World Cup 60: RP Thread

[Mapletish]

--- > The cover picture of the podcast ...

The World Cup 60 Podcast,By The Sour Kind aka Dennis Kosh and Terry V.

The Sour Kind , [SK]
Terry V. , [TV]

SK --- Hey everybody here I am again for a podcast this time for the World Cup 60 !

TV ---- Yeah SK,it has been sometime since we made a podcast together can,we should have done that on matchday one,but it seems that both of us are busy so we have decided to do one on Match-day 2,Woooooooo YEAH !!

SK --- Well,TV did you know that Mapletish is on an unbeaten streak right now,with 2 matches yeah.

TV --- Ooh,really oh well,I didn't think too much about that,everybody is expecting a World Cup qualification for Mapletish,that's a bit too extreme.

SK --- You see TV,it will take at least 5 World Cup cycles for Mapletish to get into the World Cup proper,but I do believe 110% that Mapletish will qualify if they improve on the defence more,not just sandwiching players around and not caring about the surrounding space,once I saw a 50x50 space when they cramp into each other when they play in the training ground,seemed a bit messy but it is a tactic though.

TV --- Let's not talk about all this right now SK,we shall talk more on the World Cup qualification matches right now,so Mapletish beat The Daedric Stellar Empire 4-2 at home?

SK --- I can only say that TDSE,scored 2 goals as revenge from their previous match against The Han Empire,an empire derby lost by 2 goals .. Interesting you see.

TV --- Better than not scoring at all right ?

SK --- Yeah,you're right.

TV --- This match was really interesting yeah, Mapletish scored first and then TDSE came back to equalise and then they lead by a goal after they score and Mapletish scored another goal to make the score 2-2 by halftime.

SK --- All this happen in a mere 45 minutes?

TV --- Wanna Bet?

SK --- Err no thanks.

TV --- Well,the match was pretty interesting,Morison was the man of the first half,with Junio providing him with the two goals.It was surprising at how TDSE start responding by throwing their man forward,only to see an offside trap waiting for them but in the end,they broke the trap ? Oh well,and this led to a 4 goals pack in the first half ..

SK --- How about the second half,Terry ?

TV --- The second half was of course a Mapletish affair,Junio took matters into his own hands and gave Mapletish two goals,both from a nice tap in by Morison from the right,you see a pattern there?

SK --- Oh yes.

TV --- As you can see,that was a quick and neat comeback for Mapletish without any complications maybe?

SK --- You're wrong Terry,John Davis twisted his angle .

TV --- Oh,that's a real disaster?

SK --- It will be pretty risky to play without him and it is best that Muain Newtons bring Glena Johnson down to the middle,to prevent any complications to the center where most goals are conceded and it is also to prevent a one-one situation.

TV --- I think it is best to opt for a 3-5-2 to cover up the loss of John Davis,don't you think ?

SK ---- OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAH !!! I think that's a good idea and I hope Muain Newtons can do it right this time.

TV --- Now let's turn into other matches of Group 3,Gyatso-kai 1–0 The Archregimancy,The Han Empire 2–0 Achtervolging,Bitternea 2–1 Virabia.Gyatso-kai won the best of the best derby and get 6 points.The Han Empire also snatched 6 points with a promising performance.Virabia continued their bad run with a 2-1 loss to Bitternea.

SK --- Now for our next match,Mapletish will be up against Achtervolging before a challenge against The Archregimancy,exciting fixtures ahead of us right Terry?

TV --- Yep,we should be able to get another 4 points here,or maybe 6 right here.

SK --- Thank you for listening to our podcast for the World Cup 60,tune in again next time !

[Cyborg Holland]

81 minutes, the clock was ticking down, they had the lead, a slender one at that. Taeshan had a corner, and Robert trotted to his normal position in the centre of the area, marking a much taller, burlier Taeshan defender. The corner-taker laid the ball down on the spot and took a second to observe the area. He smashed the ball and it came low and hard at the near post. Someone shouted "Rob!" and he turned quickly to see his mark steaming off to the rapidly incoming ball. The defender already had a few feet on him, but with his superior speed, he was able to make it up quickly. The ball was now directly overhead, and the defender made a jump for it....

Robert rose as well, but the taller defender reached the ball, turning his head slightly to angle the ball. He connected with the ball with a thud and it changed direction. Robert closed his eyes, and realised that all thier had work had been wasted. But then he heard a roar from the crowd behind their goal, but those the our fans, he thought. He opened his eyes to see Helena Rutov haring down the right wing with the ball at her feet, sparking a counter-attack. Timothy Groenwald sat on his line, drinking from his sports bottle, and two other players went to congratulate him. He had just pulled off one of the saves of his career, diving before the ball had been struck, low to his left and had pulled the ball away from off the line, much to the bemusement and annoyance of the Taeshani players.

But now they had work to do, so Robert began to sprint up field, into the centre circle, then out into Taeshan's half. Helena still had the ball, trying to take it past another Taeshan midfielder. She expertly weaved the ball through his legs and rounded him to receive it. She approached the edge of the area and Robert made a run to the far post, sticking his hand as he did so. Helena appeared to have seen it, and played the low cross over to him. He was now three yards from goal. He controlled the ball on his chest, took it round the last defender and smashed it with all he had at the opposite corner of the goal. The ball powered through the outstretched arms of the keeper and thundered into the net. He'd done it. He'd sealed the game. Surely.

Turns out, he had. Cyborg Holland had recorded a famous victory away at Taeshan. They now topped the group with 6 points, two points clear of El Gran Tropico and United Gordonopia, who'd shocked the world by beat Valanora 0-2 at Valanora. It was certainly a day of surprises in group 6.

[Cambazooty]

6-6-2012

RadioSportler
Live In Jerusalem

Today's Commentators: Ëdrin Bishop, Gene Hennig, Jaime Baartmans

---

Post-Game Transcript

ËB: ... And that's that, ladies and gentlemen. Jeru FC three; Cambazooty nil. Still have anything to say about a Comets victory, Jaime?
JB: That goal should never have been disallowed. Keke beat the keeper and-
GH: *snicker* Don't use that word, Baartmans! We have housewives tuning in to our show too.
JB: What are you trying to imply here?
GH: Nothing. Just that we lost to a bunch of girls!
ËB: To be fair, the national team were facing Jeru FC. The chances of them beating such a highly talented squad were next to nothing, and even less since they were playing away.
JB: But we should have had that goal. Keke was not offside. Never offside, even.
GH: Well, before you start frothing in the mouth, we should talk about the goals that were allowed.
ËB: Oh, right. Amy Brown kicked off the match by scoring a chip shot barely a minute in while Leigh Brighton scored a brace receiving crosses from Bryci Cake.
JB: You'll notice that those lasers were distracting Chino when all three goals were being tapped in.
GH: Naw, mate. I'm pretty sure he was distracted by the sexy.
ËB: *chuckle*
JB: Ha ha, very funny.
GH: No, I'm serious! If those lasers were really messing with his focus, he'd be having epilepsies for the whole match! We all watched it and he was on his legs for the whole ninety minutes with that lovestruck look plastered on his face.
JB: So you're saying we lost because we were playing against women, is it?
GH: You have to admit, they were very pretty women.
ËB: Settle down, gentlemen! Cambazooty is not the kind of nation that will blame such miniscule excuses for their undoings, and the national team losing is all that really matters in the end. Now, we have a match at home to look forward to: Cambazooty against Saint-Germaine at the Astrus Nationalstadion!
JB: We should be able to take this one. Saint-Germaine haven't shown their full potential yet, and I reckon the Comets would take advantage of that.
GH: We'll score six goals unreplied.
ËB: Wow, even after the loss, Cambazooty is expected to come back with a thrashing! Well, that's all the time we have for you today; Stay tuned for Martina Diederich's Updates on RadioSportler.

[Ko-oren]

Perfect So Far

And Ko-oren won the second game! The team has never had a start like this - 2-0-0 - and is looking good to win the next two matches as well. Ko-oren beat Friday Freshman 0-2 at an unknown location in the country - KSN staff was moved to the area blindfolded - and seeing as there were only home crowds in the area, the Greenblues were thankfully kept safe from the crowd. The match began shoddily, with Buhen taking a yellow card after a few minutes, but this statistic was corrected by a FF player not five minutes later. Tokachi opened the score for Ko-oren after 30 minutes, with some good play by the midfield that cut right through the defence with magnificent passing. Shiribeshi was the last player to touch the ball before Tokachi. The latter shot from only a few yards out, with the keeper still managing to get a hand against the shot. Just as it crossed the line, Shiribeshi touched the shot again - we sure like to walk it in - but none was fooled: goal by Tokachi! Something that does not happen too often, Tokachi is mainly there for the assists. Just before half time, FF got their second yellow card after a foul on Fenner, but he reacted coolly and none were intimidated.

The second half was a lot calmer than the first, no yellow cards were shown and only one goal was scored. After 75 minutes, Dehenat tried a shot from 30 yards out, which was handled by the goalkeeper. He couldn't get a grip on the shot, and even the FF defenders couldn't react to the rebound before Shiribeshi proved himself to be a top striker and finished the match 0-2. Next match, the team will face Equatorial Sarmen for their first home match in the WC 60 Q. The match will be played in the National Stadium in the capital of Ko-oren City. ES is currently last in the group, Ko-oren is 3rd as there are still three teams with two victories after two matches in group 14.

Todays KSN Poll asked what venues fans liked to go to when watching the Ko-oren game in the Northern region:

Match Stats:
0 Goals 2
1 Shots on Target 5
4 Shots total 9
1 Yellow Cards 2
0 Red Cards 0
41% Possession 59%

[Phoenigetuzstha]

QEP News, The Most Watched News Channel in Phoenigetuzstha

Phoenigetuzstha 0 - 1 Legalese

Phoenigetuzstha have lost, and only into the second game of the tournament. Legalese, the team which have just come off a 4-1 win at Starblaydia came to the Didoan Foundation Stadium. Phoenigetuzsthans going to the game undoubtedly expected a comfortable win, but that was not to be it seemed. The pre-match press conference threw up the opinions of Nebuchad Bel-Hammonis:

"We need to record a win against Legalese, because we know that we may not be able to win away to them, so it is ample to build up the points at home to carry us through. If we don't win, I will not be impressed."

This exposed another side Nebuchad that has been rarely seen, the fiery side, which seemed to excite fans. With this, the teams got ready, Legalese sporting their luck Red kit, while Phoenigetuzstha sported the Black and Pink kit. It seemed even at the start, with chances at both ends, Kelvin Bassford going especially close, being denied by the woodwork.

At the other end, Goran Xanthiochus, making his first start of the campaign had the chance to send Phoenigetuzstha into the lead on the 34' minute, but was denied by the aerial ability of Stan Thate, who, for Legalese was most definitely the star of the game. As it seemed both teams were settling for a half time break, a surging run from Del Bialek coupled with an impressive cross to the head of Kevin Bassford caught everyone, even the Legalese manager off guard.

Nebuchad, once again, probably angry told us of how he asked them to sort it out:

"I told the lads: 'This isn't acceptable. These are the matches we should be winning! We're at home, to an inferior opposition and you're losing! If you don't turn this around, think of the repercussions, you will be shamed, I will be shamed and the country internationally will be shamed, so sort it out!' I know I exaggerated slightly, but I had to get them into gear, but, of course, it didn't work..."

The second half started, as usual with Phoenigetz vigour and valour, adopting a very offensive strategy. This almost paid off when Goran Xanthiocus, eager to prove himself struck it, and very nearly scored from 40 yards out. Even with renewed Phoenigetz energy, Legalese held on, and even threatened Phoenigetuzstha with going two behind a few times.

This loss puts Phoenigetuzstha in a difficult situation. The next two games are against opponents with a higher ranking and better quality than them, Cotdelapoms and Qazox. While not expected to get anything out of these games, it will be a period in which Nebuchad can make the necessary tweaks to his team which seem to be needed if Phoenigetuzstha are to hit their targets. We leave you with the formation from the game, and the table of Group 9, as it stands:

----------Maharbal Magos----------


----------Hannibal Gisgo----------'Adon Gastu----------Sakarbal Baalqemar----------Ariarethees Hapotur----------




----------Antar Hammoiya------------------------------Antiochus Memnos------------------------------Vahgn Hairus----------


----------Hamilqart Mithral (C)----------


----------Mithridates Tauras----------Goran Xanthiochus----------

- Group 9                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Legalese                              2    2   0   0     5    1   +4     6
2 Qazox                                 2    2   0   0     7    4   +3     6
3 Cotdelapoms                           2    2   0   0     4    1   +3     6
4 Phoenigetuzstha                       2    1   0   1     1    1    0     3
5 Ishaanabad                            2    0   1   1     0    1   −1     1
6 Isointania                            2    0   1   1     2    4   −2     1
7 Arcquest                              2    0   0   2     3    5   −2     0
8 Starblaydia                           2    0   0   2     1    6   −5     0

14 - 8 - 28 - 69 - 89 - -20 - 50

---

"Oh Lord, Ba'al, grant them victory, with your unmatched guidance, show them the path to success." Ammanon, the High Priest bowed, lighting incense and wafting about the shrine. Phoenigetuzstha had lost at home, to Legalese, a team ranked a lot lower than them. The president of the PFA (Phoenigetuzstha Football Association), Maharbal Maghos had quickly got on the phone to him, he wanted a blessing for the team, because if they didn't achieve the 26 points target set, they would surely lose their jobs, both Nebuchad and Maharbal.

The defeat against Legalese was totally unacceptable in everyone's eyes. Not only that, but it was at the Didoan Foundation Stadium, the home stadium in Phoenigetuzstha. So poor was the quality of the performance that the players were booed off the pitch, the first time in a competitive fixture this has happened. Things we're in disarray, and everyone, from the players, to the manager to the directors, and even to the head of sport and culture. The team needed to buck up their ideas to be successful.

As the players trudged onto the plane to Cotdelapoms, they all seemed down. They'd been affected by the loss too, and so they should be, it was unacceptable, Nebuchad thought to himself as he watched them embark the transportation device. The game against Cotdelapoms would be the toughest yet, and he had to get them in the right mind-set for it...

[Free South Califas]

(NR) Corderock 2-3 Free South Califas (NR)
	Manager: Ralf Huber (1-1), Bakersfield HB

0'   Corderock (entire team)
28'  FSC #6 HB Godvin Nes (1). Assist: #5 RB Ernsta Heimdal (1).
42'  Corderock (mystery shooter)
43'  FSC #8 LS Marten Robertsen (1). Assist: #5 RB Ernsta Heimdal (2).
45'  FSC out: #9 CF Flavio Filippa. in: #45 HB Rufus Goldman.
61'  Corderock (mystery shooter)
61'  FSC out: #3 CB Falerina Jomphe. in: #23 AM Hamrah Anzalichi.
69'  FSC #10 CF Bela Ceh (1). Assist: #23 AM Hamrah Anzalichi (1).
70'  FSC out: #11 RS Chidiebele Guttman. In: #68 WB Frida Rubaiyat.

The day got off to an inauspicious start for Corderock as their entire team were issued a literally enormous yellow card, as if a giant cheque, for failing to submit a roster and playing with illegal identity cloaks from the future, which itself is also illegal in international football. However, the Corderock team had guns, and the Corderock government were suddenly conspicuously absent, and so the referees let them play on.

It was a tense match, as mystery players from the Corderock side had to be on their best behavior to avoid another yellow and a subsequent ejection. Once, when the center backs' identity cloaks glitched, they ran into each other and almost knocked in an own goal. Thankfully for dignity, the mystery keeper was able to pounce on the ball, before cackling wildly into the terrible, red Corderock sky.

The game went back and forth all day, with the unranked teams surging and scrapping to hang on to tight margins. The Harvest Mice would open their WC60 scoring with a knuckleball tucked under the far left corner of the crossbar by halfback Godvin Nes at the 28th minute. Nes also scored twice in friendlies and had one assist. Right wingback Ernsta Heimdal had her first international point by feeding him the ball from the right side of the cage, after getting all up in Corderock's practically invisible business.

Things changed in minute 42, when something so incomprehensible happened that South Califan eyes could not perceive it. Needless to say, the ball ended up in the Harvest Mouse net and we were tied 1-1. Within a minute, left striker Marten Robertsen knocked in a header from Heimdal's flip-throw, which the wingback has recently developed to angle the throw-in higher for an air assault. Any doubts about reelected player-manager Ralf Huber's ability to score against comparable opposition were quenched, though Huber himself hasn't been one of the 11 running about for a while. Heimdal tallied her second ever assist, breaking her own national team record.

Leading 2-1 at the half, Huber went conservative and took out Bakersfield CF Flavio Filippa for left mid Rufus Goldman, playing the role of a third halfback to clog up Corderock's attacking end. This move would prove unsuccessful in the short term, as another mystery shooter (or the same one?) once again erased the team's memory for the few seconds of her game-tying goal at 61'. Or did he? I....um....er...

If his first sub was conservative, Huber's second was more innovative. Turning the Califas Method from its traditional 4-2-0-4 to a staggered 3-3-1-3, he pulled Bakersfield CB Falerina Jomphe for Channel Islands LM Hamrah Anzalichi, in the role of attacking midfielder. This would be a sage move. Eight minutes later, Anzalichi caromed a hard shot off CF Bela Ceh's domepiece for another Harvest Mouse header goal, proving that Mice can jump. Now Huber pulled star Encinitas striker Chidiebele Guttman for backup left back Frida Rubaiyat in a wing back position, shaping El Metodo into a slightly more treelike 4-3-1-2. In this formation, left striker Marten Robertsen drifted back to harass Corderock possession and sow confusion, while Rubaiyat pushed up the sidelines to keep the pressure on.

In the end, the Harvest Mice would keep their 3-2 lead, and with it, their hard-fought first-ever World Cup Qualifying win. Joyous things of a combustible nature were consumed in celebration, until executive assistant coach Jorja Hickey found herself tucking in more than one Califan footballer who shall not be named.

Interviewed after the game, speaking with the confidence of a presumptive frontrunner, Huber sketched out the squad's preparations to host Cult of Ashley Greene at Gaslamp Quarter Stadium and cited CoAG's 1-1 tie with Unibot as proof that they could be beatable by a more aggressive side. With their momentum rising, the Mice have a chance to launch themselves directly into the Group 12 race with points against CoAG. Still, Ralf urged us not to count our eggs: "We all know this is the Group of Death, and we don't expect to make it out, any more than Bostopia expect us to. We're all just looking forward to seeing distant sights and writing about numbers."

[The Icemark]

Found in the ancient vaults of the citadel of Frostmarris:

[Eastfield Lodge]

From http://www.bloggercentral.efl/Users/Shabeen_Ahmad_III/post301:

World Cup 60 is on, and we're royally stuffed.

Hands up, who here remembers World Cup 54? Not where we finished or anything, but the actual format, and who implemented it. No? No idea what I'm talking about? Well then, a trip down memory lane.

World Cup 54 was hosted by The Babbage Islands and Cassadaigua, and it was interesting in that it ad 169 entrants. Minus the two hosts, this made for a 167 team qualifying. To make this possible, whilst making it as easy as possible for the lower ranked teams to advance, the hosts came up with the following system: 30 "zones", 17 of which had 6 teams and 13 of which had 5 teams. After a double round-robin, the top two teams would advance to the "inter-zonals", held on neutral ground. There were 10 of these, each with 6 teams. After a single round-robin, the top three of each inter-zonal qualified for the World Cup. Eastfield Lodge comfortably advanced to the Interzonal held in QPeMA, where they were eliminated on the matchday.

Back to the present, and TBI is hosting another World Cup, this time with Saugeais as the co-hosts. And, you've guessed it, they've brought in another bizarre system (although not as bad as before). 192 teams in qualifying, makes way for 24 groups of 8. Now, how to get 30 teams from 24 groups. Well, take the top of each group automatically, then send the second-place teams into six playoff "pods" of 4 teams each. Effectively meaning that if you finish second, you have to play two rounds of playoffs to qualify, not just the one round as we've seen in the past few editions of the tournament.

Shocked yet? Well, if not, this should shock you. Aguazul, four-time World Cup champions, who have won the last three tournaments on the trot and are the first ever team to do so, are not participating in this World Cup. The Number One team in the World Cup have willingly opted out of playing, and so the highest ranked team this time are second-placed The Babbage Islands, who lost out on the World Cup 59 trophy to Aguazul on sudden-death penalties.

Anyways, the group draw. An believe it or not, we've been put into pot two. That's enough stalling, I need to begin analysing the group. As you know we were drawn into Group 1 alongside Bloodbath Generation, Jeru FC, Liventia, Braxil, Michael VII, Cambazooty and Saint-Germaine, and the schedule is as follows:
MD1 Home and MD8 Away - Liventia: Despite being in pot 5, we still need to be vary of Liventia. This team has had a very bright history in football, in various different forms. But recently, they've taken a break from football, and they may have lost some experience, so we could win at least one match. I'm predicting a win at home, and then a draw away, or maybe a loss.
MD2 Away and MD9 Home - Bloodbath Generation: Promoted to Pot 4 after an administrative mix-up in calculating the KPB ranks, this nation is relatively new to the footballing scene. However, they finished rock bottom in their Baptism of Fire 46 group, following that up with just 7 points in qualifying, finishing second last in their group. They might actually turn up this time, so in the worst case, a win at home and a draw away.
MD3 Home and MD10 Away - Jeru FC: The top seed in this group, they are the favourites to take the automatic qualification spot being the fourth best team in the tournament and the third best team in qualifying, despite being a bunch of girls. And I mean that literally (no offence to any member of the Jeru FC team meant). I don't see us taking a point away, but at home, we might be able to scramble a draw.
MD4 Home and MD11 Away - Braxil: They joined up in World Cup 57, losing in the playoff round of BoF 44 followed by a third last finish in qualifying. They haven't turned up to participate since, but have seemingly come back to lose badly this time around. Double win should be expected here.
MD5 Away and MD12 Home - Michael VII: The team from pot 3, Michael VII have had a short history, but have been successful enough to earn the right to be third seeds in this group, and accordingly, the right to be taken very seriously as a challenger to the playoff spot, and even the auto-qualification spot. I'm predicting two draws.
MD6 Home and MD13 Away - Cambazooty: They are our group's Baptism of Fire's entrants, and we're lucky because they failed really badly, coming last in their group of six with just two points. Definitely a contender for the wooden spoon of the group, but that award may go to the next team. Anyways, two wins here.
MD7 Away and MD14 Home - Saint-Germaine: The customary unranked team of the group, and the only team not to have submitted their roster. The fact that we face them last out of everyone means that we could have an easy win if we need it at the end of the race. Two wins, easily.

So then, I'm going for 8 wins, 4 draws and two losses, which puts us at 28 points. In reality, I'm thinking we might struggle to get above 25. But we'll see. With the Doctor and company on our side, this might work. This is Shabeen Ahmad III, signing off.

[West Angola]

Namibe Register

West Angola Counters Allegations of Uncultured Status, sets up for high-stakes match!

The West Angola Sporting Minister announced today that he intends to counter recent allegations pertaining to West Angola's lack of culture from Licentiapacisterra's Tarquin Huffington-Smith. For the entirety of the match against Licentiapacisterra, the scoreboard will broadcast reruns of "Hee Haw," "Howdy Doody," and the comedy routines of Jeff Foxworthy. The West Angolan Government hopes that this obvious display of refinement will quiet Mr. Huffington-Smith, as well as show the world that West Angolans really do have class. West Angolan Coach Phillip Garren released the following statement:

I think this will definitely show Mr. Huffington-Smith that we really are a cultured nation that enjoys the high life. I only hope that it won't be a distraction to me and the players on the field who love the show, and that the crowd doesn't drown out the words.

The government has also announced that the shows will be subtitled in English, Spanish, French, West Angolan, and German to allow for better viewing, saying that they're sure such a man as Mr. Huffington-Smith speaks at least one of those.

West Angolan Match Schedule:

1. at Elstorm (258)
2. vs. Terio (Unranked)
3. at Licentiapacisterra (194)
4. vs. Stachland (37)
5. at Landarea (327)
6. vs. Camwood (85)
7. at Cassadaigua (13)
-Bye-
8. vs. Elstorm (258)
9. at Terio (Unranked)
10. vs. Licentiapacisterra (194)
11. at Stachland (37)
12. vs. Landarea (327)
13. at Camwood (85)
14. vs. Cassadaigua (13)

Won (2) Lost (0) Drew (0) Should Win (5) Should Lose (4) Might Win (2) Might Lose (1)

Projected Final Record (W-L-D): 8-4-2
Projected Final Group Position: 4th

Projected Final Group Order:

1. Cassadaigua
2. Stachland
3. Camwood
4. West Angola
5. Licentiapacisterra
6. Elstorm
7. Landarea
8. Terio

West Angolan Match Coverage: West Angola (88) vs. Terio (Unranked)

Pre-Match: Mike, it's still raining here. The rain may have soaked the fans and players, but it's done nothing to dampen the spirit here tonight for West Angola's home opener! The team is looking to stretch their winning streak to 2, and become 2-0 for the first time in the squad's history since it was reincarnated for World Cup 58. Terio, while being unranked, put a scare into Cassadaigua, the #13 team in the world, when they lost by only one goal! Emotions are definitely running high here as the team's get set for the kickoff. Let's go to the center of the pitch for the start of what should be another great game!

45th Minute: Mike, the teams are leaving the field, and while Terio is definitely excited, West Angola has their heads low. No one expected this game to be tied at halftime, West Angola was supposed to run away with it against this unranked yet plucky squad. Terian keeper Adriano Rommero is playing the game of his life, making incredible saves as the forwards continue to fire at Jacob Kerys. This game could go either way, Mike; the outcome is definitely in doubt.

87th Minute: Mike! West Angola just scored! West Angola just scored! Luke Parrish and Isaac Warren worked together beautifully to get one by Rommero in the closing minutes here. Parrish passed to Warren, who penetrated the box before stumbling and sending a pass to Parrish as he fell, an excellent display of athleticism there, getting that pass off while falling, and Parrish was able to shoot and score before Rommero had time to change his focus from Warren to Parrish.

92nd Minute: It's over, Mike! West Angola has survived a frightening night against Terio and improves to 2-0! Confetti is raining down on the pitch almost as fast as the rain, and the players are ecstatic. Terio is disappointed, you can tell, but they put up a heroic fight tonight against a team ranked much higher than they. You can look for great things from them in the future, Mike, mark my words, you'll see them again.

[Vilita]

VILITA LOSE INCREDIBLE MATCH AGAINST NO OPPOSITION

Lymantatia doesn't show, Jungle Cats still lose match; World Cup Qualification no longer in Vilitan control

The Vilita Jungle Cats fell into a huge hole after Matchday 2 of qualifications when they fell victim to a nation that didn't even show up for their match.

The Jungle Cats traveled t othe Nation of Lymantatia with no guidance, background information or details about the match they were there to play. After some guidance from the locals, the Jungle Cats found a stadium being held open by a rock leading to a players change area at the Lymantatia National Stadium. Shortly after, the referee squad arrived and the Jungle Cats finally had some evidence that they were in the right place. Ritopa Simafela approached the captains to ask some details about the match, finding out that the Referees were going to start the match in 23 minutes regardless of who decided to show up.

23 minutes later, Simafela and the Vilitan National team were lined up on the pitch with no apparent opposition players lined up against them. The referee blew the opening whistle and Viji-mara Lawaai marched the ball upfield to tap into the open net, though was confused as to exactly what the referees plans for this match were. As Lawaai approached the penalty area, however, the ground shook and the wind picked up, knocking Lawaai to the ground, freeing the ball and catapulting it back across the field towards the Vilitan goal. Freak circumstances, surely, the players must have thought. So the Jungle Cats passed the ball back up field for another chance putting the ball in the back of the net. Things got complicated on their next attack however, as Retiso Buran played the ball across midfield to the waiting Viji-mara Lawaai, the referee incredibly blew for offisde.

Captain Simafela ran over to the referee, Lokri Pederson of the Icemark, to question decision. Mr. Pederson explained that the literal interpretation of the offside rule was that the attacker receiving the ball must have (any) two players from the opposite team between themselves and the goal when a ball is played to them and they are in the attacking half of the pitch. While dumbfounded, as there were no players on the pitch, Simafela decided not to argue, as literally, there were not 'two players' from the opposite team between Lawaai and the net when the ball was played.

Simafela asked the referee how play would resume, now that the play was stopped and the ball was in the possesion of the opposite team, who was not there. The referee indicated that the ball was stopped, and once it moved, by any means other than by a Vilitan player, who must remain 10 yards clear of the ball, touching it, it would be free for the Jungle Cats to attack.

Incredibly, just at that moment, the winds that had previously catapulted the ball halfway across the pitch stopped and the ball just sat there. Half of the Jungle Cat players, including goalkeeper Nycflala Kater, decided to sit as well, seeing no point in staying alert as the ball was not even moving and there were no opposition players.

Just then, as the half-hour mark approached in the match, an incredible thing happened. A massive bird, with a wingspan over 5 meters, swooped down into the stadium. Unfamiliar with Lymantatian fauna, the Vilitan players played it safe and all ran for the safety of the dugout while a few of the defenders and goalkeeper Nycflala Kater scattered into the empty seats behind the goal. The huge bird landed right on the center circle, perhaps giving some clue as to why there were no players or fans in the stadium for this match.

Just then, incredibly, the bird pocketed the match ball off the pitch into its mouth, and with one quick flick of its wings, propelled itself over 50 yards into the Vilitan goal where it appeared to be hugging or cuddling the ball, treating it almost like an egg and resting upside the netting.

Then the unthinkable happened. Referee Pederson ran back onto the pitch after also taking cover, blew his whistle and pointed at the center circle. He had counted that as a goal for the home side! Vilitan co-manager Tika Massa stormed onto the pitch and confronted Pederson, but the Icemark referee was having none of it and quickly pulled out the red card, showing it to Massa and instructing him off the pitch. In a parting shot, Massa barked at Pederson that he should red card the bird.

Speaking of the bird, it was fairly calm in the net, just appearing to nap with the ball under its wing. Luckily, there were more balls at the stadium, so once the Jungle Cat players mustered up the confidence to rejoin the pitch with a huge, sleeping bird in their net, the referee blew to restart the match. Just as quick as he had restarted the match, however, he blew up again for half time. Incredibly, the Jungle Cats were losing 0-1 and they weren't even playing anyone.

In the locke room, coaches Wrice and Massa told the Vilitan players not to worry, just get a little confidence in them and it would be fine.

As the match resumed, the Jungle Cats were now attacking the end of the pitch that had a huge slumbering bird nestled in the goal. Still cautious, the Vilitan players were unwilling to enter the penalty area, instead taking pot shots at the net from 30+ yards out. Yves Gadois hit the bar and the ball rolled out for a throw. The Vilitan players quickly realized how stupid that was, as there was virtually no way for the ball to come back into play. Once again the players sat and for about 10 minutes nothing happened. Then, amazingly, a gust of wind shifted the ball and referee Pederson blew his whistle. "Foul Throw" he indicated, and awarded the ball to the Jungle Cats. Retiso Buran quickly through the ball in and Viji-Mara Lawaai, now filled with adrenaline, burst into the area and fired a low shot into the goal to level the scores... or so he thought. Although the ball clear crossed the line, it then struck the bird and bounced out. Referee Pederson showed no indication of goal, and to make matters worse, the Bird woke up. Lawaai didn't seem to care, he was going to get that ball in the net. He fired again, and hit the bird again. And the bird stood up, its head breaking through the top of the net. It ducked to get under the bar and Lawaai, who had collected the ball again, fired one more shot. This time, the bird, completely aware of its surroundings, snapped up the ball at lunged at Lawaai. Lawaai, and the rest of the Vilitan players, quickly retreated again. The bird, obviously upset and being peppers with shots, then proceeded, with a few flicks of its wings, to the other side of the pitch where it nestled into the other net.

Right on cue, Referee Pederson blew up and pointed to the center circle, crediting a second goal to the homeside. Incredibly the Jungle Cats were now trailing 2-0 with no opposition other than a ridiculously massive bird. The players waited about 10 minutes until the bird was comfortably asleep in the other net, then attacked the pitch to run some balls into the empty net. Unfortunately, time was now running out and they did not expect any injury time support from referee Pederson. Lawaai took the kickoff, tapping the ball to Gadois who sprinted up the pitch and finally walked the ball into the net, pulling one goal back for the Jungle Cats. Unfortunately, there were no Lymantatia players to take the resulting kickoff, and it was entirely possible the match would effectively be ended at that time. Captain Simafela once again inquired with the referee on how this would work. Mr. Pederson indicated that once the ball moved, while the Vilitan players were still outside the center circle, it would be free game. He also indicated the match could not end until the ball moved. 5 minutes passed, full time, and the ball still hadn't moved. They Jungle Cats knew they had lost, and it was just a matter of time for the ball to wiggle and the final whistle to blow. 10 minutes later, still no final whistle, and half the Vilitan players had walked off the pitch in disgust of what they had just experienced. Then, a pack of Dogs, the national animal of Lymantatia, ran across the pitch and kicked the ball on the way. Referee Pederson quickly responding, blowing for full time. A few obscene gestures and unkind words from the four Vilitan players that remained on the pitch was all that was left on the day, as the bird continued to sleep, the dogs went away, and the Jungle Cats found themselves 5 points out of the World Cup Qualification places after just two matches.

Vilitan co-manager Kris Wrice would have to wait for the referees final report to see if any of his players were red carded after the match, but other things to worry about, with the incredible defeat, the Jungle Cats had lost control of their own destiny in World Cup 60 Qualifications. Incredibly, despite having played just 2 matches, the Jungle Cats no longer controlled their own destiny, and even winning each of their remaining matches for the rest of the campaign would not ensure the Vilita National Team qualify for the World Cup due to the huge deficit in points already created after Vilita's failures to record a victory against lower ranked sides The Kytler Peninsulae and the no-show affair in Lymantatia.

	Lymantatia HUGE BIRD
:: Goalscorers :: :: 85' Yves Gadois	:: Goalscorers :: :: 28' Huge, Giant Bird :: 74' The Same, Huge, Giant Bird
:: Best Player: Retiso Buran :: Worst Player: Nycflala Kater :: Shots on Target: 2 :: Corner Kicks: 0	:: Best Player: The Bird! :: Worst Player: None :: Shots on Target: 0 :: Corner Kicks: 0

Vilita Jungle Cats (3-(1-4)-2) ::
[GK] Nycflala Kater, [D] Ritopa Simafela, [D] Kadi Molali, [D] Niubo Deneli, [DMC] Retiso Buran, [ML] Steffyn Siazzu, [MC] Resaie Kentiak, [MC] Viliaka Morasita, [MR] Manolis Kontalroma, [FC] Viji-mara Lawaai, [FC] Yves Gadois
BENCH::
[FC] Xcnaio Bansoa, [FC] Lita Adjei, [M] Jian Lejsrma, [M] Jomur Hulyer, [U] Rexii Tzikas, [D] Sipaao Vereaoao, [GK] Aranora Jaded

Vilita Substitutions::

(For Future Statistical Reference)
GK :: Nycflala Kater 4

D :: Ritopa Simafela 6
D :: Kadi Molali 9
D :: Niubo Deneli 9

DMC :: Retiso Buran 8

ML :: Steffyn Siazzu 7
MC :: Resaie Kentiak 8
MC :: Viliaka Morasita 9
MR :: Manolis Kontalroma 6

FC :: Viji-mara Lawaai 6
FC :: Yves Gadois 6

Vilitan Subs Bench:
FC :: Xcnaio Bansoa DNP
FC :: Lita Adjei DNP
M :: Jian Lejsrma DNP
M :: Jomur Hulyer DNP
U :: Rexii Tzikas DNP
D :: Sipaao Vereaoao DNP
GK :: Aranora Jaded DNP

[Darmen]

Rumors abound about Tor Tong Lee's Transfer Decision

Regarded as the greatest player to ever play for Darmen, Tor Tong Lee is on a lot of clubs radars. After a dismal performance by Lee's Rogerton Whitecaps in the Darmen Cup, Lee wants out of Rogerton, unless the club can sign talent from outside of Darmen, and turn the teams fortunes around. But with Goalkeeper Tim Hedjuk, of Mangolana, transferring to the Beat of Scott City for three seasons, all the Whitecaps can offer Lee is a pay raise of 3million NSD per season. Lee says that he’s “not in it for the money,” but rather that he wants to win a League Championship by the time he turns 30.

He’s already won a League Title, in Mangolana with Arsenrall, but according to him, that’s different. “I only played with Arsenrall for half a season, and I’d like to win a title with a team which I’ve been playing for over the course of a full season. Arsenrall has reportedly made a two season contract with an undisclosed wage per season. But with recent rumors surfacing out of Mangolana about a split in their League, Lee probably won’t want to play there. And what about the fact that the Darmeni Premier League is now ranked ahead of Mangolana’s (Darmen is ranked 24th, and Mangolana 27th), which means that the level of competition is higher here. If Lee wants to continue to improve his game, he will probably want to sign with a club in a highly ranked League, and compared to Mangolana, Darmen is just that.

Scott City FC are ranked 115th in the UICA Coëfficients, and have won four of the five Darmeni Premier League seasons, and four of the five Darmen Cup’s. Scott City FC is putting together what some might call a “dream team” for Season Six of the Darmeni Premier League. Sargossan’s Luis Parra, and José Antonio Leiva, and West Cuban star Edgardo Mendoza are the top three international players with the squad. Young Erathi star, Andre Romelle Young, is also an excellent player, and is one of the top scorers on the club. Camian U-21 Goalkeeper, Daniel Price, sits on the bench, and sees regular action in the last few matches of the season, as well as the early rounds of the Darmen Cup. Former Tamarindia nationals, Kaitan Rodarte, and Nicholas Matthews also contribute quite a bit to the club, Matthews doing so off the bench, usually replacing Parra late in matches. And then there’s the Darmeni’s that play for the club. Captain Zach Preston is an anchor in the midfield, and is joined by Danny Beasley, and Luca Cormio. Forward Bryan Faulkner has just joined the club, and will began playing with the squad following the completion of the UICA competitions. And of course there’s Mikael Adan and Dustin Nguyen in the back line, rounding out what is already a stacked starting eleven. Lee has almost no reason to turn down a move to Scott City FC, and this is the squad he is most likely to transfer to.

Lee has one last final option, and that’s to return to his roots at Eau Claire Aris FC. If Lee were to return to the Aris, they would definitely be one of the teams bet on most to win the League. Lee would join Polarian Attacking Midfielder Timo Ljusnarsson in the Midfield along with Aaron and Jake Gibbons, both of whom are members of the Darmeni National Team. Troy Osborne remains the best Darmeni Goalkeeper, but when compared to the international Goalkeepers in the Darmeni Premier League, he would be ranked fifth. Still, having the fifth best Goalkeeper on your squad is quite a benefit. Abraham Gibbons and Dan Baker start in the Forward position, and as National Teamers, are expected to do much of the scoring. Before the addition of Ljusnarsson, Baker and the eldest Gibbons accounted for 85% of Aris’ goals. Since the addition of Ljusnarsson, they’ve accounted for 50%, which is still quite a high percentage. If Aris were able to somehow sign Lee, Baker and Gibbons would be responsible for much less scoring, and you could expect Aris to return to their old ways of flashy play and amazing wing play.

Wherever Lee decides to go, it’s looks as though he’ll be paid well. Scott City FC has offered 17million NSD per season, while Aris have offered 20million NSD per season. Lee has repeatedly said though that he’s “not in it for the money,” and said that he would make his decision based on the club and the situation surrounding the club. He expects to make a decision on where to go in a day or two.

3-5-2 Formation
GK: Kimi Siesman
DEF: Charm Vue, Scott Rydzik, Arik Sikula
MID: Dan Lipari, Luca Cormio, Zach Preston, Tor Tong Lee, Gene Turko
FOR: Bryan Faulkner, Sergio Autitore

Darmen will wear their Alternate Away Jerseys

[Earent]

CONFIDENTIAL
DO NOT DISTRIBUTE
Evaluations--Addendum
Player: Aylkee, Sharnis
Perception: Low?
Presence: Erraticly low
Physical compatibility: Low-medium
Youth team evaluations (Atteregav Numa): A quiet player but can easily get upset when she makes mistakes. Physically we're getting readings from her on the nidj tests but subjectively she claims not to pick up on any of the stimuli, or her teammates.
Recommendation: At this rate will not be able to gel as part of a larger midfield unit. Yes, she's small, but we have nothing to lose trying her in goal...

The night before the match, it wasn't clear who would play for Erathore. But this, in and of itself, was not the problem. No, Sharnis had been perfectly fine popping in a tape of the Erathore team from the previous World Cup. Maybe some of the players wouldn't be there, but it was good enough practice. She could just relax, practice listening to the English-language broadcasters, and try to pick up a few tips.

Or so she thought.

Erathore started out on the attack, and everything looked fine. She watched the attackers, hoping to pick up some pointers. Del Nieran, to Jão, back to Del Nieran, some opposing midfielder...Then, however, Erathore's opponents pushed them into a more defensive game, and she lost focus a little, not paying much attention.

Sharnis blinked wildly as she snapped back into things. The Erathi left-back, Victor Piqué Amborsio, had just passed to Vanni Del Naran, who dribbled forward slowly. Shrugging, Sharnis continued to watch. The other team were struggling more, and Erathore could attack again. Villa, Ringëril, Jão again, nothing.

And back. Julio Lanziano dazzled, up for Celebrindal, forced backwards. DiSantos cut off. Interception. Pass forward. Cleared away by Victor Piqué. Sharnis moved to the edge of the hotel couch. "What? Come on!" Lanziano again, pushing forward.

"How's it going?" said Shenlake, passing through. "Is this from the first couple games?"

Sharnis shook her head. "Last Cup. I don't know, it's been pretty quiet so far. Like, I thought there would be more going on, maybe stuff I could learn from. Eh."

She closed her eyes, trying to review the trajectory of that errant Ricardo Villa shot, when all of a sudden the game caught her attention again. Roberto Bennedetto had just thrown the ball way upfield, Victor Piqué in possession, dribbling forward for Rafa DiSantos. Play was still flowing. Sharnis punched the couch.

"Whoa. You okay?" said Shenlake.

"No. This is so dumb. What's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing's going on."

"Exactly, there's something wrong here."

"Just--calm down, look, we've had a long flight, you should rest up for the game, okay?"

She shrugged. "We're past the hour mark, it won't be long."

But she felt herself nodding off, only to blink into startled attention every once in a while. She whipped her head towards the screen, each time more jerkily than the last, but there was never anything out of order.

"...don't understand her," said Shenlake, finally, as a concerned Marsinee announced that they really should get some rest. "She gets like that every time their left-back touches the ball."

"Their left-back?" said Marsinee, glancing down at the thin stack of notes on his clipboard and back to the screen. "Sharnis," he said gently, "were you trying to study English from the broadcast?"

"Yeah," she yawned.

"Okay. When...when they go on about Victor Piqué?"

"Yes!"

"That's...that's their number sixteen's name."

"It what?"

"It does not mean that they're about to take, or win on, a penalty kick."

Sharnis gaped. "They named a football player Victor Piqué."

"Yes."

"And it has nothing to do with...stuff."

"Presumably not."

"That is the dumbest thing."

"You should get some sleep."

"Yes."

For all that she held her own, away against the top seeds. They still lost, beaten by a long goal from a midfielder who none of them recognized.

[Turori]

TURORI HELD TO GOALLESS DRAW
Turori Eels 0 - 0 Monastery-on-the-rocks

Turori struggled against an up-and coming Monastery-on-the-rocks side, still having failed to score their first goal of the competition as the match ended in a 0-0 draw, leaving the Eels with just 1 point in two matches in a group where they should have been favored to challenge for a top 2 position.

The teams poor performacnes also appear to be dampening the interest of foreign managers in the opening managerial slot, as only Darmen's Mikael Gibbons and Gyatso-Kai's Leifong Saikan have applied.

Gibbons is already known to both the Football Asociation of Turori and its players, having managed the team briefly on a trial during World Cup 58 Qualifications.

Leifong Saikan, however, is a new name to Turori. The Gyatso-kaian manager from the Earth Kingdom City of Omashu is currently the manager of Omashu FC in Gyatso Kai. Previously, they have served as the head coach of the Universtiy of Omashu and an assistant at FC Mando.

Leifong Saikan lacks international experience, but is likely to get a trial run, potentially to lead the squad against Milchama, a team that Gyatso-Kai has played before, and Leifong Saikan may be able to tap into the knowledge of fellow country mates to put a strategy together to lead the Eels to what must now be considered a required 3 points if they are to maintain any chances of advancing to the World Cup Finals.

Turori Goalscorers:: -None-















Monastery-on-the-rocks Goalscorers:: -None-














Turori

Shots on Target: 1
Corner Kicks: 0

Monastery-on-the-rocks

Shots on Target: 1
Corner Kicks: 1


Turori Eels Lineup ::
[GK] Ronji Miiastara, [D] Yoains Konoaafeo, [D] Lioniaa Tana, [D] Diauro Dlaminii, [UT] Restiaa Mumamba, [ML] Rikko Rawaii, [MC] Vrotaoa Lorasoiba, [MC] Cediici Tzatzos, [MR] Raso Tareak, [FC] Liinai Zakazaka, [FC] Loala Kigoouao
BENCH::
[FC] Jukkia Diijelhma, [FC] Anuh Ciniima, [M] Rutaj Ranaso, [M] Tiika Diirotora, [UT] Noa-isinao Wioauoi, [D] Balariita Muzmaara, [GK] Mumau Atla-Siioai

Turori Substitutions::
(17) - Diauro Dlaminii >>> Noa-isinao Wioauoi

[Bears Armed]

"An entire nation that's called 'Friday Freshman'? This hrreally has to be a joke, hrright?"

"Hwrrong. That is their name, for true!"

"Ur'rmm... Hwell, to me that name still sounds as though it should only belong to an amateur team, not to an entire nation...
"Wait! 'Freshman' is the singular form of the word, isn't it? I take back hwhat I just said, because hwhat their name sounds like to me now is as though it should be only the nickname for just an amateur player instead!"

"Hwell, joke or not, they did compete in the last Baptism of Fire.."

"Oh. So, how hwell did they do in that?"

"Made it past the group stage, but eliminated in the second round."

"Hr'rmm. Probably shouldn't pose much of a problem to our girls, then."

"Probably not, no, especially with the first leg against them being played up in NorthPort."

"Still unseasonably cold up there, is it?"

"For true! I went to check out the stadium last week, and conditions were more like Freezily than Sune ... at least by our southern standards."

"Urrgah!"

"Ayyuh. I don't know how accustomed to cold our guests-to-be are, in fact I haven't been able to find out much about them -- not even a hrroster for their team in this competition, for example -- at all, but I hrrather doubt that they'll be anywhere near even as close to comfort out on that pitch next Donk's-day as the Belles should be."

"Oh hwell, you know the old saying, if they can't take the cold then they shouldn't have joined up..."

"Hrright."



________________________________________________________________

OOC notes

'Freezily and 'Sune' are months in the traditional Ursine calendar, basically equivalent to our February and June.
'Donk's-day' is one of the [eight] days of the week in that same calendar.

[Homelands our]

Just to show you the amount of time taken about by the sports double header that is nearly here, this is your average prime-time timetable for blue-sports 1:

7:00-World Cup Match, 10:00 Live re-run of other match, 12:00 Oylmpics-water polo preview, 1:00-world cup in numbers

Notice that no speedway league 1, the most highly rated non football league does not play one part in all of that. I don't know if the public are delighted or if they are in dismay. Oh wait there is a survey 

43% are glad it's not in the main stations
7% would like to see it given more slots
26% are fed up with sports
24% moan that it is only the qualifiers

I would bet my last Horo that most of that 43% are miserable old women in the middle of a spot of depression. 7% want to see more of it. Well they are the sports junkies that weep over the summer as there is to football and stay up all night to watch matches on the other side of the planet. That 26% are just the extreme version of that 43%. I say to the 24% that you better watch when we get into the world cup proper. Oooh we have another survey

23% think we will make the world cup
46% think we will make the Cup of Harmony
27% think we won't make anything but won't be in last 3
4% think we will be in last three

23% think we'll make the WC are they mad or what. They must have been overrating us for ages. I know we are in the top 100 that all that but. I think we will make the CoH too. It's were nations like us learn their trade before taking it to the bigger stage. To the 27% that is a viable option too, but unlikely. After seeing the first two performances I am starting to believe the 4^ 

[Valanora]

Path of Glory ~ Laborious Hawk

A mortal decries what has been lost before it has been earned
An immortal varies rarely continuing on the path
Both move towards the same goal with eyes wide open
The triumph and glory is an illusion
For both sacrifice greatly to progress on through
One in constant flux while the other remains static
Life through the eyes of the other brings confusion and disdain
Eternity left in a breathless facade
While silver arches is why they remain.

[Legalese]

Raucous times were certainly in order - winning not being a usual result for the Legalese Nationals. For the men in red, however, it was a different scene. Nearly everyone was having a good time - the stars, the other starters, the reserves, even the trainers. The stadium crew was nice enough to even leave them an ice-chest full of beer, of which a number of players took full advantage of, including surprise starter Garry Maharry.

Of course, one player did not partake, that being Kelvin, who headed in the lone goal and game-winner. He leaned back in his stall, shades on, and napped, a small smile on his face.

Nearby, Garry smiled and cringed as Del slapped him on the back.

Del laughed. “Too much sun?”

Garry grinned, and let his skin tone, which matched the color of the kit, tell the answer.

Watching from the other end of the room, Gabe chuckled. Should’ve given him the water and sweat-proof stuff.

His thoughts were interrupted by Hamish, who handed him a beer – a local brew, considering the all-consonant name.

“So, third time’s the charm, eh?” the assistant chuckled. “I did not see that lineup change coming.”

Gabe smiled. “Easy choice, really. Jimmy’s getting there, and did study hard, but he’s just not the guy to play the distributor. Garry’s the one who plays that every day at Bob’s Towing for Jimmy. And it paid off, setting Del up on that run.”

“It did. Helped that Stan stood on his head today too.” Hamish nodded in Stan’s direction, as he sat at his locker, towel draped over his shoulder, and a bottle of water and pickle juice – his personal mix – in the other. “Ten saves? No wonder he’s tired.”

“No kidding. What about Jimmy? This isn’t the first time I’ve benched him, and we barely survived that one. Think he’ll be fine?”

Hamish looked back at Jimmy, who was talking to his club-level striking partner and one of the heroes of the day. He was smiling, though Hamish noticed a slight strain to it – the look expected when your best friend gets the job you want – happy for him, but only just enough.

“I know sitting on the bench is killing him, but winning cures everything. Let’s just enjoy this one.”

----

Jimmy reached in to clasp Garry’s hand, and pull him in for a bear-hug. “Nice through ball, buddy.”

Garry laughed. “I do it twenty times a year for you in league. Of course I can do it abroad!”
“Yeah, I know. Keep that spot warm for me, though. I’ll be wanting it back at some point.”
They laughed again. Suddenly, Garry’s burnt skin no longer hurt as much.

[Western cuba]

Havana Tribute

The #1 Newspaper in Western Cuba

Western Cuba Earns First Victory

Jorge Ramirez

Anatoly Markin earned his first World Cup qualifying victory as manager of Western Cuba last night at Trinidad Municipal Stadium, where 30,000 Western Cuban fans sold out the first home qualifying match. The win was only by a thin margin, being 1-0, however it was enough for Western Cuba to earn three points.

Alberto Perez was back in last night's game, after suffering a minor asthma attack in the 87th minute on match day one against Antoletia. Any sign of concern from that asthma attack seemed to have disappeared last night as Perez had an awesome game. While Perez did not score, Mendoza did, Perez set up the assist for the game-winning goal, and set up many passes that lead to scoring opportunities. Once again though, Perez is still quite confused on how the media is making a big fuss about his performance yesterday.

"Really, its not much of a big deal. So I had an asthma attack in my first game and played well the next game. People recover from way more serious issues and play even better than I did yesterday. If you ask me the media is a joke", commented Perez at the press conference yesterday.

Once again though the main thing last night was once again Edgardo Mendoza. The superstar scored the game-winning goal for Western Cuba again last night. To be honest I have lost count of how many times Mendoza has done that in his career. In the 77th minute Perez would cross the ball across the field to Mendoza who would beat out two defenders for the break away and score on the Enslava goalie with a upper ninety shot. The shot would give Western Cuba three points, putting them tied for second in Group Seventeen.

Enslava for being a young team in their first World Cup are playing well though. Their first two games so far were against Erathore and Western Cuba, two teams fighting for a qualifying spot. And Erathore is favored to win the group. In both games Enslava only lost by one goal. So I have to give credit to Enslava, they may have no points in the group stage so far, but they are doing very well in my opinion.

Now Western Cuba takes their skills over to Earent to face them tonight in match day three. Earent is currently 0-1-1 so far in World Cup qualifying. Their first match they tied the Sanian Confederacy while they lost to Erathore by one yesterday just like Enslava. So Western Cuba must play their best tonight, as Earent is a threat.

Once again though, my prediction is that Western Cuba will take this game for another three points. Only getting one point tonight would be a major disappointment for the team and would hurt them. If Mendoza finds the goal and Hector Diaz has another good night, it would be hard to see Western Cuba not winning tonight.

[Vettrera]

The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.

Valor Coast Voyager

The last time Vettrera participated in the Baptism of Fire, they made it very far and were thought of as a competitive group.
Once the World Cup started though, they fell quickly, and finished as one of the worst teams in the entire cup.
This year, Vettrera has revved up a nation, as they currently are starting the qualifiers on the right foot.
After many failed attempts to bring home a world title, Vettrera is the current McLeod Cup Champion.
Since then, things have been looking up, as Vettrera aims to earn more trophies to their collection.

[Liventia]

Underwhelming. The after-match analysis; harsh and, arguably, unfair. Liventians aren't expecting fireworks, or that the players will impress every match. As long as the efforts don't seem too Herculean, or too Lilliputian, the fans will appreciate the team's best attempts at playing good football.

The 1–0 home win in front of 30,000 soldiers — vice-captain Paul Garner's 50th minute goal the difference between the two sides — on a military base will do little to satiate the pundits, even as fans celebrate the team's first World Cup qualifying win in decades.

Only time will tell whether the celebrations will last longer than one match.

Team: Ramsden, Daniel, Hodge, Bowler (c), Davis, Byford (Tuck 34'), Buzzeo, Grant, Goodwin (Baines 69'), Garner [50'], Wilson (Rayner 88')

[OOC: Today's word count: 100]

[Camerania]

"Good Afternoon, I'm Barry Norman with your World Cup update. Last night was a drawback (pun intended) from the match before, against Farfadillis, an opponent we had hoped to beat. We did have the lead for most of the match, but they managed to hold us off just long enough. We here are still glad it was a draw rather than a loss, and it puts us at number five in group eighteen, not the best, but certainly salvageable. It also puts us in with the small handful of nations that are 0-2-0 for the qualifiers. We're looking forward to our match against Royalsoldiers, and we hopefully will pull out a win. Also, stay tuned for an Olympics overview later tonight, and a World Cup update tomorrow. Until then, I'm Barry Norman, keeping you posted."

[Thatius]

Fifteen minutes remaining.

The voice inside his head sounded like a video game announcer telling him how much time he had left until the finish.

Just fifteen minutes until we secure our first victory of World Cup 60, he thought.

Roy Seeler knew the importance of time. In fifteen minutes anything could happen: a comeback victory or a continuation of the brutal beating. Maybe a streaker or two, but hopefully not. But Thatius was winning 3-0 against Aleprennia, and a comeback victory from Aleprennia was unlikely.

Ten minutes remaining.

Hurrying, Roy passed the ball to his teammate, Alex O'Brien, who was waiting in midfield. The Aleprennia team had pushed to attack, but the Thatian defense easily gained back possession of the ball. It was time for another offensive. The ball soared in the air and Alex cleanly caught it with his foot and brought it to the ground. He then passed it to another forward, Marko Voloski, who sprinted towards the Aleprennia goal.

Roy sprinted again to catch up, in case the forwards needed assitance. The whole midfield followed his lead, naturally, and made their way to the goal. However, it was too late, because Marko and the Aleprennian goalie were facing off. The Aleprennian defenders were too far off for assitance, and it was the most opportune moment for Marko to strike.

Five minutes remaining, said the voice inside his head.

Gracefully, Marko shot the ball past the Aleprennian goalie and into the upper-right corner of the goal. GOAL FOR THATIUS! 4-0!

There, thought Roy. Game, set, and match. Sealed.

---

OOC: That was fun, writing this RP in 15 minutes.I have an internet card at my hotel, and that's as much internet access as I get for the day. I would have written a lot more, but this is what I can produce in 15 minutes (after checking ESPN, of course.)

[Andossa Se Mitrin Vega]

A Day in My Life


Well things couldn’t have started much worse. A second loss, this one to Kulverint, and bottom of the table. We knew there would be some issues to solve but this is worse than expected.

It wouldn’t have been so bad except the few fans that made the trip turned on us early and began chanting for Mace and Jonasei. While that doesn’t bother me a bit it has affected the play of Jaqinze and Fekelii. I hope they can find a way to break out of their funk and put some balls in the net. If not, we will be forced to Make some changes up front. I guess we will wait until the halfway point to make any such decisions. With the closest two sides to us in ranking already behind us, the next five matches become crucial.

The only thing that keeps me from going crazy over the horrid start is the fact that the Sea Dragons traditionally have always started slow and finished strong. And with this squad we should be able to do so again.

One change will be made now.

I will be sending Akaok forward. If defenders are going to push the girls around, they will get a large dose of the big Zirakulii happily returning the favor. Let’s see how much they like dealing with that.

Time to go watch the film of the match with Kulverint. That will suck. Idaniera is up next. Should be a great opportunity to get back on track.

[Armed Bears]

"A time to be wakin’, a time to be sleepin’,
The red leaves of autumn are callin’ me home;
’Twas so good to be young then, in a season of plenty,
When the star-trout were jumpin’ as high as the trees.

"A time just for findin’, a time just for keepin’,
A time to be holdin’ a land of your own;
’Twas so good to be young then, to be close to the earth,
And to cleave to your mate at the moment of birth."


"Urra! The bus is leaving for the stadium in only a pawful more moments' time. Stop rehearsing, and come along!"

"Oops! Hokay, here I am."

[Kiryu-shi]

“Hey, you! Get back to work! You sure aren’t here to be ogling anything!”

Tziganes whipped her head around, blushing brightly. She was still surprised that the head maintenance worker, a man named Shelly Duncan, never questioned her presence among his workers. She assumed that he didn’t actually have much to do with personnel or payroll, so it wasn’t his responsibility to oversee hiring procedures or to check if people were being paid. His sole responsibility seemed to consist of yelling loudly at workers he considered incompetent in some way, shape, or form.

Of course, it was just her luck that he was also a fairly devout Quee worshipper, and was under the impression that football was incredibly obscene; a frivolous game that neither bettered the self or the community. And he could not stand it when anyone would pay any attention to it. Which was, she thought, somewhat appropriate for a person in his position, he did not seem to be remotely overwhelmed by the daily exposure to a team that was seeming to be embraced as stars throughout Kiryu-shi. Or at least the more secular social circles in Kiryu-shi.

Indeed, when it was announced that Sakaino University would be hosting a free communal watching experience at their largest auditorium for the match against Tales, Tziganes didn’t expect anyone to show up. After all, no one knew anything about this Tales squad, a team who had limped to a 1-0 loss against a low-ranked Royalsoldiers squad. The crowd that Tziganes had found there was stunning, and she was just able to squeeze into a seat in the back before the crowds began to be turned away.

The game itself was incredibly disappointing, to say the least. The Kiryu-shi defenders were as sharp as they normally were, but there was absolutely no cohesion amongst the attacking players, and the paltry field conditions contributed to an absolutely dismal watching experience. There were probably fewer than fifty people in attendance at the match itself, although it was difficult to be sure given that there was no seating, and the match was played on what seemed to be hastily drawn lines in sand. Although it was extremely beautiful; the nation of Tales seemed to be overlooking a body of water that the announcers said was the Celtic Sea, from an area that they called the Bay of Biscay, the sand didn’t seem extremely conducive for efficient attacks. The Tales players, who didn’t appear to be coached by anyone, and who were wearing various pieces of clothing that were more or less consistently blue and white, seemed much more confident playing in the sand than the Kiryu-shi players, but that was no excuse for the brutally ugly offensive performance. Players seemed hesitant to make runs close to goal, or make runs at all, preferring to stay in the same general spot and move the ball around with long passes. All in all, it was fairly disgusting for Tziganes to watch. More than anything, she was dismayed by how lackadaisical they were, with no passion for what they were doing, it seemed. And, to be fair, perhaps it was difficult playing against a squad that didn’t seem to respect the World Cup Qualification process, and perhaps it was difficult playing in front of such a small crowd, but…

Tziganes forced her attention back at the work at hand, polishing the counters in the kiosk areas behind the bleachers in the Athletic Complex. She attempted to limit her glimpses down toward the field, where the team at least seemed to be practicing fairly diligently. She knew, though, that if she had been on the pitch three days earlier, the match would not have ended with a scoreless draw…

“HEY! DO YOU WANT TO BE LET GO?! PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR WORK!”

Again, Tziganes whipped her head away from the pitch, keeping her eyes down. There was no way anything good would come from more attention from her Quee worshipping boss. Her world was still so far away from the Kiryu-shi national team, and no amount of daydreaming was going to change that at all. Although she would try to use her maintenance uniform to be on the sidelines of the upcoming match against West Zirconia, who was sitting in second place after a fairly stunning, literally last-minute home draw against low-ranked Camerania in their first match. They were just coming off a three nil thrashing of Royalsoldiers, though, with an intimidating offense coming into their first away match. There was nothing that was going to keep Tziganes from attending the match… Especially given that it was one of the few places that she was able to easily get a lot of free food that people left behind.

RP 1
RP 2
(For my own keeping-track-of-things purposes as well as for any readers.)