WORLD CUP 102 ꩜ Roleplay Thread

by **Saint Eleanor** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 10:30 am

OOC: Quoted responses from GB and Matsuda should be treated as interim filler while I await confirmation of the truth from EQS and Squid. The rest of this roleplay is as complete as I could have made it, given my unexpected work commitments as of late.

Group of Six meeting (CXXXVI) --- Central Esportiva 0-1 SAINT ELEANOR
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Lydia Vickers [C], Kichirō Matsuda [VC], Rosanna George [ballot]
Location: Home sweet home; Brightway district, Saint Eleanor city, EXT

I just couldn't think of a particularly appropriate place to hold this team meeting that I've been invited to deliver, as I've probably been to all of them before. I've therefore had no recourse but to invite the permanent members over to my place... which is a nice little flat above the shop that has everything I need, apparently not including enough oven space to cook for half a dozen people at once. I therefore did the next-best thing, which was to order a few takeout pizzas, a few drinks, and have a LOT of discussion about those!

So, without further ado... what do people think about the cheap frozen pizzas you can get from the shops? I've been told it was a topic of discussion at G6 recently! Out of ten, please...
- Me: 10/10, great idea if you're conked out on a Saturday evening, best enjoyed with a good beer and a trashy movie... or two if it's that cold!
- GB: Can't quite tell what she thinks about this
- Stephen: 7/10, not quite the best around but passable if needs must
- Reniira: 6/10, good but could have more variety
- Lydia: 9/10, great value for money and normally hits the spot
- Kichiro: 8/10, a sensible option for more or less any time of day you don't feel like cooking

Of course, you can watch a lot of stuff on your TV too, even if we've not quite gotten the hang of online livestreaming yet. I checked and I am paying $70/mo, more or less, for the base backage plus ETV Prime, ETV Cinema, and Matong - per package, I want to say about as good value per month as getting a ticket for the family. Do we think that home entertainment is making going to live events less relevant than before?
- Me: Kind of, of course there are these cost considerations but when you consider the extra cost of a really good TV, media player and discs it's going to run into the thousands. If you have Lydia's age or budget then yes but many Eleanorians either can't afford this or prefer the authenticity of going places
- GB: No comment at this time, I can understand if she likes the pizza though
- Stephen: No, you're going to get very bored very quickly otherwise
- Reniira: Not really, people were already not attending by choice or incapacity before technology happened
- Lydia: Yes, there's always that special something about live events but you can just swing by your friends' places or the other way around if you really want to watch something with your friends and keep yourself entertained particularly if it's cheap or convenient
- Kichiro: Don't think he's commented on this either but I'll wait

[The rest of this RP, which actually discusses the match with Central Esportiva, is coming soon! The current gameplan for Cothe Saria is to pivot to the reserves a bit more, given their paltry record and the fact we need to win five of our next six to auto-qualify, and Rosie absolutely will volunteer to take the hit if that means other folks get a fair chance.]

Rosie

Bill Henderson: "It's obvious for me to say I'm improving with every game"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers gets an insight into how Saint Eleanor's new playmaker on the block approaches the game
Originally published on Saturday 8th February 2020

As far as Bill Henderson is concerned, there is little more to football than focusing and delivering on the team's objectives. "Yes, I understand what [Kavezalea] Felaraneta was doing with his apparent showboatery - apparent, I must add - but he did what everyone in Saint Eleanor does. He understood his objectives, knew what he had to do, worked with all his teammates, and got on with it. So have I, for the club, at least."

Fit to his parents, Henderson insists that his time at Whitehammer Community School was "a time for being well-rounded more than anything. I wouldn't say I was good at everything, as such, but I was definitely more focused on the science-y stuff, the geography like my mum does, and I would have followed Dad into the Army had push come to shove. As you were, I just helped out at the grassroots level for a couple of years after I finished school." Much like Rosanna George, who I interviewed last week, Henderson was also an essential part of Whitehammer CS's 2012 Charles Trump Shield-winning squad, as well as the Newbanks United team that followed. "You do normally ask about the schools stuff first. I must say that I wasn't the one banging in the goals - I am no Kevin O'Leary - but I got the winner in the final, I helped out with a lot of goals, I helped out behind, and I did everything I could. Really, apart from that goal, there wasn't much special about me or what I did, though pretty much everyone older than me disagrees. I did agree with what Rosie said about Dazza, but I just told them that privately; no way was I going to make a song and dance, never mind a smash-hit musical, about the affair."

While it took Henderson a longer while to get going than normal - Rachel McNamara only called him up to the Newbanks team in 2015, years after his graduation - he got the hang of things quickly. "People have called me relatively well-rounded for a playmaker. I thought I just had to understand all sorts of skills to do my best in this role. Am I overtaking Gisken Aldra any time soon? Not really, not unless we're pivoting towards the reserves like has happened from time to time, but I feel like I have the skills the team requires and the difference needed to make an impact. For example, you can look at when I started in 2015 and what I did in the playoff: a couple of goals, which I felt I had to commit to given Rachel's insistence on having the team and not just the person be well-rounded; the winning penalty, though I almost picked a spot at random when it came to it; even the odd bit of tussling if that was necessary. It's obvious for me to say I'm improving with every game, but I've had my standout moments from time to time and I enjoy the fact I get to do both without being cocky about it."

As you would expect him to say, "I have been getting on very well with Rosie, even if she's shoutier and a bit more pointed than I am, and she should do even better than me. I talk to Gisken a good amount of the time and I respect them a lot, Kichiro Matsuda's given me my housewarming and I thought it pleasant, Lydia V[ickers] has been good and supportive even if I'm afraid to be too close to her for fear of favouritism - that was a big concern when I was just learning about football. Really, there's not an evil force in the camp, and I respect the folk here as I do." Does he get up to much when he's not on the field? "I do like talking to the veterans when I get the opportunity; just to tap into their minds, not necessarily to improve how I play, as we obviously have coaches. But I have learned more about what they think than you'd expect and I probably have enough resources at this stage to join Tina Falconer in writing a book!"

Bill Henderson may appear as though he is typically outspoken, overly generic, or simply an uneventful person - but in all honesty and reality, his grounded and flexible approach to the game should serve him and his team well for years to come.

by **Qusmo** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 10:33 am

The Mathletic
Informed analysis.

QSIM: World Cup 102 Qualifying odds at the midpoint
Which teams have seen their odds of making the Cup of Empires rise or fall?

All one hundred sixty-one participants in World Cup 102 Qualifying have reached the halfway point in their qualifying group journeys. No team has punched its ticket to Drawkland, the Holy Empire, or Ariddia quite yet, or even guaranteed a spot in the playoffs at a minimum. Every team still has some chance of making it to the tournament, no matter how unlikely. Still, for some teams, fans already feel ready to book their vacation plans: either to the host nations, or to, frankly, just about anywhere else. How likely is qualification for the top performers thus far? How much room do underperformers still have to turn things around? And just how confident should the wide range of teams battling it out in the middle be of reaching the World Cup?

In collaboration with the Margaret Institute at the University of Zube in the Kytler Pensinulae, the Mathletic is proud to introduce the Quantitative Sporting Index Model, or QSIM, for the midpoint of World Cup 102 Qualifying. Our model has simulated five hundred iterations of the remainder of the tournament’s qualifying stage, has determined the resultant qualifying group tables and playoff seeds, and has then simulated playoffs accordingly, for a total of two hundred fifty-three thousand simulated fixtures in total, all of which have been made publicly accessible.

The Busoga Islands had the best qualification odds of any team in QSIM’s original iteration, at 80.4%. Fifteen nations have even better odds at the halfway point — including the Busoga Islands themselves, which have 92.2% odds. Still, the Kangaroos aren’t quite the likeliest of any team to qualify anymore. In fact, a total of seven nations now have 90.0% qualification odds or better at the halfway point, according to QSIM. With a lead of more than two percentage points over the next-likeliest qualifier, Tanirinthia leads the way with 97.6% qualification odds, according to QSIM, including 92.6% odds of direct qualification as a group winner — five percentage points better than the next-best team.

The eighth-ranked Jackalopes aren’t just blowing teams away with offense, as per usual, although they do have one of the better goalscoring records of any team in the Multiverse so far this cycle. They also have an exceptional defense, which has conceded only two goals thus far during Qualifying — joint-lowest in the entire Multiverse at the midpoint. The team has opened up six-point leads over Solgavden and Loyo for Group 16’s automatic qualification spot and eleven-point leads over Dantopia and Aamathyr for a spot in the playoffs at a minimum. The Jackalopes have taken a perfect eighteen points from their first six matches, and they need a minimum of eight more to guarantee a playoff spot at the very least, or thirteen more to guarantee qualification outright. With their only challengers within ten points ranked sixty-seventh and one hundred ninety-second, there’s a good chance they ultimately may not even need that much to qualify. Behind Drawkland and the Holy Empire, Tanirinthia should feel the next-likeliest to play in World Cup 102 of any team in the Multiverse, and it’s clear why.

The Jackalopes are one of four teams in total that still have a perfect record of six wins in six matches, including Milchama, Qusmo’s nonbinary Pavolan neighbors from Kwrpania, and Qusmo’s team itself. All four have excellent chances to qualify — Qusmo is fourth at 92.6%, Kwrpania is twelfth at 84.8%, Milchama is thirteenth at 82.6%, and of course Tabirinthia leads all teams with 97.6% odds, according to QSIM — but with the possible exception of the Jackalopes, it’s not time to anoint any of them as a surefire qualifier quite yet. Of the four, only Tanirinthia has any more than a three-point lead over a top thirty-two opponent in their group. Just one loss could catapult them down into the playoffs — and with all playoffs held as a single leg at a neutral site, even if they are thirty-three-point runners-up, that could yet introduce some real jeopardy, even though they’ve done all they could so far.

Milchama are one of the most impressive performers of Qualifying thus far, as a pot three team which has nonetheless emerged from the first half of the campaign with a perfect record, including against a top-ten team. They’re one of four teams that have raised their qualification odds by over thirty percentage points, according to QSIM. Twenty-fifth-ranked Aleirave has boosted their odds by 36.2 percentage points to 92.2%, good for fifth overall. Twenty-eighth-ranked Dhemixi has raised their odds by 36.4 percentage points to 90.0%, good for seventh overall. Fifty-seventh-ranked Milchama has raised their odds by 40.6 percentage points, good for thirteenth overall. And leading the challengers in qualification probability added, sixty-fifth-ranked Sernet has raised their odds by 41.2 percentage points, good for nineteenth overall.

But, of course, what about your team? To access all our QSIM predictions as of the World Cup 102 Qualifying midpoint, take a look at our full QSIM model and projections here.

by **Sel Appa** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 10:34 am

Halfway thru; lets review

Believe it or not, we are midway thru the qualification series of World Cup 102, and Sel Apppa are still in contention for the playoffs. For Group 10, Qusmo are in front as expected with 18 points and +13 goal difference, Oberour Ar Moro are just a win behind, but with +8, and the Turtles are a further win behind with +12. Our two losses are against those two teams. The Boys in Blue also have the most goals scored, one ahead of Qusmo, something that would have been unexpected even last cycle, but the strategic changes made by coach Walter Daviande have been paying off.

As we now head into the second half, its really more of the same, and being five points ahead of Erroropolisish Paradystopia is a good place to be. This group has really come down to a three-way competition between Sel Appa, Qusmo, and Oberour Ar Moro. The Turtles will visit the latter to open the second leg, and will probably wish they had a home crowd, but the winner there will be in a strong position for second place. The playoff format pits a seed of all second place teams against all third place teams, so it is better to be in second place.

And Sel Appas run finishes at home in Anila City, when Qusmo comes to visit. The nation is notable for having cohosted World Cup 98, when Sel Appa finally returned to international football. And the Turtles will be happy to be finishing out at home. A win against the Dragoons and a win here would put the team almost certainly in first place and automatically qualifying. The actual final matchday again is a bye day for Sel Appa while the other two contenders battle it out themselves, and we can only watch from the sidelines.

One thing Sel Appa does have going for them is goal differential. Despite losing both first leg matches against their fellow contenders, it was only by a goal, and in the remaining matches, the team racked up a net fourteen goals. This means with a tie on points against Oberour, Sel Appa would be ahead. While the Turtles did lead Qusmo on goal differential for most of the first leg, the latter picked up a net three goals against Oberour on matchday 7. And similarly for a win against Qusmo. ➡

Looking ahead, with the qualification apparatus finally running, beating Oberour does seem plausible. Sel Appa are playing stronger, and appear to have just gotten unlucky in that first match. The Turtles are averaging +2 per match while the Dragoons are averaging +1.33. Two of our six matches were clean sheets for Sam Sabesić, altho Oberour managed three. Even Qusmo should be a bit worried as Sel Appa scored once on them, led for much of the match, and only fell apart at the end, when the team could still only beat Sel Appa by one.

All in all, Sel Appas chances of qualifying remain at about 50%, altho their chances of making the playoffs have elevated to near-certainty. It would take two losses against the lower four teams to make that happen. Incidentally, Novaya Zemlya Archipelago are one loss away from being the first team to be unable to qualify automatically, right here in Group 10. They would need a perfect sheet, Qusmo to lose every match remaining, and then to gain 26 goals on difference.

Walter Daviande Press Conference

"How are you feeling so far?"

"Great, this is where we expected to be and wanted to be."

"This is the first time in the new era Sel Appa have had a positive win record. You must be proud."

"I am. These boys are doing great, this is where we have aimed to be for so long."

"What changed besides staff?"

"Well, yea obviously Rocky and I freshened things up after the tragedy, but I think really we were just new to international football and had to find our way. The Indies definitely also helped us get more practice in a more comfortable environment. The boys are finding their footing, and we are making good picks with personnel."

"Are we looking at qualification?"

"I think so, it all comes down to the matches against Oberour and Qusmo. If we win one of those, I think well make it."

"Are you worried about the playoff?"

"If we make it to the playoff round, thats a big improvement. I think Rocky has said as much, we are looking to move the team forward, not stagnate."

"Can we win the playoff?"

"You really never know with these, but I think we have a good chance. We hope to be in 2nd place if we have to do a playoff."

"What do you think about this format?"

"In what sense?"

"The playoff system, but also the qualification round."

"Playoffs can really shake things up, so a team like ours has a good shot. But, this is a really tight setup with only one per group going thru, and then 2nd and 3rd have to battle it out. I do like the shorter schedule tho, I think in the past, the longer qualifiers have been too much of a slog"

"How are you feeling about the players?"

"Well, we are putting away goals, which is what I want to see. We lead the group on goals and are sharing third place overall with three other teams. Thats incredible compared to last cycle. More specifically, I mean, Bittler has been out of this world, tied for goals with Fernandez. Sab has been clutch for the team, two clean sheets, and keeping the rest slim enough."

"Is Fuego gonna get us a hat trick?"

"Haha, you can tell hes trying, but I always tell the team please help each other and dont go for your personal best, this is a team sport. And I like seeing he is willing to pass if hes blocked out and not be greedy. Fuego is team player for sure."

"Are you liking Sabesićs performance despite a couple concessions against weak teams?"

"Absolutely, I mean Id prefer he didnt, but we have been laying on the heat so much, they can sometimes get a little cocky and sloppy. We are working on that, but I wouldnt put the blame on Sab. I mean, I trimmed the defense down to put a better attack together."

"Was the Qusmo match a disappointment?"

"Yes and no, we held on after that late first half Rodriguez goal for a good while, but they are the better team and I dont like parking the bus, so while I tightened up the defense, we were also trying to get a second goal still. I think we played really well, all said, being away."

"Any personnel changes for the second leg?"

"Yea, I think well rest some starters once the places start to solidify, I still want to make sure we can pack away more wins, so Ill be looking at things after matchday 10 or 11."

"If we end up in the Cup of Harmony, how does that look?"

"Im gonna be honest, I am pretty confident we will qualify."

"Anything you would change?"

"I cant really say much, the boys are doing great and I dont want to put more pressure than necessary on them."

"Anything you want to say to the fans?"

"Allez les Tortues! Lets bring it for the second leg. We appreciate you all shwoing up for us."

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 10:41 am

Everybody was penguin fighting to cut-off!

AI-generated image

Edit:

I'll allow the below Pomachetti RP given the timestamp is identical to cut-off.

by **Pomachetti** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 10:41 am

Link to Roster

Pomachetti

Captain:
Sóuminé Dabhí

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

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

8 o’clock news

“Good evening. I’m Íebhe Cielleogh and you’re watching the 8 o’clock news with TVT Naecht. This just in: Local Mophtoan Lads Procrastinates Script. That’s right, the entire TVT Naecht team procrastinated the 8 o’clock news, instead reading up in some of the actual top headlines in the World Cup. Speaking of which, how did we draw to Tajah? Like, how? We beat HUElavia and Pasarga 1-0, then proceed to draw against Tajah.”
“They’re not that bad at football!” A man calls from across the set
“Well I guess so. And you can watch every kick of the ball with whoever you get the kick of the ball. Uhh, bye!”

by **Dantopia** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 10:44 am

Dantopian Dream Still Alive Amidst Nightmare Qualification Start
By Henry Vinagre
 National Team Stadium (NTS)
DANTOPIA 1-0 AAMATHYR
HALF TIME: 0-0
Hollins 73'
LION CITY, DANTOPIA — Rick Bishop's Dantopian national team triumphed over visitors Aamathyr at the National Team Stadium in Lion City, recording a 1-0 victory that hopefully helps propel the 'Lions' onto brighter and better results in the latter half of the qualification stages. The sole goal from Nico Hollins provided the national team with just enough lift to secure the three points, though the overall performance from the side was still slightly languid, lacking the typical intensity and dynamism we have come to expect from the Dantopian senior side in recent cycles. However, it was a thoroughly defensive display from the opposition and the Dantopians had to remain resolute that the goal would come. Fortunately, it eventually did.

Following a bye in match-day six, the impetus was thrust onto Rick Bishop and his men to get a meaningful result from their match-day seven encounter against the Kuastirian nation. The Dantopians have certainly been underperforming relative to their world ranking and what they achieved in their last World Cup run — a Round of 16 finish in Paradystopia and Farfadillis. Losses against second-place Solgavden and third-place Loyo stung slightly, though the defeat to Tanirinthia was one the Dantopian faithful would have been more prepared for in their heart of hearts.

With the National Team Stadium playing host, the two sides kicked off under the capital city's evening lights, both requiring some positive momentum to help spur their qualification hopes on. The Thyrom lined up in their customary 5-3-2 shape, the low block being the favoured tactical profile of manager Cjariila dwa Mioryt Ispymfare. Their 'Swovacjaaspeal' side have only conceded three goals so far in qualification, once against Tanirinthia — via Waiakea Warriors forward Avery Collins, and twice against Loyo. Whilst their attack has struggled to generate chances, their defensive line has remained tight and getting a goal out of them would prove challenging for any nation under the circumstances, but especially an under-perfoming Dantopian one.

However, undeterred by the defensive fortress, the Lions would prod, poke and probe diligently throughout the first half, having had the bulk of possession ceded to them, and the pass map forming a bit of a horseshoe shape around the Thyrom penalty box. Both of Dantopia's full backs advanced far forward, occupying roles more suited to wingers, whilst the forward wide men inverted and helped form a five-man attack across the front, with Ezra Cunningham and Jeremiah Taramaia occupying slots just behind this, in the pockets between the opposition defence and midfield. Nothing would quite come of the Lions' incisive approach, with the best chances of the first forty-five minutes falling to Bradini Brunson and Maverick Johnson, both players being deterred by remarkable saves from Thyr goalkeeper Satrin dwa Tyzhma Lerregjore.

Indeed, the experience and expertise of Satrin proved the be the undoing of practically all Dantopian attacks, the thirty-six-year-old very much keeping their side in the match. Unfortunately for the Aamathyr forwards — Shovot dwa Syyrrno Aamtulire and Rumat dwa Alyte Olaatire — they were frequently isolated and the rest defence of Dantopia was often able to intercept any of the balls coming the way of the strike-pair. Shovot and Rumat thusly recorded the fewest touches of the ball all game, with Sam Robinson-Tate and Keegan Foster controlling their zones particularly effectively on the night.

A single second-half substitution would be enacted by Rick Bishop following the goalless first half. Clayton Thorpe would swap in for Kai Watanabe, allowing team captain Ezra Cunningham to sit deeper, and giving the Lions another advanced playmaker to hopefully tease something out of the match. The change certainly brought influence on the match, as Thorpe had a series of near-perfect balls agonisingly denied by one of Arjor dwa Sitvamp Nwatwishre or Tyrrprun dwa Shjantra Cjshengjotre. Both passes would have seen Bradini Brunson onside and through on goal, one on one against the keeper. The toes of the outstretched legs of the defenders were just enough to slightly alter the paths of the two driven through balls, much to the dismay of the nineteen-year-old trequartista and the thirty-year-old striker.

With it being determined to just not be his night, Brunson made way for Zeke Edwards, but the Eolorent striker would similarly struggle to find clear-cut chances against the stifling defence of the Swovacjaaspeal. It would take until the seventy-third minute of play before the Lions would finally draw blood. Following several patient and probing passes around the Thyrom box, Ezra Cunningham would spot an angle to hit a line-breaking ball through to Nico Hollins, who was curling inside and past his marker. The ball from the captain was weighted beautifully for Hollins to control and still have time to place his shot into the top-left corner of the goal. The curled effort gave goalkeeper Satrin absolutely no chance of saving it. 1-0 to Dantopia finally, after a long and drawn-out process.

With the goal secured, the urgency from the Thyrom side began to show, and a couple of passes would finally find their forward line, but on both occasions Sam Robinson-Tate was there to sweep away any danger, helping Dantopian goalkeeper Alex Bullvale secure his fourteenth clean sheet for the national team. Truthfully, it was one of the easier displays for the thirty-six-year-old Kyethas Riverman keeper, as he didn't have a shot on target to contend with all game, and spent more of his time ball-watching than anything else. At least he had one of the best seats in the house to watch the match unfold.
Group 16 World Cup 102 Qualifiers
POSTEAMPWDLGFGAGDPTS
1  Tanirinthia         6  6  0  0  14  2 +12 18
2  Solgavden           6  4  0  2  18  9  +9  12
3  Loyo                6  4  0  2  9  9  0  12
4  Aamathyr            6  2  1  3  3  4  -1  7
5  Dantopia            6  2  1  3  8  10  -2  7
6  Krotogo             6  1  2  3  7  11  -4  5
7  Fezziktopia         6  0  0  6  4  18 -14 0
The victory still leaves Dantopia in fifth place in Group 16, but with a slightly lessened five-point gap between themselves and second place, which might be the best the Lions can hope for in this qualification run. Tanirinthia are the clear run-away leaders at the top of the table, recording six wins in six matches, thanks to their free-flowing front line and masterful play elsewhere. There is a reason why they are one of the top-ranked nations in the world, they are clearly showing their class so far. For Rick Bishop's side, they will encounter Fezziktopia again, this time at home, and are hopeful their meeting with the Esportivan nation will play out similarly to their first one, a 4-0 win to kick-start Dantopia's qualification campaign, and so far, the only match where we felt we had saw the Dantopia we recognised from the previous cycle.

The national team manager will need his squad to pull out all the stops in the second half of the qualification run to climb up the table and perhaps secure qualification. Following Fezziktopia at home, the Lions will meet group leaders Tanirinthia on the road in what will almost certainly prove to be Dantopia's toughest affair of this run. The Lions are desperate for points now and will have to go for bust in the next two games, which may work out swimmingly but could just as easily prove disastrous for the campaign. The pressure remains on the national team manager to grind out positive results, and his team selections will continue to be viciously scrutinised by the media and fans alike. With precious few players in form, however, it's a difficult job for Bishop to be able to name something that most people would be happy with. It's times like these where being the national team manager feels far more like a poisoned chalice.

OOC: Request for Style Modifier Change from +1.5 to +2.5

Expected Line-up — MD8 vs. Fezziktopia:

Starting Eleven:
GKP: 1. Rigobert Moses
DEF: 12. Raphael Lacroix — 5. Makaio Cruz-Richards — 4. Tyson Taylor — 19. Billy Boateng
MID: 16. Sam Hughes — 6. Beau Bonds — 10. Johnny Kealoha
FWD: 7. Alexander Apeti — 9. Bradini Brunson (C) — 11. Leandro Payne
Available Substitutes:
13. Noa Kalani — 2. DeAnthony Moorhouse — 15. Maleko Kershaw-Vale — 3. Dwight Krol — 17. Nehemiah Cunningham — 8. Omari Opetaia — 14. Clayton Thorpe — 18. Negan Nakoa — 20. Zaïre Thomas

Expected Line-up — MD9 vs. Tanirinthia:

Starting Eleven:
GKP: 1. Alex Bullvale
DEF: 6. Dalton O'Higgins — 2. Sam Robinson-Tate — 5. Emerson Cromwell — 3. Kaleb Kahananui
MID: 20. Bradley Bing — 8. Ezra Cunningham (C) — 7. Jeremiah Taramaia
FWD: 17. Nico Hollins — 9. Zeke Edwards — 10. Maverick Johnson
Available Substitutes:
13. Winston Akana — 12. Raphael Lacroix — 4. Keegan Foster — 15. Billy Boateng — 16. Kai Watanabe — 18. Johnny Kealoha — 14. Clayton Thorpe — 19. Bradini Brunson — 11. Leandro Payne

by **Biyambi** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 10:50 am

UNION: THE KAMBUWE REAWAKENING
BEFORE KAMBUWE PART 4.2

2007-08:
Long story short, in the 07-08 season, Ngonamo’s Birnin Select finished 2nd with no silverware yet again, some 11-points behind a rampant Western United.

The Peoples’ Team tried to salvage their season and win their piece of silverware since 02-03 by reaching the Linga Sportsman Trophy Quarter-final for the first time in 4-years, however, they were underdone by their rivals, Ngwazi Strikers who beat them 1-0 in their own backyard. The Royals went on to beat Mafumu Chiefs in the Semi-final before beating PZ Stars in the Final to lift their 5th trophy in 6 seasons under Jimmy ‘Cool’ Kayira’s chairmanship.

This wasn’t quite the glorious season fans had hopped for, particularly after club president, Ukalatuwa Upwesha had acted on their demands by signig several of the players they had recommended from the terraces. With new blood in the team at the insistence of the Mapela faithful, expectations had been high, making the teams failure to lift a trophy once again all the more disappointing.

Hot prospect, Umzangan striker Shikhonto Isijula arrived for ₴37.5 million (£750,000) from Wadid Rangers. The Umzangan was subject of a bidding war between Ngwazi Strikers and Birnin Select but ₴13 million (£260,000) per year wage convinced him to come to Pela to make him the highest paid player in all of Ziwanaian football. With Lothar Schuster brought in from Liga Kaifa 1 side SV Jurgenburg for ₴20 million (£400,000) to protect the backline as defensive midfielder, and Joseph Singano for ₴22.5 million (£450,000) as a new defensive option, the Mapela faithful felt that they finally had a squad full of quality that would bring silverware back to Pela Stadium.

By October, Birnin Select found itself in 3rd place, 6 points away from the top. However, Select looked shaky and seemed to struggle against everyone in the league. Points indeed where coming in, but the wins and draws were never convincing. The team was slow and played with deep defence with every defending. New signing Isijula seemed to have lost his shooting boots struggling for find the back of the net in all 8 matches played between September and November. This shakiness would see the club capitulate during the holiday season, drawing in a low energy 1-1 tie against Wadid Rangers before losing to fellow title challengers Mighty Rangers 2-1 at home and away to Western United, 3-0. This collapse would see Mapela fall to 5th place on the log table, 14-points away from 1st place Mighty Rangers. Apart from the loss in form, the club would experience several other issues such as the increase of gate collections being stolen, injuries to key players such as Francis Chiwaya Junior, and players going months with no pay.

These issues would culminate in Mapela going on an embarrassing run where they won just one game in 6 matches, with the win coming against lower table Wadid Young Boys. The rest of the matches would see the Peoples’ Team lose a match and draw 4-times, failing to score in three of the fixtures. However, these mediocre performances still allowed the team to rise to 3rd position.

A Mighty Rangers collapse in April where they went on a 3-game losing streak would see Birnin Select finish the season in 2nd place after Francis Chiwaya Junior returned from injury to light up Mapela’s season in the last three matches. One of the most memorable matches of the season would come on the penultimate day of the season when Birnin Select would make a comeback at the Pela Stadium from 1-down to 5 goals to 1 thanks a spectacular performance from Francis Chiwaya Junior who scored all 5-goals to end the season on a lighter note. After the match a frustrated Harry Ngonamo would step down as manager, sighting having not received wages in months, lack of transfer autonomy, and lack of respect from President Upwesha.

by **Busoga Islands** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 10:56 am

The Lakiska Daily

Wild 3-3 draw with Bostopia sees the Busoga Islands firmly in first place at the halfway mark of World Cup Qualifying

BOSTOPIA- We are 6 games into the 12 game qualifying campaign, and the Busoga Islands are... In a decent spot. In a brilliant spot? Maybe not. But in a good spot? Yes. We have 5 wins and a draw from 6 games, which of course is enough to see us in first place. We have 5 clean sheets recorded, allowing no goals for the first 450 minutes of the campaign. And we have a scoring draw away from home against the Pot 2 Bostopia team... Not quite a death blow, but still a strong result that keeps us in pole position- and reminds everybody that our next match against them is at home. If you use the QSIM methodology, we've got a 92.2% chance to qualify for the World Cup, in a direct spot- and that is the place we want to be.

First, the matchup against Bostopia was always going to be a fun one. Matchday 6- we had 15 points from 15 possible going into the game, not having conceded even one time. On the flip side, Bostopia had done a decent job of establishing themselves as our main challengers for the World Cup slot- having earned 10 points in their first 4 matches, leading up to this huge 6 pointer. Solid wins over Soveit Kem, Coaxa, and Libonesia, mixed in with a draw against a talented Taeshan team, has put Bostopia with a shot to legitimately challenge us for the top spot in this group- try to reverse what happened in World Cup 100 Qualifying. And with the bellowing home fans behind them, they wanted to get out to a roaring start- and they did.

Nothing like the roaring 20s if you're from Bostopia- scoring just exactly 20 seconds into the match, and then in the 20th minute, to build a 2-0 lead against us. How the heck did we concede that quickly? For a team that has been defending as well as we have over the course of the campaign so far, it was a combination of a breakdown- plus, a good bit of skill by Bostopia. They had the opening kickoff, and kicked it back to their center back. We tried to press early, with Unlem Kurt giving chase. He made the defender have to take a dribble, and wiht the short options that he would have preferred taken away by other operating in a high press for Busoga, the center back just hoofed the ball up the pitch. But then, the captain, Duncan Kurtis won a header, and the ball looped towards the 18- where Nigel Roarn was running towards it- somehow unmarked. He smashed it first time on the volley, and suddenly, just 20 seconds into the match, Bostopia had been the first team to score on the Busoga Islands throughout this Qualifying campaign. And they didn't just score- with it, they snatched the lead! 1-0 in favor of the home team.

Our team, was shocked. We weren't ready to concede that quickly- and sometimes, mentally, this game can be brutal. We were rattled. We were on our back foot- and the attacking team from Bostopia, the CAFA 13 champions, by the way, They were sensational with the ball- the shorter passes simply losing the Busogans, and forcing Ulus Talay to make a couple of early saves. But sometimes, you can't just rely on your 37 year old goalkeeper to bail you out. A quick series of passes saw Jules Nortton cross the 18 with the ball, in on goal. A back pass to Mark Cooper, who shot the ball, and had it rattle against the crossbar- but Ethan Artson was in perfect position for the rebound, and simply tapped it in. Just like that, 20 minutes in, the Bostopians were leading 2-0.

It was an ugly first half- the Busogans simply trying to survive. But at halftime, Emeline Millet made a couple of changes. "Look- we simply couldn't let Bostopia just run us off the pitch- even if it is their pitch." She told reporters after the game. "Winning a game, or at least taking points, in a game like this goes a long way in World Cup Qualifying." So in this case- she brings in an attacking lineup. Take out one of the defenders, turn it functionally into a back 3, and then put Hayyan ibn Rabi, as an extra midfielder, into teh game. She also took off Atum Al-Abib, and brought winger Alakurt Irmak into the game, to get more of an attacking threat. And this desperation lineup... Worked.

They were able to control the ball, see their vision- and put Bostopia on their heels. A high-scoring, high-temp game would favor Bostopia's style of play- but the Busogans have always felt that they could hang with the high-octane teams of the multiverse. And in the 57th minute, it was none other than the teenager starlet, Unlem Kurt, who was scoring a goal to put the Busogans on the scoresheet. And just two minutes later, it was his strike partner, Ayben Uzun, who hit a beautiful, looping header to level the game at 2. At the 45 minute mark, the hosts had led 2-0, and at the hour mark- the defending World Cup runners-up had leveled things at 2 a piece. The Anaia stadium, which has been rocking, was suddenly silent- those in the white shirts despondent.

It was the 86th minute when the Busogans found a go-ahead goal. This lineup was pushing- in full control of the game, Millet did not come all the way out here for just a point- she wanted three, and she was not going to settle for anything less. Kujabi Jr. got his time to shine, as he was able to be on the finishing end of a beautiful team move, to give the Islanders their first lead of the game- and what many thought, was the capstone to what would go down as a legendary comeback in World Cup Qualifying. But- that was not meant to be. Bostopia did not want to waste that start, and they knew that if they lost this game- well, the playoffs would be their cap. They were able to earn a point in the late, late stages, with a 92nd minute header from Francis Difort leveling the game at 3 goals a piece- where it would finish.

Now, in the table, the Busogans are on top- but instead of by 5 points, it just by 2. It's going to create, for sure, a fun race to the finish- which could be doubly interesting, considering that the Busogans don't play on the final matchday- so we need to wrap things up well before then. That means we will want to come out of the break quickly- Polaxia and Soviet Kem are our first opponents. We beat both in the first half of qualifying, but that doesn't mean anything for the second half- but winning two games in the next window will ensure that we can keep the pressure up on Bostopia. The pressure of a chase, in qualifying, can be backbreaking- we need to maintain a pace that can test Bostopia's mental fortitude- and two more wins will be the beginning of testing it.

by **Valanora** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 11:07 am

Faraba Sarr's first season in charge of Raynor City United had been one of immediate success, he hit the ground running and had the club win the Premiership at a trot, ending up winning the league by a mighty seventeen points when the last whistle on matchday thirty was blown. He also had taken the team to the Silver Cup Final, unfortunately losing in extra time to their rivals of Mar Sara FC as well as having taken the team to the semifinals of the Champions League. The Banija seemed to enter the club and be right at home, managing to handle the big egos as well as the desired playing time of a large roster and players full of their own ambitions and desires. It seemed that for the upteenth time in their history, the Rockers had made the best hire they could to replace the outgoing manager and were set to continue being the domestic juggernaut that everyone has come to expect from the biggest capital city club. Unfortunately for the Banijan, last season would see all the success that he had in his first season come to a screeching halt as the team finished worse in every competition than the season prior.

It had been a season where the Rockers were expected to dominate again, the team had acquired the biggest piece in the transfer window in getting the Squornshelous starting goalkeeper Ronan Pharlain to augment an already extremely talented roster. Adding Kelssek midfielder Foster Elkers and Vanorian winger Julian Stavik to add some veteran depth was also seen as big upgrades in the depth of the team knowing they were going to be competing on four different fronts for the season. Unfortunately for the club, that fight across many fronts seemed to take a toll on the team as the games where they were not at their best, they were more readily able to be taken out. Despite conceding less than thirty goals in a thirty game season, the Rockers would suffer seven losses and seven draws, allowing Hondo FC to surprise everyone with their title and United in second, while losing in the Champions League first knockout round, in the Hui La quarterfinals, and losing in the round of sixteen in the Silver Cup. If this had been his first season in charge of the biggest club not just in the Empire but in the entire game, it would have been seen as a success, but to come on the heels of a fantastic first season it does come across as a bit of a failure.

Naturally, on the heels of such a disappointment of a season, at least when it comes to United's lofty standards, you would have expected the Rockers to go out and make a huge splash in the transfer window. However that is not the case, the club has made no signings in the window and seem to be running out the same group of players once more, thinking that a season together will have the team more comfortable playing with each other. This is not to say that United did not try and make that splash to get the team back up and over the hump, the team put in a bid on Laborious Hawk after they had been made aware that Myana was accepting bids for the attacking midfielder. According to sources close to the national team captain, he said that his decision ended up being a return to Vanorian football or making the choice he did in choosing to head to Eastfield Lodge and their mega club of RGS Athletic. If the team had been able to land Hawk, it would have been a monumental shift and it would have been hard to see a team able to compete with the Rockers, so perhaps it is better for the Premiership that he chose to stay in Rushmore rather than coming home.

Heading into this new season, it seems like Sarr is going to be leaning into an underappreciated part of United's resurgence in the last two or three decades to being one of, if not the best well run clubs in the entire game, which is their youth development. The team has seen plenty of players who have been developed and have come through their youth teams to make the national team in the last few decades, with the current national team having multiple players from the current squad in the pool. There are four under twenty players that are looking to be getting significant playing time for the club as they compete across their multiple competitions once more, with the most prominent being under twenty-one international midfielder Håkon Skar. The six foot two defensive midfielder has quite the impressive presence for a player of his age and looks to be on the way to being a key player for United and perhaps even the national team sooner rather than later. For Sarr, the youth gambit might be one that seems risky but he seems to understand the need of bleeding in these players even while trying to compete across multiple fronts if the club is going to continue to stay at the level it has been accustomed to over the majority of its Premiership existence.

by **Kamijiro** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 11:31 am

WC 102: The Lightning March On

Group three is shaping up to be one hell of an event. The top four teams are all well within striking distance of each other, with both Saint Eleanor and the Lightning unbeated through six, though Saint Eleanor is 5-1-0 to Kamijiro's 3-3-0. Tied on points with Kamijiro (12) is Central Esportiva, who have four wins and two losses through their first six. Down in fourth is Andso Mangis, who are only three points off of second place. Clinching top two in the group would be massive for the Lightning, as the squad has failed to qualify for the World Cup proper in a couple of cycles now. Leading the scoring is Sōji Kokubun with four, then Katsu Fujiwara with three, then Keigo Nakaji with two. With the back half of the qualifying round incoming, it'll be important for the team to continue this unbeaten streak if they want to get back into the World Cup proper. Also impressive is their defensive record, as they've only conceded a total of four goals in six matches, including keeping clean sheets in four of those matches.

This is an indicator of the focus on defense that Bunta Nagano has implemented as a manager, perhaps unsurprising considering his past as a goalkeeper (who notably played behind a very leaky defense).

by **Hafamarimyht** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 11:41 am

Rïmva Uhavjë Šimevodïlu Ahtaca; Načimdïlči Lulanavjë Pa

A 2-1 loss against Valentine Z and a 1-0 loss against Riegelia will wrap up Hafamarimët’s first half of the qualifying stages for the 102nd World Cup, leaving the team with a dismal 1-2-3 record to dig themselves out of. Although the disappointment is universal, deciding who shoulders the blame is a more contentious subject.

“If only Ničïh hadn’t been taken out,” one online commenter opined, “we’d have a much better shot.” “No,” fired back another commenter, “we need a better defense.” “You’re both dumb,” commented a third. “It’s obviously rigged against us.” This particular thread devolved into accusations of being bots before any consensus was reached.

If you ask coach Desudran Sïlmana, he has yet another name to add to the blame pile: his own. “It’s my job to keep the team unified and inspired, and clearly I’ve been doing something wrong,” he said in an interview with TVH Sport. “A good coach rallies his team when they’re struggling, when things aren’t going our way, and obviously I have failed to do that over the last few games at least.”

While there’s certainly some truth to his words, a coach can also only blame themself for so much. For example, it wasn’t the coach who repeatedly lost track of the ball against Valentine Z, it was Gïščuk. It wasn’t the coach who missed a very open shot against Riegelia, it was Dezbänetka, three times. It wasn’t the coach who lost possession of the ball with damn near every pass, it was the entire offensive line in both games.

No matter who is to blame, though, one thing is clear: the team simply must pull it together if they want to have any hope of even squeaking through qualification. They must score more goals than they allow. They must start to win games and play like they actually want to be in the World Cup. Anything less than that will result in, well, results like the ones we have now.

Want to follow along with the team? Here is our schedule for the World Cup 102!

~~MD1: vs. The Ko-Orenite Constellation (Arena Hïdöjavjë, Sučavjë)~~
~~MD2: @ Gyaromia~~
~~MD3: BYE~~
~~MD4: vs. Polkopia (Arena Hïdöjavjë, Sučavjë)~~
~~MD5: @ Kwrpania (Thundering Falls Stadium, Tygnad)~~
~~MD6: vs. Valentine Z (Arena Hïdöjavjë, Sučavjë)~~
~~MD7: @ Riegelia~~
MD8: @ The Ko-Orenite Constellation
MD9: vs. Gyaromia (Arena Hïdöjavjë, Sučavjë)
MD10: BYE
MD11: @ Polkopia (Arena Maršupova, Peeto)
MD12: vs. Kwrpania (Arena Hïdöjavjë, Sučavjë)
MD13: @ Valentine Z (Kyarpan Stadium, Mandalay, Burma)
MD14: vs. Riegelia (Arena Hïdöjavjë, Sučavjë)

by **Aphrilia** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 1:22 pm

Culture has grown and evolved in many different forms, in many different manners. Music was no exception to this rule, and one branch of music evolved in a surprising manner.

In March of 2007, VALE, a Sangonomiyan company known for developing products relating to music production and creation (Along with many more things), created what would be known as the first Eluwan voice synthesizer software known as AYERSCAPE. This software eventually developed to become the commercial product "InterVoice" that released a year later.

As of InterVoice's release at the time, two Voicebanks were featured and marketed for the product, AmiCa and RiSa. Today, InterVoice has ten official voicebanks, all with different voice providers but all female. In 2011, male voicebanks began being officially released under the "InterVoice-M" label. The moe anthropomorph depictions of AmiCa and Risa serve as the primary mascots for InterVoice, with AsukaCha serving as the primary mascot for the male voicebanks. All of them are named by part or the whole of the first name of their original voice providers and adding a shortened descriptor of what each voicebanks voice on average seems to sound like. They are all, in order of release, listed here:

INTERVOICE NAME / VOICE PROVIDER (DESCRIPTOR) / PRODUCT
AmiCa (Amica)/ Ami Iwasaki (Capable) / InterVoice
RiSa (Risa) / Rikka Miyashita (Starry) / InterVoice
NaoRi (Naori)/ Naomi Matsubara (Rich) / InterVoice V2
AkaBea (Akabi) / Akari Sakai (Beautiful) / Intervoice V2.4
ShiHa (Shiha)/ Shiho Arima (Harsh) / InterVoice V3
MiRo (Miro) / Miho Arima (Rough) / InterVoice V3.2
SayaE (Sayae) / Sayaka Ishii (Enchanting) / InterVoice V4
MinoTe (Minote) / Minoru Homura (Tearful) / InterVoice V4
KarenFli (Karenflee)/ Karen Nakabayashi (Flirtatious) / InterVoice V5.2
KasumiT (Kasumeet) / Kasumi Honda (Tantalizing) / InterVoice V6.3

INTERVOICE-M NAME (PRONOUNCIATION) / VOICE PROVIDER (DESCRIPTOR) / PRODUCT
AsukaCha (Asukacha) / Asuka Kaneko (Charming) / InterVoice V3.3
YutaSo (Yutaso) / Yuta Akai (Strong) / Intervoice V4.4
KoCo (Koko) / Kouhei Moriyama (Comforting) / InterVoice V5
KenPro (Kenpo) / Kenji Hiro (Professional) / InterVoice V5
DanE (Dane) / Dan Yokota (Energizing) / InterVoice V5.4
JunO (Juno) Jun Noguchi (Orchestrating) / InterVoice V6
TatsuRo (Tatsuro) / Tatsuya Amano (Royal) / InterVoice V6.5

In the landscape of music, especially within Sangonomiya, many songs that were produced using InterVoice have become cultural phenomenons within Sangonomiyan pop culture. Two highly notable ones are "Tachiagare" by producer Fleet Fifteen using AmiCa, where the song covers about the history of Sangonomiya and it's people along with how they fought through the struggles that the nation faced with a unique Sangonomiyan determination. The other is less a singular song, and more a collection. "The Chronicles of World" is a set of songs produced in collaboration by producers TWIN-STAR-TWIN, Chihiro Okumura, and Ga1a (Along with seven others) that sing about the histories of every Eluwan nation.

From every country's most famous battles and achievements, conflicts, to unique historical events and significant figures. In total, all six nations sung about received a total of ninety songs, fifteen for each. It is considered the largest musical project ever undertaken. The ninety songs released between InterVoice V4 and V5.5, which is multiple years. Each country typically was represented by a certain voicebank:
- AmiCa for Sangonomiya
- MinoTe for Atlan
- ShiHa/MiRo for Novo Victoria/Garridia
- NaoRi for Brunstadt
- RiSa for Vie
- and SayaE for Aphrilia

And that is where things begin, with a young, upcoming Aphrilian artist and producer by the name of Hestia Louvren, also known as Hannah Birkley-Rowan.

AmiCa (left) and RiSa (right) depicted to be performing at a concert.
Image AI generated by ChatGPT.

MATCHDAY 6 v Sudilia
Aphrilia's Starting XI (L to R): Kachel; Strauss, O'Truffet, Grace-Holtzer, Saunders; Arthur-Morgan, Rhine-Faust (C), Wallace, Elliot; Meyer-Bertrand, Villa

FINAL RESULT: 5 – 3 WIN
The game of a lifetime. It was intense back-and-forth action against Sudilia, and the starting eleven proved well why they were all part of the national team. The conceding of three goals is slightly unusual, but the opposition's offense could be described as "on absolute fire" during that match. Hendrick Meyer-Bertrand marked himself as the star, scoring a first half hat-trick and going ham with goals in the second half by substitutes Hannah Morgan-Keynes and Vicante Algrave-Scalese. However, the third goal Kyra Von Kachel conceded could have been saved if not for the fact her hands seem to have slipped. A rare mistake from her, let's hope it doesn't happen in the big ones.

MATCHDAY 7 v Dammamiyya
Aphrilia's Starting XI (L to R): Keikain; Gillingham, Christonson, Anker, Hosokawa; N. Aston, Gridley-Evra, M. Aston (C), Morgan-Keynes; Lacey, Swan

FINAL RESULT: 1 – 0 WIN
Once again, another expected result. Considering our draw to Safiloa, we needed all the three points from this match if we want to qualify automatically. Being two points behind the pot two team doesn't feel alright, especially knowing that we knew that this group could surprise us and the fact that we still underestimated them in spite of it. The goal for this match came from an unlikely source: A substituted in Brent Wallace scored it in the 59th. We maintained possession and asserted our dominance in this match, which is enough.

EXPECTED STARTING XI (L to R)
MD 8 v - : BYE
MD 9 v Airannia: Keikain; Burns, Andreas-Torres, Anker, Hosokawa; McKernell, Wallace, Gridley-Evra, Maximillian; Forrestal (C), Lacey

by **Saperetia** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 1:42 pm

The Central Chronicle
---------------------------
Back To Basics
Darkmania 0-1 Saperetia

The questionable practices of the Saperetian National team have got the Saperetian Football Federation into hot water with the organizers (again). Aside from bringing in a bus after they already had a court case about whether or not that strategy was legal, they now were taking flak for Silivia's statements regarding manipulation of the team after he claimed to be released. They then made a statement that "[Silivia] is not a representative of the SFF" and that "nothing he says is representative". Fifteen minutes later, the news came in that Silivia had been found again after being absent for the match against Germanic Cat, with the SFF celebrating that "such an integral part of the SFF has been safely found". They then tried to argue that "a lot can happen in fifteen minutes" giving "a niché sport" as an example. Said sport was football. Many people claimed that this was just an attempt to save face and that nothing had changed between those fifteen minutes. When Silivia began running his mouth that this time, it was Choppyhausian officials who had kept him captive, the SFF turned around and apoligized, stating that the detractors were correct and that nothing had changed, for Silivia was never an important person of the SFF to begin with. While this was all happening, nobody noticed that the National Team had travelled to Darkmania for their next match, closely watched over by officials to make sure they were not smuggling bus parts with them. The stadium was quite defended, with anti-air missles ready to stop any Saperetian shenanigans. With the bye and match against Hanalia in Drawkland coming up for the next match day, this was the final Saperetian match in the first half of the qualifiers, and many saw this match as pivotal to where the Saperetians would end up, cheering on their teams as the SAP 4-3-3 lined up against the DRM 4-4-2:

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

Darkmania: GK ? DEF ?, ?, ?, ? MID ?, ?, ?, ? ATK ?, ?

While the Saperetian team often relies on their defensive capabilities, here that was a bit more troublesome as four out of six players on the defensive side (GK, LB/CB/RB, and DM) were less experienced than their teammates, and two of them are debutants in this cycle. This finally led the Saperetians to being attacking from the start for the first time in a long time, if not ever. The game moved from the expected one-sided slog to tire the attackers out to a more box-to-box game that was more enjoyable to watch as a neutral fan. The Crimsonites relied mainly on their front three for quick actions from one side to the other, with Shah and Hardin providing the balls from the defence to the attack. While the front three were experiences, they continued with the "bus slump" as the media now begun calling it. The difference between this match and the previous one was that they were not as rusty as they now had a normal match under their belt and that Silivia was back, which could either prove or disprove Jonasson's theory about "feeling the team". But despite these advantages, the crimson still failed to put something on the board within the first half. The only saving grace was the fact that they also had not conceded anything in that first half, despite playing with a less experienced defence. Many fans hoped that the second half would be of similar quality, but with a goal. The neutrals hoped this would bring extra vigour into the teams, while fans of each team hoped they could then hold off the other team. Unfortunately for most fans, the Saperetian team had other ideas. Or specifically, one Saperetian had other ideas. During the half-time break, after Silivia had finished his team-talk and players were preparing, the toilet(s) in the away changing room got clogged (exact amount and reason remain unknown). This led to Dirtwizard having to figure out how to take a shit with this predicament. He came up with an idea, and asked officials whether he could go to the team bus for this reason (as it had a built-in toilet). The officials, after ensuring he was telling the truth, gave him permission to enter the team bus. After doing the deed, Dirtwizard then decided that it was too far to walk back to the changing room and decided to drive there instead. And so, as the officials were on alert for any weird shenanigans, none of them took a moment to ensure that no basic shenanigans were happening and Dirtwizard drove the bus to the pitch without any issue and then, in his own words "found a large, marked parking space that seemed to indicate that it was for a bus". This just so happened to be the goal area of the goal the Saperetian team was about to defend. Dirtwizard claimed that "he had no idea" after walking to the substitute bench to wait for his team to come out. The Darkmanians understandibly raised a protest that was dismissed by the officials as "it was too precendented that the Saperetians put their bus there." The Darkmanians then protested the precedent itself, but that was dismissed aswell. The second half kicked off with the entire midfield changed for their more experienced counterparts. Despite the usual strategy of the Saperetians being to "throw everyone forwards" when they brought out the bus, this time Silivia kept his men in their standard positions, and the crimson kept on playing as if the bus was not there. The Darkmanians, who were, understandably, pissed off, did not commit to any major attacks and tried to put up the same strategy that Eshialand applied succesfully and Choppyhausen less succesfully of disrupting the flow of the game. While this did work initially, the Crimsonites had been adapting to such a strategy and similarly to the Choppyhausen match, it would eventually fail as Inget played one forward to Jacques who hit one through the crowd of Darkmanians, which hid the ball from the goalkeeper long enough for it to pass them before they could reach it, putting the crimson one ahead with only five minutes to go. Despite some hope that the Darmanian side would crumble and they could put up their GD a bit, they kept steadfast and the game ended with the solitairy goal.

The team sits third in the table, but with the bye coming up, the team is almost certain to drop either in the standings or further behind. The upcoming friendly match against Hanalia should be good practice for heading into the second half of the qualifiers, and hopefully it should help the team to acclimatize to Drawkland, with fans hoping that it will help the team if we qualify. But the if is the big part. The group is still close, so any of the top four teams could finish in any top 4 order, and many are hoping that the Saperetians can finish at least one place higher than what their seed suggests. But some fans are being cautious about the second half. The team has drawn irks from their opponents with their strategies, and people are suggesting that the matches may be tougher due to said teams wanting to take revenge for the first fixtures. Other are more optimistic, stating that the Saperetian team is usually better in the second half than the first, pointing to the fact that only two of the seven goals scored during this qualifiers have come in the first half. Silivia was confident in his team "of course we are going to perform better". When asked how the team will achieve this, he dodged the question and begun talking about the "anti-Saperetian conspiracy" that he still refuses to provide any evidence for. Fans are hoping that the government investigation ends soon so that they can shut him up about this. The team refuses to comment on Silivia's talk, instead focusing their attention on the upcoming friendly at the Metal Mills Park in Pittsennat, stating that it would be a good match to keep their skills up in a run against the three lowest-ranked opponents in the qualifying group. After that, the team faces their second away qualifier in a row as they travel to the Marnack Confederacy to begin the return fixtures.

---------------------------
The SAS Column
After having visited the bad starters, now it is time to return to the benchwarmers, except this time they are good (except for Nils. He's still mediocre.)

#22 Rupert Nils (DM)
Caps: 4 (0), Goals: 1, Assists: 0, Clean Sheets: 2

Nils is the backup player with the 3rd most minutes if you discount the two who had to replace injured players, having a total of 360 minutes, just behind Paavali's 367 but way back from Pascal's 436. He made his debut in the BoF against Gran Saguaro and combined with the other midfield backups (Nikolaus and Oerwa) into the 2nd goal of the match right before the end of the game. His other matches were an 1-0 loss to Al-Tamazgha where both he and the entire defence allowed a counter to pass Yakim, an 0-0 draw against Valladares, where he did help a bit in bringing the ball forwards for counterattacks, and a 2-2 draw against Oberour Ar Moro where he neither helped in attack nor prevented attacks. Nothing much to say besides that a mediocre player deserves a mediocre rank: C.

#98 Stepan Evhen (RW)
Caps: 6 (1), Goals: 2, Assists: 0

Evhen's journey mirrors that of the starter in his position (Titus). His first appearance was so forgettable that even the central chronicle ran the line "so Evhan [sic] got his debut with the team" when he got subbed on in the match against Estorvipa and Estorpiva. Due to Titus' injury, Evhen got a chance to show himself in the next three matches, which were two 0-0 draws against Britonisea and Flavovespia before he scored the consolation goal against then rank 1 Valanora. His next start would coincidentally be the worst loss in the national's team history as of writing (MD3 of WCQ 102, let's hope I did not jinx it), as Abanhfleft ran away scoring 5 unanswered goals. His final appearance came towards the end of the qualifying campaign, against Oberour Ar Moro, when he and Paavali scored in a second half comeback to draw the game 2-2. A bit unlucky, but did show up when necessary, allowing him to enter the B rank on the low end.

-----
Some readers have written in that they did not believe that the previous two were decent backups. Here come two which should fit that category.

#21 Fedor Pascal (CB)
Caps: 5 (2), Clean Sheets: 4

In the Baptism of Fire, Pascal entered the field mostly based on luck. Celso had managed to rack up two yellow cards in three games, so Mouthenio decided to give it a shot with the untested backup player, where Pascal held the 0 alongside the rest of the defence. He came back at half time of the match against Gran Saguaro as a RB when Eugene went off tired from the constant barrage of "La Pomona", with the attacks subsiding as the crimson ran away with the game. He would come on at the end of the 90 minutes in the knockout game against Patriotlandia to replace a Celso who Mouthenio was scared could get a red, and watched from the field as the Crimsonites conceded and subsequently went out in Extra Time. He then started against Flavovespia and held them to 0 for 90 minutes and was in the process of doing the same against Oberour Ar Moro, but a quick start from the half-time kickoff saw them concede before they could find their footing, and he was subsequently substituted off. He would return and hold 0 in 90 against Britonisea, and again be working on a similar feat against Pasarga but he was substituted off before the end of the game with the Pasargans scoring the winner in '89. The two matches where he was on the field for an opposing goal were Patriotlanida in the BoF Ro16 and Oberour Ar Moro, showing that he was quite a competent defender in the CB and RB positions. With such a performance, he puts himself securely in the B rank.

#41 Genko Eugene (RB)
Caps: 5 (3), Goals: 1, Clean Sheets: 4

Eugene made his debut as Achille got injured and then got a yellow card five minutes into his national team career. If you were going just off of that, you would think that he was heading the same way as Celso. But instead, this turned out to be an actually consistently effective defender. As Achille was out, Eugene held the 0 against all opponents he stood against in the Baptism of Fire, and helped in the buildup of the counter against Borisuelo that resulted in the only goal of the game. His two qualifier starts came in 0-1 losses against Oberour Ar Moro (where a quick start from the half-time kickoff was responsible for the goal) and Pasarga (where they tired out the crimson defence before a late winner). His other appearance during the qualifiers was a substitution against Estorvipa and Estorpiva, where he came on in the 76th minute and score a goal to draw the game in the 90+7th minute after the referee added 6 minutes of injury time. He is the only defender from this period with a goal and alongside his other effective defences this is enough to put him in the B rank.

by **Valentine Z** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 2:44 pm

Part 1 – Force. Overwhelming force.

Nathaniel Orla Hayden Johnstone McMahon: Ever since the Valentian Kittens have moved onto the 4-4-2 formation, I usually think to myself: Well, that’s going to be quite an easy task. Sure, you might feel that you won’t feel that recognized but you know what, lads and lasses? I am more than fine with keeping a relatively relaxed pace at the back. I usually leave it to the rest of the Valentian Kittens for all sorts of commitments. That does not mean that I’m being lazy, oh heavens no. It’s simply the fact that, I like it at where I am. Standing in the background for the most parts, and when I am needed, you can absolutely hear the ecstasy and jubilations from the crowd. “Oooh!” they go.

This is a story of many, but there was one that happened between the Polkopian National Football Team, and Valentine Z’s – the Kittens, of course. We have already established that we would be doing all the goal-scoring. Better to go all-out offensive, our captain told us, as we would do better there. And you know what, she has been correct till now, I am not arguing against that. However, we still needed some defenders, and she also agreed. So there were some of us who were playing defensives. Ahhh, I’m sorry, going back to the match against the Polkopian team. We won 4 goals against them, which was quite impressive by a lot of metric. However, it would not mean much when you cannot defend it, and instead having more goals scored against you than you can kick back. This is where me and Helen come into play, heh heh. We were there to stop anyone having funny ideas against our goalpost.

They certainly did for sure. There were a lot of goals attempted against us, but Dawson was doing fantastic out there! Helen was also my running lass when it comes to intercepting the hurtling footballs. We are a good team, yes. Although, even with the best chemistry and with the best team and goalkeepers, we do have some holes in our ships. I wasn’t able to stop Danilo Yavić. He was too fast, zig-zagging around old Nathaniel. Ahhh, he was a lot more nimble than I am. He was able to twist and race against me, and he got the goal. From there, we hunkered down, Helen and myself now in even more defensive mode. They will have a fight against us – well, not literally, we cannot tussle in the field, but you get the idea! Just like when a ship has holes, so must we fix it; we plug up the weak links, throw the water of negativity away, and then come in full speed ahead. And aye, it was a beautiful commitment.

By the 90th minute, we were able to hold 4 goals for ourselves. We eventually let another one in, but after that one, we had a third wind! “There is little chance they will have against us,” I thought to myself. Indeed, it gives me a lot of consternation to think of the opponents like that, but here, it’s either do it or be done by. 2 goals are enough, they shall not have the third! They ran out of steam, and so did we. A battle- okay, let’s not kid myself, it’s just your run-of-the-mill football match. But ey, we won! So it had to account for something. Jubilations and cheers! Valentian Kittens – soaked in their sweat and tears (no sign of blood), we managed it. We did it! Clarissa told me that we are not doing too bad in our group either! With six games played, we won five out of them. We also have the largest number of goals from us, so our strategy has indeed been working just fine. Nay such luck for the other teams, most of the time, anyway. Where does this lead us? Well, Kwrpania will be playing against us, and it will be in their home turf. We have learned not to underestimate anyone. This extends further to the teams with home advantage.

by **Eshialand** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 2:54 pm

A Costly Mistake?

The Owls’ fifth match meant it was time for Harry Bruske to have another turn in goal for the away match in Choppingen, but something was certainly off about how he composed himself in goal. While the competition between him and Lani Garrett had pushed Lani to new heights, it was starting to get under Harry’s skin just a little too much. He wasn’t himself right now, and you could tell just from the way he moved… he was shook.

Marco Iduna saw Harry crumbling under the weight of his own team’s competition, and it took 4 minutes for him to strike. After 364 minutes, there was finally a goal against Eshialand in WC 102 qualifying, and it was quite an ugly one at that. Harry was visually struggling, and Mel Carey was losing her mind wondering how the hell things went so wrong so fast… all she could do was yell out some words of encouragement and hope to dear Margaret that things didn’t get any worse today.

The Owls did manage to straighten up and fly right for the rest of the first half, with a 43rd minute tying mark from Will Sandrie keeping things competitive, but a lot of that was just keeping the ball away from anywhere where Harry’s lack of form could cause more damage. The second half, on the other hand, was much more of a mess than the first. The momentum began swinging hard towards the Team in Teal, with the iron of the net proving itself to be a better keeper than Harry was himself tonight. “Maybe I should call some ironworker in Asheton to be the second-choice keeper,” Mel thought to herself, “because it seems like we could use some more big hunks of metal in our lives…”

The posts couldn’t save every shot, however, as a stunning 68th minute bicycle kick from Dominik Keil managed to slip right by both Eshialand’s star keeper and the trembling sack of meat standing next to it. It was 2-1 for the hosts now, and time was beginning to run dangerously low.

As the minutes ticked by, the Owls just couldn’t make anything happen to get themselves back in the match. It seemed like their incredible run to start this group stage was coming to a grinding halt… until the referee gave them a new lease on life. Plus 6. 6 extra minutes in a match without hydration breaks was absolutely absurd, and it was the perfect opportunity to strike. Mel Carey ordered everyone to be on the offense, since after all there was nothing left to lose, and this gambit paid dividends when Bradley Davis tied things up in the fifth of those six minutes. The score stood at 2-2, and Eshialand just narrowly remained undefeated in the group.

That’s not to say a draw wasn’t a dangerous result, as it wasn’t enough to pass the currently-resting StrayaRoos, and Saperetia’s away win in Darkmania (which once again saw bus-related shenanigans afoot) meant that the gap between 1st and 4th stood at just two points, with Eshialand right in the middle at 2nd. The good news was that Saperetia had their bye day on MD7… but the bad news was that Choppyhausen was headed to StrayaRoos and somebody had to get points from that affair.

With the action shifting back to Eshialand, where a two-match homestand would see Yzandria be the host city of matches against Germanic Cat and Darkmania, one thing was made crystal-clear to Mel Carey: no, Harry could not keep performing like he did in Choppingen. Whatever that was was absolutely unacceptable on a team that was fighting tooth and nail to qualify for the World Cup. Lani Garrett would be getting the nod in goal while Harry worked out his insecurities with the team’s psychologist.

The good news was that Eshialand’s final match of the first half of qualifying was against a Germanic Cat side whose 2-1-2 record came from two wins against nations running on a combined zero points and a draw against a team that wouldn’t know how to play by the rules if a leather-bound copy of the WCC rulebook hit their manager in the face. There were certainly tougher teams they could be playing against in this scenario, but the mere fact that they did get 7 points (and matched Eshialand’s result against Saperetia) meant they would still give them a good challenge. The absolute perfect recovery match.

Keiar Forsen didn’t want to waste any time getting the Owls on the board this time around, and even if his goal in the 6th minute wasn’t quite as fast as Iduna’s the match prior, it was still an important morale booster for the home team, who were still somewhat shaken from how poorly things had gone against Choppyhausen.

Even Lani Garrett, who was directly competing against Harry and didn’t even have much of a reason to capture his negative energy, was still slipping some from her dominant performances in the second and third matches, allowing a tying goal from Isaak Marquardt in the 35th. Unlike with Harry, allowing one goal wasn’t about to knock her down entirely, she assured her manager… and was she ever right.

In the second half, the momentum went firmly back into Eshialand’s favor, and once Lucas Meilling potted one in in the 59th, the Owls never looked back. Whenever the Germanic Cat team did have an opportunity, it was quickly either halted by the Eshian defense (who had turned themselves into something of a brick wall to avoid another tying score) or swatted away by Lani, who felt even more locked in than she did before. When Melissa was looking for her team to perform like the team she knew they were, this was exactly what she wanted. 2-1 for the home team, this time without an extra 6 minutes for the visitors to make some late magic.

Between the Saperetia bye and Choppyhausen upsetting StrayaRoos on the road, the Owls found themselves in somewhat of a lead at the half. Just a point clear of Choppyhausen for first and a win above Saperetia for a playoff spot, but it was still something to work with. One thing was being made abundantly clear, however: this was going to be one tight group. The MD7 QSIM simulations had Eshialand at a 51% chance to win the group and 76.4% to make it back to the World Cup, but it certainly felt much more competitive than that.

“We’re fighting for every point here,” Mel said, “and every point is gonna make a world of difference. 4-2-0 is a really good first half, but everyone is hot on our tails and we have to keep pushing. We have what it takes, we just have to keep it all together.”

For their next match, at home against 0-0-6 Darkmania, Lani would again make the start in Yzandria, since she seemed far more ready than Harry, whom Mel seriously distrusted after the incident in Choppingen. MD9, the away match in Saperetia, was still up in the air, and nobody knew how Mel would react to the repeated bus appearances in Crimsonite matches.

by **Solgavden** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 3:48 pm

 Solgavden's Source for "Trustworthy" News

Melvin Kiaransen Presents!
Interview with Scoring Machine Kristian Tennefjord

Photo of Tennefjord who– wait...why is he in grayscale?
It doesn't make sense, even the shitty picture we made in Paint had color.
I swear, quality control at this kinda-official-but-not-really newspaper has gone down the drain...

[Melvin Kiaransan] Welcome back faithful viewers! Today I have the pleasure of talking to a player that has been electric as of late: Solgavden's leading goalscorer, Kristian Tennefjord!

[Kristian Tennefjord] Not only that, we actually go way back, Melvin.

[M.K.] That's true, we are both from the small, small town of Kolborg, in eastern Fyrstalis Province. In fact, we're both probably the only famous people to ever come from there.

[K.T.] Alright, calling you “famous” is a stretch, but yes, I agree.

[M.K.] Hey! You're one of the best goalscorers the Kongensliga has ever seen, while I tell jokes on the internet, that seems pretty comparable to me. And before I forget, we both graduated from the same secondary school…do you remember Mr. Ganser?

[K.T.] Oh God, how could I ever forget! He always smelled like cigarettes and bad decisions…strict as hell too. Y'know, one time he made me write a 6000 word essay because I wrote a swear word on the board.

[M.K.] I know, I was there too, I got hit with a 4000 word essay for laughing at it! What an asshole…but his daughter was smoking hot though.

[K.T.] That she was…what were we talking about?

[M.K.] Oh right, the interview! *Ahem* … Solgavden has been on a brilliant run of form as of late, you are a big part of that, scoring 7 goals in your last 6 games, including a hat-trick against Krotogo. What has come over the group, causing them to play so well?

[K.T.] Well to put it simply, we're motivated as hell. We came so close to qualifying for World Cup 100, and missing out on that one stung, but the complete disaster that was World Cup 101’s qualification campaign felt like a gut punch. Coach Ravn may not have seemed like the obvious choice to succeed Strömberg as our manager, but he's a true leader and a fighter. He gave us the kick in the ass that we needed, and now we're playing some of the best football in this team's history.

[M.K.] Yet one of the previous matches was something of a setback, dropping crucial points to Aamathyr in a 1-0 defeat. With how dominant the offense has been as of late, what happened to cause the team to fall flat in that one?

[K.T.] The Thyrom back 5 gave us hell all day, which only made matters worse when Stephan [Kalb] took that damn red card! Conditions in Nanwacj were also terrible throughout: cold as hell, and it felt like it was raining sideways. It reminded me a lot of the matches we played in Pyathora…and I'm sure the Lion's viewers remember how well those went.

[M.K.] Looking ahead, De Rega Röda will face off against Tanirinthia again, this time at Lurrev Stadium, in Lysborg. Tanirinthia has been unstoppable so far, winning all six of their games up to this point, and only conceding two goals. This is arguably one of the most important matches Solgavden will have to play this campaign. What does preparation for a game like this look like?

[K.T.] While this looks like a tough game to walk out of, something that Coach Ravn tries to tell us is that everything looks impossible until it becomes possible. We know our game, every player on this squad knows their role, and we fight and compete as one unit. I know the stadium will be rocking, packed full of over 60,000 drunk Solgavs screaming at the top of their lungs. That’s the environment I want to see during the game. I know we aren’t the favorites, and I want to keep it that way, because the heart and passion we have is unmatched. Besides, we always seem to play better with a chip on our shoulders.

[M.K.] I know that’s true, thanks for your time, and good luck out there!

by **Tikariot** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 3:49 pm

When the rest of the group leaves the room to find the second kitchen, Motyka has already lost interest in it. Why? That second staircase that caught her interest the moment she saw it. She gathers up her tablecloth toga and marches right through the half-open door, descending down the winding staircase.

She notices the torn spiderwebs, a clear indication that someone else had gone down not long ago. A little startling moment arrives when her candle catches one low-hanging cobweb and it immediately flames up. “Aah! Alrighty then, flammable.”

The staircase opens into a brick corridor, the scent of mildew and dampness immediately enveloping her. As she waves her candle from side to side, she can see some piping running along the low ceiling but no doors, at least not for as far as the flickering light reaches. With a shrug, she advances, the sound of skittering feet preceding her just out of sight. “Whatever you are, stay in the dark and we’ll remain friends, alright?”

Dripping and splashing join the skittering and her tablecloth brushing along the ground until she reaches a door. A very solid-looking wooden door. She pushes against it and it does not move. She sets her shoulder against it, it still does not move. Then, she backs up a few steps, takes a bit of a run-up and slams into the door, which rattles, but does not move. Rubbing her shoulder, she lifts her candle, then reaches for the door handle and pulls. It swings right open.

As she walks through, she steps into a room that looks like a mad inventor’s lair, with ropes and pulleys, levers and buttons on the walls and disappearing into the ceiling. “Huh, interesting.” She walks around the room once, taking in all the contraptions, which leads to the one inevitable question: “What does that do?”

She pulls a lever and moments later, she can hear a faint clank somewhere in the building, followed by silence. She shrugs and moves on, pressing a button. This time, nothing happens. With a slightly disapproving look on her face, she sets down her candle and grabs a wheel and tries to turn it, but it is stuck. Taking this as a challenge, she puts her weight into it and after some protesting, it gives, throwing her off balance. She holds on to the wheel but her momentum carries her over and with a clanging sound, the wheel comes off. Somewhere in the building she hears water running. “Oh no, no, no!”

She scrambles to her feet, trying to fit the wheel back. After several tries, she feels it snap back in and she turns it once more. The rush of water stops and she exhales. Undeterred by this almost disaster, she grabs her candle again and approaches a rope assembly that disappears into the ceiling. She sets the candle onto a desk close by and undoes the knot holding the rope to a hook in the wall. She raises it, not quite sure what to expect. Nothing happens. She pulls, then lets go until she hears yelling upstairs. Yelling that sounds suspiciously like the rest of the group, just very muffled. Andarra. She’s been yelled at by her often enough to recognize her voice even at that distance. “So, this must move something up in the kitchen.” She ties the rope against the hook again, grabs her candle and makes her way back down the corridor, up the staircase and then across the lodge. She has no idea how to get to the observatory. However, the voices of her teammates are enough of a beacon for her to follow.

Solfroy collides with her as she rounds a corner just outside of the great sitting room. “There you are!” She grabs Motyka’s head in both hands. “You can’t just wander off like that! Especially not in a place like this with a dead guy!”

The rest of the group catches up. Andarra looks relieved. “You won’t believe what we found in that kitchen above the observatory! There is a heavy metal tray above a trapdoor, still dripping blood! It is hanging off a rope that disappears into the ceiling and when we were up there… it moved! Up a bit, then down, and as it lowered, the trapdoor started to open!”

“Oh, so THAT’S what that did!” Motyka exclaims.

“Say what?” Magnus asks her, head tilted.

“The rope! When it went up, the tray went down!”

Andarra takes a deep breath, but Socorra cuts in. “Wio, What rope, where?”

Motyka points toward the floor. “In that room in the basement! Oh, yes, you don’t know about that. I went down that other staircase and ended up in a room with tons of levers and buttons and ropes. I tried some, something clanked somewhere, I may have flooded some part of the lodge, and the last thing was a rope that was on a hook. I moved it and right after that, I heard Andarra yell.”

“How did you know that was me??”

“I’ve heard you yell from close distance, long distance, through walls, I’m attuned to it.”

Andarra’s mouth opens and closes a few times without any word forming.

“So,” Mikael muses. “It’s safe to assume that that tray must have bonked Voss hard enough to kill him.”

Socorra nods. “Yeah, and that also explains why the dust wasn’t disturbed up there. Whoever killed Voss didn’t have to be there, they were able to just use that rope Wio pulled.”

“But how did they know Voss was there and right under that trapdoor?”

Everybody turns to Magnus.

“If the murderer was in the basement, they couldn’t have been sure that Voss was right where they wanted him to be.”

“Huh.”

“Damn.”

“Good point.”

“A camera maybe?” Raymond says carefully.

“Yeah, yeah, that makes sense,” Andarra says. “Maybe the murderer put a camera or a phone or something and was able to watch Voss, so he could time it?”

“Back to the observatory, I guess?” Daniel points back to the stairs.

by **Tanirinthia** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 3:53 pm

MAKING YOUR OWN LUCK
Chapter Five - Luck of the draw

The screen stared unblinkingly back at me, a low hum of static filling the air. Any remaining hopes that somehow this was going to be a misunderstanding vanished, looking at the timestamps of the files in front of him, the latest of which were around the date he was last heard from; this wasn’t some protocol that was forgotten, something really had happened to Alexander. Whether it was nefarious or accidental was the only question that remained, I held out the last little bit of hope remaining that some accident had befallen him and he was in a hospital somewhere with amnesia.

In the meantime I owed it to him to look into this, figure out if it was something that got him into trouble. Then maybe I don’t know, avenge him? How would I exactly go about that, I guessed that I could report it all to the authorities and get them that way? Alexander never was one who trusted the authorities, maybe if he’d done just that he would still be around. Ok this isn’t helpful, let’s take this in steps, step one let’s figure out what on earth Alexander was looking into. I clicked into the World Cup files.

Hours went by in that room, as I went through the reams of files that Alexander had collated looking at all one hundred and one editions of the World Cup, its related events the Cup of Harmony, the Baptism of Fire and even statistics on various other football tournaments throughout the ages. Attached to all the raw data as well seemed to be all the reporting done by each nation. It seems he’d had help in collating this data from an Audioslavian in charge of something called “The Idiot Project”

Alexander had clearly gone painstakingly through this avalanche of data, looking for aberrations beyond the simple noise of randomness, and from the notes he clearly believed he had found just that. There was something affecting football results across the multiverse that wasn’t just to do with the rank difference of opponents or the random background noise. He’d found a third R. Not only had he found the signal of the third R, he believed that he’d found a correlation for that signal, it seems to correlate with output from nations reporting during the tournaments.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five

Matchday Six

Matchday Seven

by **The Martian Independent Republic** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 4:27 pm

the Martian Independent Republic 3  - 2 Afinnaus
Zardano 7'; Jowling 80'; Caballi 84' | #10 38'; #9 41' (p)

Pritchard - Cheng, Qiu (Fenton 56'), Norton, Yenukidze - Ivanov (Caballi 56'), Sato-Gray, Zardano, Chase (Carver 56') - De La Cruz (Garamond 56'), Jowling

Seeing as the Spiders had dominated even with a largely rotated roster against Yesopalitha, unranked, pointless Afinnaus was to get the same treatment, especially considering this match would be at home, Huygens Base being treated to what was seen as an easy win coming into this, and a much needed one given the losses to Myrtle Beach and Tikariot. With the interest in giving all of the players (except Zinchenko) time, it was the other half of the bench's turn to go on, and the starters' to go off (Pritchard and Chase were starting twice, though). The like-seventy-two-percent-full crowd at James Stadium was eager to see the momentum found in the draw against Ko-oren and the win over Yesopalitha continue.

This Afinnaus team had yet to pick up a single point, and were completely unranked. The Spiders came out as dominantly as they were expected to, the backups performing like starters, and it was a striker who plays in Solgavden connecting with a midfielder who plays in Lisander to score the first goal, though this was not Garamond to Astor but instead De La Cruz to Zardano, who did a nice one-two to confuse the visiting centre-back and put the MIR up in just seven minutes. The two youngsters would press for a second, seeking to earn themselves a spot on this team whenever Jowling or Astor or Carver retired, but the crossbar would do some excellent defensive work to keep the deficit at only one. The press for a second goal would send many Martians up into the box, and Yulia Qiu plays much further up the pitch than Scarlett Fenton, so when Afinnaus turned the game around for a counterattack there was nobody there to stop their number ten and the visitors had silenced the crowd of 3,791 (at that time, anyway) with a stunning equalizer. Shocked by that goal, the Spiders were out of position upon the restart, and Ivanov made a horror tackle on their number nine to prevent a goal that he really should have managed to stop earlier, and that was a penalty, and Pritchard dived the right way but there was no way anyone was stopping that. And so halftime saw unranked, as-yet-pointless Afinnaus lead. Afinnaus!

Upon the restart, the Spiders were so desperate for an equalizer that any Martian player at all near the goal would unleash a shot, which would always end up deflected, off target, or in the hands of the visiting keeper. After ten minutes of this craziness and nothing close to a success, der-Ghavyr chose to bring in fresh legs, and more importantly, fresh minds. Four of the normal starting eleven were back on, only Astor (for Zardano) and Mohammed (for Yenukidze) kept off, the former because Zardano had performed excellently and the latter to prevent any injury risk. It would be false, though, to say those substitutions had immediate effect, as though some better chances appeared there were no amazing saves forced out of the keeper. The only thing the MIR had on Afinnaus was stamina, and as the visiting players tired in their magnetized jerseys eventually their keeper would crack, conceding off of a simple error allowing Jowling to send the ball home for a sorely needed equalizer. With one goal scored, the visitors were broken, and it was just four minutes until the Spiders retook the lead, this time Caballi with a screamer that was the best shot of the night. There wasn't really another opportunity for the visitors to equalize until the end of the game, and the Martians had regained their confidence enough to hold on for the win. Still, a scare, and with two must-win matches against Tomerion and Myrtle Beach up next, they could not make mistakes like that.

by **Pyazhnaya** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 4:50 pm

[Static is crackling again, then we do not only get sound but also video.]

Danila M: Hello!

Danila T: Live and in colour right from Cherniy Zamok, it's Danila, Danila and a couple of our team mates. Meet Lina Vyrypayeva, Marat Barbolin, Maksimilan Kartashov and Kayrat Voskoboynikov.

[The camera zooms out and shows the four around a table. They wave into the camera.]

Danila M: So, you might be wondering why we called you into our makeshift studio today.

Danila T: And by "studio," he means a basement of a hotel in Cherniy Zamok.

Danila M: Welcome to Bad Taste.

Marat: I don't like the sound of that...

Danila T: It's not that bad. Well, for most of you, at least.

Danila M: We have had one of the chefs of the hotel prepare two dishes. One main dish and one dessert. Only small plates, no worries. However, there is a twist.

Danila T: One of the plates will be sabotaged and whoever eats it, has to keep up a pokerface. After each dish, you will write down a name of who you think had the sabotaged dish.

Lina: A-and what kind of... sabotage are we talking here?

Danila M: We'll see. Are you ready?

Lina: No.

Danila T: Excellent. Let's bring out the first one!

[A chef wheels in a caddy with six plates and places them on the table.]

Danila M: Wait, why are there six plates?

Aleksandra: Because you two muppets are in the game.

Danila T: We did NOT sign up for that!

Group: Neither did we!

Danila M: Touche...

Aleksandra: So, what we have here, are pirozhki, filled with potato, ground pork meat and cabbage, and deep fried. Delicious little hand pies. However, one of them has three entire cloves of raw garlic in it.

Kayrat: Oy, that would be horrible!

Lina: Please let me pick a good one, please let me pick a good one...

Aleksandra: Everybody take one and take a bite.

[One by one, each of the involuntary contestants grabs a pirozhki and takes a bite. As they start chewing each of them looks from one to the next, trying to discern who might be showing discomfort or any signs of the garlic. They talk to each other, listening for a shaky voice or a reluctance to take another bite. Danila T and Lina make some slightly odd sounds, Marat briefly chokes, while the others don't really show any reaction.]

Aleksandra: Okay, now, write down the name of who you think had the garlic pirozhok.

[They all write down a name and hand the piece of paper to Aleksandra.]

Aleksandra: Okay, we have three votes for Marat, two for Lina and one for Danila. Terentyev flavour. Whoever had the garlic one, please raise your hand.

[Danila M raises his hand with a grin.]

Lina: You are the entire thing!!!

Danila M: Yes, and it was delicious! I might have to sleep outside tonight, though...

Marat: Wow, three raw cloves of garlic and not a flinch!

Danila T: I thought it was you, Marat, because of the choking.

Marat: I literally inhaled a piece of crust.

Aleksandra: Are you ready for dessert?

[Some reluctant agreement. The chef returns with five small plates, each with a single truffle.]

Aleksandra: A beautifully hand-crafted truffle, made from the finest dark chocolate ganache with sgushchenka, a sweetened condensed milk. It is filled with a sea buckthorn jam and a bit of rizhsky balzam, a bitter herbal liquor. One of them, however, has foregone the liquor, replaced by a bit of Widowmaker hot sauce.

Lina: No, no, no, no, that will kill me! I'm not good with hot stuff!

Danila M: Then choose wisely.

[Each of them picks a truffle and eyes darting from one to another, they take a bite. As they chew, they observe the others. All of them remain calm with the exception of one person, who is starting to sweat very profusely. Everybody looks at Danila M.]

Lina: Oh my god, he got both!

Marat: Poetic justice.

Aleksandra: Do we even need to write down names?

Danila M: FuckfuckfuckfuckfirewouldbebetterthanthiswaterwaternoicenomilkLEMMEOUT!

[He jumps up, knocking his chair over and races out the door.]

Danila T: Uh, alright, I guess that answers the question...

by **Natkr** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 4:50 pm

This Fight Just Keeps Going On

produced by ReemSports

Welcome back to ReemSports again. You all know the drill. Welcome to Ryan's Morning Show where we talk about how the Natkrian national team is a top 15 sporting nation in the NS multiverse, followed by another humiliating loss, followed by a post saying "We're back", and then nothing happens. If you're new to this network or watching Natkrian sports in general, get used to it. Let's dive into the World Cup 102 qualification campaign where Natkr remains third on the Group 12 standings, with thirteen points earned (five wins, one draw, and one loss to Zenic). With the close range in points between Zwangzug, Zenic, and Natkr, Group 12 has turned into a dogfight where every single match between the three feels like a cup final. After the emotional matches against Zwangzug and Zenic, Isla Monbury knew the real test of a side chasing promotion was how they handed games away. She learned this with her experiences at CSKA City. Qualifying for any tournament is definitely not the easiest thing, and our boys were just about to find out how cruel away stadiums can be.

The first stop on the double-header away tour was a tough trip to face Sector 18 at their home stadium, who were below Natkr at fourth, although it was quite a large seven-point gap between the Natkrians and the Sector 18 national team. Sector 18 are mainly known for playing with a high-energy and unpredictable style of football that always seems to catch some teams, especially when they least expect it. Walking into the stadium, the team could immediately sense the hostile energy from the fans in the stands, with all the Sector 18 looking to destroy the Natkrian Giants, who were at the top of their game. Monbury made it clear in her pre-match performance that Natkr could not lose that momentum, and the fact that they could not afford any sluggish starts or overconfidence after their recent win streak.

When the game started, Sector 18 started flying with the ball, running through the midfield easily with a type of aggression that instantly scared Isla Monbury. And it's very rare for her to even show a reaction. The Power of Two center-back duo were put to the test almost instantly, commanding the rest of the backline and the CDMs to keep the players disciplined. The 4-4-2 system have to do some heavy lifting early on just to keep the threats to a minimum and keep the score 0-0. It seemed to be clear that game wasn't going to be a walk in the park for the Natkrians; we were in a treat of true football. The first half went back and forth for the rest of the time, with both teams' midfield departments carrying the ball but struggling to find pure passing lanes. Sector 18 finally got the first goal of the game midway during the first half, taking an opportunity off a misplaced ball following a scrappy corner goal by the hosts. The home fans got rough, and for a brief moment, fear and doubt started to creep back up into the minds of the players. But this was a new team. This national team was going to leave all the pain behind, and they weren't going to panic or let their heads drop.

Instead, the Green and Blue didn't give up and showed that kind of resilience that defines a true "contender", slowly taking control of the ball away from the hosts. Just before halftime, the midfield connection finally clicked together, stringing in an arrangement of passes behind the Sector 18 defense. The goal to equal the game came right when Natkr needed it most, giving the boys the confidence they needed to win the game. Monbury's speech at halftime was short but precise, telling the national team to focus on Sector 18's weak spots and exploiting the spaces behind the full-backs. Natkr came back out with confidence and strength, determined to win the game. The second half was an absolute thrilling half that kept everyone on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Both teams were fighting hard, with chances created by midfielders and a thrilling goal-line clearance by Christopher Fairfax keeping the Natkrians back in the game. Natkr managed to break through first, sending a cross to the penalty box that found the head of Natkr captain Henry Henderson. Who else could it be? The supporters went wild in the stands, already planning for the postmatch celebrations down at the bar.

by **Aamathyr** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 4:53 pm

"how about those results?"
"we did well against solgavden, poorly against dantopia"
"our specific performance?"
"1-0 in both cases"
"how so?"
"It was Shovot's success - well, not entirely success, lack thereof, too"
"So that decided it?"
"Well, there was obviously goalkeeping and defense as well, but it was more consistent"
"How did the defensive players do?"
"They were pretty evenly matched in both games, Satrin did quite well for herself"
"And of the other team?"
"It came down to whether or not they had Ezra Cunningham and Nico Hollins"
"Dantopia won, then?"
"Yup"
"So Solgavden lost?"
"Might've been the home-field advantage that won us that game"
"King's Park was full?"
"Pretty much"
"That's good to hear, seems like the sport is growing in popularity."
"I've even seen blue-green jerseys in Nanwacj once or twice"
"That's good to hear, seems like the sport is growing in popularity."
"Pretty much"
"King's Park was full?"
"Might've been the home-field advantage that won us that game"
"So Solgavden lost?"
"Yup"
"Dantopia won, then?"
"It came down to whether or not they had Ezra Cunningham and Nico Hollins"
"They were pretty evenly matched in both games, Satrin did quite well for herself"
"How did the defensive players do?"
"Well, there was obviously goalkeeping and defense as well, but it was more consistent"
"So that decided it?"
"It was Shovot's success - well, not entirely success, lack thereof, too"
"how so?"
"1-0 in both cases"
"our specific performance?"
"we did well against solgavden, poorly against dantopia"
"how about those results?"

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 5:15 pm

Almanac Razahnensis

Every year, a body of researchers, philosophers, moral teachers, and so on, gathered in the region of Razahne, to compile and publish a vast array of works. These included anything from weather and climate forecasts to fortune telling, decisions of leaders and the opinions of the compilers thereon to the newest codified rules of games and sports. In their honour, the organisation behind the Almanac Razahnensis aims to compile and publish a massive body of work of their own, to be used as reference material for elementary and high school curriculums, for collectors, for the broadly interested, and so on. The topics of the modern Almanac Razahnensis vary.

Philosophy II

We've seen the schools in very broad strokes, now let's look at the eras in which they operated.

These two eras are prehistoric (no written sources).

As cities emerge and organise, groups of people have to decide who should govern them. Mind that it is not just cities: there are organisations all over the country that, on a small scale, have to figure out ways to divide up work and power. These are mostly road and river management, which are very important in a time where there already was a lot of contact between places. Trade networks had been established by this point, and people needed ways to identify who was in charge and what to expect from them. Given Ko-oren's widely varying landscapes and climates, the goods flowing in and out of each region defined that region's rough economic importance and, with it, influence in the (few) discussions between cities and regions. On a smaller scale, within cities and villages, there was specialisation into professions. Among professionals, the same question was asked: how do we decide who is in the group, who is out, and who gets a say in that? Questions about virtue are more important than outright questions about 'power', which hadn't really been quantified at that point.

Cities develop cultures of their own. Climate and landscape determine the kind of economic activity, which in turn says a lot about how people get to spend their time. From the intensive agriculture on the central plains and the orchards of the southwest, to mining in the southeast, harsh existences in the north, and self-declared sophisticated living in the large cities on the bay. These feed back into the same questions as before: who should govern, and how do we determine them rightful leaders? On top of that, 'what is culture', 'what sets us apart from others' are also topics at hand. This is also when a lot of the schools are canonised: they establish schools - real ones, not just people talking on a public square - and traditions are solidified. The relationship between people and nature - people as actors, as stewards, as agents; nature as a provider, as a backdrop, as a harsh condition to be mastered - pops up too, but we also see some signs that the deification of natural elements is already on its way out here.

Laws are written, power is enshrined. Cities still define themselves in relation to other cities, but continue to rely on each other. There's significant contact between regions because of this, and only a few fringe settlements in the periphery are withdrawn from an emerging Ko-orenite culture. Court culture starts up as well and this will define how places come into contact with one another for the next handful of centuries, but it also highlights power differences: between people and their mayors, between towns and cities, between day labourers and artisans, and so on. Traditions change quickly and it's a very fruitful time for philosophy. Hereditary power is more visible than ever, and questions of what makes a rightful leader change with it. Institutions prove worthwhile in a world where mayors can be on 'foreign' visits for weeks or months on end, and bureaucracy grows. What power should institutions have over individuals, what access should individuals have to leadership? Who has access to opportunities to prove their merit?

Information starts to be valuable on its own, with standardised markets and measures for other goods. It's a golden age for artists and artisans, merchants and mayors, or that's how it's often presented in textbooks. For some, it's an era as harsh as any of the ones before it. Morality and ethics dominate plays, writings, and letters; some are completely blind to it. Mentions of the (Gehrennan equivalent of) oligarchy spring up, and stratification is discussed as a blessing and a curse at the same time. It makes society much easier to manage if you're at the top, but much harder to navigate if you're trying to make your way up. Meritocracy is still there, at least in name, with plenty of teachers ready to teach young - upper class - children all they need to know to become successful in the future. 'All they need to know' in practice is often just enough to pass relevant exams, but at least in theory, the exams are open to anyone.

A society in crisis spawns a lot of questions about how things got this bad, how to return to the 'virtuous days of old', and to what extent laws and legalism can solve or prevent further problems. Some philosophers dive deep into all of society's problems, some retreat to think about thought itself, about science and natural phenomena. There's a return of Monradh themes, and writers and actors look for travel more than ever - if politics enters the picture at all, it's in satire.

Man starts to think that they are the measure of all that goes on in the world. Central governments and bureaucracy are a new tool to manage people and land, and major public works change the landscape more than anything else has in the last millennium. With the crisis of the previous era on the mind of the older generation, idealism and pragmatism fight for priority. Stratification returns as a topic, but now with more political means to prevent it - or strengthen it. Some accuse mankind of trying to play God - or the Gehrennan equivalent in a non-Abrahamic culture, something many an Almanac Razahnensis could be written on.

Meritocracy is no longer a means to an end, it's the end. If it can be measured, it must be important and measurements must determine further action. A hard political pragmatism (some call it realism) takes over with very early financial markets, enshrined universities, and strict boundaries and borders across the land and across populations. Philosophy is declared 'over' with empricism reigning supreme - little did they know that that was also a philosophical statement. Merit must be measured, which poses every problem you can think of: it turns out that the question 'what makes a good leader', asked as far back as era 3, hadn't been answered at all yet. Some lean hard into 'merit is measurable and virtue is absolute' while others say that the challenges of the time determine what personality traits should be valued - and that they naturally change with time. Matters of aesthetics are either unimportant or must be quantifiable.

As science separates from the arts, there's a newfound respect for all things natural and subjective: feelings, thoughts, beauty - and 'I don't know' is a perfectly valid answer to a question. Intention, well, might still not be as important as the result, but someone's intention should definitely be weighed when assessing the outcome of an action. Individualism and autonomy are introduced to Ko-orenite ideas. Regional identities shatter in favour of a national consciousness, but then make an immediate comeback as something to be protected, something cherished and personal.

The power of symbols in a society of mass media makes language and linguistics - as well as semiotics and indeed, philosophy - centre stage. Academics look for similarities and connections across fields, and generalists are back in vogue. Despite last era's attempts, the quest to measure merit has never gone away and has returned in full swing. Schools feel less rigid as all information is available to (almost) everyone, (almost) all the time. The relationship between people and their many, many identities comes back to the forefront: people are visibly members of so many groups: professions, regions or cities, political movements, generations, and so on, all at the same time. Justice had, to date, always been purely restricted to 'what is legal' but must ask itself 'what is ethical' at the same time. With so much information available, what feels really true or truly real?

People have digital identities to go along with their 'real life' ones, and the idea of a shared culture seems further away than ever. Traditions are questioned - in fact, are societies wholly dependent on criticism on traditions, because that's how you establish new conventions, right? - but people are happy to revisit some older traditions and rituals as finally, after two millennia, it seems that the jury is out: people are inextricably part of nature.

by **Drawkland** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 6:19 pm

We're past the halfway point! This is the second half cutoff for MD8 and MD9.

by **Austroguinea** » Fri Oct 16, 2026 9:51 pm

FIRST AWAY WIN AND A HISTORIC DRAW IN NOUMÉA
by Alfonso Hurtado
The team went on to Adaikes Central for their match against the home nation, United Adaikes. Went on to train for some days and went all out on the pitch. First goal was scored by Pelúpesí who rocketed it into the net and did a backflip to show that he's worthy to be on the pitch. Then went on to score another goal this time with a bicycle kick, much to the amaze of the Adaikean crowd and then danced on to the corner flag, like Roger Mila. But the Adaikeans responded with a goal from Ritchie Leigh. And the revenge was set for the Bulls as they won on the Adaikean turf, 2-1. "We did great", says Pelúpesí. "Hopefully we got another shot at the TJUN-ians to win them." "We showed alot of promises right now for our team", says Descalzo. "We should try to win against TJUN-ia, as it was the hardest thing we could do." And the Austroguinean team have came back from their United Adaikes game and went on to Nouméa for their match against TJUN-ia. The match was special for the starting player Laurent Keletaona, as he was from that state. "This match could be important like the World Cup qualifiers", he said. "But beating TJUN-ia is hard, so we should go for a respectable result." The first blood for both teams was drawn by Tupi Hau Tapine for TJUN-ia, which he tried to silence the crowd. Until a foul from Jamie Kennedy led to a Keletaona penalty, which he celebrated with his compatriots on the crowd and finished with a respectable 1-1 draw. All of Nouméa is celebrating the result especially their hero, Keletaona, who scored the equalizer via a penalty. "We might not win or lose this game", says Keletaona. "But I'm gonna take it and have some time with the family and go for my international duties again." "We didn't live up to our expectations, but we take the result", says Descalzo. "TJUN-ia is a great team after all, but let us give a respectable result for now." The Bulls will go to Masraya to take against them and go back to Davao for their match against Kanzlia. Will they take an another victory on Masraya and a miraculous victory for Kanzlia? Or it's the other way round?

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