Di Bradini Cup 62/U21WC83 RP And Scores Thread

[Zenic]

"That was underwhelming in the worst possible way."

Consolación Regina was glad that it was only a draw and not worse but clearly mad that it wasn't a victory. The 1-1 draw saw Zenic strike first with a strong volley from Diego Xabi Basurto to score at the tail end of the first half before Ersin Güler struck back to equalize midway through the second half. "I mean, when the ball actually got to our strikers, they did pretty well and almost came away with a 2-1 or even 3-1 win. And our defense only gave up two serious chances with the one from Güler being the only one to get past Vogel. Our midfield mostly did their job?" Vaclovas Paškal himself wasn't sure about how to interpret the midfield's performance. Good enough to keep possession for a majority of the game but definitely lost the ball, or gave it away on a long pass, a little too easy compared to previous squads.

"Doing a 'Mostly' good job isn't enough, apparently. While a draw only lands us in third place, the rest of the schedule doesn't look that much easier on paper so we need to really focus on doing a great or fantastic job and nothing less for the rest of the tournament during each and every team meeting and training. ESPECIALLY with our luck." Paškal almost interjected before Regina added on that last part to her statement: the other levels of national teams in Zenic might have more consistent results overall in their major competitions but the Youthful Survivors seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the DBC. While other squads were able to follow up titles or top 4 finishes with consecutive top 4 or top 8 finishes, the DBC squad would get knocked out in the group stage one year and then finish as champions another before repeating the process with different top 4 finishes.

Paškal was also on Regina's side in the expectation that this squad would fare better than other squads since close to half of last DBC's squad had been retained with notable figures like Hino Mai, Pancho Monte, Atanasio Borja, and Juanma Ariel Silva still in the starting lineup and most of the bench coming back in support as well. "Or this squad could be full of late bloomers. We kept a bunch of our bench but a majority of the starting lineup are newcomers so maybe they just needed a game to adjust? We'll really see how good they are in the next match in at The Battleground."

Of all the places to have a potential 'change the course of Zenician sporting history'-altering match, The Battleground was one hell of a place to play it. The home of the DBC Finals match and the largest stadium in Valanora, traveling towards it sometimes felt like they were traveling to a whole other city, even a completely different world. Regina and Paškal both fondly remembered Zenic's 9-8 penalty shootout victory over the hosts for their first U-21 title ever and each hoped to return to generate another fond memory on those hallowed grounds.

"So, how are our new Rushmori neighbors doing?," Regina asked in regards to their upcoming Matchday 3 opponent, Chromatika. "Best way to put it: if you think we're having a rough start to the tournament, then Chromatika are somehow having an even worse time than we are." Regina had remembered that their next opponents had come up just short against The Golden Throne for an opening loss but had not completely analyzed the rest of the results in Group E as she had honed in right on where Zenic were in the said group. "Grand Hilal were determined; Chromatika are DESPERATE. A loss here and they should be mathematically eliminated unless close to a dozen results go their way. Assuming they stick to their guns, they'll be running an aggressive 4-4-2 hunting for close to every shot on goal they can get to generate some goals."

"New manager blues?" Regina was aware that a new managerial staff had been hired for Chromatika but, like everyone else, assumed they would be as good if not better than the previous regime. "Or a weaker batch of players. It happens to the best of teams, even us," countered Paškal. At the moment, Zenic didn't really care.

If Zenic had any hopes of winning Group E, they were going to need to make Chromatika's life hell by beating them to a pulp before the Youthful Survivors moved on to trying to do the same to The Golden Throne and Lisander.

[TJUN-ia]

After a competitive opener ended in a 3-2 defeat, the Young Jaguars of TJUN-ia's U21s were 0-1 once again, but still had hope of a turnaround at some point in this 5-team group. With our "bye" being on the final matchday, we knew we had only three games to get things right - and Wu Tseng-Kuo could certainly feel the pressure. Of course, this being developmental, final results aren't exactly the be-all and end-all when it comes to converting Young Jaguars into national team players, but results at least show the progress in real time...and sometimes, those headline figures are the only ones people see.

Game 2 was in Caddo Park vs Serdtgyu, who also lost their opening game in their debut DBC, and this one vs the Calves was expected to be close. Dyeat Cetbim engaged in battle with WTK, and it ended up being a tight fight; both sides were desperate to win, wanting to avoid going 0-2 in this group. It was a hard-fought battle that was won by the opposition, with Estede Gull scoring the winner in the 56th. We certainly tried to make a mark, but Avris Arim had our number...and so we are 0-2 in this group.

This keeps happening to our youth team, and it's getting very annoying right now. Hopefully, we can show more of our potential against Aphrilia in Kareen.

GO YOUNG JAGS!

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SCHEDULE (Group C)
MD1: vs Dantopia - Raynor Memorial, Hondo L 2-3 (3rd)
MD2: vs Serdtgyu - Caddo Park, Caddo L 0-1 (5th)
MD3: vs Aphrilia - Rose Gardens, Kareen
MD4: vs New Rotterdam City - Tiradir, Gladerial
MD5: BYE

[Natkr]

It's Electric

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produced by ReemSports

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The feeling inside the Rose Gardens, located in Kareen, Valanora was electric. Everything felt so electric for the new Natkrian U21 squad after years of uncertainty between the football federation, the youth leagues, and the main issue of securing scouts and a manager. But now, everything was finally in its right place for the Junior Green and Blue to begin a tournament to establish themselves in the footballing world again. It was the opening match of the 83rd Under 21 World Cup (also known as Di Bradini Cup 62), and ReemSports got exclusive access to the pitch to watch the players and later interview various players. Opening games usually provide tension to a bunch of players, but it also provides balance to their tournament beginnings. It's the first test to show if a team can show discipline, stability, and faith to prove their place in the tournament and facilitates their form. From the first whistle, it was clear that neither Kamijoro nor Natkr intended to give the match up, which created a very intense battle between the two evenly-matched teams.

All eyes were on the new Natkrian backline staff, headed by former Natkrian women's coach Marrick Kista, who had been recently hired (with Isla Monbury's recommendation and approval) to lead the Natkrian Football Federation's charge to develop talents as early as youth teams, which would also assist them in a better chance of obtaining a cap for the senior national team. His aim was to transform Natkr from a normal and conservative setup toward a specific dynamic system, focused on possession-based football which demands absolute perfection and high intensity. Taking over right before the biggest U21 tournament in the multiverse, especially something like Di Bradini Cup, puts massive pressure on someone, but Kista isn't phased. Why would he? Natkr has some of the greatest talents in the world of NS Sports right now, and the U15 World Cup directly proves it. He shouted at all of his players, particularly Jonas Kerrith for "walking too slow". It was flipping pre-match warmups.

What makes this tournament so special is the incredible fact that most of the current players were apart of the generational U15 World Cup-winning squad. Those kids had made their mark on youth football a few years ago back in Sarzonia, and now, they had officially grown up. They were now evolving from their "youth" tags to making debuts in senior football (Natkr Prime League/NPL Premiership), and even gaining major moves to big clubs at such a young age. Obviously having a good group of established teenage talents with some seasoned prospects is always a steady balance, but Kista strives to focus on the chemistry between the team, a winning mindset, and intelligence to bring the Juniors to glory. It will take a while, but it will always be worth it. These guys were sincerely going to bring something special to the national team.

Kamijoro, however, clearly had not cared about the whole Natkr remake maneuver and came out ready and determined to turn the game into an all-out war on the pitch. They were moving against Kista's setup, with a low-block method designed in place to frustrate the players from making their runs, which certainly ended up working early in the match. They put everything into those tackles, which to Natkr, proved to be genius. Every time Natkr tried to play out from the backline, they would just get shut down easily with Kamijoro setting Natkr's possession of the ball into very tight spaces, making it difficult for plays to work. It also tested the patience of some players. Would they be able to be patient with the ball? We would see in the first twenty minutes of the game, which was absolutely grueling for the Natkrians, testing their consultation and their ability to carry on. Natkr struggled very early on finding their rhythm, with passes getting sent too off or getting intercepted off the ball as the team temporarily adjusted to the pitch in Valanora. Even when Kamijoro tried to bully Natkr with their possession on the ball, you could see moments of brilliance when the team followed Kista's tactic orders, maintaining a proper defensive shape even when faced with the problem of pressure.

The midfield battle quickly became a great struggle, with Yuzuki Namekawa and Talon Blackwood going band-for-band with crazy passes to provide their teams with chances. Kamijoro had some ball-winners on their hands. Kista's formation requires his central midfielders to constantly rotate, dropping deep to bring the Kamijoro defense out of position while setting up opportunities for attackers to get on goal. Yeah, it was definitely high-risk, but it also ended up becoming a high reward for the Green and the Blue. Kista demands absolute perfection, and as the first half developed, Natkr began to get even better by the second, sustaining over 50% of possession, and controlling the game under their rule. Defensively, Natkr looked impressive, especially to us, whenever Kamijoro attempted to send counter-attacks behind the great high line, also known as the "Great Wall of The Fourteenth Skyhold District". Yeah, that one needs some work. Orin Blackwell and Quintin Farrow, after training and gaining years in senior football, led the backline with sharp focus, shutting down various aerial balls and calmly playing the ball out of danger. That stability is exactly what Natkr needed to increase their attacking unit to push higher on the pitch, pushing Kamijoro back into their own penalty box as the first half started to close out.

As the 45th minute of the match started to arise, the Natkrian pressure started to build up straight from the stadium crowd as Natkr's combat finally started to work out and break up the Kamijoro defense. Kista began to command his players to overload the right flank, dragging Kamijoro's Noir De Vries out of position and creating a small space right on the edge of the box. It was definitely a late-minute adjustment for the squad, but it proved to the right thing to happen as the game began to come all for the plan of Natkr. The moment to seal the game came late in the first half through a team connection that ReemSports reporters on the pitch going absolutely crazy in an effort to catch it. Starting in their own half deep, Natkr executed a four-man passing lane that went through the hardworking Kamijoro midfield department. The ball made its way past two defenders, finding the feet of Jonas Kerrith who turned instantly and slipped it wide, a perfect through ball which caught the Kamijoro defense lacking for one second right into the path of Javi Ramirez. Javi showed his composure easily inside the box, taking his sweet time to send Bartley Oosterling diving early, then calmly sending the ball into the bottom right corner.

[The Macabees]

The bye had done the Blue-and-Golds a service after the celebrations for the 1–2 win against Chromatika. The feelings of elation were as if the team had won the final already! Maybe it was because it was so unlikely that a victory against a name like Chromatika was for the Golden Throne's under-21 football program a great achievement by any metric the Golden Throne had perspective of. But see it as you may, the young talent of the empire ended that first game with a genuine party in the locker room.

(Team staff put in great effort to clean everything and can confirm that there was no damage to the property.)

Cristón had a special reason to be happy. The Ŗ45 million point man had made good on his name, putting both of the team's goals in the back of the net. That was certainly the way to certify the official news that had gone out just days before, of his joining Fedala, I.F.K.

The young Zarbian striker's moods had certainly picked up since that train ride into Valanari.



Now the team was traveling to Caddo. The train took them back from Valanari to Baysleef, where the team took a charter aircraft to the closest airport to Caddo. From there, they practiced at another local venue where they had prearranged their stay. With ample funding from the Ekonopalatio, the U-21 team could afford to pay handsome prices for well-equipped training centers. Tomorrow, they were due to play Lisander at Caddo Park.

Joan Ocaña, the midfielder, doubled over, breathing as if he had no air in him. The sun was at its highest position of the day, its heat radiating upon the players doing drills on the turf below. Standing next to him, Coach Lautaro didn't seem impressed. But the coach said nothing as Joan collected himself.

Finally, after a little while, while Joan drank some water, the assistant coach said, "Let's take a break. It's just a warm-up session, anyway."

Joan had been subbed in during the opening game in the 49th minute. The coach told him he didn't have the stamina to play longer at the required intensity. Mahuizoh was put in for him. Since then, Joan had been putting in the work, killing himself on the training ground to get himself physically to where the team needed him. But he still wasn't quite there and there were some questions over whether he'd be starting the game against Lisander at all.

Hingepé, Assistant Coach Lautaro, put his mind at ease. "You need to be fresh for tomorrow's game. You'll be starting in that holding position."

Looking up, the 19-year-old midfield said, "For the first half?"

Coach Lautaro shrugged, "Maybe. Let's see how long you last out there. It's gonna be a tough game."

"You know anything about Lisander?" asked the kid. They all knew of Lisander, of course. Their country was famously represented in the inaugural Forzala 1 season by Arturia Nero (the other driver is less famous), who almost won the drivers' championship on the very last race of the season. Forzala 1 may have been relatively unknown outside, but it was huge in (parts of) the Golden Throne.

The older man shrugged. "Tough team," he said. "Wrecked Grand Hilal 2–6 and shut Chromatika out 1–0. So, they look very good. You'll be crucial out there on the field tomorrow, you know. You got it, we all trust in you and have your back."

"Thanks, coach," said Joan. He started juggling the ball, having it bounce on his knees, then on his chest, finally on his head, until he did a trick with is heel and brought the ball to a rest with his toe.

The midfielder kept juggling the ball to himself even after the coach left to attend to another player. It was like a meditation exercise, a way of focusing one's thoughts. It wasn't just the game tomorrow that was on his mind. The game was just one piece of a bigger picture. This tournament was life or death for him. 19 years old, his time was now if he was going to break into Enigma's first team. Otherwise, the prospects seemed to point to a loan. And there was nothing worse than a loan...that led to another loan...and to another loan, until the team sold you. Joan Ocaña didn't want to be sold, he wanted to play for Enigma. He wanted to win trophies with such a historic team. He wanted to be remembered in their stadium museum. And to do that, he had to play the game of his life against Lisander.

He brought the ball back to a standstill, surveying the training grounds. He decided that, no, that hadn't been enough for one day.

So, without further ado, he went back to drills.

[Chromatika]

Edwin Vrockeath played well in Maisa Vedott's absence, but holding Lisander to just a goal wasn't enough as the Young Anomalies were shut out in this matchup to fall to 0-0-2 in Di Bradini Cup play. Outshot 7-13, Elias Ritter played well enough but didn't get much help from the front two. It's become very apparent to anyone who watches Chromatik youth football that these strikers aren't it - if they don't have Fossbender and Nicholson hooking the front two up with tries, they don't know how to generate the instances themselves. In fact, there are some who already say that if it wasn't for Lars Tillman, Jr. there may not be a National Team level striker under the age of twenty-five.

Neva Hyden will get the start against Zenic as Ferris Winn has picked up a nicked ankle. Hyden's ability to set up Rang may be what helps this team as there'll be one more player to try to get the ball to Rang. It is two substitutions to the starting lineup that's been forced due to injury, but as Vrockeath has shown, the team is resilient enough to contend.

In what has become a loaded Group E, the Young Anomalies are down to their last chances against Zenic. Three points are what is needed now, and anything else than that will result on this tournament being a disappointment for the team, and the CFF as a whole wondering if the youth development system is good enough to set up new Manager Amelia Ibsdóttir for success.

Starting Lineup against Zenic:
Ritter; Cerro - Vrockeath - Larsen - Fischer; Fossbender - Cantwell - Nicholson (C) - Dott; Hyden - Rang.

With Hyden's inclusion, Fossbender and Nicholson will be given more freedom to contribute on the attack - and the defenders will be tasked with contributing more on set pieces from Dott. The Young Anomalies will have to press and press in order to try to win the matchup, and should that not come to pass, more questions will be asked about the youth.

[Cardenao]

The Night Before—The Last Chance

For the first time in two weeks, the hotel management was actually happy. For 14 days now they’d hosted the Cardenaoan Under-21 football team and for 14 days they’d had to put up with torture. The lads were well behaved in all, and nothing was too destructive or poor mannered, but two weeks of hearing yelling and laughing, hearing the sound of footballs being hit off every conceivable wall, and a few flower vases breaking by way of errant passes…not to mention the rotating crowd of a supporters that could swell to hundreds the night before gameday and into the thousands to see their heroes off.

“I have kind of a stupid question.” A bellhop asked.

“That’s a first,” his supervisor muttered under her breath. “What is it?”

“The football team is still here, right? I mean they’re supposed to be but…fuck me it’s quiet tonight!”

“Sshhh are you crazy!?” She hissed at him. “Rule #1 in hospitality, NEVER complain about how slow or quiet it is, that’s how you jinx yourself. But yeah, it is weird how quiet it is. I’m pretty sure they’re still here.”

She paused as the sounds of drums and cheers could be faintly heard from outside.

Furia! Furia! Furia Azule!

“Well the bloody fans are still here and I’m sure they know exactly where every member of the team is: right here.”

As for the kids, the young men representing the Blue and Golds in the Di Bradini Cup, they were indeed hunkered down at the hotel but their uncharacteristic silence was thanks to their realization of what was at stake.

This Cardenao team was composed 100% of the recent Under-18 World Cup winning team. No players added, no players removed. Pre-MD 1 and the boys were feeling on top of the world, as they should for claiming Cardenao’s first football silverware, and that inspired a bit of arrogance in their hearts. La Furia Azule rolled up to the opening game against the Kytler Peninsulae expecting a victory…well they got it but the game was altogether far more difficult than they had prepared for, and thus the first injury to ego was afflicted. They didn’t expect to win, they expected to dominate, but when you need a mis-hit fluke cross in the 89th minute to secure victory, maybe things aren’t as great as you thought. Then there was the humiliation against the Martian Independent Republic, a 3-1 loss that pierced the very heart of the team and led to a now infamous post-game clash between Cardenao teammates.

Now Tikariot awaits like an gargantuan, impassable rock waiting in the fog to run us aground. True, there’s another game after this one. But to Chema, Federico, Peacock Pharrell, and the rest of the team, they understood a loss to Tikariot meant the tournament was over and their time in the spotlight had concluded. And so the mood changed. Gone was the laughter and the yelling, no more were the boys bouncing balls off random walls, and indeed now, late at night, they were sitting so quietly in their rooms that the very same staff that both resented and respected the young athletes couldn’t be sure if they were still at the hotel at all.

They were sat in the common room, watching a TV that quietly flickered with lowlights from the Martian defeat. Some people stared blankly at the screen, some were on their phones, the goalkeepers sat together apart from the rest of the squad while Federico Gauci had a particular sequence pulled up that he was watching time after time.

It was such an easy missed chance, one he’d scored a thousand times before. Just a poor touch giving way to a poor shot and the moment was lost. Eventually Taz Seong-ho, the starting right back, sat down with him and tried getting Federico to relax a little. The team needed him to be confident and calm if they were to rescue qualification now.

“We should’ve won.” The striker said matter of factly.

Taz paused for a second before replying.

“Yeahhh…I know. We got another one to make up for it though, ain’t nothing to it but to do it.”

“Ain’t nothing to it but to do it,” Federico repeated under his breath.

Perhaps one player seemed to be enjoying himself, and of course it was Noa Zaldívar, the lad was pure magic on the ball, he was by far the best dribbler on the team and he had the infectiously optimistic attitude to match it; he was cheerfully juggling a ball, doing tricks while Chema and Ganiyu watched on.

“God you’d think someone died, Y’all are so miserable!”

He nearly spun the ball in the air before balancing the ball on his toes.

“They’re just footballers, just a bunch of defenders and dudes running around.”

“You talking about Tikariot? Like the Tikariot?”

Noa shrugged as he did an around the world one way then another. “Whoever we play. I mean, they’re under-21s….just a bunch of kids!” He joked, the average age of the Tikariot squad was older than the Cardenaoans, they were the kids, and that got the whole room laughing for the first time that night.

They had been putting far too much pressure on themselves, taking this more seriously than the proper World Cup Final itself. They were here to play football, have fun, and represent Cardenao. That’s what this was all about.

And so the weight of expectation evaporated. The Blue and Golds were free to play their game without pressure, without second guessing themselves, and without feeling the paralyzing need to win.

This wonderful feeling was likely to last only as long as they staved off defeat…

Hopefully the Under-18 champions can raise their level of play and show they belong in the big leagues.

[Solgavden]

After their Matchday 1 defeat to Warkus, spent the days of their bye resting and regrouping. Although they lost, many within the team felt that their 1-0 defeat was just a minor setback. While originally thought of as the weakest part of the team, Solgavden's defense held first for 90 minutes, even as the offense failed to break through. Both Martin Kallsberg and Sonny Bjerregaard handled Warkus’ strikers, and David Geiszler only received a stern warning from the referee for his rough tackles (which is a surprisingly clean game for him). This isn't to say that Solgavden’s offense didn't have their chances, as they had plenty. In the opening minutes of the match, Thomas Kistner let off a cannon of a shot from outside the penalty box, which was only stopped by a diving save from Elizabeth Morgan. Ten minutes after that, The Royal Reds were on the attack again, and a cross into the box by captain Rikke Brandt was headed in by Ahsan Kandukuri, which then deflected off the crossbar with a satisfying *ding*. This back and forth continued for almost the entire half, as both fanbases were sure to be frustrated from the missed chances by their respective teams. That was, until deep into stoppage time, when Warkusian substitute midfielder Nathaniel Cooke beat both Geiszler and Bjerregaard during his charge into the box. Only subbed on a few minutes before, Cooke would let off an absolute golazo, with the ball curving wide to the right before curling inside at the last possible moment, past the outstretched fingers of goalkeeper Jakob Anker, sealing the game for Warkus.

Yet in the days after the game, the Solgavish minds weren't focused on what just happened at all. Instead the young adults on the team were focused on something much more important, the release of Manakrona Arts’ latest game: Herocell 2. The original Herocell game is massively popular in Solgavden, a fighting game consisting of some of Manakrona Arts' most popular characters, such as “Navirand” from Soulscape, “Zennern” from Covert Legacy, and “The Frostheart” from Questforce. The game serves as a victory lap for Manakrona Arts, who have cemented themselves as the most dominant domestic videogame studio in Solgavden. Herocell 2 looks to add even more characters from Manakrona’s more recently released games, including “Tranquil” from Arcane Dominion, and “Tim Krogh”, from Krogh, Attorney at Law. Most of the players brought their game consoles with them to Valanora with the hopes of playing it as soon as it was released, and once it did, many played long into the night. Players and staff began to challenge each other to duels, and soon, an entire tournament was hastily organized within the Solgavish delegation. Dozens of matches were played, with players and coaches alike falling to their peers. Manager Anders Lyngstad, who has never heard of Herocell until the tournament started, lasted all the way to the semifinals, defying all types of logic. He only fell to eventual finalist Kasimir Beck by accidentally pressing the menu button instead of a secondary attack. But all eyes were on striker Karsten Stefansan, who had discovered that “Tim Krogh”, who's special attack was called “Briefcase Brawl”, has a glitch that wasn't patched yet. When using his special attack, Krogh was momentarily invincible, allowing Karsten to survive fatal blows. Karsten used this to sweep his opponents, even skilled players like Kistner and Hoffman. The final match of the tournament was held in the hotel's conference room, and a few confused Vanorians attended to see what the commotion was all about, watching in mild discomfort. On one side, Kasimir Beck mained “Zennern”, a character he has fallen in love with since playing the first Herocell game as a child. Most of the Solgavish in attendance rooted for him, as on the other side, Karsten advanced thanks to what some called “cheating”, but he called “using the game to his advantage”. The match was a bloody one, taking multiple rounds of overtime to decide. Karsten’s tactic bled Kasimir of health, but Beck responded with combo after combo that raised oohs and aaahs from the crowd. All hopes seemed lost for Kasimir in triple overtime, when Karsten used his “Briefcase Brawl” exploit once again, draining Beck’s health to under 10%. Yet before he could deliver the final blow, Kasimir laid in a difficult combo, dealing over 1,000 points of damage in a few seconds, stealing the game, and the entire tournament. There were cheers throughout the conference room at the stunning victory, and the Solgavish never felt better. That was, until a Vanorian that was in attendance challenged Kasimir to a final game, which he accepted. The Vanorian picked a random character, and proceeded to beat the ever shit out of Beck, finishing the fight in under a minute. Dejected, the Solgavish quietly agreed to return to their rooms, and prepare for their next match against Snestar.

[The Martian Independent Republic]

the Martian Independent Republic 3 - 1 Cardenao
Nishimura 17', 88'; Velazquez 79' | Marlon 40'

Three to one was the final score in Sabinal, though fans of both sides would agree that it felt much closer than that. This Martian team came into the match not exactly coherent, the starting eleven playing in seven different nations in four different regions, and the style of play they'd been practicing was quite different from what was native to them, or to Martian football more broadly. The defense was meh, and though Dwayne Bexton was one of the better players technically, he was in a wing-back position that required a lot more pace than he had. Valanora, too, was foreign to these players, who hadn't even been to Arrosia before, not a single one of them. For the Spiderlings who had stayed on Mars, this was a warmer place than they'd ever been to. And this rag-tag volunteer "army" in need of a cold drink was to face the players who had just won the U18 World Cup a few years back.

The game started as you would expect the game to start, La Furia Azule pushing forward against the men in black and rust orange. The first chance of the match went to who you would expect it to go to, and although that was deflected away for a corner kick, and the second and third chances were too, it was clear that Zinchenko would need to work hard if he wanted to keep the Spiderlings alive. Finally, the furiously attacking Cardenaoans would be repulsed, Federico Gauci sending it wide of the left post by quite a margin. Zinchenko played the goal kick out quickly, and forced into defending, La Furia Azule had no choice but to cede the initiative, and it would be Dorian Nishimura taking advantage of that, a pass from Silva setting up a simple tap-in to put the Spiderlings up one-nil a fifth of the way through the game, and VAR maintaining that lead after he was found to be just barely onside.

Evelyn Viburn, until then, had been just another nobody, someone who had been brought in from Sunrise after they won the SuperLeague a few years ago and since then had languished in charge of youth teams that hardly ever played anything. Now, she had shaken that status off. For all of twenty-three minutes. The U18 champions wanted to prove that that goal was a fluke, and by the end of the first half, they largely would, with the ball in the Martian half for seventy-four percent of the time - not what Viburn was aiming for. Along the way, Zinchenko was finally bested, Marlon getting past Stevie Banda, the second-youngest player on the team, and once they had failed there was no winning that one-on-one for Pavl.

The thing about "on this side of the pitch" statistics halfway through is that it doesn't account for environmental factors, like the sun being in your eyes or the pitch being ever so slightly sloped. The former was definitely true for La Furia Azule in the second half, as Farrel had a hand always up holding the role of an impromptu hat. They were still the better team, and it clearly showed, but the environmental conditions wore them down, as it would wear anyone down, and after a through ball from Dodgson to Velazquez, the Cardenaoan keeper was just too slow. Now, La Furia Azule needed a second goal, and after the Spiderlings tricked them into an elegantly designed offside trap, their spirit was broken. They got more and more desperate with the attack, and after Lenny Nero was dispossessed, the men in blue and gold just didn't have enough people back to deal with Nishimura. He would double the Spiderlings' lead, Alice Dodgson getting her second assist credit on the day, and from there, it was all over but the shouting.

The Spiders next play Tikariot, who are undefeated through two games, in a test of whether this win was just a fluke or a sign of something bigger.

[Lisander]

Lisander 1-0 Chromatika
LIS: Misano 44'

Caddo
Lisander U21 NT Hotel

"Atlas is a small, chilly mountain town… Not cold enough to freeze… but it always snows in winter. The town itself lies at the foot of the mountains. Mount Atlas, the second-highest peak in Lisander, rises to the north of the town, to the right of the road leading to Grandeville. Also to the north, but on the other side, lies the Rochedo Stadium. It’s an impressive, ultra-modern stadium, built on the site of an abandoned quarry. The investor who bought the club paid to have the quarry closed down and the whole site demolished, so that the stadium could be built without the risk of it collapsing. They say the ground level dropped by about 5 metres and the area had to be cordoned off for weeks… But that was back in the 2000s, well before Atlas reached the Premiership.” Christopher Castell, the team’s centre-back, was speaking to his team-mate Tiago Lyons as if he were a tour guide.

“Chris, has anyone ever told you that you sound just like that emoji, the ‘ackshually’ one? Mate, I can’t give you that answer right now. I need to have a word with my parents… I can’t just say: ‘Oh, well, after my hat-trick, the Atlas FC lads asked me to go and play for them, and I decided to go…’” Tiago Lyons seemed a bit annoyed at being scouted just as he was trying to play a bit of video games, to relax after returning to Caddo after facing Chromatika.

"I know, I know... all right... I’ll stop talking. But anyway, it’s a really nice place, and the rent’s really cheap. Rebeca’s rented a flat for us for 200 Lises a month – a real bargain! She wanted to move out of her parents’ house, and when the opportunity came up, she was the first to back us, saying she was ready. The town itself only has about 50,000 inhabitants, so the cost of living is really low. If you want more action or entertainment, Grandeville is just a stone’s throw away...”

“You just keep on talking, even if you say you would stop. Look… I’ll think about it… But anyway, unlike you, I’m off to the Academy. Low wages and image rights, that’s it… No signing bonus, right… I know full well how things work… I play Manager Simulator… And I pay close attention to the financial side of things.”

"OK, I don’t know about that… But as I said, the low cost of living might make up for it for you… Not to mention they’ve got halls of residence and everything… Well, the offer’s in your hands. Have a think about it and then get back to me so I can pass it on to the director over there…” Castell gave Lyons a pat on the shoulder and left his team-mate’s room, leaving him with his own thoughts and his handheld gaming device.

As soon as Christopher left the room, closing the door behind him, Lyons tossed his games console onto the table and began celebrating wildly!

"YEEESS!! WOOOOOW!!! PREMIERSHIP HERE I GO!!! ATLAS FC, WOOOOOO!!!” He said, or at least his lips pronounced, but the voice never left his mouth, as he celebrated effusively the fact he had finally would secure a new contract. He was getting scared he wouldn't be able to find a new team to play. "Man, I should start a new save game and study this team a lot...”

[Valanora]

Reaching the halfway stage of the groups, are you comfortable or feeling the pressure? Matchday 3 Cutoff

Matchday 3

Group A
Kamijiro 3–1 Andso Mangis
Natkr 4–0 Polaxia

P Group A                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Natkr                                 2   2  0  0    5   0  +5    6
2 Valanora                              2   2  0  0    5   1  +4    6
3 Kamijiro                              3   1  1  1    7   6  +1    4
4 Polaxia                               3   0  1  2    5  12  −7    1
5 Andso Mangis                          2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

Group B
Tikariot 0–1 The Martian Independent Republic
Lionsroar 0–0 The Kytler Peninsulae

P Group B                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Martian Independent Republic      2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Tikariot                              3   1  1  1    4   4   0    4
3 Cardenao                              2   1  0  1    2   3  −1    3
4 Lionsroar                             2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
5 The Kytler Peninsulae                 3   0  1  2    2   4  −2    1

Group C
TJUN-ia 3–2 Aphrilia
Dantopia 2–1 Serdtgyu

P Group C                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Dantopia                              2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 Aphrilia                              2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
3 New Rotterdam City                    2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
4 Serdtgyu                              3   1  0  2    3   4  −1    3
5 TJUN-ia                               3   1  0  2    5   6  −1    3

Group D
Warkus 1–0 Katzeburg
Solgavden 3–3 Snestar

P Group D                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Snestar                               3   2  1  0    9   4  +5    7
2 Warkus                                3   2  0  1    3   3   0    6
3 Katzeburg                             2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
  Solgavden                             2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1
5 Jaliserra                             2   0  1  1    0   3  −3    1

Group E
Chromatika 1–0 Zenic
The Golden Throne 0–0 Lisander

P Group E                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lisander                              3   2  1  0    7   2  +5    7
2 The Golden Throne                     2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
3 Chromatika                            3   1  0  2    2   3  −1    3
4 Zenic                                 2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1
5 Grand Hilal                           2   0  1  1    3   7  −4    1

[Dantopia]

Second Successive Win Solidifies Dantopia At Top Of Group Table
By Henry Vinagre

---

 Donna Cathedral
DANTOPIA 2-1 SERDTGYU
HALF TIME: 2-0
Apeti 20' Gull 90+1'
Bing 39'

MAR SARA, VALANORA — Dantopia's South Pacific derby against Serdtgyu went almost as smoothly as it could, after the 'Young Lions' took a commanding 2-0 lead and held it for much of the match, before a late-game mistake at the back gifted the opposition a solitary goal back. Two first-half goals from Alexander Apeti and Bradley Bing were enough to maintain Dantopia's lead, even with the error from Tobert Wells towards the closing stages, and a second straight victory has propelled the Dantopians to the top of Group C after the third round of matches, with Sydney Hawthorne's men having a bye in match-day two.

Mansanduni Union's intrepid winger Apeti would open the scoring after twenty minutes, following an initial phase of play where the Dantopians dominated the possession, pinning 'The Calves' back into a low block. The ball was passed around the area, with each forward player getting a touch, before an expertly timed run in behind from Miles West was met by an equally well-timed pass through from Clayton Thorpe. West's job of sliding the ball along the six-yard line for his club teammate to finish couldn't have been an easier one, with seemingly all the time in the world to get the pass just right for the onrushing Apeti at the back-post. The Serdtgyuans wouldn't sit back the entire game though and had several spirited attacks in-between Dantopia's two goals. Twenty-year old Danul Verskimonsti played in an advanced midfield role as if he had a point to prove, doggedly determined to fetch something from the game for his side. He made Beau Bonds' job difficult at times, though the Dartford City ace was able to recover in time to deny Verskimonsti the opportunities afforded to him.

Twenty-one-year-old winger Ervis Yumberg had a better time of it than his counterpart on the other side of the pitch — sixteen-year-old Zuvirm Eekfiv — who, whilst talented, struggled for physicality against Billy Boateng who is five years his senior. Yumberg had the beating of Milo Armellini a few times, but his prospective crosses into the box were well-marshalled away by one of Kershaw-Vale or Wells in the centre. However, it would be the turn of Dantopia to put on the pressure once more, and a promising run down the left flank by Miles West was brought to an abrupt stop by defender Irv Asthom, who's reckless challenge earned the eighteen-year-old a yellow card. The resulting free kick on the edge of the area was lifted into the box by Clayton Thorpe, and the height and physicality of the Dantopian players in the area was no match for Serdtgyu, as Bradley Bing got his head on the end of the set-piece to hammer home a Dantopian second six minutes before half-time.

Dantopia would protect the lead for much of the second half by slowing the tempo and keeping hold of the possession, with the Calves unable to retrieve the ball for long spells, though the ponderous nature of Dantopia's play did begin to grate with fans in the stadium who were eager for a more action-packed match. Hawthorne's more cautious approach may not be to the liking of everyone, but it was certainly a more controlled and professional performance compared to the back-and-forth action from the TJUN-ia game in match-day one. River Storme was rarely called into action all match, which may have contributed to his poor positioning following a lack of concentration from Tobert Wells in the dyeing embers of the ninety minutes. Wells, aiming to play a line-breaking ball forward, instead gave it away to the pressing striker Estede Gull, who certainly didn't fluff his lines on one of few chances for him in the match. He absolutely rifled his shot past Storme, who was defending the near post, only to expose the far side of the goal for Gull to strike the ball into.

The error was a bit of a spoiler for the Dantopian players, who had almost seen out the match flawlessly. Substitute performances from Leandro Payne, Malik Mooney and Omar Razzouk were all promising and leave the manager Hawthorne with some decisions to make for his next starting eleven. For Daniel Barbosa, it wasn't his finest showing, and he may well be relegated back to the bench before Dantopia's third game, after scoring as an impact substitute in the first match. Payne was particularly unfortunate not to add a third to Dantopia's tally earlier in the second-half, after he waltzed through a tiring Serdtgyuan defence, only for goalkeeper Avris Arim to make a fingertip save to deny the Pontmeosont man.

Group C Di Bradini Cup 62
POSTEAMPWDLGFGAGDPTS
1  Dantopia            2  2  0  0  5  3  +2  6
2  Aphrilia            2  1  0  1  4  4  0  3
-  New Rotterdam City  2  1  0  1  3  3  0  3
4  Serdtgyu            3  1  0  2  3  4  -1  3
-  TJUN-ia             3  1  0  2  5  6  -1  3

Following match-day three, Dantopia are the sole side ahead of the pack in Group C, sitting pretty on six points, surely enough to see them through to the Round of 16. Every other side in Group C has three points, with both New Rotterdam City and Aphrilia — Dantopia's next opponents — ahead of Serdtgyu and TJUN-ia on goal-difference. The Young Lions will stay put in the city of Mar Sara for the time being, with the next fixture being held at Artani, home of seven-time Vanorian Premiership-winning Mar Sara FC. Following that match, Sydney Hawthorne's men will travel to Valanari for the final fixture against the aforementioned New Rotterdam City, who sat out of this most recent round of fixtures — having also defeated Serdtgyu 2-1 like Dantopia did, in match-day one.

The match against Aphrilia is the one the Dantopians have had marked in their calendars since the groups were drawn, with the 'Junior Anchors' keen to get back into the latter stages of the Di Bradini Cup, following their Round of 16 exit last time around. Manager Anthony Christwell has thus far guided his side to a win over New Rotterdam City, before falling narrowly to TJUN-ia in match-day three. Twenty-year-old team captain Adelaide Swan is the star that the Dantopian back-line will be tasked with stopping, though twenty-one-year-old Sullivan McColl and nineteen-year-old Donnovan Mitchell-Harris round out an impressive front three for the Aphrilians. This fixture could very well determine who tops Group C when the dust settles, so Hawthorne's side will be fully focussed on trying to secure the three points with another top performance. Let's hope the last-minute defensive blunders have been put firmly in rear-view mirror.

---

Expected Line-up — MD4 vs. Aphrilia:

Starting Eleven:
GKP: 1. River Storme
DEF: 2. Omar Razzouk — 5. Maleko Kershaw-Vale — 4. Isaac MacArthur — 19. Billy Boateng
MID: 20. Bradley Bing (C) — 6. Beau Bonds — 14. Clayton Thorpe
FWD: 7. Alexander Apeti — 10. Miles West — 17. Leandro Payne
Available Substitutes:
13. Loxley Steele — 3. Nathanial Robinson-Grimes — 8. Malik Mooney — 9. Daniel Barbosa — 11. Tybalt Fox — 12. Tobert Wells — 15. Ryan Christopher — 16. Milo Armellini — 18. Daniel Okafor

[TJUN-ia]

After we fell to a 0-2 start, the Young Jaguars of TJUN-ia's U21s were now in crisis mode. Again. It always seemed to happen to us, but our Young Jags don't seem to be harmed by it all. It just sucks to have no end to producing all these stars for the national team, yet we can't translate that into any sort of form for our developmental program. It isn't an issue exclusive to Wu Tseng-Kuo, as even PvO had his struggles to get out of the group stage with this unit, but it still kinda felt bad that despite all the joy this sport has given us, the U21s have been left out of it all. But can that change?

Many were hoping for some form of rebound in the Rose Gardens of Kareen against a decent footballing nation like Aphrilia and, shockingly enough, that was exactly what happened. It wasn't easy at all, but this five-goal thriller might've been the spark we needed to push for the Playoffs. The first half was a tight affair between WTK and Anthony Christwell, with Marshawn Johnson and Sullivan McColl scoring just 5 minutes apart, but the 2nd half was much more dramatic. The Captain of the Junior Anchors, Adelaide Swan, put them 2-1 up with 20 minutes left to play, but back-to-back strikes from Omar Kallah in the 77th and 81st minutes would end up being enough to seal the deal. Finally, some joy upon TJUN-ian youth football...thank goodness for that.

So now, we are under a two-step program to try and reach the knockout stage:
1) try and beat New Rotterdam City in Gladerial
2) pray
3) profit???

GO YOUNG JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group C)
MD1: vs Dantopia - Raynor Memorial, Hondo L 2-3 (3rd)
MD2: vs Serdtgyu - Caddo Park, Caddo L 0-1 (5th)
MD3: vs Aphrilia - Rose Gardens, Kareen W 3-2 (5th)
MD4: vs New Rotterdam City - Tiradir, Gladerial
MD5: BYE

[Zenic]

"Yeah, I've got no ideas at this point," Paškal uttered in slight dismay.

Regina, Paškal, and several other staff members were all huddled in a hotel room together in Wexax, a couple of streets away from Castle de Mot where their third game of this group stage would take place. But before their confrontation with The Golden Throne, currently second in Group E, they were trying to find out what truly had gone wrong in their first two games against Grand Hilal and Chromatika to put them in fourth place with a decent shot of being eliminated themselves should they lose at Castle de Mot.

"Certainly not the training. We started a few weeks before the Di Bradini Cup to build some cohesion and we've kept up the practices at a similar pace and intensity. Plus, they've all trained with clubs that are in or have recently played in the Campeonato and / or IFCF. Thus, conditioning should not be an issue and adjusting to playing with new teammates should be nothing new," pointed out on staffer. Many in the room nodded.

"Could be chemistry? A lot of these players are on direct rivals or on teams competing for titles that naturally end up facing each other with said title on the line. It's not really an issue for the Survivors since most of the squad plays abroad on different clubs across different leagues and only really face each other in the IFCF. Other than that, they meet outside of futbol and on the national team in more positive scenarios." That was one of the first legitimate concerns anyone had brought up in recent days. Every national team underneath the Survivors was made up of almost exclusively folks playing in the Empire. Some of them were bound to move on to distant shores sooner rather than later but at this moment, they were all on teams competing for one of Zenic's several domestic titles: the Campeonato Zenician, the Cup of the Emperor, the Zenician Challenger League, or the Empirical Super Cup.

"Maybe it's just philosophical." Everyone turned to face the source of the voice: Tihomir Živko Horvat. The 24 year old was a reclusive fellow who was always reading a manager's or player's memoir and scribbling ideas or formations that could work in a notebook he always was carrying around with him. He thankfully wasn't antisocial and actually was one of the better training session talkers on the staff who was always able to answer any question the players or fellow coaches had. Although, several in the room found it strange that he spoke up since he normally spends that time taking notes on what everyone was discussing. "Elaborate," Regina asked.

"I ran into Mr. Zys at the FZF offices a month and a half ago. We were able to exchange ideas and trends that we noticed. One trend that we had both noticed independently was that almost all levels of Zenician futbol were getting better defensively but suffering offensively despite no inherent change in strategy. We're allowing a significantly lower amount of goals in a cycle than at any point in Zenician international futbol history yet scoring at a slightly lower pace. It's why we're able to do well in competitions with long qualifiers but are so extreme in results in shorter competitions. Example: our results eventually plateau on a mostly winning record in the World Cup Qualifiers but then we have to get luck involved when we actually reach the World Cup group stage itself to reach the knockouts before getting knocked out."

"So, how does that explain what's going on?"

"Effectively, we haven't changed; everyone else has changed so much that it feels like we've changed," Horvat continued. "This edition of the DBC is a microcosm of this issue: everyone except for Grand Hilal are more aggressive and attack-oriented than Zenic on average. Thus, our slightly less aggressive and attack-focus style just ends up naturally more defensive on average. Are we getting better defenders thanks to the ZFLS' influence? Of course. But we're also getting better attackers, midfielders, and goalkeepers as well so it can't purely rest on the shoulders of our players."

"What would be your recommendations?," Regina asked. While Horvat was on the younger side, Regina and Paškal as well as Zys and Federation President Killian recognized the immense potential in the prospective manager, which is why they took his suggestions seriously whenever he bounced around national team levels. "We can't really change anything at this point since it would both be on too short notice and would most likely not resolve the overall issue at hand. Realistically, we push as far as we can with our tried-and-tested method and then head over to the FZF HQ after the tournament for a lengthy discussion."

Everyone was already focusing their attention on Horvat but now everyone was REALLY paying attention. "Are you suggesting we change the overall philosophy of the national team system?" Regina and Paškal straightened up once they both realized what Horvat was actually saying. "It's not something that should be done without planning but if the trend continues, we may have no choice if we wish to stay relevant and competitive. But that should be discussed for a later day. As of now, we're on the outside looking in on the DBC playoffs with our only guaranteed shot of making them is by winning our last two matches."

The whole group decided to agree with the last statement and began working on ways to improve results in the immediate future: different substitutions, earlier or later substitutions, letting certain players swap positions in open play, etc. It almost seemed as if everyone wanted to distract themselves from a potential culture and generational shifting change and were distracting themselves with the chase for U-21 playoff futbol.

If this was the last DBC played under the philosophy originally implemented by Zys, then they felt responsible for making sure they went out on a high note like it deserved.

[Chromatika]

In Neva Hyden's first game in the starting lineup, and Edwin Vrockeath's second replacing Maisa Vedott, Elias Ritter had another solid game, Odwin Rang finally scored the Young Anomailes' first goal from a striker, and Chromatika remained alive in the tournament by eking out a win over Zenic in Di Bradini Cup action.

Hyden, who was in the game due to Ferris Winn's injury, shined in the shadow striker role, often combining the long crosses from Riley Fossbender and Quentin Nicholson with some deft footwork to set up Odwin Rang with better chances. Despite only having a shot on goal herself, she created four more chances for Rang, and one of those instances in the fifty-first, the tall Rang was able to corral the ball to the left corner of the net to score the only goal of the match.

Defensively, Edwin Vrockeath has earned the right to be in the conversation to start even when Maisa Vedott returns. It helps that Emil Larsen on the other side of the central defense hasn't been the best - the Coaching Staff may move to putting both Vedott and Vrockeath on the pitch at the same time when the Captain returns - but it's been Vrockeath taking advantage of the opportunity, clearing three corners, playing solid defense in transition, and being at the right place at the right time in most occurrences as Elias Ritter only had to make six saves on the match.

The result keeps the Young Anomalies back in contention of a Round of Sixteenth berth. They'll need to beat their finale with Grand Hilal to improve to 6 points, and then hope in Matchday 5 that the 6 points will be enough by the end. The way that they've been playing defensively after the first matchup against The Golden Throne has been what the team is the most excited about, and if they are able to advance to the knockout rounds, they'll be able to try the combination of Vedott and Vrockeath instead of Larsen taking up a spot. Hyden helped set up Rang for the goal, and with Winn also not scheduled to be designated to return until at least the end of the Group Stage, there may be some lineup controversies there as well if the Young Anomalies are able to advance.

Two goals in three matches is hardly the amount that you want, especially in a youth competition like this; however, there is no running away from the fact that at least in this iteration of the tournament, they are winning games because of defense.

"He is reading the game well when he's out there, in position, and adjusting well to whatever is being thrown at him throughout the game without losing track," spoke Manager Akane Masahiro of Goalkeeper Elias Ritter, "We need to continue to give him the goal support that he needs, and he'll continue to award us with the solid performances that we expect of him going forward into the tournament."

Another standout player of the tournament so far is Aqua Cerro, the nineteen year old from Mountain District University that has already had some scouts from Farfadillis looking into him. The most offensive oriented right back Chromatika has had in a generation, he's been instrumental in getting the ball to the midfield and starting the attack. His ability to control the ball with either foot and jump-start the attack with a neat cross has been very handy to kickstart the very few opportunities that this team has to score.

Hopefully, they can keep ramping it up and get the win over Grand Hilal by a margin enough to see them into the Playoffs.

[Aphrilia]

Frustration, oh how frustration swells. To concede two goals in the span of four minutes is the nature of frustration. Youth football that is.

The situation in Group C develops to become a rather complicated one. Four teams on three points, two of them having played three games. The other only two, with Aphrilia in the latter group. Dantopia, top of the group, is now the team to beat with Serdtgyu on the final matchday of the group stage. This is not a situation The Junior Anchors really want to be, as if things go south, they may find themselves getting knocked out of the tournament in the group stage. And considering their objective... That wouldn't be good.

Adelaide Swan lays on the bed in the room she was assigned to. She had been performing well so far as a player, but as a team captain... She knew she had been poor. There was a lack of leadership from her, and the lack of that caused the defense to crumble late into the match. "Seriously, how do you be a captain..." She muttered to herself. "It's not something you pick up immediately. Just gotta learn with time." Adelaide swerves her head to see her roommate, Samantha Addie-Colton, respond while sketching.

"Yeah, but... Not like I have much time. Not like we have much time left on the team." Adelaide bit back. This was their final tournament, after all.

That, and either they get onto the senior team or fade into league obscurity. The former has a very little chance of happening. "You know coach is always considering things, right?" Samantha spoke out loud. As she erased a wrong line, Adelaide shrugs on the thought of it. "I don't know. Who'd even be considered to get a call-up from our batch now?" A rhetorical question, Adelaide knew. Samantha knew as well. Good performances weren't the sole factor on whether someone would get called up to the senior team.

There were a few rumors flying within the management, they say Zachary Maximillian was one to be considered. Between Edward Elliot and Hannah Morgan-Keynes, The Anchors would certainly benefit from another attacking midfielder option. Another center back was considered, but it wasn't anyone on the youth team. Which meant that Samantha and the rest were out of it. And of course, an extra center forward. Donnovan Mitchell-Harris has been doing just fine, but Adelaide knew better. They were considering her.

She does play as a forward here and there, but the wing was where she grew up. It's why she's on the national team. "You got a good shot. So just use our time here to continue learning and grow. You know Lucia Strauss still has a habit of drifting inward and the likes of Brent Wallace and Mike Aston are relatively fine in terms of capabilities." Samantha stated before adding on. "Our coach sees something in you, Bianchi too. So if the time comes, trust their judgement." Adelaide thinks about it for a few moments.

"Whatever, I suppose." She remarked. Adelaide wasn't going to be captain again after this, call-up or not. Might as well deal with it until the end.

[Hamborn]

Polaxia lose 4 nil.

What a lose for the young of Polaxia, let's hope Polaxia returns in the next 2 matchs !

[Natkr]

Just Kick It.

---

produced by ReemSports

---

What a night at the Raynor Memorial Stadium, here in Hondo, Valanora. After receiving a bye matchday after the difficult 1-0 match against Kamijoro, Natkr returned to the pitch once again for their second match of the Under 21 World Cup 83/Di Bradini Cup 62, and gave the fans what they needed and deserved: a win. The fire inside Reynor Memorial was felt from the moment the teams walked out, but nobody in the crowd could even recognize what the slowly building national team of Natkr would do to a team just like Polaxia. From the opening moments of the match, Natkr played with composure and showed very quickly that they are a swift squad, listening carefully to the directions of Merrick Kista and playing for their country. This is something to warn the rest of Group A: the Green and Blue certainly ain't playing for fun, they playing to dominate.

First off, the bye matchday worked absolute wonders for Coach Kista especially, as he was able to work on the mistakes made from the first match, and develop a new system to effortlessly help the players change. While Kamijoro's game was all about grit and putting in the physical work needed, the training sessions for that week helped the team fix the attacking mechanics after a strong defensive performance, and making sure the team continues to press the ball. ReemSports reporters watched through the pre-match warmups, and we could confidently say they were over prepared for this game. It was a completely different type of energy, playing with the ball calm and focused. Kista's changes isn't a work in progress like the last game, because it has now became the main passion behind the team's identity, defined with ball circulation, counter pressing, and verticality between attack and defense.

[Kamijiro]

The Sparks Get A Win On the Board

After dropping their first match under manager Jair da Costa and getting into an eight-goal shootout which ended in a draw, the Sparks finally got their first win with a 3-1 victory over Andso Mangis. Kaminari Ryōsuke scored his first goal of the campaign after smashing one past Bertu Nemo from the penalty spot. The scoring was rounded out by Icarus Dexius and Tiago Santos.

The goals in the previous match, the four-all draw with Polaxia, were scored by Shirō Hanegawa, Desmond Ashcroft-Vale and two from Lucian Barrault.

===

Who is Lucian Berrault? All About the Technical Winger from Chamonix.

Personal Information
Name: Lucian Savinien Berrault
Age: 18
Birthplace: Trèves, Chamonix, Kamijiro
Birth Date: 19 February

Team Information
Current Club Team: Chamonix
Current National Team: Kamijiro U21 (The Sparks)

Senior Career (as player)
Team                 Apps  (Gls)
Chamonix              17     2

National Team Career (as player)
Nation           Caps    (Gls)
Kamijiro U21       3       2
Kamijiro           0       0

Titles Won
Chamonix Youth League Challenge (2x)
Kamijiro U17 Cup (1x)

Early Life
Lucian Berrault was born to two professors at Université de Trèves and grew up in an upper middle-class home in the local college town. From a young age, Berrault showed interest in the piano along with painting, ballet and football. As the child of two members of faculty at Université de Trèves, he had free access to the facilities there and honed his loves for these activities while learning techniques from experts in their fields. He starred in multiple ballet productions before cutting time back to focus on football.

Professional Career
His footwork is exceptional and he frequently can dribble out of tight spaces and create opportunities for others. A playmaking winger by trade, he stood out in the Chamonix Youth League Challenge as a prospect for the academies. He signed for the R.C. Trèves academy at age ten and started in their U17 side at age twelve. He was pulled up to the U21s at age fourteen before being bought by the then-Antepremier League side Chamonix F.C. for an undisclosed fee. He made his Antepremier League debut at sixteen years and twelve days, passing Keigo Nakaji's record for youngest debutant in the top two leagues. He scored his first-ever Antepremier League goal against Giverny, another Chamonix-based club. Chamonix won promotion to the Premier League in his first season with the club, though it came during a league restructuring year in which the top four clubs from the Antepremier League were all promoted.

National Team
Lucian briefly trained with the Kamijiroan National Team before being one of the ten players left off of the final roster for World Cup 101. He received his first official call-up in the form of the U21 side, the Sparks. He debuted against Naktr and scored his first two goals against Polaxia.

Personal Life
Berrault is also a high-level chess player, with a domestic Elo of 2113. He has expressed interest in participating in international tournaments, but there is no official chess delegation for Kamijiroans seeking international competition. His parents have stated that while they are proud of his exploits on the pitch, they feel he is actually a better pianist than footballer.

[Valanora]

Matchday 4

Group A
Andso Mangis 1–3 Natkr
Valanora 5–4 Kamijiro

P Group A                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Natkr                                 3   3  0  0    8   1  +7    9     Q
2 Valanora                              3   3  0  0   10   5  +5    9     Q
3 Kamijiro                              4   1  1  2   11  11   0    4
4 Polaxia                               3   0  1  2    5  12  −7    1
5 Andso Mangis                          3   0  0  3    2   7  −5    0

Group B
The Martian Independent Republic 1–0 Lionsroar
Cardenao 4–2 Tikariot

P Group B                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Martian Independent Republic      3   3  0  0    5   1  +4    9     Q
2 Cardenao                              3   2  0  1    6   5  +1    6     Q
3 Tikariot                              4   1  1  2    6   8  −2    4
4 Lionsroar                             3   0  2  1    1   2  −1    2
5 The Kytler Peninsulae                 3   0  1  2    2   4  −2    1

Group C
Aphrilia 1–0 Dantopia
New Rotterdam City 2–2 TJUN-ia

P Group C                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Aphrilia                              3   2  0  1    5   4  +1    6     Q
2 Dantopia                              3   2  0  1    5   4  +1    6     Q
3 New Rotterdam City                    3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
4 TJUN-ia                               4   1  1  2    7   8  −1    4
5 Serdtgyu                              3   1  0  2    3   4  −1    3

Group D
Katzeburg 2–5 Solgavden
Jaliserra 2–2 Warkus

P Group D                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Snestar                               3   2  1  0    9   4  +5    7     Q
2 Warkus                                4   2  1  1    5   5   0    7     Q
3 Solgavden                             3   1  1  1    8   6  +2    4
4 Jaliserra                             3   0  2  1    2   5  −3    2
5 Katzeburg                             3   0  1  2    2   6  −4    1

Group E
Zenic 3–2 The Golden Throne
Grand Hilal 0–2 Chromatika

P Group E                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lisander                              3   2  1  0    7   2  +5    7     Q
2 Chromatika                            4   2  0  2    4   3  +1    6
3 Zenic                                 3   1  1  1    4   4   0    4
4 The Golden Throne                     3   1  1  1    4   4   0    4
5 Grand Hilal                           3   0  1  2    3   9  −6    1

[Dantopia]

Dantopia Defeated By Last Gasp Winner — Still Qualify For Round of 16
By Henry Vinagre

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 Artani
APHRILIA 1-0 DANTOPIA
HALF TIME: 0-0
Swan 90+4'

MAR SARA, VALANORA — The Dantopian U21 national team were agonisingly defeated by a last-ditch goal from Aphrilia, courtesy of team-captain Adelaide Swan. The first loss of the Di Bradini Cup group stage hasn't deflated the 'Young Lions' quite yet, though, as they are second in Group C, only behind the 'Junior Anchors' on head-to-head, and they have also automatically qualified for the Round of 16 based on results from elsewhere. They have one match remaining, against New Rotterdam City in Valanari to better their group standing. Winning the following match would put them in a solid position on nine points, either topping the group outright or staying second behind Aphrilia, based on their own final match against Serdtgyu. However, a loss against New Rotterdam City could see the Dantopians fall in the group table, most likely to third place, though a fourth placed finish isn't mathematically impossible. Regardless, Sydney Hawthorne's men have done enough already against TJUN-ia and Serdtgyu to book their place in the knock-out stages — a superb effort for their first Di Bradini Cup appearance.

The match-up against Aphrilia proved to be a spirited affair, with both teams sharing the possession and the chances throughout. Despite the scoreline remaining goalless well into injury time, either side could have scored on several occasions. The first attempt at goal was supplied by Donnovan Mitchell-Harris, who bounded onto a deflected cross from Sullivan McColl, narrowly sliding the ball wide of the mark, much to the relief of River Storme in the Dantopian net. Not long after, the Pacific FC number one would be called into action again, this time to deny a long ranger from Zachary Maximillian, who's outside of the box effort was headed for the bottom left corner, instead parried behind for the first Aphrilian corner, of which nothing amounted. The Dantopian back-line, tweaked from the previous match with the additions of Omar Razzouk and Isaac MacArthur, were able to claim defensive headers well throughout the match, recording a rare, collective one-hundred percent win-rate on defensive duals. The addition of the 6'4" MacArthur contributed greatly to this achievement.

At the other end of the park, Dantopia's forward line had their own share of chances. Leandro Payne and Alexander Apeti both had curling efforts go wide of the mark, before Miles West came closest early on. His low, driven shot fizzed off the goalkeeper Tristan Elton's gloves, with a wicked backspin that left the keeper scrambling for the loose ball behind him, but Elton recovered and collected the ball before it could cross the goal line. The first half saw continued back and forth action, and the two sides would both up the ante, equalling each other in striking the woodwork. Dantopia would be first to graze the post, when Leandro Payne's strike from outside the box cannoned off the upright, before Aphrilia's Victoria Lancaster-Rayne would have her own pile-driving effort from distance ricochet off the crossbar and over for a goal kick. Again, River Storme looked relieved, and he seemed to be counting his lucky stars that the shot didn't hit the back of the net, such was the ferocity it was struck with. The match would remain goalless at the interval, as the two teams entered their respective dressing rooms.

The second half carried on in much the same way the first half started. Aphrilia would have a deflected cross find its way yet again to Mitchell-Harris, who this time would find the back of the net, only to be called back for offside. He was at least two yards off, and the Dantopian defence didn't look particularly troubled when the ball went in, trusting that the correct decision would be made. Knowing that not all refereeing decisions are always made correctly, however, the U21 national team fans in the stadium were noticeably more concerned at first, before the correct decision was reached on the pitch. Miles West would have another effort knocked away by Elton, who grew much more confident as the game matured, following his rather untidy save in the first half. In fact, he was arguably the Junior Anchors' best player in the second half, as Dantopian attacking efforts persisted. Apeti would dart into the box following a mazy run to beat Nathaniel Klein-Azgar, and the young Mansanduni Union star would strike the ball well at Elton, but the Aphrilian keeper stood firm to deny the Dantopian. Bradley Bing and Leandro Payne would both have stinging efforts batted away, and Beau Bonds was able to wrap his foot around one from 25 yards, but it proved no match for the Junior Anchors shot stopper, who seemed determined to maintain his side's clean sheet at all costs.

Finally, in the dying moments of the match, an Aphrilian attack would pay dividends. A tiring Omar Razzouk would be beaten for pace by Adelaide Swan to a long ball lifted over the top. Swan seemed to have saved just enough energy for a final burst towards the box following the expertly weighted lofted ball from substitute Lucian Hethersford. From one-on-one positions, Swan isn't known for fluffing her lines, and she indeed she wouldn't. River Storme was unable to deny the twenty-year-old ace her goal, as she placed it past the Pacific FC keeper at his far post, opening up her stance perfectly to create the superior shooting angle. It was a textbook finish for any inside forward, and a disheartening moment for the Dantopian back-line, who had worked so hard to deny the Junior Anchors any meaningful chances in the last twenty minutes, except for this final one. There was practically no time left for Dantopia to muster a response, and Sydney Hawthorne's side had to settle for their first loss after three matches played.

Group C Di Bradini Cup 62
POSTEAMPWDLGFGAGDPTS
1  Aphrilia            3  2  0  1  5  4  +1  6
2  Dantopia            3  2  0  1  5  4  +1  6
3  New Rotterdam City  3  1  1  1  5  5  0  4
4  TJUN-ia             4  1  1  2  7  8  -1  4
5  Serdtgyu            3  1  0  2  3  4  -1  3

News would come out after the match that, despite the loss, the Dantopian U21s have still qualified for the Round of 16. They will not know who their opponent will be in this fixture until the final round of group stage matches are played. Dantopia still must play New Rotterdam City themselves, at Duran Palace in Valanari, home of Athletic Club Valanari, who were recently relegated from the Vanorian top-flight. Still, the 51,000-seater stadium has proven a fine venue at this tournament, having also hosted the Chromatika vs. The Golden Throne game in match-day one and the Warkus vs. Katzeburg in match-day three. The Young Lions can only focus on getting a result from their final match against 'De Jong Oranjen', who have had a mixed bag of results thus far, winning one, drawing one and losing one. Team captain Rein Meyers will be eager to help shut out the Dantopian attack just as the Aphrilians did in the previous match, and therefore, the onus will be on the Young Lions forward line to grab a goal or two, to help see them finish the group stages strongly. Whatever the result, it's fantastic to have the Dantopians through to the next round, meaning more football is still to be played by Sydney Hawthorne's side following this next fixture. How far they can make it in this tournament, however, will be anyone's guess.

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Expected Line-up — MD5 vs. New Rotterdam City:

Starting Eleven:
GKP: 1. River Storme
DEF: 16. Milo Armellini — 5. Maleko Kershaw-Vale — 12. Tobert Wells — 3. Nathanial Robinson-Grimes
MID: 20. Bradley Bing (C) — 8. Malik Mooney — 14. Clayton Thorpe
FWD: 7. Alexander Apeti — 11. Tybalt Fox — 17. Leandro Payne
Available Substitutes:
13. Loxley Steele — 2. Omar Razzouk — 4. Isaac MacArthur — 6. Beau Bonds — 9. Daniel Barbosa — 10. Miles West — 15. Ryan Christopher — 18. Daniel Okafor — 19. Billy Boateng

[Chromatika]

It turns out that this lineup actually works.

Ritter; Cerro - Vrockeath - Larsen - Fischer; Fossbender - Cantwell - Nicholson (C) - Dott; Hyden - Rang.

Two substitutes due to injury, and two wins.

This time, Neva Hyden scored a goal herself, Carly Dott scored on a set piece, and the Young Anomalies won their second game in a row to all but secure a spot in the knockout rounds. If Zenic beats Lisander and The Golden Throne betas Grand Hilal, the Young Anomalies could finish in fourth; however, the best fourth placed team will also be there, and the odds of Chromatika falling out of that spot is very, very miniscule.

The insertion of Hyden has absolutely turned the way that the team the ball up the pitch. Her ability to both shoot and pass the ball along has given them another option that they didn't have - and the way that she is playing along with Fossbender and Dott in a way that Ferris Winn did not is frankly just different.

Add in the fact that for the third game in a row, Vrockeath looked very well settled in Vedott's absence, and Elias Ritter was cleared to pitch another clean sheet. With Vedott slated to return after Chromatika's Bye, Head Coach Akane Masahiro has stated the starting lineup will be as follows:

Ritter; Cerro - Vedott (C) - Vrockeath - Fischer; Fossbender - Cantwell - Nicholson - Dott; Hyden - Rang.

There is no denying the fact that Emil Larsen has been the worst defender in the middle, especially with how Vrockeath showed he can step in for Vedott. Vedott is stronger than both of them, and is the Captain; so, it'll be Vrockeath stepping in alongside Vedott for the matchup against whoever they will face.

It also helps that when Vedott can actually put the ball in play to Cantwell and Nicholson, something that this team hasn't done since her absence. It's going to be fascinating to see just how the team evolves with Hyden's inclusion and Vedott's return, along with Vrockeath taking over for Larsen.

The two hidden gems for Chromatika have been the play of Riley Fossbender and Carly Dott. They're quick, they're creative, and they're the duo that are creating most of the magic - though Nicholson is also doing his part. Dott's curling free kicks have puzzled many a keeper; they'll continue to play from the wings and help the front two get the goals needed.

After two dismal games to start the tournament, the Young Anomalies have done what is needed to find their way in the tournament barring a miracle. Can they build upon it even with all the continuing changes in the lineups?

They've shown the mental grit, at least.

[Lisander]

UNDER THE GAZE OF NAVARRE, A VERY MIXED LISANDER U-20 SIDE DRAWS GOALLESS WITH THE EMPIRE OF THE GOLDEN THRONE

Martin Carvalho and Rafael Martins, from Gladerial, Valanora

Lisander 0-0 Golden Throne

Now we know why Tirso Henriques put up a very different team from the matches before to face Golden Throne. Our field reporter, Rafael Martins, was able to spot a person in the stands reserved for FLF in the stadium: the coach of Adult NT, Ricardo Navarre. He is looking at young players, as he is set to coach the U23 group (plus three overage) that will take part in next Olympic Football Tournament. The starter eleven for that match had Assis; Cavalcanti, Navarro, "Digo" Lima, Dias; Nogueira, Melo and Jovi Clemente; Simões, Alfort and Laval., by halftime, Jovi Clemente was replaced by William Lopes and Laval was replaced by André Belard, the last two players who hadn't yet played in the competition. The remaining three subs came in 70th minute, with Assis leaving for Hércules Sousa return below the crossbar, Meine replaced Melo and Thomas Navarro was replaced by Segall, the captain. Unfortunately, despite conquering another ball possession win, this time a "modest" 57% against 43% of the opposition, they could not transform these opportunities in actual scoring, and even sixteen different players weren't enough to do anything more than a nil-nil.

Rafael Martins' sources informed that since Lisander is already qualified, and Mr Navarre will be present in the next match also, Mr Henriques probably will modify the lineup again for the next match, in Gladerial, against the third-placed team of the group, the national team of Zenic.

[Solgavden]

The following two chirps perfectly sums up Solgavden's previous match against Snestar.

solgavish.nt

3h

Feelin' Good - Halftime: Solgavden 3-0 Snestar #SGDSNE

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zero.regerts

3h

Good work from the kids out there!! That's what we want to see!!

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hawk.ward

3h

SMOKING THAT SNESTAR PACK

solgavish.nt

1h

Fulltime: Solgavden 3-3 Snestar #SGDSNE

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zero.regerts

1h

what the hell just happened

---

hawk.ward

1h

I turned the game off at 80', what the fuck happened?!

Suffice to say, their performance wasn't good enough.

One draw and one loss so far put De Rega Röda tied for third place with Katzeburg, with only one point to their names so far. Anders Lyngstad and his staff, now at their hotel in Bexar, worked long into the night to brainstorm ideas of how to turn their fortunes around. He'll be the first to admit it, his game plan after the first half was abysmal. The Solgavish players came out in a more defensive shape, and when the Snestaryans played aggressively to try and retake the lead, his players were unable to adapt. To make matters worse, David Geiszler, a player Lyngstad included on his roster because of his intensity, picked up a direct red card when he laid in a reckless tackle on Veronica Lodigiani, giving Snestar an easy goal with the ensuing penalty. Going into the match against Katzeburg, Lyngstad made the remarkably easy decision to bench Geiszler in favor of Vennesberg United defender Arlo Dorrian, who has yet to start for either club or country. Dorrian’s main strength is how utterly mediocre he is, Lyngstad can trust that he won’t put the team in jeopardy by getting carded at the worst possible times. As for the rest of the lineup, Lyngstad and his staff decided to swap midfielders Jacob Almstedt with Levi Schroeder, and strikers Karsten Stefansan with Oliver Gold. Gold in particular should raise the quality of the team’s offense, as he has led Relv Elharad’s offense for the past two seasons.

During the game itself, they would soon put this new lineup to the test, as even before most of the fans were settled in their seats, Solgavden was already on the scoreboard. Soon after the referee blew her whistle, Kistner kicked off by passing the ball back to Kandukuri, who then took off into the opposing half. Aided by defensive midfielder Helena Hoffman, the duo passed back and forth between each other as they marched down the field, and with three forwards driving into the box, the Katzeburgian defense soon became overwhelmed. In fifteen seconds, the ball changed hands eight times, finally landing at the feet of midfielder Rikke Brandt, who struck it into the net with ferocity. On the sideline, manager Anders Lyngstad watched on in complete bewilderment. The strategy was to start off by immediately putting pressure on the Katzeburgians, but not even he could predict the team scoring so fast. Yet their opponents would not let this lightning fast goal deter them, and soon began to mount their counterattack. It began as small runs that were easily deflected by Solgavden’s midfield, then their forays into Solgavden’s half grew in intensity. Like a dam breaking, the Katzeburgians flooded into Solgavden’s final third, and with them having an advantage in numbers, they would score with impunity to end the first half. Tied at one apiece, Lyngstad would praise the Solgavish players for their efforts so far, but would reiterate that the job still wasn't over. Lyngstad would continue to tweak the lineup, bringing on striker Kasimir Beck to replace Pelle Rodberg. In the second half, this trio of strikers proved to have the magic touch. Kistner would bag his first goal in the 51st minute, thanks to a long pass by Helena Hoffman. The Katzeburgians would tie the game with their own goal in the 64th, but Kistner would respond soon, driving past defenders to put the ball in the net with an excellent finish. Kasimir Beck would get on the scoreboard for the first time this tournament when he showed his strength fighting off two defenders on his way to the box, slamming the ball into the goal. To end things on a high note, Thomas Kistner would seal his hat trick with a late penalty kick, courtesy of him being elbowed by a Katzeburgian center back. While his jaw still stings, he was still in high spirits when he was surrounded by his teammates, and given the match ball soon after the final whistle. For Anders Lyngstad, a decisive 5-2 victory was just what they needed to stay within the race for a Round of 16 spot, but they still had work to do against Jaliserra.

[Aphrilia]

"Good work, the lot of you! That's what I wanted to see, some good hard working football out there. We've punched our knockout ticket, go get some rest."

That was, in summary, what manager Anthony Christwell told the team after The Junior Anchors achieved victory over Dantopia's Young Lions. It was a long, back-and-forth affair that saw team captain Adelaide Swan break the deadlock at the end of the match with a shot to the far-post from her side. He clearly sees something good within the winger, and she has been on his list of plyers to recommend to call-up to the senior national team. There's a sense of flair and beauty to her play, but Swan was also willing to roughen up if needed.

Zachary Maximillian is the other player on the list. Christwell had been approached by Bianchi himself, stating that between Edward Elliot and Hannah Morgan-Keynes, The Anchors would appreciate another player who could play well in that attacking midfield role. This was also Maximillian's last tournament, as he would no longer be eligible to be on the team due to his age. He has all the markings of a national team player. Swan would have to be shifted from the wing to center forward, but he knows she can manage that.

But of course, not every new addition to the senior team will be from the youth team. Bianchi went off to find a center back to add to the senior team himself.

Despite working with him for so long, Christwell still doesn't understand the Crpostranian sometimes. He's moved from managing domestically in Saterun to Kanzlia, his job for the Aphrilian National Team is on the line after their poor IAC performance, and now he's looking for a center back with another different profile. But he's come to just accept whatever decision Bianchi makes. Christwell understands it as much, he doesn't always make the most sound or reasonable decisions. He makes them because he believes it'll work.

Bianchi is likely the same way, and The Junior Anchor's manager understands the pressure that's also on his back. Bianchi started everything well, winning the IAC on his debut and bringing Aphrilia as far as the Quarterfinals in the World Cup. But now, early Round of 16 knockouts in the IAC paired with losing to teams on miracle runs in the World Cup knockout stage is what's more recent in Aphrilian people's minds. Truthfully, Christwell doesn't have a grasp as to why this occurs. Maybe he never will, seeing that he's determined to stick with the youth team until they win the title or he dies whilst managing the team. There's still a lot more going on within his mind, however.

First of all, the plan is to start substitutes in Aphrilia's final group stage match in the DBC, just to give them all some game time. Secondly, Christwell, after some strong consideration, probably knows which player that Bianchi will call-up to the national team. Amelia Haze knowing and recommending to call up Silvie Grace-Holtzer was like plucking a feather out of a peacock, or some other comparison to finding a jewel under coal. Whatever the saying is. And lastly was Aphrilia's final group stage opponent.

Serdtgyu's Calves will be tough, seeing that they have everything to gain. But Christwell was confident that this substitute line-up can handle it.

APHRILIA STARTING XI v Serdtgyu (L TO R)
Nakagawa (C); Newark, Mosley-Adams, Adalbert, Genest; Hagel, Hethersford, O'Gall; Vandame, Fersworth, Mỹ Huệ

[Natkr]

Keep Bringing It

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produced by ReemSports

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What a time to be alive for the U21 Natkrian team. They felt absolutely electric again here in Valanora as they prepared for their third group-stage match of the Di Bradini Cup 62/U21WC83 after two dominant victories, now playing a desperate Andso Mangis team in need of a win. With six new points gained from the group thus far over wins against Kamijoro and Polaxia, Natkr came into the match with growing confidence, but everyone from ReemSports knew Andso Mangis would try to throw everything on the line just to protect their tournament's hopes. ReemSports stayed right on the pitch all of the matchday, and you could just feel the intensity growing as the match soon began. Andso Mangis came to fight for their tournament, needing a result to help them gain top 4 in the group to get a chance for knockout qualification. When you're desperate, you can often be strong, but the Natkrians weren't phased at all. Why would they? They had the power of confidence on their side. They had the same energy they carried from the matches against Polaxia and Kamijoro. Nothing would stop them.

Marrick Kista stuck his normal starting lineup from the last two matches, helping the team to get strong and ready. He did add some tactical tweaks to exploit the weak defensive transition of Andso Mangis. Rather than completely switching up the formation, which would confuse the team and create even more drama, Kista worked on ball movement and perfectly positioning his players. The former U15 World Cup-winning players (like Julian Brandt) led the marvelous charge on the pitch, bringing the common composure that had become the new normal for the Natkrian national team. From the openingg whistle, Andso Mangis put in their hardest, sending in balls through the box and connecting with their midfielders. They also focused on disrupting the build-up play between the Green and the Blue before they could even get started. In the first ten minutes, the team mainly battled with midfielders leading the charge for both teams. Elijah Blackwood worked with Julian Brandt to disrupt Andso Mangis from pressing high up and forcing rushed passes toward Natkr's side of the field. It was a genius decision to throw off the Natkrians very early in the game.