KRYTENIA 2304 CAFA CUP SQUAD
Modifier: +3
Beginning their football journey way back in the second Baptism of Fire competition, Krytenia are one of the oldest national teams still competing in international football. With five World Cups hosted, as well as a smattering of AOCAFs, Cups of Harmony, Baptism of Fires, and even a CAFA Cup, they also have a deserved reputation for organising top-level football competitions. What they don't have, though, is a reputation for winning. They are yet to win a World Cup; in fact, they have only reached one final, losing to Aguazul in World Cup 58. Five semi-final defeats are what set the tone for the Dragons – indeed, losing in the semis of a major competition is known as the “Krytenian Curse”. That said, there is silverware in their cabinet. Having created the AOCAF Cup, Krytenia eventually won the fifty-second iteration of the competition; more recently, they won Cup of Harmony 78 and nearly added a second two cycles later, losing to fellow co-hosts Græntfjell on home soil.
They may have a reputation as the multiverse's nearly men, but never let yourself be deluded that the Krytenians are defeatist. Even though they may come up short, it's a very rare thing to see a Dragons team simply give up. Be aware that when the sky blue shirts are on the field, you will be in for a tough game, and victory will always be hard-earned.
Manager – BRELK-XERAL Erv (QUS), Age 62
Started their career in their native Qusmo, where they brought first KF Atlov and then Atlov Juzuna to prominence (or at least relevance) in the domestic and international game. This led to them getting the national team job at Brenecia, which resulted in a Campeonato Esportiva trophy. Having replaced Richard Valens in the hotseat – and then faced off against him three times in their first cycle as Valens landed the Ochre Islands job - “BXE” has hit a bit of a logjam in terms of moving the team forward.
Assistant Manager – Graham LAWTON, Age 51
A surprise appointment, but one in keeping with the philosophy of Brelk-Xeral Erv. Lawton has ascended to the role from his stint as manager of Ashton Olympic's Under-21 setup, and will be on board to help develop the younger players in the squad. Has already built a rapport with BXE, with the pair's approaches to the game complimenting each other nicely.
Goalkeeping Coach – Aaron SHEPHERD, Age 44
Defensive Coach – Andrew THORNTON, Age 57
Offensive Coach – Alex VINELLI, Age 49
Physiotherapist – Stephen WILLIS, Age 63
Logan CAMPBELL
Age: 33
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Caledon Simpson
Hair like a surfer, hands safe as houses. Campbell looks like a poster boy for a completely different sport, but he's no slouch between the sticks.
Gabriel ALMADA
Age: 25
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Avidia United
A safe pair of hands, though could work on his positioning. Almada's distribution, on the other hand, is top notch.
Amanda BACH
Age: 19
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Caversham
Given Krytenia's non-segregated approach to football and the nation's propensity for producing talented goalkeepers, it's perhaps surprising that Bach is the first woman called up to the national side. The Caversham stopper seems to be made up entirely of limbs; her teammates have steered into this skid by nicknaming her “The Black Widow” - after the spider, before anyone asks.
Justin DARCY
Age: 22
Position: Right-back
Club: Mercia Bromham
Bombastic wing-back who fits right in with BXE's attacking philosophy. Looks more comfortable with the ball at his feet than trying to win it back off opposing wingers.
David GREEN
Age: 27
Position: Left-back
Club: Ousevale Borough
Pace for days, decent positioning, can be a liability with his tackling. Let's just say his Ousevale team-mates are well-drilled in defending free kicks from wide positions.
Gavin HEALEY
Age: 30
Position: Centre back
Club: Mercia Bromham
Cultured centre-back with top-notch ball playing skills. So full of running, you'd swear he was powered by the mains.
Sonny CHIESA
VICE-CAPTAIN
Age: 28
Position: Centre-back
Club: Tanques AOE (KOR)
Maturing like a fine wine in Ko-oren, where he's added steel to his smarts. Not the quickest but has the yards in his head.
Stephen LORIMER
Age: 24
Position: Left-back
Club: Ashton Olympic
Solid full-back with excellent positioning skills. Lorimer does, however, lack the pure pace and adventurousness preferred by Brelk-Xeral Erv, hence his place on the bench.
Richard McGOWAN
Age: 24
Position: Right-back
Club: Caledon Simpson
Feet of a ballet dancer, face only a mother could love.
Robert GORMAN
Age: 23
Position: Centre-back
Club: Bradwell Saints
A thinking man's defender, Gorman is a calm head on young shoulders. Not the best in the air, but makes up for it with accuracy in the tackle and excellent distribution.
Malcolm KIRSTEN
Age: 25
Position: Centre-back
Club: Royal Emberton
A fan of the “Sarzie Rules” version of handegg but lacked the skillset for that sport. Transitioned to football when he discovered he was pretty good at kicking the round ball; linebackers make for good defenders, apparently.
Savannah QUINN
CAPTAIN
Age: 27
Position: Central midfield
Club: Straudum VV (KOR)
Surprisingly few women make it into the national team squad, despite Krytenian football not being gender-segregated. Quinn is absolutely here on merit, though, and in World Cup 92 became the first woman to captain the side. An absolute dervish with the ball at her feet; her and Scott Stringer will be looking to be the fulcrum of the Dragons' attack once again.
Scott STRINGER
Age: 31
Position: Central midfield
Club: Ousevale Borough
The central midfield position is the centre of gravity around which the Krytenian attack orbits, and there are some who felt that young Stringer wouldn't be up to the task. Ousevale fans, though, knew better, with favourable comparisons to the great Ricky Sexton being bandied about amongst the Southern Arena faithful thanks to his sublime skills on the ball. Silenced the doubters emphatically when he exploded onto the scene in Cup of Harmony 82. Now in his thirties, he knows time is running out for a chance at glory with the national team.
Owen HALLER
Age: 20
Position: Left midfield
Club: Emberton Reds
Free-kick specialist and deadly accurate in the pass. Having Darcy behind him should allow Haller to cut inside and create havoc in the middle of the park as well.
Liam HAYES
Age: 27
Position: Right midfield
Club: Mercia Bromham
Tall for a winger at 6'3”, and looks like he should be tripping over his own feet. Despite this, is deceptively skillful with the ball at his feet. Will drift in to threaten the box if the ball is on the other flank; with Haller doing the same on the opposite side, expect headaches for opponents.
Leon JONAS
Age: 31
Position: Left midfield
Club: Casuals Osteria
Cerebral winger. Not the fastest, but knows his angles; could probably cross the ball through the window of a moving car. Likely to be a better option if BXE wants to use the width of the pitch.
Simon MASARI
Age: 26
Position: Right midfield
Club: Casuals Osteria
Has the unenviable task of replacing Robert Reeder in the national team. Seems apt that he's broken through at Reeder's old stomping ground, then. Loves a stepover, will try and create separation for a cross.
Niall MONAGHAN
Age: 28
Position: Central midfield
Club: Emberton Hibernians
Slide-rule levels of passing accuracy; built like a twig, though, and can be a little easy to muscle off the ball.
Mark PETRACCHI
Age: 25
Position: Half-forward
Club: Emberton Reds
Marauding forward, comfortable playing as a target man but prefers creating space and confusion in front of the defensive line. Has the unenviable task of stepping into the shoes of Cande Montalban.
Angus JACK
Age: 22
Position: Striker
Club: WSR AFC (KOR)
In the words of the Cyan Army:
“He's just A. Jack in the box, from the region with a fox, and he can score just about anything....”
Gil SANCHEZ
Age: 21
Position: Striker
Club: Avidia United
”El Tiburón” (The Shark) to his team-mates, Sanchez is always on the move looking for a juicy morsel of a pass to get his teeth into. Can be “a bit” tempramental, in the same way that Jupiter is “a bit” big.
Ben STEWART
Age: 24
Position: Half-forward
Club: Mercia Bromham
Loves to speed down the channels, creating chances for his fellow front-men. Lacks a bit of commitment in the shot himself, though.
“System Erv”, named for...well, take a guess, is on the face of it a 4-2-3-1. With the Krytenians on the ball, however, expect this to change quickly to a 4-2-4 as the second line pushes up to support the striker. The two holding midfielders will be the fulcrum of the attack; expect the ball to move quickly between light blue shirts, especially on the counter. Press, pace, and overloading and overwhelming opposition defences will be the order of the day.
Off the ball, Krytenia will play a high line; they may be vulnerable to balls over the top – if opposition attackers can time their runs to avoid the offside and beat the Dragons' defenders for pace.
Courtesy of JMC