Baptism of Fire 45 Rosters/RP/Scores Thread (IC)

[Hutt River]

A plane touched down just outside Graha'ajat Stidiyama in Zhevassi, Pazhujebu. Jack Stafford stepped out of the plane, along with two unknown figures, probably the minister for Culture, Media and Sport, and the minister for Agriculture. Stafford never usually travelled to football games, but this was an international. Besides, it was a photo op.

He went into the stadium and into the director's box. He checked his watch. 12:28pm. The players were out on the pitch. The game kicked off.

⁂

He was on the plane back to Hutt River. Jack, and the two unknown figures. He was reading the sports section of the newspaper.

Enillodd Hutt yn Afon eu Bedydd ail gêm Tân snatching ennill 1-0 yn erbyn y Luziyca. Afon Hutt ei gôl a sgoriwyd gan Matthias Feichtner.

Yr hanner cyntaf Dechreuodd gyda rhai pasio o gwmpas gan Luziyca, hyd nes roi Petrov Smith ei fod allan am Afon Hutt, taflu i mewn ar ôl pasio camfarnu. Mae'r digwyddiad go iawn cyntaf y gêm yn dod pan fydd mynd i'r afael â gwael symudol o Luziyca amddiffynnwr Habib Bougera Max Doring hanafu. Roedd Hutt yn Afon gorfodi i amnewid, Roben Ivens dod ar iddo. Derbyniodd Habib Bougera rhybudd llafar. Roedd y deadlock wedi torri gan Doring ar y funud 29, ergyd dda o ychydig fetrau a aeth allan yn oddi ar y swydd. Dadlau dilyn ar ôl y Luziyca rheolwr ei anfon at y stondin ar ôl brotestio i'r dyfarnwr cynorthwyol fod y nod yn camsefyll. Replays wedi dangos nad oedd y nod oedd camsefyll.

Nid oes dim i'w nodi go iawn wedi digwydd yn yr ail hanner.

The plane had arrived in Hutt River. Stafford got off the plane and walked across the runway, towards the baggage check out. The plane exploded in a large fireball behind him

Hutt River won their second game Baptism of Fire snatching a 1-0 win against the Luziyca. Hutt River's goal was scored by Matthias Feichtner.

The first half started with some passing around by Luziyca, until Petrov Smith put it out for a Hutt River throw-in after a misjudged pass. The first real event of the game came when a bad sliding tackle from Luziyca defender Habib Bougera injured Max Doring. Hutt River was forced into a substitution, Roben Ivens coming on for him. Habib Bougera recieved a verbal warning. The deadlock was broken by Doring on the 29th minute, a good shot from a few metres out which went in off the post. Controversy followed after the Luziyca's manager was sent to the stand after protesting to the assistant referee that the goal was offside. Replays have shown the goal was not offside.

Nothing of real note happened in the second half.

[Armed Bears]

“So, they got lucky...”

“Ayyuh. Their players were pretty good at finding ways through our defences, but Charra was up to saving their shots. If only she hadn’t had to be substituted off after that slip on a muddy patch halfway through the second half... Urra Thunder is good, hokay, otherwise she wouldn’t have been selected on the first paw, but she’s just not quite as good as Charra...”

“Any word from the healers about Charra’s ankle, yet?”

“They said that as things currently look she might be recovered enough to play in our next game, at least for part of it, but she’d have to be verrry careful if she does; Otherwise, probably the game after that...”

“Urrgah! Hwell, better safe than sorry, I suppose.”

“Ayyuh.”

“On a brighter note, I saw an unfamiliar pair of Ursine journalists in the bar yesterday evening, and when I went over to check which paper they represented it turned out that they’re actually from the other nation of Bears Armed... the one whose team won the version of this contest that took place sevenEights-and-four years ago.”

“Hr’rmm?”

“Ayyuh. They’ve agreed to meet us in a few days time, after our next game, so that we can discuss our homelands’ similarities and differences.”

[United Kingdom of the Southwest]

*News Article*

A shocking case occurred on Monday, January 8th as the students of Emory M. Hilager High School took the teachers hostage. As reports say, a group of students banded together during the lunch period, using the silverware they had been given, donning UKS Stallions Flags to tie around their faces as masks. They then held up the cafeteria ladies, and ultimately, the entire staff.
"It was horrible!" states principal Joline Marco, wide-eyed and frantic. "They took the knives and forks, raided my office, and were yelling, 'Stallions!! Stallions!'"
Allegedly, the students who did this act of terror did it to honor the UKS Stallions, who are currently in the 'Baptism of Fire' competition for their first time.
Half of the student body watched as the teachers were tied up and left in the closets around the school, but all are guilty of not helping the staff, not contacting the authorities, and kicking soccer balls around the school.
Jim Fonda, the school janitor, looked around the school and then said, quote, "Screw this, I'm done", and walked out of the school, handing the cleaning spray and mop to the vice principal as he went.

[West Angola]

Peter Warren had made a list of all the possible suspects who had a motive to order the hit on Phillip. He was down to the final two possibilities, and he didn’t like what he saw. Knowing in his heart that he was right, but not wanting to believe it, he crossed off one of the two names, leaving behind the only man who truly had a good motive to target one of West Angola’s finest. With a heavy sigh, Warren picked up the phone and dialed the culprit’s number, it rang just once, and then a drowsy-sounding voice answered, “Hello?”

“It’s Warren. I was wondering, just how much does it take to distract the Parliament? If you attack one of my players again, the press just might find out what you’re planning and that you tried to kill our starting keeper. Keep that in mind your majesty.” Warren slammed the phone back in its cradle and pounded his fist on the table. He’d been in on this whole plan from the beginning, but August had gone too far. Circumventing the constitution to save the nation was one thing, killing innocents was another. Just how desperate was August? Peter began to fear for his own safety, he might end up regretting that phone call.


A few hours later: (7PM West Angola Time, 2PM Astograth Time)

NAMIBE REGISTER
TRAGEDY AT AIRPORT!
This morning West Angola was stunned to find that its only airport, its one method of transit to Astograth, was utterly destroyed in what has been called “a terrorist attack” by an unknown group. Unfortunately, over half of Parliament remains overseas at the Baptism of Fire, and is now trapped there. King August II immediately pledged to find those responsible and “bring them to justice”, but says that nothing can be done to bring the legislators home “until further notice”. Until then, Parliament will be meeting with only 50 of its 120 members present, as an emergency measure passed by August this afternoon has suspended quorum rules for a brief time. The centrist party was elated at this news, announcing that they can finally “turn this nation back towards the middle”, as their party comprises 30 of the remaining 50 members of Parliament. August has pledged to “work with” Parliament, even in its reduced state, and pledges to use his veto power “scarcely if at all.”

[Wight]

.

[Azrael]

AFA and West Angola clear up goal-scoring debate
The Azrael Football Association along with West Angola have resolved a minor fiasco involving West Angola's goal yesterday in the 83rd minute in a match against Azrael's national team. It was questioned as to whether who actually got to claim the goal as their own in the race to earn the most goals for West Angola: Isaac Warren or Thomas Nasser, both of whom already have one goal to their name. After reviews, it was determined that Warren put the shot in the back of the net and that Nasser didn't interfere with the ball's movement. Warren now is even with Luke Parrish for the most goals for West Angola. Parrish, being West Angola's most renowned forwards, scored two goals in the first match against Herenia but was unable to tally against Azrael's defense yesterday. Azrael and West Angola remain in contention for reaching the top of Group H, with Cascratia currently sitting on top with two wins.

[Zona Azul]

"Alright, I'm arriving at this Kagdazka and Pazhujebu place, boss. Gelendzhik, is it alright?"

It was the voice of agent Deckmib, speaking on the universal mobile phone, one of the most impressive inventions ever, since it was the first mobile which actually didn't lose signal when you most needed it. He was eating fried chicken, of a special species no human has ever tasted, while drinking the beer from his home planet. He is lucky to be able to assume the form of anyone he meets, as otherwise he would surely be an overweight old man, ugly and with serious health problems. But all this junk food don't affect his body, due to specific characteristics of his species. Listening to salsa music at the highest volume, this was a personal taste that his boss much hated, and he was doing that on purpose, for annoying Waolloch was his favourite sport.

"Turn down this music, Deckmib, this way I can't talk to you properly! And look at the controls of your capsule, you have to land in a safe place."

"The point is... my route is fine? Am I going directly to this Gelendzhik place?"

"Yes, you are doing it right. But you also have to take care where you land, we want to be as discrete as possible, you don't want to attract the attention of the entire country and..."

Suddenly, a huge noise was heard in Waolloch's phone, coming directly from the other side of the line. The personal capsule, the home of Art, had just landed in Kagdazka. But not really where his boss wanted... instead of landing in a far away place, where no one could see the happening, he instead landed in the middle of an improvised basketball court of some local community. Sure, it was not in the centre of the city, but yet it was in a reasonably-populated neighbourhood. The giant ball fell from the sky and opened a big crater in what used to be a place for the leisure of kids and adults... the silver ball then suddenly caved its own way to the ground, and hid itself far below the crater. The beige mass of Deckmib then escaped through nearby pipes, finally reaching the end of a pipe, returning to above ground.

"What the *$&%(#, Deckmib! It was for you to land in an isolated place, to not attract any attention!"

"Come on, I've hidden the capsule... don't want them to mess with my house, do I? And, after all, the Zona Azul people will be so worried with the football matches that they won't even follow the newspapers, you think they care for the local news?"

"I give up to try to make you do your job the right way."

"The important thing is that I do it, boss."

Deckmib then took a look on the people at a distance. He was still in his mass form, so he had to hid himself well to not be seen. And, when he noticed the usual pattern of appearance of the humans, impersonated one of them in order to easily mix himself with the people of the city.

"So, Zona Azul is about to play a match in the stadium... I'm supposed to watch the game and then find a way to infiltrate their staff, so I can discover more about their entrance in this competition."

"That's right. You must get inside... it will be of no use to just follow the football tournament."

Art had seen humans before, and even interacted with them in other missions... but he had never gone to a place where humans were so dominant. It was interesting to notice their routines, the things they talk about, the things they do, eat... it would be good to have some free time in order to really experience the life of this species, as he was now with the body of one of them. But, the mission was priority. He reached the stadium, and was barred at the entrance.

"Hey, boss, you haven't given me a ticket! How am I supposed to watch the match?"

"Hmm, I knew we were forgetting something."

"So?"

"We have tried, but it is impossible. They have sold all the available tickets!"

"What? We are the Total Police, &#(%! We should be able to get simple tickets to watch a football match!"

"Sorry, we never thought we would need this, so we didn't infiltrate contacts in the World Cup Committee... the Total Police has no influence in this. I suppose you should think of another way to check their team."

Yes, he really should. But that would be for another day. Out of anger, Deckmib then decided to spend the rest of the day taking advantage of his current body and of the place he was in. As the Total Police pays for his expenses, he decided to enjoy the nightlife, local food and drinks... perhaps they had something even better than tequila from the Diorban planet to drink, and some good music.

---

ZONA AZUL OFFICIAL MATCH ANNOUNCEMENT

To play versus a very unknown team is a curious experience. It is true that, in the Baptism of Fire, practically all of the teams involved are unknown to the footballing world, since they are starting their experience in this event. But there are some clubs that are even more unknown in the competition: the ones that reveal no information about them. We don't know what to expect, we don't know who are their players. It ends being a surprise even bigger than the one our opponents have when they first see our players lined for our company anthem... after all, at least they were expecting to see our squad of aliens. But one thing is certain: these completely unknown teams tend to be weaker than the others, and this may be the reason why they don't reveal any detail of themselves... they are too ashamed for this, as they have worse squads, this being the reason of having less chances of reaching further stages of the competition... we don't think that this is due to some mystical force or performance-enhancing RPinin, and some civilizations believe.

And the challenge of the Zona Azul squad in the second matchday was to face such an opponent. Baltskandio. Apart from its name and flag, we know nothing else about them. The players all seem too generic, and Ditryx had to control herself to not wish to eat all of them. K-M'il compared them to the soldiers of his race, all too similar who are sent to war in the name of his mafia. Well, that was not a war, but was a contest in which the two sides wanted to be the winner one. The Zona Azul supporters, the few of them that could go to the stadium without scaring or shocking the other fans at the place, expected a comfortable win... and in fact it wasn't one difficult to get. Miller scored the first goal with just few minutes of match, and Hromdzitklecvau scored the second in his typical fashion, with a precise shot, mathematically adjusted to send the ball to an exact place inside the goal.

In the second half the Telescreen decided to test some players, especially in order to give some playing time to the players who are paying to be part of the Zona Azul team. Anárion and the garden gnome Tarmac Folwick, who seemed to have the sympathy of several supporters who like people of his species, entered the team, together with the jelly goalkeeper Mabk, who was sent to the match as a way to give her some distraction, as she needs to have more match experience after having a baby. And the substitutes had different experiences. Folwick was the one to score the third goal of Zona Azul, after getting the rebound given by the goalkeeper, who couldn't fully save an Eçañas shot. But Mabk was the one who suffered the only goal of Zona Azul, close to the ending of the match. In the end, another good win for Zona Azul, and the team wins more confidence as the team learns more how to play together and keeps earning points.

[Vettrera]

[quote="Vettrera";p="8105563"]

Recicitating Vettrera: Is It Worth It?

---

http://www.bleacherz.vtr/BoF45/Astrograth-Rgn/Vettrera

---

After a huge loss to Oliveland, has Vettrera lost the will to go on, before they go anywhere?

Group F
Ima and Eastern Mae 4–1 Stvoto Latoli
Vettrera 0–2 Oliveland
Lizland 1–2 Ancharmunn

Group F                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Oliveland              2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 Vettrera               2   1  0  1    1   2  −1    3
3 Ancharmunn             2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Lizland                2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
5 Ima and Eastern Mae    2   1  0  1    4   2  +2    3
6 Stvoto Latoli          2   0  0  2    1   6  −5    0

The game against Oliveland was, less than climactic (to put it lightly). Vettrera was never able to recover to shots made by Oliveland in the 12th and 58th minutes of play. The question is not how Vettrera lost, but rather why Vettrera is allowing themselves to lose. This team is filled with uncompromising "bitches". Vettrera's national team is centered around Alejandro Cruz and Luis LaFayette. Never in my life have I seen two players who would blatantly sacrifice the reputation of their team on a global scale, for a national rivalry. When you are chosen from your nation, to take part in something as amazing as the "Baptism of Fire" if you can't get over your petty differences, then you sure as hell shouldn't have been selected. And I'm surprised the other team members let it escalate to this point. In yesterday's game Adam Bonaparte was injured, due to a lack of communication between the Vettrera defense. So, as of now I say; Let Vettrera Drown!

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
If there was one thing Nikola wasn't looking forward to seeing at 6:AM on her birthday, it was this. She received an anonymous email with the link to this webpage, and she went ballistic. She buzzed everyone's room in a tone that guaranteed nobody would want to mess with her. "Get the hell down here now!"

They all met down in the lobby and drove 5 miles to a park; "20 laps!" she screamed; immediately after exiting the bus. "Oh. Alejandro, Luis."
"What?" They answered simultaneously. "Welcome to hell. Population y'all."

"You know she has good intentions." Cecil said.
"Yeah," Alexandra replied. "Anybody, who can put Al and Louie in check, is good in my book."

[Azrael]

Azrielen Epiku du Futbal, Krase Öra
Azrael's Football Epic, Part Two

Azrael took one last glance at the sky. He currently stood on the top of Sweeper Peak in Offside Trap Ridge, one of the most challenging obstacles on his journey to the Baptism of Fire. Beasts known as Linesmen flew around the entire ridge, guarding its only exit. The only way to get past was to trek through the darkest tunnels in the ridge, which were heavily populated by creatures appropriately named Stoppers. Azrael decided that this would be less of a challenge than to try and evade the ever-seeing gaze of the Linesmen. His quest had been smooth sailing ever since he left the valley two days previous. Azrael just hoped he could continue to have good luck for the remainder of the journey, even though he was well aware that it was impossible to have fate on his side during such a hard task as this.

"You will come back some day, right?

Azrael remembered the last words he had heard from Itsuru. As if bonded by destiny, the two of them were inseperable - island and ocean, forever meant to be with each other. And now Azrael was in a far off land, sealed away from any site of the unending bright blue water he missed so much. The unforgiving landscape was unlike anything he heard ever seen, and longed to return back home. Yet he also wanted to make a name for himself at the Baptism of Fire, no matter how treacherous his obstacles were. Azrael just wondered what he desired more.

The blue sky reminded him of the waters he yearned for. Before beginning his dark descent, Azrael glanced towards the sky above his hell and thought once again of what the ocean had asked him.

"No matter what happens, I'll make sure I will return to the sea some day. But first I must prove myself." Azrael looked away from the sky, never looking back, and began to descend into the darkest depths of the ridge, right into the clutches of the beasts waiting below.

[Equestrian States]

OOC: For clarity, the first article was to be released last night.

The Equestrian Sporting Ponies Network (ESPN)
Rapid Reaction
Equestrian States Falls Despite Furious Attack

GELENDZHIK - A furious attack on the Sjovene goalkeeper in the last several minutes of the Equestrian States-Sjovenia match failed to produce more than one goal. Down 2-0 with five minutes remaining, Coach Twilight Striker told her team to go all-out on the Sjovene defense. Although held scoreless for 86 minutes, midfielder First Dawn sent a bullet into the upper-left corner of the net to drop the deficit to one. Following the goal, the Sjovene team retook control of the ball, albeit for several seconds as the Equestrian ponies stampeded their opponent. Retaking control, the next four minutes saw twelve Equestrian shots-on-goal. However, Josh Jeffers proved his international skill with blocks on all shots. Time expired, and the Equestrian States was sent to its first defeat.

What this means...
The Equestrian States is now in third place in Group A. They will have to win at least two of their three remaining games (especially their match against Zona Azul) in order to remain competitive for a position in the final bracket. However, two of these games are against struggling teams with poor offenses, and Coach Striker has already made clear her intentions to exploit every advantage.

What's Next?
The Equestrian States' team will be resting tonight, but will practice early tomorrow morning. In the afternoon, the team will host a practice open to public viewing. Admission is free, and all will be admitted unless the reserved stands fill. Finally in the evening, the team will face the Stockton-on-Tees team in a must-win game for both sides. The game already looks to be a good one if both teams show up to play.

-Lunar Cavalry

The Equestrian Sporting Ponies Network (ESPN)
Match Preview
Equestrian States (1-1-0) vs. Stockton-on-Tees (0-2-0)

Team Comparisons:
Records:
>Equestrian States: 1-1-0 (3rd in Group A)
Stockton-on-Tees: 0-2-0 (5th in Group A)
Goals For:
>Equestrian States: 3 (3rd in Group A)
Stockton-on-Tees: 1 (T-4th in Group A)
Goals Against:
>Equestrian States: 2 (T-2nd in Group A)
Stockton-on-Tees: 3 (5th in Group A)
Goal Differential:
>Equestrian States: +1 (3rd in Group A)
Stockton-on-Tees: -2 (5th in Group A)

Predictions:
Flamin' Blossom (ESPN)- Equestrian States 3, Stockton-on-Tees 0
>I think that if everypony on the Equestrian States can play as they did last night, the Stockton-on-Tees team doesn't stand a chance against them. The Equestrian States defense is more than a match for them too.
'Cupcakes' Stetson (Equestrian Daily)- Equestrian States 3, Stockton-on-Tees 1
>As a former soccer player myself, I've got to say that the effort shown in the first half yesterday will be probably be repeated, but the superiority of the Equestrian States to the Stockton-on-Tees will be seen as well.
Stephen Larsen (Stockton-on-Tees Sports Analyst)- Equestrian States 1, Stockton-on-Tees 1 (Draw)
>The arrogance of the Equestrian team will be clearly visible, but will manage to tie the game after allowing an early goal.

07/25/2012 - Looking back through my history and seeing where the landmark posts were. This was my 10th on the NS forums.

[Azrael]

--- The Azrael Football Society ---
Warning!
--------------------Top Secret!--------------------

---

Mark had always been a huge fan of the Azrael national football team. Even since their introduction he's been following every little bit of news about them, scouring the info on even the smallest of websites. He had established himself as a well respected member of one of Azrael largest sports forums. Now that Azrael is going to compete at both the Baptism of Fire and the World Cup, Mark found himself at the peak of utmost excitement. Then, one day he received a personal message on the forum. Except this wasn't an ordinary message. Something was very odd.

All it read was:

446561722066757462616c415a3132382c0d0a496620796f75207472756c7920
6172652061206469656861726420417a7261656c20666f6f7462616c6c206661
6e2c207468656e2070726f766520697420627920666f6c6c6f77696e67207468
69732055524c20616e642074686520696e737472756374696f6e73206c6f6361
7465642074686572652e204d61796265207468656e2077696c6c20776520636f
6e736964657220796f757220706f74656e7469616c2e0d0a0d0a2d5468652041
7a7261656c20466f6f7462616c6c20536f6369657479

"What is this?" thought Mark. He had never seen a message like this before. He was about to delete it just like any other spam message, but something convinced him to keep it around for awhile until he could find out what it was. After a while, Mark suddenly remembered that programming class he took two years ago.

"Of course! The message is written in some kind of code format, like binary!"

After a few minutes of remembering what he had learned in that class, he realized that the message was in hexadecimal format. Mark copied the message and found a useful site where he could translate hex code into string format. The message now clearly read:

Dear futbalAZ128,
If you truly are a diehard Azrael football fan, then prove it by following this URL 
and the instructions located there. Maybe then will we consider your potential.

-The Azrael Football Society

The Azrael Football Society? Mark had never heard of such an organization as that before. After a few internet searches, Mark couldn't find any information that was really useful. And what URL were they talking about? Mark didn't see anything. That's when he decided to check the user who sent him the message. Of course! On his userpage was no info except for a single URL made out of random gibberish. Mark wondered if he should follow it, afraid his computer might get some virus or something if he did. He finally decided that this message sounded just barely authentic for him to click the link and begin his journey into the inner circle of Azrael's football fanbase.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

[Astograth]

(Please note The Rumiatzi Sentinel is notoriously nationalistic, biased and unreliable. Reader discretion advised.)

A History Of The World Cup: The Rise Of Atlantian Oceania

Carrying on from yesterday's edition of the Sentinel detailing the golden years of Rejistania and Karela, today our extensively-researched History enters the time period between World Cups 19 and 30, best known for being the greatest age of that other sporting region, Atlantian Oceania. Yes, dear readers, we know you must be scoffing and wondering when the last time one of them were world champions, but we promise you that at some point in the distant past they were good-ish.

World Cup 19 was the third consecutive cup to be co-hosted in AO; in the final, held in Turori, shock finalists Crystilakere handed Audioslavia their second defeat in a World Cup final and became the first Atlantian Oceanian world champions. TV footage reveals a close-fought encounter with a dramatic finale: a well-struck Nina Nonaaia free-kick put the Crystils in front on the 37th minute, but with a quarter of an hour left had a penalty saved by Audioslavian keeper Peter Andersson. Cue a last-gasp counter-attack from Audioslavia that had everyone out of their seats but ended in a truly incredible miss by Jackie McLlroy right at the end of stoppage time.

And so began the age of Atlantian Oceania, which would last for a dreadfully long time. World Cup 20 was hosted by two AO nations – Druida and Starblaydia, the latter of which you may have heard about when we almost beat them to qualify for WC57. Yes, they're five-time world champions as well, but that'll take a while yet. Patience, dear reader, we're still at 20! Anyway, the Cup was rocked by the untimely death of Eauz goalkeeper Rousoi during the qualifiers, but memorable matches include Krytenia defeating Rejistania with a last-minute goal in their Group 1 qualifier, Bedistan's group stage triumph over Liverpool England and Audioslavia's 5-3 extra-time semifinal demolition of Squornshelous. But the final was another story altogether as the 'Slaves took on Vilita, who put themselves in front with a 37th minute free-kick before having a penalty saved on the 75th by keeper James Walsh. Cue a last-gasp counter-attack from Audioslavia that had everyone out of their seats but ended in a truly incredible miss by Jackie McLlroy at the end of stoppage time. Coincidence, or a vile AO plot? We'd leave that up to you, dear reader, but the answer is clearly the latter.

Remember Bedistan, runners-up at WC 8 and WC16? Well, on their seventeenth attempt they struck lucky at World Cup 21 and claimed the third title in a row for Atlantian Oceania. Besides the final, which was won on penalties against Total n Utter Insanity, the match everyone remembers from that tournament was Bedistan's quarterfinal against Vilita; an 8-7 thriller that was decided in the dying minutes of the game by Alejandro Vantrease.

World Cup 22 is a bit of a weird one, as there were effectively three hosts; following the withdrawal of South Ossetia, the nations of Legalese and Vilita stepped up to host alongside Liverpool England, who had been attempting to for many years. And for the life of us, we can't remember who it was that crushed surprise package Oaker four goals to nil in the final. Something like Star- Starblaydia? No, that doesn't line up with their five world titles. It was definitely someone from AO... something about dark blue kits, and a hat-trick... what were we on about? World Cup 23?

Yes, well, the twenty-third and twenty-fourth editions of the World Cup were a break in this dull AO domination period, but they still managed to show up in the form of the runners-up! 23 was won by none other than those Rejistanian defensive freaks, in the process becoming the first four-time world champion. In what was surely another conspiracy, both semifinals, the third-place play-off and the final itself, between the Orange-Blues and Druida, finished 2-0. This is particularly suspicious because of Rejistania's infamous Karelan tactics not normally allowing such a high score; gullible people would have you believe it was because they played with an attacking 6-3-1 and the Druidans were thoroughly drunk throughout the match. Don't let those people think for you, dear reader. Let us do that.

Liverpool England reappeared in the final at World Cup 24 sixteen Cups after their last world championship to win their second gold star, beating a team whose name we can't quite remember. Something about stars, too, though possibly silver instead of gold... because they were runners-up? Mehm, nevermind. This was a glorious Cup, because AO didn't win it, though they still slipped into the final in the form of that Star.. team... thing.

The period between World Cups 25 and 30 was the darkest of all time, though according to most (delusional) historians, including that wacky Simeone Di Bradini, the Cup had reached an unprecedented level that it would only regain many years later. Of course they'd say that, they're all part of AO. Biased jerks.

Either way, World Cup 25 was a turning point in the old world order, with the now-legendary Starblaydia beating Rejistania 2-1 after extra time to claim their first world title, a Giovanni Lopez strike sentencing the end for one and a new beginning for another. The so-called Golden Generation of Starblaydi Football, who had won the 14th U21 World Cup before, went on to claim three AOCAF titles and forever cement themselves as the best Starblaydi team of all time – no small claim in light of the nation's later glory.

The finals of World Cups 26 and 27 were both contested by Bedistan and Liverpool England, and both were won by the Bedistani Lions, 4-1 and 3-1 the scores, but an unprecedented threepeat – something no team has ever achieved – was spoiled by Starblaydi keeper David Bedford at World Cup 28, saving the crucial penalty in the final shoot-out. You see, AO was so lacking in competition they had to keep each other from setting records.

World Cup 29 represented a break from this Bedistan/LE/Starblaydia nonsense as Casari, unfortunately also from AO, went into the record books as the team who handed Audioslavia their fourth final victory. The 'Slaves are, to date, the team to have reached the most finals without winning any; whether they or Krytenia have been more unlucky has been impossible to determine.

The thirtieth World Cup was the last before the tournament as a whole broke free from the three-way strangehold, Parker Law sealing the 2-0 win that gave Bedistan its fourth world title over Starblaydia, equalling Rejistania's four. It is curiously fateful that it was their opponents on that night who would eventually topple Bedistan, Rejistania and countless others to reach the top of the record books and the sky itself...

---

RP cutoff for Matchday 2 of the Astograth region.

[Astograth]

Astograth Region: Matchday 3 Results

Group F
Ancharmunn 2–0 Ima and Eastern Mae
Oliveland 1–1 Lizland
Stvoto Latoli 0–4 Vettrera

Group F                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Oliveland              3   2  1  0    5   1  +4    7
2 Vettrera               3   2  0  1    5   2  +3    6
3 Ancharmunn             3   2  0  1    4   2  +2    6
4 Lizland                3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
5 Ima and Eastern Mae    3   1  0  2    4   4   0    3
6 Stvoto Latoli          3   0  0  3    1  10  −9    0

Group G
Landpolis 2–1 Newland-America
Bruyn 2–0 Baleyaroh
French Scandinavia 0–2 Ocaterra

Group G                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bruyn                  3   3  0  0    5   0  +5    9
2 Ocaterra               3   2  0  1    4   1  +3    6
3 Landpolis              3   2  0  1    5   3  +2    6
4 French Scandinavia     3   1  0  2    2   4  −2    3
5 Newland-America        3   0  1  2    2   5  −3    1
6 Baleyaroh              3   0  1  2    1   6  −5    1

Group H
Herenia 4–0 Nifferite
Azrael 3–2 Cascratia
Diol 0–4 West Angola

Group H                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 West Angola            3   2  1  0   10   1  +9    7
2 Azrael                 3   2  1  0    7   4  +3    7
3 Cascratia              3   2  0  1    6   5  +1    6
4 Herenia                3   1  0  2    5   7  −2    3
5 Nifferite              3   1  0  2    3   7  −4    3
6 Diol                   3   0  0  3    2   9  −7    0

Group I
Naboompu 1–0 Anglegard
Kerblaekistan 2–1 PuertoRico
19th Century Beards 1–2 Politik

Group I                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Politik                3   3  0  0    7   1  +6    9
2 Naboompu               3   2  0  1    2   3  −1    6
3 19th Century Beards    3   1  1  1    4   3  +1    4
4 Kerblaekistan          3   1  1  1    3   4  −1    4
5 PuertoRico             3   0  1  2    1   3  −2    1
6 Anglegard              3   0  1  2    0   3  −3    1

[The Greater Aryan Race]

Faust: We Must Maintain Our Composure

From the Germania Morgenpost

GELENDZHIK-The national manager, Mr. Faust, urged his team to double their efforts if they were going to stand a chance to progress into the next round. Speaking to reporters during his pre-match conference, Mr. Faust insisted that his team had to maintain their composure and killer instinct.

"There is no mistake that the team has to work harder. We have to ensure that complacency does not go to our heads. We must finish off our matches. There are times when the boys tend to become a bit reckless or they lose focus and rather than finishing off their opponents, seem to prefer digging in and letting the opponents come at them"

In spite of the scathing attack and criticism, he insisted that his players had the quality needed to qualify from the group stage, Mr. Faust stated that his opponents were not going to be walkovers.

"Let me emphasize again that our boys have what it takes to go into the Finals. I do not doubt their capabilities, nor should you. We have a very good team right now and I don't see why we can't win the BoF."

"However, let me also state that our opponents are also highly experienced, some having already participated in global football tournaments. They have the ability to upset our plans, teams like Swalenia and Wight."

"For myself, I treat every team with the due and proper respect that they deserve."

After a few more answers and statements, Mr. Faust stated that the line-ups would remain the same for the team's next match. While he may put up a brave front, he knows that victory for their next few matches is necessary if the Greater Aryan Race wants to stand a chance of qualifying for the finals of the Baptism of Fire.

More Reporting by Kurt Krause
Special Correspondent for the 45th Baptism of Fire

[Sigeren]

OOC: Continued from here.

---

For many days and many nights Shǎguā lived in this fashion. His life was one of relaxation, of joy, and not of the backbreaking labor that plagued most Rén. However, he had no love in his life, and though he walked off his farm every day feeling satisfied, he knew something was lacked when he went to bed each night.

On a particularly sunny day, an aging man walked onto Shǎguā's farm. Spotting him from afar, Shǎguā called out, "Fellow, who are you?"

"Fellow, greetings. I am Tián Yóumù, come from the north on business. The day is late, and I appreciate a place to spend the night. Could you house me?"

"I am more than happy to be hospitable, fellow. Please come inside for supper."

Shǎguā put together a delicious meal of potato salad, yam stew with carrots, and for dessert, apple pie. Delighted for someone to have wandered onto his land, he was in a conversational mood. "Why have you come so far from your land?"

"I am not a farmer, but a businessman," Yóumù admitted. "I trade small things - pottery, jewels, necklaces, ornaments. My wife and daughters make exquisite jewelry and the like."

"Wife and daughters, eh?"

"Yes, but of course the man of the house brings in the money," Yóumù said joyfully, and Shǎguā laughed.

"Your daughters - have they husbands?"

"Two of them have. My youngest, not many moons old, she is yet unmarried."

"I see. I am the same. Dedicated to my work, you see."

"Ah, yes - a man who has priorities. Very clever, very intelligent, yes. This is the type of man I seek for my youngest daughter. She has the most talent of all the girls I have begat; she must find a home where she may stay focused on her production. I like this sort of place, fellow. It is very quiet and serene. One could work all day and sleep all night without disturbance."

"That is how I live, you see. My concentration is of the utmost importance, so I may stay efficient."

"Efficient! Ah, yes, such a key word in the business community. One must be efficient to succeed in life. I like you, fellow, I like you quite a bit."

"I appreciate your kindness, fellow. Your daughter sounds affable."

"Very, yes, and beautiful, too. Her hair is black as the night sky, but her eyes shine brighter than the full moon. Fellow, we have not met for many moons, but I do believe you are the sort of man whose relation would mean much to me."

"You aren't suggesting I pursue your daughter, fellow?"

"Exactly my thought. Are you interested in wedding her?"

"Fellow, I have long awaited the opportunity to be wed. You are an honorable, decent man; one may dream of having connection to a man of your stature."

"You may receive the opportunity should you travel to meet and wed her."

"Most certainly, I will. How is my farm to survive while I am away?"

"Your neighbors will tend your land. That is always the Rén spirit."

"You are correct, fellow, but the confidence of a man tending my land would much comfort me. I would be much indebted to you if you were to stay awhile and keep my land a well-oiled machine."

"I would be honored to oversee land owned by a man of such stature. I am learned in the business of farming; my father taught me the tools of the trade when I was a youth of few moons."

And so Shǎguā packed his bag - a new big, purchased by the decorators of Yóumù's family - and set out on his journey to the north to discover love.

[Azrael]

The Azrael Reporter
Sports

Azrael Triumph in Baptism of Fire Goalfest

Azrael's national side continued its undefeated run in the Baptism of Fire today, defeating Cascratia 3-2 in matchday 3 of the Baptism of Fire in Astograth, where the team is currently situated. The match started off as a very fast paced contest, which took its toll on an Azraen team that fought incredibly hard in yesterday's 1-1 finish against West Angola. Azrael was fortunate enough to score the game's first goal in the 18th minute when a clever cross from Darren Valentín was able to reach Ghazali at the far post, who made no mistake in burying Azrael's first headed goal in the tournament. However, the lead was short lived as Cascratia pulled back in the 25th minute when midfielder Feelalnee Underhill accepted a pass from Rolinara Aylmer and dribbled his way past the defence before putting a high short just out of reach of Reece Gallagher. Azrael's defense worked hard enough to stop Cascratia's clever midfield from distributing the ball as well as contain the offense for the remainder of the first half.

After being able to reset themselves during halftime, Azrael earned themselves a corner early on in the second half. Kieran Rosales' ball met the head of center back Jacobson Tyler, a very unlikely source of such a sensational goal that put Azrael on top once again. Tyler's massive stature allowed him to jump over everyone in the box and connect with the swerving corner, surprising all who saw such a play, especially Cascratia goalie Chameli Leventhorp. Yet Cascratia's skillful play allowed them to find themselves even with Azrael again, as a lobbed ball from midfielder Oindri Dunham allowed talented young forward Nianara Aylmer to slot a ball into the back of the net for the equalizer. It seemed as though the match would end in deadlock, but speedy, young, fresh substitute Mikel Navarro ran onto a clearance from Maxim Krasnovsky to rush several yards until he was one-on-one with Leventhorp. Navarro made no mistake and placed his low shot just in between Leventhorp and the near post. Cascratia tried their hardest to try and save the match, but unfortunately couldn't find the back of the net before stoppage time's end, much to Azrael's relief. Spectators were sure to be enthralled by the superb performances of both teams in a game like this. Azrael now sits second in Group H ahead of Cascratia in third. Yesterday's foe West Angola sits on top after thrashing Matchday 1's opponent Diol 4-0. The only thing separating Azrael from the top is West Angola's impressive goal differential of 9, 6 more than Azrael's. Herenia and Nifferite are the remaining opponents in Group H - both have only 3 points so far. Azrael manager Collin Devereux is sure to be pleased with the team's performance so far.

Scoring Summary
Azrael -- 18th min -- Kazim Ghazali 2(asst. Darren Valentín 1)
Cascratia -- 25th min -- Feelalnee Underhill (asst. Rolinara Aylmer)
Azrael -- 51st min -- Jacobson Tyler 1(asst. Kieran Rosales 1)
Cascratia -- 64th min -- Nianara Aylmer (asst. Oindri Dunham)
Azrael -- 80th min -- Mikel Navarro 1(asst. Maxim Krasnovsky 1)

Azrael Lineup
Gallagher, Krasnovsky, Tyler(McLaughlin-75th min), Marshall, Rocha, Valentín(Navarro-58th min), Adler, Sanford, Rosales, Ghazali, Harrison(Benoit-56th min)

[Oasirica (Ancient)]

The Ossidiacquan Museum of The Pause Time
Cultural Wing

Cabinet One
Cabinet Two

Curator's Note -
From this cabinet onwards, none of the letters sent were received by either party.

Cabinet Three

Stefano
Dearest Sister,

I am torn emotionally, as are the rest of the team. As thrilled as we were to beat Pelmany, and as thrilled as I was to score my first ever goal for my nation, and as thrilled as Nuno was to score the other two goals, that was nothing compared to the worry we all feel now.

We were jubilant as we came off that pitch dear sister, jubilant. That is, until Della Rocca told us all of the telegram he had received from a flotilla of Djocorangan refugee ships attempting to arrive back home. The time wall has gone wrong, the ships could not make dock, and the whole nation is behind the time wall.

The team is stunned, needless to say, and times on the boat to Pazhujebu have been quiet, with many of the team only coming together to talk during meal times in between training sessions on the top deck of the schooner. It is hard to know what to say to any of them. I know not of what family they have still back home. But I am their captain and therefore I must lead by example, so at training tonight I shall endeavour to raise spirits.

Dear sister I am writing this letter to you in the hopes that the wall drops as expected by the time it reaches you, and you will be able to receive it, and then send one back to alleviate my fears. As of now, it is all the team can think about. Our dear home, trapped inside the time wall. As I said, if the wall falls at the normal time, and the border is the only thing that went wrong, then that is the best case scenario. It bears not to think about the many more victims of la Plaga that will suffer as a result of this error however. Those poor souls.

I am praying for you, dear sister. For you, for cousin Giuseppe, and for all of the family. I shall write to you again after the match against Landereien in Pazhujebu, I can only hope that things will be okay by then.

I remain as ever,
your Stefano



Esmeralda
Dearest Brother,

Bad news from Sant'Elia! Dearest brother, I was preparing to receive the telegram with word of your second match at the beaconing station when it happened. A sudden flash of brilliant purple light illuminated the very air we breathe. A sense of calm fell over the land, and the wind stopped, almost instantly. I returned home at once, and it wasn't long before word filtered through from l'Hopital Centro.

The time wall failed in its execution. The techgineers working on the system confess to not understanding what failed to work on the devices intended to mark the perimeter of the wall, right around l'Hopital Centro, and instead of just the doctors and scientists being stuck behind the wall, working on a cure, we're all in this together. The entire nation of ours, dear brothers, is stuck behind the time wall, and as far as I can tell, this means nothing can get in or out at all.

I know the telegram from Kagdazka never arrived, but I am praying that you have sent a letter that will reach here soon as the wall comes down. I do so long to read your soothing words, telling me things will be okay. The wall is designed to come down after a minimum of two months, after which control of its power supply is assigned back into the hands of the scientists, who will be able to switch it off so that we may rejoin the outside world. How strange to think that whilst you may suffer a day or two of worry about us, we shall have to endure the weight on our hearts and in our minds for about sixty days. We are putting our faith in the untested technology and techgineers, and although the government is trying to ensure that life goes on as normal in the meantime and maintaining their claim that the coming down of the wall will be smooth and seamless, there is an air of uncertaintainty about the city at the moment, and it is breeding distrust and hostility between previously happy citizens of the republic. The atmosphere is not nice, dear brother, and I can't wait for this to be over.

The sun did not set last night either. Instead, when we awoke this morning, it appeared to be in much the same position as when we left it last night. I do hope this isn't going to be a regular feature of life within the time wall.

Dear brother we are all thinking of you. Away from home and cut off from you families, the whole team is at the centre of our hearts right now. How strange that I will have aged somewhat by the time I next see you, and yet you will have played football for your country at a time of national crisis. How overjoyed the people will be to hear of your successes when the wall comes down again! I am so terribly proud of you!

More bad news to finish the letter however I'm afraid. Dear brother, cousin Giuseppe is going to pay for the time wall not encircling the hospital properly. As he is now in real time compared to the development of the vaccine, the doctors are estimating that for he and thousands of others, the failure of the time wall could have cost them their lives. His dear wife Julietta has also been diagnosed with la Plaga, and so is allowed to join him beyond the quarantines. Pray for their safe passing, dear brother, and at the very least, they are together now.

If I am counting correctly, you will be preparing for your next match at the moment, so good luck dear brother. Make haste with the return letter once you receive mine to you. I am praying that it reaches you.

I remain as always,
your loving sister,
Esmeralda

[Kagdazka and Pazhujebu]

Sorry about my lateness! Cutoff for Matchday Three of the K&P region.

[Kagdazka and Pazhujebu]

Matchday Three Scores, Kagdazka and Pazhujebu Region

Group A
Sjovenia 1–0 Baltskandio
Stockton-on-Tees 0–1 Equestrian States
Zona Azul 3–0 Trafalgar

Group A                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Zona Azul                            3   3  0  0    8   2  +6    9
2 Sjovenia                             3   3  0  0    5   1  +4    9
3 Equestrian States                    3   2  0  1    4   2  +2    6
4 Trafalgar                            3   1  0  2    1   5  −4    3
5 Stockton-on-Tees                     3   0  0  3    1   4  −3    0
6 Baltskandio                          3   0  0  3    1   6  −5    0

Group B
Armed Bears 1–0 Hutt River
Yesopalitha 2–0 Actaris
Luziyca 1–0 New Holy Roman Empire

Group B                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Yesopalitha                          3   3  0  0    7   0  +7    9
2 Armed Bears                          3   2  0  1    3   1  +2    6
3 Hutt River                           3   2  0  1    3   2  +1    6
4 Actaris                              3   1  0  2    2   4  −2    3
5 Luziyca                              3   1  0  2    1   3  −2    3
6 New Holy Roman Empire                3   0  0  3    0   6  −6    0

Group C
Ellison Island 0–3 Karlada
Swalenia 4–0 The Greater Aryan Race
Wight 4–1 Erikkesh

Group C                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Swalenia                             3   2  1  0    9   2  +7    7
2 Wight                                3   2  1  0    9   4  +5    7
3 The Greater Aryan Race               3   1  1  1    4   6  −2    4
4 Karlada                              3   1  0  2    4   5  −1    3
5 Erikkesh                             3   1  0  2    4   9  −5    3
6 Ellison Island                       3   0  1  2    4   8  −4    1

Group D
Numbadon 1–1 Byfugland
Elmonia 3–0 Switzida
United Kingdom of the Southwest 0–2 Sìgerén

Group D                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sìgerén                              3   3  0  0    7   1  +6    9
2 Elmonia                              3   1  1  1    5   3  +2    4
3 Numbadon                             3   1  1  1    3   4  −1    4
4 Byfugland                            3   0  3  0    3   3   0    3
5 United Kingdom of the Southwest      3   0  2  1    1   3  −2    2
6 Switzida                             3   0  1  2    2   7  −5    1

Group E
Pelmany 1–1 Puerto Candelaria
Landereien 0–1 Oasirica
The Araucania 0–3 Überhölichschleissen

Group E                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Oasirica                             3   3  0  0    7   0  +7    9
2 Überhölichschleissen                 3   2  1  0    8   2  +6    7
3 Puerto Candelaria                    3   1  1  1    3   5  −2    4
4 Landereien                           3   0  2  1    1   2  −1    2
5 The Araucania                        3   0  1  2    2   6  −4    1
6 Pelmany                              3   0  1  2    3   9  −6    1

[Swalenia]

Lawrence Thomas: Sport & life: Edition 7

Today at the game it was very cold, frezzing almost. We (me & Gwen ) sat in the press box waiting to start. She went down to pitchside to get some photos of the lads training, and I went to get coffee. I met some fans of the team we were playing. They all seemed to be the same, tall, blue eyes, blond hair. Creepy, and they all went around saying "Sieg" this and "Heil" that.

The match kicked off and I returned to the press box, Gwen was pitchside. I was wondering how to start my article, but when John Richards fired home from close range off a corner in the 6th minute, I knew there'd be alot to write about. I almost missed the second goal as I was just returning from the bathroom as it happened. John Richards had slotted it past the GAR keeper after a well worked move around the box. Gwen was in a great position to great some shots of the goal. Hope she did. Good Pictures = More Money ($$$).

Half time came and I went to get some more coffee. I met some Swalenian fans who had won a competition, and had got VIP tickets to all Swalenia's games, they were a nice bunch from Swansea, and seemed to know alot about the side, which I didn't, I just nodded and smiled...

Back to the second half, and I'd lready usedhalf my space, I shrank the size, that's better, plenty of room I thought. I thought that it would end 2-0, as it was 75 minutes, but when Ben Summers headed home a Richard Gompertz free kick, that made it three, and when John Richards was brought down in the box, Rich stood up an scored his second penalty. 4-0, job well done.

I met Gwen afterwards and she showed me the pictures, they were quite good. We talked about the game in the taxi. The driver knew a little Cymri and kept asking as "You like furit, yes?" in a terribe accent. Meh, who can blame them...

Just a note: Top Goalscorers

Ben Summers (3)
John Richards (2)
Rich Gompertz (2)
Robbie Cook (1)
Edward Davies (1)

[Karlada]

Karlada shuts out and routs Ellison Island in their first victory of the tournament! But will their luck hold in the next two matches? They aren't out yet, but they still have a lot of hard work before they can move onto the next round. -KSN, Karladal Sports Network-

After the match, Karlada's morale advisor left for Novikov, to check on the International Chess Tournament, but he did get a chance to speak with the head coach:
"We see this as the turning point for us. We knew we had the talent and the ambition to succeed all along, but haven't been able to pull it together until now. We expect this to continue from now on. Our greatest challenge of the first round will no doubt be Swalenia. They are the team to beat it seems after their amazing play against The Greater Aryan Race. However, we have faced this team before. Very recently, in fact, and we know what to expect from them. They can expect nothing but the best from us!"

Karlada took 16 shots, 7 in the first half, 9 in the secong.
Helvako Slobeneada led the charge with an unprecedented 10 shots, scoring on 2 of them. One was assisted by Trena Goronay, the other by Randalfo Wilosak on a corner kick.
Trena Goronay attempted 4 shots, scoring one of them, assisted by Helvako Slobeneada.
Randalfo Wilosak and Boldanabo Ovorte each took one shot. Neither scored.
Almad Treverdne made saves on all 7 shots on goal, shutting out Ellison Island.
No players were seriously injured.
Filo Walokor, Yurik Obrana, and Trena Goronay all received yellow cards.

In celebration of this match, cake was eaten.

[Wight]

.

[The Greater Aryan Race]

Lawrence Thomas: Sport & life: Edition 7

I met some fans of the team we were playing. They all seemed to be the same, tall, blue eyes, blond hair. Creepy, and they all went around saying "Sieg" this and "Heil" that.

OOC:

IC:

Swalenia Dent GAR's Title Hopes

From the Germania Morgenpost

GELENDZHIK-The Greater Aryan Race's football title hopes were dealt a severe blow today as Swalenia handed the team it's first defeat in the tournament in a comprehensive drubbing.

As the match kicked-off, few could comprehend that the national team was bound for a defeat of such epic proportions.

The rout began when Swalenia's John Richards fired in the 6th minute past a hapless Vogler to score Swalenia's first goal. In spite of some dogged defending, John Richards again proved to be the GAR's nemesis as he scored again in the first-half.

With the start of the second-half, the team fought back and were determined to score, missing several chances to break their opponent's advantage. Unfortunately, in spite of the furious gesturing of Mr. Faust, the team could not find any opportunity to score. More heartbreak followed when a free kick by Richard Gompertz resulted in a goal for Swalenia's Ben Summers who headed the ball in during the 75th minute. John Richards was brought down in the penalty box by Hafez al-Assad and the referee awarded Swalenia a penalty which was converted by Richards himself.

By now, not even the most die-hard supporters of the team could make any rousing cheer and many had resigned themselves to the defeat. When the whistle for full-time was blown, the look on Faust's face said it all, of a man in utter despair.

More Reporting by Kurt Krause
Special Correspondent for the 45th Baptism of Fire

[West Angola]

NAMIBE REGISTER

WEST ANGOLA ROARS BACK, SMASHES DIOL

The West Angolan Football Team stormed back into business yesterday, absolutely dominating Diol 4-0 to avenge a 1-1 draw against a very good Azrael Team. Luke Parrish scored another two goals to bring his tournament total to four, Isaac Warren had one on a ball that deflected off the post and in, and Thomas Nasser added the fourth. William Danforth Jr. was a master of the goal, allowing no goals in 32 attempts by Diol. Azrael defeated Cascratia, and it is looking more and more likely that the Group will be decided on the final day when West Angola takes on Cascratia.

Scoring:
13th Minute: Isaac Warren takes pass from Luke Parrish and scores deflection off near post.
West Angola 1, Diol 0
34th Minute: Luke Parrish steal ball from Diolian defender (name unavailable at press time) and scores far post.
West Angola 2, Diol 0
61st Minute: Luke Parrish weaves through defenders and out-sprints keeper to far side.
West Angola 3, Diol 0
85th Minute: Thomas Nasser chests down clearance from Diolian keeper and scores on quick shot to the top corner
West Angola 4, Diol 0

Player of the Game: William Danforth Jr.

Playoff Scenarios:
Assuming (except when noted) Azrael, West Angola, and Cascratia all win today:
West Angola:
A win and more goals than Azrael OR a win and an Azrael loss or draw OR a draw and an Azrael loss
Cascratia:
A win AND an Azrael loss or draw in both final games
Azrael:
A win AND a West Angolan loss or draw OR a win and more goals than West Angola OR a draw and a West Angola loss

[Cascratia]

No. Oh God no. Not this, anything but this.

The blood had drained from his face, even as his heartbeat tripled and sweat beaded on his skin. He opened his mouth to scream, but terror had stolen his breath away from him and left him cold. How did it even get in?

He heard someone knock on the door, and Nianara's voice floated into the room. "Hey, Roli, can I come in?"

He wanted to shout, to call for help, to tell him no he couldn't because it wasn't safe, anything, but every muscle in his body seemed to be frozen save for his petrified trembling.

Cocerned, Nianara spoke again. "Roli? Are you okay in there?" He knew for certain he was in there, but why wasn't he answering?

Still he could force no noise from his throat… but then it twitched. Convinced it was about to charge, or bolt, or something, he involuntarily yelled at the top of his lungs.

Instinctively, Nianara burst into the room, eyes wide— and promptly screamed as loud as he possibly could.

Footsteps rumbled from every direction as the other temporary occupants of the area ran to aid their team-mates. Feelalnee was the first to arrive, skidding to a stop. "Don't worry, Nia, I'll save you!"

Until he saw from what he would be saving him and his own voice was added to the cacophony of girly shrieks echoing in the air.
Cretrix, Ruelada and Bettandra all arrived at once, but couldn't actually see into the room to figure out what was going on, even as Feelalnee back right up out of the way, as Nianara already had done.

Rolinara was now three parts scared and one part irritated. "Will someone do something already!"

Unfortunately, his voice was the last straw, what with the ruckus with the rest of the team, and it skittered under Rokonara's bed. Rolinara's eyes widened in horror for his poor brother, but still cried out again and remained standing on the chair.

"What is going on!" Glevin's familiar voice filled the air, silencing the other noises.

Cretrix spoke up. "Something's in Roli's room, but we can't see it. Nia and Feelalnee have though." The coach's eyes shifted to the aforementioned pair, but Nianara simply shook his head, eyes fixed on the doorway, seeming to fold in on herself. Feelalnee started stuttering and babbling, but no one could understand him.

A yawn added to the noise, and Rokonara joined them at a leisurely pace, blissfully unaware of the creature taking residence beneath his bed. "What's all the noise about?" He peered into his shared room, confused and worried to find his brother (the braver, tougher brother at that) balanced precarioulsy on a chair looking terrified. Said brother pointed shakily at the Roko's bed, and Rokonara swallowed.

He nodded, and carefully crept into the room, ignoring the other's protests. It was a testament to Rolinara's fear that he didn't attempt to warn his twin brother off, simply watching, wide-eyed. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath as he gingerly stepped towards the offending piece of furniture, heart hammering in his chest and breaths coming fast.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he knelt down to peek beneath the bed. After a moment of searching, he relaxed. In fact, he started laughing. "Scared little boy!"

For a moment, Rolinara was totally shocked. Who the hell was he calling a scaredy-cat!

"It's not going to hurt you." And, with that, Rokonara did the unthinkable— he picked it up.

WITH HIS BARE HANDS.

Alright, he was wearing gloves, but they were fingerless and he'd still picked it up! Rolinara could only gawp, completely godsmacked.
Nianara and Feelalnee shrieked again and backed down the hall, and the other team members slowly moved away from the door as well, now able to see it.

It being the hugest, hairiest, stripiest motherflipping eight-legged beast any of them had ever seen. (There weren't many invertebrates on the forest-covered Cascratia anymore).

And Rokonara was cupping it quite contentedly in his hands. "Y'know, it's way more scared of you than you are of it." He informed them amusedly, walking right past the back-pedalling footballers.

A hotel housekeeper stumbled upon the odd scene and approached, curious. "Everyone here okay?" She asked, and then spotted the spider. "Oh, them! Those critters won't do you any harm."

Rokonara nodded in agreement and rolled his eyes at the others. "But my brother's got issues with animals with half this number of limbs, and he's pretty much having a heart attack right now, so do you mind putting it somewhere else?"

The native smiled and shook her head. "Honestly. But yeah, will do." She gently took the spider from her guest and winked, leaving to relocate the poor blighter.

Rokonara thanked her and turned back to his team, coach and all. Pansies, every single one. He laughed again, poking his head back round the door. "It's gone now, scared little boy!"

Rolinara finally got off the chair, and glared at his twin before eyeing everyone present.

"We never speak of this again."