Di Bradini Cup 55/U21WC76 RP And Scores Thread

by **Banija** » Fri Jun 02, 2023 7:24 am

Starblaydia wrote:OOC:For complete newcomers, please see the Guide to Sports Roleplaying. If you need to ask anything of the host or your opponents, arrange RP angles or generally chat about the goings-on, please use the World Cup Discussion Thread. Misspellings of 'Di Bradini' will be met with zero tolerance.

The Royal Banijan Soccer Association hereby presents

In association with the Valanora Footballing Association and the Starblaydia Football Association:

The Fifty-Fifth Di Bradini Cup
a.k.a
The 76th Under-21 World Cup

The RBSA proudly presents the fifty-fifth edition of the Di Bradini Cup, the first edition to be held within Banija. Recognized as direct successor to the original Under-21 World Cup run by Total n Utter Insanity, this is also the 76th Under-21 World Cup.

This tournament is named after Starblaydia's most-famous player, the first person to score for Starblaydia's own Under-21s, currently the fifth-highest goalscorer in Starblaydia's history, World Cup Winner, member of the World Cup Hall of Fame and one-time President of the World Cup Committee: Simeone Di Bradini. We present, for your participation: The 55th Di Bradini Cup, a.k.a. The 76th Under-21 World Cup!

Helpful Di Bradini Cup/U21 World Cup Links
Guide to Sports Roleplaying || General Sports Roleplaying Questions || OOC Discussion Thread || DBC 55 Signup/Roster Thread || Previous Edition

Format
We have 32 teams! Ergo, it'll look like a senior World Cup- 8 groups of 4. Single round robin, top 2 in each group move onto the Round of 16. From there, the tournament is single knockout. All games will take place in neutral territory (either in Banija, Busoga, or Valanora).

Groups
Group A
Banija
Abanhfleft
Vystrina
Darmen

Group B
Græntfjall
Qasden
Delaclava
Archalit

Group C
Cardenao
Xanneria
Krytenia
Cassadaigua

Group D
United Adaikes
Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer
Kamijiro
The 14 Stars

Group E
Tikariot
TJUN-ia
The Jovannic
Huayramarca

Group F
Valanora
Khantari
Polar Islandstates
HUElavia

Group G
Nordic Airland
Independent Athletes from Quebec
Elmyia
Chromatika

Group H
Tumbra
Commonwealth of Baker Park
New Zhengguo
The Spartan Dominion

Calendar
Group Draw- Friday, June 2nd, at 4:00 PM EDT (It'll be Live on the NSS Discord!)
Group Stage Dates & Matchday Schedule
CUTOFF TIMES: 8 AM- 10 AM EDT.
Matchday 1- Wednesday, June 7th. Matchups: 1v4, 2v3.
Matchday 2- Friday, June 9th. Matchups: 4v3, 1v2.
Matchday 3- Sunday, June 11th. Matchups: 2v4, 3v1.
Knockout Stage Schedule
Round of 16- Tuesday, June 13th
(Big break between Ro16 and the QFs, traveling for a wedding, sorry!)
Quarterfinals- Saturday, June 17th
Semifinals- Monday, June 19th
3PPO/Final- Wednesday, June 21st

Group Stage Tiebreakers
1) H-2-H Wins
2) H-2-H Goal Differential
3) Overall Goal Differential
4) Overall Goals For
5) Coin Toss(aka RP bonus only scored match between the two teams)

RP Permissions
Please post this either with your roster or your first RP with a yes or a no(with any qualifiers) for each question. These are all permissions to help facilitate an acceptable RP to you if somebody else RPs your match first, and vice versa.

Code: Select all: [u]RP Permissions[/u] [b]Choose my scorers:[/b] [b]Choose my scoring events:[/b] [b]Godmod scoring events:[/b] [b]RP injuries to my players:[/b] [b]Godmod Injuries to my players:[/b] [b]Give Yellow Cards to my players:[/b] [b]Give Red Cards to my players[/b]: [b]Godmod other events:[/b]

As a side note, please do not reserve posts. Only the host nations may reserve posts, and only for their basic IC information- everyone else is encouraged to use the draft feature on the boards if they must come back to their post later.

May the games begin!

by **Banija** » Fri Jun 02, 2023 7:24 am

National Information

The Kingdom of Banija is a country that classifies itself as a semi-constitutional monarchy. A nation that is a member of Atlantian Oceania, it is led by the Kabaka(which translates to King), and the current monarch is Kabaka Mwanga. The Kabaka, alongside with the Waziri(translates to Foreign Minister), whom he picks and dismisses solely at his pleasure, is the Head of State and responsible for the country's foreign affairs. Upon reaching age 25, the Isebantu(Crown Prince), becomes the Waziri by constitutional right. The current Isebantu is Isebantu Mutungi. The full list of members of the Royal Family can be found here.

Kabaka Mwanga ascended into power after the assassination of his father, Kabaka Albert III during World Cup 82 Qualifying. This is, of course, a government with an elected element. The elected unicameral legislature is the Lukiiko(Parliament), and the Lukiiko is responsible for governance of domestic affairs. The Katikkiro(Prime Minister) is elected by the Lukiiko. After over a decade of rule by the left, this traditionally conservative nation has shown its true colors again by electing a coalition led by the center-right People's Protection Movement. The Katikkiro is Kobe Azizi, who is currently serving in his second term as Head of Government. The established church is the Puritan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, most commonly known as Puritan Mormonism. Well over 90% of Banijans identify as adherents to the state church, though freedom of religion is generally respected by the law and the populace. There is very little patience and open disdain, however, for atheism among the general populace. Courts are sometimes known not to enforce freedom of religion laws when it comes to those preaching atheism, which is considered an 'evil' view by many Banijans.

Due to the massive influence of Puritan Mormonism in this nation, they are relatively socially conservative. Abortion in this country is outlawed unless the mother's life is in danger, and polygamy for males is legal. The church's Universal Call to Motherhood, which teaches that the destiny of each and every woman is to give birth to children and raise faithful Puritan Mormons, has heavily shaped the nation's view on the role of women in society, forming the basis for Banija's prior sports gender segregation laws in the first place. Consumption of alcohol and the recreational use of marijuana in Banija is legal. Due to Mormon tradition, however, the purchase/sale of coffee products is illegal within Banija- however, the consumption is not. Fans and teams are allowed to bring in their own coffee products as long as they are declared at customs, where it is then taxed per pound. Any attempt or effort to sell the product, however, can and will result in arrest.

Most people in the country speak both Olusanke, the local dialect, and English. There is a smattering of Korean spoken within the country, thanks to Banija's Quebecois roots. Banija's currency is the shilling. The exchange rate to the NationStates Dollar is 100 shillings to 1 NSD. Conversion kiosks will be available at all hotels and at airports to exchange your money, as well as any banks. However, using the NSDs directly to purchase items is only guaranteed at stadiums and hotels- vendors outside of stadiums or hotels are not required to accept NationStates Dollars. Fans are also advised that street vendors will only take cash, according to Banijan law- as an issue of security to prevent against credit card theft.

Of course, Banija was for a long time known as a developing country and more of a backwater Economically. However, due to a recent discovery of large oil deposits in Hangaza during World Cup 82, the country has been engaged in an economic miracle since then, with the country almost reaching true developed country status. Public transit within cities is via the boda boda, though each team/delegation will have passenger busses provided by the RTC to transport players, coaches, staff, family, etc... To and from the hotel to the games and practices. The climate of Banija has a lot of natural rainforest and jungle, which means that there is no winter, only wet season and dry season. Temperatures generally range at their coldest around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and at their hottest around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. For the duration of the tournament, average high temperatures will range from 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Banijans have a tendency of being relaxed about time. While, of course, things like flights and matches will run on time, this is something that is observed generally, especially at restaurants. It is considered standard to arrive about 15-20 minutes late for a restaurant reservation, which is something Banijan authorities would like to make note of for travelling fans and visitors to the country for this tournament. This is very true for hangouts with Banijans, dates, weddings, etc... Within the country.

The largest international airports within Banija are South Moravica/Istria International(called SMI International), Jinja City International, and Busukuma International. These serve the country's two largest cities, and the nation's capitol. All teams and dignitaries, upon their arrival to Banija, will fly into Gonzaga International Airport in Busukuma before reaching their final destination. Gonzaga International has long been known as the 'VIP' airport, catering to the royals, high-ranking government officials, and those deemed of special importance by the Government of the day. Most flights will go to one of those three airports before flying to the host city.

In terms of food, Banijans are very heavy meat eaters, and you'll find plenty of chicken, goat meat, beef, pork, and turkey options on your localized menus. In terms of non-meats, popular staple foods are jollof, matoke, Chapati, a rolex, and samosas. Strictly vegan restaurants within the country, outside of Istria and Busukuma, are almost non-existent, though of course you'll find non-meat options everywhere.

Per the latest Census, the national population of Banija is 133 million.

Games will take place in Banija(Groups A-D), the Busoga Islands(Group E), and Valanora(Group F). KO stage matches will be split equally between Banija & Valanora.

Banijan Locations

Istria, Moravica
Banija's largest port and largest city by population, this is in the Moravica region, in Northwestern Banija. It is a city of 4,728,000 people, and it is known as Banija's economic capitol. It is largely considered Banija's most diverse city. Historically, this city served as the second capitol city of the Kasanke Tribe, the historical predecessors of the modern Banijan nation. It is one of two Banijan cities with a major foreign population- the other being the nation's capitol, Busukuma. It has risen in status since its designation as an Olympic City, having co-hosted the XIV Summer Olympiad with Orean, Liventia. Nearly a third of the city holds citizenship of a country other than Banijan. More of those come from the Royal Kingdom of Quebec or the Busoga Islands, but people come from all over Atlantian Oceania and the rest of the multiverse. It is also known as Banija's wealthiest city and primary economic hub. It is home to Banija's oldest university, the University of Loyola-Istria, and to the country's biggest airport. It is also home to the Regional Transit Corporation, as well as the Istria Stock Exchange.

Kabonero III Field

The stadium used in Istria is Kabonero III Field, with a capacity of 48,000. This serves as the stadium for Istria City FC, two-time S-FPL champions. The vast majority of stadiums used are soccer stadia for this tournament.

Matches Held Here
Group A Matchday 1: Banija v. Darmen
Group D Matchday 2: Untied Adaikes v. Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer
Group B Matchday 3: Qasden v. Archalit
DBC/U21 World Cup Final

Herzegovina City, Moravica
Banija's oldest city, the city by its current name is over 800 years old, when it was first conquered by the Kasanke people. It is a city with a population of over 2.9 million people. It is the heart of the Puritan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The national religion was started in this city, and the church's world headquarters, the Herzegovina Temple, is the multiverse's largest Puritan Mormon church. The Bishop of this church, formally titled the Patriarch of Herzegovina, is the most senior member of the church, and the joint head of the global church, alongside His Majesty, the Kabaka. It is home to Banija's largest university, Northern Moravica University. It served as the seat of government for the Kasanke Tribe. It is also the capitol city of the Moravica region. As the original home of the predecessors of the Banijan monarchs, all reigning monarchs are buried on the grounds of the Herzegovina Temple.

Herzegovina City had their own airport finally open just prior to World Cup 83. It is not the largest airport, and much traffic is still directed through Istria. Still, it has permanent international status, and is a city looking to continuously place themselves on the map.

Phoenix Stadium
Capacity of 25,000. Located in Vdizi, Moravica

Located in the inner-ring suburbs of Herzegovina City, Phoenix Stadium will play host to an international tournament for the very first time- the home of the Herzegovina Phoenix, currently of the BSL. Considered a compact, very modern stadium wtihin Banija, the RBSA chose it over the city's usual Star Field to host games at a tournament of this magnitude.

Matches Held Here
Group A Matchday 1: Abanhfleft v. Vystrina
Group D Matchday 2: The 14 Stars v. Kamijiro
Group B Matchday 3: Delaclava v. Græntfjall
One Round of 16 Match

Mynda, Aksum
Mynda is the country's 11th largest city, with an urban population of about 1.1 million, and it is the largest city in the Aksum region. It has very few, truly metropolitan expansion in terms of suburbs beyond the city limits, and therefore, does not have a top 10 metropolitan area in terms of population. This being the center of what is otherwise a very rural region, it will provide fans with plenty of chances to experience nature- safaris and nature preserves galore throughout the Aksum Region.

Electra Stadium

Electra Stadium has a capacity of 47,000 for the tournament, a permanent expansion from its former 41,000 seating capacity. Electra Stadium is the home to Mynda Electra, and both are owned by Electra, a public utility company from Damukuni. This team was the first ever foreign owned team in the Banijan Soccer League, purchased before Dukuma SC was purchased by an Al Qurijan family, and before Fadron Pizza's purchase of the Busembe Timberwolves. The Mynda Gorillas of the GFLB, also owned by Electra Corporation, also play here.

Matches Held Here
Group A Matchday 2: Darmen v. Vystrina
Group D Matchday 1: Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer v. Kamijiro
Group C Matchday 3: Krytenia v. Cardenao
One Round of 16 Match

Busukuma, National Capitol Region
This is the nation's capitol, located on the country's Southern coastline- with a population of just about 4 million people, as well. Puritan Mormons believe that their God told the-then chief of the Kasanke, Kabonero III, that he should conquer all of the land that is currently Banija, gave the country it's name(therefore killing the name of the Kasanke nation), and put the capitol in the South. He did it, made Busukuma the capitol, and declared himself Banija's first Maharaja, or Emperor. As the nation's capitol for over 400 years, the city has been the spot for many major events in Banijan history, and the seat of plenty of foreign embassies, a large foreign population, and Banija's first airport.

The city, of course, is known for having two airports- the public, international airport, called Busukuma International, and also the non-public airport, named Gonzaga International Airport- reserved for the royal family and their guests, elected national politicians, foreign diplomats, and the point of entry for high-ranking officials to avoid the general public. Heads of State/Government, Foreign Ministers, AOCAF officials, host committee members, and national teams, upon their first arrival into Banija, will fly into Gonzaga International.

Mugisha III Memorial Stadium

This has a capacity of 49,000, and is used to house the Busukuma Force in the S-FPL.

Matches Held Here
Group A Matchday 2: Banija v. Abanhfleft
Group D Matchday 1: United Adaikes v. The 14 Stars
Group C Matchday 3: Xanneria v. Cassadaigua
One Quarterfinal

Sisonke, Kitara
Sisonke, Kitara, is the capitol city in the fast growing Kitara Region of Banija. With a population over 1.2 million people on Kitara's north coast, it is a city that is trying to make a name for itself. Just about an hour south of Istria, it is considered a 'new age' city- rapid population growth in recent years makes it a great hub for single young professionals in Banija. Its rapid rise to prominence in Banija will mean this is the second time that Sisonke has ever hosted games at a major tournaments(the first being Baptism of Fire 76), and fans within the city are excited for it. It is most well known for being home to former IFCF Champions League winners, the Kitara Athletic Association.

Keystone Stadium

Keystone Stadium has a capacity of 47,000, and is the home of the Kitara AA- the only soccer team in the Basin with an IFCF Champions League title. Sponsored by a Euran bank, it is a stadium that is now 10 years old- and yet, feels all sorts of new.

Matches Held Here
Group B Matchday 1: Græntfjall v. Archalit
Group C Matchday 2: Cardenao v. Xanneria
Group D Matchday 3: Kamijiro v. United Adaikes
One Round of 16 Match

Dodoma, Bunyoro
The Bunyoro Region is now primarily seen as a basketball region, as basketball is the region's highest rated sport in terms of attendance, youth participation, and TV ratings. Still, this being a sports mad country, soccer is still very popular here, even if it's been years since the region has had a team in Banija's top flight. That team is Bunyoro RSC- more internationally known for their lacrosse success than soccer, who play in Dodoma, a city with over 1.2 million people. Locals joke that while in the rest of Banija, there is dry season and wet season, in Bunyoro, there is wet and wetter season- it has some of the highest rates of rainfall in all of Atlantian Oceania.

Eagle's Club

This was built for World Cup 81 under a different name, Paa Nuepe, and is currently used by Bunyoro RSC. However, after the assassination of the Kabaka's father, Albert III, it was renamed after him. IT has featured in numerous tournaments. When Banija won Eagle's Cup VIII, however, this stadium would be renamed again, and designated the country's official Eagle's Club venue. With a stadium capacity of 48,600, and with revolutionary field drainage technology, thoughtful considering the amount of rain that this region gets, this will be some of Banijan engineering technology on full display. Due to the unique structure of the roof, the sound is made to go down onto the ground, and many expect this will be the tournament's loudest venue due to that stadium design.

Since this is the Eagle's Club venue, a number of amenities have been added for luxury suite holders. For those in luxury boxes, there is access to the actual 'Eagles Club', which hosts a fancy exclusive bar, a workout room, and even an indoor pool(that is not open on Matchday). FA executives for teams playing at this stadium will get access to those amenities.

Matches Held Here
Group B Matchday 1: Qasden v. Delaclava
Group C Matchday 2: Cassadaigua v. Krytenia
Group D Matchday 3: Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer v. The 14 Stars
One Quarterfinal

Jinja City, Hangaza
This city of 3.3 million people is Banija's largest inland city, and the third largest city in the entire country, in terms of population. This city is the economic center of the Hangaza region, even if its political capitol lies towards the East, in Aissa. Being an inland city, of course, it is not know for its diversity- nearly the entire city are native Banijans, even if many are from rural Hangaza. Historically, the city is known for being the spiritual home of one of Banija's minority ethnic groups- the Akamba. It is also sight of the first battle of the Kasanke conquest, when they moved from the Moravican coast to take over the entirety of what is now Banija.

BCEL Stadium

This stadium has a capacity of 52,400. Sponsored by the soft drink company BCEL from Baker Park. It was built to attract matches for the previous Baptism of Fire, and is considered one of Banija's premier stadiums. It is home to Banijan club Jinja City FC, one of Banija's Super 5 clubs. The stadium has consistently been known to host major matches at international soccer tournaments.

Matches Held Here
Group B Matchday 2: Archalit v. Delaclava
Group C Matchday 1: Xanneria v. Krytenia
Group A Matchday 3: Vystrina v. Banija
One Round of 16 Match

Aissa, Hangaza
This city of 1.6 million is one that is rapidly growing, and finding itself on the map. The regional capitol of Hangaza is situated on Banija's eastern border with Geisenfried, and is quickly becoming one of Banija's largest cities. It's kind of a counter-cultural city. Known for its strong Yue minority community, it is also known for having a big autoracing community- both things that are quite obviously rare within the Kingdom. But like the rest of this country, it's a sports mad town- and one obviously where this sport dominates.

The city is deeply disappointed that its soccer team, Aissa United, suffered relegation in the most recent S-FPL season. However, it is re-doubling its efforts to put on a spectacular show here at the U21 World Cup.

Hangaza Unified Stadium

With a capacity of 55,000, it is one of the largest club stadia in Banija. It is the largest non-Super 5 stadium, with a sizeable fan support that usually does not translate into success on the pitch- see their most recent relegation. But has hosted games at two AOCAFs, and two more World Cups.

Matches Held Here
Group B Matchday 2: Græntfjall v. Qasden
Group C Matchday 1: Cardenao v. Cassadaigua
Group A Matchday 3: Abanhfleft v. Darmen
One Semifinal

Busoga Island Locations

Lakiska, South Island

Lakiska City Field, capacity of 31,000. Capitol city of the Busoga Islands. Home of Lakiska SC.

Matches Held Here
Group E Matchday 1: Tikariot v. Huayramarca
Group E Matchday 2: Huayramarca v. The Jovannic

Dukuma, North Island

Orange Field, capacity of 34,000. Brand new stadium. Home of Dukuma SC. Largest city of the Busoga Islands.

Matches Held Here
Group E Matchday 1: TJUN-ia v. The Jovannic
Group E Matchday 2: Tikariot v. TJUN-ia

Tezirbu, North Island

The Foxes Den, capacity of 16,700. Brand new stadium. Home of the Tezirbu Foxes.

Match Held Here
Group E Matchday 3: Huayramarca v. TJUN-ia

Serizar, South Island

Cemal F. Davala Stadium. Capacity of 18,700. Cemal F. Davala is a historic figure- the second ruler of the original(aka pre-Banijan) Busoga, succeeding Ayatollah Busoga himself.

Match Held Here
Group E Matchday 3: The Jovannic v. Tikariot

Valanora Locations

The Battleground (78,000), Raynor City

Matches Held Here
Group F Matchday 1: Valanora v. HUElavia
Group H Matchday 2: Tumbra v. Commonwealth of Baker Park
Group G Matchday 3: Independent Athletes from Quebec v. Chromatika
One Semifinal

Hellgate (54,000), Soldar suburb of Raynor City

Matches Held Here
Group F Matchday 2: HUElavia v. Polar Islandstates
Group H Matchday 3: Commonwealth of Baker Park v. The Spartan Dominion
One Round of 16 Match

Artani (74,000), Mar Sara

Matches Held Here
Group F Matchday 2: Valanora v. Khantari
Group G Matchday 3: Elmyia v. Nordic Airland
One Third Place Match

Donna Cathedral (60,000), Mar Sara

Matches Held Here
Group H Matchday 1: Commonwealth of Baker Park v. New Zhengguo
Group F Matchday 3: Khantari v. HUElavia
One Round of 16 Match

Hatire Memorial (60,000), Capri

Matches Held Here
Group H Matchday 1: Tumbra v. The Spartan Dominion
Group G Matchday 2: Chromatika v. Elmyia
One Round of 16 Match

Rose Gardens (49,000), Kareen

Matches Held Here
Group F Matchday 1: Khantari v. Polar Islandstates
Group G Matchday 2: Nordic Airland v. Independent Athletes from Quebec
One Round of 16 Match

Angelotic Temple (71,000), Longview

Matches Held Here
Group G Matchday 1: Nordic Airland v. Chromatika
Group H Matchday 3: New Zhengguo v. Tumbra
One Quarterfinal

The White Fortress (70,000), Gladerial

Matches Held Here
Group G Matchday 1: Independent Athletes from Quebec v. Elmyia
Group H Matchday 2: The Spartan Dominion v. New Zhengguo
Group F Matchday 3: Polar Islandstates v. Valanora
One Quarterfinal

by **Khantari** » Sat Jun 03, 2023 6:25 pm

The Fifty-Fifth Di Bradini Cup
a.k.a
The 76th Under-21 World Cup

Khantari U21 Team

Group F
Valanora
Khantari
Polar Islandstates
HUElavia

Fixtures
Group F Matchday 1: Khantari v. Polar Islandstates [Rose Gardens (49,000), Kareen]
Group F Matchday 2: Valanora v. Khantari [Artani (74,000), Mar Sara]
Group F Matchday 3: Khantari v. HUElavia [Donna Cathedral (60,000), Mar Sara]

Progress forecast
Chance of Qualifying to Knockout Stage:: 2%
Chances of Qualifying to Quarter Finals:: 0.9%
Chances of Qualifying to the Semi-Finals:: 0.4%
Chance of Qualifying to Final:: 0.2%
Chance of Champion :: 0.1%

Khantari U-21 head coach info
Ridley Cometts, the head coach of Khantari U-21, is renowned for his distinctive managerial style that has brought success and development to the team. With a possession-oriented approach to the game, Cometts emphasizes the importance of controlling the ball and dictating play. One of Cometts' key traits is his high demands on fitness and work ethic. He believes that a strong physical foundation is crucial for players to perform at their best. Through rigorous training sessions and conditioning programs, he pushes his players to reach their peak physical condition. Attention to detail is another hallmark of Cometts' managerial style. He meticulously studies the opposition, analyzes game footage, and prepares comprehensive game plans. His meticulous approach allows him to identify weaknesses in the opposition and exploit them effectively. Cometts strongly believes in player development. He invests time and effort in nurturing young talent, focusing on improving their technical skills, tactical awareness, and overall understanding of the game. Under his guidance, players have shown significant progress and growth, both individually and as a team. Intelligent, hardworking, and passionate, Cometts leads by example. His dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence inspire his players to give their all on and off the pitch. He sets high standards for himself and his team, continuously striving for improvement and success.

by **Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer** » Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:17 am

Di Bradini Cup 55 Preview

Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer is making it's debut on the U21 scene with a participation to the Di Bradini Cup 55. This is a prestigious tournament in the multiverse and it's named after Starblaydia's most-famous player, Simeone Di Bradini. This year, the tournament will be held in Banija (groups A to D), Busoga (group E) and Valanora (groups F to H).

Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer is in group D with United Adaikes, Kamijiro and The 14 Stars. This is the only group that doesn't have any " big sporting nation ". It's really not sure who can raise as the top team of the group. The 14 Stars is probably the one we know the most because they're currently in our group at the 19th Under-18 World Championship. Kamijiro are known mostly for their domestic basketball league.

The U-21 Tapirs will start their journey in Mynda, in the far north of Banija, against Kamijiro. Then on matchday 2, we will play against United Adaikes in the port of Istria and against The 14 Stars in Dodoma on matchday 3.

Here's the best Under 21 players from Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer:

1. Charlotte Gibouleau-Beaudoin (CM): Gibouleau-Beaudoin is arguably the best under 21 Jean-Jacquois player and she's only 20 years old. She's a future star and she's already close from making the senior team. The's the best passer on the team, she can make key crosses, long passes and short passes. She's the one to watch! Personal note: She's Tristan Gibouleau-Beaudoin's younger sister.

2. Zia Guerrero Lopez (CD): Guerrero Lopez is not a flashy player but she do her work. She can mark opposite players very well, she has good speed and she's tall, which helps her to reach the ball up in the air. She's also a good passer.

3. Lily-Rose Malboeuf (S): Malboeuf is the main striker on the team. She can score on close and long range. She has good speed which makes it easy for her to counter attack. She's also 20 years old.

4. François-Xavier Moineau (CD): Moineau is another defender who does his job well. He's the best tackler on the team and he's hard to beat. Personal note: He's the son of Yves-François Moineau, the Under 21 head coach and his older brother, Charles-Émile Moineau, is a goalkeeper on the senior national team.

5. and 6. Rosalie Clairoux and Rodrigo Guénette-Velazquez (S): Clairoux and Guénette-Velazquez are the other two strikers on the team. They can also score from short and long range. Guénette-Velazquez is only 19 and is expected to be one of the best striker in the nation in the future.

Chloé Bellefleur

An alliance between Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and Burnham-on-Stove on the talks?

There is some crazy rumor: An alliance between the conservative and capitalist city state of Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and the socialist and woke city state of Burnham-on-Stove? Sources are saying our leader Prince Pierre-Alexandre 1er de Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer will be meeting the General Secretary of the Burnhamese Communist Party, Braelynn McIlwain, in a secret location next week. The rumor says they will consider a sporting alliance between the two nations. Considering Burnham-on-Stove once was part of Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and proclaimed their independence early in the 20th century and both nations never talked to each other since, this is weird. Let's keep an eye on it.

Yves Beausoleil

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Jun 04, 2023 8:21 am

The roster is stacked, but...
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Quite honestly, I cannot remember a time where our nation entered a Di Bradini Cup with a roster as loaded as this one is. We have not had much success in this competition as a whole, so there is a lot of excitement about this maybe being the time where we can get over the hump and finally win a Di Bradini Cup. A lot of older fans of the game, including dare I say it, my mother Chelsea, have been saying that this is the greatest that it has ever been. What does this all mean? Is Cassadaigua the favorite for Di Bradini 55? We'll start negatively, and then move on.

The Case Against: Cassadaigua has too poor of a history in the Di Bradini Cup to ever be considered a favorite. This is not to say that the team has been bad, but the jokes are often made that we always have a 1-1-1 group stage, then either fail to qualify for knockouts via tiebreaker, or we will make the knockouts and then be sent packing pretty quickly. At times, we've gone a little further, but recently that has not been the case. In this competition, past history means absolutely nothing as it has been pretty common for nations that you have never even heard of before to show up here and win the whole damn thing. Or, some nation that is not feared at the senior team level quickly shows enormous potential here, and you want to think that they have a bright future, but then you never seen them again. That is one thing to consider, but then you have all of the usual suspects looking to once again flex their muscles. Graintfjall, Banija, Vilita and Turori and Pasarga are dominant regulars though the last two have not sent a team to this edition. Looking through the groups, you see a lot of other names which are highly successful at the senior level and should be at this level as well. There is no reason to list a few of them if you're not going to list all of them, but all you have to do is look at the group allotment and see their names. For Cassadaigua then, you can't just consider yourself one of the favorites when a lot of them seem to be in a better place than you are, whether that be in this Cup, or at the senior team level.

The Case For: If not now, it will never happen and we might as well not even bother ever thinking about winning a Di Bradini Cup ever again. Have you looked at this roster? This is unquestionably the greatest Under-21 team that we have ever had. If you follow Cassadagan soccer, I don't have to go through and talk about all of their accolades, but I will anyway. Let's start up front and talk about Lexi McGregor and Shannon Cunningham. Doesn't it seem like we have been talking Lexi forever now, and she is still young enough to play in this tournament? Believe it or not, yes, she is still only 21 years of age, and has done way too much at her age, when you think about it. That's fitting when you talk about someone who declared herself the greatest player in Cassadaigua when she was only 16, and was not only talking about people that were in her age range. She's already been on two World Cup rosters, getting the nod as a reserve in World Cup 92, before being a "super sub" in World Cup 93. Lexi had a great tournament, and backed that up further as a starter in Copa Rushmori 43 by leading that team to the title. She's a two-time CSL MVP, and ended the title drought of Starksville United when she was only 19 years of age. Sure, there were others that helped with that, too, obviously, but she was the go-to player on that team and won the MVP that season. Lexi has been often criticized for being immature, and that did show in Di Bradini 54 when she was seen doing some overboard partying even after games that the Fillies lost. Quotes that followed made reference to the fact that she was putting a priority on having a good time. However, we saw a different side of Lexi in the Copa Rushmori. One that showed that just maybe, she is beginning to grow up. With that, we can only hope and expect that she will take this Di Bradini Cup a lot more seriously.

It's not just Lexi. Next, you have Shannon Cunningham, who is a year younger than McGregor but also has accomplished quite a bit. Playing for Alino in Chromatika, she has established herself as one of the top young players in that league and that caught the attention first of Brittany Byers and then future coaches of this team. Shannon appeared on the World Cup team as a substitute in World Cup 93, and got her fair share of playing time even with McGregor being the first option to come in at her position. In Copa Rushmori 43, she would start alongside McGregor, just like the two of them had in Di Bradini 54. While these two players are seen to be "night and day" in terms of their off the field personality (Shannon was never present in any of the partying that Lexi was seen doing), they have built some very good chemistry with one another on the field. With each having a little more experience now, you have to be excited about what they can do on the field together here. Cunningham was named the captain of the team over McGregor, which could have surprised some people, but the majority of fans realize that she was the better option and is better "captain material".

Then, there's Lacey Sherwood. The only reason we do not talk about Lacey more is because her position is simply overloaded. She will not be a starter here in the Di Bradini Cup, although expect her to see plenty of time on the field. The Rutland Dockside star also made her senior team debut in World Cup 93, but did not get much time to play. After all, at that level, you're also competing with Chloe Anderson, Rachel Boldin, and Carly Patterson for playing time. She started in Copa Rushmori 43 as Chen Huikang utilized a 4-3-3 there, and while I would not rule that out here, I do not feel that is the current plan.

That's plenty of reason to be excited for this team, isn't it? Oh wait, I haven't mentioned any of the influx onto this team of the reigning RTC 18 World Cup champions! Oh boy, they're here too, aren't they? The Engle twins, who had an awesome RTC Cup and also played in the Copa Rushmori, as did Rachel Wyman are here. Oh my! Them, plus the talent up front? This could be a real thing of offensive beauty for our team. You'll be seeing them on the field on the senior team for many years to come.

Now, you might be saying, that sure, that is alot of offensive firepower but you have to keep the ball out of your own net, too, or else you will be losing 5-4 every game. Have no fear, the back end features two CSL starters, including Kristen Hughes, as well as the impressive Carlee Shea, who plays in Baker Park. In goal, the starter for Starksville United, Meghan Lewis will be back there.

How can you not like this team? Never, has a Cassadagan team been this loaded for the Di Bradini Cup. There is plenty of stout competition, but just maybe, this will be our time.

by **Kamijiro** » Sun Jun 04, 2023 1:06 pm

Di Bradini Cup 55 - Kamijiro's Arrived

Important info for Kamijiroans planning to see a match in the Kingdom of Banija or follow along on TV.
Our Group: Group D

Group D is as follows:
- Kamijiro
- Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer
- The 14 Stars
- United Adaikes

Our schedule & stadium information, along with Kamijiroan cable channels to watch along from home.
Matchday One: Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer (at Electra Stadium in Mynda, Aksum). The match will be broadcast on KBC3.
Matchday Two: The 14 Stars (at Phoenix Stadium in Vdizi, Moravica). The match will be broadcast on JIR7 and KBC3.
Matchday Three: United Adaikes (at Keystone Stadium in Sisonke, Kitara). The match will be broadcast on JIR7.

Manager: Alex Thomas
Roster
Expected starting XI are given a blue text.
Goalkeepers:
#1:  Juwan Townsend      |   GK   | Age 19 | King's Palace U20
#99: Travis Kelly        |   GK   | Age 17 | Friendship Island

Defenders:
#2:  Antonio Jameson     |   CB   | Age 19 | Jiro Independent U20
#3:  Carmelo Valenzia    |   CB   | Age 20 | Jerome City Rangers [VICE CAPTAIN]
#6:  Reggie Jackson      | RB/RWB | Age 19 | Athletic Club Kami U20
#22: Rashard Howard      | LB/LCB | Age 18 | King's Palace U20
#27: Ryuji Nakamura      | RB/RCB | Age 16 | Little Osaka U20
#34: Kazuma Watanabe     |   RB   | Age 16 | Little Osaka U20
#49: Festy Prinz         |   CB   | Age 17 | Beachside Rovers U20
#51: Richard Wallace     | LB/LWB | Age 19 | Jerome City Rangers

Midfielders:
#5:  Jordan Francis      | CDM/CM | Age 19 | King's United F.C.
#7:  Leão                | RM/RCM | Age 18 | Conquistadores A.C.
#8:  Niky Perkanta       | CM/CDM | Age 20 | Beachside Rovers [CAPTAIN]
#9:  Kevin Pierce        | LM/LCM | Age 18 | Athletic Club Kami U20
#17: Natsuki Sekou       | LM/LCM | Age 19 | Little Osaka U20
#41: Mitchell Rafael     | LM/LCM | Age 17 | Friendship Island
#45: Michael Morningside | CAM/CF | Age 16 | F.C. Bridgeport

Forwards:
#11: Kyle Brooks         |   LF   | Age 20 | King's United F.C.
#13: Emmanuel Davis      |   RF   | Age 19 | Jiro Independent
#14: Kyoko Ai            |   RF   | Age 16 | Little Osaka U20
#21: Kristopher Maartin  |   LF   | Age 18 | New Volendam A.C.
#66: Jayson Harris       |   LW   | Age 17 | Eldersburg

Managerial tactics and expectations of players and roles:
Manager Alex Thomas is known best for his time in the National League South in England, which he won once before being relieved of duties. He took time away from managing but was coaxed out of retirement by King Consort Kaminari Paixão, who gave him a call directly. His teams are known for their willingness to get stuck in on defense - his old club owns the record for most yellow cards in a single season in the National League South (107 yellow cards in 46 matches). However, his expected style of play when with the ball is a marvel to behold at times. He employs a vertical passing system, which allows midfielders and forwards to try to play through balls to each other. Midfielders are expected to get forward when possible, so forwards tend to use themselves to hold up play. The Kamijiroan side are well-known for being considered divers in the attacking third, which is for the purpose of gaining advantages on set pieces. This lets them control possession in the attacking third, making life as difficult as possible for opposing defenders and goalkeepers.

This Kamijiroan side is headed by Niky Perkanta, a through and through Kamijiroan, whose family can track their history back to before any empires even knew of the islands' existence in the Pacific. He is a midfield maestro, known not necessarily for his flair on the ball, but his perfectionist attitude towards passing the ball. He led the Kamijioan U20 Championship in passing percentage by a midfielder before being called up to the main squad for the Beachside Rovers.
Perkanta will be assisted in leadership by the fiery Carmelo Valenzia, who recently was promoted to vice captain by Perkanta. (Antonio Jameson, the previous vice captain, requested to step down from his role). Valenzia led the Jerome City Rangers to a second-place finish in the Kamijiroan Second Division last season, and is expected to either move to an established KPFL squad or move abroad to find his true potential in world football. Valenzia also led the KSD in fouls and yellow cards, so expect him to play the role of the enforcer within the squad.

But the brightest star on the field in every match he plays in is none other than Kamijiro's future #7, Leão Alexandre Júnior (known as just Leão), the Conquistadores A.C. wonderkid. He is flashy, plays some of the most exciting football you'll ever see, and has been tipped to make a big money move to a foreign club within the next two or three seasons. His best player comparison is Crystal Palace's Michael Olise, a fellow left-footer with a knack for dribbling through the defense. Leão is known to have a bit of a temper on the pitch as well as being a bit of a party-goer off the pitch, so the disciplinarian manager Alex Thomas will be sure to have an eye on him the entire trip.

This will be Kamijiro's first ever appearance in the Di Bradini Cup, and they are looking to put on a very strong showing to prove that they can hang at the world stage. They will most certainly be watched with the highest level of expectation by senior squad manager Akito Miura, who is looking to make some changes to the senior roster prior to World Cup 94.

RP Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose my scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y, nothing too severe
Godmod Injuries to my players: N
Give Yellow Cards to my players: Y
Give Red Cards to my players: N
Godmod other events: N

by **The 14 Stars** » Mon Jun 05, 2023 4:25 am

Wolves to hunt down first prey

As the U21 squad readies themselves for a new tournament we take a look at our group, we see here no relevant sporting nation that could get in the way of a Starsian victory but this is merely paper stats.
As always football is an unpredictable sport but with coach Luca Viloca who this season at his club also achieved good results we expect a very decent round of results and good football from our future stars.

With strong players still on the squad like Hailey Price, Eva Weber and ofcourse star player Elizabeth Phillips we look forward to a tournament where everything seems to be possible.
Currently the Wolves are in transition from a strong team to an older team in the national team and these players here aim to take their places in the future but only a lucky few often see their chance to get in early on.
Matthias Weber and Raquel Gomez can count on a place in the starting line-ups of their clubs next season just like Elizabeth Phillips already captains her own team and is also currently the chosen captain of this U21 team.

We look forward to what they can show us and its rumoured that the NT scout will be in the stadium to watch their games, in the near future some players are retiring but its unknown if any of these players are gonna replace them yet.
This tournament is often a good showcase to show whether you are truly a player for the future or someone that just got lucky to be picked.

by **The Jovannic** » Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:58 pm

The Jovannic and Di Bradini - The Di Bradini Cup 48

After a short hiatus, The Jovannic is back, this time looking to make waves in the 55th edition of the Di Bradini Cup. This was, in fact, the second edition of the Di Bradini Cup we have participated in, the first being the 48th edition.

The run started with an opening fixture against the Blouman Empire. They were repeat attendees of the tournament, and indeed fielded a capable squad. Unfortunately for the Bloumany, The young Jovannicans were at their clinical best, and in short ran riot against their side, punishing a shambolic defensive display with a scoreline of 5-1. Wenser Tratensu opened the scoring of the Emperors, and a Bloumany equaliser against the run of play was quickly overcome by two braces from Sami Ning and Juyt Dersa.

This somewhat shock result definitely turned heads, and The Jovannic continued their positive form with a 1-0 victory over Ethane, Sami Ning being the difference maker with a strike in the 71st minute.

They then played Eraman to a 10 goal thriller, which was won 6-4 thanks to two late goals by Regan Holland and Juyt Dersa.

Now certainly riding high, a 3-1 result against Cassadaigua now meant that The Jovannic stood top of the group table with a record of 4-0-0, a perfect run of games and guaranteed qualification to the knockout stages.

P Group F                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Jovannic                4   4  0  0   15   6  +9   12     Q
2 Cassadaigua                 4   2  1  1    5   5   0    7
3 Eraman                      4   2  0  2   16  11  +5    6
4 Blouman Empire              4   1  1  2    4  11  −7    4
5 Ethane                      4   1  0  3    2   4  −2    3
6 Riennic Isles               4   1  0  3    5  10  −5    3

These results were unprecendented to say the least; The Jovannic at the time, as a newcomer, were unable to make particularly big splashes, and while they were indeed pesky opponents, stealing points off relatively bigger sides in the 85th and 86th World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ), they were so far grouped in every football competition they had taken part in. This made the dominant performances of the youngsters of the Jovannic ever the more unexpected.

With First place qualification already secured, Shuci Faret deemed it fit to feature an almost fully rotated side on the last group stage matchday against the Riennic Isles, seemingly with the intention of giving the A team rest time. Perhaps worryingly, the substitutes performed unconvincingly, falling short against a poorly performing Riennic Isle team and losing 3-2. Nevertheless, The Jovannic still finished atop the group and would face second place finishers in Group G Kohnhead in the Round of 16, who went through thanks to a 5-1 rout of Lovisa, giving them superior goal difference to Sharktail by a singular goal.

Given the somewhat fortuitous nature of Kohnhead's qualification and the glimmering form of the young Jovannicans, it was no surprise that we came into the match as firm favourites.

Perhaps the knockout stages of a football tournament were unfamiliar territory for the youngsters however. After a Juyt Dersa opener was cancelled out by a smashing shot by Kohnhead star player George Finley in the 66th minute, The Jovannic seemed to lack the stamina and endurance to last in extra time, and dismal performances by substitutes did not help as Kohnhead scores twice in extra time to send them through to the quarterfinals.

And just like that, what was possibly The Jovannic's most promising run at that time came to a halt. We will be looking forward to this new batch of youngsters as they look to do better than their predecessors.

Coming back to this edition of the Di Bradini Cup, The Jovannic will face the likes of Tikariot, TJUN-ia and Huayramaca, all three seeming to be particularly experienced sides and will certainly not be pushovers.

The Emperors will be travelling to the Busoga Islands for the entirety of the group stage, and will head to the Orange Field in Dukuma to face TJUN-ia on the first matchday.

Catch them in action on the SportJovannic News Network Channel 1 or AuroraTel Sports 1.

World Cup 80/89/91 Group Stage

© Sporting Times Daily 2023
Will New Broom sweep away memories of DBC 54?
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

I still love coming to the DiBradini Cup when I get assigned to it--technically when I assign myself--mainly because I love Valanora. Since my first trip here for DBC 42 I have remained enchanted by this nation and the residents here.

I've also come to cover the tournament alongside one of my great friends in sports journalism, Oliver Stanley of The Post, who mentored me along with Frank Armitage during that first visit; Olly is stepping aside after this final assignment and he dropped a hint that he'd be happy if I came along on his last tour.

That will be a story to cover on an off-day but right now we are camped out in Sharala once again, the home away from home for the Under-21's here in Valanora; like in the last edition the traveling party will be picking up and moving on ahead of the Group H fixtures rather than being based here in the mid-eastern city, with the opener scheduled against newcomers New Zhengguo at Donna Cathedral in Mar Sara, the site of the last match the U21's played here in the Eternal Empire, a 6-1 defeat to Chromatika which capped off a wipeout 0-3 record in DBC 54.

Matt Villareal has been the FAC's foremost coaching project over many cycles--he spent time working in Cassadaigua with the senior team as well as the age level squads; he's been a traveling instructor, a staff coach, assistant youth manager and also a NT coach for a couple of what are commonly referred to as "working" teams--the JRC/WWC, Wonder Cup, Tea Cup rosters--and will get his shot running the show here in the Will Barnard/Zoe Montgomery era.

He'll be looking to incorporate eleven players coming up from the U18's, including the first ever 18 year old jumped directly into the DBC squad, Linette Gonzales of Lima City United Academy who made her National Conference first team debut over the final three matches. There are also several 19 year old collegiate standouts who will be making their first ever age group squad, so there will be a lot of new pieces to figure out how to use over the three match group stage.

Match day 2 will mark the rematch of the DBC 53 Final against Tumbra, which will fittingly be held at The Battleground in Raynor City; there's little argument that the Black Eagles are among the very best age-limited youth development nations in the multiverse and an outright win on the day would certainly put either nation into the serious discussions for a potential champion.

The Spartan Dominion will provide the opposition on the final match day at Hellgate, a Vanorian stadium that the U21's surprisingly have never played in. Banija--who are also hosting part of this tournament in their nation--and Equestria are the two nations where the National Team have played in most the different venues, but for the U18/U21 Valanora has seen the Gold & Black circus at a dozen sites not including the matches in Sabinal & Caddonia.

There is the usual strong field of contenders here that make this event extremely difficult to survive seven matches to take the trophy. I think that's another reason I hold a special place in my heart for this tourney.

Lineup/bench for MD1 vs New Zhangguo (Donna Cathedral, Mar Sara)

Dunn; Little, Jonasson, Ward (C); Axelrod, Ludwig, Gonzales, Boyle; Mazur; Woods, Sueleman
Longstreet, Womack, Hunter, Domicelli, Jones, Ibrahaim, Shock, Applegate, Walsh

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Tue Jun 06, 2023 12:06 am

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independent sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

55TH DI BRADINI CUP: HOW DO WE EVEN COME BACK FROM WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME?

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, as if following the Under-18 World Cup wasn’t enough, now I’ve got to follow the Under-21 World Cup as well! Goodbye, good sleeping habits; hello again, 25-hour days! Good God, I really should have taken a look at the fine print before deciding that this was going to be my job for the rest of my life! Sure, it pays good, but I’m not really sure losing sleep because of trying to follow a youth football tournament from what might as well be the other side of the world is going to be worth it! Especially considering that this is the Di Bradini Cup, the cup that Abanhfleft just seemingly isn’t meant to win ever in our lifetime! You cannot convince me that our loss against Elmyia in the final of the previous edition of the DBC was not a message from the football gods telling us to never get our hopes up ever again because they’re never letting us get our hands on that bloody trophy ever!

All right then, before I get so far ahead of myself that I've completely forgotten where I was coming from, let's take a look at Abanhfleft's groupmates in the coming edition of the Di Bradini Cup and figure out if we've got a snowball's chance in hell of making it through to the knockout stage or if this is going to be another one of those DBCs where we don't even make it out of the group stage. And, I hate to be the one to break it to you, lads, but I think we just found ourselves in the group of death of this particular DBC. Not only have we been drawn into Group A alongside the new hosts of the tournament Banija, but we're also going to go against Darmen here as well! Also, there's some other country in here named Vystrina or whatever but we'll get to them later. I mean, it just had to be our luck that Abanhfleft got put in the same group as two of the biggest names in football (not just youth football but senior level international football as well!) in the edition right after the one where we came closest to actually winning the damn thing only to see it cruelly snatched from our grasp by a country that doesn't really care that much about how much it means to us to finally win a football tournament with the depth and history of the Di Bradini Cup. But that's a topic for another blog post in another time.

First of all, we've got Banija. I mean, do I really need to say more after that? Man, I still remember the days when Banija were still relative newcomers to the multiversal sporting scene and they were trying to figure out how to be good in a sport not named lacrosse. I don't think I need to say this, but if you really want an in-depth look into the lacrosse rivalry between Abanhfleft and Banija then you all are better off hopping over to The Lacrosse Lamentations by Aisling Keane, which by the way is still here on Gaelic Gamers, just in case you bastards were wondering. In any case, I still remember the days when Abanhfleft and Banija were almost equal in terms of the rankings, but those days have long passed us by. By now, Banija have established themselves as a constant and reliable player in the World Cup scene. Meanwhile, Abanhfleft just got outranked by a bloody country that's only been recovering from a bloody civil war a few years ago! In case you were wondering, I was talking about the Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva. I'm sure there are plenty of other countries out there still recovering from civil wars that have managed to move above Abanhfleft in the World Cup rankings. Sometimes, that's just the way the world works, my friends. In any case, Banijan football is perhaps the strongest it's ever been, and if our Young Revolutionaries get anything out of their match against these Wolverines then I'm going to eat an entire tub of cheese-flavored ice cream! And I'm lactose bloody intolerant!

And then we've got Darmen. Sure, they might not be on the same level as Banija when it comes to football (sorry, Darmeni fans), but you have to admit that they're still operating on a different, higher level than Abanhfleft right now! And we always know that they’re down for a good scrap when it comes to the rugby (although my boss Graham O’Doherty is most definitely more knowledgeable about that than I am; at least I can acknowledge my own deficiencies!), so I expect that they’re still going to be a handful when it comes to the football. Heck, I still remember those times when one of their colonies or territories or whatever, Esportivan Darmen, did a number on our own Esportivan colony the Fhulghamous Peninsula. I mean, yeah, sure, it’s just territory versus colony in a regional cup, but the fact remains that the Darmenis have got a slightly better handle at this football thing than we do. It’s not that big of a leap to think that this also applies to their youth football. Anyway, Darmen! Dangerous in Esportiva, even more dangerous in rugby, and sure as hell they’re still dangerous in the Di Bradini Cup.

And then last but not least (but maybe they are least, but as far as the schedule goes, they’re the first team that we’ll have to face), we have Vystrina. I mean, what else is there for me to say about Vystrina? A quick look at this place on the Internet turns up results about your classic socialist or communist state (my quick look suggests that they consider themselves socialist so make of that what you will) that has come out of their self-imposed isolation in order to become a member of the larger community of nations. However, beyond the entry of their under-21 team into the Di Bradini Cup, it doesn’t look like they’re really that interested in taking part in the sporting community all that much. I think they would rather concern themselves with protecting their borders from an invasion. I don’t really know what’s going on over there, but it would appear as if one of their neighbors is trying to remove the leader of Vystrina or something like that. Geopolitics is hard, guys. This is why I stick to football and don’t stick my nose in business where it don’t really belong.

Anyway, that’s all that there is from me now. If you’ve got any thoughts or comments of your own about the other teams in Group A of the 55th Di Bradini Cup, or if you’ve got some predictions for our match against Vystrina then feel free to leave them down below. Until then, I’ve been the Man from Markovsky, hoping against hope that this is the time that I will finally no longer be disappointed in my own country.

by **Polar Islandstates** » Tue Jun 06, 2023 4:00 am

Panting, exhausted from the exertions of the training session in what was a far warmer environment than any of the Chicks had experienced before, Emmanuele Niemi was heading for the changing rooms with the rest of his teammates. Hi mind was racing. Not just with the drills and tactics the gaffer had just put them through, but with the knowledge that he would be one of the first players to represent his country in nearly three decades.

Not only that, but he’d be doing so in the same shirt his father had worn, once upon a time, playing under the tutelage of a man he’d known since, well, since before he was born. He was working hard to build up a playing relationship with the man mountain that was Youssef Nijgaard, despite his prickly personality, and he had lots to think about ahead of the game later that week.

There was a lot to think about, in short. So much so, that at first he almost walked straight past the small pale man that was hanging around the tunnel entrance.

“Excuse me. Excuse me! Hi, Emmanuele, is it?"

"...yes?"

“Oh good.” Tick.

“What was that?”

“Mm? Oh, nothing. Just checking something off. I like to be thorough, see. And that’s your name, isn’t it?”

Emmanuele looked over at the clipboard being turned one hundred and eighty degrees in his favour, noting with suspicion that he was the only person on the list. “Yes, that’s me...”

“Well then. It’s you. I’m talking to you. So I ticked it.”

“But, who are you, and why do you have my name on a checklist?” Emmanuele looked the man up and down. If he hadn’t have said something when he did, Emmanuele wasn’t sure he’d have even noticed he was there. Small, slight, gaunt, with prematurely grey hair and a grey suit to match, he would’ve faded into the background in a line-up of one.

“Oh nothing, nothing. All routine questions I assure you,” replied the man, taking off his thin round spectacles to give them a cursory wipe with a white handkerchief, even though they were already spotless, “I’m just here as an observer.”

“An observer of what, the team?”

“Naturally.”

“So why am I the only person on the list?” For a brief second, Emmanuele reconsidered the possibility that this was a scout for another team. Although he looked nothing like nay scout he’d ever seen.

“Oh dear,” sighed the man patronisingly, “we’re getting off on the wrong foot aren’t we? That won’t do. No, here, allow me. Matthias Laine.”

“Emmanuele Niemi, as you know,” said Emmanuele slowly, taking the offered hand and shaking what was the most tepid grip he’d ever experienced.

“Charmed, charmed,” smiled Laine weakly, “and my job is to be here as one of the assigned liaison team from The Party.”

“To... do what? We’ve got a foreign liaison officer at the hotel already, are you with her? She’s got all the details on the loca-“

“Oh, no, not like that. There are people to make sure things go smoothly between our hosts and you and your colleagues. I’m sure they’re doing a grand job. No, I’m more here to make sure things go smoothly between yourself and The Party.”

“...The Party?” asked Emmanuele, all pretence of needing to follow his teammates into the changing rooms abandoned. Laine had his full attention.

“Of course, we wouldn’t want you making any cultural faux pas now, would we?” smiled Laine insipidly.

“Well, no, like I said. That’s what Agnetha is f-“

“No. Not with the hosts,” interrupted Laine cheerfully. “With The True Valhallan Federation.”

“With... what?”

“You were born in Marylebone, were you not?” Asked Laine, checking his notes, even though they both knew he knew the answer full well, and then looking up at Emmanuele with a shit-eating grin.

“You know I was.”

“Very good, very good, and you lived there for a while, as I understand?”

“Until I was ten, yes.”

“And yet you never felt Fallenmark in any way?”

“Well, no. I’m Polarian.” Replied Emmanuele, annoyed now, “I’ve always felt it. I was always brought up to know that we wouldn’t be staying in Marylebone forever.”

“Only as you know The Party takes a dim view of dual citizenshi-”

“I have a Polarian passport.” Interrupted Emmanuele firmly. “Always have.”

“As well you better had to, or you’d not be here, would you?” smiled Laine, choosing to ignore Emanuele’s rising temper. “No, no, Mr Niemi, please don’t misunderstand me. We know full well which passport you hold, and which nationality you claim.”

“Then wh-“

“There are many ways that our more travelled citizens may inadvertently express their worldly travel, Mr Niemi. The way you were brought up, the habits you picked up, the dialect you use...”

“From bloody Fallenmark? It’s hardly Anaia...”

“Oh I’m sure, Mr Niemi, I’m sure,” agreed Laine through his incessant grin, “all one big Valhallan family, aren’t we? Nonetheless, it is considered to be an appropriate policy by The Party that we observe our more...”

“Exotic?” asked Emmanuele, flatly.

“Well, not the word I was searching for, Mr Niemi, but if you insist...”

“Get to the point.” Said Emmanuele, losing patience fast with this smug mist of a human being.

“Well. That we observe you to ensure True Valhallan values are being upheld. Particularly seeing as you are now representing our great Federation on the international stage, mm? It would be a tremendous shame if you were to score a point in your game ne-“

“Goal.”

“My apologies, ‘goal’, and what if you then chose to express your joy at such a momentous event by, off the top of my head, using some slang term you picked up in Marylebone?”

Emmanuele said nothing, but stared flatly.

“Oh you needn’t look so miserable, Mr Niemi,” continued Laine with his irritating cheerful demeanour, “I mean you no harm. You just have to see it from The Party’s point of view, that’s all. It would undermine us terribly, don’t you agree? A representative of the True Valhallan Federation displaying for all the multiverse see his fervent ‘otherness’? You wouldn’t want to be responsible for the borders closing again, would you?”

Emmanuele squinted. He wasn’t sure quite what subtext was being hinted at, but it felt big, and he didn’t like it.

“Anyway,” smiled Laine, “I just wanted to put a name to the face. I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m sure. Goodbye, Mr Niemi.”

And with another almost painful looking smile and the hint of a little bow, Laine made his exit.

Emmanuele continued to stand by the tunnel entrance, watching the little man disappear with surprising ease. As if there weren’t enough things to think about...

by **Valanora** » Tue Jun 06, 2023 6:26 am

With many football grounds across the Empire currently under renovations due to some much needed renovations and maintenance, so much so that the Premiership season had been put on hold due to the severe nature of the need for such repairs, the status of the Di Bradini Cup was put into question. The bi-annual event in the Empire had been a staple of the footballing calendar within the nation for the last few decades and the Empire played host to millions of visitors during the month long competition within its borders. It was also a cornerstone of the youth football scene, the biggest competition for the next generation of future national team stars to be, or the potential to be, to showcase their talents against similar players at a high level. Yet with the need for repairs and renovations across almost the entire empire in its football grounds, sans the very best like The Battleground, there was the question as if the Empire could truly be able to hold the competition within her borders at a high enough level and provide the level of entertainment that had become its standard over the last three decades plus.

Fortunately it pays to have friendly relations with your close neighbors, neighbors who happen to have a lot of capital behind them and the hosting pedigree that has started to rival that of even the Empire's mighty resume when it has come to hosting international events. That neighbor of course would be none other than Banija, whose officials offered a split hosting effort to maintain the integrity of the competition while the fields and grounds across the Empire were receiving their due, as well as to showcase their own impressive stadiums as well as that of their former holding of Busoga. While slightly hesitant at first to see the competition fall outside the bounds of Vanorian control, for even recent experiments of cohosting with Farfadillis and Starblaydia had seen the Vanorian officials maintain leadership of the project, for even a single edition, the VSC finally relented when they saw the wisdom of the proposal. The Empire's football grounds were simply not in the sort of shape where she could hold such a large scale venture within her borders and sharing that burden with friends was a smart move.

The arrangement will see but three groups in the upcoming competition be hosted in the Empire, while four will be located in Banija, and the last will be located within Busoga, offering quite a wide array of locations for those traveling to watch this competition in person. Eight stadiums within the Empire were deemed of satisfactory condition to host games, with the list coming as no big surprise as most of them are the most premier of locations within the Empire and/or owned by clubs with plenty of money to maintain the upkeep of the ground on their own coin and time rather than by VSC mandate and subsidies. To no one's surprise, The Battleground in Raynor City is among those venues with United not keen to let their gem of a stadium fall into any sort of disrepair and it will be once more the location where the Marauders will kick off their start to the tournament. It is tradition that the team plays their opening game of the tournament in the nation's biggest and most luxurious of venues, despite the Hatire Memorial in Capri being the national stadium. There is something about playing in the nation's capital that seems to bring out the best in the team though and given a relatively difficult group, it will no doubt be something the staff will try to lean into as they navigate their group like the visitors will be navigating the nation in the upcoming weeks.

by **Banija** » Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:42 am

The DBCs come to Banija as the RBSA takes on the role of hosting the U21 World Cup

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- "It is not something we expected to do- but when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped all over it." Said the RBSA's long-time Executive Chairman, Robel Ezera. It is, indeed, a rare moment in history. With the DBCs in Valanora a near fixture on the international calendar these days, with lots of ongoing stadium construction ongoing in Valanora, the opportunity arose for Banija, in partnership with Valanora, to host the U21 World Cup. And once BISA(Busoga Islander Soccer Association), was brought on board, that ensured it would be a first of its kind tournament- where three different nations would host games at the DBC.

"We consider this a great opportunity for Banija, and Banijan fans." Said the RBSA's Executive Chairman. "It's not often when you get to bring the world's pre-eminent youth sporting tournament to home soil. But we've always been huge into youth sports. Remember, Tiones Lumber Field just hosted the IUCC Championship Game. We have the infrastructure, and the passionate fan interest, to host a tournament like this. We thank the representatives from Valanora for this opportunity- we expect to help put a fantastic tournament. Fans will be welcome here throughout the Greater Southwest." Half the tournament's games will be played in Banija- four groups, and half of the knockout stage games, including the Final.

The President of the Busoga Islands, Delbin Kasekende (who played in this tournament for Banija back in his day), also said it was a great moment for the Busoga Islands. "Cooperation hasn't always been perfect between Banija and the Busoga Islands- that is true." He said. "But on a sporting level, particularly in soccer, there has always been excellent cooperation between the Banijans and the Busogans. This is simply another example of that- and how the Busoga Islands are going to benefit. It is rare that we get to bring some of the game's best here to our pair of islands- but the four nations in Group E, and their fans, will be treated to a world-class experience." The Islands will play host to all 6 Group E matches, but no knockout matches. Still, it will be the first time since AOCAF LXII that the Busoga Islands will play host to a major international tournament.

With the DBCs coming to home soil, there is an excitement for what we will see on the pitch. "There's going to be great hopes for the team." Said now TV analyst and former DBC breakout star, Gitonga Kahara. "I've seen the talent- considering the heights of Banijan soccer, they are going to be expected to be fairly strong." The team, of course, is going to be led by 17 year old budding superstar Layvin Son-Saka, the Quebecois/Banijan dual-national who plays for St. John's Arsenal. He, of course, has decided to play for Banija- another success for the Banijan dual-national recruitment program. "If you watch the Q-League, you've seen this kid play- he's phenomnal. Can't wait until Pam Scott locks him down for the senior team. Banija's next great winger, eh?"

While Son-Saka is certainly going to be the focus for fans here at home, it's the strength behind them that has Kadongo Kamu fans dreaming of great things for the future. You've got Jônn Wérséô out there, as the #9. You've got a trio of Jinja City guys in the back line, part of the 'Super 5' (honestly, it's the 'Banijan Big 3' at this point, isn't it?) Livingstone Byaruhanga is taking a youth callup for Banija, although his senior status is obviously still yet to be determined. Pam Scott, the senior NT manager, as always, will observer practices and games directly- but she won't speak to any players. "The whole purpose of the youth setup is to prepare for the senior setup- so I'm going to watch everybody and see how people react to different things. How you train. How you practice. Do you follow team rules? Constant evaluation- but I'm not the manager for this team."

She goes by the philosophy that there is always spots available in the senior NT. Will Banija's future stars shine here on home soil?

by **Xanneria** » Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:11 am

Xanneria and it's merry band of Virginian misfits
source:www.xtrasports.xan/nationalteam.htm

BANIJA - with the U21 cup amongst us already, FLOX has done something seen as controversial by some and genius by others. The Football Association of Xanneria (FAX) has struck a deal with the Southwest Eastnorth Football Association (SWENFA) to enter a co-operative team full of the top Xannerian and SWEN U-21 players for this DiBrandi Cup tournament. With the DBC temporarily moved to Banija in a shocking set of circumstances involving scaffolding and bad timing, The U21 team looks to charge onward under the semi-official name of the "Unified Virginian Team". This is both due to the nations of Xanneria and Southwest Eastnorth sharing common ancestry of the Virginian people who unified in the 1400s under the Kingdom of Tonissia. Officially the UVT is a the FAX's entry as the team is officially the Xannerian U-21 entry, a deal was struck with SWENFA to help their U-20 team which finished second in the regional Rushmori U-20 tournament play abroad.

Economics in Southwest Eastnorth, has been dicey at best, between the multiple scares with Almond blights in the prior decade and a stagnation in oil sales, SWENFA has itself felt the pressure of the economics of the nation and because of this has only entered Rushmori tournaments over the last 15 years. But after third third place U-20 finish in the Rushmori "Campeonato Rushmori Juvenil Sub-20" the team wanted more. Alas the finances weren't available and the team looked like it would fade into obscurity. But then a discussion between SWEN and Xanneria lead to this, the alliance of SWEN and Xanneria in football!

OPPONENTS

CASSADAIGUA The Dagans have a developmental system like no other, one of the best in the world, so it's shocking to see that our fellow Rushmori U-20 competitors bowed out with a 0-0-3 record in their group and even more so with an akward 5-2 loss to first round loser "Prednistorvia". But again they are Cassadaigua, so expect them to be tough. We reccomend looking out for forwards Cunningham and McGregor.

CARDENAO Cardenao is risking it by putting a U-18 team into the DBC. The nation itself is a developing one within the context of football so it will be interesting to see if this team comes back mostly intact for DBC 77. Watch for Adriàn Hyeon-Ju and Arrivo DeCerci .

KRYTENIA Longtime participants in the world cup and AOCAF/CAFA the Krytenians have been quiet as of late. Once home to the popular O-League, the league has for reasons unkown not been participating in IFCF activities, but that hasn't stopped the nation from participating in DBC, WCQ and CAFA activities. Here we see their incarnation of the U-21 team. Reece Klaasen is a bright star that has a future, look out for him.

by **Chromatika** » Tue Jun 06, 2023 6:03 pm

Will WC Success Translate to DBC?

Chromatik football has reached a new zenith with the Anomalies losing the World Cup Final to Banija in the last World Cup. The run by the Anomalies has not only proven Lev Repin's genius, it has also shown that Chromatika still has much more to show at the international level. With the unenviable task of having to show that it wasn't a one-time fluke and that the team will be able to show up on a consistent basis, all eyes now turn toward the Di Bradini Cup to see where the new talent will be coming from.

The DBC has recently been re-recognized as the tournament to highlight the best of the Chromatik Collegiate Football Association. Though some players from the U-18 team has ended up on the U-21 team in the past, the CFF has made a point to give the opportunity primarily to the Freshmen, Sophomore, and Juniors of the CCFA. It has been a great starting point for many of the Anomalies currently on the Senior Team roster, and every iteration of the tournament has cast eyes on those that could end up being part of the Chromatik squad for many cycles to come.

There are some who think that the best players under 21 should be allowed to participate, and not just the CCFA. Sure, if this team were to field Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov and the Sæsdóttir twins, they would be a lot better; however, there is a reason to give other players a chance to shine, for Lev Repin and Shelby Arling to see how these players do at a high-intensity level, and for other players to get the opportunity of representing Chromatika at the world stage.

So, which players are the ones to watch? We start at goal, where Jill Swanson has all the makings of an unflappable competitor who doesn't take mediocrity for an answer. She's stable, she's committed, and she's determined - the perfect combination. Of the back three, Charlotte Schöner fits the description of a pacey left back to a "t", being quick on the counter and running by people. She may be the next Ha'nei Ighv, if her fans are to be believed.

Among the midfield, it's Saskia Drupplemandel, who has apparently gained interest from Repin and company. The Chromatik/Ko-orenite dual-national is consistent and doesn't possess any glaring weaknesses. Up front, it's all about Elaine Howard-Dawes, the pure striker who can score with either foot. With Chromatika suffering in the depth of the striking department, her stock will only continue to rise.

Chromatika's group is rather stacked, however. Quebec, our neighbors to the north, are an established power, while Elmyia has proven to be a hotbed of youth talent. Nordic Airland are the only unknowns, but they must not be overlooked.

The goal, according to Zwangzugian Manager Claude Pare-Achel, is the Quarterfinals. To get there, they must start against Nordic Airland - a must-win match, at least on paper.

This whole tournament is an audition. It's time to see if the players can stand up to the music.

by **Independent Athletes from Quebec** » Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:26 pm

Part 1 - 2059 Quebecois General Elections.
Part 2 - Flashback.
Part 3 - Streets of Joongyeong.
Part 4 - Audience Pt. 1 (Hockey House and Impending HQ Scandal).
Part 5 - Audience Pt. 2 (Picks).

THE POLIDEXTROUS

PM Kweon Binnington to announce a trio of Councilors, stays balanced in her appointments

Michelle Yeo-Persaud

JOONGYEONG, JOONGYEONG - Prime Minister-designate Irene Kweon Binnington is expected to make her first major decision with three highly experienced minds joining the Privy Council as she plans to release a highly-anticipated PJLQ-NPD coalition cabinet that has drawn weeks of anticipation. Joongyeong-based Kweon Binnington aides expect the appointment of the trio of Privy Councilors, one that includes NIRB Chairperson Clemence Lassonde and renowned Academite Shingoryeoite Member Dr. Heo Dong-Soo. Various sources has already reported the appointment of Isidore Platt-Housefather, 9th Duke of Kingston, as an incoming Privy Councilor.

The appointments, while seeming slightly unconventional and in departure from past practices, would allow the Prime Minister more direct advice on contentious issues in the immediate years of her Premiership. Quebec and Shingoryeo faces various interesting dilemma on both domestic and international front, with refugee crises and wars abroad requiring tweaks to the immigration planned on the immediate future, while reforms are planned on both the Royal Household department and the Chunchoogwan Institute of History with their respective practices.

It remains to be up in the air if the changes proposed by the government, while intending to mark significant departures from the fifteen years of PJLQ governments under Arsene Pineau Kim and Jacques Lee Ellington, would be successful in fruition under the curent coalition. It also remains to be seen if the challenges abroad, such as that of Concord Heights, Straton or Hattmark, would cause the government to stay in course with introducing their 'A Just Diplomacy' approach in terms of foreign affairs.

Senior aides to both the Prime Minister and the Queen have said the appointments of the trio, one that had involved constant dialogue between the two figures one year apart from another by age, set in stone, but expect the announcement not to be made until the end of the week. Due to the lifetime nature of the appointment, outside of resignations by the Councilors themselves or their removal under exceptional circumstances, the appointments have tendency to be notorious for taking a long time to be finalised.

None of the three figures, who will be retaining their respective positions outside of Councilorship, could be reached for comment. Horace Gillis, the Press Secretary to the Prime Minister-designate, said little on the matter as well, advising that 'while the process to appoint new Privy Councilors is well underway, at this point there is no confirmation to be made regarding the latest round of appointments sought after by the Privy Council of Shingoryeo'.

Gwangmoo 11 officials have also said installing Lassonde and Platt-Housefather to replace recently-deceased Glenn Connell, 17th Knight Rahinnane, and Manon Grasset, would fill the vacancies on the diplomatic and judicial trenches left by both Councilors. It would also allow the third appointment, one that is viewed to be more of personal appointment made by Christine II, to take place in place of late Sir. Phillipe Ahn, a former athletics administrator under collegiate, federational and the RQOC level.

While rarely made with the Prime Minister's choices given priorities, a sovereign normally a recommendation to appoint a Privy Councilor of their respective choice every twenty years, or after his previous pick had passed. Ahn, a rare selection made into the council among the athletics community, was considered a personal appointment made by Jacques IX back in 2038, as the Royal Quebecois Olympic Committee sought to plan for long-term plan following the Quebecois boycott of the 2038 Summer Olympics in Republica, Free Republics. Appointment, while temporary stopgap in nature, would end up an lifetime one with Ahn rarely making himself available for the meetings in the past half-decade of his life, outside of his usual sporting domains.

A Heo and Kingston combination, one that involves a figure of each their preference, is considered to be a bridge option between Christine II and Kweon Binnington, whose differences over specific policies have been noted multiple times over the years. Kingston, a diplomatic maverick coming from a historic Platt-Housefather family, has enjoyed close relations with parliamentarians of all three major parties. A pragmatist in nature, Kingston is viewed to be more of a relic of Arsene Kim era, but also a 'Kweon Binnington' pick. Heo, on the other hand, is known to be a social democrat in personal settings, and has openly expressed the importance of 'state secularism' and the separation of personal faith versus expression in public settings. A thinker who had expressed Henri VIII and former Prime Minister Marian Lecavalier as a major influence earlier in his life, Heo is considered a personal pick by the sovereign due to those ties.

Lassonde, on the other hand, is considered a policy and legalese pick cut in the cloth of Sir. Etienne McMillan, the former Privy Council Chair and current Jurisprudence Committee Chair. A lifelong public servant and academic who has most recently served as Deputy Secretary at the Nunavut Office before her NIRB stint, she is universally admired among all circles for her expertise in immigration and territorial law. She has been considered a nonpartisan figure in general, though leans closer to the PJLQ and the Moogoongwha policies in terms of interpretation and implementation of refugee and immigration schemes. It is expected that she serve as a moderate in the Jurisprudence Committee, while also work in coordination with the Parliament.

More updates, in the meanwhile, are expected to be provided in the coming days as the Prime Minister announces the composition of the upcoming Kweon Binnington coalition Ministry....click here.

by **The 14 Stars** » Wed Jun 07, 2023 7:52 am

Wolves U21 starting

In a group where everything is possible we will today see the kick-off of our young squad, our group has been pretty relaxed and we look forward to an easy going group without many upsets.
However this doesnt mean it will be easy, currently our team arrived a few days ago with Elizabeth Phillips as main force on the team and currently the one leading the team and calling the shots.

When the team arrived they were surprised by the diffrent culture as most of them have always been at home and never abroad, for many of these young players it is the first that they ever play a large tournament except some former U18 stars.
In the first game the regular line-up will be used with the most experienced players starting and the younger players having a chances as a sub later in the game but less likely given the intensity that will be in those games.
Our Starsian team has been lucky enough to avoid all major teams, its a group everything can happen, we played against one of these nations earlier Saint Jean Jaques Sur Mer is a nation we played earlier against.

The Starsians have participated earlier in the Di Bradini Cup but do not have a long standing history in it, though this is often used as a means to showcase new players and to see which ones have potential and which not.
Those who play here already are the best players from the past U18 squads, we look forward to see which plays they will be showing us but its sure that we can expect a pretty easy group stage.
Starsian eyes will be looking on the rounds past the group stage, to play better and stronger teams rather then these teams that are similar or even worse in skill then our own as it is more fun to have a challenge.

Stay tuned for more.

by **Tumbra** » Wed Jun 07, 2023 8:01 am

Relative unknown quantity Branting announced as Under-21s manager as TFF re-evaluates youth team performances

STRATON: Thomas Branting, 40, has been announced as the manager of the Tumbran under-21 national team, succeeding David Gough in the role as he attempts to get the Tumbran youth national team programmes out of a slight dip in form that the youth team set-up has experienced recently. The elimination of the national under-18 team in Baker Park has sparked concern about the quality of the Tumbran youth national team generation, but Branting, a journeyman player who played for twelve clubs in an twenty-two year-career across the lower divisions of Tumbran football, cautioned against using tournament results as an indicator of player quality.

"It's very tempting to yardstick player potential and performance by how they perform in tournaments," he said at the low-key press conference of his announcement. "But, I think to those of us in the industry, we prefer, ah, to not make such expectations explicit. It's evident that previous managers like Toby Barton and Edmund Finnegan have contributed substantially to the strong reputation that Tumbran youth generation has on the world stage, but one tournament win does not mean everything. Nor does a tournament loss. These tournaments are moreso meant to give our youth players some experience on the national stage, rather than making them go all out to win trophies."

This will be Branting's first managerial job, and his second job in football after his retirement from playing at the age of 38. His previous spell, at now T-League 3 club Pomeroy Mountaineers, saw him act as an assistant to manager Brendan Postlethwaite. "I know there will be doubters," said Branting at end of the press conference, "but I will maintain that my aim is not to deliver results; rather, to expose players to tournament play and help them develop as more well-rounded footballers, especially mentally."

Recent poor performances in youth tournaments, such as the Under-18 World Cup and Di Bradini Cup, have reportedly led the Tumbran Football Federation to reconsider its participation in international youth tournaments. The TFF did not provide official comment on these details, though the appointments of Branting and former Lakewood City goalkeeper John Lennon might serve as a sign that "there is still confidence, though the youth programme might go through a lean period in terms of confidence, results, and financing at the moment," according to one anonymous source. The tragedy of the Under-18 team's bus crash in Kingsbury that led to goalkeeper James Conroy losing an eye was said to have also "shaken up the TFF," and was "key to Toby Barton's resignation after the tournament."

by **Banija** » Wed Jun 07, 2023 8:29 am

First Cutoff of the DBC/U21 World Cup

It's Matchday 1! Gimme Gimme Gimme my first win of the U21 World Cup, eh?

Matchday 1 Scores

Group A
Banija 8–0 Darmen
Abanhfleft 2–0 Vystrina

  Group A                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                                1   1  0  0    8   0  +8    3
2 Abanhfleft                            1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Vystrina                              1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
4 Darmen                                1   0  0  1    0   8  −8    0

Group B
Græntfjall 3–5 Archalit
Qasden 7–4 Delaclava

  Group B                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Qasden                                1   1  0  0    7   4  +3    3
2 Archalit                              1   1  0  0    5   3  +2    3
3 Græntfjall                            1   0  0  1    3   5  −2    0
4 Delaclava                             1   0  0  1    4   7  −3    0

Group C
Cardenao 3–1 Cassadaigua
Xanneria 0–3 Krytenia

  Group C                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Krytenia                              1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Cardenao                              1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
3 Cassadaigua                           1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0
4 Xanneria                              1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group D
United Adaikes 1–2 The 14 Stars
Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer 0–3 Kamijiro

  Group D                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kamijiro                              1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 The 14 Stars                          1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 United Adaikes                        1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
4 Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer            1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group E
Tikariot 1–3 Huayramarca
TJUN-ia 3–3 The Jovannic

  Group E                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Huayramarca                           1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 The Jovannic                          1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  TJUN-ia                               1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
4 Tikariot                              1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group F
Valanora 0–0 HUElavia
Khantari 0–3 Polar Islandstates

  Group F                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Polar Islandstates                    1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 HUElavia                              1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Valanora                              1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Khantari                              1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group G
Nordic Airland 2–3 Chromatika
Independent Athletes from Quebec 1–3 Elmyia

  Group G                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Elmyia                                1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Chromatika                            1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
3 Nordic Airland                        1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
4 Independent Athletes from Quebec      1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group H
Tumbra 2–0 The Spartan Dominion
Commonwealth of Baker Park 1–3 New Zhengguo

  Group H                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Zhengguo                          1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Tumbra                                1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Commonwealth of Baker Park            1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0
4 The Spartan Dominion                  1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

by **Cassadaigua** » Wed Jun 07, 2023 3:04 pm

Key players struggle with tactics in opener,
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Here we go again? If you didn't watch the game and only saw the final score, you surely have to be thinking that we are just not destined to do well in the Dr Bradini Cup. The greatest collection of players that we have ever brought into this tournament certainly seemed to give us a great shot to do well. A championship would be great, but if nothing else, you would think that this squad would go on a good run. However, we know well enough that the unpredictable will happen in the Di Bradini Cup, and right from the start, we're a victim to it. Now, I know these articles reach a wide international audience, so let me try to be clear that our opinions of our own team right now are simply that of measuring this Team Cassadaigua up against other Team Cassadaiguas of the past. It does not reach out further and compare the squad to those that we are facing, and who's to say if the other nations in the competition as a whole, and within our group as a section of that whole, are not also saying the same thing? No one is intending to disrespect the U-21 side of Cardenao. They have their own stories and dreams of greatness, and they have done nothing to us to make us wish that they didn't achieve them.

From the start of this match, you had to be concerned. The aggressive opening tactics that Chen Huikang had instilled in the team during the Copa Rushmori, which were beautifully played out by the likes of Lexi McGregor, Shannon Cunningham, the Engles, and Rachel Wyman were not utilized by Hannah Shanley, and it seemed to cause some confusion. Shanley had the team sit back a little bit during the opening moments of the game, and the team did their best to oblige, but when it was time to go, mistakes were made. Three times in the opening twelve minutes, Lexi McGregor was offsides when one of the Engles tried to pass the ball to her. Lexi simply began her run too early, and the defense of Folami Castel for Cardenao got onto this pretty quickly. Cardenao is anything but a defensive minded team with their own tactics, but any coach with any tactical preference will see that the Fillies were making their own, self-inflicted mistakes, and to take advantage of that. It's unclear who to blame in all of this, because while it would seem to be Lexi McGregor that was wrong, since she is coached by Hannah Shanley, you had to wonder if it was actually Lauren and Chrissy Engle as the ones that were struggling with their timing. Shannon Cunningham will typically let McGregor make the first run forward, but even though it was not Shannon being the offsides one, her body language seemed to suggest that she felt McGregor was in the right.

Minutes ticked away with the Fillies noticeably getting frustrated, and that began to lead to more mistakes. Ferran Viteri scored in the 30th minute, and then in a blink of an eye, he was awarded a penalty when Kristen Hughes was guilty of taking him down in that area. As much as I want to blame the referee here, I do think the right call was made, and Viteri took care of the opportunity, doubling the lead, and quieting the Cassadagans in the crowd. With more pressure on the team with the two goal deficit, we would only see more mistakes get made, and the pink and black may have been fortunate that they did not fall into a deeper hole before the intermission.

Surely, at halftime, you would have expected Hannah Shanley to make the necessary adjustments for this team, or at least attempt too. Cassadaigua looked a lot better in the second half, but the opponents were able to play a little more conservatively, even with their preferred style likely to be very offensive. Folami Castel obviously expected us to come out very aggressively, and had the mindset of having his team weather the storm for a while. Defensively, his squad was positioned well, though Shannon Cunningham showed uncharacteristic frustration in the 57th minute when she was taken down by Gonçal Mendoza in what was a very physical play. After being slow to get up, she got in the referee's face wanting a penalty, but instead the ref reached into their pocket and issued a yellow to Cunningham for getting up close and personal like that. Shannon hardly every gets carded, so the team probably won't be worried about further consequences of this yellow. It was a rough tackle, but that's going to happen in soccer, and while I would not have complained if a penalty was awarded, I know if that I was writing this article as a Cardenao reporter, I would have been livid if one was awarded.

Cassadaigua did eventually find the back of the net in the 68th minute, off the foot of Rachel Wyman, but would get no closer. Just eight minutes later, 16-year old Montral LeBlanc restored the two-goal advantage of his side, and that would be the final score. Certainly, this is not what we expected, but it is also not something that has to be fatal to us. However, things must get better.

Neither Shannon Cunningham or Lexi McGregor said much to reporters following the game, but manager Hannah Shanley accepted some of the blame, "When you lose a game like that, it is on you. I thought that we had a good series of practices leading into this game, but there were some signals that got crossed. That's what happens in this tournament, these are still young players even if they are very well accomplished for their age. On the other side, we played an opponent tonight that executed very well." When asked about the play that led to the Shannon Cunningham yellow card, and whether or not she felt that Cunningham should have had a penalty there, Shanley replied that, "yes, I do think a penalty should have been given to us. I don't feel that the play was much different than the play that Cardenao got a penalty on in the first half, and you need to have consistent officiating in a game like this. I do like the emotion that Shannon showed after the game."

I know that Cassadagan fans wanted the penalty, but I do think that on both ends, the referee made the right call. This is just one loss, so there is time, but this was not the start that we wanted by any means.

by **Elmyia** » Thu Jun 08, 2023 3:09 am

Now look, I had no intention of misleading no one. When I got the call to take this soccer coaching job I thought 'hey, they seem to want me on the job, and I could do with spinning a quick buck.' So I took the flight over to this Ehl-mee-yur joint to see what's what.

When I arrived I realised sharpish that these clowns had made an error. They seemed to think I was this famous manager from Britain. But in situations like this, years runnin' a gang and a speakeasy, you learn to keep her mouth shut. Do the listening.

They seemed confused by the accent, so I said I'd been abroad a while. They asked if I was Big Sam, I told them I'm whatever Sam you meant to get yah hear. Sure I felt bad for the guys, but when there's a $1 million contract on the table, I ain't putting them right.

They took me down to the training ground. Now, when they said football, I thought they meant football. Turns out, they don't play that so much here, this was a soccer team. No matter, I asked to be taken to see the Quarterback. Did you know they didn't have quarterbacks in soccer?

Anyway, after smoothing things over they took me to see the star player. Now, when running a sports team, or running a speakeasy for children, the important thing is to keep the star happy. Whether it's yer singer, or yer playmaker. Anyways, I spoke to this Marakakis character. Told her she's my star, we're relying on her, and if she needs anything, anything we'll get it for her. She seemed pleased enough, but again with the accent thing. I need to look up this 'Big Sam' fella.

For the game I thought I'd look up this Big Sam fella, thing is he keeps it simple. Well, that suits me right now. I told 'em, play sensible, no one likes a wise guy, and give the ball to Marakakis.

The Beaucester Gazette
U21s Stake It All On More Experienced Players
Marakakis, Benoit and Garavakos key in victory

Under new direction, Elmyia's U-21s opened their defence of the Di Bradini Cup in style. The Independent Athletes from Quebec were seen off after a ten minute flurry delivered 2 key goals just before half-time. A further goal from Benoit secured victory, bagging a third goal ten minutes from time.

Elmyia were sad not to retain the services of the elder coach of Epvalle, but bringing Big Sam in to lead a talented group of young players seems to have paid dividends. Most thought it slightly unusual that he turned up to his first press conference in a Fedora and pinstriped suit, speaking in a thick Italian-American accent. But chat about playing direct football followed, along with a rant about his application of sports science, interrupted twice as he seemed to check his phone, put the audience at ease. More than that, the performance backed the decision to get him in.

Elmyia didn't look to dominate possession, but with players like Kuhl, Marakakis and Mia Benoit in the team they were certainly able to play. With a lot of experience in Elmyia's first and second division, this is a streetwise side that can control games in a way few youth sides seem able to.

The Independent Athletes from Quebec are a solid outfit, and they made clear their attacking intentions from the start. Pressing forward, Silva and Pozzo at the back found themselves tested, with Poulin dancing in off the right, Salihamidzic Beckie's wall passes saw him put through several times early on. But, sitting compact, Elmyia were able to stifle the majority of attempts. With the opposition pressing forward, Elmyia were able to exploit weaknesses at the back, and with Kuhl and Severn keeping it tidy in midfield, they were able to recycle the ball forward to Marakakis with ease.

Marakakis truly starred in this game, her teammates found her frequently and she delivered a series of dangerous passes to put Benoit, Ioannidis and Eady through on goal. The first goals finally came before the halfway point, both times Marakakis was the creator, Benoit was able to beat the offside trap to score in the 37^th. Albrook bagged the second in the 40^th as Marakakis found her late run into the box from the opposite half-space.

Post half-time and the Quebecois doubled down on their attacking plans, Elmyia again spending time under the cosh. It was a measure of how effective they were defending that the only goal came as Jakub Sharp volleyed from the edge of the box after picking up a second ball. Whilst they had over 60% of the possession across the second half, they were unable to fashion an equaliser. Benoit put paid to their hopes that they might, giving Elmyia a key win at the start of the campaign, as she picked up a cutback from Ioannidis to convert.

by **Khantari** » Thu Jun 08, 2023 3:24 am

Group F
Khantari 0–3 Polar Islandstates
Stanovich, Chins-Ranton, Cliggerton (Exfoort), Timbercrown, Darkclaw, Richpawn, Innfurth (Vangorden), Pattonsky (C), Winterhound, Inkloser, Bolski (Honeyworth)

In a one way traffic contested match, Khantari's under-21 team suffered a 0-3 defeat to Polar Islandstates at the U21 World Cup group stage. While this loss may come as a disappointment for the Khantari fans, it was not entirely unexpected considering the current form of both teams. Polar Islandstates are renowned for their strong defense and counter-attack strategies, which proved to be effective against Khantari's attacking prowess. Despite creating several goal-scoring opportunities, Khantari failed to capitalize on them and ultimately paid the price for their profligacy in front of the net. However, this defeat is by no means a death knell for Khantari's chances of progressing in the tournament as they still have two more group-stage matches remaining. They will undoubtedly look to learn from this setback and come back stronger in their next fixture. With their fate still in their own hands, Khantari will need to regroup quickly and focus on securing positive results in their upcoming matches to keep their tournament hopes alive.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Jun 08, 2023 5:39 am

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

55TH DI BRADINI CUP: THE EASY PART IS DONE, NOW PREPARE FOR A POUNDING

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, well, that was actually much easier than I expected! I mean, anything other than a victory would have been completely unacceptable as far as this fanbase was concerned, but the lads and lasses managed to pull it off, which is probably as good as it's going to get. As for Vystrina, well, I would guess that their minds were preoccupied by the fact that fighting is going on in their home country, so I can forgive them for not being able to focus on the football. It's a bit of a shame for their people though; they were probably hoping that the DBC would help distract them from the war right on their doorstep. Unfortunately for us, we were the party poopers as far as Vystrina was concerned, but you know what? I'm bloody okay with it! If the price of us finally getting one over the football gods and winning the Di Bradini Cup is being the villain to at least one other team in the competition then I'll bloody pay it myself! Lord knows how many teams out there have played the villain to our story on their way to winning championship gold. It's about time that our team started being more ruthless instead of just rolling over and taking it up where the sun don't shine.

Speaking of being ruthless, does anyone want to take a look at that match between Banija and Darmen? Yeah, me neither. I don't know if that's home advantage being used to the fullest or something but poor Darmen! That's all that I really have to say about it. And if Banija could do that to a country that many believe to be on the same level as them or maybe just one below then what bloody chance do we have? Good God! Eight bloody goals! If that hasn't destroyed the confidence of every single Darmeni player in the competition then I commend them for having much stronger mental fortitude than our own guys. I don't even want to imagine what being on the wrong end of an 8-0 massacre is going to feel like for Abanhfleft fans. We're going to demand that the SFA disband itself for gross incompetence! None of the players involved in this hypothetical drubbing would ever be allowed within a hundred meters of a football pitch ever again! And that's if they manage to survive the wrath of the fans! Forget about those bloody terrorists from the "Real Fans of Abanhfleft," the ordinary fans are going to be screaming for their blood! Luckily, we're not living in that particular timeline, at least not yet. But we could still be in it. We still have to play Banija later in the DBC. I don't want to think about what could happen back here if our Young Revolutionaries collapse like that against the hosts.

Let's try not to think too much about that. Let's try to focus on the positives of our game againsglt Vystrina. I mean, we won, right? That's already an improvement over some of our previous Di Bradini Cup campaigns. Who else remembers those times when drawing or losing our first game of the DBC was pretty much par for the course for the Young Revs? Christ above, those were some dark times, yeah? Good thing we seem to have gotten our act together somewhat. Of course, it's easy to say that when we're winning games. Watch me change my tune almost immediately after this team drops its first points in the competition! And you bastards know I'll do it! I'm pretty much the textbook definition of the fickle fan, which is why Graham O'Doherty hired me to take over the football section of Gaelic Gamers so he could finally go all-in on covering the rugby. And I have to give credit to the new man in the dugout, Roman Aydarov. I think I'm sensing a pattern here with the SFA hiring Pridnestrovian managers for our youth teams. It's no secret that defense isn't taken as seriously as attack over here in Abanhfleft, and that's proven to be our downfall on many occasions. So now we're bringing in defensive experts to shore up that area of our game because we've already got the attacking part down pat. Akhmet Ustinov's exploits with the under-18 team are currently bearing fruit, and if it continues like this, Roman Aydarov could be doing the same thing for the under-21s.

I mean, I say that, but it wasn't really that obvious to see if you watched the first 35 minutes of the Abanhfleft-Vystrina match, whether it's on TV, on a dodgy website filled with pop-up ads claiming that hot and bothered 40-somethings are within 2 kilometers of your location, or on the SFA's official FaceTube page. On a tangent, I would just like to say thank you to the SFA for finally getting with the times and putting the full matches on their FaceTube channel as those video-on-demand things. It means that I don't have to rely on just my notes to decide which areas of the match I'm going to focus on for these posts. It means that I can go back to a particular match and replay some moments over and over again just so I can give you guys the same football analysis that the TV pundits spew out but with a couple of swearwords and oaths mixed in. But to get back to my actual point, the 35 minutes of this particular match were pretty hard to watch. Shots were going every which way except for the right one, which is into the back of the net. I dare you to find anyone who supports Abanhfleft and also didn't pull out their hair in anger when both Kerry Faustino and Gale Agbisit missed absolute sitters right in front of goal.

It would have been all too easy to think that this was going to be one of those days where nothing was going to go right for Abanhfleft. It's happened before, so why shouldn't it happen again? And Vystrina themselves weren't exactly toothless as well either. They were throwing more than just a handful of shots Barawy Munir's way. And some of those shots were getting awfully close to the mark as well! It was highly possible that Vystrina could have and would have found the back of the net first, but thankfully for us fans, they didn't look like they had their shooting boots on. At the very least, they didn't have their shooting boots fully laced up. But you know who finally got their scoring boots tied? Peyton Villosillo. The defender from Eielo Sunlight's women's team wasn't exactly known for being a scoring threat; I mean, she's a bloody defender. Duh! But she still had to be in the right place at the right time to pounce on the ball when it was pinballing around inside the six-yard box while George Smith and company were trying to get it out of there. There was a whole cluster of Vystrinian players trying to get a foot or a shin on the ball, and somehow it was the lone Fleftic player in the middle of that entire melee that got the telling touch and scored the opening goal. Like, bravo for Peyton for doing all that, but could she not give the whole fanbase another heart attack moment like that again? Thank you!

But just because Abanhfleft had a goal on the board didn't mean that it was smooth sailing for us the rest of the way. If you're not familiar with Abanhfleft, I've got two things to say to you. First of all, where the hell have you been hiding these past two decades? Second, clean sheets don't really exist in the Fleftic football vocabulary. Try saying that three times fast. But back to the point! Abanhfleft isn't really known for keeping clean sheets, much as such a stat actually proves to be a benefit for any team chasing a title. So a 1-0 lead is actually not a good thing for the Young Revolutionaries. There's every chance that they were going to concede a goal to Vystrina, maybe even two! So once again the key was to score more goals than our opponents, but once again that thing proved to be easier said than done. Peyton Villosillo might have had her shooting boots on in the first half, but they've gotten untied again come the second half. Besides, why in the world would we rely on a bloody defender to do most of the goalscoring work? Shouldn't that be the job of, I don't know, the strikers?! Guys like Kerry Faustino and Gale Agbisit? If those guys want to have a shot at getting into the senior team then they surely have to know that they've got to do better than that!

Someone had to step up and show the young ones how it was done. And who stepped up? None other than Michael Matos. Yeah, I haven't heard of him either before any of this. Not unless you're a fan of Malabon SC's youth sides, that is. And even then, there's talk that the guy's being prepped for the first team next season. And lord knows those Ravens are going to need his services, even if it's just to augment their strike options from the bench. And if his performance here in the DBC is anything to go by, Michael's gonna be getting a spot in the starting eleven sooner rather than later. Sure, it's just been one game so far, but his performance in this game was the textbook definition of a super sub. Once Michael came on, the entire complexion of the bloody game changed in our favor. He was always popping up in places that were awkward to defend from Vystrina's perspective. Michael was a handful for the defenders to handle, and with only a couple of minutes left to go, he became too hot to handle. Buchheim Khanchil put him through on goal, and that pass to the back of the net was smoother than a baby's bottom. Bastard didn't even have to look to know that he had already scored. He was already celebrating at the corner flag when the ball crossed the goal line. That's how bloody sure Michael was that he had bagged all three points for his team.

So that's one of our three actual games in the DBC in the history books. It's great that we managed to start this campaign with a win because there's every possibility that we won't be winning anything else anytime soon. After Vystrina, our next match will be against Banija, and we already know what the fuck they did to Darmen. It's probably unlikely that we'll get thrashed like what happened to the team in green, but now that I've said that, I think I might have just jinxed us all. If that shit happens, well, you all know who to blame. This isn't lacrosse, lads. We don't have any advantage at all against the Wolverines. If they decide that they're in a murderous scoring mood then our lads and lasses are dead meat. Anyway, that's all that there is from me now. If you've got any thoughts or comments of your own about our match against Vystrina or predictions against Banija then feel free to leave them down below. Until then, I've been the Man from Markovsky, feeling like I'm soon about to be massively disappointed in my country once again.

        ABANHFLEFT 2 - 0 VYSTRINA  
  VILLOSILLO (36')
       MATOS (88')

by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Jun 08, 2023 5:24 pm

And so, here we are...back again for development's sake. Last time we were in one of these, the Young Jaguars of TJUN-ia's U21 football team fell in the first hurdle of knockout football while the whole thing would be won by Elmyia...but to us, results are a 2nd ambition in the name of development itself. Philip van Oosterend has been the guardian of the youth setup ever since its inception and has seen a lot of faces come and go across his tenure, but he has specific hopes that this unit of players could do something for their country...and that was the vibes this team hoped to give off. Captain Harlem Baringer-Tahiri is certainly ready for the fight to come and here in the Busoga Islands, our opponents will be ready...so how did we start things off?

Orange Field in Dukuma would host 2 of our 3 group stage games and up first would be a date with The Jovannic, coached by Shuci Faret and captained by...well, no one I guess? This game turned out to be an absolute barn burner in a way no one really saw coming - and it certainly served as quite the way to kick off the tournament for both sides. The first half would simply start off with chaos as Hashan Redder managed to beat Fatemeh Yektaei twice in the first 20 minutes of the game, only for Diana Sharafutdinov to do the same before the end of the 1st half. The 2nd half would start off with a bang as Odysseas Issigonis took us in front within 5 minutes of the restart, only for Barella Lee to equalise again within 10 minutes of our goal. The rest of the match would be played to this intensity, where no one really knew who was going to come out on top...untio the final whistle blew. A crazy 3-3 draw to start us all off on our way.

A 3-3 draw can say a lot...but also give no convincing answers at all. We will have to play Tikariot next so hopefully, we can rise to the occasion here in this environment. GO YOUNG JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group E, Busoga Islands)
MD1: vs The Jovannic - Orange Field, Dukuma D 3-3 (T-2nd)
MD2: vs Tikariot - Orange Field, Dukuma
MD3: vs Huayramarca - The Foxes Den, Tezirbu

by **Chromatika** » Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:05 pm

DBC 55 Group Stage Matchday 1: Nordic Airland 2-3 Chromatika
Goals: Howard-Dawes 33', 51', 72'
Starters: Swanson; Park - Hwan - Schöner; Frederick Jones, Jr. - Félix - Drupplemandel - Mátyás; Delapio - Howard-Dawes (C) - D'Aboville.
Substitutes: Ane -> Hwan (52'), van der Borght -> Félix (72'), van der Wel -> Delapio (801)

Player Profile: ST Elaine Howard-Dawes

Let's say that you're not a fan of the CCFA, nor the U-21 scene in general. Let's say instead that you are a casual Anomalies fan. You look at the recently announced World Cup 94 Roster, and see one name that you've never seen before - Elaine Howard-Dawes, the twenty-year old Sophomore out of Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology, the most recent CCFA Champions. Who is Howard-Dawes, why is she on the longlist of the Chromatik National Team, and what sets her apart from other players?

Elaine Howard-Dawes was born in Côte Saint-Urbain, Quebec, Quebec and Shingoryeo, to Peter Howard, an elementary school teacher, and Ren Dawes, a baker. Her family moved to Z'ai'ai after her sister, Jaelyn, was born; Elaine was four years old at the time. After Peter inherited a large plot of land from his late father, the Howard-Dawes family were able to set up a local bakery in Z'ai'ai that became rather famous - known as Bakery HD. (Bakery HD has five locations throughout the Mountain District - one in Umbar, one in Felswyr, one in Ming, and two in Z'ai'ai. There are also plans of opening elsewhere in Chromatika, and even abroad in Quebec and Shingoryeo.)

Growing up, football was the least of Elaine's pursuits regarding sports. A natural sprinter, she participated in track and field and basketball before football. In fact, it wasn't until she was fourteen and going to high school that she joined the football team for the first time. Playing football at Z'ai'ai Central High School wasn't the most glorious thing - the school was outside of the Chromatik Youth League system, meaning that all games were scheduled by the schools themselves and there wasn't really a championship system to strive for. Still, her prowess at scoring when the option presented itself became so well known that scouts from the CCFA started to notice her despite her lack of status as playing for a Chromatik Youth League club. By age seventeen, she had already developed her most formidable weapon - shooting with either foot as long as the coast was clear.

After graduating from Z'ai'ai Central High School, Howard-Dawes had no less than four full-ride scholarships waiting for her in the CCFA ranks. Going pro wasn't an option because she really wanted that collegiate degree - she has a passion in computer engineering, and she's adamant in getting that degree. It was due to her career aspirations and the closeness to her family home that she picked Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology. It also helped that the Hellcats ran a free-flowing system that suited her playing style very well - there would be plenty of opportunities where the only person between Elaine and the net would be the keeper, and the keeper alone.

The rest is, as they say, history. She performed very well in her first season with the team, and then, in the most recent one, she caught fire in the playoffs, scoring nine of the thirteen goals scored by the Hellcats as they claimed their third title. She was inevitable in the matchup against Sanar University in the final, scoring the hat trick even though the Spartans knew that she was coming.

Now, she's caught the eye of the CFF - partly because of her skills, and partly because Chromatika is rather shallow in terms of strikers. She will go from this DBC - however long Chromatika lasts - to the World Cup Qualifiers.

Her tale is just beginning.

Di Bradini Cup 55/U21WC76 RP And Scores Thread

Di Bradini Cup 55/U21WC76 RP And Scores Thread

Boot It!: Young Jags Start With Some Chaos

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