World Cup 60: RP Thread

by **Qazox** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:14 pm

World Cup 60 Qualifers
MD14 @ Ishaanabad

Qazox won 5-0, but it was too little too late, as a few minutes later the scoreboard in Ishaanabad showed the news that Qazox had been dreading: LEGALESE 5-ARCQUEST 2. For the first time in 28 years, Qazo would not be partaking of the quest for the World Cup. With Caoch Karim Zaki's contract up for a renewal after the upcming Cup of harmony, provided Qazox gets invited.

Goals were scored by:

Doreen Dobbs: 33'
Greg Shaw: 39'
Juila McDaniels: 55'
Tomas Vera: 62 and 76'

by **Michael VII** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:07 pm

Man on a Mission: WC60 Qualifying with Steven Mcswain...

Or should that be Pod-lifying? WE'RE GOING TO SAUGEAIS! For the ~~first~~ (second if you count the CoH) time we're going to another country that we actually want to go to play Football since the BoF! Plus, we also managed to tie with Jeru FC! Woot. 3-3 against the world's best girls? Okay, either way they're girls, but it's still a solid effort. I'll take it. All the way to Saugeais!

So it has come down to 48 teams, 24 already there, and 6 left to fight it out for the remaining 6 spots in the WC. (Barring the hosts of course). So we're down to a 25% chance of qualifying for the WC and having our name written down in history as the first of this nation to make the world's biggest tournament. So, it's up from 16% chance now to a 25% chance, so will our luck run out? Hopefully not. Hopefully we'll continue this good streak, I mean we managed to make Jeru lose points for just the 2nd time this tournament, ending up just 5 from a perfect qualifying, so, a win over Kulverint and Arch/THE can't be too much to ask can it?

Crap, just looked at their rankings. We're screwed.

Ah who cares, we're going to Metalton in Saugeais, I'll just live in the moment for now and take them as they come. This should be interesting...

By Saturday we'll know our fates, whether we make history or crumble as usual, so for now, tah tah, cheerio!

Mission update: QUALIFY FOR THE DAMN WORLD CUP! Wooh!

by **Akbarabad** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:17 am

Akbarabad two matches away from the World Cup.

(Akbarabad Press, AP): An anti-climatic 1-0 win in Cowardly Pacifist was ultimately more than enough to seal a playoff spot for the Tiger Eaters, but there were no celebrations from a squad still mortified at not qualifying automatically. As it is now, while qualification is still possible , it also seems much harder than it did at the beginning of the campaign, as in all probability we will have to get past Krytenia, the highest ranked team in the qualifying rounds. They are literally the worst possible opponents that we could face, and our main hope remains that they are too distracted by the Olympics taking place in their country to play as effectively. Considering that we have never beaten them before, we will need all the luck we can get.

Before a possible encounter with Krytenia, lies the little matter of the match against perennial contenders Taeshan. We last played them as recently as the previous World Cup where we won 1-0, and despite our poor showing in the qualifiers we should still start as overwhelming favorites. A loss is not even worth contemplating about and we should really win no matter how unconvincingly or narrowly.

In other news, the pipsqueaks of Alexanderburn have expressed the temerity to demand an apology for some imagined slight to their "illustrious selves". They are in for a big disappointment, as the Republic of Akbarabad is not in the habit of apologizing to foreign countries for anything , and certainly not to insignificant little smears on the map like them. They should have refrained from talking big, disrespecting us and wildly celebrating their extremely "lucky " results against us to even merit a smidgen of consideration.

Cowardly Pacifists 0–1 Akbarabad
(Zahid Hassan 71")

by **Vilita** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:50 am

PERFECT EXCHANGE

Jungle Cats end Valladares Bid for Perfection, Prepare for Playoff Pod

The Vilita Jungle Cats have completed a perfect comeback after their abysmal start to World Cup 60 Qualifications to finish runner-up in Group 13 after demolishing group winners Valladares 3-0 on the final matchday, ended the Valladares National Team's bid for perfection.

Going into the matchday 14 clash at the Arcticala Electrical Stadium in Arcticala, both nations already knew their World Cup 60 fate. The Valladares players knew they would be competing in the finals and the Vilitan players knew they had more work to do in the Pods. The Jungle Cats had something to prove though. The highest seed in Group 13, the Jungle Cats did not much like finishing so many points behind Valladares and were not about to finish a further 6 points back. Looking for revenge after the narrow 0-1 defeat on Matchday 7 that condemned them to the fight for second place in the table, It truly was a story of two completely distinct halves of qualification for Vilita.

The Jungle Cats opened the scoring on 23 minutes through Viliaka Morasita, the young Inland Peaks midfielder latching on to a through ball from Resaie Kentiak to tap in for his most significant contribution of the match, setting the tone for the remainder of the play.

Valladares attempted to respond after the goal was scored, but Jungrii Canopii was equal to the task, denying a slew of Valladares chances in what was a fairly even first half.

The second half, however, was a much difference story. Much like the Jungle Cats entire World Cup Qualifying campaign, where Vilita accrued nearly 3/4ths of its points for the entire competition in the second half of matches, the Jungle Cats came out a dominant and formidable force in the second half at the Arcticala Electrical Stadium.

Keeping Valladares without a meaningful attempt on goal for the entire 45 minutes, Vilita doubled the advantage just after the hour mark and once again it was Resaie Kentiak the architect with Yves Gadois applying the finishing touch.

Midfielder Steffyn Siazzu rounded out the scoring with a solo effort 20 minutes from time, leaving Valladares goalkeeper Luis Fuentes stone-footed as the ball fired into the upper corner, putting the Jungle Cats up 3-0. It was the last action of the night for Fuentes who was promptly pulled from the match in a hockey-style swap.

As referee Matias Carvalho from the Northern Sunrise Islands put whistle to mouth, the Jungle Cats knew that they were back and would likely be favored to advance through their Pod. After accruing a measly 8 points and 2 victories from the opening 7 World Cup Qualification matches, Vilita had strung together a perfect record with 21 points and 7 wins in the second half of World Cup Qualification, ending Valladares bid to be the only nation with a perfect qualifying record in the process.

It went from Mission: Impossible regarding the Jungle Cats ability to finish atop the group, to Mission: Accomplished regarding the ability to do what they needed to do to salvage something out of this qualification campaign, win every remaining match from the half way point.

The Jungle Cats will now travel to Great Falls on the North Island of the Babbage Islands for a playoff matchup against Ko-oren at the 26,722 capacity Maes Cymreig. It will be the second ever meeting between Vilita and Ko-oren. Previously, the two nations squared off during the 50th Cup of Harmony, Golden Edition, which was a home tournament and match for the Jungle Cats. Vilita won a close match 1-0 through a Viji-mara Lawaai goal and will have to be wary of the threat the up-and-coming Ko-oren side present.

Vilita will certainly be looking to rely on their defensive record to carry them through the Pods to the World Cup Finals. The Jungle Cats have conceded just 8 goals through the 14 qualifying matches, despite the horrid start to the campaign. No other nation conceded fewer goals during the entire World Cup 60 Qualification.

	Valladares
:: Goalscorers :: :: 23' Viliaka Morasita :: 63' Yves Gadois :: 70' Steffyn Siazzu	:: Goalscorers ::
:: Best Player: Resaie Kentiak :: Worst Player: Viliaka Morasita :: Shots on Target: 7 :: Corner Kicks: 9	:: Best Player: Yoan Gignac :: Worst Player: Luis Fuentes :: Shots on Target: 3 :: Corner Kicks: 5

Vilita Jungle Cats (3-(1-4)-2) ::
[GK] Jungrii Canopii, [D] Ritopa Simafela, [D] Kadi Molali, [D] Miiara Makose, [DMC] Retiso Buran, [MC] Steffyn Siazzu, [ML] Jomur Hulyer, [MC] Viliaka Morasita, [MR] Resaie Kentiak, [FC] Viji-mara Lawaai, [FC] Yves Gadois
BENCH::
[FC] Lita Adjei, [FC] Kristofer Kilpter, [M] Manolis Kontalroma, [M] Jian Lejsrma, [U] Rexii Tzikas, [D] Uajiala Pulkki, [GK] Aranora Jaded

Vilita Substitutions::

by **Wight** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:55 am

by **Legalese** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:18 am

The sun shone in Longview, rising over the Saugeain countryside, and bringing day to all, though some would choose not to welcome it – notably, the folks on the 3rd floor of the hotel hosting the Legalese National Team. The pivotal opener of the playoff pods were scheduled for that night, so a late rise was in order for the team, with one exception.

In the café at the lobby level, Gabe sat, sipping coffee alone. Miranda remained asleep upstairs – jetlagged, poor dear he thought, remembering that his wife is not as frequent of a flyer as he’s had to be for this job.

The café was quiet, the late-morning sun an indicator of why. Traffic in Longview had quieted down from the usual rush hour scene, to the general trickle of urban travel. Perfect, thought Gabe. I could use some silence.

Gabe watched the streets, and observed the buildings nearby. Most, including a shoe store, a bank, and a lunch counter, had signs in the window, indicating that they were open for business. A few others, mostly bars and pubs, showed signs of preparation – likely for the matchday lunch crowd, Gabe mused.

Suddenly, Gabe heard a touch of raucous yelling in the distance. He turned in that direction of the voices, seeing only foot traffic, some cars, and no singing.

Odd – why do I know that tune?

The voices got louder, though the source remained obscured. Gabe sipped his coffee, nearly spit-taking when he realized what the tune was.

I haven’t heard that song since my college days, the now tee-totaling coach thought.

As the singing came closer, the words became clear:

They all wear black and red,
And on your green pitch they tread.
Surely they’ll have their way,
Your keeper will hate this day!

The crowd of twenty turned the corner, clad in red and black. Gabe could make out the kits, as well as the scales of justice on the scarves, and decided it would be a good time to watch the rest from further back.

Meanwhile, the singing continued:

At the top, tried and true,
Jay and Bassford come through.
Whether by foot, or by head,
Your keeper will see red!

Three from Kelvin, and two from Jimmy last match, Gabe thought. Worth putting in song, I guess.

We’ve got Stan in the back,
To stop your feeble attack.
Try to shoot, try to score,
He will stop it evermore!

When he gets enough support from the defence, at least. At least Ancharmunn only runs two strikers, it should be easier for Livingston and Todd to handle the marking.

Gabe’s the leader o’ the bunch,
The other side gets the crunch!
On we press, through and through,
Until we have crushed you!

Gabe laughed, the way that a deer might laugh when caught in the headlights of a truck that just popped out of nowhere.

Soar Legal Eagles, is what we all say!
And woe to Ancharmunn, who will go down today!

Gabe drained his cup, and returned upstairs – he had a team to prep.

by **Audioslavia** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:33 am

Sporadic Under Fire
The Facts on Audioslavia's Manager

A disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Harjeland condemned Audioslavia to fifth place in the group. The side, long since having given up hope of qualifying for World Cup 60, failed to find their feet in a competitive home encounterr and, despite playing for pride and ranking points for the next tournament, utterly failed to make any impact on the Harjeland defence.

Audioslavia came into the qualifying campaign as the fourth-seeded team in the group. The Bulls may not have been expected to qualify from what was, admittedly, one of the tougher - if not the toughest - of the twenty-five qualifying brackets, but the failure to even hit fourth place has drawn angry criticism from fans, with calls for the manager to walk despite the eighteen months left on his contract.

Have Audioslavia really under-performed? Should Kelly Sporadic be shown the door?

Let's look at the maths.

Audioslavia's record versus the 'big 3' of Pasarga, Yesopalitha and Polar Islandstates: P6 W0 D2 L4
Audioslavia's record versus the 'lesser 3' of Bordurian, Traila and Puhalux Ezocafi Nzojug: P6 W6 D0 L0
Audioslavia versus Harjeland (the fifth ranked team that beat us into fourth place): P2 W0 D1 L1
Bulls at Home: P7 W3 D3 L1
Bulls Away: P7 W3 D1 L3

Out of the fourteen matches, Audioslavia performed... realistically. There were, as far as this reporter can tell, only three matches where Audioslavia came up short when they could really have taken more points:

First of all, and most imporant of all, was Audioslavia 0-1 Harjeland. This was the killer. This match became, eventually, the difference between the two teams. Audioslavia made up two points on the Harjeland foes in the second half of qualifying, but it wasn't enough to overcome this gut-wrenching three points lost at home. Had the Bulls managed to find the form-book and win this encounter, they would have daylight between themselves and fifth place and maybe, just maybe, found the confidence to pick points up elsewhere, including:

Audioslavia 0-1 Pasarga. This nail-biting last-minute defeat was the only other time Audioslava dropped 'realistic' points at home (the draws with Yesopalitha and Polar Islandstates being seen as a point gained, rather than two dropped. Again, had Audioslavia found that extra point - and denied two points to their rivals, they may well have at least threatened to challenge the top three.

Harjeland 0-0 Audioslavia. Finally, on the final matchday, it came down to a tricky away tie against our mid-table rivals; a playoff for fourth spot. Audioslavia claimed to be the better side in this particular match - our opponents most probably feel otherwise - and the result certainly felt like two points dropped.

Altogether, Audioslavia accumulated between four and seven points fewer than they were looking for at the start of the qualifiers. Disappointing? Yes, undoubtedly, but should this be used as a stick with which to beat Kelly Sporadic? No. Let us not forget that, if it wasn't for the clever and tactically astute manager, Audioslavia wouldn't be able to call themselves 'Champions of Atlantian Oceania' and most certainly would not have even come close to winning the Baptism of Fire tournament.

One quesiton does, however, remain. The Cup of Harmony.

Audioslavia's relatively poor performance during the qualifiers - including a couple of particularly listless ones at home to Bordurian and away to Polar Islandstates, probably puts them out of the 'second thirty-two' - the list of teams elligble for the 'losers' tournament. Whereas the Bulls's energetic, if limited, performances in the World Cup 59 qualifiers made them shoe-ins for that edition's Cup of Harmony, a couple of patchier, occasionally effort-free outings in this edition may well convince the CoH organisers that Audioslavia aren't worthy of a place in the CoH. If this is true, then it is a serious inditement on the record of Kelly Sporadic, and serious questions should be asked of his future.

IBJJ, G'NB

by **Western cuba** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:07 pm

Havana Tribute

The #1 Newspaper in Western Cuba

Well, There is Always Next Time

Last night was a reminder to previous failures by the national team. Last night was a slap to the face for all of Western Cuba. Last night was one that will not be talked about happily across Western Cuba. Western Cuba if you didn't know lost a heart-breaker to the Equestrian States yesterday. Now Western Cuba is packing their bags early and the States have a chance of qualifying.

"Its hard dealing with defeat", comments Shin Denisov after the game. "The States had a fantastic game though and they deserved to win. As much as I hate saying that they did"

All ninety minutes of play yesterday was a nail-bitter for Western Cuban fans yesterday. It all started in the 8th minute, when Starlight Sparkle managed to head the ball into the back of the net off a corner. What I'm still trying to figure out though is how the ball didn't pop when it hit Sparkle's horn. (If you didn't watch the game yesterday Starlight is an unicorn. And now I'm not lying)

At the 45th minute in stoppage time Western Cuba did manage to strike back. Edgardo Mendoza would find an open shot and hit it in the back of the net for the equalizer. Western Cuba had the momentum going into the second half, however they failed to use it throughout that half.

Western Cuba's offense seemed to disappear in the second half. Some might say it was due to the great performance by the States defense. Well in truth our offense just played terrible. Only two shots were fired at High Soarin', the States keeper throughout the second half. And both of those were poorly kicked shots.

At the 79th minute Western Cuban fans received what they had feared. Rapid Dash would score the game winner for the States, destroying all hopes for Western Cuba qualifying for the World Cup.

"There are no excuses", comments Edgardo Mendoza after the game. "Even though they are twice the size of us we should of won. I guess we have to look forward to the Cup of Harmony, hopefully".

As Mendoza said, Western Cuba now has to hope for a spot in the Cup of Harmony. While Western Cuba in many opinions, was probably the best team that failed to qualify the Cup of Harmony is an invitational. So that doesn't mean Western Cuba will be accepted just because of how they barely missed the pods. The players and fans will can only just hope the hosts, Ancharmunn and Yesopalitha, decide to invite Western Cuba to the Cup. If so the spirits of many fans may be restored after this devastating loss.

If Western Cuba is not invited to the Cup of Harmony though, there are other options to turn to in sports. The National Basketball Team is currently in the Round of 16 in the International Basketball Championships. They beat Darmen in Game One yesterday and now tonight will try to advance to the Quarterfinals.

The U-21 National Baseball Team is also competing in the International Baseball Championships. An event being hosted by RoyalSoldiers. If your a baseball fan it might be interesting to watch. As this is the upcoming talent that will be replacing many players on the national team.

Even if your not a soccer fan though, pray that Western Cuba is invited to the Cup of Harmony!

Final Standings

1 Erathore                             14   10   3   1    29   17  +12    33
2 Equestrian States                    14    7   4   3    29   20   +9    25
3 Western Cuba                         14    6   6   2    27   14  +13    24
4 Antoletia                            14    5   7   2    16   10   +6    22
5 Sanian Confederacy                   14    6   4   4    14   10   +4    22
6 Earent                               14    3   6   5    13   17   −4    15
7 Enslavia                             14    2   3   9    14   25  −11     9
8 Waspeaters                           14    0   1  13     9   38  −29     1

World Cup Qualifying Recap
Matchday One: Western Cuba 0, Antoletia 0
Matchday Two: Western Cuba 1, Enslavia 0
Matchday Three: Western Cuba 3, Earent 3
Matchday Four: Western Cuba 0, Sanian Confederacy 0
Matchday Five: Western Cuba 4, Erathore 2
Matchday Six: Western Cuba 3, Waspeaters 0
Matchday Seven: Western Cuba 2, Equestrian States 2
Matchday Eight: Western Cuba 2, Antoletia 0
Matchday Nine: Western Cuba 4, Enslavia 2
Matchday Ten: Western Cuba 1, Earent 1
Matchday Eleven: Sanian Confederacy 1, Western Cuba 0
Matchday Twelve: Western Cuba 1, Erathore 1
Matchday Thirteen: Western Cuba 5, Waspeaters 0
Matchday Fourteen: Equestrian States 2, Western Cuba 1

by **Taeshan** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:22 pm

XIsland Inquirer

Like lambs for the slaughter, thats what last nights game between the Purple Knights Fonidia and Osteyon. The Knights came in not only needing to turn up the offense in hopes to get their goal differential up near Cyborg Holland, but also to get ready for any sort of playoff that could occur after the game. The six goals to their opponents 1 proved in the end to be more than what was needed as United Gordonopia tied the Cyborg Holland team meaning the Knights are on to the pods, on with 1 in 4 chance of qualifying to the world cup.

The chances of this are much lower than it may appear at first. First they will face Akbarabad in a 15 vs 33 qualifying playoff. In reality a win here is doable and well within reason. A win there will most likely mean the number one in the world Krytenia in the second round of playoffs. Granted that game will be a big one for the Knights, but i dont see it as winnable. It will just be a have a good time and hope you may have a chance. Then again they could play Ipeland, but the chances of that are so low its not funny.

by **Ipeland** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:25 pm

Relations between the Vant Islands and the mainland had been frosty to say the least over the past few years. The recent local elections had seen a scary rise of the Vantian Independence Party (VIP), who had risen to being the leading opposition in the Vantian Council of Elected Officials, behind the center-left Green Party, who held an incredibly slim majority of the votes last election, about 1%. And they wouldn't win in the next election. Their support came from the city population, where 99% of their votes came from, and that population was shrinking rapidly down a thousand every month. That doesn't seem like much , but for a city of only 150,000 people, it was quite a big hit. Meanwhile VIP's support came from the farmers and the people who lived in the countryside, which remained pretty much unchanged every year, and made up roughly half of the total population. VIP's support had been suspiciously high in some places. Many places in the countryside were over 90% in favour of VIP, often 100% and sometimes over that margin still. People didn't call out voter fraud often, but when they did they redacted their comment shortly afterwards. It was a strange coincidence that most of these followed a healthy amount of money being put into his/her bank account, from an anonymous donor. Strange that.

Brynhildur Steinólfsdóttir was walking home from a friendly match at his local teams ground. It was against the Vant Isles 'B' team, and they had lost 1-0. Despite the loss he was pleased with the result. They had been expected to lose by much more. It was about 7:00pm at night and already dark. He had gone to the shop across the road and bought some sweets for his little brother and a can of cola for himself. It was a short bus ride home from the stadium, about five minutes away. He sat down at the back of the bus, and opened his cola. He sipped.

There were two other people on the bus: Andrea Aðalmundardóttir, the bus driver, and Runólfur Ketilsson, a woman in her mid twenties going to work her shift at the warehouse about 20 minutes away from her house. The bus stopped at the bus stop. Steinólfsdóttir got up. The window cracked. Steinólfsdóttir fell down, lifeless, bleeding heavily from the head. The bullet had gone straight through the brain. The cola slowly made it's way down the sloping corridor of the bus, dripping down the steps as an ambulance screeched towards him. It was too late. It was always too late. The shooter was unknown to anyone present on the bus. It didn't really cross their minds at all, blocked out by the sheer horror of seeing someone just die pretty much in front of their eyes.

That was 6 years ago, a long distant memory in most people's memory when it was shown on the local news. For Guðrún Magnúsdóttir, the memory was fresh in her mind. She had been 14 at the time. She had heard the gunshot and rushed to the window. She saw the gunman running away. She saw the badge flash silver, and a glimpse of a blue uniform. Her mind couldn't put two and two together and work out what had just happened, so she just went back to bed and tried to get to sleep. She'd seen stuff like that happen before in her neighbourhood, it was a pretty rough place to live, as was many in that area, and the area surrounding it. She was now 20, and working three part-time jobs to bring in money to pay for her tuition. She was in bed at the time, watching the Vant Isles latest friendly against University of the Vant Isles on her laptop, while at same time revising for her last exam in Psychology. All of a sudden, something clicked in the back of her mind. After six years she had been able to add two and two together. She rushed out of the accommodation building and walked off down the road.

by **Licentiapacisterra** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:27 pm

Licentiapacisterra finished qualification last night with a bang, pulling off a shock against Stachland, beating the Reds by 3 goals to 2. As Luke Thompson stepped out of the national team limelight to take the vacant manager’s job at Colesham Athletic, leaving Nathan Gardiner to continue on alone as the Eagles’ boss, the team gave him a lap of honour having pulled off their second shock of the tournament.

Stachland started well, with Jerce Wolszan putting the Reds into the lead, sending a cross into the net unintentionally. The Eagles were quick to reply though, with Jack Kerr adding yet another to his qualifying tally, with a powerful header past Navering Pounchtal, who was left standing in the middle of nowhere as Kerr wheeled away to the LTI Stadium faithful. The Cyan-and-Gold managed to get another goal past Pounchtal, with Louis Atkinson the scorer, a beautifully curled shot from the edge of the box. As the two sides went into the break, the Licentiapacisterrans were certain to be the happier eleven.

The second half started with a bang, as Bandar Nuripur brought down Jacob Patterson as he got ready to cross the ball. Nuripur was booked for the challenge, but the Eagles’ players mobbed the Abdian referee Ashley Matthews, and in the following melee, 2 Stachlandians and 3 Licentiapacisterrans were booked for dissent, Alex Stewart had to be dragged away by Toby Bishop before he was sent off. Stachland used the chaos to pull back an equaliser, with Lyle Verdak slipping a shot past Stewart, who punched the goalpost in anger afterwards. As the game drew to an end, the Cyan-and-Gold managed to get a shock victory, with Ben Miller looping a header just out of Pounchtal’s reach, before sprinting off and jumping on his future club coach’s back, to celebrate the Eagles getting a big win that we all hope can propel them to the Cup of Harmony.

Wait, I’ve realised it. Why I’ve changed since Valanora. I’ve enjoyed the games. I haven’t thought the fans were moronic, or considered the players idiots. Not since the FSSO friendly. I’ve fallen in love with football...

by **Earent** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:35 pm

CONFIDENTIAL
DO NOT DISTRIBUTE
Evaluations--Addendum
Player: Hayz, Tearim
Perception: Low
Presence: Medium
Physical compatibility: Medium-high
Youth team evaluations (Ungalb Devsgrybe): A good finisher, although easily distractable. Rivalry with his brother at Tendrekion seems to be friendly, hopefully things stay good there.
Recommendation: Push playmaking abilities. Don't sit and wait for him to mature, he has potential but should unlock it quickly.

They'd outlasted fifty teams, Marsinee mentioned. Over a quarter of the field had been eliminated before them. Few teams they'd heard of, admittedly--perhaps an outlier or two, but they weren't historians.

It would be easier if he didn't have that look of forced satisfaction every day, but he had tossed it off so offhandedly it seemed like he really was proud. Or was that, too, feigned?

Tearim blinked and focused again. Waspeaters were there for the taking, he just knew, and when it started he didn't even need to tell himself that. For the first twenty minutes it was like most of their other games--the defense straining but their opponents just good enough to hold them there. Then, finally, Moygel broke through, getting a cross from Soypuv, evading a host defender, and scoring.

Twelve minutes later, another break. He took a free kick that got headed away by instinct, but Pesser came up with it, got it under control, and then passed back. That time he edged sideways towards the net, drawing closer but at a worse and worse angle. Quickly, he turned, changing to kick with his left foot and edge the ball in.

Two-nil, their best lead of the half! Some luck getting the other unranked team at the end. Some luck being named Earent and making it into the top third of unranked teams. If they'd been named Waspeaters would they have maybe been drawn with an experienced side, done less well? If they'd had a name in another language, maybe they'd been conquered long ago by some...

Blink.

Focus.

The second half was somewhat of a mess. Just before the hour mark, one of the visitors headed in a shot that had bounced off the crossbar, and from then on the defense tensed up even more as the midfield did their best to control possession. They were being outplayed by the hosts, yet again--was the ease of the first half worth enough for them to deserve the win?

But when the whistle finally blew, the home fans looked somewhat disgusted--like Earent really had been better. And there were even visiting fans! Sure, they'd been there all throughout the tour, but he'd never thought of how far away they really were. It was tough to slink off the field into another distant clubhouse, realizing that that was the last game.

"Okay, so," Pesser said later, "seventeen goals against, that's, like, as good as Erathore! And they won the group! Better than a lot of other teams, too..."

"You definitely didn't predict anything about our defense being especially good," Tubin raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, nothing personal."

"So, um, who wants to, uh, maybe hang out and see what the restaurants are or something?" Tearim stammered.

After what felt like far too long a silence, Tardit cut in, "Sure, let's go."

"What do they eat here, wasps?" Chera rolled his eyes.

"I don't know. Vals just made me promise I'd go out and visit places, take advantage of it."

"Send him a postcard," said Chera, "here's the stadium where we actually managed to score a couple of goals for a change."

Tearim blushed, but Tardit elbowed Chera. "We're here, let's do something. No rush to get back."

"Except for the league stuff. Speaking of which, coach, you coming back to Attereg?"

Marsinee shrugged. "Physically, yes, for now."

"Come on!"

"I don't know, Klume, are Numa hiring?"

Soypuv rolled his eyes. "Don't think so."

Perhaps the adventure of it all would be something to miss well down the line, but the line had barely begun, really, he thought. A couple detours, a couple branches, lots of missed connections--but still a lot more ahead, somewhere. Until then, there was the Waspeaters food. Not quite as bad as the name implied, but in fact, almost as bad.

by **Cowardly Pacifists** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:44 pm

The Poultry Prober

Bringing you MORE than you ever wanted to know about Chickens Football

Monday, June 18th - From the Cowardly Capital City of Phrytton.

CHICKENS FINISH 5TH IN GROUP 5 AFTER BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES

After a wild ride in the World Cup 60 Qualifiers the Chickens have settled into 5th place in group just behind unranked phenom Alexanderburn.

The first leg of the qualifiers was golden for the Chickens, who reamined among the top three and even claimed the number 1 spot for several match days. The CPFC began the tournament strong with two wins against lower ranked teams and a draw against a top-100 team (0-0 against Octinstine). Unfortunately, the Chickens dropped a match they should have won to San Nitrento, before recording a win against South Icemark and an (expected) loss to Jedi. The squad finished the first leg with a bang: a 2-1 win at 11th ranked Akbarabad that gave the Chickens their first ever victory over a top-ranked team.

But the Chickens saw their early success evaporate in the second leg, beginning with a 0-0 draw against Alexanderburn. The team won only 2 of the 4 matches that should have been easy wins in the 2nd leg, and failed to duplicate their success against higher ranked teams, losing to each of Octinstine, Jedi, and Akbarabad. The struggles slowly erroded the team's standing until they finally dropped out of the top three in MD12, and then fell behind Alexanderburn at the end of competition.

While the road to World Cup '60 ends here for the Chickens, the team can be proud of their several accomplishments this cycle. The Chickens should be especially pleased with their new ranking inside the top 100 teams: the CPFC is now ranked 87th in the World.

Coach Encover gave some closing remarks regarding the recently-completed World Cup '60 qualifiers: "We're very happy with what we managed to do this cycle. While there's obviously some room for improvement, on the whole I think we played exceptionally well. We wish Akbarabad the best of luck playing into the World Cup, and we congratulate Jedi on their qualification. We know both teams will do well going forward, and we hope they will represent the strength of Group 5 in the World Cup proper. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to play all of our Group 5 rivals again in the future!"

by **Stachland** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:37 pm

Stachland Reds

Reds Lose, Advance Regardless
by Witold Elliott

When the match in Licentiapacisterra finished with the Reds losing 3-2, I believe most of us assumed that it would be the end of the Stachlandic national football team’s qualifying hopes for World Cup 60. Though Cassadaigua had taken care of business against West Angola, Camwood was playing an Elstorm team that was not impressive and would not seem to be much of a threat.

However, just minutes later, that match concluded in a two-goal victory for Elstorm at home, and, despite several missed opportunities during World Cup qualifying, the Stachland Reds are advancing from Group Nineteen as the second-place team.

Now, they have been sorted into a playoff pod which includes Astograth, the Equestrian States, and West Zirconia. The Reds’ first match will be against Astograth—a team the Reds have played and defeated before, though Astograth has since become much more of a power in the international football community.

After such an intense qualifying effort, it would be a shame to lose once again in a playoff, though it is in some ways simply a relief to have gotten this far. As has been previously stated, the Cup of Harmony is an excellent competition, and the Reds will look to advance deep into that tournament if their attempts at qualifying for the World Cup 60 fail.

Meanwhile, the Reds have dropped to forty-third in the world, an indicator of their recent struggles. A good showing in either the World Cup or the Cup of Harmony would go a long way in allowing the Reds to move back up the rankings.

The most valuable player for Stachland so far has certainly been Lyle Verdak, who has contributed an extraordinary fraction of the Reds’ total offense. Following Verdak in terms of their worth to the team would be Ratin Beenum, who had his best qualifying campaign yet, and, of course, Navering Pounchtal, the Reds’ stalwart goalkeeper.

The match against Astograth will be broadcast on Channel One of the National Magazine for Athletics, so be sure to tune in to watch all the exciting action.

by **Ko-oren** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:53 pm

National Team already reaps benefits of 8-4-2 run

The post-qualification results have been published yesterday, and although differences keep getting smaller near the top spots, it remains difficult to perform better than your opponents to overcome them. While Ko-oren was in a decent 69th place, in the new rankings, they are now 58th! This means that Ko-oren would still be in Pot 3 if the next World Cup would again be with 24 groups, but it certainly gives the team some even higher ground.

In the last match round of the qualification, Ko-oren played an away game against Civil Citizenry. Ko-oren had a 8-4-0 run until the second last day, then 8-4-1… and even got to 8-4-2. Concentration problems seem to be the cause, although the playoff spot was secured. All Civil Citizenry could do was to repair some of the damage done, as the Pot 3 team finished 2nd and the Pot 2 team finished 3rd. They did, in the form of a win: 1-0 for CC. Bears Armed had a close win against ES: 3-2, and has a much better record than the rest of the group. Allamunnic States end their disappointing run with a good victory over O-Damn: 6-2. They overtake Unified Falcon once again and avoid humiliation. Unified Falcon gave away the fourth place losing away against Friday Freshman (1-0). This also means that ES is the new 7th placed team, and FF ends at 6th.

In other groups, Vilita ended Valladares’ 13-0-0 record with a 3-0 victory, smashing the last perfect team to smitherines. They finish second and will face Ko-oren in the first playoff round. Maybe it’s a good thing Ko-oren did not have a lossless run, as Vilita definitely prove to be the team to end those. As for the second round of the playoffs, Kagdazka and Pazhujebu overtook The Icemark on the last day of qualifying after a win by KaP and a loss by TI, making both teams finish at an equal amount of points, yet KaP’s GD is three more than TI’s. Cosumar were already certain to play playoffs, and won easily against Megadia.

All in all, this concludes Ko-oren’s best qualifying run! 8 wins, only 2 losses – 32 goals scored and 18 conceded (which might be a bit much for a defensive team), ending on a very respective 28 points. Thanks to the rest of Group 14 for the amazing run! Thanks to Bears Armed, Civil Citizenry, Allamunnic States/The Fanboyists, Unified Falcon, Friday Freshman, Equatorial Sarmen and O-Damn!

by **Ancharmunn** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:48 pm

Success, failure. Ancharmunn, Mytannion, Killian McVitie and Ruadhrí Mac Suibhne. All intrinsically linked, for success for one party often requires failure another. Where Mytannion and Ruadhrí Mac Suibhne were toasting their successes, Ancharmunn and Killian McVitie were wallowing in their failures.

Ancharmunn had travelled to Osarius in the penultimate World Cup qualifying group knowing that if they matched Mytannion's result against Filopines qualification would come down to a final day clash between Ancharmunn and Mytannion. It looked set to go right to the wire, and even if it did it would be dramatic.

Much of that drama was off the pitch rather than on it however. The rivalry between McVitie and Mac Suibhne that had simmered since the pair's early days as journalists was now coming to the boil. Ever since McVitie had become national team manager Mac Suibhne had been among his biggest critics and ever eager to bring him down. That had now happened, images of McVitie with a girl alleged to be a Mytanar child prostitute had found their way into Mac Suibhne's hands and from it a media storm had been born.

It wasn't long from Mac Suibhne breaking the story that McVitie's indsrecretions had been the talk of the country. Newspapers, radio phone ins and television talkshows all had more than their fair share of the matter. He'd broken a major story and taken McVitie down in doing so. It was what they called in the business of vindictive journalism a result.

It was a result however which left the team going into a crucial final two qualifiers with no manager. The ensuing storm had meant that the Cumann Sacair an Tearmann had little option but to put McVitie on gardening leave. Tiarnán Ó Beolláin, the former captain deposed by McVitie would take on the role in a caretaker capacity for the remainder of the campaign, but even so it did little to help. Playing away to Osarius was always going to be a tough task, but even so the build up to the game appeared to have drained the Charmunnry players somewhat.

Nervous, disorganised and confused. The performances bore all the hallmarks of a team going throw a sudden traumatic upheaval. Ruadhrí Mac Suibhne had got his result but at a costly price, for the 2-0 defeat to Osarius and Mytannion's 3-0 win over Filopines however meant that the group's qualification place was decided. The only thing Ancharmunn could now gain in the final match was a playoff place, something that the Mytannion faithful would certainly be keen to remind everyone present.

Being Mytanars they were of course also keen to spoil someone elses party by denying Ancharmunn a final chance at qualifying for the World Cup. Draw and Ancharmunn would qualify for the playoffs. Andearly Elwyn Richard goal muted the Mytanar party, as much as large gatherings of Mytanars can be muted at least, though a Mytannion goal on the stoke of half-time would make for a nervy second-half. Regardless, the performance was a vast improvement from the Osarius game, given some time Ó Beolláin appeared to have been able to regroup the squad and from crises the World Cup still looked a possibility. News filtered through throughout the match that Rhodesiah were winning. A better head to head record meant Ancharmunn would still have a chance of World Cup qualification, as long as they held firm and secured at least a draw.

When the final whistle finally came through to confirm that the relief was palpable. The line between success and failure is a fine one. Killian McVitie had already fallen the wrong of it, his former team had come back from falling the wrong side of it. After the failure in Osarius though they'd been granted a stay of execution. Now however there would be no second chances. The playoffs would demand only success, failure now would be fatal.

by **Astograth** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:54 pm

“Chenkorya gola! Chenkorya gola! Guztiak batera!”

Exactly what Urgutz Belarte didn't want to hear from Powell Pieran. What nobody in Grand Duke's Stadium wanted to hear. Chenkorya, losing 2-1 at Cheergirls at half-time, had equalised. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but Olibondeka was losing to Kazzoria on the final matchday, who by that point in the qualifying campaign played only to defend their honour. A loss for Astograth and a draw for Chenkorya meant the olive-greens squeaked through on head-to-head results, but one more goal for the southern Rushmoris would change everything. Pieran urged his players to attack, to turn the match around and depend on themselves instead of other results.

Belarte, with the captain's band on his arm, felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. How had it all come down to this? Fourteen matches played, ten wins, three regrettable draws and now this one, solitary loss... still not enough to go to a World Cup. It was like Pieran had said years ago, in the dressing rooms of Stade de Montagne, Montbenoit, not far from where the playoff pod would be... the best team in the world is the consistent one, who can beat any other at any time. They hadn't been able to in Kazzoria, then against Chenkorya and TUFM in some of this very ground's darkest nights, even if the goals flowed and lit up the fans. Now they'd let slip the lead against Kazzoria, and if Chenkorya won their match it was the playoffs for them. The dreaded playoffs; the last and only time Astograth had competed in one Chetkosk had routed them at the majestic Stadii Se Draggonnii Arcea. Five minutes left.

It couldn't end like that, not this time, which could be the last for so many of them. The remnants of the team's first great generation, who matured in the early campaigns before proudly taking to the field in Sarz-whatever and hoisting the Cup of Harmony. He and Unzueta, the wingers, were 31, as was keeper Larretape, Adin and Sarlange were 32... they could find themselves out of Olibondeka by the next World Cup, especially if Pieran didn't remain in the job. They were from the generation that had made Astograth what it was. The generation that played Eastfield Lodge in that first international, that silenced Nasjonale Stadion in the beginning of an epic rivalry with the northmen of Rushmore, that rose to the challenge in Burchadinger. That took part in the nation's first qualifiers, first Cup of Harmony, first Copa Rushmori. Went to their first World Cup. Kept Starblaydia from reaching the finals in God knows how long. Won their first gold in Vilita and Kukalaya.

A generation of trailblazers, coming to an end, and Belarte felt responsable for it. To go like this, to leave this lasting impression of weakness, of desperation, was something Estebe Bularte, Milian Erburu, Edorta Urrustoy, Dei Ormache and so many others, including the ones on the pich right then, didn't deserve to be remembered by. He adjusted his armband and saw the ball go out for a throw-in.

“Mutiyak gora, gora! Zaleak, goraaa!” he shouted out to his teammates over the din of the stadium, cupped hands over his mouth. Mendikoa received and passed to Lasuen, who barely managed to touch the ball before being cut off by a defender, to the dismay of the crowd. Kazzoria on the attack, thrown long to the wing, but a mediocre trap made it easy for Bocandé to dispossess. Up the pitch again, intercepted again, this time Iturralde losing it near Belarte. Poor lad hadn't scored in the entire campaign, still goalless for the national team; bets were that he played because he reminded Pieran of Baranzano.

Belarte pressed and won the ball, dragging it away from the defender and almost over the touchline. He ran with it, past another defender, and cut across the box diagonally. A younger Sarlange might've called for it; the experienced one instead crossed over, dragging his marker and distracting the keeper, while Atristain waited behind for the rebound. Belarte didn't lose it though, and kicked at the far post with his skilled left foot despite losing his balance. He had only to listen to know it was a goal, though, and by the time he lifted himself Sarlange had already picked up the ball and taken it back to the centre. 2-2, just like Chenkorya. Some degree of comfort.

Pieran wasn't content, though. Nobody was. They kept going forwards, pulling men from the back in an all-or-nothing not unlike the one happening at the Cheergirls ground. Kazzoria limited themselves to defending, and at least that they did very well; the Rumiatzi Sentinel would speak of Chenkoryan-granted prize money the next morning. Because for all their efforts, for all their shots, for all the pain and the sacrifice, Belarte was pushed down in the box on the brink of full-time and no penalty was called. And it was there, kneeled down on the floor with his forehead against the grass in sheer despair, that the final whistle went, and not longer after the news broke over the PA. The worst they could have hoped for, a gutting tragedy unlike any they'd had before.

“Chenkorya gola. Hiru bi.” Chenkorya goal, 3-2. A result that would leave Astograth second, on their way to Gilley and the playoff pod, and was confirmed a minute later with a laconic “lakaldi osoko”, full time. To say the crowd and the players were devastated would be an understatement. Yokin Arizmande, the young defender standing in for Galard and partly responsable for one of Kazzoria's goals, broke down. Iturralde, Nanklares, Lekea and Malik, the hot-headed bunch, had to be separated by their own teammates after Nanklares starting throwing around blame. A section of the fans began to rip up seats and throw flares onto the track, prompting a scuffle in the stands with the stewards and, later, police. The men in olive green looked on, ashen-faced and teary-eyed. Pieran, like never before, rounded up the squad personally and led them into the tunnel. Nobody traded shirts.

Belarte tore off the armband and felt the urge to throw it away as he neared the mouth of the tunnel, as Estebe Bularte had done at World Cup 57 after their group stage exit against Bostopia, as Ormache had done at World Cup 59 after their loss to Krytenia in Northbrook; something kept Belarte though. He tightened his grip on the blue strip of cloth and fastened it. Past captains had let it go in their last match for Astograth, when there was nothing more for them.

Belarte still had at least ninety more minutes to play, and on them hinged each of his 159 caps.

by **Gyatso-kai** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:17 pm

Bisons Bring VICTORY Home! 5-2 Victory To End Qualifying

ONLINE EDITION

20 JUNE 2012.2

TOURNAMENT - World Cup of Football

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Having already secured automatic qualification seemed to put the Bisons at ease, as they held their final match of the World Cup 60 Qualifying in Republic City, taking the Achtervolging side to a 5-2 defeat infront of an over-capacity crowd.

The Stadium of the Republics was electrified as the Bisons and the Achtervolging teams took the pitch; with "Long Live Gyatso-kai" played by a visiting High School musical ensemble; even though no words for officially sung, the overwhelmingly Gyatso-kaian crowd was more than happy to provide the chorus. When the Achtervolging anthem was played over The Bowl's loud speakers, one could barely hear the Achtervolging side singing, if they were singing at all.

At the referee's starting whistle, it was a mad dash for control as the two sides exchanged possession for ball. It would be nearly halfway through the first half before a goal would be made, coming off a poor deflection from the Achtervolging keeper at the 21st minute.

"Tay'haai passed the ball through two defenders," stated Pre Kryse during a halftime interview, "and managed to get it to me. I brought it in, took a shot, and the next thing I knew the ball was coming right back to me. With *smudge* sprawled on the grass out of the net, it was a simple off-footed kick to make the firts goal."

Kryse seems to be on a role, scoring three goals in three games since his return to the starting line-up; after the Mapletish fiasco in the first half og the tournament, Head Coach Boba Vhett introduced a new formation for the Bisons --- the 4-3-3 --- which saw Kryse relegated to the bench, subbing in two games before starting against Virabia, in which thirteen minutes after play started, Kryse scored the one and only goal of the match. Followed by the game winning point in the Mapletish rematch, Kryse may very well be on his way to returning to glory.

The match would see an equaliser come in from the Centre-forward of the Achtervolging squad just after thirty-seven minutes; when a rare lapse of judgement cost Nishimura a block, as the veteran goalkeeper leapt the wrong direction from a cross-goal kick.

"Those things happen," spoke Vhett after the match. "However, with years of experience behind him, Nishimura was quick to bounce back and kept the Achtervolging's down to just two goals."

After the start of the second half, the Bisons would waste little time seeking to take the lead, and with just three minutes of play pass, Kad'e Tay'haai would make run to the net with A'den Skirata on his right. The Achtervolging defenders would sink in, hoping to slow up the play in motion; however, it would prove fruitless, as the elegant dance of attack was already underway. Suddenly, the goalkeeper would rush out of the net, but with his amazing speed and pinpoint accuracy, it was just a split-second before Tay'haai sent the ball flying into the net.

Up by a goal, the Bisons would attempt to lock down, however, a rare lapse in judgement would see the Achtervolging earn a corner kick. Taken by their striker, the kick would come curving into the middle, where the offensive midfielder would leap above the Bisons and send a header into the net at the 54th minute.

With time running out, Vhett would turn to the newest addition to the Bisons' Coaching Staff, Strategic Assistant Leifong Saikhan, and after a few miuntes of time-killing and ball possession, Leifong would urge Vhett to substitute in an offensive player. Taking out the defensive midfielder Maki Li, Vhett would send in offensively-minded Kotyc'e Bralor in hopes of putting pressure on the Achtervolging defence and slowly cracking them...

And crack they would...

Ater just nine minutes of relentless assault, A'den Skirata would break through the defence and sink in the third goal of the match. An infuriated Achtervolging coach would instantly sub ouf his goalkeeper, sending in the relacement in hope that fresh legs would work in his favour However, having already broken the defence, it was just a matter of looking for a whole, and Tay'haai would find just such a hole in the 74th minute, pushing his way through a wide-open offensive zone, before sending the ball straight by the head of the new Achtervolging keeper.

Seeking to remedy their demise, the Achtervolging manager pulled out their stirker in favour of a defensive midfielder; hoping to muddle up the pitch would prove to be even more pointless, with Tay'haai set on making his sixth career hat-trick of international play. With just five minutes left of regulation, the forward with no equal made a break to the net. Instantly, two defenders swarmed in, hoping to trip him up and slow him down. The Achtervolging keeper prepared himself, spreading his stance wide to prepare for a jump. However, the defenders were not strong enough, and on an odd-footed shot, Tay'haai sent the ball high over the head of the keeper and into the cross bar, watching as it deflected down and into the net with great force.

The crowd roared to life with a match played as Avatarian football should be played.

It is just a shame it took fourteen games to get into the groove.

With the final match of World Cup 60 Qualifying over, and the Bisons having secured autoqualification against Mapletish with a 2-1 victory in Mapletish, the Bisons are set for a long break; having to wait for the completion of the Tournament Proper draw. This draw is set to occur after an even longer period of inactivity due to pod matches which are set to begin tomorrow.

In the mean time, at the press conference held at the Stadium of The Republics after the match tonight, Head Coach Vhett had this to say:

We are excited to see that we have made it into autoqualifications for the first time in our history. However, riding on our coat-tails is not something that we as Avatarians do. We wake up before the sun rises, we put on our kit, we get on the pitch and work hard to perfect our skills. Granted we are far from perfect; however, we work our shebs off to get as close to it as we can."

Boba Vhett, Head Coach, mens national football team.

What has us the most excited is the addition of Leifong Saikhan to the coaching staff. In his first game on the payroll, Leifong was able to shape masterfully the offense of the Bisons, so that they were able to deliver a world-class performance. Even if this world-class performance was against an unranked team, the Bisons still were able to shut down the opposition's defense, hinder their offense, and score repeatedly against the ever-changing facet of a team in distress.

Spirits help us once Leifong has weeks of practice to shape the team even more...

Copyright 2012.2 Avatarian Sports Programming Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.aspn.com.gk/articles/WC/20127854
© 2012 Avatarian Sportts Programming Network

by **Bergnovinaia** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:24 pm

A BSRN broadcast about the World Cup and the Olympic Prelims.

OOC: Sorry... it's liker super quiet this time around.

I am still perfecting the art of using the MP3 maker I have.

by **Pasarga** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:45 pm

"Well, that was certainly an interesting way to end the qualifying cycle. Who would have thought that we would travel to the Islandstates and get the victory?"

"It was a meaningless match for the both of us, so they might not have taken it all that seriously."

"No no, there is the regional bragging rights that were on stake as well the addition of ranking heading into the Finals, as they are there and we are hoping to get there in this playoff pod schematic."

"Speaking of which, we get C&R after our Liga de Fuego partners in the Pocoans handled them in their final matchup."

"I am slightly concerned about this match up to tell the truth. Granted we are the better side, but that late draw that rendered the last match worthless does seem to show some sign that the Wanderers are not quite in the best of form, despite the single loss to the Polarians in the qualifying cycle. This is a much more difficult path to navigate than appears, would you agree?"

"I do agree, you do not go into the last matchday of a marathon of qualifying with all of the chance to qualify and not be a bad squad. Sure they might have been lucky in a few of the results, but you make your own luck and this very well can be the maturation of their side into a contender."

"At least the side will be well prepared for the Finals if they win these two matches, playing it in the neutral venue of the cohosts."

"That is an excellent point and could very well prove invaluable experience if the side does manage to advance. We've seen it before, were neutral site playoff winners have a degree of success thanks to that experience they gained in the additional games."

"The side should attack from the outset I think. Put the Carpathians on the backfoot and exploit the tactical and talent advantages that the Wanderers have. While I do know that Abel prefers the counter attacking style, this is one of those matches that you need to be the aggressor and give the opposition no reason to believe they can get anything out of the match."

"I swear if I did not know any better, you were a professional manager."

"Careful now."

by **The Babbage Islands** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:33 pm

And without fanfare, this is your cutoff for the first round of the playoff pods!

The scores

by **Vilita** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:13 am

JUNGLE CATS K.O. KO-OREN

World Cup 59 Revisted as AO Rivals clash for the last spot in TBI & Saugeais

The Tropics of Vilita will square off against fellow Atlantian Oceania nation Cosumar at Maes Cymreig in Great Falls, North Island, The Babbage Islands for a place in the World Cup 60 finals.

Both nations qualified for the World Cup 59 Finals and participated against each other in Group A. The Jungle Cats were on the losing end of a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Cosumar, but advanced as runners-up with victories over Gyatso-Kai and Pasarga. Cosumar topped the group as both nations advanced to the knockout stage meaning that one of the Last 16 of World Cup 60 will be eliminated in the Babbage Islands on the final pod day. However, with the defending champions Aguazul having not entered the tournament, and World #1 nation Krytenia having already been eliminated in a true showing of Atlantian Oceania grit & determination by Ipeland, the loss of one of the WC59 Round of 16 competitors likely won't make big waves in the news.

The two sides took different paths to earn their final pod place, with the Jungle Cats, the team with the best defensive record throughout World Cup 60 Qualifying, keeping another clean sheet with Jungrii Canopii getting yet another surprise start in net, his second cleansheet in a row after also taking charge against Valladares in the big 3-0 win on the final matchday. Vilita scored a goal in either half, one from Resaie Kentiak and the other from Yves Gadois, in their 2-0 win over Ko-oren, who were playing like a side that were more excited to even be having the chance to play in the match then a side that was going to do anything and everything to win it.

On the other end of the spectrum, Cosumar took an all-out-attacking approach to its clash with fellow Atlantian Oceania nation Kagdazka & Pazhujebu, flashing seven goals past the young-hot shot Kagdazkan goalkeeper likely putting a big dent in the players confidence.

It will present a perfect storm of tactics as the Jungle Cats and the Dragons square off in the Babbage Islands to see if the spectrum favors Karelan or Takil -like approaches and who executes them the best.

The Vilita National Team has now won 8 consecutive matches since going 2-2-3 in the opening 7 matches of World Cup 60 Qualifying, making them one of the hottest teams in the NSverse. Having sat on 8 points at the halfway point in qualifying with just 21 to play for, the Jungle Cats knew, thanks to a series of simulations provided by the Vilita National, that even winning all 7 remaining qualifying matches would not be enough to guarantee even a place in the playoff pods, which required an average of over 31 points according to Vilitan National simulations.

The cards fell in place for the Jungle Cats, however. The Kytler Peninsulae, Vilita's main rival for the playoff pod place, lost to both Valladares, the group winners, and Lymantatia, the team that started the Jungle Cats abysmal run on matchday 2 with the 'episode with the giant bird'. The results, victories for the Jungle Cats two most hated teams in Group 13, ultimately allowed Vilita to sneak into the pods allowing the opportunity granted to them against Cosumar in the Playoff Pod Final.

The Jungle Cats are looking to avoid a Cup of Harmony return, especially considering their strong run of late, riding the play of a revolving door of goalkeepers including Nycflala Kater (6), Jaqe Planst (2), Aranora Jaded (2), Jawz Tiiapula (1) and at the end of the campaign, Jungrii Canopii (4) playing strongly.

While Canopii has been playing strongly including two consecutive clean sheets, it is widely epected that Nycflala Kater will be the go-to goalie for the match against Cosumar due to the added experience of the Vilitan player, especially in big situations. Kater is also familiar with Cosumar as he was the goalkeeper in net for the 2-3 defeat to Cosumar during the World Cup 59 finals, one of the largest goal tally's ever conceded by Vilitas number one keeper other than the 4-2 defeat to eventual champions Aguazul that sent the Jungle Cats crashing out of their home World Cup.

It is the first time since World Cup 37 that the Vilitan National Team has qualified for a World Cup Qualifying; Playoff Round matchup to decide a place in the World Cup proper. Like World Cup 60, the Jungle Cats squared off against an Atlantian Oceania regional rival, that time in the form of World Cup 29 Champions Casari. The Jungle Cats won that encounter 4-0 on aggregate, and will certainly be hoping for a similar result against Cosumar to carry their momentum through to the Wide-Open World Cup finals in The Babbage Islands and Saugeais.

	Ko-oren
:: Goalscorers :: :: 39' Resaie Kentiak :: 63' Yves Gadois	:: Goalscorers ::
:: Best Player: Viji-mara Lawaai :: Worst Player: Miiara Makose :: Shots on Target: 5 :: Corner Kicks: 11	:: Best Player: Haki Asgard :: Worst Player: Hama Hel :: Shots on Target: 4 :: Corner Kicks: 1

Vilita Jungle Cats (3-(1-4)-2) ::
[GK] Jungrii Canopii, [D] Ritopa Simafela, [D] Niubo Deneli, [D] Miiara Makose, [DMC] Retiso Buran, [ML] Jian Lejsrma, [MC] Resaie Kentiak, [MC] Steffyn Siazzu, [MR] Jomur Hulyer, [FC] Yves Gadois, [FC] Viji-mara Lawaai
BENCH::
[FC] Sirkii Moliaudo, [FC] Erocka Lorei, [M] Astara Daiili, [M] Manolis Kontalroma, [U] Riksa Valjariia, [D] Kadi Molali, [GK] Nycflala Kater

Vilita Substitutions::
(26) - Niubo Deneli >>> Astara Daiili
(62) - Viji-mara Lawaai >>> Erocka Lorei
(69) - Resaie Kentiak >>> Manolis Kontalroma

by **Akbarabad** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:52 am

Akbarabad take one step closer to the finals.

(Akbarabad Press, AP): A comfortable 3-0 win over Taeshan in the first playoff game now sees the Tiger Eaters only a match from qualification. It was a match that we dominated from the start, and was a far cry from our last encounter with Taeshan in World Cup 59, where our 1-0 win was not good enough to prevent a first round exit via goal difference.

There were no such frustrations this time as we eventually managed to grind them down despite their defensive tactics. Callahan & Babcock had previously been a lucky place for our cricket team at any rate, and the luck seemed to carry on with our football team this around, as the Babbage referee waved away numerous dives from the Taeshan players, in stark contrast to what happened in the main qualification round. Without having twelve men play against us for a change, the team was able to play freely and won with a certain amount of ease in the end.

The other happy news for the Tiger Eaters concerns the shock elimination of World Number 1 Krytenia at the hands of Ipeland. Our supporters are certainly relived to have avoided them, even though it is quite clear that we cannot take their replacement Ipeland, lightly. Ipeland did much better in the qualifier than we did and their successful penalty shootout win over Krytenia demonstrates that they are quite capable of playing nervelessly against more experienced opposition. Nevertheless we again start as big favorites and ultimately should find a way through. A lot of big teams have fallen by the wayside in this campaign and we don't intend to add to their number.

Akbarabad 3–0 Taeshan
( Zahid Hassan 26", Jawad Khan 79", Rezaul Karim 87")

by **Legalese** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 9:00 am

The sky over Legalese City glowed, reflecting the street lamps, car headlights, bright neon signs, and the glowing mega screens set up to show the just-concluded match between Legalese and Ancharmunn. Glowing would be an apt description for the crowds as well, shouting, cheering, and singing songs, including a rendition of They All Wear Black and Red ongoing in Federal Square.

Watching from a nearby building, Matty frowned. They’re so close… why can’t I be there?

He sighed. Unfortunately for him, his job for the Legalese City Docket occasionally required his services for stories that would go right up to the print time – and a qualifying-round pod match was definitely one of them.

“Matty!” the editor called out. “Come on, you have mail!”

Matty turned away from the window, and rushed over to the computer, and opened his email, to an assortment of pictures from the match. He opened the files, sending them to the main screen, where the editor had already prepared the border and other headline elements for the Docket’s cover page.

The first picture appeared on the screen. It depicted Gabe on the sideline, shouting in a mix of intensity and glee.

“According to the photog, this came from the 75th minute, right after Kelvin’s game winner.”

The editor stared dispassionately. “Too similar to the Cotedelapoms cover. Next!”

The picture changed, showing Liam Todd leaping over Ancharmunn defender Garry Purcell and midfielder Alun Jenkins to win a corner kick, which would be followed shortly by a goal for him - goal that would equalize the scoreline at 1-1.

“Not bad.” Said the editor. “Try headline #2 with it.”

Matty clicked. On the screen, the words “Rise above the Ancharmunn” came on the screen, generating a cringe from the editor.

“Yeah, scratch that. Mark the picture for the inside story, though. Next one!”

The next picture appears, showing three players in white holding back Jakob Guðsteinsson, about to receive a red card for his tackle on Kelshimer - and would allow Jimmy Jay to convert a penalty that would again equalize the score, now at 2-2. Along with it came the only headline option that would fit: “Stay Classy, Ancharmunn! Legalese uses man advantage to advance to pod finale.”

The editor gasped. “Whoever thought of that is fired. That’s just horrible!”

Matty decided to ignore the fact that it was, in fact, the editor’s idea, and quickly brought up the next option, depicting Kelvin Bassford’s game winner. The shot caught Bassford in his follow through, firing a rocket to the left post from 15 yards out; the keeper is shown outstretched, the ball just out of his reach, and about to finish in the net.

The editor whistled. “Beautiful angle, perfect timing, this is great! Let’s try headline #1”

Matty pulled it up. The cover showed the full picture, the Docket banner, and the headline “Drop the Ancharmunn! Legalese advances to the pod finale”

The editor smiled. “Ladies and gents, we have a cover. Let’s go join the party!”

by **Mangolana** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:25 am

Mangolana Gazzette

Nena wins, Somewhat

Gregory Nena has partially won his battle with the Rogerton Whitecaps, but he still wants more. After filing a law-suit against the club here in Mangolana with the 2nd Mascona Courts, which is the 2nd highest court in Mangolana, Judge Rudolph Mactavich ruled that a blockage of Nena to Scott City FC till after the Premier league regular season is unconstitutional according to section 2.8 of the Mangolana constitution which refutes a buisness, which Rogerton is, right to block an employee, which Nena is, from leaving the company at any time.

Judge Mactavich also ruled that Section 2.8.B of the constitution that states that section 2.8 can be blocked if an employee from the buisness has signed a contract with the buisness. This only applies should the money yet to be paid out for the remaining time left on the contract, be paid out before the contract has expired, could not be used as an appeal as it did not apply to this case. In blatant terms, because Nena had yet to be paid for his final season with the club, according to the Mangolana constitution, he has the right to leave at any time and go anywhere he wishes to go.

The Mangolana constitution guarentee's rights to any citizen of Mangolana whether or not they live within the country's borders. Judge Mactavich, also in a seperate ruling ruled that the Rogerton Whitecaps did not have to pay for Nena's attorney fees, but did have to pay Nena for the lost time and traveling expenses for all court cases. The Rogerton Whitecaps has yet to respond to messages for a statement, but it is thought that a statement from them will come within the next 2-24 hours.

World Cup 60: RP Thread

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MATCHDAY 14: Gyatso-kai 5-2 Achtervolging

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