World Cup 93 - RP Thread

by **Brenecia** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:23 pm

"She's my luck."
Hendry Jackson cocked his head. Camden had answered a question hanging in the air, but one evidently only she could see. "What's that, now?"
Camden jutted her head at the training pitch, her arms still crossed, braced against the harsh winds. "You're staring at my girl, Ali. Who is training like shit today. Wondering why we brought the fat lass all this way only to play bit parts."
"Well..."
"Wondering what I see when you don't, but not enough to lean on her. And there's your answer. She's my luck. I like having her around, yeah? Sticking out like a sore thumb, but she sticks out 'cause she's got something extra to her."
"Yeah, that's a nice way to put it..."
"Sure, but she's my luck."
"You keep saying that!"
She grinned up at Jackson. "You need one wherever you go. Had Gwyn Hexham at Union, Franzi Locke at Treason. Someone who won't get her chances often, but when they come..." She snapped her fingers. "No other fucker on this team could've taken it. Had to be her. Mark me, the day comes when we build this team around her, but here and now? Her time will come before the tournament is out."

And that day had come.
It was not a day high on inspiration, or on chances. Two tired sides slugging it out - and one, at least, in Brenecia, who had not expected to make it this far in the first place. Camden had already used most of the expected switches of play: Irina Alderwood had replaced the exhausted Wake, who had played almost every minute, and Byrne had swapped to her right flank, though she was not so two-footed as Wake. That did not pay off; neither did veteran Siobhan Baker replacing the impetuous, frustrated Stokes. Baker was there to convert chances, but she struck a sure tap-in (well, sure to the fans at home, anyway) against the post late on. Alyce Kearney had arrived for Conway, and that had paid off, at least, the Nephar adding bite and thrust to the midfield. Not enough for a goal, though at least she'd tested Ito's palms.
For an hour, Brenecia's best player had been Lienke Covolan, able to find the gaps in Kandorith's fluid press. She'd done fuck-all in the past half-hour. She was exhausted, having carried the Patriots this far, and it was plain enough she needed to go. Still... extra time meant another window, a sixth substitute.
Covolan had to go, or maybe Byrne. Three options to replace them:
Jadwiga Lofthouse could come on for Covolan as a second striker. Size, graft, grit. Hoof it long and pray, and she took good penalties, too, should it come to that.
Byrne could be replaced by Wakering, a conventional right-sided winger. If she had two substitutes, maybe she'd do that, sling crosses at Lofthouse. That'd change things up. Though with Meade in fine form after the Delte match, penalties wouldn't be horrible...
... or she could just say fuck it and hurl Rourke on. Wasn't her fault the Brenecian public were sleeping on her.
She needn't have worried. They wouldn't sleep on her much longer.
The number 11 limped briskly off the pitch and collapsed into a pile of bones on the bench, the number 26 waddled on, and the game kicked off. Kandorith, cautious. Brenecia... also cautious. It had not been a vintage game. Five minutes passed and neither Baker nor Yuki Ono had managed a shot, though Mitoma and Nakamura had tested Meade from outside the box. Kandorith had been the better team, and looked marginally the likelier to score.
Unless...
Meade caught a cross from Shikashu Nakamura, looked up, rolled the ball down the right to Aine Cooper. Cooper to Kearney; she lost the ball to Mitoma, but Mitoma was quickly clobbered by Seager. Cooper took up possession again, thought she saw an opportunity, thrashed out a big switch down the left. Irina Alderwood hit a cross with her first touch, headed away confidently by Tsuchiya, hard, just over the veteran Kuronuma's head.
Straight into Rourke's chest, rolling off her chest and onto that boot, The Boot, her left, because her ilk of player was always, somehow, left-footed. And she kept it there, like a fucking freestyler, until Kuronuma made a play for it and she flicked it diffidently over her head. Found a surprising change of pace - though literally any change of pace would have qualified as surprising - drove in down the left, the white wedge breaking apart the purple block, Asato making a play for her but being dribbled around with casual ease, Omori came in hard trying to draw the foul just outside the box, but the ball, somehow, flicked over him, she hurdled him and, before the ball even touched the ground, she contorted her body and thrashed a vicious volley past the suddenly exposed Ito.
Alderwood had been open. Baker was screaming for the ball even as the shot went in. But conventional attacking structure had been given an hour and a half to work out, without result. Call it skill. Call it X-Factor. Camden called it luck, but it had been Rourke to find a way through regardless.
A different player might have whipped off her shirt, gone frothing at the mouth and hurled herself into the home fans. But Rourke? She just squinted and smiled, like a contented cat in the sun, and waited for her teammates to mob her.

Kandorith 0 - 0 Brenecia (0-1 AET)
(4-3-3) 1 - Meade; 2 - Cooper, 18 - Wheater, 6 - Jeong, 3 - Culpepper (25 - Chalk 70'); 8 - Conway (24 - Kearney 76'), 4 - Briggs (19 - Seager 76'), 11 - Covolan (26 - Rourke FT'); 15 - Wake (16 - Alderwood 70'), 13 - Stokes (9 - Baker 76'), 10 - Byrne
Goal: Rourke 99'

Injuries: N/A
Suspensions: N/A

Lineup vs. Banija
(4-3-3) 1 - Meade; 17 - Hadley, 18 - Wheater, 6 - Jeong, 3 - Culpepper; 14 - Cheschon, 4 - Briggs, 11 - Covolan; 15 - Wake, 21 - Lofthouse, 10 - Byrne

by **Chromatika** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:30 pm

Who makes it to Myana? Cutoff.

by **Huayramarca** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:32 pm

Round of 16, the ladder that marks the best performance Huayramarca has done in their short history at World Cups. In their maiden appearance, at World Cup 90, the Condors faced Valanora after defeating Vilita for the key match of that matchday; back at the time, Huayramarca was defeated 2-4 by the Vanorians. This World Cup, in terms of names, had been eerily similar except for the fact that Huayramarca defeated both sides in the Group Stage, then qualified for the Round of 16 against Cabo Azure, another nation doing their maiden appearance at that stage.

AJ Zanetti, the manager of the Las Maçaricas has achieved the best performance of his nation ever on a World Cup, and they didn’t have a limit in their plans, sky wasn’t even one; as any team, they dreamed on doing an epic performance. Huayramarca isn’t a stranger for those feelings, well known by the players, and also recognised by Kevin Quispe “They have a strong wish to succeed, and they will want to defeat us madly.” He continued “We must have a stronger desire, we must prove it in the pitch by giving our 101% in every play, fighting for the ball as if our lives depended on it.” The bus stopped, already arrived at the Hawk’s Nest in Lanar, the team clapped and Blâás Âgínsôgnó told the players “Let’s go, boys, let’s go! Final number four awaits us.”

The mindset of Âgínsôgnó, consisting on considering every single match like a final, had been already assimilated by the players, one that made them push their limits and make sure that attitude wasn’t an option, it was a mandatory condition to show at the field. Bryan Tello talked, as usual, in the dressing room and said to his mates “Guys! It’s our opportunity to show our talent at the big stage. Lift your arms. push them and you’ll see that the ceiling can’t hold us! That’s us, we can grow more and more, make our history bigger tonight! This is the moment!” Âgínsôgnó added “We are Huayramarca, we can do this and more. Go to the field, show your talent and enjoy football!” The team walked to the pitch, the fans were anxiously waiting for the kick-off, Ian Mamani was somewhat nervous, he was feeling intimidated…

The kick-off came, the Azureans started the match with an incredible pace, demonstrating that they had a real desire to make history, to the point that they were overwhelming the Huayramarcan midfield with their attacks. Three minutes in, and they already had two chances who were saved by Juan Mamani in a providential fashion, Rathbone and Maciel were doing great combinations with Silveira to connect with Corte-Real in their spearhead; Gabriel Sayritupac had to go some meters back in order to stop Rathbone, rather unsuccessfully because of the technique of the latter. Nine minutes into the match, Rathbone ran through the middle and served a lethal pass to Corte-Real, the striker was in a 1v1 with Juan Mamani and scored the first goal for the Azureans… Gabriel Sayritupac facepalmed in frustration.

As if it wasn’t enough to hav a cold bucket of water, what about two in a row? 13^th minute of the match, Moniz sent a large cross to Silveira, their second striker controlled with ease and passed the ball to Gouveia, who dribbled Carlos Vilca like pretty much nobody had done in his career, then crossed to Corte-Real, who missed but let the ball to Cardoso just to do a gentle touch and slot the 0-2 for the Azureans in only thirteen minutes. Âgínsôgnó screamed madly to the players, words like “Wake up! The match has already started and you’re losing!” or “Don’t you notice you’re playing a World Cup knock-out match? You bunch of pechofríos (cold-hearted)!” Gabriel Sayritupac approached to Ian Mamani, with the experience and accolades at high-level that support Sayritupac as a moral support, he told the captain “See what I do and do it like I will do.” Ian nodded, then Sayritupac added “Don’t fear, it’s time to at least put the hands to defend ourselves.”

The fans were shocked, but they started to push harder with chants from the stands, songs like Huayramarca, ponga huevo’ que ganamos (Huayramarca, put some balls because we will win this) appeared from the stands, Âgínsôgnó told them “Listen to them, fight for them!” It was time to come back, to work it hard and take the possession of the match. Not an easy task as the Azureans were playing the match of their lives, a superb start, a dreamed one for a team who was fully aware of what was in play. But there were some words from the Huayramarcans, as they took control of the match and would appeal to the idiom of “2-0 lead is the worst lead”, Gabriel Sayritupac took control of the tempo, Ian Mamani continued to watch him do so. 18^th minute of the match and Sayritupac crossed a ball to Bryan Tello, the striker tried to nod a header but went a bit wide.

The Condors insisted to take advantage of a chance, as Rathbone and Maciel were already under control of Nicolás Allauca and Orlando Mina… Twenty-four minutes in the match and Gabriel Sayritupac had the ball in his right wing, ran through Branco and Moniz, dribbled and then passed to the middle awaiting for Bryan Tello, the striker was at the right moment but the shot was stopped by Gómez, who left a rebound who was taken by Ian Mamani, he shot to the right post and scored… Bryan Tello ran for the ball, and put it in the middle to restart the match fast. Huayramarca was now under control of the match, with the circumstances on their side, something they wouldn’t doubt to capitalise once again in matter of six minutes, Ian mamani was already feeling confident on his abilities, then took the ball and gave a depth pass for Bryan Tello between the legs of Medeiro, Tello did what he uses to do, didn’t controlled, he just slotted it past Gómez and already equalised the match.

Âgínsôgnó breathed in relief, Tello took the ball back to the middle again, and the Huayramarcan fans were more relaxed, but nobody expected the storm that was about to come… The manager emphasised the players to work level-headed, with ease and to keep tempo under control; but they didn’t, nerves appeared once again, and the Azureans fought back their path to lead through some solid combinations from the defenders, working nicely through their wings and linking with the wingers, that’s how a goal appeared at the 38^th minute of the match from Cardoso once again, who received a pass from de Lima and Silveira, the winger had to gentle touch it and beat Juan Mamani once again. Âgínsôgnó burst in anger, screaming at the players, Bryan Tello did the same, but there was more rage and desperation to come… A header from Silveira after a beautiful external-footed cross from Maciel put the Azureans with a two-goal lead once again.

The scoreboard read Huayramarca 2-4 Cabo Azure, Âgínsôgnó smashed a ball against a pile of energy drinks, Bryan Tello laid on floor disappointed but then came Sayritupac saying “Bryan, you know how is football. It’s about fighting and never surrender. You’re the great Bryan Tello, best Huayramarcan striker, I know you don’t know the word ‘impossible’, let’s show the world who we are!” Tello stood up, sad, but decided to fight and turn the match back for Huayramarca.

Âgínsôgnó complained about how Mina and Allauca were having nightmares to control Rathbone and Maciel, he told them “They will play with their wingers, you must cut their chances by anticipating them, not for just waiting them.” Then he said “I need you to react! That performance will send that performance you’ve done to the trash can… Do you want that?” Juan Mamani said “I don’t”, then Bryan Tello said “I don’t, and I think no one here wants that.” Âgínsôgnó replied “If you really care of what you’ve done, then improve and turn things back to your favour!” The team went to the pitch, once again, to prove that they had enough to fight against the Azureans.

Pretty much like Huayramarca did after the 0-2, now they pressed higher and more consistently, as the Azureans weren’t able to cross the midfield, Sayritupac was doing some extra effort with Abraham Mendoza to avoid the midfield and wingers from the rival to link up, they were able to do it successfully with some great pressing and intensity. Huayramarca produced some risky chances after Âgínsôgnó told Orlando Mina to cross balls right to Abraham Mendoza. Nobody expected it, but Mendoza would have a critical role in the remainder of the match, as he was the one who managed to exploit the weak link in the chain in the shape of Rathbone and de Lima, who weren’t working anymore due to the pressure he exerted on them.

At the 65^th minute of the match, Huayramarca came back to life with a risky chance for them, as Abraham Mendoza passed a ball to Ian Mamani, the captain then did it to Sayritupac and crossed to Tello, the striker shot against the post, then Mendoza shot with some deflection. The team kept pressing, the fans pushing for the goal with the best in their chant repertoire, Âgínsôgnó with some of his finest Rulandese insults to motivate the players to push harder. All the effort from most of the second half would come to fruition at the seventy-fifth minute, Ian Mamani took the ball from Orlando Mina, then tried to launch a desperate shot, Gómez deflected but Abraham Mendoza was in the right moment and shot the ball against the net, scoring the 3-4 for Huayramarca.

Fans were praying to get the comeback, Âgínsôgnó did it too, the bench was in the same situation, hoping for a miracle for Huayramarca. AJ Zanetti did what many managers would do, ask their team to play with the nerves of the rival, trying to desperate through time-wasting during clearances and throw-ins, Sayritupac told Mendoza “Ah cancheros” (jargon for astute footballers), then the time was added, 5 minutes to let the match come to an end. In the attempt to do something, Ian Mamani passed the ball to Abraham Mendoza in a filtered pass between Medeiro and de Lima, Mendoza appeared with resolution to crown himself as a hero, shooting without mercy and tying the match at the death.

Âgínsôgnó jumping crazily, the bench hugging the players and fans went mad celebrating, as Huayramarca managed to force the extra time. The manager told the players “You’ve done the most complicated stuff, now go and finish the task and win this final!” Tello told the players “Go for it, guys, we can do it!” Although, the Azureans would have other words at the 110^th minute with a header from Silveira after a cross from Cardoso, 4-5 and Huayramarca seemed to fall down once again. Gabriel Sayritupac screamed to the whole team after the goal and told them “Put some balls! Fight for this, fight for glory!” Trying some last pushes, Ian Mamani was thinking about to shoot or not in a certain circumstance, but flashbacks from his father came to mind saying “Son, you’ve got a great chance in your life (football). Son, don’t let it slip away! Live a life you’ll remember!” Then, in desperation, Mamani dribbled Maciel and Medeiro, then said “What could go wrong?” He shot with his right foot, a moderate-strength shot who beat Gómez and ensued madness at the stadium. The screen read Huayramarca 5-5 Cabo Azure.

Aggregated extra time ended, Âgínsôgnó and Juan Mamani told to the players “I want you as chill as possible! Shoot as we usually done, be responsible and aim for precision.” The players hugged each other, it was time for the roulette of luck, the dreaded penalty kicks. At first, Ian Mamani missing their chance as Gómez saved it, then his brother Juan saving against Corte-Real; then three takers for each team scoring. Bryan Tello’s time at the 5^th time for the Condors, scored it. Then, time for Silveira to kick, but Juan Mamani doing some mental games was enough for him to saving the shot, he said “¡VAMOS CARAJO!” as he ran through the fans to celebrate, the whole team did the same to celebrate an historical qualification to Quarterfinals against Zwangzug, the reigning World Cup champions.

Bryan Tello said at the dressing room “World Cup champions coming, this is the fifth final for us, time to show from what we are built!” Juan Mamani said “It’s time to fight for the fans, time to do our best at the field!” Âgínsôgnó then said “They’re World Cup champs, we are no dwarf, we also want to win and we will fight for it. It’s the fifth final, we are getting closer and closer to the World Cup glory. Be aware of that fact, guys, it’s time to show more mística, courage and grit.” Then, as time passed, the players celebrated and chanted

"Muchaaaachooos – guys!
Ahora nos volvimos a ilusionar – Now we are getting up our hope again
Quiero ganar la primera – I want to win the first one (World Cup)
Quiero ser campeón mundial" – I want to be a World Cup champion

Time do dream, time to fight and demonstrate love for football, as if there's love in this life, there's no obstacle that can't be defeated anywhere.

by **Tumbra** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:32 pm

Cutoff for the Chromatik quarter-finals.

by **Graintfjall** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 12:49 am

And so, Græntfjall and Turori have faced off for a second time in World Cup play. But the Snow Wolves and Eels will return, in the third edition...

The ’Fjall and the TURious: Cocoa-bo Drift

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:21 am

"Hebron Rao gathers the ball, in this 3-3 game, after a long ball by Cheschon is hit too far. The keeper rolls it out to Sohna Kolley, the left back...."

Toyuwa Okafor, the Banijan Ambassador to Cardenao, was pacing at the Banijan Embassy- President Otamendi was next to him, with a stressed look on his face as well. As he always did, he was throwing a huge watch party for a Banijan World Cup- the later the game, the bigger the event. This was a World Cup Quarterfinal, of course- where the contenders would truly show themselves. He had thought the Banijans were ready to truly declare their intentions in this tournament. When a free kick from Sarafina Ikpeazu, in the 60th minute, made the score 3-1 in favor of the Kadongo Kamu, he thought that his country had this game on ice. They would just need 30 minutes to see this out, and punch their ticket to the next round, the semifinal. They were in a dominant position at this point- despite a Hebron Rao howler that was ruled a nightmarish own goal for the Banijan keeper early on, the team had more than made up for it.

Ambassador Okafor thought about the events of the day. Two days ago, he had looked at his calendar- and his secretary had actually scheduled him to tour the triceratops living in Cardenao today. Of all days! She was an excellent secretary, of course- but her only flaw is that she didn't give a single shit about sports. How many Banijans could say that? But Banija could be in a World Cup Final, she could be in the heart of Busukuma, and would have absolutely no clue. After profusely apologizing to the Cardenao scientists and re-scheduling the tour for the next day, he was here, watching this game. He had gotten belligerently drunk- the third goal had caused him to whip out a shot. The President was smart enough to not take goal celebration shots in public, but Okafor, of course, wasn't the President of anything.

"Mihaly." Toyuwa looked at his friend. "Man- THE NERVES. I can't believe we blew this lead."

"Well," Cardenao's President replied. "That was one hell of a fucking strike by Lofthouse." Irina Alderwood had came into the game after Banija's third goal, to try and tighten the game for the Brenencians. Her hard work drew a well-timed foul, just inside the box- a late slide tackle from Tijan Sowe. Byrne stepped up to take the penalty in the 68th minute, and buried it- making it 3-2, with plenty of time for the Patriots to come out and try to find an equalizer. That led for some chaotic, chopping play- the Patriots flying forward, the Banijan defense not exactly doing much to help it along. And then, out came Lofthouse- a looping cross led to a stunning, wondrous volley from Lofthouse, to tie this game at three and take the roof off the place in the 82nd minute.

"Hmph." Okafor just grunted. It was like his heart had been ripped out. Surely, no way the Banijans were coming back from that, right?

"... Kelley takes the ball and passes it to Aquila Hongo, who has moved back towards the defender to receive the ball. With no immediate pressure from a tired Brenecia team, he turns and sees Gereh Kama running along the halfway line..."

"You know, this is a LOT better than watching our gridiron team." Said a student at Loyola-Istria. The campus, per usual, was having a watch party for summer students, and per usual, it was packed. Most students went to these on-campus watch parties- they always had swag, and were just a fun time. His joke was a reference to the fact that Loyola-Istria's gridiron team was, in fact, an absolute and abject disaster this season- pushing for their first last place finish in who knows how long. But who cared- Banija was sitting here, in a World Cup Quarterfinal- three games from lifting the sport's ultimate trophy.

Seven cycles ago, they had lifted it, back when this student was just a wee lad, age 4. He didn't remember it, of course. But his Dad talked about it all the time, the greatest sporting moment of his life. "Man- you should have SEEN the scenes after we won the World Cup." His Dad always told him. "People were running onto the street, banging drums and pots and pans outside their window, hugging random people- I've never seen this country so unified. There is no grander possible moment than winning a World Cup. I don't know if we'll ever win one again. But son- if we ever do, take great care to not miss the moment- you will never have another moment quite like it."

".... Gereh Kama takes the ball, and turns- he's beaten his defender on the dribble- what a move! Look at all that space in front of him...."

As the Banijan #10 turned to see all the green grass in front of him, Kagere Jjunju stood up. He was at the Governor's house in Njaza, Banija's newly acquired Esportivan territory. He had been named the territory's first Governor-General, although the BET was not high on the priority list for those back home at the moment, mostly because everyone was more concerned with who would be named the Regent for Isebantu Sekakama, who was less than a year old. He liked being out here. Not being a son or grandson of the monarch, just a nephew, the path to political power back home for him, ever, was simply near impossible- until, of course, this opportunity suddenly came calling.

He had accepted, thinking that this would be his own shot at real political influence. He had been born into it- but yet, not born close enough. But of course, one of the things he loved doing, was following football. The avid sports fan, he had been preparing to enter the Banijan Esportivan Territories into Esportivan regional competitions shortly after the World Cup, and with the Banijan NT playing games just across the way in Tumbra(barely sharing a border with Tumbra, only via the Northlands, but screw the United Clans, eh?) he had been instrumental in trying to use the NT's success to stir new-found patriotism within this country. Watch parties everywhere, and rather successful- although watch parties containing alcohol paid for by the state were always going to be well attended.

Anyways, when he didn't have a job like this one, he was actually a member of the traveling fanbase. Until coming to his post in Njaza, he had been to every single NT game, home or away, since World Cup 88- the third place game of that tournament was the last time he hadn't been to a match in person, until this. An absolutely wild streak. He knew that he needed to meet with officials from regional governments, and had not gotten around to that yet- but at 3-1, he could no longer resist, booking tickets to the semifinal.

Of course, that had seemed to blow up in his face, with Bryne's penalty, followed by Lofthouse's stunning equalizer. But the tension was rising as he stood up- would this actually be an opportunity??

".... Kama's through ball is played brilliantly! Bokate, off the bench just 5 minutes ago, is going to hit that cross first time...."

The tension builds, and builds, and builds again. Pam Scott is looking- she's implemented the tactics, she's made the substitutions, she's got to rely on her players to execute the plan. Think about what the Banijans have gone through in this match. Hebron Rao had committed, quite bluntly, one of the worst own goals she'd ever seen- making her wish that Wanda was a couple of years younger. A soft shot, straight her- one Rao had dropped. And in her attempts to get back a sliding clearance, her sliding clearance went haywire, and she had blasted the ball into the back of her own net. All of this in just the 13th minute- a disastrous way to go down 1-0.

Many teams, that kind of error could have destroyed them. But the Banijans were ready for the moment. A Wesoloski-Okafor header in the 22nd minute had made the game level at one goal a piece, while Aquila Hongo was able to bury a rebound off of a poor clearance from a corner kick. Despite the early error, the team went into halftime up 2-1, and seemed to be in control of their fate. And when Ikpeazu bent that free kick, she thought they'd be able to simply defend their way to the semifinals. Out went Achuka, in went the more defensively minded Tijan Sowe. But the efforts to put this game away were in vain.

But the Breneicians had found their way back- from the spot, and brilliance by Lofthouse. The Patriots were out of position- scrambling to try and pick up all the runners. They had multiple guys running to the very obvious danger cutting diagonally across the box, towards the near post, Wesoloski-Okafor. But Scott's instructions had paid off- guess who was running, free, towards the back post?

".... The ball's too high for the #9... But nobody's marking Conateh on the back post! The Diving header by the fullback... WHAT A GOAL! WHAT A GOAL! WE'VE SCORED A WORLDIE OF A WINNER IN THE FOURTH MINUTE OF STOPPAGE TIME- BANIJA 4, BRENECIA 3! WHAT A STRIKE...."

"LET'S GO!!" Tairu Conateh yelled, as he got up. Being 34 years old, playing basically every minute of the World Cup as a marauding World Cup- it was certainly an exhausting proposition. He had won almost everything there is to win, basically, at Raynor City United, and he definitely wanted this World Cup trophy more than anything. He had been an elite centerback for a long time- and to be named Testículo at this position, at his age, just showed what kind of a special talent he was. One of the few who lived up to the hype, and then some- he'd basically done everything besides win the World Cup.

Conateh sprinted to the corner, and leapt into the Banijan supporters to celebrate his winner. It was wondrous- the screams, the passion, the tears flowing- who did not love international football? All the running from his wingback position- he certainly would feel it in his legs after the match. But not right now- he had sent Banijan fans, from the BET to Cardenao, to Busukuma and Istria, and everywhere else, through the roof. And assuming they held on for the remaining four minutes of stoppage time(referee had given 8 minutes), then he'd ice up, recover, and nothing would stop him from playing in the World Cup 93 Semifinals.

by **Graintfjall** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:15 pm

Turori – 1 (1)
Aikiki (18’)

Græntfjall – 2 (1)
Björnólfur; Hermione, Eyvar, Anarr, Leona; Valtter (86’ Erin ), Kæja (78’) (83’ Steinar ), Danny (83’ Tom ); Vanessa (83’ Þrastar ), Mímir (22’) (61’ Röskvi ), Sara K (c)

Wan, flu, oh! For the cuckoo nets!

Ed: You’re fired.

Pale as bone and with streaming red eyes, shivering despite the body heat of a hundred clamoring reporters packed into a small press room at the team hotel in Couno, and sporting plasters on her hand where she had earlier received IV fluid injections, as Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir struggled to make her voice heard over the chattering of her teeth as she fielded questions about what was quickly being dubbed ‘The Flu Game’, she cut a figure about as far as possible from her usual glamorous image as a freshly minted multimillionaire icon, on and off the pitch, whose silky moves with the ball attract as much comment as do her sharp cheekbones and usually impeccably tousled blonde locks.

Ed: Oh my God you are so fired.

Yet she still looked better than she did one day earlier, when she was found on the floor of her hotel room curled into the fœtal position. What followed was 24 hours of sweating and shaking, of social media frenzy over her ‘vampiric’ appearance, of pills and saline rehydration – and of one iconic moment of footballing magic to send the Snow Wolves to their second ever World Cup semi-final. Also, a lot of vomiting.

It had been a checkered few days for Finnvarðsdóttir even before the illness struck. Finnvarðsdóttir is phenomenally popular with Græntfjaller fans, but that acclaim is far from universal. Earlier in the week, news out of Bastion, in Eura, began filtering through that a sizeable portion of the club’s fanbase were unhappy with her as the big money replacement for exiting club legend, Laborious Hawk. The legendary Vanorian superstar would be a tough act for any to follow. Insulting nicknames for Finnvarðsdóttir abounded on social media – fans dubbed her Laborious Chicken, Laborious Pigeon, before settling on Laborious Cuckoo. The cuckoo is a bird that lays its eggs in the nest of others*: the intent seemed to be that by getting the club to fork out NS$20m for her services, Finnvarðsdóttir was laying a particularly unsightly egg in the nest of a perhaps slightly spoiled fan base still used to past glories and adjusting to an era in which Ulsa and Spartangrad are the more dominant footballing powers in the Euraleague. Finnvarðsdóttir mostly avoided comment on the issue, saying she “hoped to win over” the fans and also pointing out that she was “just a human”, but the prickly tension can only have added to the pressure ahead of the World Cup 91 final reunion game. She was about to prove just how human she was.

She was not the only Snow Wolf putting the sickly-white in blue-and-white as Græntfjall took to the Couno Port Stadium field to face off Turori, the highest ranked remaining team in the World Cup finals, for their first WCC match meeting since that final. Rebekka Kajsdóttir and Erin Marshlily, both contenders for starting roles, were on the bench, and both looked like they’d rather be sitting on a different kind of seat as they sweated and shivered. And they were the healthier ones. Asbjørn Vilbjörnsson, Jan Játmundsson and Hanif Anwar were absent entirely, all laid up back at the Dewdrop Inn hotel in Couno having contracted the same mystery ailment. (Flu was blamed but no formal diagnosis has been made; food poisoning appears unlikely because Anwar, who is Muslim, and Vilbjörnsson, who is about as not Muslim as it’s possible to be, both contracted the same illness.) It was an inopportune moment for Thor to be left without his starting center and left backs, but fortunately Anarr Ebergsson and Leona Jörvarsdóttir were fit, and had accumulated plenty of playing experience during the qualifiers, while as third string goalkeeper, Hanif’s absence was less significant. But losing two starting defenders, with ample bench strength, was nothing compared to the pre-game worries that Finnvarðsdóttir would not be available. She missed the pre-game warm-up and as late as an hour before the game, Thor was still being advised by team doctor Sigbergur Freygarðsson that she was not fit to play. When the team was announced including her as starter Snow Wolf Pack cheers rang out around the Couno Port Stadium, but they fell to a hush when they got their first look at their star player’s corpse-like visage.

Initially, it was Vilbjörnsson’s absence that was felt most strongly. Vilbjörnsson has been Græntfjall’s best – or perhaps we must now amend that to second best – player during these World Cup finals. Routinely assigned to the opposition’s best striker in the man-marking system preferred by Thor, he has put in good shifts against the likes of Felixe Vetiver, Adrian Jones, and Caitrin Ness. Anarr Ebergsson is a fine young player and will be an asset to the Snow Wolves for many years to come, but his inexperience showed when he allowed Nua’oma Aikiki to drift free at the back post. An arm’s length of space was simply too much to allow a striker of Aikiki’s talent, and they duly leapt on an incoming cross from Cuoabaza Orani’aoa and gave the Eels a 1–0 lead. As Eyvar Mathiasson and Björnólfur Ernestisson consoled the young defender, it was hard not to imagine Vilbjörnsson would have cleared the same ball away. But it was no use pining for the six-and-a-half-foot ‘monster’ so beloved of his North Hall club side, as said monster later admitted: “I wouldn’t have got to the header either, because I was too busy puking my guts out.”

Aikiki could have made it two before Græntfjall had time to regroup: they faced better marking but still managed to work themselves free of Ebergsson to snap off a low shot, but scuffed the finish to leave Ernestisson with an easy save. Some stern, and profane, words to his defense ensued, before he played out to Hermione Hui, who played a smart interchange with Valtter Marvinsson and then fed Finnvarðsdóttir, who was still moving gingerly around the field but had her wits about her enough at least to backheel a pass through to Vanessa Marvinsdóttir. She whipped a cross into the box that Derizi Amatopa scrambled to deal with, only to basically palm the ball into the path of Mímir Waltheofsson, who couldn’t finish from the tight angle but was able to win a corner. The set piece seemed to give Finnvarðsdóttir enough welcome time to compose herself, and her delivery found Waltheofsson with precision accuracy: he was well covered by Karek Edgeli but still managed to use his strength to get to the header and knock it down. This time, Amatopa’s sprawling dive was in vain, and Græntfjall had pulled things all square just four minutes after falling behind.

Despite a team feeling less than 100%, the Snow Wolves dug in with the relentless pressing that has characterized their play under Thor, and while the Eels controlled possession for the rest of the first half, they were frustrated in their attempts to put a strong final ball through to Aikiki. Leading the high defensive line, Mathiasson was superb. With the ball, the Snow Wolves too lacked a telling final touch, though their best chance came when Marvinsdóttir sent a bobbling through-ball into the box that Waltheofsson, snatching at a one-touch shot, might have had time to control and locate his shot more accurately. But then a small Tumbran child in row Z would have been denied the chance to briefly touch the match ball as it looped into his arms. Just before the half the Eels won a free-kick in range of the goal, but Kiidallen Aeroluzzi smashed it straight into the wall to be easily cleared. Finnvarðsdóttir trotted off the pitch with some doubts as to whether she would return for the second half; when she did come out again, showing no more color but a little sureness of foot, the Snow Wolf Pack began to cheer.

Early signs weren’t entirely promising. She sent a free-kick two goals’ width wide of target, and was extremely slow to rise from a fair but firm Aeroluzzi tackle. She got her first sighter on goal near the hour mark, when she pulled up from 20 yards and sent through a low, powerful shot reminiscent of her goal against Nephara at Copa Rushmori 41; but Amatopa put in a great dive to turn the ball round the post and Sara Kristoffersdóttir, enjoying a match in which she was so anonymous she might well have been missing with flu, insisted on taking it, only to flub her kick straight out of play. With a depleted bench, Thor held off on any major substitutions beyond pulling Waltheofsson for Röskvi Tyrfingsson, while Tarek Edgeli was ringing the changes for the Eels. With fresh legs, Turori took the fight to the Snow Wolves for the ensuing fifteen minutes, and though they produced only two direct shots on target, they controlled 86% of possession over those minutes and forced some desperate defending from a bend-don’t-break defensive line, assisted by Valtter Marvinsson and Danny Oddkellsson tracking back.

Extra time was starting to look a possibility. For the team missing key players, there had to be doubts about their ability to go an extra half hour, and Amatopa was looking an imposing prospect in goal should penalties ensue. But so long as they kept the Eels from scoring, they needed only one goal themselves. It was going to take something special. And they had no immortal elven star to call upon. All they had, was Finnvarðsdóttir. The move began with her falling back deep to receive a pass, and bringing the ball up. She showed good strength to hold off Naraiza Ruaplal (or perhaps she was just leaning on him for support) and better vision to send through a pass that caught Kinabo Telioa out of position, allowing Tyrfingsson to run in behind and collect. His return pass wasn’t so perfectly placed and Finnvarðsdóttir was forced to change direction and receive with her back to goal and on her weaker left foot. Yet her deft touch brought in the ball in from Amakli Inuro’o, and then she executed a brilliant spin move that totally wrong footed Planio’o Nrujsa, Having split the defenders she still had the redoubtable Amatopa to beat – which she did with an awesome shot that ripped into the top left hand corner of the net. Finnvarðsdóttir was left with just enough energy to celebrate with arms aloft before collapsing into Oddkellsson’s arms.

100% unedited photograph of Finnvarðsdóttir and Oddkellsson

Ed: You are fired harder than any writer has ever been fired before in history.

Unsurprisingly she was not long for the pitch, and Thor immediately pulled her off for Steinar Clemensson, while also bringing on Tom Ernestisson as an extra center back/holding midfielder in a throwback to old school Græntfjaller conservative football tactics. On this occasion, he could be forgiven for choosing that option, and despite Loala Inkabu getting a desperate late shot off that Ernestisson briefly parried before smothering, the Eels were unable to find a way back into the game. The Snow Wolves unashamedly wasted time in another substitution, with Erin Marshlily fit enough to help drain the clock as she and Mathiasson shuttled the ball around at the back. In a generally clean game marked by an absence of fouls, neither side seeing a booking, and few moments of extended stoppage, there wasn’t much time to add on to the end, and a forlorn Tarek Edgeli could only watch as a meagre ‘2’ went up on fourth assistant Jawan Heydee’s board. 120 seconds later, Sara K put the ball into the stands – this time, deliberately – and the Snow Wolves were through to their second ever World Cup semi-final.

Serrapince awaits, and with it, a first ever WCC meeting with Banija. That the Snow Wolves and the Kadongo Kamu have never met in WCC football is one of the quirks of modern scheduling; there have been regular opponents at the Eagl’e’s’ Cup, and the sense of familiarity deepened by frequent meetings in other sports including basketball and ice hockey, the latter of which saw an infamous brawl between the two teams that stained Græntfjall’s reputation at a time when then-Prime Minister Zóphonías Juliusson was trying to heal relations with Banija, torn asunder over the Kitaran Crisis. During the civil war in Græntfjall’s southeastern neighbor, Banija supported Malik Akongo’s KFF while Græntfjall veered between overt neutrality and covert support for the northern DFLK. Banijan leaders were reportedly horrified by an alleged – and never confirmed – offer from the White Winter Queendom’s intelligence services to buttbuttinate Nafuna Akongo, and more than a little irritated when a seeming plot to do so anyway went ahead, unsuccessfully. When the Græntfjaller Second Fleet arrived in the Vilitan Bay to launch an aerial campaign on Jabal Akhdar, relations sunk yet lower.

Since then Græntfjaller–Banijan relations have repaired, to the point of Græntfjall’s providing technical assistance in the Blood Sea search for the downed flight carrying two Banijan princes that threw the constitutional monarchy into chaos. As a fellow constitutional monarchy (and one whose royal scions have a little experience in planes going down) Græntfjall has sought closer ties with Banija. In the field of hard power, the emergence of the el-Masri Network in Mlima Kijani (MNMK) has seen Banijan and Græntfjaller special forces working alongside one another in a counterterror campaign, while in soft power, the S-FPL remains one of the most popular foreign leagues for Græntfjaller players while the Banijan basketball team, who first won their world title on Græntfjaller soil, have many fans, especially among Kitaran and Kijani immigrants. Jason Þórhallursson’s spell in the S-FPL, first with the Busembe Timberwolves, then at Herzegovina City FC as they rose to #1 club side in the world, certainly helped bilateral relations, and he was in attendance at Banija’s recent royal wedding as a guest.

Regardless of the plentiful political history and lack of footballing history, the match is a high stakes affair. In a top heavy tournament in which the final placings will be meted out between the world number #3, #4 and #5 ranked teams, alongside #18 ranked hosts Chromatika, Banija are playing their third semifinal in four World Cups, though they have not lifted the trophy since World Cup 86, Græntfjall’s debut. On the other side of the bracket, defending champions Zwangzug will play the hosts, but the semifinal will occupy Græntfjall’s focus rather than looking too far ahead. “Banija are a phenomenal team with some of the world’s best players, an energetic fan base, and a great footballing history,” said Finnvarðsdóttir, in between mopping her brow at her press conference and occasionally glancing around for the nearest bucket. “They’ll be a really tough test and we’re going to have to be even better than we were against Turori.” The team will be boosted by the probable return of Vilbjörnsson, who was fit enough to train with the team; though Játmundsson remains a doubt, Jörvarsdóttir played well enough to deserve a second run out anyway. And as for Finnvarðsdóttir? “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said, smiling nervously, before spewing like she was doing a Linda Blair impression.

* And, by some complicated and possibly dubious folk etymology, gives rise to the term ‘cuckold’, which by some equally complicated steps involving the notorious hacker 4chans, has come to explain much of modern political discourse on the right.

by **Zwangzug** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 5:47 pm

(OOC: This post is entirely IC. I have plenty of bragging rights already, however, if you are interested in some IC background on these characters and don't want to trawl the archives yourself, it is here for your convenience!)

The Spenson Star

The World Cup semifinals are upon us: round up the usual suspects. In Chromatika, the co-hosts take on Zwangzug who, as you know, Bob, are defending champions. The other semifinal pits Banija, runners-up last time out, against Græntfjall, who won the title in World Cup 91.

Græntfjall is also the home of GS SuperSports+, the current sponsors of the "Testículos," a set of awards presented to footballers who have distinguished themselves over the course of a cycle. The upcoming edition promises to feature additional "People's Choice Awards," sponsored by Inura Tea of Turori. While we fervently hope that our colleagues in Bassabook do not research the etymology of these increasingly contrived vulgarities, it has come to our attention that several players from the Zwangzug national team have been dominated to this ballot. For our readers seeking a refresher on "who the bleep is that," a quick summary of these nominees and their achievements!

Ketevan Igreli

In the World Cup 90 qualifiers, Zwangzug were drawn against South Newlandia. The Elephants are a team after our own heart--not only a great rival for the baseball Zebras, but also connoisseurs of chess and its "960" variant setup. This, of course, led to over-the-top chess allusions; it transpired that the third goalkeeper had a fondness for puzzles that rely on loopholes, because of course the goalie would have to be like that. The next cycle, she was dramatically substituted on for a penalty shootout against Pasarga (possibly around the time of her birthday, time dilation is hard), and came through as Zwangzug won in the round of 16; she had a similar substitute appearance against Vilita in the WC92 quarterfinal. Her most recent domestic season, with Keppal, the Cosmos finished runners-up in the 1./. She has been a starter for most of the WC93 cycle, but her awkward style of throwing herself into danger means she is at higher-than-average injury risk, and missed the round of sixteen as a result. As a matter of professional ethics, we must ask you to vote for literally anyone else: if she wins, it will reaffirm all the worst stereotypes about Zwangzugian goalkeepers and we really can't be having that.

Cynthia Fairfax-Hazy

What else happened in the WC90 qualifiers? Nathan Ellis of Hapilopper inadvertently sent his team's tactics to the entire tournament's e-mail alias. It was then that the backup defender committed the offense that made her a laughingstock across the multiverse; replying all to tell someone they'd spammed their entire address book. But while she can be spacy on as well as off the field, beneath her bemused exterior lies a commendable work ethic. She made her debut with Arlington City at the tail end of Laura Petrell's dynasty, and was part of the rebuild under Cameron Raleigh, eventually winning Challengers Cup 13. Her only goal with the national team came in the WC92 qualifiers, against República Guanacasteca. Like many Arlington personnel, she is very well-informed about the sporting history of Zwangzug and its puppet states, even in such unusual pastimes as ice hockey.

Cixin Nguyen

Ten long seasons ago, a quintet of Zwangzugian high schoolers chose to take their talents to Chromatika, rather than the bracket system here. Nguyen's only distinguishing feature at the time was that he was an aspiring math major (yes, lots of Zwangzugians like math, but some of us know how to do other things). At Chromatik City College University, under the leadership of countryman Claude Pare-Achel, he thrived; the Comets won three titles in four seasons. He then signed for Chromatik, they of the attractive chessboard crest, and always there or thereabouts in the Red League. He won the Red League's golden ball award in season 11, and was named to the second team for the league's all-decade team despite having only played four seasons there. He has twice played in a Champions' League final, both times on the losing end. If there's a reason not to vote for him, it's that anyone could put up great numbers on such a superteam; Tumbran Trudy Harrison and Euran Sophie Singh are both very worthy nominees on their own, to say nothing of Rebecca Anne Wawanolett, Stephen Kerr, and Daniltsin Vasilievich.

So, there you have it. While we're certain all the other nominees have just as compelling narratives in their favor, we'll leave it to their homelands to sing their praises. In the meantime, there's the semifinal against Chromatika to look forward to. While Kirsten Jackson may have admired their would-be humility when it was a theoretical matter, it'll be all business at the Islander Dome--and while rankings may be indicative of overall potential, you can't discount the weight of a crowd of 133,000, that will overwhelmingly favor the home side. For whom will the cannons toll?

(Tello 40, I. Mamani 74; Nguyen 13, Imamura 31, Dewey 56, MacEacharna 82)

by **Chromatika** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:51 pm

World Cup 93 Group Stage Quarterfinals: Chromatika 3-1 Kelssek @ United Center, Urrheddiao, Urrhed Island (Cap. 120,000, 28,000 Seats)
Goal: Fillar, B. 16', Delaya 51', Xuen-Zhukov 79'
Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Fillar, J. (C); Ansov - de Aea - Anbient; Fillar, G. - Larriet-Cortes - Hauser - Fillar, E.; Fillar, B.; Xuen-Zhukov - Delaya.
Substitutes: Coulibaly -> Ansov (51'), Kruetzberg -> Fillar, G. (62'), Régine -> de Aea (62'), Park -> Delaya (77'), Ighv -> Fillar, E. (77')
Summary: For the second straight game, it was the Anomalies that came out all guns blazing in the first twenty minutes, dominating Kelssek in possession and scoring the first goal of the game, a beautiful strike from Baillaire Fillar to the upper right hand corner. Though Bryan Hartpoach, who plies his club craft for Alnio in the Red League, would equalize in the first half, the Anomalies would dominate the second half - reseulting in a header from Candice Delaya and the now stereotypical finisher to win the Quarterfinal handedly, 3-1. It is Chromatika's first Semifinal since World Cup 76, and the country is in a fever pitch as their squad is two wins away from winning it all...

World Cup 93 Semifinals: Chromatika vs. Zwangzug @ Islander Dome, Myana, Myana Island (Cap. 133,000; 35,000 Seats)
Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Fillar, J. (C); Ansov - de Aea - Anbient; Fillar, G. - Larriet-Cortes - Hauser - Fillar, E.; Fillar, B.; Xuen-Zhukov - Delaya.
Substitutes: GK Kathie Begley, GK Lorée Bautista, DCR Ami Coulibaly, DC Klavida Régine, DCL Ipati Aimée, DC Cylie Nodis, WBR Emlie Kruetzberg, WBL Ha'nei Ighv, BWM Kateryna Zuniga, BWM Mare Si, AM Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov, AM Alissar Phoen, SS Kara Oveni, P Sandara Park, AF Hank Killian.

7 Reasons Chromatika will beat Zwangzug

1. Home Crowd Advantage
This game is being played at the second biggest city in Chromatika, a city that defines what it means to be a Chromatik - Myana, in Myana Island. The crowd will be decidedly Chromatik at the Islander Dome, and since the Anomalies have made it, the stadium staff have decided to only fire the cannons should Chromatika score. A crisp summer evening, with crystal blue skies, just a few miles off of the ocean... It will be a sight to behold, and the Anomalies will be motivated more than ever before to win the match in front of their rabid fans. Chromatika does have a reputation of being respectful of their opposition, but not much really remains when you are one win away from the first World Cup Final appearance in your nation's history. How the Chromatik crowd will react to the match on the pitch remains a wild card; make no mistake, though, the players know what this game means to their country.

2. Lev Repin's Genius
Since signing a three-cycle deal and promising to take Chromatika back to the World Cup Proper, Lev Repin has more than fulfilled that promise. In his initial cycle with the team, he led Chromatika to a Round of Sixteen exit. He followed that up with a Third Place finish in the most recent CAFA with a U-23 squad, and though Chromatika didn't have the qualifiers to get the team ready this time around, Repin has done what only Lisa Amos has done before - taken Chromatika to the Semifinals. Even if the Anomalies were to lose both of their remaining matches, they would still match the greatest finish in team history. Repin's ability to get the most out of the Chromatik team, using both flexibility in position as well as the transitioning back and forth between attack and defense, has been the crux of the matter for this squad. It makes no difference that he still does all his press conferences through a translator for the sake of ease, nor that he has changed the very fundamentals of this squad; the results speak for themselves, and if Repin is able to take Chromatika to where it has never been before, his name will be etched forever in Chromatik legend - all after just two World Cup cycles.

3. Veteran Leadership...
There was a time, two cycles ago, that some were worried that Juxon Fillar, Henri de Aea, and Kateryna Zuniga would have to retire from international football without even reaching the Quarterfinals. De Aea has been around since World Cup Eighty, but the last time Chromatika went this far was World Cup 76. Even the likes of Haley Hauser, Moira Ansov, and Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov are in their early thirties; time was starting to run out, and Repin has helped the squad reach a new level before Chromatika was going to lose this crop of veterans. These veterans have all had storied careers not only as part of the Chromatik National Team but in their respective clubs - and that depth of experience has only helped the squad by being able to recognize certain trends to anticipate what is to come. Part of why Chromatika excels so much in the second halves of games is due to their veteran leadership - and this team has plenty of that.

4. And Youthful Talent
Sure, there's Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov (more on him later). However, there's more than just him. Four of the Starting XI are under 25, and ten of the entire squad of twenty-six. Through the Chromatik Collegiate Football system, the Youth League, and the ever growing presence in Transfer Windows, Chromatika has been able to allow its young players to get plenty of experience playing the game to get ready for the big stages. The future is bright - there are plenty that didn't get any love this cycle because Chromatika did not go through Qualifying - and as the team continues to stay balanced between Veterans and Youth, the Anomalies will become a stable power in football once again.

5. Four Fillars
The game against Zwangzug will be the second in a row where all four of the Fillar family will start for the Chromatik National Team. With Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov nursing a sore shoulder, Baillaire finally gets the starting nod; this has been a long time coming, and it's iconic that the Fillars are in the core of this team. From Juxon at thirty to Edith at twenty-one, the four have established themselves both individually and as a family. Gone are the days were the Ilyas, the Kellys, and the Andisoris were the royal family of Chromatik football - it's now the Fillars, and they are two wins away from etching their mark in footballing history, as well.

6. Momentum
Momentum is a tricky thing - you don't want to ignore it, but you also don't want to rely on it. Chromatika has not lost in this World Cup, starting it off with a draw, to wins by one goal, and now two wins by two goals. This means that they've actually started to play better as the competition went on - though it could be said that the opposition hasn't been entirely the world's elite. They will have to turn in their best performance yet if they are to take down the defending champions in Zwangzug; thankfully, with the Zwangzugians not able to guess if the Anomalies will start the game on a tepid pace or play their usual, free-flowing game, this may be the best chance the team has to pull off a major upset.

7. Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov
What more is there to say? After twenty-seven goals in twenty-six games last World Cup, L X-Z has added another eight in the five games so far in this World Cup. In the last two, his goals have effectively closed out the game, pushing the lead up to two. He knows how to play well with others and when to take over in games. His individual prowess in one-on-one-situations is uncanny, and he shows an aptitude for the knowledge of the game that is not common for a player his age. Chromatika has never had a striker like him since Keira Andisori, and his emergence right at the time that Chromatika adopted Lev Repin's style of play has been ever so fortuitous. If there is one player that is the reason why Chromatika has a chance against Zwangzug, it's him.

3 Reasons Chromatika will Fall Short

1. Northern Sunrise Islands 5, Chromatika 1
The last time Chromatika made it to the Semifinals, it got drubbed by the eventual champions, the Northern Sunrise Islands. To be fair, it was Mia Ria's first game as the starting keeper, as Jillian Nier missed the game with an injury. Still, the memory of that day haunts long-time fans of Chromatika, and that will be on the minds of everyone as they head into this game. The good news is that nobody on the current team was on the National Team back then, and that the style of play is very different from now. However, the fact that Chromatiak's last surprise Semifinal berth ended with this loss, followed by another to San José and Guayabal, remains a regret in Chromatik history. nobody in the world remembers fourth placed finishers. They'll be hungry to not repeat that.

2. Cixin Nguyen
The Zwangzug midfielder came to Chromatika to attend high school, went to Chromatik City College University (now Chromia Central College University) to win three CCFA titles in four seasons, and signed on with Chromatik, the club. Sure, the golden duo of Tumbra has been instrumental in the Capitalizt's success, but there is no denying the impact that Nguyen has made in football in the Red League - he was even voted to the second team all-decade team. Now, the Anomalies will have to contend with Nguyen - and hope that the end result isn't what usually happens when Anomalies the club team faces Nguyen. Though it's true that Zwangzug possesses a wealth of other stars, it'll be Nguyen that the general populace follows with rapt attention - and a measure of dread.

3. The Weight of the World
Many pundits have declared that to Chromatiks, the Chromatik National Team has become to mean too much. From the early days of the Rainbow Revolution to having to play home games in Quebec due to being in exile, the Anomalies have always meant so much to the Chromatik populace. During Anomalies games, everything stops; enemies are friends, rivals talk excitedly with each other, and the entire country holds its breath, turned into the game at hand. That level of pressure can be constructive, but it can always be detrimental - and the players are fully aware of what kind of power they have on their nation. They will have to win that battle in their head first if they are to have any chance at Zwangzug. Otherwise, they have lost the battle before it's even begun.

What will happen at the Islander Dome? Will the miracle run continue? Or will the defending champion pave their way to a second straight World Cup final?

by **Chromatika** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:56 pm

It is time to determine our first finalist. Cutoff.

by **Tumbra** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 10:04 pm

Cutoff for the second semi-final.

by **Banija** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 11:34 am

Hebron Rao, the Banijan keeper, when the final whistle blows and penalty kicks are confirmed

Hebron Rao jogged off the pitch here, after 120 minutes, towards the sideline. She jogged towards Pam Scott, and the goalkeeping coach. Hebron Rao was in an interesting mental state at the moment. The highest of high pressure moments- the shadow of Wanda Kouyate loomed large and long over her. Hebron Rao, without a doubt, was a very talented goalkeeper. Not quite Wanda- but there was a reason that the Testículos long-listed her this season, both for her performances at Busukuma AC, as well as her performances for her country. Being the #1 between the sticks for a team that had just went to an AOCAF Final, and was presently in a World Cup semifinal, meant that she certainly had the talent.

The talent was there. But she was currently in a crisis of confidence. Or, at least somewhat of one. She had a horrific howler in the quarterfinal, leading to an early own goal that she scored against herself, and was awarded to the Brenecians. Of course, the Banijans ended up clawing back and winning that one anyways. But the goalkeeper position can never quite get settled with this NT, can it? The criticism sent her way was strong from Banijan pundits.

"If Banija wants to have any hope- they need to move on from Rao."
"Rao is the team's weak link- they'll win despite their goalkeeper."
"Can she handle the pressure of the World Cup? Pam Scott needs to make a phone call, and coax Wanda out of international retirement for the final two games of this tournament- the three-level world champion deserves this, not her!"
"Hebron's not worthy of stepping into Wanda's shoes. If we fall here- Pam Scott should open up the battle for the #1 jersey."

How much a singular howler could have on your perceptions as a goalkeeper. It was after reading those comments that Tairu Conateh, the team's right back, stole her phone and deleted twii.tur from it- and then installed an app blocker on her phone as well, for both that and the All-Banija Sports Magazine app. "It ain't healthy, Hebron- you're a baller. You can paly with the best- don't let yourself get fed by all of this." So all she could do was put her head down, and continue training. She had been asked about it in pre-match press conferences- you can't run from media availability before a semifinal.

"Look, this is a team sport. I have to admit to my mistake- that first goal, of course, was a disaster. But my teammates picked me up after that. We pick each other up. I've got full confidence in myself- it is a dream to play in the biggest matches in all of sport, and I'm blessed to be here. I'm gonna play my heart out in a couple of days time against the Snow Wolves, and I'm going to do whatever I can to help this team reach the World Cup Final." Hebron Rao, at least on the pitch, was a lord into herself. There was not a ton of action for her in this contest, as the game was mostly contested in the midfield. Throughout the 120 minutes, she didn't have a chance to change anyone's minds. She made the simple saves when she needed to, was never called upon to do anything spectacular, and Vanessa Marvinsdóttir's equalizing goal in the 88th was a tremendous volley, where she didn't have a chance.

Hebron Rao walked up to the manager after the game ended. "Hebron- I've got confidence in you." The two clasped hands. Pam Scott had been one of her biggest supporters, biggest defenders- there was a reason that Scott had been so successful at getting the best out of players in international football, for so many years. "You did it against Kimi-Suomi." She said, referencing Banija winning their AOCAF semifinal against Kimi-Suomi, with Rao in goal. "You can do it again- you're good enough, you're strong enough. You've studied." And after that, Rao went to take one last look at the tendencies of the Snow Wolves takers, the tendencies that they had notes on, of course.

Banija would shoot first. We hit our first two, they hit their first two. Then, third up- Banija hit their penalty again. Then, Lotte Leonardsdóttir for the Snow Wolves. Rao remembered viewing her notes- Lotte liked to take a stutter step, and then go to the keeper's left. It was like the goalkeeping coach's words were echoing in her head- "don't bite early- wait and go left." Lotte finished her long walk, and put the ball down. She looked straight at Rao, and then quickly looked towards her target spot. Rao clapped. She was ready. It went exactly as she thought- Lotte stutter stepped, and Rao did not bite. When Lotte finally took her penalty, Rao was all over it- diving left and getting a huge hand to it, for a huge save.

"YES!!" Rao screamed, pounding her chest. The only miss of what had been an absolutely clinical shootout so far. Would it be enough to punch Banija's ticket to the World Cup 93 Final?

Banijan annoucners, the World Cup Semifinal shootout

Play-By-Play Commentator: We're here in a World Cup semifinal, and we're in another shootout! This time, it's Banija v. Græntfjall, for the right to contest the World Cup Final at the Eagle's Club, right here in Tumbra, against Chromatika."

Color Commentator: "Believe it or not, this is the third consecutive World Cup semifinal for Banija that has gone to penalties. Three cycles ago, against The Holy Empire in World Cup 90, THE triumphed over us, 4-3 in the shootout, to reach the World Cup Final- and earn a World Cup title. Last cycle, just two years ago, we beat Valanora on penalties, 4-2 in the shootout, to reach the World Cup 92 Final. And now, once again, 120 minutes was not enough to decide a Banijan World Cup semifinal. This time, against the White Winter Queendom, can we win this?"

Play-By-Play Commentator: "Hard to say who are favorites here. There was a lot of nerves in this game, and a lot of defensive play- much more than expected from two teams with dizzying arrays of attacking talent. Players like Adin Wasawo and Opio Ssambwa were key for Banija- stopping a lot of their progression, not letting them get the ball into great attacking positions. Their goal, while deserved, came from individual brilliance- and there probably isn't much that one can do about that. Of course, the White Winter Queencom won the World Cup two cycles ago- so they're more experienced in the big moments."

Color Commentator: "It's hard to say that your players can go toe to toe in big international experience, against a roster where half of them were on the World Cup winning squad just two cycles, in their home country. But that's the type of success Pam Scott has built out here in Banija. This is her fourth consecutive major semifinal, or her fifth out of her last six opportunities, during the last two cycles. You saw Sergius Atieno's go-ahead goal in the 71st minute, smashing the brilliant layoff from Sarafina Ikpeazu, just a minute after he came onto the pitch- she's truly got a pulse on what this team needs, almost all the time. She's built a culture of sustained success, and winning. And although nobody on this roster has won a World Cup- deep runs together last cycle, Final runs at the last two AOCAFs, integrating new players at Eagle's Cups, and even the Mihaly Invitational- it's really evenly matched."

Play-By-Play Commentator: "It's the Banijans who will shoot first, and surprisingly- we've got the teenager coming on to shoot first! Odongo Kagenda is getting his first minutes of the entire tournament here. Just 19, the talented winger is certainly a core part of the future for this NT. But just getting into the game for Dembo Ssavaneh, he must've shown Pam Scott something on the training ground that showed he can hit a penalty in this pressure-packed moment, despite his age. That said, makes sense he's going first- she trusts his form and technique, but he's still 19. Kagenda runs up... And scores! Nothing tricky there- simply driven with power and placement, keeper went the right way but had no chance. Risky to call him off the bench to take this, but he proves her right- 1 up to Banija."

Play-By-Play Commentator: "First up for the Snow Wolves is Sara Kristoffersdóttir. World champion, captain, one of the best in the world. Can she score for the Snow Wolves? The answer is yes- she's taken brilliantly, picking her spot and burying it into the corner. Rao went the right way, but had no chance. 1-1. Next up for Banija, we'll have Sarafina Ikpeazu. A veteran winger- she's been a long-term starter at Sabrefell Athletic, with quite an accomplished career for club and country. Hell, she scored in the World Cup 92 Final- she wants this one more than anything. She steps up... And has fooled the keeper! The goalkeeper went right, but she got fancy with the Panenka- and hit it brilliantly, floating it straight down the middle. She grins, as it's 2-1 to Banija."

Skip ahead a couple of penalties

Color Commentator: "This has been a clinic on how to take a penalty so far. The teams are 5/5 combined here- Steinar Clemensson came up after Sarafina, and sent Rao the wrong way, simply passing the ball into the corner. Then, after that, you had Tairu Conateh, the defender, step up for team Banija- and absolutely bury his penalty. Now, you've got Lotte Leonardsdóttir jogging down the pitch. Look at her- the nerves are clearly showing on her face. It's a pressure packed moment, yes. Could this be the moment? She steps forward, stutters for a moment but goes to Rao's left... AND IT'S SAVED! AND IT'S SAVED! HEBRON RAO, THE KEEPER, HAS SHE REEDEMED HERSELF- A STUNNING SAVE!"

The television camera then pans out to the crowd- Snow Wolves fans are seen in the surrender cobra position, while Banijan fans and players are all celebrating. Hebron Rao, for herself, is pounding her chest, screaming at the Banijan fans behind her- who start chanting her first name.

Play-By-Play Commentator: "Fourth up for the Banijans, is Sergius Atieno. The goalscorer. He's been brilliant all tournament, coming off the bench in various cameos, making an impact- even making a start in Banija's final group stage game. He's certainly talented himself... He takes his lead up.. And he sends the keeper the wrong way! He looked as if he was going to the keeper's left- but simply went right, as the Snow Wolves keeper slaps the grass in frustration. Four shots, four goals- a save here would end the shootout! But the AFC Treason striker, Röskvi Tyrfingsson, makes it 4-3 in the shootout- calmly placing his penalty well.

Color Commentator: "Welp, it's the fifth taker. And Pam Scott saved her best for last- Abel Wesoloski-Okafor. It's a controversial strategy- where do you place your best taker? Sometimes last, sometimes first. But you can't doubt her management of this shootout. The first four all hit their pressure-packed penalties, and Wesoloski-Okafor walks up, with a look of determination on his face."

Play-By-Play Commentator: "Can the dual-national send us back to the World Cup Final? He steps up... AND HE BURIES IT! AND HE BURIES IT! UPPER 90, KEEPER'S RIGHT, WHO DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE- BANIJA WILL BE PLAYING IN THE WORLD CUP 93 FINAL!!"

(Once again, the commentators pause to allow fans to take the scene in. Most Banijan players run up to Hebron Rao and mob her- and then begin their celebrations for reaching the Final. The few who didn't follow Wesoloski-Okafor's lead by leaping into the crowd, celebrating with the fans. Despair is shown on the faces of the Snow Wolves players, and after about a minute or two of these scenes, the Banijan and Græntfjall players start congratulating & consoling each other, as it is such a huge moment.

Color Commentator: "I cannot believe my eyes. We lost the World Cup 92 Final, and many said- that's it. We're not coming back. But this team has been set on a mission since then- they had to come back to Tumbra, and wanted to finish the job they started. This Final means so much to so many people- to legends of this game, like Pam Scott, who have every possible accomplishment at the international level, besides winning the World Cup. To veterans who have played for this team for years, for a chance at glory- and getting that chance once again. Players like Tairu Conateh, who may have an opportunity to cap their international careers with the sport's greatest trophy.

We'll have plenty of time to talk about that. But what a moment. The world will await, with bated breath- Banija v. Chromatika, in the World Cup 93 Final. The chance to be crowned a world champion- those don't come too often. It doesn't get bigger than this, right?"

by **Banija** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 8:58 am

"It's the Final" - Banija return to the grandest stage in all of sport to face off against Chromatika for a World Cup title

EAGLE'S CLUB, TUMBRA- It's the World Cup 93 Final. It's Banija v. Chromatika. It's going to be one of the most intense finals that we have ever seen. Banija came oh so close in World Cup 92- reaching the Final, and then falling against Zwangzug at the final hurdle, in our quest for a second world championship. But we did not let that experience kill us. We learned from it, got stronger, and now, after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, we have returned to the World Cup Final- we've beaten now 4 former world champions, on the bounce, to reach this stage.

Who's Who- who will be there

All sorts of VIPs will be at this game, of course. Kagere Jjunju, the Governor-General of the neighboring Banijan Esportivan Territories, will be at the match. So will all sorts of members of the royal family- the 90 year old Kabaka Mwanga will be flying in, along with a number of his own children and grandchildren. Even the Isebantu, who is under a year old, will be flying in for the match- making this his first ever foreign trip. They will be joined, of course, by a number of foreign dignitaries- including Governor Melanie van Kruger of Ranoria, and President Mihaly Otamendi of Cardenao. The four major party leaders will attend the game together, in a show of bipartisanship.

What about the non-pols? All sorts of former players will be there. Gitonga Kahara is in the country, as well as the Northern Moravica head coach of their gridiron team- Lance Kabuye(just crowned the Celestia Conference champion). Other NT alumni who have confirmed that they will be there- Namakula Kawesa, Assefa Yitebarke, Wanda Kouyate, etc... Just to name a few. And then, of course, you've got all these non-soccer athletes. Ifeatu Chineze, Isaka Jawara, Sadiiq Xoosh, Amadou Secka, etc... It shows, basically, the power of a World Cup. There's no sporting event quite like it, and because of that- nothing gets bigger than a World Cup Final. Most watched singular game in the multiverse. Can Banija overcome the disappointed of World Cup 92, and hoist this trophy?

What This Means- how this affects the legacies?

There are so many angles to view this World Cup Final from. Tactically, how the teams will line up, the emotions, etc... But let's look at another outside the box angle. Legacies. A World Cup win does wonders for any legacy, obviously. No player on either side of the pitch has won one. We'll take a look at a few Banijan players- how will a win affect their legacy?

Tairu Conateh

The beginning of the second wave of what has surely turned out to be a golden generation. Tairu Conateh. Sarafina Ikpeazu. Gereh Kama. All within 2 years of each other- all stalwart starters for this national team for a decade. Conateh has done everything and anything at the club level. Testiculos right back of the year. Won countless league titles and AOCL titles with Raynor City United. He joined the club as a 20 year old, right after they won the IFCF Champions League. And while they haven't won that, they've basically won everything else, countless times.

A hell of a club career. And at the NT level- he's proven his talent so much, that everybody was basically forced to play him. 2-time regional champion, as a starter. Has played in a World Cup Final. And think about how, after the failure of World Cup 89(where we didn't qualify), he became a core member of this team. He didn't get frustrated, he didn't simply quit- he came back, and was an integral part into bringing Banija almost to the pinnacle- back to back World Cup Finals. A win here- he's somewhere on the all-time list of great Banijans to play this sport, right?

Sarafina Ikpeazu

Another stalwart member of this generation. There are three starters left from the failure of World Cup 89 Qualifying- Conateh, Ikpeazu, Gereh Kama. And two more from the bench then- Wesoloski-Okafor & Demba Kouyate. Ikpeazu will become the third Banijan to ever captain her side in a World Cup Final- and last cycle, became just the fourth Banijan to ever score in a World Cup Final. She has had a hell of a career. Success wherever she has gone, playing for her club. She came from humble origins- first made a name for herself in the Audioslavian second tier, for Guerrilla Cathair.

A $15 million NSD purchase from there, to one of the biggest clubs in the world- Sabrefell Athletic. She's got an Emerald Fist award in Nephara. She comes off the bench now for them, of course- but in her heyday, really an elite player. Not playing as much at the club level, she's certainly putting it in for her country. Excellent performance after excellent performance, trying to bring them to the top. There are many great Banijan wingers- where does she rank among them? Does captaining her side to World Cup glory put her right up behind Gitonga Kahara?

Abel Wesoloski-Okafor

One last player we'll look at. The #9 is one of the best to do it in the world- scoring just all sorts of goals. Think of the ridiculous tallies he put up in the S-FPL, and now that he's putting up in Pasarga. The dual-national is a goalscoring machine- he picked Banija, having options, with the striker room opening for Banija as it was seemingly too crowded in Quebec. And Pam Scott will thank heavens, every single day, that Marcus Waters was able to convince the Quebecois-born man to play for his country of heritage, rather than his country of birth. Winning a World Cup, obviously, would be ultimate vindication of his decision. Considering the other strikers we've produced during his time here- it's not hyperbole to say that without AWO, we aren't anywhere near this stage. You think Eli Aero could've led a front line to the World Cup Final? :lol:

For a guy who's got less than 10 career assists, for club and country combined(with well over 100 goals), it would be a vindication about not only his play style- but his talent level. Many say, and agree- Banija's had a downturn in producing players to play the #9, and he's simply taken hold of it and has no competition. And in a way, they're right- Eli Aero's never surpassing him, and there's nobody in the pool better than Aero at the moment, let alone AWO. But he's put up ridiculous numbers. He's just 26- he's scored four goals during this very tournament. He has multiple double digit goalscoring tallies in Qualifying campaigns. If they win, and especially if he plays a starring role- he's irrefutably among one of the best #9s in the world. And, of course- does it make him the favorite to break the NT goalscoring record? That's a question for another day, I guess.

Banijan NT manager Pam Scott, before the match

The Baker Park national looked around the dressing room. She thought about what it meant. All those years, coaching in international football. She had taken Baker Park to the semifinals, had taken Farfadillis to the semifinals- and now, had taken Banija to the Final, twice. She has won everything else there was to win at the international level- the only thing she was missing, truly, was a World Cup.

She thought about this team. She had spoken to them about the parallels with the World Cup 86 side. "World Cup 80, Banija and Baker Park, together, qualified to the World Cup for the first time in their histories. World Cup 86, seven cycles later, Banija lifted the trophies. Seven cycles since then, we're back here, at a World Cup Final, trying to lift the trophy for a second time." She also spoke to them about the journey they've been through, since her arrival, to even reach this moment. "Succeeding at a World Cup is not easy- there's a reason this is the toughest tournament on Earth."

"But we have to have the belief- we can win this match. We can win the World Cup." She tried to speak it into existence. "And to do so- remember, we have to stay tactically disciplined." She thought about the changes to the starting XI that she had made to the lineup, for this match. Momodou Jassey- on his 35th birthday, all bearded up- the team's only Muslim player. He hadn't made a single start for the whole tournament- but she trusted the old veteran to put on a fantastic, 60-65 minute shift, in the final. His defensive play would allow Aquila Hongo to really get forward, as they would try to put the pressure on the Chromatiks, and score some earlier goals of their own.

"Look- if we want to achieve our destiny, we are going to have to stay tactically disciplined." She told her squad. "The teams that win these big finals- it's not about individuals. You have to have crazy talented players to get this far, and both Banija and Chromatika have that, in abundance. But we have to play together- play as one. Make the correct ones. Defend well. Pick each other up, when one of us makes a mistake. And most importantly, don't feel the pressure. We understand what is at stake- but don't feel the pressure. Avoid the nerves. This is an opportunity for one of the most joyous moments of your lives- play without fear, play like you'll never get to play this game again."

This was it. Banija v. Chromatika. World Cup 93 Final. Would she finally get this trophy that she's traversed the world so hard for, to try and earn? Could Banija earn that second star?

by **Chromatika** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:35 pm

World Cup 93 Group Stage Semifinals: Chromatika 3-3 Zwangzug @ Islander Dome, Myana, Myana Island (Cap. 133,000, 35,000 Seats)
Goal: Hauser 52', Park 71', Nodis 84'
Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Fillar, J. (C); Ansov - de Aea - Anbient; Fillar, G. - Larriet-Cortes - Hauser - Fillar, E.; Fillar, B.; Xuen-Zhukov - Delaya.
Substitutes: Coulibaly -> Ansov (57'), Park -> Delaya (68'), Zuniga -> Larriet-Cortes (68'), Kuznetsov -> Hauser (79'), Nodis -> de Aea (79'), Aimée -> Anbient (111')
Penalties: Xuen-Zhukov X Fillar, B. O Park X Fillar, E. O Kuznetsov O

World Cup 93 Final: Banija vs. Chromatika @ The Eagle's Club, Straton (Cap. 88,000)
Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Fillar, J. (C); Ansov - de Aea - Anbient; Fillar, G. - Larriet-Cortes - Hauser - Fillar, E.; Fillar, B.; Xuen-Zhukov - Delaya.
Substitutes: GK Kathie Begley, GK Lorée Bautista, DCR Ami Coulibaly, DC Klavida Régine, DCL Ipati Aimée, DC Cylie Nodis, WBR Emlie Kruetzberg, WBL Ha'nei Ighv, BWM Kateryna Zuniga, BWM Mare Si, AM Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov, AM Alissar Phoen, SS Kara Oveni, P Sandara Park, AF Hank Killian.

Chromatika vs. Zwangzug: The Story

1. Pre-Game
According to the players that were interviewed afterwards, the mood in the Chromatik camp was that of nervousness and quiet anticipation before the match against Zwangzug. None of them had ever gotten to this point in the World Cup before, and it showed; though the veterans among the group tried to keep the team together and encourage them to take it one minute at a time, there was a lot of nervous pacing. The mood around the Islander Dome was ecstatic - the crowd present couldn't believe what they were about to see, and the very prospect of being able to see their beloved Anomalies make the World Cup final was sending the fans into a state of euphoria. They had no idea what kind of a footballing spectacle that they were going to see.

"In retrospect, I could've made sure that I wasn't so pumped up to go," remarked a reticent Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov when being interviewed afterwards, "Thankfully, football is a game played by more than just one."

2. The First Fifteen Minutes
The calling card for the Anomalies against the Kitarans and Kelssek had been to press early to score the initial goal. It had worked both times because the opposition hadn't been prepared for it; by the time that they made the necessary changes, Chromatika had already scored at least one goal. Any semblance of trying that against Zwangzug fell apart, almost immediately. Zwangzug's 4-5-1 meant that they had far too many players to navigate through the midfield, and their discipline to keep in formation constantly stymied any attempt to set the pace. Finally, Chromatika had met its match in the first stanza of the game. As Imamura tested Juxon Fillar twice, a nervous mumble went through the Islander Dome - could Chromatika prevail against Zwangzug when they didn't race out to a lead?

3. Nguyen 19'
For the first time in the knockout stages of the World Cup, Chromatika was not generating the early momentum. For the first time, it was their opposition that was controlling possession - and sure enough, the dam burst. It was oddly poetic that Cixin Nguyen would be the first to score a goal in a match between these two squads. As the only Zwangzugian to play in Chromatika - no Chromatiks played in Zwangzug - the midfielder surprisingly hit the ball mid-transition from just before the penalty box area, a move that caught the middle of the Chromatik back line off guard. It also caught one other player off guard - Juxon Fillar himself - and the ball buried itself in the upper right hand corner of the net for what ended up being a bit of a wondergoal. In a sense, things were back to usual Chromatik ways, but for those that were hoping that the team would be able to maintain their usual momentum, it was a letdown to see that they would not be able to do that.

4. Tepid Response
The next twenty or so minutes could only be characterized as a tepid response. All the usual channels of passing between the defense, the midfield, and the attack were not working, being swarmed by the Zwangzugians and their five-person midfield that kept their structure while remaining fluid. Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov had barely gotten the ball ten times up to this point, as the ball kept getting lost in transition. Everything could see that something would need to change, but the players were not able to determine what that was - Zwangzug, to their credit, was making sure of that.

5. Imamura 38'
A bad situation went worse. An uncharacteristic giveaway by Kaia Larriet-Cortes to Cixin Nguyen set up an easy pass from the Capitalizt Midfielder through the heart of the Anomalies' defense to the foot of one Ryota Imamura. His strike was clinical, one of those where there is nothing to blame the goalkeeper about, and the defending World Cup Champions were up, 2-0. Larriet-Cortes's pass up the field to Baillaire Fillar had been a split second late, causing for Nguyen to be able to arrive just in time to get the through-ball to Imamura. What was Chromatika to do?

6. Halftime
It took all that the Anomalies had to go to the locker room only down two goals. Juxon Fillar had to make two more saves before halftime. Zwangzug had had the ball for more than 65% of the time, and outshot the Anomalies eight to two. Adjustments needed to be made - and they were coming, as Repin has never been afraid to use his substitutions - but more importantly than that, the mindset needed to change.

Repin asked for his players to take bigger chances in trying to win the ball from the opposition. That the only way to break Zwangzug's formation was to directly attack them head-on. Since they were two goals down already, they had nothing to lose, right?

"Let's not lose without throwing the kitchen sink at them, all right?" Juxon Fillar told his teammates. This unconventionally aggressive response would end up being the difference.

7. Hauser 52'
The individual Chromatik players started to take more risks, while their teammates would drop back to compensate. Zwangzug looked shocked, while the crowd started to get back into it. Every comeback needed something to hang its hat on, though, and the one to instigate that would be none other than Haley Hauser. The Gold League Attacking Midfielder pounced on a pass and hit it cleanly from range, kind of like the goal that Nguyen had scored on Juxon Fillar in the first half. Was it a lucky hit? Probably, but that didn't change what was on the scoreboard - Chromatika 1-2 Zwangzug.

8. McKinney 66'
Repin made the usual first substitution of the game - Ami Coulibaly for Moira Ansov. With the Chromatiks taking all these risks, there was always going to be a chance for a counterpunch, and Jordan McKinney would be that. It was a challenge gone wrong leading to a golden opportunity for McKinney, and Zwangzug had regained the two-goal lead. Thankfully, that would be the last time that Zwangzug would score.

9. Park 71'
Park in for Delaya. Zuniga in for Larriet-Cortes. Park's inclusion would allow for Xuen-Zhukov to open up even further from back, while she would be the poacher up front, while Zuniga was more of a classic defensive midfielder who would allow the two other midfielders to lurk further up front. Three minutes after coming in, Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov was able to find an assist of all things. A shot across the bow, leading to a header from Park. One goal the difference.

10. Cylie Nodis
Cylie Nodis was the twenty-sixth player on the roster. Everyone knew that Henri de Aea was the man, and that whenever he needed a breather, Klavida Régine was around for that backup. Nodis was here because she could be that unexpected firepower from the center of the defense. Well - now, the Chromatiks needed that unexpected goal, and for the first time in this world cup, Cylie Nodis was going to go in.

"Lev asked me to do what I usually do," she commented after the match, "He was sending in VMK to have more of a dynamic presence up front, and then going to ask me to contribute with aggression off of set pieces. They (Zwangzug) were dealing with Lavrentiy very well, so we knew that we couldn't count on him to be the tying goal."

Nodis making her first appearance in the World Cup, in the Semifinals, one goal down. What an amount of trust to place on a player... She would come through, five minutes later.

11. Nodis 84'
Edith Fillar has a lot of speed, and more important than that, she doesn't slow down - she has almost endless stamina. The way with which she chased down a loose ball and carried it down the left side of the pitch in the eighty-fourth minute was something else; her cross was cleared, but it resulted in the Chromatik corner. Hauser actually ceded the opportunity to Kuznetsov, as the Zwangzugians had seen her tendencies throughout the whole match, but Kuznetsov would be taking his first free kick of the game. The kick was creative - swerving down - and the hit off of Park's head was sublime. Ketevan Igreli's punch-out should've been the difference.

This time, though, Cylie Nodis was present. All six feet, four inches of her frame elevated to head the ball back, off of Igreli's gloves.

Goal. The second of her international career. Tying the game at three apiece.

As she was getting mobbed by her teammates, Nodis pointed at the sky, both arms raised in celebration. The crowd responded with the loudest roar of the day - Chromatika wasn't done... Not yet. Not by a long shot.

12. Extra Time
Both teams closed up in the last minutes of the match, trying to not be the one to make the mistake. Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov, the hero of the late game in the other two knockout matches, struggled to find any impact. With the score knotted up at three, the two teams headed into overtime.

It's hard to tell who actually won overtime. Zwangzug and Chromatika both had three good shots on goal. Zwangzug and Chromatika both had brilliant saves by their keepers. Ipati Aimée came in to replace Keira Anbient, purely because Aimée has a better take on the penalty kick compared to Ambient. In the last three minutes of extra time, it became evident that both sides were perfectly happy to see Penalties decide it all - and so, to Penalties we went.

13. Penalties
Chromatika won the toss, the Zwangzug kicked first.

Ryota Imamura. Calm under pressure. The undisputed striker on the team. The try was clean, and Juxon guessed the wrong way. 1-0, Zwangzug.
Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov. First game of the tournament without scoring a goal. Contained by the Zwangzugian back four without much issue for the game. His shot was high, to the left corner of the box - a bit easy for Ketevan Igreli to parry away, a disastrous start for the Anomalies. 1-0, Zwangzug.
Chester Hildegard, one of the substitutes for Zwangzug. His run-up was smooth, and the try was clinical - but Juxon's reflexes were just a bit better. He deflected it with his right hand, and his left was able to punch it out before the ball could cros the line. Chromatika had new life. 1-0, Zwangzug.
Baillaire Fillar. She'd stayed in the game, moving to Hauser's spot with Kuznetsov coming in. She had drilled penalty kicks a thousand times in her life, and her try was sublime, causing Igreli to commit before slotting it straight down the middle. 1-1.
Jude McWaler. An interesting choice to be a taker, but dangerous nonetheless. Her try was doomed before it began, as she stutter-stepped before hitting the ball, causing a one-hopper that Juxon was able to get without too much issue. 1-1.
Sandara Park. Substitute for Candice Delaya, and goal scorer. As a poacher, she lived off of short-range shots. Her take was good, but Igreli was just better, diving to get her body in the way. 1-1.
Cixin Nguyen. Goalscorer. The one who knows the most about Chromatika on the squad. Was there any doubt? Absolutely not. Upper left corner of the side netting. Gorgeous take. 2-1, Zwangzug.
Edith Fillar. After running for the whole game, she had to make this take. Being ambidextrous helps in moments like this - instead of hitting it with her usual right, her left foot hit the ball, and the take was clean. 2-2.
Kirsten Jackson. DiMarini had decided that Jackson's status as the best kicker among the back four warranted her to make an appearance here. Her hit was solid, but Juxon was one step ahead, neatly parrying it with his left hand. 2-2.
Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov. With the game and a trip to the Final on the line. The entirety of the Islander Dome held its breath as the whistle blew and Kuznetsov took his run-up. Igreli stayed put. The ball went slightly to the right of her. 3-2, Chromatika. Game over.

As Kuznetsov pumped his fist in celebration and the sold-out crowd celebrated, it was starting to dawn on them: Chromatika had just taken down the defending champions, and qualified for the first World Cup final in the nation's history.

It didn't matter that their opponent in the final would be the finalist from the last World Cup, Banija. It didn't matter that Banija was one of Chromatika's closest allies in terms of the political spheres of the world.

No, that could all wait for a few hours.

History had just been made. Lev Repin and the Anomalies - Haley Hauser, Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov, Kaia Larriet-Cortes, and the four Fillars - all alongside the wonderkid of Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov - were going to the World Cup Final, to be held at The Eagle's Club.

And they'd done it in front of their home crowd, the cannon sounding three times.

It was a magical moment, one that everyone would remember.

by **Zwangzug** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 4:50 pm

The Spenson Star

Imamura, Hildegard, McWaler, Nguyen, Jackson; Igreli. A familiar enough list. But cast your mind backwards, just once cycle, and see how much has changed. In World Cup 92, McWaler was still a student at Glune Institute of Natural Sciences, Hildegard was a professional but not on the national team, and Imamura was seething about the indignity of being #26 and not actually getting to play. Even Igreli, for all that she gets called upon in shootouts, was Helen Pimbura's backup for most of that cycle.

Of course, when you win it all, there's a generation's worth of players who will want to go out on top. And given that the retirees were mostly midfielders with one forward, it stands to reason that these are positions that will tend to get called upon for shooting purposes. Defenders, for their part, can be easier to overlook because their performances are less individualistic. Kirsten Jackson is a much quieter personality than Kayla Haugen or Kausalya Vizirani, preferring to lead by example rather than words of wisdom, but the type of leadership it takes to step up for the fifth penalty knowing how many eyes will be on you should you fail is straight out of the Vizirani mold (to say nothing of the captains of yore). In any event, though the fans will certainly be frustrated at missed opportunities during the shootout and the previous two hours, it seems unlikely Jackson will bear the brunt of their ire. We know as well as anyone just how many things have to go right to lift the trophy, and the result was a testament to the hosts' resilience rather than Zwangzug's shortcomings. We think. Probably. Hopefully.

Nguyen, in contrast, is a player who draws attention no matter where you look--most comfortable in attacking midfield but happy to drop back and defend when called upon. Clearly unfazed by taking on many familiar faces (although not super-familiar; there are actually more Chromatik-the-club players on Tumbra's national team than there are on the nation of Chromatika's!), he rose to the occasion for the first goal. And yes, thankfully, he scored his penalty too--say what you will about positional stereotypes, given the stress involved he might actually have been likely to ruminate the worst if he'd missed.

In other circumstances, you'd look at the youth and vibrancy of the newcomers and say "hey, Zwangzug have a lot of potential, they'll be back next time and could go deep again." In the aftermath of a previous championship, that doesn't quite ring true--we know that the program, regardless of individual capabilities, has the potential to go far, because they've already done it. But more fundamentally, there's 179 countries that aren't going to win the World Cup. Whether you're Anaian or Oceanian, takilans or karelans, rookies or veterans, fans everywhere are going to exhale in disappointment--and then look to the future with hope. It's what we do.

by **Chromatika** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:07 pm

From the moment you first put on your goalkeeper gloves, you envision things. You dream about things. You try to set up goals to attain. I was the same way. I wanted to be the best goalkeeper in Chromatika. I wanted to play football in a top tier football league in the mutiverse. I wanted to win the Champions' League. I wanted to win the World Cup. I wanted to be remembered as not only the best goalkeeper in Chromatik history, but in the conversation for one of the best goalkeepers to have ever played the game. I wanted to be the first one in my family, followed by all of my siblings. I wanted to change lives and alter history.

I've been blessed enough to do most of that. I won multiple titles in the CCFA. I was signed on to play for the Chromatik National Team, and have been the #1 goalkeeper for seven cycles. I was picked up by Cazadores Cathair, and with them, I've won a Champions' League title. My siblings not only followed me to the National League, but they all have made it to the Chromatik National Team as well - and when we face Banija at The Eagle's Club in Straton, Tumbra, all three of my siblings will be in the Starting XI with me. Some have already started to call me the best goalkeeper in Chromatik history.

However, I'm not done. If we take down Banija, if we are able to win the World Cup, that would be the biggest check mark of them all. Not only for me, but for the rest of this starting XI. From Grayson, who replaced Kai Xiao and has basically removed any memory of him from the fans' minds, to Moira and Keira, the two that benefited the most from the change to a 3-4-1-2, to Henri, the longest tenured of us all, to Edith, the one that is the most driven player that I have ever seen; to Kaia Larriet-Cortes, a living legacy to the memory of Franscesca Larriet-Cortes, to Haley Hauser, who had led the attacking midfielder revolution and the mindset of goals being scored from not in the front three, to my other sister Baillaire, the drill sergeant finally getting a chance to show her stuff after Vasiliy's injury; and to the two up front - Candice, whose selflessness is an asset to us all, and one Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov, who, if he's not scoring a hat trick, is serving as decoy for everyone else to capitalize upon - while maintaining a humble demeanor. All of us, coupled with the rest of the squad and Lev Repin, one of the brightest minds I have ever played for, will be remembered from a fundamentally different level if we are able to win this game.

It's not very often that you get a chance to lift the trophy as the best team in the multiverse. Who knows if we'll get this chance again.

Make no mistake, it'll be difficult. Banija had to beat Nephara, Turori and Græntfjall to be here - all three of those teams have won World Cups in the past. Comparatively, we've beaten Nyowni Kitara and Kelssek, two teams that are up and coming in the world, before taking down the defending champions in Zwangzug. The Kadongo Kamu are no joke.

History doesn't remember fourth placed finishers. We have already overcome that previous mark set by the World Cup 76 team. However, what was the point of winning the Semifinals if we weren't to win here?

It's time to make history.

Let's go and get it.

Juxon Fillar
Chromatika's #1 Goalkeeper

by **Chromatika** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:00 pm

Who takes the third place trophy and gets remembered in history?

by **Tumbra** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:05 pm

Who will win the World Cup?

by **Graintfjall** » Sat Mar 25, 2023 2:43 am

Græntfjall – 1 (0) (1 a.e.t.)
Björnólfur; Hermione, Eyvar, Asbjørn, Leona (84’ Þrastar ); Valtter (65’ Hrútur ), Kæja (90’ Steinar ), Danny (74’) (84’ Lotte ); Vanessa (88’) (96’ Rebekka ), Mímir (65’ Röskvi ), Sara K (c)

Banija – 1 (0) (1 a.e.t.)
Atenio (71’)

Banija penalties
Kagenda
Ikpeazu
Conateh
Atenio
Wesoloski-Okafor
Græntfjall penalties
Sara K
Steinar
Lotte
Röskvi

Græntfjall – 3 (2)
Hanif (65’ Ásólfur ); Tom (64’ Alyssia ), Hrútur, Asbjørn, Jan; Valtter (30’), Lotte (64’ Steinar ), Danny (c) (64’ Sara K ); Rebekka (75’ Vanessa (82’)), Röskvi (42’), Þrastar

Zwangzug – 1 (0)
Imamura (50’)

Posted on the In Brief section of the GS SuperSports+ website.

Græntfjall ranked #1 in the world

by **Zwangzug** » Sat Mar 25, 2023 11:22 am

Look, it sorta kinda fits with our whole aesthetic, if you think about it, maybe.

If we ever write an ode to football
Simple words are all that it could be:
It would be about the thrill of football
In defeat as well as victory
Often it can seem like football is
More than just a game:
But fleet and subtle image
Usually confuse us, to our shame.

If we ever write an ode to football
Being champions in cups before:
Then we fear the world would be suspicious:
Can a country like ours know the score?
It's elusive and it's hard to hold
In a quiet hand
That's why there is no ode to football known in every land.
I wish someone would write an ode to football we could understand.

by **Banija** » Wed Mar 29, 2023 3:17 pm

Flashing through the first four goals of the World Cup 93 Final

Banija Radio Commentator wrote:It's still early in this one, and we're deadlocked at 0-0. Not a ton going on here in the first 10 minutes of the match, as is to be expected- World Cup Finals generally start pretty tepidly, as teams work off the nerves of being in a World Cup Final, and grow into the game. Right now though, you've got a dangerous play on the winger- Sarafina Ikpeazu's got the ball out there, and she's doing a little dance with the defender- all sorts of stepovers to try and get the defender, Ansov, to bite, but they are disciplined.

And yet, look at Ikpeazu- one touch with her right foot, and she's whipped in a ball.. And she's found the head of Wesoloski-Okafor! He heads it exactly as he's meant too- down and back where it came from. Juxon Fillar, moving across the goal, had no chance to dive backwards, and the powerful header bounces into the back of the net! It's 1-0! It's 1-0! Wesoloski-Okafor has rushed off to the corner flag and is dancing, having a huge grin on his face. The dual-national is one of the best in the world at what he does! Delivering for club and country- the 11th minute header makes it one-nil to the Kadongo Kamu

Banija Radio Commentator wrote:This is absolutely a tight game- worthy of a game with an early goal. The goal seemed to open things up- both teams know how to deal with the pressure by now, so there's not a ton of mental stress on either side. But Chromatika is certainly pushing- not like Banija can just sit back in a 1-0 game this early, of course, but the Anomalies are certainly more likely to take a few risks now. And wait a moment- you've got Grayson Fillar taking the ball from Momodou Jassey, intercepting a pass from Wasawo. Grayson Fillar takes a few dribbles, and loops up a through ball to LXZ...

Oh my, Xuen-Zhukov is gonna hit it straight out of the air... AND IT'S A BRILLIANT STRIKE! IT'S A GOAL TO CHROMATIKA! OH MY, OH MY- LAVRENTIY XUEN-ZHUKOV, TAKE A BOW! An absolutely brilliant volley, absolutely world-class finish, as the team spirit of Chromatika shines through in the celebration- the teenager is sprinting straight to the bench- mobbed by the bench players as 22 Chromatiks are hugging. Remember, he's a teenager- LXZ is just 19 years old, and he's scored a WORLDIE in the World Cup Final! 24 minutes on, it's 1-1!

Banija Radio Commentator wrote:Absolutely, it's anybody's ball game so far. Didn't even need 25 minutes for both teams to notch one, with both strikers showcasing their full skillset on display here. Kaia Larriet-Cortes has the ball- and look, she sees a gap in the Banijan defense! She plays it through, on the ground... And oh my, look at that pace from Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov! He's got a unique blend of pace and power- not a description only used for Banijans, folks- and he's flying past Demba Kouyate, while preventing Momodou Jassey from getting around and making the tackle.

It's 2 on 1- and he doesn't need any help! LXZ is gonna smash this thing home himself with his left foot- high and out of reach for Hebron Rao, it's 2-1 to Chromatika, 41 minutes on! The Anomalies take the lead for the first time of the contest, as their teenage CF announces himself on the biggest stage in all of sports! No stage too large- he's running to the corner, sliding on his knees, pounding his chest in celebration as the Chromatiks go mad! A rather even game, with both teams creating chances, and both keepers being tested- it's LXZ's second that's the difference at this moment.

Banija Radio Commentator wrote:Interesting to see how both managers use their speeches at halftime, right? Momodou Jassey is struggling out there- but not so much that Pam Scott demands a change, keeping her same XI that she started the game with. Lev Repin, although his team had a lead, made an aggressive substitution- Bellaire Fillar out, in goes Kuznetsov- the Herzegovina City man. We've been playing for a couple of minutes here in the second half, and the Banijans, not surprisingly, have had a lot of the ball- although nothing on net quite yet. And suddenly- oh wow, Haley Hauser's intercepted a pass! She plays it to Grayson Fillar, who first time is looking long to LXZ.

Banija could be in real trouble here... The breakneck pace on LXZ is just breaking this Kadongo Kamu back four! You see Kouyate stretched out of position, and he's desperately doing what he can to get back. Kuznetsov's running with them. LXZ looks to be in on goal- but the unselfishness of the teenager! He passes it across to Kuznetsov, and the Herzegovina City man just taps the ball into the back of an empty net! It's 3-1 to Chromatika. Anomalies fans, just 48 minutes in, are really starting to feel themselves dream- while there is despair among the Banijan crowd. LXZ, what a day- 48 minutes on, already two goals and an assist. Can I remind you- he's 19??

Pam Scott, of course, has not given up- not by a long shot. She knows what she's given up to get here, and she's gonna lay it all on the line to win the World Cup. She's already motioning towards her bench- waiting for the emotional Chromatika celebrations to end so he can make her substitutions. Once they do, she's getting a double sub- Sergius Atieno is into the game for Momodou Jassey, as an extra attacking midfielder, while Dembo Savaneh, who's had a quiet day on the left wing, is done- replaced by Lolong Bokate.

Pam Scott, immediately after the third Chromatik goal

"Son of a bitch." She muttered to herself. This World Cup Final was slowly turning into a nightmare. You lose one World Cup Final, it happens. You lose two? You start becoming the team, or the manager, that can't win the big one. She's been in international management for over 10 cycles now, with very talented teams, trying to not only get to this game, but win it. She got here last cycle- but could not win the sport's ultimate trophy, as Zwangzug proved just a team too good to do anything other than win World Cup 92. This seemed to be the direction World Cup 93 was going- down 3-1, 48 minutes in, wasn't exactly how she drew it up.

She turned to her despondent bench. "Sergius! Lolong! Look alive, you're going in." They barely had a chance to warm up, but it didn't matter- Momodou Jassey absolutely had to be pulled out of the game. He was being dominated in the center of the park, and Banija needed to be more on the front foot. Ikpeazu and Conateh, the teams' veteran leaders, were trying to keep spirits up on the pitch- yelling encouragement at their teammates. She knew, the team had the talent for the comeback- a 2 goal lead was the most dangerous in football, and with 42 minutes left, still plenty of time- although the clock, most certainly, was ticking.

As Chromatika settled into sitting back and trying to hit them on the counter, the Banijans continued to encounter compact defense. Fortunately, they had their creatives out there- Bokate, Ikpeazu, Kama, and Atieno, to name a few. The Banijans forced a diving save by Juxon Fillar in the 54th minute, with an AWO header, as well as Atieno missing the net by mere inches on a long-range shot. Juxon Fillar had it tracked all the way, but still- hearts were pounding. Banija were feeling their way back into this match. A little luck never hurt, too- a LXZ inspired counter saw the teenager, going for the hat trick, put the ball over the bar in a contested one on one opportunity(with Wasawo drapped all over his back, admittedly).

It was a 62nd minute foul that would get the Banijans back into the game. Keira Anbient, the former Champions League winner with Kitara AA, brought down Sarafina Ikpeazu outside the box. No card- but a definite foul. A free kick in a dangerous place, an opportunity to get the team back into the game. She yelled at her players. "Two! Two!" That meant she wanted them to pull one of those training ground moves they had been doing. Juxon Fillar was almost too good to be beat on a regular free kick- you'd have to get him moving. It was a picture perfect play. Lolong Bokate & Sergius Atieno stood over the ball, and Sarafina Ikpeazu inserted herself into the Chromatika wall. Referee blew their whistle- Ikpeazu stepped forward, and it was a pass straight to Ikpeazu. As the wall dissolved itself, going for the ball, she played a pass first time, to her right- softly, but about 10 yards. Just enough to get out of the way of the wall. And who was running in? Nobody other than the man himself, Tairu Conateh.

"YES!!" Pam Scott screamed, pumping her first. Tairu Conateh had finished low and hard from about 20 yards out, perfect placement into the bottom left corner. The deficit was cut in half to just one, and the Banijans were really happy. AWO fished the ball out of the back of the net, and in the 62nd minute, they had life. With the game tighter, Lev Repin was making moves himself. Ami Coulibaly(a Banijan/Chromatik dual-national!) came off the bench for Chromatika, into the game for Keira Anbient. And Ha'nei Ighv came into the game for Grayson Fillar. Chromatika was making changes- could the Banijans find one more goal, to find an equalizer?

Sarafina Ikpeazu, in the 68th minute

Sarafina Ikpeazu, Banija's all-important winger, had been making a huge impact on the game. Consistently dangerous- she had tallied two assists so far. Hell, she's one of a handful of people to even score in a World Cup Final, having scored in last year's. Conateh's equalizer, of course, had given them life. And she was full of energy- the adrenaline of a World Cup Final will do that to you. She was certainly getting older, and she knew that her chances to win a World Cup were getting ever slimmer. Who doesn't want that for their career? But it would be the ideal way to cap of what had been a brilliant international career.

She was coming off the bench for Sabrefell Athletic, yes- she had lost a step. But she remained integral in the plans of her country. And she was making all the impact she could. Right now, she had the ball, taken off of a shot corner that Bokate had passed straight to her. After her stepover beat a defender on the dribble, she was dribbling across the backline, towards goal. She beat another defender, and as she was about to cross in, she felt a bone-crunching tackle from behind. "AHHHH!" She yelled, grabbing her leg. The referee blew his whistle, pointing straight to the spot- penalty to Banija. No doubt about it- nobody could argue the confident call, the referee would prove the ref right.

She pumped her fist. She was gonna feel that tackle later, but it didn't matter- the referee showed de Aea a yellow card. Sarafina walked right up to AWO, Banija's penalty taker. "C'mon, Abel- you got this. Bury it!" She smacked his back. A number of her teammates said that as well, to the mega-talented #9. She could sense the nervousness on the striker, but she shrugged it off. He's hit all sorts of big penalties before, right? But she didn't like the look on Juxon Fillar's face- pure confidence. Respect, obviously, but confidence. "Oh, fucking shi-"

She didn't even need to finish her sentence. The penalty was actually well taken- low and to the corner. But Juxon Fillar was on top of it, reading where AWO wanted to go, and simply getting to the corner first, to make a fantastic save. A sliding de Aea made the clearance, after the save, and the Chromatiks were celebrating- hard. AWO looked as if he'd seen a ghost- his hands above his head, in shock. Chromatiks going wild. "Don't worry- keep it up." She told him. But she saw the renewed belief on the faces of Chromatika, and like everyone Banijan fan, the thought crossed her mind- was that Banija's last chance? She barely noticed as Pam Scott called for an even more aggressive formation- taking off a defender, Opio Ssambwa, and throwing on a teenage attacker, Odongo Kagenda.

A Banijan NT Capo, banging his drum in the 76th minute

He was leading the chants. "Glory, Glory to Baneeeeeeeeejjaaaaaaa!" They echoed throughout this half of the stadium, as he banged his massive drum on beat. Being one of those diehard capos, was an interesting position. You traveled to see this NT wherever they went- the travel opportunities were insane. You road the highs, and lived the downs, and the last two cycles, had been a lot of highs- two AOCAF Finals, and their second straight World Cup Final. But he couldn't help but shake the fear- he'd miss them win this World Cup.

Different generations felt differently about different things. World Cup 86- it was a core memory for his stepdad. What a story it was. His stepdad basically was not going to attend the lottery- but then, two days before the match, said "screw it", threw down $4,000 NSDs on roulette at the casino, and picked black. An absolutely idiotic thing to do. But, as a matter of fact- he won. Having doubled his money, he used his new winnings to buy plane tickets, for him and his brother, for the very next day to the Tundra Falls Proving Grounds in Newmanistan. Far too late to get a hotel- simply slept in the airport. No danger there, really- no luggage if you didn't have a hotel.

He saw Banija's first ever World Cup Final win. A core memory for him- this fan's stepdad had talked about it countless times, had photos of the moment all over his house(that was otherwise decorated head to toe in Bwubanza City SC colors, in case you wanted to know what kind of a sicko he was). He and his stepdad had bonded profusely over the sport. Of course, it was all a sad memory- shortly before World Cup 92, his stepdad had died of a shock heart attack. So he had made sure it would be his mission to attend each game of a World Cup. Saved for two years straight- and now was here, at World Cup 93.

His heart was sinking though- no way this could be possible, right? Chromatika's defense seemed to be holding up. But he turned around as he was banging the drum, and suddenly, it looked as if Banija had a golden opportunity! Ikpeazu, in a dead sprint, looked as if she was going to run out of bounds, so close to the goal. But with a terrible angle, she passed back to Sergius Atieno- who passed across to Wesoloski-Okafor, who smashed the ball, from just a couple of yards out, into the back of the net. "GOAAAAAALLLLLLLL!" This fan yelled, alongside all of the other Banijan fans. Absolute pandemonium among the Banijan ultras- He was banging this drum, the crowd was going nuts. A stunning equalizer to make it 3-3.

AWO ran directly towards him, pounded his chest as the players celebrated- and then AWO gave him and two other fans a hug. He was a massive fan- so it was an incredible moment. "LET"S GO ABEL!!!" He yelled, barely being able to conceal his tears. It was now 3-3, 76 minutes on, and the star man had decided to celebrate with him- a dude who was a factory worker back in Banija.

Final Goal and End of Game

Banija Radio Commentator wrote:We're 86 minutes into what has been an absolutely fantastic and otherworldly World Cup Final. It's 3-3- with Banija having come back from being 3-1 down 48 minutes in, with a 62nd minute Tairu Conateh strike, and a 76th minute AWO equalizer- which was AWO's second of the game. An absolutely fantastic contest. Pam Scott has used 4 substitutions in 3 slots- using her last sub to bring on Festus Hera for Demba Kouyate. Although, of course, if we do see extra time, she'll still have access to a fifth(and sixth) sub, just no sub slots.

Sandara Park came into the game for Delaya in the 76th minute, as well- showing how the game resets when it hits 3-3. The Banijans, chasing, aren't exactly stopping now- with all of this momentum. Hebron Rao made a fantastic diving save, just 3 minutes ago, to deny LXZ what would be an absolutely stunning hat trick. But look- an interception in the back by Adin Wasawo, and he's looking forward for Aquila Hongo. The Banijan CM gets the ball, and starts carrying it- there's space in the center of the pitch! He gets challenged and plays a great through ball, to Lolong Bokate! He slows things down a bit- he's not in on goal, but tries to get around his defender. As he goes forward, he cuts it back to Gereh Kama...

WHO IS WIDE OPEN AND SMASHES THE BALL INTO THE TOP CORNER! 86 MINUTES ON IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL, AND GEREH KAMA MAY HAVE WON IT FOR THE BANIJANS! IT"S 4-3! IT'S 4-3!!! Oh my, oh my, is that the goal to win the World Cup! You almost never see this- it's a late goal in the World Cup Final. Most clutch moment in Banijan sporting history, eh? The drama, the emotions of this sport! He's being mobbed by his teammates as he's crying, kissing the badge. Pam Scott has sprinted down to join the celebrations as well- but she didn't jump on the pile. Instead, she's giving instructions, probably tactical, to these players. This half has see four goals and a whole bunch of substitutions- they'll have to defend this lead for four minutes plus probably a significant amount of stoppage- maybe four or five minutes? But Banija, thanks to Gereh Kama, stand on the brink of a second star.

Pam Scott stood there, about 12 minutes after Gereh Kama's go-ahead goal had been scored. The fourth referee had shocked everybody- adding not 4 or 5, but a stunning seven minutes to the end of this half. The Banijans were going to have to earn this one, and really see this through. When a shot on goal by Edith Fillar was blocked by Wasawo and bounced out of bounds for a corner kick, everybody knew that this was going to be the last kick of the game. They were just over the allotted 7 minutes- Banijans on the bench were all pointing at their wrists, but no referee in the world was going to not allow this corner kick to take place.

21 players in the box- just the Chromatik taker the only one not there, waiting for the corner. The keeper and last remaining defender had crept up towards the box. Pam Scott yelled instructions. "Watch the runners!" As if they could even hear her from way back where she was. The ball was looped in. Her heart sunk as it was LXZ first to the ball, but Wasawo was with him every step of the way- his header went straight to the head of the Banijan defender. The ball was bouncing free in the box- but a sliding Aquila Hongo was first to the ball. He booted the ball way down the pitch, high in the air- with the attack functionally over, the referee blew their whistle three times.

"YES!" Pam Scott yelled, falling to her knees as she started crying, tears of joy. She had won the World Cup. A woman from Lima, BP- a national champion as a head coach at Northern Baker Park State U. Who would've thought that her career, starting as a collegiate head coach, would end up as a World Cup winner? But she had been building to this her entire life. Her stint with Baker Park's NT. Then off to Farfadillis. Then, after Banija was in panic mode after failing to qualify for a World Cup, they brought in Pam Scott. She did a lot more than stabilize them and get them back to the Finals- she's now, four cycles in, won the World Cup.

She eventually walked across the bench to shake Lev Repin's hand, and congratulate the Mytanar on reaching this stage. She looked around- although it was as fierce of a math she had ever seen, the Banijan-Chromatik friendship rode through. These guys played with each other, at clubs across the multiverse, and were very familiar with one another. Kuznetsov, Anbient, and Gereh Kama were all huddled together- the three having won the IFCF Champions League together, way back in the day at Kitara AA, 8 cycles ago. Adin Wasawo was with his Spartangrad club teammates, Henri de Aea and Haley Hauser- as they hugged each other.

Even players that didn't play together at the club level were getting along. LXZ, if he hadn't already, had established himself in this one as the superstar of tomorrow- and today. He was being consoled by the Grizzled veteran, Tairu Conateh- a guy who was the reigning Testiculos Right Back of the Year. As those hugs ended, the celebrations began. It was clear- there was a deep respect and mutual admiration between the two teams, and the two countries.

Dreams do come true- World Cup 93 was theirs.

World Cup 93 - RP Thread

World Cup Final

Who is online