with karaoke; being a full-time pop singer, like you think I'd be in the official guide to the roster, I don't think I can do it because I started focusing on football around the same time I cut my arm - correlation doesn't equal causation, sorry - and I wasn't thinking enough about the possibility of being an artist of any kind, never mind the female Brad Tucker."

The circumstances of her rise may be surprising, if not coincidental, as she was arguably the best player on what she calls "an underwhelming unit of quarterfinalists" in 2010's Charles Trump Shield. "Someone figured out that I had a hand in all the goals, which is easy when there's six of them in six games. Buckhead was an easy ride and where I first learned to lead the offensive line. The Boys' Prep was a genuine struggle and I'm almost astonished that I managed to score my penalty in the end. Premier were too strong, although on the other hand, they did teach me how to press and defend in earnest; I wonder what Charlotte Worth's doing now." (Ironically, she is now a Lieutenant with the Army.) "But, in all seriousness, I thought I did okay for myself. Better than most of the people Maria Billington writes about in The Gazette, certainly. As good as David Newcastle in '91? Absolutely not! I was never as straight-laced as he was, but nor was I yet the chaotic madwoman that some people see in my adult footballing self!"

At least positionally, Wootton is the successor of David Newcastle, a star of the Noughties' White Stars who always had a point to make about being driven by attention to detail. "I admire his straight-talking, of course, and almost wish I was around at the same time." On the field, however, Independence 1975 has struggled to find its stride at times. "With apologies to the foreign policy nerds - I'm not sure how many we have now that Bridget [Coombe] and Arielle [Richardson] are out of the picture - but we do live in more of a multipolar sporting world now. Whether it's us winning, or Rachel Schanke's well-oiled machine at Hiyashi Celestia, or Athletic or even someone else is beyond my individual control. In a sense, I don't think I can get too upset about us not winning titles all the time, although obviously we do have to try sometimes. The most devastating iteration of this would be us getting knocked out in the Challengers' Cup qualifiers, which very much has happened before and which is an unwelcome return to an era of football I barely remember watching on the TV whenever it happens."

And, while both Newcastle and Wootton are consistent starters, their approach to the game varies massively. "David is all very 'we need to get this exactly right or else we'll fuck this up.' My point of view is more like 'have a go, see what happens, just don't do anything irresponsible.' This has worked a charm, according to other people, when I've been able to pull it off. Not all the time, of course, but I'd say I miss once every eighteen games, which I think is good enough for Lydia Sharp and Gentle Breeze - and certainly in the region of what my designated substitute would expect." Does she think that she has earned a reputation for being the leader of the attacking line? "In the sense I'm the striker? Absolutely not; I don't want to go through 1992 again. In the sense that I can set the pace, manage the response to the offside trap, and so on? Sometimes, but I wouldn't call myself dictatorial or totally independent. That's definitely something I'd like to work a bit more on - the perks of being a professional footballer are you can build on the more advanced stuff as well as the basics, and it's just assumed you know the basics if you're starting this regularly, unless you're a fraudster on the level of Dave Howell-Watkins, who was trying and failing to ply his trade in Quebec fifteen years ago and got caught out by Esther Launceston, of all commentators."

I have previously commented, from time to time, about Wootton's explicit love of following orders. "Yeah, I know, right? It's not like you can get away with doing anything else in this country! Obviously, when I'm out on the field, I tend to have my own ideas as to how I should do things, and sometimes that spills over to the team; but I tend to be more quiet, conservative, and what have you when it comes to living my day-to-day life. I wouldn't say I'm on the nose about it as Kevin [O'Leary] or either of the Lydias or even Bridget Coombe, apparently - I had my fair share of detentions at school - but I'm not sure I'd ever want to do anything particularly controversial." When asked to give some thought to who her best friends are on the team, she is quick to respond that "I'm actually pretty good with all of them. I don't have anywhere near Kichiro's commitment and the place I've found for myself is probably too small for anything more than a housewarming party, but I have coincided with a lot of the players off the ground and they do seem alright. You have your Maria Morgans, who are genuinely forthright motherfuckers and who you would never want to get into a debate with - a bit like how I like to think of myself. Then you get the easy-going guys like Kavezalea [Felaraneta] or Naclé [Öhân] - or even the best-of-both types like Denise [Livingston]. I'm comfortable around allsorts, which you have to be in the national team!"

Elizabeth Wootton is, by any unreasonable definition - and some of the reasonable definitions, too - a provocateur. Is she a complete winger, or just someone who does her job? Is she someone who takes orders, makes them, or simply has due regard to them? The Wootton you get is very much the Wootton she plans to be, but it is always going to be a fun, entertaining, competent, and delivery-focused Wootton.

[Megistos]

The folder hit the glass conference table with a heavy thud.

Kosta Varon, current Megistan coach, leaned forward. Around the room, sat the executive board of the Megistian Football Association,, a collection of men in identical grey suits, all polished and nice.

"I need 26 men, Demetrios," Varon said, his voice dangerously low. "You’ve given me 17. Half of them are teenagers from the lower divisions who work part-time in the retail hubs."

Demetrios, who was the chief liaison for the domestic club owners, looked down at his Idolsoft tablet. "You have to understand the pos. of the clubs, Kosta. The national team has not competed in a World Cup in fifteen cycles. Fifteen. To the chairmen of Olympos Tech-Core and Paix Athletic, this campaign is a novelty. A write-off. You are asking them to release million-Megistian-dollar assets to go play against Martians."

"I am asking them to represent their Empire,"

"National pride does not cover Alexandros Makris's insurance premiums," Demetrios replied smoothly. "If Makris tears a ligament on a terrible pitch in Aleirave, Olympos Tech-Core’s stock drops three points by the morning bell. It is an risk that I''m not taking."

Varon paced toward the windows overlooking the skyline of Paix; more specifically the banking district, which he has no idea how he ended up working in. He had been hired to build a team that fought for the badge, and came up with a suffocating, high-intensity 4-2-3-1 press. It required absolute peak physical endurance. He couldn't execute it with mere kids.

"I need Galen," Varon said, turning back. "I need Bastien in the backline. And I need Makris."

"Galen is thirty-one. His hamstrings are heavily monitored. Paix Athletic will not release him to play eighteen matches in two months," Demetrios countered.
"I won't play him every match," Varon lied. He obviously knew he would have to rotate heavily against weaker teams to spare his veterans, but there was no way some of the fodder on the bench was more than training dummys. "I give you my word in writing. But I need my spine, Demetrios. Give me my veterans, and I'll fill the wings with the kids from Market Strollers."

Demetrios sighed, tapping a polished pen against the glass. "Fine. Galen, Bastien, and Makris. But that brings us to the goalkeeper."

"Right. I want Cechs from Iron Silo United."

"Absolutely not," Demetrios said immediately. "Iron Silo has a deep domestic cup run. They refuse to release their starting keeper. They’ll give you Jean-Luc Mercer."

"Mercer hasn't played a first-team minute in six months!" Varon exploded, slamming a hand against the back of his chair. "You are sending me into a World Cup with a backup goalkeeper who has rust on his gloves! He's bottom of the barrel trash!"

The room fell silent. Demetrios offered a tight, fake smile that was a telltale sign of a slimy businessmen. "Then find another registered player, Kosta. Because the clubs are not releasing another keeper."

Varon stormed out of the boardroom, the heavy doors slamming shut behind him. He marched down the sterile white corridors of the FA headquarters, his assistant manager, Petros, jogging to keep up.

"It's a disgrace," Varon muttered, loosening his tie. "We have a midfield, but if the press breaks, we have a clown in goal. It's a disgrace."

"Actually, boss," Petros said, hesitating. He was not much better than Demetrios in Varon's eyes, and he knew it; they all were cut from the same cloth. "I had the legal team digging through the FA Registration Charter while you were in there."

Varon stopped at the elevator banks. "Did they find a loophole to force Iron Silo's hand?"

"No," Petros said, opening the binder. "But they found Section 4, Paragraph 12. The eligibility requirements for a national call-up."

Varon frowned, reading the scribbled text Petros was pointing to; it was barely legible, which complemented Petros well. "'A registered player must reside within the Empire, be affiliated with an MFA-recognized club, and possess a valid ID number.' So what?"

"So, it doesn't specify that the player has to be human."

Varon stared at him. "Petros, what the hell are you yabbering about?"

Petros flipped to the next page. It was a registration form filed three years ago by Paix Aquarium FC, a team in the fourth division. It was a PR stunt meant to mock the bureaucratic nature of the league (and get some attention on Instakilogram and Z) but it had been officially stamped and processed by the FA.

Attached to the file was a photo of a 150-pound Giant Pacific Octopus.

"His name is Octavius," Petros said, completely deadpan, no smile or smirk or anything on his wrinkly, frankly ugly face. "He has an official FA identification number. He resides in the capital. Legally... he is eligible for a call-up. Well maybe."

Varon looked from the photo of the big, chunky octopus to his assistant coach. For a long moment, the only sound in the hallway was the hum of the fluorescent lights.

"An octopus," Varon said quietly.

"Eight-foot reach," Petros noted. "Independent limb coordination. He doesn't feel psychological pressure. He doesn't panic. He just reacts. Like that one Spurs player."

A slow, dark smirk crept across Varon's face. "Call the aquarium," Varon said, stepping into the elevator. "Tell them their 'boy' is going to the World Cup."

[Paradystopia]

CUT-OFF FOR MD5 & MD6 - GROUPS 1-9 8

[Masraya]

Chapter 1 - Amala
Chapter 2 - Ledang

Chapter 3 - Temasik

The atmosphere around the country had changed after the first two matches. Four points from two away matches. Nobody expected that. Especially because Masraya had never played international football before. Then came the Holy Empire, the four-time world champion. One of the strongest sides in the group.

The first twenty minutes were difficult. The Holy Empire kept the ball well. But then we won a free kick around twenty meters out after Faiz was brought down. Slightly to the left side of the box. Perfect angle for a right-footer like Rahim, the best free-kick taker in Masraya.

The stadium became strangely quiet as Rahim stepped back to take the free kick. Then he hit it. Clean. Over the wall. Curling away from the goalkeeper. Top corner. Then the stadium erupted.

The goal changed everything. The Holy Empire started pushing higher after that and spaces finally opened behind them. That suited us more. Faiz made it 2-0 before half time.

The Holy Empire scored early in the second half from a corner kick. Suddenly the match became tense again. You could feel the nervousness across the stadium. All the excitement from the first half disappeared immediately.

For the next fifteen minutes, we barely touched the ball. We were struggling. Then came the counterattack.

Rahim won the ball near our own box and immediately released Amin on the right side. Amin carried the ball almost the entire length of the pitch before squaring it towards me near the penalty spot.

Simple finish. Side foot. Bottom corner. Goal. 3-1.

The Holy Empire looked shaken after that. They didn’t expect us to keep coming at them. Maybe they thought the first half was luck. Maybe they thought we would panic after conceding.

The entire stadium stood up when the fourth official raised the board for added time. Nobody sat anymore. I remember looking around and seeing the whole stadium wave their hands with flash on their phones.

Then it finally came. The final whistle. Full time. Masraya 3. The Holy Empire 1.

Most people expected that match to finally bring us back down to earth. Instead, it became the night Masraya truly fell in love with the national team.

__________

After two nights in Brickland, we continued south towards Temasik. The traffic started getting heavier once we got closer to the Straits of Ledang.

Then eventually, the skyline appeared. Even from a distance, Temasik looked different from every other city in Mandalanusa. The kind of city that looked expensive even from far away.

“That’s Temasik?”

“Yes.”

Between us and the island was the Straits of Ledang. And connecting the two sides was the causeway. One kilometer of road and rail crossing the straits. Aidil kept staring outside as we slowly moved forward with the traffic.

“Different country already?”

“Yes.”

“But no passport?”

I smiled lightly.

“Yes, no need,” I said.

Temasik, like the rest of Serumpun, used to be part of Masraya after independence. But the two separated a few years after that. Even after separation though, both sides understood one thing. They needed each other.

So they agreed to make travelling between the countries easier. Every day, thousands of people crossed the border. Some even lived on one side and worked on the other.

In football, the relationship stayed even stranger. Serumpun clubs still played in Masraya and the rivalries stayed alive.

“You used to come here a lot too?” Aidil asked.

“A lot,” I answered.

“For football?”

“Yes.”

“Who hates Klang more? Ledang or Temasik?”

I laughed at that question.

“Temasik.”

“Why?”

“Because they thought they’re better than everyone.”

Astilah glanced at me immediately.

“You’re entering their country now,” she reminded me.’’

“I said what I said,” I replied.

__________

My first season with Klang was harder than I thought it would be. Opportunity to play was rare. Not even one league match. I was frustrated at first. But after I train with the senior players, I realized the gap immediately. Senior defenders don’t care if you are a talented teenager. They kick you anyway.

Rahim struggled too. So did Fahmi. But the three of us stayed mostly with the U21 side that season. And honestly, despite only being 18, we were probably too strong for that level. We dominated almost everyone.

Despite dominating at youth level though, senior opportunities barely came. Klang was the biggest club in Masraya at that time. The pressure to win was huge every match. Coaches trusted experienced players more than teenagers.

Especially against Temasik. Away matches in Temasik were the worst. They hate Klang so much.

So when Coach Rajakumar told three of us from the U21 side to start warming up during half-time against Temasik in the Masraya Cup, we just looked at each other. None of us expected it.

We were already up by 3 at that time. We were totally in control in front of their own fans. And their fans didn't take it lightly. They were angry. Angry at us and mostly angry at their own team.

That was when Coach Rajakumar decided to take the piss by substituting in three U21 players at once. The Temasik fans became even angrier at that. Even our own senior players were laughing when we started warming up.

“You all better not bottle this,” one of them shouted.

I came on alongside Rahim just before the second half began while Fahmi stayed on the bench. I couldn't believe that my club debut would be in one of the biggest matches in Mandalanusan football. Every kid in Klang dreams about playing against Temasik one day. Even if the whole stadium hates you. Especially if the whole stadium hates you.

Temasik scored once in the second half but we won the match 3-1. Their fans booed us after the final whistle but I remember thinking, I want this again.

[Calgasia]

A Traveller's Guide to Calgasia

Innere Calgas

Every country has a region that is considered the real thing, the image of a country when it comes to your mind, the cultural core. Innere Calgas is that type of region.

This is where Calgasia began, after the discovery of the portal between Earth and this planet in 1916, giving the opportunity for the then-dying Austro-Hungarian empire to have a second chance, albeit in a different space. Around 250,000 colonists brought their traditions, their languages, their ambitions and their struggles into this new land. From here, they started to build the nation. That is why is sometimes nicknamed as "The Mother of the Nation"

Innere Calgas sits roughly at the centre of the country. To the north, the Leopoldine Mountains and the Rötler Massif rise imposingly with their snowy summits and their pines. As you move south, the terrain softens gradually, first into hills with forests, then into the broad Lake Galriel, the heart of the region. The Great River flows from the north-west towards the western part of the lake, only to continue its journey at the eastermost point of it.


The Leopoldine Mountains boasts some of the highest peaks of the country

Lake Galriel is genuinely beautiful with its deep and cold waters, its banks filled with high trees. It generates its own microclimate, with milder winters -although with abundant, thick fog -, and a very pleasant spring and summer, when it's filled with cyclists and runners along its banks, and barges with tourists crossing it. To the south, the two peaks known as the Twins rise like two watchful guardians.

To the west of the Land, the river Mel flows, but we'll leave it for further chapters. The region borders Ober Calgas to the west, Kleine Böhmen to the south and Alföld to the east, each of which will get its own chapter.

Thus, three ecosystems are found in this Land. Alpine to the north, with conifers and edelweiss - brought by the first settlers - the lake zone, with deciduous trees, and a transition zone in the hills between them, where we can see one of the great symbols of the local flora, the calgasian dandelion, with its intense violet colour.

The City
Goldstadt is obviously the main feature of the region, at least man-made. Economically, politically, culturally, demographically... Goldstadt dominates Calgasia as Vienna dominates Austria or Budapest dominates Hungary. It is the seat of the Kaiser, the Parliament, most of the biggest corporations and institutions of the country. A good example is the Magyar Kulturális Egyesület, or Hungarian Cultural Association, an important institution founded in 1918, shortly after the creation of Calgasia, from the Hungarian settlers as a way to keep their culture and traditions alive. They have a restaurant in the headquarters of the institution, near the Székely baths, where they cook an excellent gulyás, better known as goulash.

The name of the city may sound presumptuous, but it has nothing to do with the imperial grandeur. It comes from the gold mines in the surrounding hills south of the city, a resource that cemented the wealth of the city.

Goldstadt is built on the banks of the Great River, very close to where it flows into the lake. Its main feature is the imperial hill, called the imperial quarter, a large hill with two promontories. On one side sits the Neues Hofburg, residence of the Habsburgs, alongside the Cathedral of the Saviour. The tower of the cathedral is a must-see, where you can admire the whole city and see the lake on clear days. On the other promontory sits the Parliament building, a perfect metaphor of the political and social tensions that Calgasia has had during its short history. The rest of the hill is filled with ministries, government offices and some offices and shops, split in half by the Imperial Boulevard and the Pioneers Square.


The imponent Opera House of Goldstadt

Going downhill, the traveller can find the real Goldstadt. The architecture is heavily based in the Vienna Secession style, brought by the first colonists and considered the true national style. The great noble houses built their palaces along the boulevards and avenues of the city. The Esterházy, the Schwarzemberg, the Falkenstein (the tennis fan will find this surname familiar: the tennis player Karel z Falkenštejna is in fact part of this noble family of Bohemian origin. He uses the Czech version of his surname to pay homage to his roots).

This district, called Mitte, also offers landmarks like the Opera House, and is a must-visit for architecture lovers, from more classical Secession-style comercial buildings to the modern, sleek offices and skyscrapers that are starting to appear in the city.


The Church of St. Karl is considered a masterpiece of the Calgasian Secession style

The society of Goldstadt is easy to understand once you get the two key principles. First: appearance matters. Second: you only live once. The first fact comes because the city has the imperial court and the seat of the government, with all of the intrigues and schemes associated. For the second one, go to one of the numerous cafés, restaurants or biergartens to find out. The people here love to sit and chat, discussing all kinds of matters over a hot chocolate, a pint of beer or a glass of wine, with cafés inspired by those in Vienna. Kranz & Kolben is one of the most important ones. Apart from being one of the most famous chocolatiers of the country, it is located near the Parliament, and it is a place where politicians usually make deals or create new intrigues.

Le P'tit Parisien is the place for a dinner if you're in the mood for classical high-quality French cuisine. This place is usually packed with famous people, so expect a famous check when paying. For something more authentic and less rigid, Die goldene Gans is considered one of the best biergartens in the city, with long wooden tables and excellent Calgasian beer and traditional food. And if you still have energy, Dresdenplatz is the main place for a night out, with bars, music venues and clubs.

The city can be a bit overwhelming with its energy and movement, but luckily residents and tourists have the Belvedere Park and its palace (again, a reminiscence of the ancestral land), as well as the Székely Baths inspired by the thermal baths of Budapest, and are worth an afternoon to relax.

The rest of the region
Wels is a counterpoint to Goldstadt. If the capital is elegant and sophisticated, Wels is industrial and practical. The industrial engine of Calgasia, the city was founded because of the large coal deposits near it, prompting the creation of heavy industry and machinery, and it has kept that way. A working-class stronghold, Wels might not be as near as beautiful as Goldstadt, but the people here are more authentic, with an intense solidarity. But what it lacks in beauty, it makes up in personality: the city is home to one of the biggest carnival celebrations of the nation, the cultural scene is booming, especially in graphic arts, and some of its restaurants are top class, like Usat, with its fusion cuisine.

The main factory of the WMF, or Welser Maschinefabrik, one of the largest industrial companies of the country

Klosterling lies east of the city, in the banks of the lake Galriel. There are plenty of lakeside activities, like sailing, canoeing, rowing or swimming, and the town is nice, especially its biergartens, where the roasted pork and grilled fish are a speciality. For the car enthusiasts, this is where the famous Stöckl factory is located, producing some of the finest sport and luxury cars in the Multiverse.

St. Agatha is located at the easternmost point of lake Galriel, where it continues its journey towards the sea. It is a small but growing city with beautiful traditional architecture, inspired by the towns in the Alps, and with an interesting theatre scene, as well of plenty of natural activities to do. Dornzell and Donuberg are more industrial cities, and are a bit more... "ugly". Not worth a visit for now


Sport
As for sport, Innere Calgas is home to three of the most important and beloved teams of the nation. Sport is key to the people here, as an amateur and healthy activity but also as a social one. Fans are passionate and cheerful.
The Goldstadt Sport Kreis, or GSK, is the oldest and most widely supported club in the country, with sections covering football, hockey, water polo and more. 7 Bundesliga, 6 EisLiga and 22 Wasserball Liga titles speak for themselves. The supporters nickname Die Großmäuler, or The Big-Mouths, is due to the fact that the team usually spends big in almost every transfer window, only to lose year and year again. The big financial muscle of the capital allows to keep this wheel spinning, but their passionate fans might need more silverware soon that justifies such spending.

Club Hungária and its sister club, Magyar Úszó Klub (Swimming club), operates under the umbrella of the Hungarian Cultural Association, and are unique because they only play with players of Hungarian origins. This feature has not prevented them to win big: 10 Bundesliga titles for Hungária and 27 water polo titles for MÚK (most succesful team in the league). The Derby of Goldstadt between the capital's both teams is very intense.

Welser AC, from Wels, is also one of a kind in the national sport. With 5 Bundesliga and 12 EisLiga titles, they are one of the big three teams of ice hockey and are consistent at the top of the football league. Their playing style is hard for their fans, dirty for its rivals, but their fans don't care about that very much.

"We play dirty? No, I'm afraid it's a disease. See, the people around Wels have an anatomical condition — we can't keep our elbows close to our body, and thus we elbow everyone around us, especially rival players. It's called Elbowitis. And don't think it's genetic. Every player we have signed develops that condition, no matter where they come from. It's a terrible disease, believe me." Hannes Makart, owner of the team.

Its people
At the end of the day, Innere Calgas would be nothing with the people that lives there. It is a demographically mixed region, with around 55 to 66 percent people from Austrian origin, the rest being Hungarian or Czech origin minorities, and though German is spoken throughout the region, those other languages are widely heard across its towns.

Innere Calgas has produced numerous important people over the decades, from Carl Falsen, considered the father of national literature, or the list of Kaisers that have ruled Calgasia, to more recent Wolfgang Stöckl Jr, the irreverent owner of the car company, or Katharina Bohm and Gloria Renner, the captains in hockey and football national teams respectively.

Needless to say, the region has been in the centre of the Calgasian history, being the setting of key moments like the Czech revolt of 1920, the Glorious Revolution of 1965, or more recently, the coronation of Kaiser Lancelot. Innere Calgas mixes the old, failed dreams of creating a new empire with the ingenuity of a young nation that is forging its new destiny.


Lale Galriel at St. Agatha

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Images taken from Wikimedia. If you're interested in the real Vienna Secession, check its Wikipedia page here

[Edsmontik]

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TWO MORE WINS FOR THE EDSMON EAGLES

Friday, 8/12/2033, 11:24pm
Written by Hansen der-Vaught

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This is a transcript from a live ISN production.
Before we begins, let's all hope that Vyktor Kalsefja, the main author of most ISN posts, a speedy recovery from his illness.

Against two easier opponents these last matchdays, Edsmontik dropped more wins into their pile of points. The Eagles slammed Hintuwan into the ground 4-0, and left Serumpun in a ditch with a 2-0 victory. With such a win streak thus far, and almost all of their most threatening opponents cleared, as well as some of their least threatening opponents, the Eagles are ready to push through the rest of the group.

In the Suberarenae, with the Eagles all ready to go, they faced off against newcomers Hintuwan. Hintuwan, being a newcomer, had a lot of unpredictability, like the Edsmons did when they came in for the first time. Nobody really knew their playstyle or how to beat them yet. According to Maktholm Ghreksbvy, the Eagles' best bet to winning was to literally "wing it." They would abuse the wings and come up with plans on the spot. So, that's exactly what they did.

Beginning the first half, the Eagles almost instantly switched to their heavy attacking 4-2-4 formation, where Aespana and Reuhans had the most room to act. Instead of being behind Rehcikt and Stuero, they were now side by side. The attackers wouldn't be blocking the wide midfielders, now wingers anymore. Stuero's kickoff set the game instantly towards the Eagles' left side. Aespana, who was generally faster than Reuhans, instantly took the ball up the field. His strong technical ability also supposedly allowed him to "calculate every possibility" as he said himself.

The Hintuwan team, which had little experience other than their games with other teams, struggled to keep up. Their defense crumbled quickly, and Aespana would find himself in the box with a clear shot at goal. And just like that, the ball was in the air. There was no doubt in the stands, and like expected, the ball found the top right corner from Aespana's perspective. The Hintuwan keeper was unable to react in time.

With one ball in the net, the Eagles knew they had to keep going for more. Once again, unranked never before seen teams were unpredictable. Soon enough, Hintuwan began to show that unpredictability. Ten minutes after the goal in the 30th minute, the Hintuwan team began to play more central, giving the Eagles more opportunities on the wing but also putting their own net in danger as the center didn’t hold up for very long. The Eagles, who were now weak in the midfield, had to reform their 4-3-2-1.

Luckily for them, they bounced right back after that Hintuwan move. The Eagles would score one more time in the 44th minute with Stuero and once again after halftime in the 62nd minute with Javarqa. All seemed to be going very well for the Eagles here. They were on track to a guaranteed win and possible clean sheet at 3-0.

But the Hintuwan team just could not give up. They continued to fight at full power as the Eagles fought to hold their wings which were now weaker from the formation change. Nevertheless, the Eagles still managed to break through the lines. They inched closer and closer to another goal, until finally, it appeared that the Hintuwan team was now at their breaking point.

The fans went wild for the Eagles as Ghreksbvy, who had just come on for Reuhans, charged down the wing to receive a ball from Stuero. With a twist of his body, and a swipe of his left foot, the ball curled right into the top right corner of the net. Just like that, it was 4-0 in the 80th minute. And just like that, they won.

Edsmontik second game, away in Serumpun, was not too different from the Hintuwan game. Serumpun was currently tied dead last in the KPB+ Rankings, meaning that they were one of the few teams with 0 ranking points in total. With this news, the Eagles knew that it would be an easy match, according to Dav der-Ghavyr, the Eagles' coach. He also stated that "while it was easy, in hindsight, we should have done a little less sitting back."

Sitting back was one of the few things that the Eagles did pretty well that game. The Eagles' back line hardly moved at all, with little touches on the ball, only making a pass or clearance if the Serumpun team got too close. Otherwise, "practically nothing" according to Benzor Norseden himself.

The Edsmon attack was just about as laid back. The front three would make some advances, but only if the Serumpun team had made a large enough opening for them to score.

Starting in the 4-3-2-1, with some Edsmons having their first experience as starters in the qualifiers thus far, the Eagles started with controlling possession. Reiovus managed to rip the ball out of a passing course from Muhaajir. From there, there was a lot of triangle passing between the attacking three, with a few threatening moves made for intimidation.

"We had to make some fake attacks. While we could just go and pummel the Serumpun team, we decided to conserve our energy." Reuhans told us in a post-game interview.

Other than the fake attacks, which had some fans on the edges of their seats, just waiting for goals, the first half was largely uneventful. The Eagles did not manage to score any goals, and seemed as if they didn't want to. Many fans complained afterwards, stating that although it was fun to watch them "toy" with the Serumpun team, the Eagles' time wasting could result in a draw if they didn't watch their minutes.

After the first half though, knowing that the Serumpun team was now not as terrified of the Eagles, the Eagles used more power for a bit. Every ten or so minutes, they would make real strikes. Instead of making advances and taking weak shots, the Eagles now were slamming balls with quick wing attacks, leaving destruction in their path. The front three led this charge, with Reiovus getting in some powerful shots. Soon enough, the youngster managed to fire a crossbar-down shot to seal in the opener. Well, it didn't really "open" the game as it was in the 65th minute.

Just eighteen minutes later, in the 83rd minute, the Eagles decided that it would be time to extend their lead. With one fell swoop, Maartin Stuero broke through the Serumpun wall with ease, weaving around defenders with quick dribbles and spins, before firing a shot from right outside the box. That shot whizzed right at Serumpun keeper Chandrashekar, who fell back as he caught the powerful shot.

After a few minutes of VAR footage, it was determined that Chandrashekar's backwards fall was enough to send the ball barely over the goal line. Just like that, the Eagles had their second goal of the game to seal the deal and allow them to continue holding the top spot of Group 11.

With more games ahead, we'll be seeing whether or not the Eagles live up to expectations and potentially top the group with few or no losses at all. As all will say, may Margaret be with them. See you next time on ISN.

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CkinqsRULE!2
While these matches have been easy for the Eagles, we must remember that not everything comes too easy without some kind of trade-off. The Eagles have to be very careful going into the next matches as their following opponents are going to be much, much stronger.
9,023 Likes - 87 Dislikes

derKaut1274
Let's hope Vyktor Kalsefja gets better! His love for ISN is amazing. The Eagles are doing very well and he hopefully is able to see that in the comfort of his home and hopefully not the hospital bed.
8,912 Likes - 102 Dislikes

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FAR EASTERN SUSPENDS ORDERS IN LIGHT OF TRAINING CONTROVERSY

Saturday, 8/13/2033, 6:40am
Written by Darion der-Vadakt

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Throughout the week, we have learned more and more about Far Eastern Airlines cancelling orders upon orders. Far Eastern's hub-connection airline has already cancelled three dozen orders (combined) of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9, as well as the ten orders it had placed for the Charragaher C150X. Far Eastern Airlines itself has already cancelled many of its proposed long-range fleet additions meant to take the airline even farther out into the multiverse. Examples of cancelled aircraft order are about four dozen Boeing 777X, sixty Charragaher C600-5IR, and two dozen Airbus A350-1000.

With so many orders cancelled, especially as FEA retains most of its old fleet, the airline is slowly getting more obsolete. The A340s and old generation 747s and 767s are not enough to sustain the fleet, especially since those make up the majority of airliners that FEA currently uses on mid-range routes, which have more demand. Their newer jets mostly go to routes with less demand, which are much longer in distance.

Far Eastern originally had their older aircraft on the long routes before buying new jets, which would make a refueling stop. Since the new aircraft, Far Eastern has not had to make any refueling stops at all. This is good for their money, however, in order to make a difference between the new jets on the route vs the old jets on the route that had refueling stops, they raised prices by nearly 50% on those routes for the newer generation planes.

At least, the fact that Far Eastern is making a lot of money is what it appears on the outside. However, on the inside, and investigation into the spending of the airline their top executives have been eating away the money for their own benefit, as employees report paying up to 10% less than what they have been paid before. Recently, many people and pilots have taken a notice to this, and questions have been raised over time.

Therefore, Far Eastern Airlines itself has not had enough money to maintain its older and even newer aircraft, as well as its pilots. This has led to an even larger increase in fares for passengers, the cost of training, and more desperate measures being used to fund the airline, or rather, the CEO and certain executive's lifestyles. This also gives way to the connection with shortened training, as Far Eastern is cutting off high-pay pilots for low-pay ones which they need to get into the air as soon as possible.

As we learn more about this situation, stay tuned to Panzvaste Vdesmon while we search for answers.

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charragaherPlanespotter1
I've flown on a few FEA flights in my lifetime. I think that there has also been a way in the service that has changed. The last time I flew on FEA was just three months ago, and the flight attendants were pretty obviously not as happy as they've been on my flights from years prior.
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HmmAirReviews [V]
It would be a shame if Far Eastern went out of service. They have many routes which other airlines do not take, and neither does Edsmon Air. Let us hope that their executives change their greedy ways and or just leave the airline in better hands.
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Edsmon Lineup, MD5
der-Stoiuben - Dalsen, Shouzvenkreden, Norseden, Jervanois - Aespana, Zeukalmen, Ghreksbvy - Svaardaen, Stuero [C] - Bervaign

Edsmon Lineup, MD6
der-Stoiuben - Dalsen, Javarqa [C], Travdt, Vikral - Wejikaj, Ystermakt, Ghreksbvy - Rehcikt, Fotserr - Bervaign

[Warkus]

CW: Discussion of medical conditions plus a surgical procedure.

The Other Piwter
by Thomas Blayney

Isetyn Piwter has established himself as Warkus’s best centre back. He’s tall, strong, great at defending corners and scoring headers. And, as Aneurin Evans has started to slow down somewhat, he’s become the lynchpin of the Warkusian defence. Isetyn is hot-headed, absolutely, and his disciplinary record is frustrating, but as long as things don’t get too out of hand that’s the kind of mentality you want from your centre backs. He’s a player who’s been talked about as a potential future captain should Llewelyn Rose retire from international football early and an obvious candidate for vice-captain once Rhodri Fallows hangs up his boots. But coaches, fans and pundits didn’t always see him that way. When he was younger, Isetyn was valued purely for his physical attributes and both his technical and tactical skills were considered sorely lacking. He wasn’t seen as the best prospect in his area; in fact, he wasn’t even seen as the best player in his family. The real wonderkid was his younger half-brother, Calum Piwter.

It’s easy to describe how stark the differences are between the two players. Calum’s short, Isetyn’s tall. Calum’s skinny, Isetyn’s bulky. Calum’s game is technical and cerebral, while Isetyn relies heavily on his physical strength. Calum’s a central midfielder, Isetyn’s a centre back. While Isetyn was once notorious for getting into fights with other young players, Calum’s coaches described him as so cool-headed on and off the ball that his mere presence in midfield kept his teammates calm. Calum’s father is a successful middle manager who has a good relationship with his family, Isetyn’s father misspelled his son’s name on the birth certificate and immediately ran out on him. When Isetyn first joined the Steel United academy at nine years old, his coaches expressed doubts that he’d be able to elevate his game enough to make football his career. When Calum started playing, no one doubted his potential. The fact that his older half-brother had made it as a player elevated his prospects considerably. If Isetyn – the tall, no-nonsense centre back – could make it, then Calum should become a world beater. As he progressed into his teenage years it became clear that, once he’d had his growth spurt, he’d become the nation’s best midfielder – probably our greatest midfielder of all time.

But as time went on, doubts started to creep up among his coaches and teammates. He wasn’t growing very much. Not very much at all. He got taller, sure, but he was such a short kid that it still left him on the shorter end. Still, he wasn’t hopelessly short – by the time he was seventeen he was five foot three, which is noteworthy but not the biggest hinderance in the world. The real problem was that his physical attributes in general failed to catch up with those of his peers. He was never known for his strength or his pace, but by the time he became the captain of the Under 18 national team it was clear that he was the shortest, skinniest and slowest player on the team. He’d tried going to doctors, changing up his diet and incorporating strength training into his routine. Nothing seemed to work.
By that stage, it was clear to his coaches that Calum’s physical limitations were here to stay. He captained the Under 18s, but he wasn’t being considered for a call up to the senior squad even when seemingly less gifted players were. Each training session and each game became a reminder of his weaknesses. He could’ve made more an impact on the game, if only he didn’t get bullied off the ball, if only that shot on goal had more power behind it, if only he could run down the fall faster and so on. Huw Edwards, who managed him during his time in the Under 18 and then the Under 21 squad, has a policy of banning all talk about future careers during training sessions and among the team in general. Senior team manager Jack Blethyn, who occasionally blesses the youth squads with one-on-one meetings, also refuses to answer questions about getting called up to the senior squad. So, no one ever directly told Calum that he didn’t have what it takes to play football at the highest level as an adult, but they did inform him in more discreet ways. Calum tells me that he often heard things like “You should make the most of your time here”, “You have a coaches’ mind for the game” and, during the Under 18 and Under 21 World Cups, “This is your moment”. “At the time it really felt like ‘This is your moment’ meant ‘This is your only moment’, like I won’t get to represent my country at the senior level” he said. Calum’s prospects weren’t helped by the emergence of a generational talent in Phoenix Vos – a young midfielder who seemed to be Calum’s superior in every respect. While Calum speaks to me at his home, Pheonix has just made his debut as a super sub in the World Cup Qualifying game against Carpathia and Ruthenia where he became Warkus’s youngest ever goalscorer and secured a draw for his team at home.

Calum became more determined than ever to do whatever it takes to prove the doubters wrong after last year’s unsuccessful Under 21 World Cup campaign, but he now says that in hindsight he was deeply unhappy. “I had lost all my love for football.” he noted, “I was training and playing more than ever but there was never a moment where I felt like I was truly enjoying myself”. Calum had upped his training regime to an absurd degree. When Calum showed me his training journal, I couldn’t believe the amount of running and lifting he was doing on a daily basis. He was supplementing his training with a highly regimented diet plan and all sorts of hacks to speed up his recovery. He pointed out that he was aware it wasn’t sustainable but told me he “knew that going through with it and succeeding was the only way to improve”. Sports scientist Dr. Lynn Payne, in a separate interview, claimed that such a routine would be extremely dangerous and ultimately counterproductive for any athlete to follow, let alone someone like Calum. “If a client showed me this plan and told me they needed to do this for the sake of their career, I wouldn’t even bother giving them a more realistic plan” she said to me, “I’d ask their doctor to refer them to a psychologist”.

Calum’s dangerous routine did work for a time, he claimed. His strength, pace and overall fitness improved somewhat before slowly deteriorating. He gradually began to feel weak and lethargic, like he had a permanent cold. He started to experience symptoms like brain fog, muscle pain, swelling in his legs and nausea. Calum assumed at the time that these symptoms simply indicated that his training was working and would subside once he’d gotten stronger. But they didn’t subside, instead they got worse. Until finally, he got out of bed one morning and felt an intense pain in his legs – a pain so excruciating that he was unable to stand on his own. By the time he made it to the hospital, it was clear what had happened. Calum had developed rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis, or ‘rhabdo’ for short, is a serious medical condition characterised by rapid muscle breakdown. Dr. Payne pointed out that Calum’s symptoms were definitely indicative of rhabdomyolysis and not delayed onset muscle soreness, which refers to the temporary muscle soreness that occurs in the days following intense exercise. “It’s normal to feel muscle soreness after training, but not severe pain that doesn’t subside after a few days and you certainly shouldn’t feel like you’re ill” she noted. Calum’s muscles were disintegrating, not growing. Rhabdomyolysis can be life-threatening and Calum’s case had progressed to the point where he needed to have two fasciotomies – a surgical procedure where long incisions are made into the skin and fascia to restore blood flow and save the limb – one on each of his two affected legs.

He described his hospital stay as the worst time in his life. He felt each day moving painfully slowly as unfortunate news trickled in and an array of doctors and nurses visited him. When his status was relayed to his academy and the Under 21 national team, he was suspended from both pending a physical and psychological evaluation. Calum’s doctors and coaches felt like it was unsafe to allow him to return to football unless both his physical condition and his mental health were both addressed – perhaps he shouldn’t return at all. The player who had an unhealthy obsession with getting bigger, stronger and faster had made himself frailer than ever before. “At first, I was furious with myself and furious at being suspended from my teams” he told me, “But by the time I got out, I wanted nothing to do with football”.

Calum never returned to the Steel United academy. His contract with the team ended two months ago and he told me that was the best outcome for both parties. He now sports long and deep scars on his legs, but ironically, he looks healthier than ever. His rehabilitation took longer than expected, in part due to an initial unwillingness to progress past the early, low intensity exercises, but a little less than a year later and he’s made a full recovery. It turned out that Calum’s physical limitations stemmed from something medical, Coeliac disease specifically, and that by addressing that he was able to put on a little muscle on a very modest exercise plan. Yet until quite recently, Calum had intended on moving on from football. After all, he was unhappy when he was playing and his relationship with the sport was so unhealthy that he nearly lost his limbs over it. “But then I got sucked back in”, he admitted to me with a grin, “In a good way”. When Steel United let him go, he did receive a few phone calls from other clubs. “They basically wanted to know if I was really done or if United were just being overly cautious about me” he said, “The only offer I listened to was from Baile na bPéitseog FC, ‘cos they genuinely cared about my wellbeing”. Baile na bPéitseog FC, located in the Saifiri city known as Peach Town in English, didn’t offer him a playing role at first. They wanted him to help organise sports clinics and other events at schools around the area, as a way of exciting kids with the opportunity to meet a former Under 21 international and potentially reignite Calum’s excitement for the game of football. It only took a few weeks for him to fall back in love with the beautiful game. And he really described it like that, as being like the moment you fall in love.
“It was a really surreal moment” he recounts to me, “It sounds almost patronising and like, borderline ableist, but there was this girl playing – Yvonne – and she doesn’t have arms, basically. And she’s really good, but more importantly she’s really enjoying herself. And so is everyone else. That’s when it really hit me that football is a wonderful game and, like, it makes people from all different walks of life happy.”

That happiness reminded him not so much of what he had lost, but what he couldn’t even remember having in the first. Except now he knew it was there. Calum was on the phone to the club’s manager that afternoon and a few weeks later he was training with their Under 21 side. He told me he had learned from his mistakes and that, no matter what happens next, he’s going to be happy with himself. Whether he reaches the heights he once dreamed of and shares the pitch with his half-brother or whether he just ends up playing for fun, Calum’s gonna enjoy his football.

[Gyaromia]

Gyaromia WC Qualifying Review (MD1-MD4)

MATCHDAY 1
Gyaromia 2 - 1 The United States of Devonta
Peti Kovach [GOAL] 34’, Peter Balogh [GOAL] 78’ | Uknown [GOAL] 49’

The first match in a relatively tough group for the Falcons was a nervewracking one, to say the least. With a new coach, and a renewed mentality without much preparation, there was skepticism on how this new team would bode. However, the team went ahead in the first half with a power header from the newly called up Peti Kovach. He had recently come off a great season with the Bonusian Keklaneka Esportiu.
Devonta would respond shortly after the halftime break, however, as a counter leaves Toth in a 1v1 in which the Devontan striker slides it into the bottom corner. Gyaromia would be pushing for a winner for the remainder of the match, and it would finally come in the 78th minute in the form of a curling shot from midfielder Peter Balogh in the edge of the penalty box.

MATCHDAY 2
Gyaromia 2 - 0 Kanzlia
Roland Marmarosi [GOAL] 56’, 83’

The matchup against Kanzlia would be a tough, but nontheless anticipated fixture. The head coach, Szekeres, would be sticking with the same side which faved Devontia. That decision would pay off, as winger Roland Marmarosi would manage to score two past the Kantlian Camaro Moulders after a first half of relative nothingness. After gliding past van Coevorden, Roland would be left with an ample amount of running space, using which he slotted in the first. The second came later, which he scored after a one-two with Kovach in the missle of the pitch, thanks to which he was through on goal, and promptly powered it home.

MATCHDAY 3
Shin-Zetsubo 2 - 1 Gyaromia
Bunny Colt [GOAL] ‘34, Sommer Allsopp [GOAL] ‘75 | Peti Kovach [GOAL] 43’

Gyaromia wouldn’t be facing the Despair Girls for the first time in this match, as they were drawn together in the last WC qualifiers. During which resulted in a matchup so boring that the away crowd abandoned the game after the 70th minute. This wouldn’t be the case now, however, as right off the bat, Bunny Colt opened the scoring in the first half, with Peti Kovach responding 10 minutes later. The winner would be scored by Sommer Allsopp, winning Shin-Zetsubo the game.
After the Falcons’ first loss, questions were raised as to how Szekeres’ side were inable to properly handle overly agressive and attacking opponents. The coach responded; “I respect the Despair Girls, fullheartedly, however, how do you want me to win a game of football, when my opponents are playing rugby?!”

MATCHDAY 4
Gyaromia 2 - 0 Jeckland
Peti Kovach [GOAL] 55’, 62’

After the 2-1 loss, the matchup against Jeckland should’ve been an easy 3 points for the Falcons, and that it was, with Peti Kovach scoring two in the span of 7 minutes to secure a (hopefully not so temporary) second place spot with 9 points, behind Tikariot at first place with 12 points.

Gyaromia’s next two matchups will be Bongo Johnson, a team so blank that multiple Gyaromian citizens have taken to betting on how many players they’ll even take to the pitch, and Masraya, a decent opponent that will surely give the Falcons a challange, even at the FK Partizan stadium.
Pundits have especially given attention to left winger Faiz Halimi and attacking midfielder Rahim Zainal as key players of Tan Chon Wei’s side.

[HUElavia]

MD 3:
HUElavia 1-0 Katzeburg
(Milano 22')
Estadio Internacional, San Rafael, HUElavia

MD 4:
Aamathyr 2–1 HUElavia
(REDACTED 18', REDACTED 79' | Di Natale 38')

Previously On...

Blur

4.2 Night Run

Vinicius walked around the parking lot looking at the different cars people brought to the meet. Sannis, Tomoya, Sanichi, Matsuda, it seemed like a bunch of the cars were from the eastern nation of Sakura. Still, he took interest looking at the different cars, the engines, the liveries. He almost felt like a kid in a toy store, taking in the sights, sounds and the occasional smell in the air of gasoline, burnt rubber and even the smell of BBQ being cooked in different places. Eventually, Vinicius overheard a commotion and a crowd gathering around a particular Tomoya Super, decked with an orange-yellow color with a unique cloud and areal livery and logos on the bottom of the car. Right by the car stood it's owner, a Ibo-HUElavian guy, about in his mid-20s, wearing tanktop and baggy cargo pants. His voice bellowed towards the small crowd gathering him.

"Come on folks! Is there not anyone who wants to take me on a race? I'm tired of just standing around showing off my Super. It ain't worth all those cosmetics unless it can run against anyone and beat them."
"Ahhh come on Orije, I'm sure people here just wanna enjoy seeing the cars and not having to do some racing."
"Not if there's money involved! Come on folks I got over two grand to put on the line!"

The man named Orije pulled out from his pocket wads of 100s of Hueks to show to the crowd. The crowd was surprised he was willing to put down money, but some people looked wary, given quite a few didn't want to shell out the money for a possible race, and a risky one at that. Vinicius was intrigued at this prospect and looked at the money he had in his wallet. Counted up the money he had and it amounted to 2.4K Hueks. He felt confident he could take up against this gaudy driver.

"Come on folks, I'm willing to ante it up! I bet my car will beat any shitbox over here. None of y'alls shitboxes can beat my beloved Super!"
"I'll take you on."

The crowd turned in awe and surprise to see someone would take Orije on the offer.

"Oh really? What are you driving?
"A Sannis Z. The old school one."
"A Z? Hahahaha, you're serious? And what are you offering to race me against?"

Vinicius took out his money from his wallet and showed it to Orije. "H2.4K, this is the most I can wager with."

Orije stared at him and then the wad of Hueks in his hand and thought for a moment.

"Shhhiiiit, looks like I may make some easy money tonight. Alright you're on then."
"Where are we racing to?"
"We'll race from outside this lot to Barrio Hueti up north, about 15 miles from here. We can organize a checkpoint where we have to turn back and get back to this lot. First one here wins the race and the cash."
"Alright, you're on."
"Ahhh, but you sure you wanna part way with that cash? You're setting yourself up for failure with that Shitty Z."
"I'm wiling to take that chance. Plus, don't judge a car by its looks."

After organizing a group to get to the agreed checkpoint, Vinicius got his car fired up and started heading to the starting line. As he moved his car along he saw Rodrigo and Franco walking along when they waved him down.

"Hey bro! Great to see you here!"
"Hey man, likewise."
"Hey, I heard that there's a race gonna go down with that orange Super."
"Yeah, it's against me."
"You're taking him on?!?!? With that car?"
"Yeah. I have faith this car can beat him. It goes faster than you expect."
"Did you wager money with him?"
"Yeah, 2.4K each. It's not a bad reward for the winner."
"Man, can we tag along?"
"Not in the race, but I can get you guys in and take you to the starting line to see, hop in."

Vinicius let the two teenagers into the car and drove to the starting line outside the lot on a stretch of road that went 2 lanes each way. Once at the starting line, he let the boys out and saw Orije waiting for him in his Super. A lanky man with a Guayabera and some jeans came up to them.

"Oh come on Jesus, we just wanna start the race already!"
"Nah man, he's new and I want to go over the rules and expectations."

He walked over to Vinicius and shook his hand, introducing himself briefly. He then went by them and started to yell loudly.

"Alright everyone, back off, back off! Here's the rules for you gentlemen. You're going to race from here to Barrio Hueti and back. We got some of our friends tonight to spot for us with a phone call to let us know when you two have made it there. No pit maneuvers, no ramming, no forcing into traffic or crashes. Otherwise, anything goes. If the loser does not give the winner the money after the race, then we better not see your sorry ass back in our meetups again. Do we got a deal?"

Both men nodded their understanding. They then began to rev their engines, showing they were set to race.

"Kick his ass Vinicius! Pull the upset!" yelled Rodrigo with applause, alongside the clapps, cheers and whistles from the crowd.

"Ready?" pointed Jesus to Orije, where he got a rev.
"Ready?" pointed Jesus to Vinicius, where he got a rev.

Jesus lifted his hands up before putting them down, yelling out:
GO!

To Be Continued...

[Hamborn]

Hamborn - Taeshan, a match against the leader !

"Welcome to Alkőmen Arena, Hamborn, the 5th will play against the 1st of the groups, can we win against this team ?"

"Yes, If Joseph Lastat decide to make an offensive and a rapid game, we could be over them !"

"Wait, Joseph Lastat just showed is composition see :"

the screen shows the same composition than MD 3 and MD 4



"It's audacious, after all if they win with this against Boring Paradise and Super Earth it could work there too !"

"We sees that he's said a few hours ago that Hamborn will be an offensive team and a pressing team."

"Can they continue the wins streak ?"

"Maybe, we will see soon !"

"Stop, the match is starting we'll continue for half-time and after the end !"

[b]Bhumi Matawis Empire - Hamborn, the 5th vs the 4th[ !/b]

"welcome to the Musi Raya Stadium for the 6th match of the qualifiers !"

"Hello, hambornian, we're playing against Bhumi Matawis Empire, it's a direct confrontation for a better round of play-off !"

"Hamborn continue with their composition, they have the same composition since Matchday 3 !"

"We know, why, why would he change if they win ?"

"And we says goodluck for Hamborn !"

"And yes, the refree just announce the match start in 5 minutes."

[Sangti and the Filindo Isles]

SFI Squad - Qualifying Window 3 (MD5 vs Squornshelan Remnant States, MD4 at Delaclava)

MD5 vs Squornshelan Remnant States
Starters: Carangal; Irorita, Basque [c], Delvo, Berin; Fonder, Coligado; Tanquintic; Reano, Boire, Cantrelle
Substitutes: Manas; Camua, Blonna, Escuyos; Paiso, Osorio, Makalintal; Lawas, Beaudreau

MD6 at Delaclava
Starters: Banyaga; Thibault, Syquiatco, Blonna, Gulfin; Luspo [c], Tanquintic; Gilly; Festin, Beaudreau, Basingat
Substitutes: Carangal; Camua, Basque, Berin; Fonder, Osorio, Tycangco; Festin, Omipon

NEWS | FEATURES | SFI SUPERLIGA | LSIFB | SCORES | CONTACT US

WORLD CUP 101 QUALIFIERS
7 arrested after post-match riots vs Bakhuchistan
Home loss puts a dent to Agilang Dilaw's qualification campaign

NUEVO SAN MARCO - Seven individuals were arrested by the Sangtian National Police after a riot broke out in the post-match of the Sangti and the Filindo Isles' World Cup 101 qualification match against Bakhuchistan, which ended to a 2-3 loss for the hosts. The incident at the front of the Football Federation of Sangti and the Filindo Isles (FFSFI) office left 25 people, 4 of them police officers, injured in the post-match fracas.

According to the spokesperson of the SNP, the individuals who staged a violent protest at the FFSFI office were unsatisfied on the handling of the squad selection of the national team. 4 of the 7 arrested individuals were of Indos ethnicity, and the rest of them were 'Indos sympathizers'. The comments in social media pages were of outrage from the native Sangtians and Filis, with one of them mentioning, "Bakit pa kayo pupunta at manggugulo kung wala naman kayo players sa national team?" (TL Note: Why would you even attend the match and make a ruckus if you don't have any players in the national team?" and calls for the FFSFI to restrict any Indos people from attending the match.

The divide between the Sangtian-Filis coalition and the Indos is still evident post unification of Sangti and Filindostan, and observers see it worsen every year.

[Kwrpania]

---

WORLD CUP 101

Perfect window for Electric Eels with pair of wins

MEBFYGME, SOUTH PROVINCE – It was smooth sailing for the Kwrpan national team as they defeated Sel Appa and Boring Paradise to move up to third in Group 13.

The pressure remained on the Electric Eels following the Matchday 1 defeat at Bhumi Matawis, but their away visit to Sel Appa proved a significantly more straightforward venture. The hosts did initially put them under pressure, with their attacking 3-4-3 formation finding success with breaking through the midfield press and creating an opportunity for striker Johnny Dong to shoot narrowly wide on 7 minutes. It would be the vistors that found the breakthrough, though, as midfielder Konoztyr-rym drew in several defenders with a mazy dribble before laying it off to their counterpart Vabwzyb-kes, whose right-footed striker found the bottom left corner on 12 minutes.

The efforts would mount after that, with right back Pykpytyr-byz coming closest to doubling the lead with a thundering effort from well outside the box, but it would be the hosts striking next, with a rapid counter attack ending with Fandwrsw-vyz tripping Bittler in the area. Dong dispatched it to the bottom right corner to regain parity, but it would be the last serious moment for the Turtles. The game petered out as the first half ended, and the beginning of the second saw little serious excitement, but as possession mounted for the Electric Eels, another goal became inevitable, and striker Denrefwp-bok found the breakthrough on 79 minutes after a tidy set piece routine found them in space at the near post to nod home Vabwpro-pyt's excellently placed corner. The hosts would barely have time to kick off before the Electric Eels struck again, with a long switched cross from Synydwb-pyt, playing at left back, found Konoztyr-rym, who cut inside before smashing the ball to the near post with their left to double the lead.

Next for the national team was a trip to Mebfygme, for the Electric Eels' first ever match there (and second in the South Province as a whole), and a capacity crowd at the small but cozy stadium was on hand for one of the best single-half performances in Electric Eels' history. After several ambitious outside-the-box efforts sailed comfortably wide, Rynropeka-gyv started the party for the hosts, nodding home a lobbed through ball from Vabwzyb-kes into the top right corner of Damir Burden's net on 16 minutes. Magnws-rab would be next just before the half-hour mark, receiving a flat ball from winger Fyrek-nam before cutting around a defender and smashing home with their dominant left foot. Rynropeka-gyv would get both their brace and hat-trick within three minutes not long after, first winning a second ball after a headed clearance from Boring Paradise defender Patrek Caron and hitting a wicked knuckling shot that left Burden flailing, then capitalizing two minutes later on a loose touch by Burden to block the keeper's clearance, ricocheting into the net in a stroke of luck that extended the lead to four. With half-time looming, Fyrek-nam would be the next to put their name on the scoresheet, with Magnws-rab returning the earlier favor with a diagonal line-splitting pass that the winger coolly slid past Burden for Kwrpania's fifth.

The Electric Eels clearly put it into first gear in the second half, and the visitors would find two consolation goals late on, first from an excellent free kick by attacking midfielder Tytus Alim, before a well-delivered corner by Alim found winger Lokuh Lefkowitz for a second on 84 minutes. That would be the last of the scoring, with the fans leaving Lake Park happy after a stellar performance from their national team. Next up for Kwrpania is a trip to Pot 3 side Eastfield Lodge, who began their campaign in disastrous fashion with three losses and a draw from their four opening games, falling 2-1 to Bhumi Matawis and Sel Appa both in this previous window. After comes a return to Thundering Falls Stadium in Tygnad, where the Electric Eels host a Super Earth side that has also underperformed in this early stage of qualification, sitting level at the bottom of the group with Eastfield Lodge. As always, all of Kwrpania's World Cup qualification matches will be broadcast live on KBN1, with pre-match coverage beginning two hours before kickoff. Tickets to Kwrpan home matches are available at www.kff.co.kwr/byva.

Sel Appa 1-3 Kwrpania
NativeZone, Natives Province, Sel Appa
Lineup: Pykpyzwba-nam; Pykpytyr-byz, Fandwrsw-vyz, Vepybwń-bof, Synydwb-pyt; Pykpytyr-myf, Vabwzyb-kes, Konoztyr-rym, Venzemzwb-myf; Denrefwp-bok, Vabwpro-pyt
Goals: Vabwzyb-kes 12', Denrefwp-bok 79', Konoztyr-rym 81'

Kwrpania 5-2 Boring Paradise
Lake Park, Mebfygme, Kwrpania
Lineup: Fakswr-rof; Synydwb-pyt, Bezypman-bof, Fandwrsw-vyz, Mamzwb-bab; Fyrek-nam, Magnws-rab, Vabwzyb-kes, Pabofen-nam; Magnws-rym, Rynropeka-gyv
Goals: Rynropeka-gyv 16' 36' 38', Magnws-rab 29', Fyrek-nam 43'

Eastfield Lodge vs. Kwrpania
Lodger City Memorial Stadium
Projected Lineup: Fakswr-rof; Magnws-bym, Bezypman-bof, Rynropeka-pyt, Mamzwb-bab; Fyrek-nam, Magnws-rab, Vabwpetob-zok, Pabofen-nam; Magnws-rym, Denrefwp-bok

Kwrpania vs. Super Earth
Thundering Falls Stadium, Tygnad, Kwrpania
Projected Lineup: Fakswr-rof; Synydwb-pyt, Bezypman-bof, Fandwrsw-vyz, Mamzwb-bab; Fyrek-nam, Magnws-rab, Vabwzyb-kes, Pabofen-nam; Magnws-rym, Rynropeka-gyv

---

BRIGHT LEAGUE

Bright League rebranding: Dynamo

The process is finally complete, and the Overflow has been given the exclusive rights to release the new brand identities for the 11 Kwrpan clubs in the Bright League - starting first with Dynamo. Owned by the state-owned Kwrpan Power & Light corporation and sitting as one of the three clubs in Tydebwg, they won four consecutive Bright League titles from seasons 35 to 38 but have not found the same success in the professional era, with their best finish being a second-placed performance in Season 46.

---

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[Sel Appa]

Nemnenait Central Prison — Isolation Unit
RRNNNNNNT, the klaxon went off and the door clicked open. "RADNER, OUT! YOU HAVE COURT TODAY!" Dennis hopped out of bed, tired still. He should have been fully awake already, but was groggy. Rubbing his eyes, he made for the door, knowing the guard had less patience than a toddler. While some of the nation agreed with what he did, the rest wanted him executed. He couldnt even be in general population because just about everyone wanted to kill him, so he was kept in isolation, with its many perks. The guard immediately put him in fetters and shoved him forward "Lets go, terrorist." Another guard joined with a slap on the shoulder, and Dennis marched to the prison van. Arriving, he climbed in as the guard was about to shove him in, but proceeded to lock the fetters down tight. They really did not mess around.

The ride to court was boring as the last time, only a gated view forward and an equally gated view backward. A new set of guards took over from the original two: one driving, and one with him. Traffic was not bad, at least. They pulled into the back side of the courthouse in a dimly lit garage. The driver left the engine on for awhile, and eventually shut it off. It was still longer before two court security officers appeared to take custody. They opened the van and the guard unlocked Dennis from the bench, and then yanked him out, almost clobbering his head on the frame. It all seemed to be intentional, and most likely was. While the entire nation was upset with the 100th World Cup qualifier results and many made death threats or wished for FFSA President and acting coach Gérard Duceppe to be assassinated, no one really expected someone to actually do it, allegedly. That was too far, and Sel Appans take a short view towards violent crime, especially with a troubled history scarcely more than twenty years ago.

Court itself was busy as it always was, and the security officers were more professional in a sense. One also blended in more here, even if they were now an infamous figure, recognized all over. There was more of an expectation of decency, except from the clerks who just hated everyone. Dennis found himself in another cell, cleaner and nicer, but without a window. And there he waited.

* * *

Courtroom 101 (aptly chosen)
The wood paneling gave the room a dated but pleasant scent. The seats were full of defendants, attorneys, victims, staff, and before long, a judge. The balding, bespectacled man strode in from his chamber, and the room went silent. He sat down, looked over the mass of paperwork, and sighed internally. "Ok, who gets to be first," pausing, "Nemnenait v. Bassint". He looked down the page, "thirty counts of assault...for punching people in the ear at a football match?" He always got the bizarre cases. "Alright, counsel, where are we?"

The prosecutor stood up and spoke "Judge, we have both agreed to continue this so Mr Bassint can be psychologically evaluated." The judge looked at the defense attorney, who stood up "Yes, my client has requested an evaluation, and since there is no objection, we hope to get that scheduled as soon as possible." The judge rubbed his head and replied "Alright, well have the clerk reschedule you." The respective parties stood up and exited the chamber. The judge continued thru a stack of cases, one by one, mostly procedural decisions and status hearings.

"Nemnenait v. Radner is next. Hes in a cell, right?" The prosecutor replied affirmatively. "Alright, get him out here." The prosecutor motioned to her assistant, who went to have him brought in.

* * *

"...and so thats where we are with this." Dennis lead attorney finished as there was a knock on the door before it clicked open. A security officer came in, saying "Your turn," and helped Dennis get up and out the door as the attorney followed. They had gotten some time to discuss the case, which was basically hopeless. Dozens of witnesses, video. A death sentence was on the books, pending conviction. Nonetheless, a trial was still required.

A short walk and Dennis entered the courtroom. Many eyes were trained on him as he made his way to the defense table and sat down.

(Context from WC100)

[Farfadillis]

CUT-OFF FOR GROUPS 9-16, MD5 & MD6

[Qusmo]

A Blog

BEHOLD th BEAUTY ofRED!!1

Qusmo wears RED AN GOLD except smetimes it DOESNT and those are the times it wears WHITE and red also gold but mostly white but most of the tim Qusmo wears RED AND GOLD unlesss the other nation ALSO wears red or something like that but FORTUNATELY that WONT HAPPEN at WORLD CUP 101 QUALIFYING AT ALL unless Qusmo plays ina playoff against a red team but THAT WONT HAPPENEITHER because QUsmo’s WINNING THE WORLD CUP and ALSO winning EVERY QUALIFYING MATCH ALSO

confused? yeah I bet you are with you BRAIN addled by STATE SPONSORED PROPAGANDA so you CAN”T EVEN HANDE this level of CRITICAL THINKING an INSIGHT but lemme break it down for the rest of you lamestream WOKESTERS slash/DUMMYHEADS

YES Busoga is white with red BUT our change color is white so RED IS THE ONLY OPTION also while were at it HOW COME BUSOGA IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN OUR GROUP WEARING A KIT FROM QUSMO AND WE”RE LITERALLY QUSMO HOW IS THAT ALLOWD

YES Edsmontik is blu on the frnt but they’r white on the back and OUR CHANGE COLOR IS WHITE so ONCE AGAIN the ONLY OPTIN is RED

SPEAKING of blue BOTH Eraamn and Kendoria are Blue so red is the OPOSITE color and it is the BEST olor

oh wait also HINTUWANT is also blue too so also count that ALSO as well

Calgasia? Lealese? BLACK! Longtime readers will know EXACTLY how I feel about the blacks hirts - a BLAK SHJIRT means NO COLOR And guess what’s the OPOSITE of no color? COLOR! RED IS COLOR!!

Next is KANDORIH. They are DEEP PURPLE with GOLD TRIM. NOTHING contasts withs DEEP PURPLE like DEEP RED SLASH/MAROON and ALSO GOLD

LAST but NOT LEAST but actually they ARE least because EVERYBODY is least compared to Qusmo which is BEST and EVERYTHING ELSE is tied for LEAST is SERUMPUN which is GREEN an as we ALL NKOW green is the OPOSITE COLOR of red if you can’t tell RED and GREEN apart you must be CLORBLIND and FUCK the colorblind if youre reading this and yore colorblind FUCK YOU cuz YOU CANT SEE GOD i mean GOOD but MAYBE ALSO GOD TOO i don’t know that seems SACRILIGEOUS also THIS PARTICULAR WORLD CUP has ABSLUTELY NO REASON to caetr to the COLORBLIND if ANY WORLD CUP would EVER care about ensuring visual contrast for colorblind individuals it would definitely NOT B THIS ONE FR ANY REASON

The PERFECT LINEUP of 18 matches in RD will be REALIZED FINALLY because EVERY SINGLE MATCH will e in RED and EVERYONE knows hat QUSMO’s WIN PERCNTAGE IS 14.8 PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER and QUSMO’s POINTS PER MATCH IS 0.29 POINS PER MATCH HIGHER when QUSMO WEARS RED in away games as opposed to wearing their change colors which are white but also a little red and also a little gold but mostly white which is not red

THESE COLORS have ben BLESED by the GODS of our 4BARERS, HANDED DOWN TOUS thru the FIRE OF THE CALDERA, and DIVINELY ORDANED FOR OUR NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM TO WERE IN WORLD CUP 101 QUALIFERS

We will WARE our colors of FIREY RED and MAROON and also GOLD to symbolize US but also thre will be FIRE when we wualify and play in FARFADILS for the WORLD CUP because thei nation is on FIRE and also their stadias are on FIRE and also thereis an ACTIVE FIRE THAT HAS BEEN RAGING FOR MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY YEARS IN FARFADILS’S BIG MAIN STADIUM AND IT WILL BE ON FIRE DURING THE WORLD CUP AND ALSO DURING THE WRLD CUP FINAL AND WE WILL PLAY IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL BECAUSEQUSMO I S THE BEST AND ALSO BECAUSE WE WILL BE PLAYING WITH OUR OWN FIRE WHICH IS SYMBOLIC FIRE NOT LITERAL FIRE LIKE THE FIRE IN FARFADILLIS BUT OUR FIRE WILL BE BECAUSE OF OUR VOLCANO THAT MADE THE ISLND WHICH IS NOW QUSMO AND ALSO THAT IS THE COLOR O F OUR KITS BECAUSE OUR KITS ARE RED BECAUSE FIR E THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER

Kit Set    Venue     Total     MP    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Win %  Pt/M
All-Time   Any       Main     207   96  35  76   346  280  +66   46.4%  1.56
All-Time   Any       Change    51   19  13  19    76   74   +2   37.3%  1.37
All-Time   Away      Main      57   29   7  21    98   75  +23   50.9%  1.65
All-Time   Away      Change    36   13  10  13    53   50   +3   36.1%  1.36
All-Time   Neutral   Main      60   19  14  27    62   79  -17   31.7%  1.18
All-Time   Neutral   Change    14    6   3   5    21   20   +1   42.9%  1.50
ediraf     Any       Main     142   64  21  57   256  209  +47   45.1%  1.50
ediraf     Any       Change    41   17  10  14    67   57  +10   41.2%  1.49
ediraf     Away      Main      31   17   4  10    61   42  +19   54.8%  1.77
ediraf     Away      Change    29   12   7  10    47   39   +8   41.4%  1.48
ediraf     Neutral   Main      44    9  10  25    44   70  -26   20.5%  0.84
ediraf     Neutral   Change    11    5   3   3    18   14   +4   45.5%  1.64

[Ko-oren]

and

Rivalries in the Era of the Thirty-six

Counting things in twelves: a staple of Ko-oren. That's why our Pro Gridiron league has twelve teams, as do the Ko-orenite Rugby Union, cricket's Selpernim T20 Smash, and baseball's ProNine (nine being the number of players in the batting order). And the Top League also had twelve teams for the longest time. For much of that time, there was no promotion or relegation either. That era made rivalries easy: you hated the teams you played most often (Maethoru-Aminey) or the teams that were close to you (Bruncester-Cirelbourne, Alara-Kanatsu). After promotion/relegation was instated, some of the most storied rivalries were no more (Miradela-Branvon) because these teams were now stuck on either side of a glass ceiling. Branvon relegated almost instantly and failed to make it back for decades. The team that took their place - WSR AFC - was too far from anywhere else to build a meaningful love-hate relationship and so the Top League was short one big fixture. We also got some back: Maethoru-Gehrenna, when that became a thing, was an immediate draw and shaped capital football after being dominated by Maethoru for checks notes a century. A century? That can't be right. Has Maethoru been this good for so long and did no other team from the third biggest urban area of the country ever pose any kind of threat to them? flips through rankings... there really was no second capital team.

Sidenote: that proves what most of us instinctively know: the capitals are arse at sports, despite their inclusion in most leagues. That's a story for another time and not one the Top League is going to pay us to write.

The KFA has been changing things, though. From a closed league to pro/rel, and now from 12 to... 36. Yes, a 36-team top flight. There's an annual battle between the KFA and the IFCF now whenever teams have to be entered, and every time the KFA sends their 58-page 'how the league works' handbook over, which is interpreted by an unpaid intern at the IFCF, and the result is that we get to send our teams to the IFCF competitions in spite of a fairly unworkable league structure. Not all 36 teams play their 35 adversaries, for instance, and in some situations you'll play one team up to four times in a single league season.

For rivalries, however, it's been fantastic.

Ko-oren isn't home to really nasty rivalries, it has to be said. A quaint nation on the western end of a sleepy region - you're not going to find your death threats, fireworks displays outside visiting teams' hotels, and so on. But boy is Ko-oren home to a lot of small, nagging uncomfortableness towards other teams over just about anything. Geographic proximity is the culprit more often than not, but there's some animosity towards blue blood teams, ranging from 'you've always been good' kind of blue blood to 'your fanbase is strangely rich, how did you get so rich' kind of blue blood. And as always, big teams are universally hated and a good reason for a small team to turn it up to 130% for an afternoon, get a point off, say, Maethoru, and then lose 0-5 at home versus a fellow bottom dweller team the next week.

Some rivalries are unchanged, let's start with those. We can for instance list the 12 instrumental rivalries and derbies from Thibault Khwokun, written well before professional football - but those focus on teams that haven't played professionally ever and we await their promotion to the Top League at some point in the future. Just for fun, let's see what he has committed to paper: Arendsvlucht FC, Tuinderbeek FC, OV Eekeinde, April Bassin FC, Norille Orion, Strongfair, Grimhof VV, Linderivier AFC, Serevne AFC (on top of the regular Maethoru SC, Katashi-Kanatsu, Tanques AOE, Branvon CD, Sterrenwolde FC, Cirelbourne United, Castelo e Calvente CS, and Enkumo Diamond). Yikes, what a list. You may have heard of maybe five of these, if you've been keeping up with football on the Dragonfly Archipelago? Enkumo's at the second level, the rest of the teams in brackets are in the Top League... but the other ones? April Bassin have been on the cusp of professional football but are now in tier three - that means you're not among the top 60 or so teams in Ko-oren, and that's, uh, not great. The other ones are in tier 2 or 3, so with a bit of luck some of them might pop back into the top flight after an absence of like 3 generations.

So let's not copy the work of Thibault Khwokun in its entirety. There have been others to try to list every meaningful fixture, such as Fofan Ghumitin, who did so during the era of 12 teams, no pro/rel, but that really went all in on a team like Maynard AFC staying perenially relevant... he wrote that two years before venture capitalist Magdalene Buchankun extracted everything of value and left behind a tier three-team. Sure, Maynard were the most hated team of the archipelago for about two years, legitimising every rivalry described by Ghumitin... but after that, they weren't on anyone's mind for a decade. When they finally came back, they got a fate worse than hatred. Apathy. So even a 'recent' list won't cut it.

So, pairing up with the actual Top League itself, here's a proper list of rivalries updated for the modern world.

Section I: National (aka: the only section worth reading for most of you)

At the top of the list, you know it's coming: Maethoru SC vs Aminey CS. The National Rivalry. The meritocratic capitals versus the bastion of democracy. Green versus blue (yes, this is where the flag colours are from). The most played fixture, too. The two biggest clubs of the country. What's more to say?

Second, there's any of the combination of Katashi-Kanatsu vs Tanques AOE vs Schemerdrecht SVV vs Miradela GD. All four are in the top 10 of the all-time table (2nd, 3rd, 8th, and 9th, respectively), and all four are the largest club of their part of the country. Kanatsu dominates the eastern islands, Tanques is the largest team of the southeast, Schemerdrecht's the king of the north, and Miradela is the biggest team on the peninsula of Gahrugkothis. So they're somewhat far apart, but these are the clubs that have been at each other's throats constantly for second places (and UICA/IFCF Champions League spots), third places, 'top six spots', and so on. They keep running into one another.
Katashi-Kanatsu vs Tanques AOE is the Second Rivalry. East versus West, 2nd and 3rd on the all-time table. Two teams that have tried to insert themselves in the national category time and time again but only have three titles between them.
Katashi-Kanatsu vs Schemerdrecht SVV is the Outer Battle. East and north, two regions that most of the rest of the country try not to think about too much. It's also a clash of styles: Kanatsu being all about attack, Schemerdrecht all about defence.
Katashi-Kanatsu vs Miradela GD is the Battle of Flavours: the two regions responsible for the food people associate with all of Ko-oren - but secretly it's just from here. This one's probably the friendliest of the bunch, as their successful eras don't overlap that much. Kanatsu was struggling when Miradela won back to back championships, and when Kanatsu was good, Miradela was fighting relegation (successfully).
Tanques AOE vs Schemerdrecht SVV is an unassuming matchup with crazy levels of vitriol behind it. Both teams have the least amount of success out of the big six mentioned so far, and both are overshadowed by regional rivals (Aminey and Straudum), so both have a permanent chip on their shoulder. Instead of taking it out on the teams that are responsible for their misfortune, they take it out on each other. There's a small class difference, with Schemerdrecht a thoroughly middle class team, while Tanques is (part of) the establishment.
Tanques AOE vs Miradela GD is the shortest travel distance out of this group of four. As two 'upper class' teams, it's quite cordial but players are expected to dish out a few nasty tackles for the old boys in the pavilion to get a laugh out of. Very important matchup for the fans - utterly hated matchup for everyone else.
Schemerdrecht SVV vs Miradela GD is the final one, and as Schemerdrecht really like Branvon (from the same city as Miradela, and Ko-oren's biggest in-city rivalry) because they're both harbour towns, there's nothing Schemerdrecht fans like more than to beat up the rich kids. You'll see quite a few Branvon fans in the stands for it, as well, whether it's home or away.

Advance Alara vs Straudum VV is a very friendly rivalry to the point where other teams discredit the relationship. All-out attack versus all-out defence is a clash of styles - much more so than Schemerdrecht vs Kanatsu - and has produced some wild scores. Straudum doesn't often encounter teams that test their defence as relentlessly as Alara does, and Alara doesn't often play an opponent that so staunchly resists their attack while not actively counterattacking them in return.

[Dantopia]

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VOL. 46,150

LION CITY, DANTOPIA SATURDAY 9TH MAY, 2026

₵100

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Lions Begin World Cup Qualification Quest With Win

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Dominant Dantopia Defeat Allamunnic States Away From Home In First Test Of Qualifying Group 4

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By SAUL ARNSTEIN

Allamunic States Stadium

Allamunnic States0-3Dantopia

Half Time: 0-2

E. Cunningham 17', 38'

Thomas 82'

OTTONIA, ALLAMUNNIC STATES — The Dantopian National Team began their World Cup 101 qualification run in fine form, and eased to a 3-0 away victory over the Allamunnic States. In the first match-up against the Tyrrhenian nation, two goals from team captain Ezra Cunningham and one from substitute Zaïre Thomas put the Lions in the ascendancy against their fellow Group 4 nation, and allowed the Dantopians to cruise to the finish, with their focus now on the match against Sudilia.

Dantopia were keen to establish themselves early in the match, made evident by striker Bradini Brunson in the first few moments, when he rushed the goalkeeper, forcing an error and subsequent turn-over, but winger Nico Hollins wasn't able to convert the early, golden opportunity. Whilst nothing came of that period of play, it did set the tone for the Lions, as they sat firmly in the driving seat for the opening half of football, making it incredibly difficult for the 'Blue Thunder' to progress the ball out of their own half. The harrying pressure continued, this time with Jeremiah Taramaiah hassling the opposition right-back and winning a throw-in high up the pitch — giving the Lions a chance to impose themselves in the final third.

Ezra Cunningham

Ezra Cunningham — wearing the captain's armband for the first time for his national team — truly asserted himself into the game at this moment. Following the throw-in, a series of intricate passes between himself and Jeremiah Taramaia gave the Club ESF midfielder enough space to open up with his right foot, just outside the box. The sweet, curling effort sailed past the opposition goalkeeper, into the bottom, far corner of the goal, nestling against the side-netting. A distant, but emphatic roar followed from the travelling Dantopian support who were positioned at the opposite side of the stadium. 1-0 Dantopia, after seventeen minutes of action.

The Lions them capped a strong half off with a second goal, seven minutes before the interval. Dartford Oilers left-back Dalton O'Higgins picked the ball up on the left flank, and whipped a cross into the centre of the six-yard box with his favoured right foot — the 'Blue Thunder' defenders struggling to deal with the inverted cross. Cunningham had made a late dart into the box, seeing that the defence was already sufficiently occupied with Bradini Brunson, so he was left unmarked as he guided the cross home with his head, past the flailing goalkeeper, who had no chance of saving the effort so close to his goal, and with no defensive help from his outfielders. The ball was in the back of the net for the second time, the Lions now up 2-0 headed into the break, thanks to two goals from their team captain.

The Allamunnic States had managed to muster up some gentle tests for Winston Akana throughout the first forty-five minutes. One of these rare attacks saw a lofted through-ball meet their forward just inside the box, beating the off-side trap set by Dantopian defenders Robinson-Tate and Cruz-Richards, but the onrushing Dantopian goalkeeper made light work of the effort, as the striker made a poor touch to control the ball at first, allowing the Vna-Chuhul Ravens number one to make up the ground and close the angle. In truth, the advantage never really swung in the home team's direction at any point in the first half. Indeed, just before the whistle, Nico Hollins collected a Bradley Bing pass brilliantly and drove through the defence to force a save out of the Allamunnic goalkeeper in stoppage time.

The Lions began the second period in a slightly more reserved fashion compared to how rapidly they left the traps in the first half. This was to be expected with a decisive lead built up before the interval, away from home too. The visiting Dantopians, however, remained in control — if not always in possession — at the beginning of the second half. There was an initial moment of worry when one of the opposition played caught the heel of Lion City FC playmaker Jeremiah Taramaia — a challenge the Allamunnic player was booked for. Not long after, the slightly hobbling Taramaia switched to the left-side of midfield, able to persevere on despite some obvious discomfort at first.

Zaïre Thomas

The positional change had been brought about by the introduction of substitutes from Rick Bishop in the dugout. The introduction of DeAnthony Moorhouse and Zaïre Thomas just after the hour mark saw Raphael Lacroix and Bradley Bing make way. The midfield three now consisted of Cunningham on the right, Watanabe as the single pivot, and Taramaia as a more advanced option on the left, with the full-back switch being a like-for-like substitution. The 20-year-old Zaïre Thomas quickly got to work down the left-hand side, utilising his freshness against tiring legs to spring a counter-attack in the 70th minute. It looked likely to threaten before the slippery surface toppled the winger at the vital point in the opposition box — a learning moment for the young, fervent winger.

There would be no such misstep in the 82nd minute, however, when the Dartford Oilers youngster received the ball just outside the penalty area, following a driving run from midfield maestro Ezra Cunningham. Thomas got the ball out of his feet and whipped a deliciously curling effort into the top right corner of the goal, leaving the diving Allamunnic goalkeeper completely helpless. A raucous reception from the travelling support in the corner met the precocious winger as he celebrated his maiden goal for the national team with the fans at the advertisement hoardings. At this point, manager Rick Bishop opted to give Johnny Kealoha and Zeke Edwards run outs, replacing Taramaia and Brunson respectively. He also handed Alexander Apeti his national team debut, as he came on for the fatiguing Nico Hollins.

Aside from Thomas' delectable finish, it had been a second half lacking the more clear-cut chances from the first. The tempo suited the Lions, who retained consistent control of the match, calmly seeing out the victory in a professional manner. Substitute Zeke Edwards had a late shot scrape the top of the bar, but there was no further scoring. All in all, three goals, three points and a clean sheet away from home for the Dantopians — a picture perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. Manager Rick Bishop could not have hoped for a better note to begin things in Group 4, as he saluted the adoring away support afterwards, in a prolonged exit from the pitch. The entire squad came over to applaud the fans following the victory.

Dantopia: Akana, Lacroix (Moorhouse 62'), Robinson-Tate, Cruz-Richards, O'Higgins, Bing (Thomas 62'), Watanabe, E. Cunningham (c), Hollins (Apeti 88'), Brunson (Edwards 83'), Taramaia (Kealoha 83')

Subs not used: Bullvale, Foster, Kahananui, Young

Goals: E. Cunningham (17', 38'), Thomas (82')

Assists: Taramaia (17'), O'Higgins (38'), E. Cunningham (82')

Yellow Cards: none

Red Cards: none

xg.unit

1d

Allamunnic States (0.42) 0-3 (1.24) Dantopia #ALSvsDAN #WorldCup101 #Qualifying #Group4

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OOC DISCLAIMER: The likenesses of players and managers have been created with the help of generative AI. Every other image in this RP was completely hand-made.

[Kanzlia]

✦✦

| ⮌ | ☒

⮜ Previous Part

^--03--

Old Tempers
Cold Breezy Thursday Night of April Seventh 1921.

Lt. 3e Klasse Liedwina te'Meren got up her flat in the frigid windswept area by the coast. Chatting with Mr. Spade proved more boring than she had hoped and she regretted not cutting off the conversation sooner as now she has to deal with the cold night air. Since the first night she stayed in her flat there she had completely and utterly regretted living so close to the sea. At night the winds of the South Kaltan Sea smacks into the side of her building with a chill that can permeate through skin and into bone. Or atleast that's how it felt like to Liedwina. She moved there about three years ago just as she turned thirty, and just so happens when she got promoted to her current rank.

It was a staff role. It was a paper pusher role, her friends serving aboard ships like to say, derogatorily. Liedwina didn't care at all if they view her job as lesser, all she cared about was comfort. A desk job, in a well-lit office, that also doesnt rock back and forth? To her that was the dream after serving aboard the old Jane Manoeck-class cruisers for a few years. Ironically for a sailor, though she found out it actually wasn't too uncommon, she was notoriously seasick. A job at land was perfectly suited for her, she always thought. "..But for crying out loud.. I should've picked a better apartment" she groaned as she makes her way up the stairs of the building. Eventually she got on the third floor and opened the door to apartment 33B. "Good evening." She said to the empty apartment.

"..."

"Sis! Hey! Are you hom-", she shouted as she closed the door.

"Yes! I'm here! Will you quit shouting?!" her sister replied. "I'm at the bedroom!"

"Alright! Did you cook me dinner?"

"Of course not!" her sister replied. Liedwina could feel her sister rolling her eyes as she answered, even if she wasn't in sight.

"Figured" Liedwina muttered. She doesn't expect much from her sister Irina nowadays. Irina was four years junior to her and for much of the two's childhood, Irina was the bright, bubbly, and caring one of the pair. Liedwina meanwhile was a bit more abhorrent in her distaste of 'pandering to others' as she puts it. But today it can't be any more different. Irina had quit her civil servant job seven years ago and moved in with Liedwina since. A particularly bad break up completely rattled her way of life and Irina is now a shell of her former self. Lazy, cold, and pessimistic, all Irina do nowadays was sleep, complain about her love life, and cook herself food. On occasion, draw comics too.

Meanwhile for Liedwina, life with the Navy changed her ever so subtly. Years of harsh discipline and routinity of life at sea, or for her by sea, had slowly taught her to be more caring for others. Less she would be at a social disadvantage which, in the office was a punishment worse than death. She knew a few former employees who was completely ostracised for not conversing well and politely enough, and they didn't survive long before they left the Navy. Liedwina wouldn't go as far to say that she's conversable nor is she welcoming. But her venom of her earlier years was no longer there, it was, as her friend puts it, as if a snaked had been defanged. The venom is not there but she's still a snake.

It goes without saying that Liedwina cared deeply for her younger sister. She always does, but with how difficult Irina's life had gotten, Liedwina grew warmer and closer with her over time. The two in their childhood, due to their contrasting personalities and especially friend groups, wasn't in good terms. A tidbit their late mother agonised throughout her last few years in this world. So inside Liedwina saw their new relationship as siblings as making amends for her mom.

The door to their bedroom opened, and out comes Irina. Her eyes half closed as she groggily walked to the living room's couch where she nibbled on a few biscuits. They shared a bunk bed together as it was a single-bed flat that she had bought. It was a silly suggestion Liedwina made to cheer Irina up when she was not doing so hot, and to Liedwina's credit it did cheer Irina up by the sheer absurdity of it. Liedwina occupied the top half of the bed whilst Irina the bottom. Nearby to her was a desk almost always clattered and filled to the brim with sketches of whatever it is Irina is up to. Which, since two years ago is now being a comic artist. Liedwina had no clue what that entailed, she bought a few copies to support her sister but she never read it, feeling that she's too old for this comic fad.

"So, what are you up to sis?" Irina asked after she closed the jar of biscuits. She doesn't eat much at all and she has a habit of being completely full with half a dozen biscuits.

"Irina, I'll cook an actual dinner and you'll have to eat it. Don't go 'I'm full from the biscuits' today."

"Whatever, answer the question."

"Hmm... I had to go to a shipping line's office to discuss transfer of an oil tank-", Irina's yawn interrupted her.

"Boring." Irina stated.

"I suppose but you asked so I'm going to continue."

"Is it interesting? The part after oil tank...er?"

"Well I met a couple of guys at the end of it and I'll meet one of them this Saturday."

"Good for you, maybe if you marry him I can eat better tasting biscuits.", Irina turned back to the biscuits, seemingly losing interest.

"Marry him? Please." Liedwina chuckled at the mere suggestion. She was happy being where she is right now. And handling Irina was already exhausting enough for her, though she wasn't going to say that here. She has to admit though, seeing how Irina is like this after a bad breakup sort of scared Liedwina away from such endeavours. "He seems like a reasonable man."

"Mhm." Irina blankly replied as she stood up, biscuit jar in hand, ready to head back to the bedroom.

"You'll be okay alone on Saturday right? I've a meeting with one Mr. Csetkou" she asked and almost immediately as she mentioned her potential networking partner's name, Irina dropped the biscuit jar to the floor. It was strong stuff thankfully so it didn't shatter. "Goodness sake, don't be clumsy on my floors."

"What did you say?" Irina asked in a low voice, her head remained motionless pointing towards the bedroom.

"Don't be clumsy-" Liedwina was interrupted.

"NO! C-crap, I.. I mean.. his name.. What was his name?" Irina raised her voice.

"Hey, you're creeping me out, what's gotten to you?" Liedwina slowly approached her sister.

"Whats his name.. the man you're meeting..?" Irina slowly turned her head towards Liedwina in an almost horror-like fashion. Liedwina took a step back instinctively.

"..Csetkou. Why..?" She calmly replied, her head tilting in confusion. It looks like it's going to be a long night.

Next Part ⮞

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[Andossa Se Mitrin Vega]

Sea Dragons Stun Bees At Home; Stalemate in Sanjur


Errion Vega - The present and the past continue to collide for the Sea Dragons as this World Cup Qualification Campaign continues to provide once familiar goes. Valanora, and with the Stars of Sarzonia just around the corner, it was an unfamiliar powerhouse that visited Stadii Uma Dragonii on Match Day 5 - The Bees of Baker Park. Once again the Sea Dragons would over achieve on their home pitch as they handed the Bees their second loss of these qualifiers.

Me'aba Songo-Kakii would set the tone early with some brilliant footwork down the left side with Defender Michelle Burdette mirroring his every move. As it has been more often than not so far in this tournament, it was Vivienne Sa'il who set him up with a quick give and go that sprung him free to go one on one with Baker Park Keeper Mitch Longstreet. Songo-Kakii got the better of the exchange and scored at the 19 minute mark.

In the 53rd minute the Sea Dragons would strike again to go up 2-0. Sa'il would be awarded a set piece following a sliding tackle from Catriona Lokipina missed the ball completely and cut the young superstar's legs from under her.

The resulting kick was a bending beauty Beckham would have been proud of that slipped past Longstreet into the upper right corner.

The Bees would get one back in the 68th minute as reserve Edwin Azikiwe would score on a brilliant cross from Becky Shock. But that was as close as they would get as the Sea Dragons exited the match with 3 points added to the table.

Match Day 6 would see a defensive masterclass as the Vegai Squad traveled to Sanjur. Queen Haqla Stadium lived up to its reputation as a wild and insane venue as fans jumped up and down enough to feel it through the pitch and the incessant chanting was mind numbingly loud. From the flares being set off, The few Sea Dragon fans in attendance were afraid the whole damn place would burn to the ground.

The hard-nosed defensive efforts of the Sea Dragons was expected. That the normally full throttle offense of Sanjur would match the defensive intensity was not. 90 minutes would find both sides being clean sheeted with minimal legitimate scoring opportunities preventing themselves.

Considering the raucous atmosphere, we were lucky to escape the match with a point on the board.

Beyond all expectations, the Sea Dragons sit in 5th on the board after 6 matches. Even on points with Milchama and Baker Park and just 2 points shy of Sarzonia in Group 3's second position.

However, we have no illusions. Our results thus far have been far better than we could realistically have expected. Perhaps the Home Pitch Magic will continue as Match days 7 and 8 are both in Errion Vega against Old Frenemies Sarzonia and Equestria. While we hope for the best, reality will likely catch up with us much sooner than later.

[Zwangzug]

THE COSMOPOLITAN MISANTRHOPE

hating all the people, everywhere

ZWANGZUGIANS SUSPICIOUSLY WIN ONE OF TWO MATCHES

The sanctimonious and insufferable Zwangzugians have proven their hypocrisy yet again, as a sports betting scandal threatens to undermine their puritan image. A casino in Raijugang, Yangchenia, opened betting on the results of the Matchday 5/6 qualifying window. At least one account from Zwangzug predicted that their national team would win exactly one of the two matches, and a wager of $100 was traced to Sharag, Namiri, not far from the former residence of national manager Bishen Varadarajan. When the whistles were blown, Zwangzug had indeed won one of the two games. Coincidence? Or something more sinister?

"I don't even know what you're talking about, I didn't do that," claimed an unconvincing Varadarajan. "I mean, if I had--Pasarga were undefeated and top of the group, it wouldn't take much to assume that on our current form we were incapable of beating them, which sure enough we are." (The Wanderers triumphed 3-0, behind a goal from Járngrímur Náttúlfsson--a naturalized Græntfjaller, who can join Kichirō Matsuda among the dual-nationals in Group 5--and a brace from Sahir Hana'i Wasem.) "I guess assuming that we had what it took to beat Natkr could have been overly optimistic coming off that Saint Eleanor result, but whatever." (Salinee Rhiannon scored the only goal of the match, in Sharag of all places. "We don't have dollars here and I'm not sure I would have been able to scrounge up a hundred of them if I tried," Varadarajan concluded.

The predictions formed a pleasantly normal distribution, with five teams predicted to win neither match, four predicted to win both matches, and eleven, including Zwangzug, expecting one out of two. Of the four optimistic teams, Chromatika and Edsmontik fans saw their hopes rewarded as they stayed perfect; Zenic and Eriadni both dropped points.

This is not the first time in recent cycles that a gambling controversy has surrounded the Zwangzugians; in World Cup 98, Jubilee McGraw came under fire from Gregor Courtenay for participating in the "World Cup fantasy qualification game," less controversial because it involved her predicting that her country would win every match, which presumably she was trying to do anyway. That this, much more flagrant, incident has not drawn the country's attention is clearly more evidence of their contemptible double standards.

PENGUIN OF THE DAY: The Epicly Amazing Giraffe Penguin (Camelopardalis mirabilis) is known for its impressively long neck, which allows it to forage for prey deep below the sea ice while keeping two webbed feet firmly on the floe. They are not to be confused with the nation of Epicly Amazing Giraffes, who we hope punish the Zwangzugians for their hubris on Matchday 8. [I think you may have made this one up. -ed]

[TJUN-ia]

After a second cycle of a win and a defeat, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were a team of such enigma and mystery, even to those who know them the most. On the one hand, everyone knows that we are a good team, that we had what it took to make a run, even in this debut campaign of the PvO era. But on the other hand, our inconsistency in the old era was infamous at times, with historic wins and equally painful defeats seemingly going hand in hand. With a new Manager at the wheel, many were hoping that some sort of consistency would be on the cards for this unit...but is that too much to ask for, considering our history?

Tiankong Stadium was packed and raring to go as we welcomed #124 Vetrahjart to town, knowing that we had to build something from the tight defeat in Chromia last time out. Everyone was hoping for us to get back on the right track with this magnificent stadium, and to be fair to this team, that is exactly what they did. Gloria Pon could afford to be a bit more comfortable than normal, as her workload wasn't as much as it usually was today. Zaine Bowry, Sylvia Usabyimana and Priyanka Mendonca all scored relative ease as we ended up comfortably securing a 3-0 win at home. Now THAT is what everyone wants to see!

And then came the away day, against The Republic of the United Marble Tribes. The Yellow Monkeys entered this contest as a decent team, with 2 wins and 3 losses on the board, but entering this game, many were hoping we could come here, get a win on the board, and then leave. But Joey Mulholland clearly had other ideas and, out there in this strange land, they decided to send a message to the rest of Group 6 - "Do Not Take Us Lightly, Or Else". We were simply...crushed by the WCC #307 as on this one night, John Leicester, Raja Matusaleh, Adam Harrison and Richard Wilkins all combined to produce a result so shocking and so out of nowhere, that no one will be able to even comprehend how this happened 5 years from now. Unless, if looking upon "The Republic of the United Marble Tribes 4–0 TJUN-ia", they turn to themselves and say "Yep, that's a TJUN-ian scoreline if I've ever seen one".

Disaster. Just a pure disaster. And yet we're only behind 2nd by 3 points. Stewartika comes to Carlandas in what is now a must win game before we head out to Cedarville in the hopes of actually surviving #430 Cothe Saria.

COME ON, GUYS. YOU CAN DO THIS!
GO JAGS!

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SCHEDULE (Group 6)
(Stadium Guide can be found here)
MD1: @Quakmybush (152) L 1-2
MD2: vs Serenitas Novae (395) - Zebra Stadium, Toropo/Almadinat W 3-1 (T-4th)
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MD3: @The Ko-orenite Constellation (61) - Bandar Cang Prathoren W 2-1 (2nd)
MD4: @Chromatika (16) - Chromatik City Field, Chromia L 1-2 (5th)
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MD5: vs Vetrahjart (124) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong W 3-0 (3rd)
MD6: @The Republic of the United Marble Tribes (307) L 0-4 (6th)
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MD7: vs Stewartika (88) - Estadio Universidad Carlandas, Carlandas
MD8: @Cothe Saria (430) - Cedarville Stadium, Cedarville
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MD9: vs Valentine Z (23) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD10: vs Quakmybush (152) - Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo, Kepu Manu
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MD11: @Serenitas Novae (395)
MD12: vs The Ko-orenite Constellation (61) - Stade de la Victoire, Roi Ville
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MD13: vs Chromatika (16) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia
MD14: @Vetrahjart (124)
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MD15: vs The Republic of the United Marble Tribes (307) - Estádio do Pacífico, Rio Pacífico
MD16: @Stewartika (88)
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MD17: vs Cothe Saria (430) - Tallawah Stadium, Port Town/Portuaria
MD18: @Valentine Z (23) - Kyarpan Stadium, Mandalay

[IA3x]

On the sidelines, Mugel Krygorf stood. Atheara were up 2-0 against Solgavden, and it seems that the three points have been secured.

Viviana Falharask had proven to be the credible threat of the day, scoring both goals for The Blue Guard. A free kick in the 17th minute, and a late addition by scoring from outside the Solgavden box in the 88th. The few remaining minutes were dwindling down, and it does look like the match is over. A clean sheet here would do well to boost team morale.

The team results have been quite mixed, admittedly. One match they proceed to win well, and the other this team somehow crumbles. It's the primary reason as to why Atheara's record is quite peculiar. This would mark the team's third win to accompany three losses. It's not like his job is at stake however, but still. He wants this team to soar, truly.

He never was able to bring this team to the World Cup when he actively played. He wants to accomplish such an act as manager, at least.

To the friends that fell during the catastrophe, to those who were no longer able to play for the team, to those who had supported The Blue Guard since day one. For Mugel Krygorf, it was something he had to accomplish in his lifetime. And he believes the team feel the same way. He spoke in the locker room before the start of the match. For motivation.

"Let us end our drowning in sorrow, and start playing for ourselves. We cannot wail in depression forever, because we must go on for those who cannot." And it seems that such words have helped them today. The former goalkeeper had noted who were the most excited, those being the youngsters in Jakob Pestren-Mitaloza and Elkan Foyer.

A lot of the older players didn't show much excitement, but were willing to play for such notion nonetheless. Mikel Horzabath Krygorf included. The younger Krygorf has had a good match today, making a few key saves. "Just a minute or two left." Mugel spoke to himself, counting the time down. He sees the players on the bench, all happy with today's result.

He checks his phone, a few new message notifications seemed to have come in. Opening them, Mugel sees that he has been added into a group chat featuring the other heirs of the Royal Houses along some other people. Mikel's number was also added. One of the messages was from Cecilia Scharlund, the oldest message notification.

"Sorry for the sudden notice, Mugel! However, this group chat is to allow better communication. I am adding you assuming you've told your brother about this situation."

Scrolling through the messages, he sees that there was a slight argument. Sarelcia Kallen and Belcari Van Nisteryn were displeased that they were not present for the meeting about revealing the current internal affairs of Atheara's new government, as expected. Christian Fierrevanturo and Cecilia were adamant in the decision for the quick meeting.

Pascallyn Kalcazette was surprisingly neutral. Mugel had learned that she and Belcari are close with one another, so it was a slight surprise. Maybe Christian and Cecilia had something to do with it. The most recent message was about everyone agreeing that it was an "agree-to-disagree" sort of debate. Some other people were in the group chat as well.

Venna Van Nisteryn, Daniel Fierrevanturo, the other Kallen family siblings, and even Cecilia's girlfriend in Hanna Ocherbeth. They had sent some messages before, but most of them were offline. Likely doing something else rather than being online. He closes his phone, thinking of what to say. But perhaps he won't get that much time.

Cheers erupted as the full whistle blows, Atheara secures the win against Solgavden with a clean sheet and with that, three points to help their campaign.

"Good job everyone! No rough celebrations tonight, but we can enjoy the victory. The journey isn't over yet, and it won't be until we are eliminated or we win it all." Mugel spoke as the players all crowded around him. This was a habit he instilled for the team, gather up first before personal celebrations or post-match interviews and whatnot.

As they all scattered, for one reason or another, Mugel starts to head inside as well. He's certain there's an interview lined up for tonight, and he'll have to be there. Quickly opening his phone and thus, his messaging app, he wrote an introductory message and what he expects. "Good enough," Mugel comments about the message, sending it and closing his phone.

"Thanks for the invite. Do not expect me to speak much, for I am only here to receive news or updates. I ask not to be involved too much." Was all the message said.

[Bhumi Matawis Empire]

Morning calmly enters Baguala. And Shellomita is in the car together with Gerardus Wattinewa. They are heading to the plantation where Wattinewa wants to discuss about any matters. They were not talking about serious matters on last night dinner. Wattinewa just shut the discussion about it and wants Shellomita to enjoy her first night in the mansion. Well, his idea was not bad either. It was a good thing to see the clear night sky with thousands stars decorate it. It's breathtakingly beautiful. Something you don't want to miss.

A breathtaking view approaching as they arrive at the plantation. Shellomita isn't sure if this place is own by Wattinewa or else. Their car stop at the entrance of a big house. It seems like the operational house of the plantation but also looks like a villa.
"I hope it is okay for me to take you for some walk, Mrs. Mita," Wattinewa ask her.
"Sure, Mr. Wattinewa. I wouldn't mine especially with this clear weather and clean air," answer Shellomita.
Wattinewa escort her to a narrow path where only two people can walk pass them. The guards follows them a few meters apart. Don't want to bother them but still close enough to protect them in case something happen.
"I'm well aware of your intention to meet me, Mrs. Mita," Wattinewa starts the conversation.
"So why, Mr. Wattinewa? Why do you hate monarchy so much?" she carefully ask the issue.
"I believe you have read our history in school," Wattinewa speaks calmly. "For so long we have been under the monarchy. First, independent. Then under the alliance of Duko. Then the VMC came. A company under the protection of a big monarchy. And lastly, United Kieraha. These kings sometime makes decision that make us suffer. This plantation for example. Establish during VMC rule. It cut most of the surrounding forest. And makes us a slave. Working at this plantation through generations. Yes, we get the benefit after the independence but it feels like we turn into a production machine," Wattinewa explain.
"And you think under republic government everything might be different?" ask Shellomita.
"I hope so. We can try it, right? When one system is broken or failed, we are free to try something new for the people," answer Wattinewa who then gesture Shellomita to enter a mid-size food stall in the middle of the plantation.
"But people are the same, isn't it Mr. Wattinewa? If a king can do mistake, so does common people. Like me," she try to confront his thoughts.
"That's true. But we have election where we can change who's in charge when they make mistake," he pause. "I believe there are far less monarch overthrown happened. And most of it would end with failure. This because the monarch is back with the military. And we as common people won't be able to challenge that power," he stop his explanation as the waiter brings them their drinks and some local snacks.
"Aren't our current system is pretty much the same? The emperor has less power than they usually had. All the daily matters are now carry out by the government. The cabinet ministers. We have elections," Shellomita challenge him.
"But it still the same here in Kieraha. You do realize that even though we have a President and Prime Minister, both position is hereditary held by Sultan of Gapi and Duko. It's a monarchy in disguise. We never had a true republic like Walanae or Tomini," remind Wattinewa.
Shellomita exhale deeply as she realize what Wattinewa says is true. United Kieraha is still a monarchy after all. They are one out of two remaining monarch state of the Empire in the east. The other being Galiyao. But while Galiyao use a system similar to the Empire, with limited power of the king and daily matters conduct by the government, United Kieraha still relay on the power of their remaining four sultanates. Gapi and Duko as the two most powerful pose as the President or Head of State and Prime Minister or Head of Government. And daily matters is conduct by Prime Minister which on this case would be Sultan of Duko, currently Sultan Hussain. Shellomita take her drink to clear her mind after the realization. Then she say another question.
"Then why Great East Federation? Why not created your own version of Kieraha?" she ask.
"It's a mere old nostalgia," he says casually. Shellomita frown. Wattinewa smile. "I also believe that being together will make us stronger. Despite the differences. We did it once. And I believe we can do it now," he added.
Shellomita nod as she try to digest all the information. "And has you being approached by Mastari?" she bravely ask the crucial question.
Wattinewa shake his head. "Mastari statement was just a one side voice. It is his idea. But I believe his plan was not base on the monarchy rule," he commented.
"Why do you says so?" Shellomita try to understand.
"Because he wants to build something an entity on par with Papo-Iriya and Malalaime," he answer. "You do realize you give more autonomy to them than to anyone of us? Even to Galiyao who you guys take by force diplomacy," Wattinewa boldly stated.
Shellomita clear her throat. She feels like she lost the conversation. Twice.
"I hope you're not feeling offended with all the things I've said. I just want you to realize about the situation here. About our concern and our hope for this country. We don't want to secede. But maybe you can give more freedom to us because we're not the founder. And some of us are taken by force. I hope you acknowledge that," Wattinewa says.
"No worries, Mr. Wattinewa. I fully understand that you just want to be candid about everything. And I appreciate that. Even though some of them is really eye opening," Shellomita reply.
Wattinewa smile and they toss for their drink. He then ask Shellomita to headed back to the big house as lunch will be prepare shortly. Shellomita humbly follow him. On their walk, Wattinewa talks about the history of the plantation and the variety of plants that grows here.

---

Later that night, Shellomita seating alone in her room. They spend the night at the plantation. Nothing is important to talk about for the rest of the day. After lunch, they visit the factory nearby. The factory process what the plantation produce such as dry spices, massage oil or aromatic oil. Kieraha have been more develop lately especially after the founding of nickel deposit. The central government take initiative to mine them. This makes Kieraha economy has steadily rise in the past few years. It seating as the leader in economy growth within the Empire. It makes her think, would this be also the reason why they want to have more autonomy? She couldn't tell but it's a possibility. Both Papo-Iriya and Malalaime are rich enough to support their government without much intervention from the Empire especially in financial sense. But the eastern Sagaranusa still dependent much from the central government. The rise in their economy might lead to this situation. And Mastari seems to realize this as Walanae and Tomini are also developing nickel mining. The one left is Southeast Islands. The other part of former Great East Federation who is closer to the metropole (metropole refer to the western part of Sagaranusa which connected to the founders of the Empire). Southeast Islands is the least developed between the former Great East states. However, the recently increase their tourism budget to contest the position of Mahameru, their western neighbor who is more well-known for their tourism industry.

Shellomita try to reset her mind. All of this information and possibilities could give her a headache. She talks to her husband via phone. It is a great timing of him. It takes her away from the hectic of her mind and help calm her. After the talks, she try to sleep. Thankfully that short conversation with her husband really help her to sleep. Or maybe it because the serene sound of the nature. Or perhaps the cozy atmosphere of the place that makes her more comfortable. Whatever it is, she surely sleep soundly that night.

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MD 05
Wondering Refugees 1 - 2 Bhumi Matawis Empire
@ Wondering Refugees

V. Tampanea (7')
I. Rahmayanto Y (43')
R. Wijaya Kusuma Y (56')
V. Tampanea (68')
A. Arsyandi <===> E. Ravanesya (73')
V. Tampanea <===> S. Wijaya (80')
S. Reinaldi <===> H. de Sousa <===> (84')
H. de Sousa Y (90+1')

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MD 06
Bhumi Matawis Empire 2 - 1 Hamborn
@ Musi Raya Stadium, Mukha Upang, Mangkualam

H. Gustaf Y (43')
D. Sasongko (48')
A. Al-Faridz Y (57')
V. Tampanea (61')
H. Gustaf <===> R. Al-Ghifari (63')
E. Wiryawan <===> P.S Pradana (72')
A. Reinhard Y (83')
V. Tampanea <===> S. Wijaya (88')

MD 07
Boring Paradise vs Bhumi Matawis Empire
@ Boring Paradise

MD 08
Bhumi Matawis Empire vs Super Earth
@ Tanjung Kalapa Stadium, Labuanjaya

Players
Starters
GK - Haikal Apriyadi
LB - Arsyad Arsyandi
CB - Ahmad Al-Faridz
CB - Alexius Reinhard
RB - Rahmat Marabessy
LM - Stefano Reinaldi
CM/DM - Usman Nur Wahyudi
CM/DM - Putu Surya Pradana
RM - Rahmat Al-Ghifari
ST - Dion Sasongko
AT - Sandi Wijaya
Reserve
GK - Chandra Adi Sukma
GK - Cornelius Brasso
LB - Emanuel Ravanesya
LB - Oscar Renjana
CB - Felix Fernandi Kusnanto
CB - Lino Coutinho
RB - Kristian Sudarwanto
LM - Hernando de Sousa
LM - Wahyu Suryobroto
CM - Wisnu Suputra
CM - Asraf Huwaidi Syah
RM - Yuliawan
ST - Hisyam Rahma Dian
AT - Yudha Ardiansyah

Position
Captain - Alexius Reinhard
Vice-captain - Arsyad Arsyandi

Likely to
Corner kick (left) - Arsyad Arsyandi (Emanuel Ravanesya or Oscar Renjana if sub)
Corner kick (right) - Rahmat Marabessy (Kristian Sudarwanto if sub)
Free kick - Dion Sasongko (Hisyam Rahma Dian if sub)
Penalty - Sandi Wijaya (Yudha Ardiansyah if sub)

Condition
Injured:
Viktor Tampanea
Eka Wiryawan

Suspended:
Nanang Suherman (accumulative yellow card lead to red card) - 2 matches (match 5 and 6)

[Indusse]

Changes in Squad Imminent?

As another draw is registered in Indusse's name even though there was a safe win to keep the team in the race of qualification, the upcoming games may see a change in the starting eleven. As warned in the previous press meets, Shehzad has failed to bring any cleansheets in this tournament which would be resulting in his replacement as the starting goal keeper. Preetham Singh shall be taking over as the new starter keeper for the next four matches atleast.

Another player on the red zone was Mathias Paulson. Paulson who's playing his last World Cup for Indusse doesn't want to be benched at all. Paulson made sure that he keeps his place with his equaliser against Choppyhausen which turned out to be a lifesaver. Paulson shall be around with his experience and expertise making sure his successors do the best for the team. Akshay Adhaan who was also around the red zone with an average performance will be benched for a few matches and Tsang Po shall be taking over his spot in the Playing eleven. Lhasang Tsang Po is expected to replace Paulson when he retires and take over his spot in the squad's permanent playing eleven.

After the nailbiting draw against Choppyhausen which was unexpected to the core, Indusse faced Afanc Strait. All the frustration the squad held with these disappointing performances were let go against the match with Afanc Strait. Five goals scored by five different players, eventually made the fans and the players happy. Juan Jane was substituted later in the game which also recorded his return in the field after a long time. Jane made his return memorable with a wonderful header scored at the sixty fifth minute which added to the total goals.

Critics are confused about the new changes in the squad and how it's going to affect the gameplay. Would the chemistry between the players hold on to the performance as a team? Are the changes going to backfire? Is this the end of Indusse in this qualifying run? Stay tuned to know more of what's left to happen.

Choppyhausen 2–2 Indusse
Playing XI: Shehzad (GK), Cyrus, Paulson, Akshay, Bhattacharya (All Defenders), O'Shaughnessy , Grundjee, Djetson (All Midfielders), Mersiás (c), Rahul, Djenkzo (All Attackers)
Substitutions: None
Goals: Rahul (66') and Paulson (85')

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Indusse 5–2 Afanc Strait
Playing XI: Shehzad (GK), Cyrus, Paulson, Akshay, Bhattacharya (All Defenders), O'Shaughnessy , Grundjee, Djetson (All Midfielders), Mersiás (c), Rahul, Djenkzo (All Attackers)
Substitutions: Rahul ⏷ Jane ⏶
Goals: Rahul (32'), Grundjee (44'), Jane (65'), Djenkzo (76'), Djetson (88')

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