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ARC 3 | Everything Thread

A battle ground for the sportsmen and women of nations worldwide. [In character]
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Squornshelan Remnant States
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Posts: 759
Founded: Jun 25, 2018
Left-wing Utopia

ARC 3 | Everything Thread

Postby Squornshelan Remnant States » Mon Oct 21, 2024 6:46 am

Image

Velkommen, one and all to the third Arrosian Regional (football) Championship. Once more we gather to add to the pages of sporting history in this region, to see whether it will be the mighty international heavyweight or the plucky underdog who hoists the trophy and claims local bragging rights for the coming cycle.

This thread should be used for in character posts only. Any and all out of character questions or comments regarding this tournament may be placed in the Signup Thread instead. For your convenience, the details of the host bid are available here. Per said bid, the 20 participating teams have been separated into five pots of four according to the official ARC Rankings.

  1. 1 Milchama, 2 Squornshelan Remnant States, 3 Farfadillis, 4 Valanora
  2. 5 Sarzonia, 6 Qasden, 7 Baker Park, 8 Banija
  3. 10 Demot, 11 Siovanija and Teusland, 12 Yakk, 13 Xuois
  4. 14 Gyatso-kai, 15 Carpathia and Ruthenia, 16 Equestria, 17 Myrtle Beach
  5. 19 Oontaz, 21 Al-Tamazgha, 24 Busoga Islands, UR Independent Athletes from Quebec

Draw: https://www.randomresult.com/ticket.php ... TQ9NB9AX5C

Group Draw
Group A
Myrtle Beach
Demot
Farfadillis
Busoga Islands
Sarzonia

Group B
Al-Tamazgha
Valanora
Qasden
Xuois
Gyatso-kai

Group C
Oontaz
Banija
Milchama
Siovanija and Teusland
Equestria

Group D
Independent Athletes from Quebec
Yakk
Squornshelan Remnant States
Baker Park
Carpathia and Ruthenia

Group Venues:
Each group will have a hub city (or region in one case) in which all their group stage matches will take place. Further in character information about these cities and venues will be added to the thread following the group draw.

Group A: Damogran
Bridger Lane (cap. 72,406)
Albrechtsson Park (cap. 65,400)

Group B: Yassaca
Pheldagrif Stadium (cap. 45,620)
Black Raven Field (cap. 35,400)

Group C: Brantisvogan
Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800)
Megabrantid Financial Field (cap. 69,245)

Group D: The Isle
Vogsphere Arena (cap. 90,000)
Admiral Cherenkov Stadium (cap. 71,200)

A reminder that Tiebreakers for the group stage are as follows
  1. Head to Head points
  2. Goal Difference
  3. Wins
  4. Coin Toss (OOC: a scorinated game using RP bonus only)

Schedule of Events:
Wed 23 Oct - Group Draw
Sun 27 Oct - Matchday 1 (2v5, 3v4, 1 bye)
Tue 29 Oct - Matchday 2 (5v3, 1v2, 4 bye)
Thu 31 Oct - Matchday 3 (3v1, 4v5, 2 bye)
Sat 2 Nov - Matchday 4 (1v4, 2v3, 5 bye)
Tue 5 Nov - Matchday 5 (4v2, 5v1, 3 bye)
Thu 7 Nov - Quarterfinals
Sat 9 Nov - Semifinals
Mon 11 Nov - Final/3PPO
The start date has been selected so that only one time change will occur during the tournament, rather than two. I will switch from summer time to winter the day of matchday 1, and the north american time change will thus take place on Nov 3, an off day. Hopefully this will minimize any confusion over cutoff times. The cutoff window will be between 2200 and 2300 CET (2100-2200 UTC). Schedule has been amended following MD4, altered dates are in bold.

Roster Considerations:
Listed participants may begin posting rosters and RPs following a reserved post for the host’s roster and IC info. Please do not reserve posts for rosters. All participants are strongly advised to post a roster, and reminded that failure to do so will result in a penalty of half of the rosterless nation's rank points.

In your roster, if desired please include a style modifier between -5 and +5. This will describe your team's style of play with +5 representing all-out attack and -5 representing all out defense. Also please make your style modifier easy to find. Any nation not posting a style mod will be treated as having posted a neutral modifier of 0. Also please include a section on RP permissions similar to the following template. Users answering no to any permissions are encouraged to provide relevant information on those topics in their rosters for their opponents’ use.
RP Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y/N
Choose my scoring events: Y/N
Godmod scoring events: Y/N
RP injuries to my players: Y/N
Godmod Injuries to my players: Y/N
Give Yellow Cards to my players: Y/N
Give Red Cards to my players: Y/N
Godmod other events: Y/N
Last edited by Squornshelan Remnant States on Sun Nov 03, 2024 12:59 am, edited 3 times in total.
The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
Successor State to the Imperium of Squornshelous
Champions:
World Cup 31, World Cup 97, AOCAF Cup 69, ARC 1, ICC 2
World Cup:
2nd: 15, 38
3rd: 20, 25
SF: 18, 27
QF: 5, 11, 12, 22, 30, 32, 33, 34, 40
Ro16: 6, 7, 9, 16, 21, 23, 24, 28, 36, 37, 39, 90, 93
Group Stage: 8, 10, 13, 17, 19, 26, 29, 35, 41, 88, 91, 92, 94
DNQ: 14, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 95
Cup of Harmony:
QF: 6, 73, 75, 81
Ro16: 74
Ro32: 79
Group Stage: 76, 77, 87
Regional:
2nd: AOCAF65
3rd: IAC8, AOCAF67, AOCAF68
QF: IAC10, IAC13, AOCAF66, AOCAF70
2nd Round: IAC6, IAC7, IAC12
1st Round: IAC9, IAC11
Other:
BoF68 QF

Squorn is an unknowable entity -Mriin

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Squornshelan Remnant States
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Posts: 759
Founded: Jun 25, 2018
Left-wing Utopia

ARC3 Roster & IC Info

Postby Squornshelan Remnant States » Mon Oct 21, 2024 6:47 am

Welcome to Squornshelous!


The Confederacy
The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States was formed by the political union of the eight former provinces of the Squornshelan Imperium. The names and distinctions between these political entities and their particular forms and territories at various points in history is fraught with ambiguity and confusion. Suffice it to say for now that at least while speaking in the present tense, the terms SRS, Confederacy, and Squornshelous are all routinely used to refer to the same, extant political entity: the eight Squornshelan Remnant States. These states consist of, East Flania and West Flania in the far north of the country, cold and heavily forested. Molvania in the western interior, and Algolia along the southern coast. Cosmopolitan Megabrantis occupying the central-east heartland and little Han Dold tucked just north of it and south of Flania. Sivolvia jutting out from Megabrantis to the southeast, and the densely populated Isle of Squornshelous lying a couple hundred kilometers from the eastern coastline. Initially, only the first seven of these member states constituted the Confederacy, but roughly 20 years ago, a successful uprising on the Isle toppled the last emperor and formed a provisional government. Shortly thereafter, the Isle applied for and was granted membership in the Confederacy. While the move was somewhat controversial, it was generally regarded as a political and military necessity in order to not allow the possibility of either a hostile power or a failed state squatting off the shores of the Confederacy.

Culture and Language
Culturally and ethnically, the Confederacy is considerably less segregated than the Imperium once was, but still a long way from a fully integrated society. Of the nation’s six primary native ethnic groups, Squornsh and Brantid citizens, who formed in large part the ruling class of the old Imperium, tend to have spread the most from their ancestral homelands on the Isle and in Megabrantis. Algolian, Molvanian, Sivolvian, and Han citizens were once all but restricted to their home provinces, and have only gradually ventured out under the Confederacy’s freedom of movement. In addition to those native groups, one can find particularly large communities of recent Qusma, Quebecois, and Farf expatriates. Qusmi’y and Farves tend to be found most often in the larger cities, particularly Brantisvogan and the capital of Chalesm, while Quebecois are most often found near the border with that nation in the west, such as in Lublova and Damogran. There is also a minority community of Sarzonian extraction, though they tend to be less recent immigrants, and therefore somewhat more integrated to Squornsh culture. Squornsh is the official language of the confederate government, and the unofficial language of business across the nation. Of the other languages spoken prior to Imperial conquest, only Molvanski has a significant number of speakers, and is the co-official language in its home state. Algolian, Sivolvian, and Han are seeing a steadily dwindling number of native speakers, and are at risk of extinction within a few more generations.

Laws and Customs
Alcohol, marijuana, and several other drugs with low overdose risk are legal but regulated. These can either be sold for consumption on-premises at licensed establishments, or purchased for home use at government run stores called Monopolet. Tobacco can also be purchased only at Monopolet, which closes by 20:00 each evening, and is not open at all on the weekend. So, if planning an after party for the weekend match in your hotel room, make sure to stock up the day before. Drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and MDMD are illegal, but are nonetheless present in society, and can be purchased illicitly. Possession of small amounts of these substances is decriminalized. Sex work is legal, but purchasing sex is banned.

Cuture varies considerably across such a large and diverse nation, but the stereotypical Squornshelan is fairly quiet and taciturn during the week, cutting loose on the weekend. This is particularly true on the Isle and in Megabrantis, with people in Sivolvia, Molvania, and Algolia typically regarded as being a bit less closed off. Wherever you are though, the best way to get the locals talking is typically over a drink, or at some other weekend leisure venue.

Football in Squornshelous
We quite like football here! It is the most popular sport in the Confederacy by a significant margin, with ice hockey coming in a rather distant second. Squornshelous, as many will already be aware, has a long, albeit noncontinuous history in international football, and are of course the reigning World Cup Champions. In addition to its international plaudits, the Confederacy boasts an excellent domestic league featuring world class players from across the multiverse. Confederate football as a rule tends to be quite physical, with an emphasis on defensive responsibility, team play, and selflessness. The Superleague in the most recent season saw teams combine to score only just over 2.3 goals per match. That’s not to say that neutral Confederates in attendance won’t support attractive, ball-moving football. Our own national team is currently managed by a Juven who throws players forward like a madman, though that’s certainly worked well for us of late. It’s only to say that Confederates may be quite likely to throw their support behind a plucky more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts style team working their hearts out on defense.

Getting Around:
All five host cities are served by modern international airports, though direct flights from outside the SRS to Yassaca and Santraginus are somewhat less common than to Brantisvogan, Damogran, and Vogsphere. The Confederacy’s rail network is extensive, modern, and in most cases quite well-maintained. In some cases, though, connections are less frequent and reliable between the different member states. Fortunately, the connections between the state networks of Megabrantis, Algolia, and Sivolvia are among the best in the nation, and the only potential inconvenience to visiting travelers will be the sheer time needed to cover the distance west to Damogran. As far as reaching Vogsphere and Santraginus on the Isle, air will be the most convenient option for visitors wishing to make football matches. Ferry service operates between Santraginus and Arkintoofle twice daily, but the voyage takes roughly 24 hours to cover the distance across the straits, so it is not recommended to anyone trying to keep a tight schedule.

Group Hub Cities and Venues:

Damogran, Algolia (Group A)
Damogran is a large city located in the southern, coastal state of Algolia. Within that state, Damogran is located nearly at the western extreme, easily making it the furthest southwest major city in the SRS. This has made it somewhat isolated from the rest of the Confederacy, separated by Molvania to the north by the heights of the Molvanian Alps, and from the cities of eastern Algolia by sheer distance. This has led to it developing its own traditions in terms of representative government, and distinct architectural and culinary trends. Spend an evening enjoying seafood specialties at restaurants with traditional communal seating after a day spent touring the historical museums at the old Public Palace which housed Damogran’s governing council for centuries.
Bridger Lane (cap. 72,406), tenant: Damogran FC
MD1: Demot v Sarzonia
MD2: Sarzonia v Farfadillis
MD3: Farfadillis v Myrtle Beach
MD4: Myrtle Beach v Busoga Islands
MD5: Busoga Islands v Demot
Albrechtsson Park (cap. 65,400), tenant: Algolia AC
MD1: Farfadillis v Busoga Islands
MD2: Myrtle Beach v Demot
MD3: Busoga Islands v Sarzonia
MD4: Demot v Farfadillis
MD5: Sarzonia v Myrtle Beach

Yassaca (Group B)
From the far southwest to the far southeast, Yassaca is the chief city of the state of Sivolvia, which occupies a peninsula protruding southward from the mainland. The core of the peninsula is formed by a chain of volcanoes, and the cities are found in the fertile lowlands formed by the steady erosion of those peaks. Yassaca sits astride its eponymous river just at the fall line, and is thus connected to the sea by navigable water routes. Flatbreads and vegetable stews traditionally cooked in ovens built of lava rock are the recommended fare, and seafood is ubiquitous here as well. The city is a bit more spread out than the others playing host to this tournament, and day trips to the small towns and outlying countryside are highly recommended for visitors, as are Sivolvia’s famous beaches.
Pheldagrif Stadium (cap. 45,620), tenant: Yassaca FC
MD1: Valanora v Gyatso-kai
MD2: Gyatso-kai v Qasden
MD3: Qasden v Al-Tamazgha
MD4: Al-Tamazgha v Xuois
MD5: Xuois v Valanora
Black Raven Field (cap. 35,400), tenant: Sivolvia Capitalizt AC
MD1: Qasden v Xuois
MD2: Al-Tamazgha v Valanora
MD3: Xuois v Gyatso-kai
MD4: Valanora v Qasden
MD5: Gyatso-kai v Al-Tamazgha

Brantisvogan (Group C)
With some 8 million inhabitants, Brantisvogan is the largest conurbation in the Confederacy. As with any city its size, you can find nearly everything here. Communities of more ethnicities than many people realize exist, and restaurants to match. Whether you prefer clubs, museums, or sightseeing, Brantisvogan has something to offer you. One landmark in particular is the Viceroy’s Palace from the old days when Brantisvogan was the Imperial capital of West Squornshelous. It has since been converted into a museum and memorial to the stories of the Imperium’s victims, and is a powerfully sobering experience. Recently, Brantisvogan has had some notable incidences of organized crime activity, but after a recent surge in police activity and a number of high-profile arrests, local and national authorities are confident the situation has been brought under control.
Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800), tenant: Brantisvogan FC
MD1: Banija v Equestria
MD2: Equestria v Milchama
MD3: Milchama v Oontaz
MD4: Oontaz v Siovanija and Teusland
MD5: Siovanija and Teusland v Banija
Megabrantid Financial Field (cap. 69,245), tenant: Megabrantid SC
MD1: Milchama v Siovanija and Teusland
MD2: Oontaz v Banija
MD3: Siovanija and Teusland v Equestria
MD4: Banija v Milchama
MD5: Equestria v Oontaz

Vogsphere and Santraginus (Group D)
Vogsphere is situated roughly centrally on the Isle of Squornshelous, off the eastern coast of the SRS mainland. It was from here that the old Imperium of Squornshelous was ruled, and the city still exhibits many of the grand edifices of the massive government bureaucracy. Many poorer segments of the city still bear the wounds of the revolts which led to the final collapse of the Imperial administration some 20 years ago. In contrast to Brantisvogan, Vogsphere is fairly homogeneously Squornsh in culture.
Vogsphere Arena (cap. 90,000), tenant: Vogsphere United
MD1: Yakk v Carpathia and Ruthenia
MD2: Carpathia and Ruthenia v Squornshelan Remnant States
MD3: Squornshelan Remnant States v Independent Athletes from Quebec
MD4: Independent Athletes from Quebec v Baker Park
MD5: Baker Park v Yakk

Santraginus is a major port and third largest city on the Isle of Squornshelous, situated across the straits from Arkintoofle on the mainland. Visitors are generally advised to stick to the Downtown and East End districts as the west side of town, particularly Dockside and Newport can get a little dicey at times. Still, for the adventurous tourist who can accept the risk of an involuntary parting with their wallet, there is no better place to experience raw, unfiltered Squornshelan street culture. Get a piercing or tattoo, or even a stylish new prosthetic upgrade, and enjoy local beer at a nameless dive bar. You never know where you’ll wake up the next morning.
Admiral Cherenkov Stadium (cap. 71,200), tenant: FC Santraginus
MD1: Squornshelan Remnant States vBaker Park
MD2: Independent Athletes from Quebec v Yakk
MD3: Baker Park v Carpathia and Ruthenia
MD4: Yakk v Squornshelan Remnant States
MD5: Carpathia and Ruthenia v Independent Athletes from Quebec




Squornshelan Remnant States Black-and-Reds Roster
Third Arrosian Regional Championship

ImageImageImage

RP Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose my scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my players: Y
Give Yellow Cards to my players: Y
Give Red Cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y
An ye harm none, do as ye will.
Style Modifier: +5


Things you should know about the SRS:

Once upon a time, there was the Imperium of Squornshelous, a militaristic, totalitarian state which took great pride in its football team. Squornshelous entered every World Cup from the 5th edition to the 41st, successfully qualifying all but once, and winning the 31st edition of the tournament. After World Cup 41, however, a civil war erupted which ended with the nation divided in to the democratic Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States, and the shrunken but still dangerous Imperium holding onto its island heartland. Both nations disappeared from the international stage for the next 40 World Cup Cycles. The SRS returned to international football for Cycle 81, and was joined by the Imperium during Cycle 84. During Cycle 88, another revolt in the Imperium destabilized the government so much that the nation essentially collapsed, and its constituencies applied for membership in the Confederacy. It was also around this time that Squornshelous/SRS arrived in Atlantian Oceania, having previously competed as an Independent.

The first fifteen odd cycles after the Squornshelan return to international football saw considerable ups and downs with little consistency. The nation got its first podium finish by placing third at the eighth Independent Associations Championship, but the hoped-for springboard into regular World Cup qualification didn't come until the early 90's. While the team's performance in qualifying was consistent, its results in the finals remained consistently mediocre, with only two advancements from the group stage, and no knockout wins. The only place where the Black-and-Reds began to see some success was in the AOCAF Cup, where they placed second in their inaugural appearance, following that up with a pair of third-place finishes. They would claim their first international trophy of the modern era at the 69th AOCAF Cup under manager Gareth Penrooke, but a cycle later exited the 70th edition in the quarterfinals and failed to qualify for World Cup 95, earning the Nepharan the boot. This brought the Juven, Dudu Madeiros into the scene, who had led gli attacanti to their triumph at the 18th IAC, and had a reputation for finding fresh national team talent that was badly needed in the Confederacy.

His managerial debut saw the Black-and-Reds claim more silverware, taking the first Arrosian championship, and then winning the second International Champions Cup shortly thereafter. The presence of those two trophies in the cabinet likely served to save Madeiros's job when the team failed to qualify for the subsequent World Cup and exited early at the Cup of Harmony. It was a bitter disappointment for a team that had hoped to finally make a deep run at a WCC tournament, but the SCFA kept the faith with Madeiros, even as the team underperformed somewhat at the second ARC. Heading into qualifying for World Cup 97, the Black-and-Reds found themselves just barely clinging onto pot 2 status for qualifying by virtue of the unusually large number of groups, and staring at the prospect of another reversion to mediocrity. Failure to qualify would surely have spelled the end for the Madeiros era and sent the team back to the drawing board. Instead, they steamrolled their way through qualifying, squeaked out of group play in a four-way tiebreaker, and made their miracle run to the final, defeating giants Valanora to claim the second Squornshelan World Cup championship, the first under the Confederacy.

Understandably then, the team turns to the ARC with considerable pressure to perform. One certainly expects that the World Cup holders, only one cycle removed from being ARC holders, will be one of the teams to beat at this competition. That's before even factoring in the fact that they'll be on their home turf, in front of friendly crowds. The quality of this team is in little doubt, despite a few differences between the current selection and the one that hoisted the World Cup. Madeiros's task will be to balance the hunger and ambition to win with the poise and focus needed to avoid mistakes and letdowns.

Trigram: SRS
Manager: Dudu Madeiros Image
Formation: 3-4-3
Captain: Sevet-Ibilx Kai
Vice Captain: Piia Drenel
Long Form Name: The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
Short Form Names: Squornshelan Confederacy, The Confederacy, Squornshelous, the SRS
Demonyms: Confederate (political); Squornshelan (cultural, not always PC)
Ethnicites in the Confederacy include Squornshelan, Molvanian, Brantid, Algolian, Sivolvian, and Han. If you are curious about a particular player's ethnicity you can send me a TG or message me on discord
Team Nickname: Black-and-Reds (never Red-and-Blacks)
Team Colors: Confederate Red (#EE0000) and Black (#000000)

Goalkeepers:
#  Player            Age    Pro.    Club
31 Radoslav Bláha 31 He/Him Image Myana
1 Ronan Pharlain 21 He/Him Image Hellenic SC
13 Viktor Åstrøm 23 He/Him Image Vogsphere United


Right Backs:
#  Player            Age    Pro.    Club
2 Aile Tutku 23 She/Her Image Istria City FC
14 Jere Kademaki 22 He/Him Image Brantisvogan FC


Left Backs:
#  Player            Age    Pro.    Club
23 Piia Drenel 28 She/Her Image Algolia AC
3 Sonja Shiben 24 She/Her Image Lhor


Center Backs:
#  Player            Age    Pro.    Club
5 Valtteri Tirel 27 He/Him Image FC Felsenkirchen 1879
4 Marko Peynir 25 He/Him Image Vogsphere United
25 Radko Ludviczak 24 He/Him Image Athletique Alexandrie
18 Eibhlin O'Corra 23 She/Her Image Litala 93


Midfielders:
#  Player            Age    Pro.    Club
19 Sevet-Ibilx Kai 30 They/Them Image Brantisvogan FC
26 Maram Tatsinan 25 She/Her Image Lakewood United
66 Ukko Saigir 29 He/Him Image Haligonian
33 Chandra Detkov 23 She/Her Image Algolia AC
8 Zahida Thakkar 22 She/Her Image Emerald Coast AC


Right Wings:
#  Player             Age    Pro.    Club
7 Inder Starovoitov 24 He/Him Image 1896 Ebor
11 Emry Heltain 21 He/Him Image Wavel AC
16 Khadiga Amezaga 20 She/Her Image Megabrantid SC


Left Wings:
#  Player             Age    Pro.    Club
15 Tarbi Ksudach 26 He/Him Image Brantisvogan FC
17 Soile Raynott 25 She/Her Image Megabrantid SC
30 Akhila Arda 24 He/Him Image Damogran FC


Forwards:
#  Player            Age    Pro.    Club
14 Estina McGill 28 She/Her Image Kingsbury United
9 Minakshi Kriz 29 She/Her Image Eivora Athletic FC
29 Rhiannon Aodhan 23 She/Her Image Anomalies


Anticipated First Team:
Image
Last edited by Squornshelan Remnant States on Sat Oct 26, 2024 4:00 am, edited 2 times in total.
The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
Successor State to the Imperium of Squornshelous
Champions:
World Cup 31, World Cup 97, AOCAF Cup 69, ARC 1, ICC 2
World Cup:
2nd: 15, 38
3rd: 20, 25
SF: 18, 27
QF: 5, 11, 12, 22, 30, 32, 33, 34, 40
Ro16: 6, 7, 9, 16, 21, 23, 24, 28, 36, 37, 39, 90, 93
Group Stage: 8, 10, 13, 17, 19, 26, 29, 35, 41, 88, 91, 92, 94
DNQ: 14, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 95
Cup of Harmony:
QF: 6, 73, 75, 81
Ro16: 74
Ro32: 79
Group Stage: 76, 77, 87
Regional:
2nd: AOCAF65
3rd: IAC8, AOCAF67, AOCAF68
QF: IAC10, IAC13, AOCAF66, AOCAF70
2nd Round: IAC6, IAC7, IAC12
1st Round: IAC9, IAC11
Other:
BoF68 QF

Squorn is an unknowable entity -Mriin

User avatar
Banija
Senator
 
Posts: 4339
Founded: Mar 06, 2015
Capitalist Paradise

Postby Banija » Tue Oct 22, 2024 9:39 pm

Banija National Team- The Kadongo Kamu

Three-Time World Cup Champions

Information
Country code: BNJ
Denonym: Banijan(s)
Association: Royal Banijan Soccer Association(RBSA)
Nickname: The Kadongo Kamu
Manager: George Wangolo, 61 years old. First ever Banijan to be Galactico long listed as a player. Former CB for the NT. Assistant manager between WC83 and WC 86. Manager for Quebec from WC87-89, club manager since then. Took charge shortly before World Cup 97 Qualifying.
Senior Assistant Manager: Todd Malembe. 42 years old, Banijan native. Former Assistant manager with Capitol City FC.
Captain: Layvin Son-Saka
Alternate Captain: Opio Ssambwa

Green Home Kit
White Away Kit
Orange Alternate Kit

After 11 cycles using kits from Filindostan, the RBSA has switched to our new kit providers from Dantopia, a company called Nerio! All of Nerio's football kits are created exclusively with 100% polyester sourced from ocean plastics, as part of Nerio's 'cliMATE' campaign

RP Permissions
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
RP Injuries to my players: Yes(please state what injury they have suffered and how many games they will miss. No deaths without my permission)
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes(please state what injury they have suffered and how many games they will miss. No deaths without my permission)
Godmod other events: Yes(However, there is a hard ban on any Banijan nationals, player or fans or whoever, from catching a pandemic)
Style modifier: +4

Brief National Team History
The Kadongo Kamu have played in exactly 827 games, as of the end of World Cup 97. This ARC marks the beginning of the 25th all-time World Cup cycle for Banija. We have entered in Qualifying for 22 separate campaigns (WCQ73-77, WCQ79-80, WCQ82, and WCQ84-97), hosted two other World Cups (81 and 83), and will enter into Qualifyig for the 23rd time for World Cup 98. We have also participated in Baptism of Fire 60, and been a participant in four different Cup of Harmonies(CoH 66, CoH 67, CoH 71, and CoH 81). In four Cups of Harmony, Banija has only once moved past the group stage, in CoH 81, and they promptly fell on penalties in the Round of 16. In their lone Baptism of Fire, they earned a lone point.

After not competing at all during the World Cup 78 Cycle due to the RBSA's bankruptcy, they re-entered the world of international football in World Cup 79 cycle. A shocking World Cup 79 Qualification campaign saw them on the brink of qualifying, but the team simply ran out of gas and lost 4 of their final 5 matches to not make it to Ceni/Drawkland. Since then, the U21 team got 3rd place at the 42nd Di Bradini Cup, and the national team advanced to the quarterfinals of AOCAF LV, AOCAF LVI, and AOCAF LVII, establishing themselves as a strong regional side, falling to the eventual champs in the latter two tournaments. They stunningly qualified for World Cup 80, after starting poorly by losing 5 of their first 9, to going unbeaten in the second half of qualifying, where they won 7 of those games. In the World Cup 80 Qualification playoffs, a 3-0 first leg victory in Montreal, Royal Kingdom of Quebec, powered the team through to their first ever appearance in the World Cup Finals, advancing to sport's pre-eminent competition 5-3 on aggregate over Mercedini. While a pair of one goal losses saw them eliminated after two games, they earned their first ever victory at the World Cup Finals in a 2-0 win over New Gazi in their final group stage game. As they hosted World Cup 81, they went directly to the tournament, and went to their first ever knockout stages, winning Group A before falling, 1-1(2-1 AET) to Turori in the Round of 16. They cruised to qualification in World Cup 82, maintaining a top two spot in their World Cup Qualification group behind Brenecia for the entirety of the World Cup 82 Qualification campaign, getting to the tournament with relative ease before bowing out in the group stages.

The World Cup 83 cycle was their strongest yet. Starting with AOCAF LVIII on home soil, co-hosted with the Commonwealth of Baker Park, the Kadongo Kamu won 6 consecutive matches to open the tournament, taking their winning streak all the way to the final. Unfortunately, they were felled, 4-2, at home to their archrivals, the Equestrian States. Co-hosting World Cup 83 as well, the Banijans made a miraclous run at the World Cup, upending 5th ranked South Covelllo on penalties, and defeating the then two-time defending world champions Vilita in the quarterfinals, before falling, 3-2, at the national stadium to Starblaydia. They added to the trophy case, however, earning a bronze medal after defeating Cassadaigua in the 3rd place playoff game.

The World Cup 84 cycle, the first with real title expectations for the Banijans, was a disappointment in the regionals, as we fell 1-0 to Ko-oren in the AOCAF Round of 16, although we advanced to the quarterfinals of World Cup 84 before dropping to Eura in extra time. The World Cup 85 cycle seems to be a promise of hope for the Banijans. Although AOCAF LX was a rough tournament for the Banijans, it was surrounded by two excellent tournament performances for the Banijans. We won the U21 World Cup(DBC 47), and are just coming off earning our first ever senior-level trophy, by winning the 8th Eagle's Cup to be admitted as a full, permanent member of the Eagle's Club right before the beginning of World Cup Qualifying. Following that, the Banijans dominated World Cup 85 Qualifying, going wire-to-wire as the first place team in their World Cup Qualifying group, as well as earning more points in World Cup Qualifying(67) than any other team did throughout the entire campaign. Those strong performances both in the Eagle's Cup and World Cup Qualifying have caused fans to put an up and down AOCAF behind them, and heighten the standard for World Cup 85. While they escaped the group stages with four points, strong wins over Vilita and Zwangzug in the knockouts put them on course for a medal, as they eventually beat allies Baker Park in the bronze medal match, after falling 3-2 to the eventual champions Free Republics in the semifinal.

After a return to the AOCAF LXI Quarterfinals, their first quarterfinal appearance in the last 3 editions of the regional championships, they fell to Chromatika on penalties. The World Cup 86 Qualification campaign went rather swimmingly- the national team went a perfect 18-0-0 in World Cup Qualifying, the first time that had happened in well over 10 cycles. The multiverse's #1 ranked squad was brimming with confidence, the two-time bronze medalists entering World Cup 86 trying to win the biggest trophy in all of sports for the first time.

Marcus Waters has always preached the following- "you've got to win at home before you can win the World Cup." It's always meant you've got to win in Atlantian Oceania before you can expect to win the World Cup. And while we've never won the AOCAFs, our group was all Atlantian Oceania sides- Ko-oren, Chromatika, and Mriin. We finished in first place with a 1-0 win over Ko-oren, a 2-2 draw against Chromatika, and a 0-0 draw against Mriin being enough to earn 5 points. Then, we faced a gauntlet of former World champions. A 1-0 win over them put us in our fourth consecutive World Cup Quarterfinal, against 5 time World champions Valanora. A thrilling 4-3 win put us in the semifinal, again facing a GSW rival- World Cup 84 winners Farfadillis. In one of the wildest World Cup semifinals ever played, Banija came out on top 7-6, with a stoppage time winner to put them in the Final against the World Cup 85 winners Nephara. It was a true game of the century- neither team had lost a competitive match since the start of World Cup Qualifying, neither losing during Qualifying or the Finals. And in that thriller, it would be the Banijans who would win, taking a lead and holding onto it, winning by 3 goals to 2 against Nephara to lift the trophy and declare themselves World Cup Champions.

The ensuing AOCAF was strong, but not as strong as they wanted it to be. After starting slowly and losing their opening two games, they finished well done the stretch of group play, and even won a pair of knockout stage games before eventually falling to the champions, Baker Park, in the Semifinals. The Banijans redeemed themselves by earning a bronze medal against Sarzonia. The team took a B squad to Eagle's Cup IX, but a strong performance there landed them a silver medal, losing in the final to Valanora. World Cup 87 did not go the way they expected, getting eliminated in the group stages for the first time since World Cup 82. But we recovered in the World Cup 88 cycle. While a quarterfinal elimination at both Eagle's Cup X and AOCAF LXIII were not great, we were unbeaten in World Cup 88 Qualifying, and reached the World Cup 88 Semifinals, eliminating the defending champions Nephara and falling to the eventual champions Turori along the way. We used that momentum of the semfiinal run to finally earn a regional title, as on our 10th try, we finally won the AOCAFs, defeating Hapilopper in the semifinals and Valanora in the Final, winning both matches via penalty kick shootouts.

That regional title meant little in World Cup Qualifying, however, as Pemecutan and Zwangzug both pipped past Banija to automatically qualify for the World Cup, and left Banija in the dust, gasping for air. That called for a reset from the RSBA, which led to Marcus Waters resigning and Pam Scott be hired. While neither the Cup of Harmony nor the AOCAFs went particularly well, Pam Scott's laser focus on qualifying for the World Cup was a success, as the team not only went to World Cup 90, but showed up in style, winning a pair of penalty shootouts, before falling to the eventual winners, The Holy Empire, on PKs, in the semifinals. They still beat Valanora in the third place match, 2-1, to earn their third overall bronze medal. To reset things for World Cup 91, Banija easily won our qualification group, but flopped on our face in the Finals- losing our last two group stage matches after opening the tournament with 3 points, and promptly falling out at the group stages.

Pam Scott changed the mood entirely following, however, as the Banijans surprised many by winning AOCAF 67, including eliminating tournament favorites, Valanora, on home soil. The team built on that, in what was one of their best cycles ever- after going unbeaten in Qualifying (17 wins and 3 draws, with no losses), they went to the World Cup with confidence. After winning their group with ease, 7 points, they made it all the way to their Second ever World Cup Final, at World Cup 92. Wins over Squidroidia and world number ones Turori followed in the knockout stages, followed by a PK shootout victory over Valanora. But in the World Cup 92 Final, they fell at the final hurdle, as Zwangzug lifted the sport's ultimate trophy. While they could not retain their regional title, losing to the host nations, Valanora, in the AOCAF 68 Final, the lessons learned were paramount. They reached the World Cup and turned on another gear, earning their second ever World Cup title after defeating Chromatika, 4-3, in the World Cup 93 Final.

After they fell in the semifinals of AOCAF 69, the question was- could Banija repeat on the world stage? And the answer, undoubtedly, was yes. In sensational fasion, the Banijans earned their third ever World Cup title in a title defense- going a combined 25-0-2(W-L-D) across Qualifying and the World Cup Finals combined to earn a championship at World Cup 94. And they maintained the form at the AOCAFs- turning down worthy challenger after worthy challenger to do something they have never done before- be regional and world champions at the same time.

Unfortunately, the chase for the threepeat died miserably- World Cup 95 was a nightmarish campaign. The Qualifying campaign barely got off the ground, and it never really went anywhere- although we qualified, it was only via a last minute decider via a playoff- not what a team looking to win a World Cup title is looking to do. And the poor form carried over when it counted most, as it resulted in a group stage knockout for Banija. But that was not a one-off- it started a downturn for the Banijans. A disappointing result at the inauguaral ARC, followed by failing to qualify for World Cup 96, has put a lot of pressure on this team for the last ARCs. The old guard had their last chance and disapppointed- and ergo, there was a top to bottom cleaning of the house. 12 players from the last roster retired, as well as the manager- and so, with George Wangolo taking the reigns as NT manager, it is a new era for the Kadongo Kamu.

The first Banijan manager in 24 cycles to get the full-time job, he had a successful first cycle. There were plenty of questions, as he turned over half the roster and Banija barely whimpered in World Cup 96. But while starting a little rocky, Banija were firing on all cylinders by around the halfway mark- qualifying directly for the World Cup, and ensuring an emphatic win over the Pot 1 side as well. The actual Finals were a stunning success- Banija not only winning their group with 7 points, but advancing past both the Round of 32 and Round of 16, before falling eventually in the Quarterfinals to Tumbra. The run was life-giving, as there is hope that, in the near-term future, this is a squad that can compete for the biggest trophies.

Statistics(Up to date as of right after the end of World Cup 97, friendlies included. Banijan statisticians count OT and PK shootout wins and losses as wins and losses, as opposed to draws like most international statisticians):
All-Time Record: 492-203-132(W-L-D)
All-Time Winning Percentage: 59.49% (Wins over total games played)
All-Time Points Percentage: 64.81% (Wins plus 1/3rd of draws over total games played)
Current WCC Rank: #15
Current ARC Rank: #8
Top 25 All-Time Leading Goal Scorers: Italicized players are retired from international duty. Bold players are active players. These are updated as of the end of World Cup 97.
1. Abel Wesoloski-Okafor(138 goals)
2. Ilman Jawara(110 goals)
3. Gitonga Kahara(109 goals)
4. Idai Uster(89 goals)
5. Sarafina Ikpeazu(74 goals)
6. Lolong Bokate(69 goals)
7. Kausu Dione(67 goals)
8. Namakula Kawesa(59 goals)
9. Madu Okparra(57 goals)
10. Chibuzo Afolayan(54 goals)
11. Mzukisi Nzo(49 goals)
12. Gereh Kama(45 goals)

13. Jônn Wérséô(44 goals)
14. Kiggwe Mavuto(43 goals)
T15. Toyuwa Okafor(37 goals)
T15. Dembo Savaneh(37 goals)

T15. Layvin Son-Saka(37 goals)
T18. Assefa Yitebarke(35 goals)
T18. Nwabudike Ugonna(35 goals)

20. Odongo Kagenda(34 goals)
21. Sergius Atieno(32 goals)
T22. Kamara Touré(27 goals)
T22. Isaac Georgiadis(27 goals)
24. Kizza Okafor(26 goals)

25. Aquila Hongo(25 goals)

World Cup Appearances: 16- World Cup 80, World Cup 81(co-hosts), World Cup 82, World Cup 83(co-hosts), World Cup 84, World Cup 85, World Cup 86, World Cup 87, World Cup 88, World Cup 90, World Cup 91, World Cup 92, World Cup 93, World Cup 94, World Cup 95, and World Cup 97
Times Ranked #1 in the KPB- First Stretch(5 rank updates): Pre-World Cup 86 Qualifying, Pre-World Cup 86 Finals, Pre-World Cup 87 Qualifying, Pre-World Cup 87 Finals
Second Stretch(3 rank updates): Pre-World Cup 94 Finals, Pre-World Cup 95 Qualifying, Pre-World Cup 95 Finals

Trophy Cabinet:
Senior-Level
Champions of World Cup 94
Champions of World Cup 93
Champions of World Cup 86
Champions of AOCAF LXX (The Final AOCAF)
Champions of AOCAF LXVII
Champions of AOCAF LXIV
Champions of Eagle's Cup VIII
Winner of the Inaugural Afro-Caribbean Heritage Festival
2nd Place at World Cup 92
2nd Place at AOCAF LVIII
2nd Place at AOCAF LXVIII
2nd Place at Eagle's Cup IX(Winners of the tournament's Cup of Champions)
3rd Place at World Cup 83
3rd place at World Cup 85
3rd place at World Cup 90
3rd Place at AOCAF LXII
3rd Place at AOCAF LXIX
3rd place at the United Valhaven Regional Football Championships
3rd Place at the Second Afro-Carribean Heritage Festival

Youth Level
Champions of the 8th Sporting Magazine U18 World Cup
Champions of the 47th Di Bradini Cup (U21 World Cup)
3rd place at 42nd Di Bradini Cup
3rd place at the 17th RTC U18 World Cup

World Cup Hall of Famers
Adama Sowe(former RBSA Chairman, current WCC Vice President)
GItonga Kahara(all-time leading goalscorer, World Cup winning captain, all-time cap leader)
Marcus Waters(Banija's winningest manager, has led Banija to 100% of our World Cup Qualifications, and has never failed to qualify for the Finals)
Namakula Kawesa(first female star, 3rd all-time leading goalscorer at time of retirement)
Kuma Bultum(Champions League Winner, World Cup winner, most appearances on the Galacticos list for a Banijan)

List of National Team managers
1. Kizza Kabila(Banija). Manager for Baptism of Fire 60 and the World Cup 73 Qualification Campaign. Overall record of 0-14-1(W-L-D).

Kizza Kabila is the only Banijan to have ever managed the national team. Hired for Banija's first foray onto the international scene in this sport, his reign was universally derided as a disaster. Managing 15 games, he drew his first game in the Baptism of Fire, and not only lost the next two, he then lost ever single match in the 12 game World Cup Qualification campaign for World Cup 73, with the side only scoring 5 goals across the entire campaign. Unceremoniously fired after becoming one of few managers to go through an entire World Cup Qualification campaign without earning a single point, he, alongside the entire board of the RBSA, resigned after the last game. He was disgraced in the sport after the campaign, and, to this point, has never returned to top-level soccer.

2.Jan Cassallerus(San Llera): Hired before the start of the World Cup 74 Qualification Campaign, managed through the World Cup 77 Qualification Campaign. Overall Record of 27-32-16(W-L-D).

Banija put its eyes abroad, searching for a foreign manager before the World Cup 74 Qualification campaign, and found Jan Cassallerus. He is Banija's longest ever serving manager, being at the helm for four entire World Cup cycles, and being at the helm for 75 total games, a kind of longevity unheard of in the modern game, especially managing the national team. He started winning a game at the Coupe D'Esquarium, in what was known as the group of death. He was largely celebrated for bringing the team into relevancy. The expectations were through the floor, following Kizza Kabila, but he brought the team to Cup of Harmony 66 and Cup of Harmony 67, as well as advancing in Olympic Qualifying and getting third place at the United Valhaven Regional Football Championships. He was forced into retirement after the World Cup 77 Qualification campaign, when the RBSA declared bankruptcy, and could not participate in the World Cup 78 Qualification Campaign due to their inability to compensate players and staff.

3. Randolf Cherry(Drawkland): Hired before the start of the World Cup 79 Qualification Campaign. Overall Record of 20-24-2(W-L-D)

Randolf Cherry, after the RBSA got its act together, was hired- controversially- as the manager of the national team. Not that his own hire was controversial, it was applauded across the sports spectrum here at home. He was given a 3 cycle contract, and everyone knew what the goal was- to make the World Cup Finals at least once over the course of the contract. They understood that it would take time to climb the rankings, and they were willing to give him the leash. However, he came in a very awkward situation. Adama Sowe, the Chairman of the RBSA, allegedly first offered the job to Sarah Owens, out of the Equestrian States. Of course, it is illegal in Banija for women to coach men's professional teams, and that caused controversy. And yet, here he was- the manager of the national team.

His own home country of Drawkland is, of course, very progressive in that area, where the sport is dominated by the ladies. Regardless, he had an excellent start to his reign as a manger, and was initially extremely popular. He won his first game, in a special Eagles Club match, against Aggrey-Fynn Land. He lost his first few qualifiers, but he went on a dear through the middle of qualifying, which included a 7 game winning streak on home soil. Big wins against then 4th ranked Chromatika at home and then 32nd ranked Eshan, put them in the conversation of World Cup Qualification, though they were simply not strong enough.

The Cup of Harmony was considered a disaster, finishing in dead last in their group. The competition maybe simply isn't for the Banijans, eh? But they were strong throughout the offseason, making a surprising quarterfinal run in AOCAF LV and bringing high hopes to the squad going into World Cup 80 Qualification. Hopes were through the roof for the national team, maybe even bordering unrealistic. They struggled, and the campaign got worse as the pressure built, as the squad lost their final four qualifiers of the first half of qualifying. With the campaign seemingly in free-fall, he was fired, as the RBSA said they wanted time to conduct "an open, thorough, search."

4. Marcus Waters(Equestrian States): Hired after the 1st half of World Cup 80 Qualifying, fired at the end of World Cup 89 Qualifying. Overall record of 257-81-50(W-L-D). All-time winning percentage of 66.24%. All-time points percentage of 70.53%.

Marcus Waters was the national team's assistant manager with Randolf Cherry above him, and the manager of the youth national teams. He first gained notoriety in Banija after successfully leading the U21 team to a 3rd place finish at the 42nd Di Bradini Cup. With his abilities clear, it made sense to move onto him as the interim manager as they searched for a permanent manager ahead of the second half of World Cup Qualifying. However, he was able to complete a stunning turnaround of this team. His first game in charge, he changed nearly the entire backline, and had a massive upset, away to Qasden, by a score of 3-2. A 3-0 victory over Razenthuria in the other mid-qualifying friendly got high hopes for him.

Marcus Waters went out with an intent to keep his team focused, despite everything going on at home. He has proven adept at navigating the political minefield that is this job, especially with his own country of origin essentially at war with Banija. He didn't lose a single game in the second half of qualifying, winning 7 games to get to the playoffs, including when the team was forced to play home games in Montreal due to ongoing violence within Banija. He was widely applauded for getting the team ready to play in Montreal, and winning 1-0 against Turori, the group's top seeded squad, and a 3-0 win in Montreal in the Qualification playoffs. While the RBSA interviewed four other candidates, his successful push through the World Cup Qualification playoffs and into Banija's first-ever World Cup Finals essentially clinched the job for him, as he put pen to paper to take the interim tag off of his title ahead of the 80th World Cup Finals.

Since then, of course, he has done a lot to garner the confidence of the higher-ups, and of the fans. Falling to the eventual champions in the quarterfinals of both AOCAF LVI and AOCAF LVII was widely seen as a positive. As well as, of course, a surprising Fourth Place finish in the Cup of Champions Six, highlighted by a surprising point earned in their matchup against Nephara, while also pushing through to the Round of 16 of World Cup 81, pleasing the home fans. A different sort of pressure faces him this campaign, however.

For the first time in his reign, you could say that Banija had a disappointing tournament, failing to advance in World Cup 82 beyond the group stages. It might be harsh to say that- on paper, advancing from a group with both Pasarga and Farfadillis is a tall order if your team is not Pasarga or Farfadillis. They responded well, however, winning six consecutive games at AOCAF LVIII, and knocking off major nations including Cosumar and Mriin at the tournament, before being felled in the final, in their own capitol of Busukuma, to Equestria. Following up with a World Cup on home soil, they continued that momentum forward from AOCAF LVIII, as the Banijans took on the role of giantslayers on home soil. They beat the 5th ranked South Covello side, and the then two-time defending world champions Vilita, before eventually falling to Starblaydia in the semifinals, though they still earned a bronze medal. Although momentum was blunted after a tough 1-0 defeat to Ko-oren that secured an early exit from AOCAF LIX, they followed that up with their second straight appearance in the World Cup Quarterfinals, where they fell to Eura in extra time.

The last two cycles he really got the team to rise above themselves. The last two World Cup Qualification cycles, Banija has finished as the best team in World Cup Qualifying by points earned. And he has the silverware to match- a bronze medal earned in World Cup 85, followed by a gold medal in World Cup 86. Having risen from basically nowhere in Equestria to household name status in Banija, he has truly made a name for himself as one of the world's premier international managers. While World Cup 87 was disappointing, he quickly ensured that was a one-off, rather than a sign of things to come. He brought Banija to their fourth World Cup semifinal in their past six tournaments at World Cup 88, and followed that up with winning the country's first ever regional title.

But he is now a victim of his own success. An Eagle's Cup champion, the AO champion, and a World Cup champion, he drastically raised the bar for the Kadongo Kamu. But Banija winning 9 of their last 10 Qualifiers could not overcome their disastrous, and therefore, we did not qualify for the World Cup Finals. The RBSA had no other choice but to let the legend and Hall of Famer walk, as the time has come around for the national team to change their head man for the first time since World Cup 80.

5. Pamela Scott(Commonwealth of Baker Park): Hired after World Cup 89 Qualifying, right before Cup of Harmony 81. Retired after ARC 2, following World Cup 96. Overall Record of 174-46-58(W-L-D). Winning percentage: 62.59%. Points percentage: 69.54%

Scott is widely regarded as one of the brightest tactical minds in the sport, and her record speaks for itself. Replaced Trevor Richmond as BP National Team Manager after the side qualified for the WC in their first three attemps, then followed Ichi Tuzzio as boss of the WC 85 Champions, overhauling the roster and bringing a bit of defensive awareness to the legendary Farf attacking style. Has an eye for young talent and not afraid to give them a chance. The above is why she was hired- leverage her experience to bring stabilization to a national team that is currently reeling.

While the Cup of Harmony and the AOCAFs both resulted in disappointing exits at the Round of 16, and the Eagle's Cup went disastrously(not scoring for 5 consecutive matches), Pam Scott is still upbeat about the direction of the national team. "With this cycle, everything is about World Cup Qualification." She told reporters. "Those tournaments, while they did not go well, were about finding the right squad, building to this moment. Banija wants to compete on all fronts, of course- but we cannot do that if we are not qualifying for the World Cup. These tournaments, while not great on the field, have allowed me to experiment all sorts of lineups, and expose different players to elite competition at the international stage. How they deal with things like pressure. You're going to see much different results when the team takes the field for World Cup 90 Qualifying."

But her first World Cup in charge was an unmitigated success. Beating both Audioslavia and Eura was a stunner, as Banija won the group of death with a game to go. Not resting on their laurels, they downed two AO rivals, SRS and Baker Park, in back-to-back games in route to the semifinals, and eventually, a bronze medal. With that success, Pam Scott declared that the national team is "back to competing on all fronts". While the last World Cup's group stage embarassment was a disappointment, she more than made up for it by bringing home her first major international trophy- the AOCAFs.

Last cycle, after reaching the AOCAF Final and falling to Valanora, she was able to take the lessons learned from that and bring Banija to our second ever World Cup title- and her first. She's now, after a long journey from Baker Park, to Farfadillis, and now Banija, has reached the sports pinnacle. But what's more impressive than getting to the top, is staying at the top. She led Banija to an unbeaten Qualifying campaign(dropping just 2 points from 20 Qualifiers), and followed that up with a second World Cup win- this time, in emphatic fashion, with a bunch of high-drama, one goal wins throughout World Cup 94 leading up to a convincing 4-1 victory over Valanora in the World Cup 94 Final. With what may be the final AOCAF trophy in hand, Her reputation in Banija is firmly established with all sorts of silverware- certainly the greatest Banijan manager ever.

Ultimately, like most NT managers, she could not succeed forever. There was a firm downturn after the success of WC92-94 cycles, as a group stage elimination in WC95 was a sign of dark things to come- a pair of first KO round eliminations at the ARC, sandwiching a failed qualification campaign for WC96, led to her downfall. While it was rough at the end, she has surely firmly established herself as the greatest ever in this country.

6. George Wangolo. Hired after ARC 2, ahead of WC97. Overall Record of 14-6-4(W-L-D). Winning percentage: 58.33%. Points percentage: 63.89%


1. The Equestrian States. All time Banijan record against opponent- 1-7-2(W-L-T).

The Equestrian States are easily Banija's biggest rival, and by a country mile. It has all the makings of a good international sporting rivalry- plenty of matches played, history of competitive matches, geopolitical rivalry, player familiarity, and, of course, geographical proximity- all those boxes are checked. They've played each other 5 times, and Banija has come out on the losing end each and every time, most recently a 4-0 clobbering at the hands of the Equestrian States during Banija's final friendly before this qualification tournament began.

Three times have they played in competitive competition, and three times Banija has fallen. The Equestrian States eliminated Banija from Cup of Harmony 71 in group play, while also defeating the Banijans in both the opening match of World Cup 80, and the final group stage match of AOCAF LVI, though the Banijans still advanced to the quarterfinals of that tournament. The familiarity of players between each other is strong. Banija's present and most successfull all-time manager, Marcus Waters, is Equestrian. A number of players in each country play in leagues in the other. Famous Equestrian NT players like Aaron Aiza, Rosie Tyler, and Josef Lawrenz, ply their trade in the Banijan Soccer League, with Aiza particularly growing to superstar status while winning league titles at Herzegovina City FC.

Banija's first ever major final in this sport, at the senior level, was against none other than Equestria at the national stadium, with the winner to be crowned champions of AOCAF LVIII Final. In front of a decidedly pro-Banijan crowd, it was the Equestrians who dashed Banijan dreams of glory on their home turf as they picked up their first ever major international silverware, with a 4-2 victory. That victory has made the Banijans just that much hungrier to defeat their bitter rivals, and though the history is lopsided in favor of Equestria, that has just fueled the fire on this side of the matchup. The two sides co-hosted World Cup 83 together, and almost had a rematch of their AOCAF LVIII Final in the World Cup Final, though Banija could not fulfill its end of the bargain as they fell to a stronger Starblaydia side in the semifinals. Equestria, of course went on to win the World Cup, and the next AOCAF to boot, establish a fully fledged dynasty. The Banijans, in pre WOrld Cup 84 Qualification friendlies, got their first ever result against the Equestrians, a 0-0 draw in Everfree.

Equestria and Banija were in the same group at AOCAF LXII, with the opening match of the tournament being a repeat of the AOCAF LVIII Final. Banija, we thought, rising high and champions. But Equestria came to rain on the parade. They won on Matchday 1, by a score of 2-1 in Busukuma, and we could only manage a return draw. Our fiercest rivals, and yet, we've still never managed to have beaten them, in a competitive or a friendly match. That search for the elusive win against Equestria continues.

Banija landed their first ever win over Equestria in the Round of 16 at AOCAF LXVI. Years of angst were excised by this national team, as [url=https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=39501593#p39501593they crushed the Equestrians, 3-0[/url], in a match that may have finally begun to turn this rivalry towards team Banija. With the two teams paired in this cycle here at World Cup Qualifying, Banija will look to ensure that beating their rival was not a fluke- but turn that into a habit.

2. Farfadillis. All time Banijan record against opponent- 3-5-0(W-L-T)

What makes a good international rivalry? You need a mixture of history and luck. Luck, to have played in plenty of high stakes matches against each other on the biggest stages- World Cups, AOCAFs, and the like. But you also need nearness. What makes these two know each other so well? We've played in twice as many competitive matches against Chromatika as we have against Farfadillis.

Well, let's go with the political intrigue. Of course, there's geography- Farfadillis is the closest nation to Banija that does not share a land border with Banija. Their former capitol, is on the northern tip of their island, which is just south of Busukuma, the Banijan capitol city. So of course, there's that familiarity. And when the Farfadillis national government fell apart and they fell into some sort of a controlled chaos, many refugees fled Farfadillis for the stability of Banija. Busukuma became the natural landing place. There are no official numbers, but there an estimated 100,000 or so Farf refugees across the country, but with over half of them, around 60,000, residing in Busukuma.

So there's that familiarity on an intimate level, especially in Banija, and especially in Banija's capitol. Especially in the capitol, it's always a huge deal when these two meet. And besides that? Well, of course, we [url=https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=37273196#p37273196]dropped a few nuclear warheads[/url] on Farfadillis, where Banija's nuclear weapons got both hacked and stolen by operatives. While, surprisingly, it didn't cause as much damage as one would expect, 5 nuclear weapons are still quite a bit to get hit by. Farf citizens weren't exactly appreciative, and that is fresh in everybody's mind.

Lastly, look at the integration of our footballing systems. We have a combined league. With the combination of our top flights in the Shango-Fogoa Premier League, Banijan footballing fans and Farf footballing fans interact every single week. Sometimes peacefully, sometimes violently, always loud and passionately. For two seperate nations(plus Busoga), they have a very integrated league system. And that, of course, will mean that the rivalry is played out every week. Banijan teams v. Farf teams. Farf teams got the better of their Banijan opponents, by and large, throughout the inaugural season, but there is still plenty left to say on the subject.

This is Banija's clear #2 rival, ahead of anybody else, besides Equestria. And as the S-FPL continues, this rivalry will continue to be competitive for years to come. Not to mention, the two have played a pair of thrilling World Cup Finals matches against each other- Farfadillis being victorious in World Cup 81, and then being victorious again in World Cup 84, where they went on to win that World Cup. What'd be more fun than another Finals matchup between these two juggernauts, right?

3. Chromatika. All time Banijan record against opponent- 8-3-2(W-L-T)

This is, admittedly, not the first nation you think of when you think of Banija's rivals. But There is a long-time history between these two nations. These two have more shared history than Banija and any other opponent, at least in competitive matches. Banija and Chromatika have faced off a grand total of 9 times competitively- all in the modern era of Banijan soccer, which is WCQ79-present. It was that first campaign back, after the RBSA bankruptcy, where it was established.

Banija had one of their biggest ever all-time wins in that Qualifying campaign, our first ever win over a top 5 opponent, when we beat then #4 Chromatika 2-1 in Jinja City. It's a night that has gone down in Banijan history. Looking back, many see it as Banija's first true launch towards where we are now- from a consistent middle of the pack nation in Qualifying, who couldn't do anything in the Cup of Harmony, to demanding a seat at the table by being an elite squad.

And we've played plenty of times since, as well. AOCAF LXI- we beat them in the group stages, only to fall to them in the Quarterfinals, on penalty kicks. We each got clean sheet victories over the other team at Eagle's Cup VIII, a tournament that we ended up winning. And we played them twice in World Cup Qualifying for 86, beating them twice en route to a perfect 18-0-0 Qualifying record. We played them again at the Finals, and we battled out a 2-2 draw.

They're a tough opponent, and considering the frequency of our matches in recent years, meeting up in the Finals would not be that unexpected. We know each other well, have played with plenty of stakes on the line. And, of course, there's those cultural and political connections that make the greatest international rivalries- a Banijan delegation, led by present Banijan Ambassador to Chromatika and former Banijan Minister of Justice, Xolile Lubabalo, helped shepherd Chromatika's transition to democracy. It's friendly, but there's plenty of history to make it interesting.

Of course, to make things even more interesting, these two met on the grandest stage of them all- the World Cup 93 Final. While Banija triumphed in a close-fought match (and a stunning come from behind second half victory), it has really moved Chromatika probably close to the top of Banija's rivals list, especially with S&T no longer participating in these tournaments and the Equestrian States no longer reaching the high levels they once had in the past.

Honorable Mentions
Nations mentioned here are considered key rivals, but there is not enough competitive match history to really define it as a rivalry. Nations are not listed in order.

- Siovanija & Teusland(Geographic proximity, cultural + political ties)
- Valanora(geographic proximity, recent KO stage battles at the AOCAFs and the WC, including meeting in the WC94 Final)
- Royal Kingdom of Quebec(general history and close political/cultural ties- Banija is a former colony of Quebec and they have been close ever since)
- Sarzonia(General sporting rivalry, history with 3 AOCAF matches against each other, 2 World Cup Qualifying matches, and a World Cup Finals match)
- Baker Park(cultural plus political ties)


ARC 3 Squad

Starters: 4-2-1-3.
Players who are based in a foreign league are bolded.
Players who are making their NT debuts during World Cup 97 Qualifying, aka the previous cycle, are italicized. Due to their success, and Wangolo wanting to establish chemistry within the squad, he has brought the exact same roster from WC97 to ARC 3.
BSL = Banijan Soccer League, Banija's second tier. National league. S-FPL is the joint first tier soccer league for Farfadillis, Banija, and the Busoga Islands.
GK #1 Biran Jarju. Age 28. Plays for FC Capri in the Elven Premiership in Valanora.
LB #44 Opio Ssambwa. Age 30. Plays for Herzegovina City FC in the S-FPL.
LCB #30 Kutaaka Muteesa. Age 30. Plays for St. John's Arsenal in the Q-League.
RCB #3 Ensa Janneh. Age 28. Plays for Hondo FC in the Elven Premiership in Valanora.
RB #15 Daraja Kanka. Age 26. Plays for La Querida in the S-FPL.
CM #6 Yob Yeyeh Aan. Age 28. Banijan/Farf dual-national. Plays for FK Arsika in Mytanija.
CM #14 Araba Fanja. Age 26. Plays for Herzegovina City FC in the S-FPL.
CAM #10 Yob Banda. Age 26. Plays for Busukuma AC in the S-FPL.
LW #7 Lavyin Son-Saka. Age 26. Plays for St. John's Arsenal in the Q-League. Captain.
ST #9 Jônn Wérséô. Age 28. Plays for Mâ Âlâmëómë in the S-FPL. Rulandea, Farfadillis. Farf/Banijan dual-national, born to Farf refugees in Busukuma.
RW/RM #11 Odongo Kagenda. Age 29. Plays for Herzegovina City FC in the S-FPL.
Bench:
GK #35 Kasozi Ssempewo. Age 25. Plays for Herzegovina City FC in the S-FPL.
GK #39 Salathiel Kavuuma. Age 27. Plays for the Busukuma Force in the S-FPL.
LB #20 Kabiru Suso. Age 27. Plays for Mar Sara FC in the Elven Premiership in Valanora.
CB #4 Otem Ssema. Age 30. Players for Jinja City FC in the S-FPL.
CB #5 Opio Bikya. Age 32. Plays for Herzegovina City FC in the S-FPL.
RB #2 Adroa Kiryamunyolo. Age 31. Plays for Jinja City FC in the S-FPL.
CM #8 Aquila Hongo. Age 35. Plays for Maethoru SC in Ko-oren.
CM #25 Fafa Maloo. Age 27. Plays for Istria City FC in the S-FPL.
CAM #15 Zaharija Zdjelar-Siwangeh. Age 23. Plays for Kitara AA in the S-FPL. Formerly capped by the Farf NT, eligible for a U21 one-time switch.
LW/RW #21 Muhangi Wentibwa. Age 22. Plays for Istria City FC in the S-FPL.
RW/LW #22 Alanso Kambi. Age 28. Plays for Wexax United in the Elven Premiership in Valanora.
ST #12 Sabiti Yikala. Age 25. Plays for Herzegovina City FC in the S-FPL.

Notes:
- Our free kicks are taken by Layvin Son-Saka. Our corner kicks are taken by the winger on whatever side the corner kick is on.
- Our penalty kicks are taken by Jônn Wérséô.

Select Player Bios

1. Layvin Son-Saka

The most hyped prospect, in this sport anyways, is Gitonga Kahara for Banija. Those who are old enough to remember the hype coming out of DBC 42- well, you can say that he lived up to it, having a storybook ending for his career- his last game for Banija, captaining our country to our first ever World Cup title. Son-Saka has every bit the hype- and some say even more talent. "Gitonga Kahara will always hold a special place in the hearts of Banijans- but the next great winger is here, and Son-Saka has the potential to not be equalled by anybody."

Think of the exploits he's had for St. John's Arsenal as a teenager. Scoring the title-winning goal to lead St. John's Arsenal to their first Q-League title in 28 years, he's the main man in one of the biggest leagues in club football. And now, starring for his country too. He probably should have a WC title and been on the WC94 team- but Pam Scott opted to bring on her veteran, Sarafina Ikpeazu, for one last ride. Can't argue with those results, of course. But it's his team now. He got onto the team, got the #7 jersey and the starting job right away, and even has a regional title to show for it, being a key starter on Banija's AOCAF 70 winning team- the final AOCAF.

Of course, while he has been a bright spot, the team has gone quite far downhill since then. Widely recognized as the team's best player, he's been given the armband as the captain for the Kadongo Kamu not only this time around, but for the long-term, at just 24 years old. He's gladly taken on that responsibility, and despite there being senior players ahead of him, he will wear the armband for a decade+. He strong believes that he will compete for the biggest possible trophies for Banija, and that their brightest days are ahead- as opposed to behind. Off to a hell of a start following quite a surprising run to the last 8 of World Cup 97- can he build on it with a deep run here at the ARC?

2. Opio Ssambwa

The marauding left back garnered a lot of attention as part of Banija's World Cup winning squad, playing well as a starter in the World Cup Final. When he was 22 years old, the talented left back wrestled the permanent NT role from Sohna Kelley, and is one of the brightest players of the current generation. Coming up through the ranks at Kitara AA, he's off to Herzegovina City in Banija so he can experience the pressures of a title race. Originally trying to stay there for a season, he has liked the place, and inked a long-term contract to spend the majority of his prime years in Banija's oldest city.

Due to his extensive experience with the NT, he's the vice-captain- and, of course, a crucial player on the team. He's been an important contributor for the NT's greatest moments, and he is here trying to bring the team back to its heights. He is known for his relentless positivity, and his strong belief that Banija will get back to the top of the sport.

ARC 3 Group Stage Schedule
MD1: Banija(8) v Equestria(16) @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800) in Brantisvogan, the largest city of The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
MD2: Oontaz(19) v Banija(8) @ Megabrantid Financial Field (cap. 69,245) in Brantisvogan, the largest city of The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
MD3: BYE
MD4: Banija(8) v Milchama(1) @ Megabrantid Financial Field (cap. 69,245) in Brantisvogan, the largest city of The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
MD5: Siovanija and Teusland(11) v Banija(8) @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800) in Brantisvogan, the largest city of The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
Last edited by Banija on Wed Oct 23, 2024 12:01 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Sarzonia
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Postby Sarzonia » Wed Oct 23, 2024 11:57 am

Sarzonia national football team

Style Modifier: 0
Formation: 4-4-2
Code: Select all
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Manager: Caleb Rush, 51
Assistant Managers: Martie Braxton, 44; Christian Thomas, 59; Thad Knight, 48
Goalkeepers Coach: Paolo Gomes, 39

ROSTER (Starters in BOLD)
GOALKEEPERS
1 John Wells
, 20 6-foot-2, 185 pounds (Syracuse United)
33 Scott Harkey, 22 5-foot-9, 175 pounds (Joe Gibbs University)
30 Dayne Marks, 27 5-foot-11, 170 pounds (Corcorran Comets)

DEFENCE
16 Matt Austin, 21 6-foot-4, 220 pounds (Trenton SC)
4 Josh Wilkes, 24 5-foot-10, 175 pounds (Woodstock Wild Reserves)
5 Ken Webb, 28 6-foot-3, 205 pounds (Portland Timbers) CAPTAIN
6 Frank Grant, 22 5-foot-11, 190 pounds (Greenville Greens)

3 Kyler Thomas, 20 6-foot-1, 200 pounds (University of Nicksia) would be emergency goalkeeper
7 Tyler Hoskins, 26 6-foot, 185 pounds (Saugerties United semipro)


MIDFIELD
8 Layton George, 23 6-foot, 185 pounds (Nicksia Knights)
9 Lucius Wesley, 29 5-foot-11, 170 pounds (Portland Timbers Reserves)
12 Harlon "Harley" Masterson, 20 5-foot-9, 165 pounds (Woodstock Wild Reserves)
13 Carrie Andrews, 24 5-foot-10, 160 pounds (Woodstock Justice)

18 Carlos Macias, 21, 5-foot-10, 170 pounds (Ciudad de Somerset)
19 Xander Howard, 19, 5-foot-8, 155 pounds (Cedar Locke Academy)

FORWARDS
10 Kitt Morgan, 25 5-foot-8, 150 pounds (Rainbow United)
14 Spencer Wilson, 20 6-foot-3, 215 pounds (Woodstock Wild Reserves).
Younger brother of Clayton Wilson.
11 Holly Chambers, 24 5-foot-10, 170 pounds (Caribou FC)
15 Kellie Larson, 22 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Portland Power
First WCC Grand Slam Champion
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Sarzonia
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Postby Sarzonia » Wed Oct 23, 2024 12:20 pm

Disappointment seemed to define the last cycle for Caleb Rush and the Sarzonian national football team.

Sure, he managed to get Sarzonia into the World Cup proper, marking the first appearance for Sarzonia in a World Cup since World Cup 85, and sure, he got Sarzonia to the final of the Arrosian Regional Championships in the second edition of the tournament, which is about to begin its third. But Sarzonia's luck during the World Cup ran out against No. 1 Valanora in the newly-created Round of 32 and the Stars lost out in penalties against Milchama in the ARC final. Add to that, the controversy surrounding a player exit from the squad and you have Rush back in his normal frame of mind: Bad mood's ville.

Now? Sarzonia not only face the start of the third ARC, but they do so in what amounts to a Group of Death. For Sarzonia's success in the previous edition, they still peak at No. 5 in Arrosia. That means they're the Pot 2 side in Group A, behind a team that's quickly becoming a regional arch rival in Farfadillis, the No. 3 ranked team and Sarzonia's second opponents in the group stage. The ret of the group doesn't look much easier: Demot, leaders of Pot 3 are Sarzonia's first opponents. Then there's Myrtle Beach and Busoga Islands bringing up the supposed rear.

"The group draw did us no favours," Rush said when asked for his reaction to the draw. "Each of our first two matches are against the team ranked directly below us in the group and the one ranked directly ahead. We could be in peak form and still be eliminated from knockout round contention. We're going to have our work cut out for us for sure."

And that's with a team that's completely unified. This team? It's anyone's guess, as the aftereffects of defender Bill Kelley's dismissal during World Cup 97 still reverberated through the side. Sure, homophobia in the inner workings of Sarzonia's national sporting teams has no welcome refuge, nor does outward expressions of homophobia in Sarzonian society in general. But Kelley still had friends on the team, and Rush knew some of them were still in their feelings about seeing a brother essentially disowned by his family, even if the circumstances made that decision unavoidable. A reporter asked Rush if he'd spoken to Kelley in the days since his place on the team was revoked.

"No," he said. "He's not on this team for good reason," he said. "To use a business expression, He was fired with cause."

After the presser ended, Rush walked off the dais and back to his office. He'd just lied to the media about not speaking with Kelley, when in fact, he had. Or at least, the individual legal representatives of each man had. A close friend of Rush's asked him if he'd had any contact with Kelley personally.

"He sent me a text," Rush admitted to his friend. "I didn't reply because I don't talk to homophobic pieces of sh*t."

As for the first day of training, he watched as the team seemed to pick up where it last left off in the World Cup.

So far, so good, he thought. But with Demot on the horizon, Rush knew it had to be better.

When he went to his hotel room in downtown Damogran near Bridger Lane and the practice facility he and the Stars had contracted to serve as the team's de facto headquarters during their time in the Confederacy, he knew he'd have to ensure the team didn't miss a beat from the opening kickoff. They had no choice. Even if he received assurances from Incorporated Football Federation Chairman and star striker Spencer Wilson's father Zack Wilson that his job was in no jeopardy, he didn't feel like taking that to the bank,

I'm not taking anything for granted, he thought.
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Commonwealth of Baker Park
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Postby Commonwealth of Baker Park » Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:30 pm

Football Association of the Commonwealth

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Major Honors

Winners
5th Under 18 World Championship
9th Under 18 World Championship
62nd AOCAF Cup
66th AOCAF Cup
Cup of Champions (Eagles Cup 13)
DiBradini Cup 53/74th Under 21 World Championship
Runner-up
67th Baptism of Fire
Eagles Cup 13
Women's World Cup 17/Jenna Raven Cup 4
20th Under 18 World Championship
Third Place
58th AOCAF Cup
60th AOCAF Cup
Eagles Cup 14
19th Under-18 World Championship
Fourth Place
World Cup 85
63rd AOCAF Cup
Women's World Cup 15/Jenna Raven Cup 2


Established in 1901, the FAC is the governing body of the sport in Baker Park, maintaining a registry of over 24,000 players between the ages of 11 and 80; 3,500 officials; 128 full member clubs and 350 associate member clubs; sponsoring 12 National Championships for men & women across all levels. in addition to 6 domestic cup competitions; and offering training programs for coaches and physiotherapists covering youth to professional certification.

All time match record—623 wins, 326 losses, 202 draws (1,151 matches)
regional record--73 wins, 22 losses, 20 draws (115 matches) ARC record: 2-2-3

(current through the start of ARC 3)

Current ARC ranking--14.37 (7th)
style--+2.54
Formation—3-4-1-2

Nickname--since the end of the 1960's the National Team has been known as "The Bees", a period when the team's uniforms consisted of alternating black and gold hoops.
Previous to that time and subsequently through periods in the 1980's and 90's, the team was usually referred to by the county's national animal, the Elks; the women's National Team were always 'Lady Elks' until the advent of mixed gender play, which was revived during the Jenna Raven Cup and there are still numerous mentions of Elks in the supporters song “We are the Gold & Black”, which currently has close to 175 stanzas.

Colors--Black & Gold (while they are just 2 of the 5 main colors on the flag of Baker Park--Blue, Red and White are the others--black & gold have been closely associated in the nation's consciousness as representative of the country since its founding.)

Management/Coaches
Manager-Will Barnard
Assistant Manager--Matt Villareal
Coaches--Darren Haller, Chris LaRue, Rich Gabriel


GK			Age	Club				Caps 		ShO
Ian Dickerson 28 Southend AC 19 (1) 1 +2 shared
Mitch Longstreet 24 Clayton City FC 0 (2) 0 +2 shared
Jake Kilpatrick 22 Hannover United FC 0
DEF Age Club Caps Goals
Antoine Jones 28 Learfield FC 42 (1) 1
Michael O'Connor 28 Dalaris City FC (PFA) 41 (5) 1
Carlton Frost 28 Shirley Metros FC 35 (3) 2
Eric Lohmeyer 25 Nor-Dale AFC 9 (2) 1
Marcus Taylor 25 Clayton City FC 10 (3)
Benjy Milhouse 23 Corinthians FC 1 (2)
Peter Newbury 23 Jacksonville City FC 1 (1)
Nikolai Morris 21 Asbury Park FC 0
MID
Shonte Logan 28 Crusaders FC 43 (9) 3
Anthony Romero 27 North Royalton Town FC 18 (4) 4
Carlton Morgan 27 Victoria & Albert SC 26 (10) 6
Travis Howard 26 Jamestown City FC 11 (7) 1
Cornelius Boyle 24 Monmouth Park FC 1 (1)
Craig Domicelli 24 New Bremen FC 1 (1)
Jake Ludwig 24 Souhend AC 1
Anthony Dixon 23 Newport City FC 1 (2)
Edward Ogwumike 26 Hillsborough FC 15 (7) 5
FWD
Chris Sonjini 26 Midtown AC 10 (5) 4
Shaheen Cohen-Abdullah 28 North Lima SC 14 (4) 4
Terrell London 26 Hillsborough FC 18 (5) 10
Tommy Applegate 23 Learfield FC 1
Paulo Everhart 21 Newmarket Saxons FC 0
Edwin Azikiwe 21 Riverside City FC 0


Manager Will Barnard has named a roster for the third edition of the Arrosia Regional Championship that looks much like that of his number two Zoe Montgomery's group that competed in the Women's World Cup. Each squad has just a single player with 50 or more caps, there are a large number of cappies and bantams expected to get a lot of minutes and the overall experience level is pretty thin for a Baker Park senior team squad.

ARC 3 will be the test bed for the national team's newest generation of men much as the Jenna Raven Cup was for the female cohort; the 26 players in this squad have a combined total of 391 caps, an average of 15 per man, making this one of the Commonwealth's least experienced teams to ever don the Gold & Black.

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Oontaz Dert Li Ng
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Postby Oontaz Dert Li Ng » Sat Oct 26, 2024 6:54 am

Image
SULTANATE OF OONTAZ DERT LI NG
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL TEAM


This is the third time that the Sultanate of Oontaz will be participating in the Arrosian Regional Championship. The nation is a mix of Muslims and Catholics, with the Mohammedans concentrated in the northern part of the country and the Christians living mostly in the southern islands. Despite a turbulent early history which saw both religious groups fighting constant wars and rebellions, by the time Abanhfleft came and established diplomatic relations with the nation in 1921, a general "peace" had settled between the two groups, and today both are content to consider each other as Oontazniks. Despite being a sultanate, the freedom of religion is valued by the nation, although it would be good advice to say that while the Catholics and Christians might be welcoming, even accommodating, to foreigners of strange new religions, the Muslims might not be so welcoming.

BASIC INFORMATION
Name of nation: Sultanate of Oontaz Dert Li Ng
Demonym: Oontaznik
Nickname: Lions of Sand and Sea
Team colors: Green and white
Style modifier: -2.0 (Defensive this time around)
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Head coach: Faris Feraoun (72 y/o, Oontaz Dert Li Ng)

STARTERS
GK: Ayachi KHATOUI 32 y/o, Admiral Novorossiysk Image (Pridnestrovia)

RB: Salman MUWARRAQ 30 y/o, Sub Deg Raiders A.F.C. Image (Copper Cuprum)

RCB: Reda CHOUCHANE 34 y/o, Pasargad Manitogoro Image

LCB: Kenny PARDO 31 y/o, Atletico Bed Deg Image (Copper Cuprum)

LB: Moacir OUANO 30 y/o, Bananas FC Image (Abanhfleft)

RM: Jefferson MONTIEL 32 y/o, Pasargad Manitogoro Image

LM: RAMADAN Ibrahim 31 y/o, Malabon SC Image (Abanhfleft)

RW: Mohd JAMAL bin Hassani 31 y/o, Vigan Athletic Image

CAM: ABDILLAH bin Ahmad Shariffuddin 30 y/o, Botafogo de Maranao Image

LW: Ortizan KARISMA 31 y/o, Dinamo Macaresti Image (Pridnestrovia)

FW: Donnie ONG 33 y/o, General Santos F.C. Image

RESERVES
GK: Pablo Ramon JATIVA 25 y/o, Thereisnogodistan Image (Abanhfleft)

GK: Orlando VIDAL 27 y/o, Paulsen FC Image (Abanhfleft)

DEF: CASSIO Conceicao 33 y/o, Ludogorets Markovsky Image (Abanhfleft)

DEF: Lotfi HAMMAMI 24 y/o, Rayo La Presa Image

DEF: Manuel WHEELER 33 y/o, Malabon SC Image (Abanhfleft)

DEF: Hakim MANSOUR 35 y/o, Atletico Bed Deg Image (Copper Cuprum)

MID: Yossi SANTIAGO 35 y/o, Bananas FC Image (Abanhfleft)

MID: Usman Iskander BARKAWI 28 y/o, Esteghlal Omidinabad Image

MID: José Miguel CARRASQUEL 30 y/o, Rayo La Presa Image

FW: Saleh M'HADHEBI 23 y/o, Fudukwan FC Image

FW: Anwar BUGARANI 32 y/o, Malabon SC Image (Abanhfleft)

FW: Amir ZEMMAMOUCHE 22 y/o, Um al-Gwarif FC Image

FORMATION
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HOME STADIA
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Official name: Sultan Abubakar International Stadium
Capacity: est. 70,000
Tenant: Pasargad Manitogoro FC


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Official name: Emir Nawwaz bin Marwan ibn Baloch Stadium
Capacity: est. 42,000
Tenant: Gryphons Nubalochi FC


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Official name: Estadio Honorario General Artemio Espinosa Villavicencio
Capacity: est. 32,000
Tenant: General Santos FC


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Official name: Estadio Commemorativo Sargento Primero Leopoldo Mamintas
Capacity: est. 60,000
Tenant: FC Botafogo de Maranao


SCHEDULE
Win-loss record: 15-7-16 (penalty shootouts counted as draws)
To be edited...

RP PERMISSIONS
Anything except killing my players is fair game.

Style modifier: -2.00 (Negative two point zero zero)
The Sultanate of Oontaz Dert Li Ng Oontaz
Leader: Sultan Kudarat Oontaz
Client state of the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft

What do you get when you put together Saudi Arabia and the Philippines? Why, Oontaz, I hope!
I hear Atlantian Oceania Arrosia is good this time of the year.

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Banija
Senator
 
Posts: 4339
Founded: Mar 06, 2015
Capitalist Paradise

Postby Banija » Sun Oct 27, 2024 5:48 am

Image

Banija has 'confidence' heading into a tough group at the Arrosia Regional Championships


BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- As Banija prepares to fly to the home of the World Cup Champions, the Squornshelan Confederacy, for the start of the Arrosia Regional Championships, there is cautious excitement and confidence in the team camp. The Banijans have always felt that consistency on all fronts was the key to reaching the top- and ergo, have always placed tremendous importance on doing well in the regional tournament. The Kadongo Kamu have never missed the knockout stages of a regional tournament, with 19 successful qualifications from 19 group stages, dating back to AOCAF 54. They will look to make it 20 from 20 here in this tournament.

The group we have been given, however- across those tournaments, it may be the toughest group that the Banijans have been placed in. We'll start with the first two Matchdays, a pair of familiar opponents- the Sultanate of Oontaz, who we've played a number of times in the AOCAFs (and never lost to), and Equestria- our historic biggest rival in this sport. The Banijans will be favored in both of those matchups, but neither is a gimme. "We all watched the same World Cup together, right?" The team's manager, George Wangolo, asked reporters ahead of the tournament. "There was all sorts of chaos there- all sorts of lower ranked teams were pulling crazy upsets, left and right. We've got to be on guard- while we obviously want to spring one, we are as vulnerable as anybody us."

Those opening two games will be telling. If they want to get out of this group, where only the top two from five advance to the Quarterfinals, they will likely need 6 points from 6 possible in their opening two games. That's just the way the schedule is, that's how it's laid out- there is no ifs, ands, or buts about that. How do the Banijans do that? By focusing on what they do well. "There's a lot that we do well, and we showcased that during the latter half of World Cup Qualifying, as well as the Finals themselves." Wangold told reporters. "We can't let the moment get the better of us, especially against Equestria, a bitter blood rival, on Matchday 1. Got to focus on our game- allow us to create chances, press with discipline, and show why we are in the upper echelon of this region to begin with."

on MD3, the Banijans have a well-timed bye. On MD4, they face their toughest opponent of the group- none other than the Arrosia #1s, and the defending tournament champions, Milchama. "They are the best team in this region, the kings of this region, until somebody takes it away- that's a matchup we are certainly going to be looking forward to." Wangolo told reporters. "We want to build ourselves back to where we were- a top 6 nation, consistently sitting in Pot 1 for World Cups and regional tournaments, always a threat to win whatever tournament we are at. We have gotten away from that, obviously- but World Cup 97 showed that we can get back there. The Milchama game- a great measuring stick for how close we are to being in the best of the best."

And lastly, there will be the closest team to Banija by rank in this group- Siovanija & Teusland will be the opponent on MD5. A neighbor and one of our greatest allies, there hasn't been a ton of competitive, big matches between these two- but if they are facing off for a spot in the QF on MD5, then expect a cracker. "These guys know each other well, the two countries know each other well." Said a TV analyst. "So much is intertwined there. Nobody would want to lose that matchup- and on paper, both teams are actually fairly equal. Guaranteed cracker of a match, a bigger party in the stands, as the fans would certainly inter-mix, at least outside of the stadium."

Banija's got eyes for glory. May not be there quite yet. Are the semifinals a reasonable ambition? Only time will tell. But first, you've got to get out of this rough group. And that journey starts tomorrow night, against Equestria.
Former champion of quite a few things. Former President of even more things.
Kabaka = King
Lubuga = Queen Consort
Isebantu = Crown Prince
Waziri = Foreign Minister
Katikkiro = Prime Minister
Omugabe/Omugaba= Prince/Princess
Banija Domestic Sports | Map of Banija
NSCF 14 CHAMPIONS(Loyola-Istria), NSCF 17 CHAMPIONS(Loyola-Istria), NSCF 19 CHAMPIONS(Northern Moravica), NSCF 21 CHAMPIONS(Loyola-Istria)
Sporting World Cup 8. WBCs 47 & 51. Di Bradini Cup 47. World Cup 86. IBC 30, 31, 32, 33. National Trophy Cabinet.
Does your country need public transit? Contact the RTC!
If you see this, assume you have an embassy in my country and we have an embassy in yours!

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Xuois
Lobbyist
 
Posts: 16
Founded: Nov 14, 2018
Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

Postby Xuois » Sun Oct 27, 2024 9:09 am

La Fédération xuoisaise de football présente
la liste des vingt-trois joueurs pour participer au troisième Championnat régional d'Arrosie

Introduction

Xuois is a young nation, like the young world of Arrosia, so all Xuoisan footballers are amateurs. The team wears sky-blue shirts, red shorts, and white socks. If necessary, the team can also wear white shirts, white shorts, and black socks. The team is called les bleus-et-rouges or les civiliseurs.

Résultats de compétition

Coupes de la CFAOA 57-63: (banni de compétition)
Coupe de la CFAA 1: 1er tour (21e)
Coupe de la CFAA 2: (suspendu temporairement de compétition)
Coupe de la CFAA 3: 1er tour (22e)
Coupes de la CFAA 4-7: (banni de compétition)
CRA 1: demi-finale (4e)
CRA 2: barrages (12e)

Record contre l’Arrosie : trois victoires, quatre nuls, quatre défaites ; onze buts marqués, quinze buts encaissés
Record total : cinq victoires, sept nuls, huit défaites ; vingt et un buts marqués, vingt-six buts encaissés

La liste des vingt-trois

Gardiens de but

1. Théophile GÉROUX (35 ans)
12. Humbert LEFÈVRE (35 ans)
23. Bruno GILBERT (31 ans)

Défenseurs

2. Fiacre GAGNON (40 ans)
3. Corentin BOURREAU (37 ans)
4. Horace LANE (37 ans)
13. Amaury BABIN (37 ans)
14. Gustave JACQUET (37 ans)
15. Théophile BONNAY (33 ans)

Milieux de terrain

5. Romuald FAVREAU (37 ans)
6. Florent LÉCUYER (39 ans)
7. Florentin BOUCHER (36 ans)
8. Jean-Luc CHARRON (37 ans)
9. Urbain ADAM (36 ans)
16. Laurent D’ARAMITZ (40 ans)
17. Yves SERGEANT (30 ans)
18. Diodore DUMAS (31 ans)
19. Léonard BRISBOIS (35 ans)

Attaquants

10. Adélard LÉVÊQUE (37 ans)
11. Samuel HERBERT (37 ans)
20. Gabin FAVREAU (38 ans)
21. Adrien PÉRIGORD (36 ans)
22. Liam SAUVETERRE (30 ans)

Sélectionneur

Maxence NOYER (71 ans)
Michaël LECLERC (55 ans) (assistant)

Analyse

Personnel

The team uses a 3–5–2 formation. Usually, the starters are the players wearing the numbers 1–11. All the defenders in the team aside from Lane are right-footed. R. Favreau and D’Aramitz are left wingbacks, while Lécuyer and Sergeant are right wingbacks. Boucher, Charron, and Dumas are defensive midfielders, while Adam and Brisbois are box-to-box midfielders. Lévêque and Sauveterre are second strikers, G. Favreau and Herbert are target men, and Périgord can play as an attacking midfielder, a second striker, or a winger.

Maxence Noyer, who played centre back for Xuois at the CAFA Cup, was Roland Montagne’s assistant manager at the inaugural ARC. Noyer took over as national team manager at the previous edition of the tournament in Baker Park, where he guided the team into the playoff round. Once a teammate on Xuois’s CAFA Cup 1 roster, former striker Michaël Leclerc is the team’s assistant manager. Xuois has never failed to make the ARC knockout stages, and they will hope to get at least that far this time, too.

Tactique

If anything, Noyer’s preferred tactical approach is incredibly physical and stultifying. The team relishes the chance to destroy all opponents which stand in its way. Xuois leaves nine or ten players behind the ball in defense. They form a rigid structure close to their own goal resembling a 5–4–1 formation. Once the team regains possession, they hope to score on the counterattack.

Noyer does not discourage hard, aggressive challenges, so expect fouls, cards, and potentially even sendings off. It is also not unheard of for opposing players to be taken off via injury, although Noyer denies this is an intentional strategy. Curiously, the rate of Xuoisais red cards and opponent injuries in matches seems to increase markedly on fouls against players who are not also white men.

Alors, allons-y !

Autres détails

Style modifier: -4.5
If my opponent writes first, they may choose my goalscorers, assign cards, and generate injuries.

Pour le roi sur Terre, et pour le Dieu au paradis : Allez ! Allez ! Allez, allez ! Allez les civiliseurs !
Xuois
A repressive colonial state in Anaia

Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed from this account are purely IC and do not in any way represent my own personal beliefs.
A project of Qusmo.

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Squornshelan Remnant States
Diplomat
 
Posts: 759
Founded: Jun 25, 2018
Left-wing Utopia

ARC Part 1

Postby Squornshelan Remnant States » Sun Oct 27, 2024 12:23 pm

Undertow Interlude: Election Soundbites
Part 1


“It is a disgrace; it is an insult to the people of Molvania.”

Governor Todor Soltys spoke at a small rally held on the front lawn of the executive mansion in Lutenblag, Molvania, his own residence. A longstanding member of the Molvanian National Party, Soltys had an infectious charm and the voice of a natural orator. His rise through the party rank to its pinnacle seemed almost inevitable in retrospect. The people of Molvania adored him and while the MNP’s limited appeal beyond the borders of the Confederacy’s westernmost state meant this was the highest office he’d ever hold, it certainly hadn’t stopped him from running for president on occasion. No true politician would pass up the opportunity to grandstand, especially with the media happy to broadcast their opinions on issues of the day across the entire nation, all the more so if those opinions sparked controversy.

“The Confederate government has always looked down its nose at Molvania and her people.” He left space for angry shouts from the crowd. “They have not kept our streets safe from crime, they have not brought jobs and opportunity. Now we are told that Molvania is not worthy of playing host to the region’s finest football tournament. We are told that the great genius Dudu Madeiros can find only two Molvanians he deems worthy of the national team. Not content with merely slighting us from Chalesm and Brantisvogan, they bring in a foreigner to snub us as well. I ask you, when is enough enough?” The crowd roared its outrage.

“People of Lutenblag, people of Molvania, the time has come when Molvania can no longer wait patiently. She can no longer merely ask for her due. We must take matters into our own hands. Send me to Chalesm as your president, and I will clear away the muck of prejudiced bureaucracy and together we will usher in a new era of justice and prosperity for this great nation!”
The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
Successor State to the Imperium of Squornshelous
Champions:
World Cup 31, World Cup 97, AOCAF Cup 69, ARC 1, ICC 2
World Cup:
2nd: 15, 38
3rd: 20, 25
SF: 18, 27
QF: 5, 11, 12, 22, 30, 32, 33, 34, 40
Ro16: 6, 7, 9, 16, 21, 23, 24, 28, 36, 37, 39, 90, 93
Group Stage: 8, 10, 13, 17, 19, 26, 29, 35, 41, 88, 91, 92, 94
DNQ: 14, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 95
Cup of Harmony:
QF: 6, 73, 75, 81
Ro16: 74
Ro32: 79
Group Stage: 76, 77, 87
Regional:
2nd: AOCAF65
3rd: IAC8, AOCAF67, AOCAF68
QF: IAC10, IAC13, AOCAF66, AOCAF70
2nd Round: IAC6, IAC7, IAC12
1st Round: IAC9, IAC11
Other:
BoF68 QF

Squorn is an unknowable entity -Mriin

User avatar
Valanora
Senator
 
Posts: 4958
Founded: Sep 03, 2007
Democratic Socialists

Postby Valanora » Sun Oct 27, 2024 12:34 pm

From the Offices of the VSC does the Marauder information come

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod Scoring Events Y
RP injuries to my players Y (no more than one game out)
Godmod injuries to my players N
Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y
Hand out Red cards to my players N
Godmod Other Events Y

What is the name of…

…the five time World Cup champions?
The Eternal Empire -or- Valanora (known prior to World Cup 37 as Elves Security Forces)

...the other nations involved in Valanora?
Sabine and Caddonia, Vyinta, and Dark Templara

…the nation in which this Commonwealth play their home matches?
Elves Security Forces (sometimes ESF in shortphrase)

…people from the Commonwealth?
Vanorians or Vanors

…the person who created this mess?
Elves Security Forces

Style Modifier: +3

Kits

Image

Home Away Third


Manager
Image Ellzidan (F)
Age: 3407
The Drawkian elf comes into a culture that seems to fit her own way of playing and will try to pick up where Dan Eastwood and Emeline Millet left off, hopefully replicating the Euran's penchant for winning trophies. The team looks like it is set to open up a bit more under Elizidan's guidance, returning to a form of football that they are more accustomed to that it was during Millet's time at the helm. Getting her tenure as the manager off to a good start with a deep run in the ARC or even winning the trophy would go a long way towards endearing her to the fans of the team and look to separate her from Millet, who had an infamous record when it came to tournaments outside the World Cup.

Assistant Manager
Matheo Dybvik
Age: 46
A former national team centerback, Dybvik looks to be the counter balance towards Elizidan's more offensive slant, looking to ensure the team does stay reliably sturdy through the middle and on the defense. Also being a Vanorian, there is hope that he will also be able to bridge the gap in any sort of culture clash or misunderstanding for the Drawkian while she is at the helm of the Marauders.

Keepers
GK: Tobias Propst, age 22, CA Paulinthal Image
GK: Edward Solheim, age 34, Mar Sara FC
GK: Ines Meyer, age 28, Soldarian FC (F)

The revolving door at the keeper position continues to swirl although if things continue as they are for Tobias Propst in Pasarga, where he has been the starting keeper for the mighty CA Paulinthal for three seasons, the question mark may be solved. Three solid seasons as that number one for CAP, Propst has earned his way to this position, especially after performing well with the U21 national team. Behind him is the bigger question marks, as the best players are the wrong side of thirty in the form Solheim but they could easily step in should Propst falter under the weight of international play. Meyer has done well with the Blades the last two seasons and earns her spot on the team for the time being.

Defenders
LB: Joakim Söderström, age 29, Soldarian FC
LB: Benjamin Foerster, age 29, Raynor City United
CB: Franziska Maurer, age 29, CA Paulinthal Image
R/CB: Florian Beike, age 29, Stein-los Turkish Image
CB: Rasmus Andersen, age 25, Megabrantid Image
CB: Samira Lindström, age 31, Raynor City United (F)
L/CB: Thea Borgen, age 25, VLC FC Image (F)
RB: Laura Adler, age 29, Mipojoseon Image (F)
C/RB: Sigurd Nikolaisen, age 22, Mâ Âlâmëómë Image

Defense is not a Vanorian strong suit, but it will be Millet's job to turn a bunch of individually talented players into a truly respectable defense that opposing teams are not licking their chops at the idea of taking on. That begins with shifting from a back three into a back four that should hopefully provide a bit more defensive stability. Adler has been a revelation on the right since her move to Quebec, helping helm a defense that is exceptionally difficult to breach, with the hope that translates well into the national team. In the middle Maurer's performance at the proper and a good domestic career see her get the starting nod with Beike, who while normally prefers the right fullback role can slot into the middle with ease to offer a solid center of the team. The left side is perhaps the strongest part of the the defensive pool with players in their prime, Söderström being the best of the bunch with staunch play in back to back seasons with the Blades.

Midfielders
AML/ST: Lucas Winkel, age 29, Stein-los Turkish Image
LW: Anke Waechter, age 29, Latrobe Athletic Image (F)
D/MC: Olaf Myrhe, age 22, Soldarian FC
D/MC: Ylva Stjern, age 25, Osarese Marcadia Image (F)
MC: Julia Strömberg, age 29, Hondo FC (F)
MC: Carissa Mercado, age 28, FC Capri (F)
MC: Zack Sjöberg, age 22, CA Paulinthal Image
AMC/ST: Laborious Hawk, age 764, Myana Image
AMC: Melina Lindgren, age 32, Hondo FC (F)
L/RW: Aya Haukås, age 25, CA Paulinthal Image (F)
AMR/ST: Lina Gården, age 25, Strathcona Internationals Image (F)

Few words can truly encapsulate the sheer amount of skill and drive that Laborious Hawk provides in the middle of the park and with the change in formation, he will likely shift to being more of a shadow striker sort of position rather than a facilitator. Veteran center midfielder Julia Strömberg will look to take up the mantle of playmaker in the middle, a role she is quite accustomed to with her coming through and playing for Hondo and their more offensive outlook even among Vanorian clubs. After a few stellar showings, Myrhe and his impressive six foot six stature will play the role of destroyer and screen the defense when needed to. With Holt no longer a part of the squad, the team will now lean on Winkel but it is going from strength to strength as the pool is extremely deep on the left. The Kelssek league has proven good proving grounds for Vanorians on the wing with both Anke Waechter on the left and Lina Gården on the right using the league's high reputation and good performances within it to make the team even if they are not expected to start.

Forwards
ST: Imre Haaland, age 25, Stein-los Turkish Image
ST: Klara Holmberg, age 29, Megabrantid Image (F)
ST/AMC: Julia Hahn, age 29, Hondo FC (F)
AMLC/ST: Caspian Garberg, age 25, Latrobe Athletic Image

Haaland's time is now, several seasons tearing it up with Turkish with two SuperLiga titles to his name with as many golden boots and it's clear that Juavi was never going to be enough for the lad. Strong enough to hold off the more physical defenders, fast enough to get behind them, and with a good nose for goal that has developed from a young age. While no means a dominant striker in any one area, his collective game is hard to beat and will make him a force to reckon at the head of the Marauders' attack and affords Millet flexibility in her approach game to game. Holmberg will be off the bench for someone with a bit more pace and the experience that she can bring to a game. Hahn and Garberg are like Haaland and have a bit more a well rounded game, both able to play further back if needed, Garberg using the reputation increase from Kelssek's league growth and his own decent scoring record for Latrobe to earn the callup.

Captain: Laborious Hawk
Set Piece Taker: Laborious Hawk
Penalty Taker: Imre Haaland
Right Corner:
Left Corner:

Tactics
Image

Elizidan is a manager who has the same sort of outlook as a traditional Vanorian might have in the game, looking to be on the front foot with a domination of the middle of the park and possession. The team is expected to have quite a bit of pace to be able to press the opposition, get back in defensive cover, and able to spring forward with lethality on a counter attack when the situation calls for it. Though the team does not return to a two striker system, there is a feel that the team will more easily settle into her version of a 4-5-1 than what they had been asked to under Millet.
World Cup 40, 42, 43, 52, & 61 Champions
WC 47, 51, 94 (2nd), WC 34, 38, 39, 41, 44, 45, 53, 60, 67, 92 (3rd), WC 49, 58, 87, 90 (Semifinalist), WC 33, 35-37, 46, 48, 54, 55, 62, 63, 65, 72, 83, 85, 86, 88, 91 (Quarterfinalist)
WCoH VII, VIII, XVII, XXVIII, XXX, XXXII (1st), WCoH I, XXXI, XL (2nd), WCoH II, XXIX (3rd), WCoH XII (4th)
AOCAF 44, 46, 51, 53, 65, 68 Champions, AOCAF 39, 43, 55, 59, 64 Runners Up
Co-Hosted: too many events to count

EPL Season 20,073

I am that which I am and choose to be.

User avatar
Valanora
Senator
 
Posts: 4958
Founded: Sep 03, 2007
Democratic Socialists

Postby Valanora » Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:12 pm

For the second time in recent memory the Marauders had made it to the World Cup Final and were on the brink of winning that elusive six title and finally have gotten that off their backs. The first time they ran into a buzzsaw of a Banija team that they were clearly the worse team than and were subsequently thumped and sent reeling a bit. Despite that loss though, the team had gone into that championship bout knowing that the odds of them pulling out a result against that Banija team were slim and the team had made great strides to even having been able to make it to the Final and be a real threat to win the World Cup once more. It had been quite some time since the Marauders had actually been in a real conversation to be among the favorites to getting to the Final as well as winning it, that the disappointment of not being able to overcome a great Banija team was muted with the knowledge that they had been able to get to that stage once more and the entire national team program seemed to be on a massive upswing. If they could continue on with that momentum, then they would surely have more chances again in the near future and by the law of averages and the belief in their own talent, would eventually get that sixth title.

Sure enough they made it to the semifinals twice as well and then a month ago in Rushmore, they had ascended all the way to the top to once more be competing for the World Cup title, this time against a somewhat unheralded team from Squornshelous. The two teams have met on several occasions in the past and many Marauder historians will tell you that their showdown in the Finals of World Cup 39 was what provided the thrust that the team of the forties and early fifties used to become one of the most dominant teams to have ever played the game. Two unbeaten cycles, four World Cup titles, and a massive rivalry with Starblaydia that lasted a whole age and might have been the only thing that prevented elven hegemony over the sport of football for the better part of half a century. However coming into the Final, the Marauders were the number one team in the world who had yet to lose a game during the Qualifiers and the Finals themselves against a scrappy Squornshelous who might have benefited from a kind draw and path to the Final. In a showdown of a titan against the common person, it was not the titan who would emerge victorious, though still unbeaten in a weird twist of fate as the game was decided on spot kicks, going down as a draw officially.

Quietly a day after the Final, Millet was officially relieved of her duties as her contract had come to an end with the VSC and the governing body for all sports in the Empire decided not to renew her contract, thanks in large part to the disconnect that the Ko-orenite manager had with the fans of the national team. The VSC then quickly ran a hiring process and within two weeks had found their replacement to head the Marauders, the Drawkian elf Elizidan, who was recently made a free agent. It is said that the Drawkian interviewed extremely well and that their outlook and personality really jived well with those who had been sent to interview and she was handed the job offer within two days of the interview and accepted. With less than two weeks to select a squad before the team was set to make a trip to the very same Squornshelous who had just upset the team in the Final, the Elf decided to utilize much of the same roster as what the team had taken to the Finals but made some hardline calls in not taking anyone over thirty, with the exception of the Vanorian elf Hawk, as well as Solheim as the back up keeper, as a move to try and get to know the team and how the next generation can fit in.

It has to seem like a whirlwind for the players, losing bitterly in that penalty shootout in a game where they had been the heavy favorites in and everyone had believed that after the final whistle was blown that they would have captured that sixth title, to then having the manager sacked and a new one hired, then having to turn around for the regional championship a month after the Final. It will be a tournament where we will see the emotional maturity and the mental toughness of the squad, whether they are ready to put the disappointment in the past or if it will be a specter that will haunt them for the foreseeable future. There has to be a bit of a kick in the teeth for the team to head to the nation who just dealt them that blow and if the team can overcome what looks to be a fairly straightfoward group on paper, with Qasden looking to be the most difficult opponent and even then it seeming to be a bit on an unfair contest, they will have the chance for redemption in the knockouts. Last edition they let their guard down and were bested by a Milchama team they were clearly better than while in a better mental space than they currently are on, so the challenge will be there, even if it looks to be more of a mental and emotional one than the opponents on the pitch.
World Cup 40, 42, 43, 52, & 61 Champions
WC 47, 51, 94 (2nd), WC 34, 38, 39, 41, 44, 45, 53, 60, 67, 92 (3rd), WC 49, 58, 87, 90 (Semifinalist), WC 33, 35-37, 46, 48, 54, 55, 62, 63, 65, 72, 83, 85, 86, 88, 91 (Quarterfinalist)
WCoH VII, VIII, XVII, XXVIII, XXX, XXXII (1st), WCoH I, XXXI, XL (2nd), WCoH II, XXIX (3rd), WCoH XII (4th)
AOCAF 44, 46, 51, 53, 65, 68 Champions, AOCAF 39, 43, 55, 59, 64 Runners Up
Co-Hosted: too many events to count

EPL Season 20,073

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User avatar
Demot
Attaché
 
Posts: 94
Founded: May 20, 2005
New York Times Democracy

Postby Demot » Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:15 pm

Demot "Dynamo" Roster

Kits
ImageImage Image
Home Away Third


Manager: Chris Gilliam, age 49
Assistant: Vivian Moody, age 50 (F)

Modifier: +3

GK: Veronica Soto, age 28, Club Demot (F)
GK: Claude Ramos, age 30, Santa Rosa FC
GK: Michael Thrasher, age 35, Likewell Kirk
LB: Jessica León, age 28, Likewell Kirk (F)

LB: Robert Hernandez, age 26, Santa Rosa FC
CB: Ryan Storm, age 34, Tiranyus FC
CB: Gabriel Boyle, age 24, Likewell Kirk
RB: Albert Gilliam, age 34, Likewell Kirk

RB: Ebony Horner, age 29, Tiranyus FC (F)
RW: Gregory Jackson, age 34, Oceanic United
RW: Valencia Stewart, age 34, Skyhaven FC (F)
LW: Eda Bergeron, age 33, Club Demot (F)

LW: Ángel Murphy, age 29, Atalantian FC
MC: Vivian Ferreri, age 25, Mirria City(F)
MC: Dana Henry, age 29, Likewell Kirk (F)
AMC: Beverly Harding, age 34, Mirria City (F)
AMC: Carl Mason, age 32, Santa Rosa FC
AMC: Clarence Bernard, age 28, Likewell Kirk
AMC: David Willis, age 32, Santa Rosa FC
ST: Mary Eades, age 35, Likewell Kirk (F)

ST: Myrtle Detwiler, age 30, Oceanic United (F)
ST: Arnulfo Haskell, age 29, Skyhaven FC
ST: Sara Jones, age 35, Club Demot (F)

I Give To My Opponent The Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events: N
Injure Players: Y, but no more than two games out
Godmod Injury Events: N
Red Card Players: Y
Yellow Card Players: Y
Godmod Other Events: TG me first.
=================================

User avatar
Demot
Attaché
 
Posts: 94
Founded: May 20, 2005
New York Times Democracy

Postby Demot » Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:34 pm

There is a feeling within Demot that the national team as well as her club's were starting to hit a stagnation point after a period of accelerated growth following the reprofessionalistion of the top tier of the domestic league. While the second and third tier continue to operate at a mostly semi-professional status, the top tier has been completely professional for some time now and has seen the teams from Demot cause a few upsets here and there in the AOCL and now the Hui La following the reorganization into the Arrosia federation and region following the massive political and corruption issues that were made known just about seven years ago now. The national team as well has done decently, making the knockouts of the regional tournament on a handful of occasions and by all accounts giving a good showing for the team even when they have failed to make it to the knockout stages. For a federation that refuses to send teams to IFCF and WCC recognized events, they have achieved otherwise a respectable status amongst the footballing powers that be in the region, thanks in large part to the contributions of Banija and Siovanija and Teusland.

Yet the national team and the clubs seemed to have found their level or have hit their ceiling and it is a cause for some mild concern among the football faithful within the nation who had dreamt of seeing their local clubs actually compete for a Hui La title or to be in honest contention for the ARC. Neither of those look to be entirely plausible as it stands for a myriad of reasons, such as how dominant Likewell Kirk continues to be despite not being the only professional club in the nation anymore, as well as a general lack of investment in the infrastructure of the nation to see better youth prospects coming through the ranks. If a young footballer is not living in or around the likes of Skyhaven or Mirria, then the access they have to good training facilities and coaching drastically decreases. The wealth of the nation is located in the central hub around the capital and the nearby cities and unfortunately for those who want to play the game and try to achieve their best, they either need to move there or be left out and left behind, which is far from the ideal situation for a footballing nation that is trying to improve its stature.

Perhaps though this respectable status that the national team and the clubs like Likewell Kirk and Club Demot have achieved over the last decade should be enough for a nation that does not have the greatest economy and is not as invested into sports as many of the other nations not just in the world but just in the region as well. However being seen as the younger sibling to the more sophsticated and talented neighbors does have a way of creeping under ones skin and even for a peaceful and humble people like which Demotians are, it can become grating especially if the outsiders continue to push even when it has become quite clear the bragging should have ceased.

Hope does spring eternal and despite what some are calling a group of death in the upcoming ARC in Squornshelous, the Dynamo instead can see it as a massive opportunity to rise above their respected but not really considered status and maybe make a play for something a bit more at least within the region. The team's easiest fixture looks to be Myrtle Beach, though even they have quality, and when considering the team also has to take on fellow southwestern neighbors of Farfadillis and Busoga Islands, you can see where the challenge is. That's without taking into account the Dynamo's first opponent, which is Sarzonia, a team whom was in contest for among the best in the region last edition and will no doubt want to be in a deep run once more. The team the Dynamo have sent is a bit long in the tooth in a certain places but that experience is the sort of thing that can prove vital in keeping the nerves in check in that opening match, especially against such a difficult opponent. There is no guarantees that the team can get a result or even a real chance of making it out of the group, and yet if they can that perception of stagnation might need to see itself kindly out the door.

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Squornshelan Remnant States
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Left-wing Utopia

ARC 3 MD1

Postby Squornshelan Remnant States » Sun Oct 27, 2024 2:08 pm

Time marches on, the world keeps turning Wheels keep spinning, and RP windows keep getting cut off.

MD 1 RP CUTOFF

Matchday 1 Scores:

Group A

Demot 0–1 Sarzonia
Farfadillis 3–0 Busoga Islands

Group B
Valanora 0–1 Gyatso-kai
Qasden 1–2 Xuois

Group C
Banija 4–1 Equestria
Milchama 2–0 Siovanija and Teusland

Group D
Yakk 3–2 Carpathia and Ruthenia
Squornshelan Remnant States 2–1 Baker Park (scored by South Newlandia)
Last edited by Squornshelan Remnant States on Sun Oct 27, 2024 2:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
Successor State to the Imperium of Squornshelous
Champions:
World Cup 31, World Cup 97, AOCAF Cup 69, ARC 1, ICC 2
World Cup:
2nd: 15, 38
3rd: 20, 25
SF: 18, 27
QF: 5, 11, 12, 22, 30, 32, 33, 34, 40
Ro16: 6, 7, 9, 16, 21, 23, 24, 28, 36, 37, 39, 90, 93
Group Stage: 8, 10, 13, 17, 19, 26, 29, 35, 41, 88, 91, 92, 94
DNQ: 14, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 95
Cup of Harmony:
QF: 6, 73, 75, 81
Ro16: 74
Ro32: 79
Group Stage: 76, 77, 87
Regional:
2nd: AOCAF65
3rd: IAC8, AOCAF67, AOCAF68
QF: IAC10, IAC13, AOCAF66, AOCAF70
2nd Round: IAC6, IAC7, IAC12
1st Round: IAC9, IAC11
Other:
BoF68 QF

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Carpathia and Ruthenia
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Founded: Apr 01, 2009
Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

Postby Carpathia and Ruthenia » Sun Oct 27, 2024 3:29 pm

Image
Carpathia and Ruthenia ARC III Squad
(Style Mod: +2)


Image
Formation of the Starting XI
Staff
Manager: Image Brelk-Xeral Erv
Assistant Manager: Image Marisa Novák

Starting Lineup
GK: Federica Antonini (20 caps/0 goals)

DF: Panni Verona (3 caps/0 goals)
DF: Szevér Naldi (20 caps/1 goal)
DF: Delia Alinari (2 caps/0 goals)
DF: Loris Kövér (20 caps/0 goals)

MF: Ottavia Lecce (20 caps/0 goals)
MF: Anastagio Brunetti (20 caps/1 goal)
MF: Lucia Vinci (7 caps/1 goals)

FW: Clara Bassi (c) (20 caps/11 goals)
FW: Róza Crocetti (7 caps/3 goals)
FW: Rebecca Pék (20 caps/6 goals)

Substitutes
GK: Marina Voltolini (0 caps/0 goals)
GK: Efisio Rapallino (0 caps/0 goals)

DF: Lazzaro Cino (3 caps/0 goals)
DF: Rosalba Selmone (3 caps/0 goals)
DF: Ermanno Ruzsa (4 caps/0 goals)
DF:Grazia De Marco (0 caps/0 goal)
DF:Fabrizia Buffon (0 caps/0 goal)

MF: Adél Alemagna (20 caps/0 goals)
MF: Giannino Pugliese (3 caps/0 goals)
MF: Salvatore Piccirillo (3 caps/0 goals)
MF: Franciska Büki (5 caps/0 goals)

FW: Annunciate Mondo (3 caps/0 goals)
FW: Gioachino Brunetti (0 caps/0 goals/5 U21 caps/4 U21 goals)
FW: Vida Ildiko (0 caps/0 goal)
FW: Alberto Sabbatini (0 caps/0 goal)

Penalty taker

ImageImageImage
........Home Kit........................Away Kit....................Goalkeeper Kit



Other Information
Fan's Temperament: Good-natured (They will not react violently to a loss and lay siege to the host's city)
Team's Temperament: Normal (Every now and again one player might get sent off, but they are not going to hack/beat up the opposing team as a strategy)
Manager's Temperament: Positive and upbeat, they will go to bat for their players anywhere, anytime, any way, all the way.
RP Permissions: No godmodding goals or killing my players
Formerly known as The Islands of Qutar

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Banija
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Postby Banija » Mon Oct 28, 2024 9:00 am

Image

"It's four!"- High-flying Kadongo Kamu pumps four past the Equestrians as we get off to a 'perfect' start here at ARC 3


BRANTISVOGAN, SQUORNSHELOUS CONFEDERACY- This rivalry game is always one of significance to the Banijans. While Valanora or Farfadillis games tend to typically 'matter' more, you can't beat the history of this rivalry. Facing off amidst political tensions. A whole-ass actual shooting war breaking out- and the two teams meeting, in Banija's first ever World Cup match, in Equestria, in the midst of the Banijan-Equestrian War. That was all the way back at World Cup 80- while the nations are firmly allies now, the sporting rivalry, especially in this sport, never dies. Equestrians could be seen as the first ones to really take the Banijans seriously in this sport- Aaron Aiza being the first ever foreign NTer to ply his trade in the Banijan Soccer League. And of course, who can forget their AOCAF 58 Final in Busukuma?

Of course, we have flown high and into the Sun since those days- and Equestria are not the power that they once were. Equestria controlled this rivalry for so many years- but now, the Banijans have the decided advantage, at least on paper. But these matches are not played on paper, they are played on the pitch- and when Equestria has had your number for as long as they have, the Banijans will always be ready. "We know exactly how good they are, how capable they are." George Wangolo said, the gaffer who played in that World Cup 80 matchup between the two teams. "While the bettors might have us as favorites tonight, nothing's going to come easy- it's going to be a dogfight out there."

But on this day, in this matchup of these AO turned Arrosian rivals, it would be Banija who would be writing the latest chapter.

There are times when it's demanded that you look towards your star men (and women) to carry you through the toughest of times. The last World Cup was certainly a success, but that means the pressure is really on here- can the NT follow it up to further, parlayed success? Early returns from this regional tournament- but things going well. The Banijans looked towards their star attackers, and those star attackers delivered- Son-Saka and Jônn Wérséô both had braces today for the NT, delivering the Banijans our four goals. Son-Saka scored both of his goals in the first half, showcasing his ability to take on defenders directly, and creatively use space. While Equestria buried a penalty just on the stroke of halftime to make it 2-1, the Banijans were clearly outplaying their rivals.

The scoreline was settled in the second half, when Jônn Wérséô scored twice in quick succession- a 65th minute header, followed quickly by a 68th minute volley. Both showcased his own talents, and his ability to beat Equestrian defenders- and his ruthlessness to push the Equestrians all the way out of this game. "These are the type of wins every NT wants- emphatic, strong, and prolific." Said the gaffer, George Wangolo. "It's just one game- and there is so much high-level talent in this region, in a tournament hosted by the reigning World Cup champions. But in terms of getting off to a good start- well, you can't ask for much more than a 4-1 victory over one of your biggest rivals to kick off a tournament."

No, you cannot. But the show must go on- there's plenty of work to do, besides getting these 3 points. Only two of 5 from this group advance to the QFs, so Banija will face off against the Lions of Sand and Sea, from the Sultanate of Oontaz, who had a bye on MD1. There's a lot of history here. In the ARC's predecessor tournament, the Lions of Sand and Sea have met against the Kadongo Kamu on five separate occasions- with the Banijans triumphing in all of them.

Banija v. Oontaz- AOCAF History
Final Group Stage Match of AOCAF LV: Banija 3-1 Oontaz
Round of 16 of AOCAF LVI: Banija 3-2 Oontaz
Final Group Stage Match of AOCAF LVIII: Banija 2-0 Oontaz
Final Group Stage Match of AOCAF 60: Banija 1-0 Oontaz
Final Group Stage Match of AOCAF 69: Banija 2-0 Oontaz


A long history- although not all of it recent. We played each other in 4 of our first 6 AOCAFs, and then, of course, in AOCAF 69- just one meeting in 13 meetings. But there is plenty of history- and although we've never lost to them in the regional tournament, that is history that we can draw upon. "Our two teams are very familiar with one another, and Oontaz are not going to be intimidated by anything- not the stars on our shirt, not anything." Wangolo said. "They are rather unlucky to be 0-5 against us- a few bounces here and there, and they are 2-3 or even 3-2 against us. They always play us close, and the Lions of Sand and Sea will be ready. With our bye after this, we have no reason to not leave everything on the field- in a group stage with such a high bar, you absolutely need to take these sorts of opportunities to earn three points if you want to reach the knockout stages."

Wangolo has a point- the toughest opponents are in front of Banija. The Lions of Sand and Sea are from Pot 5, so it's almost a must-win. Then the bye, and then the defending regional champions follow- but the Banijans cannot look ahead. Their defensive minded team is going to be disciplined, and they are devastating on the counter. But we are favorites and deservedly so- the ambition must be to reach 6 straight wins in the regional tournament against the Lions of Sand and Sea.
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Kabaka = King
Lubuga = Queen Consort
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Sarzonia
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Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

Postby Sarzonia » Mon Oct 28, 2024 10:03 am

Damogran, Algolia, SRS -- Many Sarzonian teams are fortunate enough to be highly ranked in a wide variety of sporting competitions.

Thus, the concept of the "trap-match" and the "trap-match speech" is one that's intimately familiar to Sarzonian national team managers across all sports.

Caleb Rush did not deliver one of those speeches before the team's group stage opener against Demot in the third Arrosian Regional Championships. He didn't feel the need to.

"They're ranked 10th," he said. "If you can't get motivated to play an opponent that's top-10 in your region, you've got no business wearing a Sarzonia kit," the Sarzonian national team manager said after a Spencer Wilson goal in the 74th minute provided the only scoring in Sarzonia's 1-0 win over Demot.

"You don't get top-10 in the world without being a damn good team," Wilon said after the match. "Especially with the new world ranking system that takes regional rankings into account. If you're top-10 in a region, you've earned your place." Wilson said the goal came about on a sequence where he was designed to serve as a decoy, but the ball caromed off a defender and right to him.

"You have to learn to anticipate when the ball's coming your way," he said. "That's all that was."

John Wells made five saves to notch a clean sheet.

The Stars will play their second match in the same venue against regional No. 3 Farfadillis in a battle between two teams that have developed a rivalry at the regional level, at least.

"We don't play them very much in World Cup qualifying or the proper," Wells said. "We've faced them thrice in the past two ARCs though." Farfadillis defeated Sarzonia 3-2 in the inaugural edition, while Sarzonia beat Farfadillis twice, 4-2 during the group stage and then 2-0 in the semifinals.

Wilson overheard Wells answer about Farfadillis, then loudly interjected, "who the hell says thrice?!"

"It's a word!" Wells retored.

"Yeah, but it doesn't belong in a fucking sports interview!"

"Such language!" Rush interjected in a mock indignant tone that got everybody laughing.
First WCC Grand Slam Champion
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Valanora
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Democratic Socialists

Postby Valanora » Tue Oct 29, 2024 1:36 pm

It was something like out of a video game where the game had just decided that nothing you were going to do that night was going to be rewarded. The Marauders marched into that opening game against Gyatso-kai with a point to prove and what was supposed to be one of the weakest teams in the groups, instead the side was left even more bitter after the match had concluded as their opponents had been held to a single shot on target and yet that shot on gone in, while the twelve shots on target that the Marauders had failed to best their opponents keeper. It was not the sort of start that the team had wanted coming off the bitterness of the World Cup Final where they had been so confident of getting that trophy only to be stunned as it was almost a repeat of that sort of motion, just with far less goals between the teams and no penalties to sink the hearts and hopes of the Vanorian public. It had been a game where three goals had been called back for marginal offside calls that might have not been called on another night and another four times where the Marauders had struck the woodwork, only to be denied a considerate bounce. It had simply been a night where it was not to be and the team's sole mistake was enough to cost them even a share of the spoils.

For Elizidan, it will not be the sort of match she would have liked to see to open up her tenure as the manager of the team, knowing that an inability to perform up to expectations in the regional trophy caused a lot of consternation with the fans of the team and helped usher the Ko-oren out the door. While it is a single match at the start of the tenure, it is not getting off on the right foot and opening up her to the same sort of criticism that her predecessor faced from a passionate fan base that expects competing for the trophy if they are not able to lift it. Semifinal runs are the standard with the Marauder side regardless of whatever tournament that the team is entered to or the state of the team, be they in bad form or have a few nagging injuries to key pieces of the team. The public and the media held the team to a very high standard and the records that the team had set over the course of its existence showed why they were expected to do well regardless of circumstance. It was a pressure cooker of an environment and only the best are able to thrive under such a demanding set of circumstances, it was Elizidan's chance to prove she was among the best.

It might behoove the Drawkian to cast her gaze towards roughly a decade ago when Dan Eastwood was still early into his tenure and was setting about righting the teetering ship that was the national team program at the time. Taking a team of fairly unheralded players into the Eagle's Cup and winning that trophy allowed him to springboard that momentum into a deeper national pool that helped the Marauders reestablish themselves as one of the best teams in the sport and not just a once famous name who still manages to participate like some other great teams of yesteryear. While outside her control, it would be wise of Elizidan to get the teams of the Premiership to give Vanorian youngsters a few more opportunities to make the first team and be starters, not consigned to being depth pieces towards more flashy names from abroad. Yet also getting teams from abroad to be able to give the more ambitious and adventurous of the youth players in the nation a chance to come to their teams and thrive, such as we have seen in recent times with the Pasargan league and the joint league of Banija, Busoga, and Farfadillis. It will build a more well balanced team who have seen it all and can react to any situation.

For the moment the team needs to rebound quickly, they luckily have a soft second team on the docket with Al-Tamazgha, whom this will be their first game of the tournament as they had their bye while the rest of the group opened up play. A win going into the team's own bye on the third matchday will give the team a bit of stability and just give some reinsurance to the team and her fans that sometimes the game simply will not go your way and there is nothing wrong about that, simply accept it and move on. We saw them do this in the previous qualifying campaign with a few draws that felt ill timed or frustrating but the team bounced back and had that unbeaten record in the campaign. Show a similar sort of resolve here and the team can then go into the break and have a solid foundation for the remaining two games and make sure those precious results are secured there. It starts with a bounce back here against a side that is the fifth. seed and ranked twenty-first in the region, against a side that they should be considerably better than, though that was also the case with Gyatso-kai. Give Haaland the same opportunities he had in the previous game though and there could be a plethora of goals to get the team right again.
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Demot
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Posts: 94
Founded: May 20, 2005
New York Times Democracy

Postby Demot » Tue Oct 29, 2024 1:53 pm

"Alright, well we had wanted to try and grab a draw with Sarzonia but we knew and expected that was going to be a lot easier said than done. It is fine though, they are a really good team and as long as we can continue to take care of our own business, we should still have a pretty decent shot of advancing out of the group, though it does make it that much more difficult with Farfadillis down the road."

"Perhaps but this is not the normal Farve team, they have not been in the greatest form and they apparently had quite the awful time of it during the Finals and were bounced out at a relatively early stage. While they still have some really dangerous players, we might be able to get something from them if their form really is not in a good way by the time that we do play them after our bye. Getting them in the penultimate matchday could also be a bit of a blessing, as we will know exactly what sort of result we are going to have to get against Busoga in order to have a chance at progressing. Both of our southwestern neighbors are difficult opponents, but we are a top ten team in the region and we have proven ourselves in the past to be quite the difficult out. We have made the knockouts several times before, we can do it again."

"Well, we have Myrtle Beach up next and while they are a good and up and coming side, I do think that the team has all the strength in it to quite well go out and not just win the match but dominate it. As long as we do that, we get a few days rests with our bye in the middle of the group stage and then we get that massive showdown with the Farves as we take our own fire of offense against their brand of attack. It will be quite the showdown and if there is no less than five goals, then I will be quite disappointed given the quality of attack that both teams are going to be able to field. It is truly a matchup of seeing who can score one more goal than the other and really take no heed of what is happening on the back end, as long as your keeper can make that one extra save that the other team can not."

"True and with a few of the older players that we have in the team, the break right in the middle of the group stage might just be a huge boon, as it allows them to get a bit of rest in a situation where they might not otherwise get in a traditional group stage at a tournament. Has to be a huge boon for a team who is trying to shake off the perception back home that they are as good as they are ever going to get without massive more investment into the league and national team program, which includes getting back into submitting clubs to the IFCF and sending the team to the World Cup, Given the federation's fierce stance that they do not have the sort of funds to enable travel outside the region, I highly doubt that they are going to be willing to do that at any time soon. The goal of the team has to be getting out of the group and from there, who knows."

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Squornshelan Remnant States
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Posts: 759
Founded: Jun 25, 2018
Left-wing Utopia

ARC 3 MD2

Postby Squornshelan Remnant States » Tue Oct 29, 2024 3:54 pm

What is the meaning of life? What do you get if you multiply six by nine? Why is cutoff an hour late tonight? Do hot girls like chords? These are the questions that keep us up at night. Ponder these and others while I do math.

MD 2 RP CUTOFF

Matchday 2 Scores:

Group A
Sarzonia 1–1 Farfadillis
Myrtle Beach 0–0 Demot

Pos                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Farfadillis 2 1 1 0 4 1 +3 4
2 Sarzonia 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 4
3 Myrtle Beach 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
4 Demot 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 1
5 Busoga Islands 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 0


Group B
Gyatso-kai 1–4 Qasden
Al-Tamazgha 0–2 Valanora

Pos                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Xuois 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 3
2 Qasden 2 1 0 1 5 3 +2 3
3 Gyatso-kai 2 1 0 1 2 4 −2 3
4 Valanora 2 1 0 1 2 1 +1 3
5 Al-Tamazgha 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0


Group C

Equestria 1–2 Milchama
Oontaz 2–0 Banija

Pos                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Milchama 2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 6
2 Oontaz 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 3
3 Banija 2 1 0 1 4 3 +1 3
4 Siovanija and Teusland 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0
5 Equestria 2 0 0 2 2 6 −4 0


Group D
Carpathia and Ruthenia 2–4 Squornshelan Remnant States (scored by South Newlandia)
I.A. Quebec 0–3 Yakk

Pos                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Yakk 2 2 0 0 6 2 +4 6
2 Squornshelan Remnant States 2 2 0 0 6 3 +3 6
3 Baker Park 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 0
4 Carpathia and Ruthenia 2 0 0 2 4 7 −3 0
I.A. Quebec 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 0
Last edited by Squornshelan Remnant States on Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States
Successor State to the Imperium of Squornshelous
Champions:
World Cup 31, World Cup 97, AOCAF Cup 69, ARC 1, ICC 2
World Cup:
2nd: 15, 38
3rd: 20, 25
SF: 18, 27
QF: 5, 11, 12, 22, 30, 32, 33, 34, 40
Ro16: 6, 7, 9, 16, 21, 23, 24, 28, 36, 37, 39, 90, 93
Group Stage: 8, 10, 13, 17, 19, 26, 29, 35, 41, 88, 91, 92, 94
DNQ: 14, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 95
Cup of Harmony:
QF: 6, 73, 75, 81
Ro16: 74
Ro32: 79
Group Stage: 76, 77, 87
Regional:
2nd: AOCAF65
3rd: IAC8, AOCAF67, AOCAF68
QF: IAC10, IAC13, AOCAF66, AOCAF70
2nd Round: IAC6, IAC7, IAC12
1st Round: IAC9, IAC11
Other:
BoF68 QF

Squorn is an unknowable entity -Mriin

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Gyatso-kai
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Founded: Aug 03, 2005
Left-Leaning College State

Gyatso-kai National Team ROSTER - ARC III

Postby Gyatso-kai » Wed Oct 30, 2024 2:51 am


Image
Gyatso-kai National Football Team
‘The Bisons’





┤ GENERAL INFORMATION ├




┤ GENERAL INFORMATION ├




Official Name: Gyatso-kai Men’s National Football Team / 凯海洋国家足球队 (Kaihaiyáng Guójia Zúqiú Duì) / Gyats'kai Tsad droten Taab’rugam
Official Nation Name: The Avatarian Republics of Gyatso-kai / 凯海洋降世神通共和国 (Kaihaiyáng Jiàngshì Shéntong Gònghéguó) / Tsad Gyats'kai Jettise
Country Code: GKI
Officiating League: The Republic Premier Football League (RPFL)
Founded: 1876 (228 AKy)
Regional Officiating Body: The Arrosia Regional Confederation of Football Federations (ARCFF)
Year of Membership: 2023.1 (78 AAg)
Records: (Pre-WC XC
ARC: 2 – 2 – 3 (WDL)
World Cup: 191-78-121
All-Time: 210-86-148
Titles: 0
Rank:
ARC: 14th (Pre-ARC III)
World Cup: 89th (WC XCIII)
Nickname: Bisons
Style: +3.5 out of 5.0

When RP'ing, the name of my players in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS AND BOLD are the player's family names. These are the names on their jersey and the name professional commentators would call out when making observations. If you have any further questions regarding names, please feel free to telegram me.

Players age ONE YEAR in-between cups.


Starting players will have their names in GREEN type
Alternate players will have their names in BLUE type
Reserve Players will have their names in STANDARD type.
Travelling Players will be in tables.





┤ THE ROSTER ├




GOALKEEPERS


31 -- LEE Findao
Height: 191cm - Weight: 94kg – Age: 27 years old - Team: Royal Flames

32 -- TSUTSAMA Yen
Height: 188cm - Weight: 90kg - Age: 23 years old - Team: Gaoling UNION

33 -- TSUNADE Ki’sae
Height: 190cm - Weight: 92kg - Age: 22 years old - Team: Sporting KELDABE [RSFL]

DEFENDERS

Left Defenders:

16 -- TERCAR Shuajo
Height: 180cm - Weight: 84kg – Age: 32 years old - Team: Mando FC

26 – Khánh KA’LOMI
Height: 190cm - Weight: 94kg – Age: 28 years old - Team: Island FC

61 – CHAKARSO Liyin
Height: 194cm - Weight: 98kg – Age: 24 years old - Team: Keldabe FC

Central Defenders
15 -- UTHAN A'den
Height: 185cm - Weight: 83kg – Age: 29 years old - Team: FC Beijing

28 -- YAMADA Goro
Height: 192cm - Weight: 91kg – Age: 23 years old - Team: Ba Sing Se UNITED

37 -- ZHOU Hiroto
Height: 189cm - Weight: 85kg – Age: 23years old - Team: Concord Dusk AFC

Right Defenders
23- HUANG Aodhán
Height: 183cm - Weight: 84kg – Age: 32 years old - Team: Makapu ERUPT

27 -- Tarou ADEEN
Height: 189cm - Weight: 90kg – Age: 30 years old - Team: Royal Flames

35 -- KATO Zhao Ling
Height: 190cm - Weight: 87kg – Age: 24 years old - Team: FC She Pass

MIDFIELDERS

Defensive Midfielders

17 -- YOSHIDA Arata
Height: 177cm - Weight: 80kg – Age: 34 years old - Team: Royal Flames

47 -- INOUE Anernerk
Height: 192cm - Weight: 88kg – Age: 27 years old - Team: Senlin Timbers

43 -- Penlu SAITO
Height: 187cm - Weight: 83kg – Age: 26 years old - Team: Gaoling Union

Neutral Midfielders
14 -- Fei'kai SONG
Height: 185cm - Weight: 81kg – Age: 27 years old - Team: FC Mando

41 -- SHAO Mi'ka
Height: 192cm - Weight: 91kg – Age: 25 years old - Team: FC Beijing

Attacking Midfielders

8 -- YU Shichiro
Height: 183cm - Weight: 85kg – Age: 33 years old - Team: Keldabe FC

11 -- GUANYU Jun
Height: 185cm - Weight: 8 kg – Age: 29 years old - Team: FC Omashu

42 -- DIK Up'lis
Height: 180cm - Weight: 78kg – Age: 24 years old - Team: Itakawai FC

FORWARDS]


9 -- Dag’da SKIRATA
Height: 185cm - Weight: 89kg – Age: 32 years old - Team: Ba Sing Se UNITED

10 -- SONG Kaoru
Height: 178cm - Weight: 74kg – Age: 32 years old - Team: FC Mando

20 -- Jas'torik ISHIDA
Height: 182cm - Weight 78kg - Age: 25 years old - Team: Concord Dusk AFC





┤ PLAYER OPTIONS ├





Captain: Dag'da SKIRATA
Vice-Captain: TERCAR Shuajo
Third Captain: GUANYU Jun

Kick Takers (in order of ability)
Free kicks: GUANYU Jun
Right corners: YOSHIDA Arata, INOUE Anernerk
Left corners: TERCAR Shuajo, UTHAN A'den
Penalties: Dag’da SKIRATA, UTHAN A'den, GUANYU Jun, YOSHIDA Arata, INOUE Anernek, TERCAR Shuajo





┤ COACHING STAFF ├





Head Coach: TAKAHASHI Hikaru
Height: 178cm – Weight: 76kg – Age 45 years old – Team: FC Mando, Defensive Coach

After the removal of Wong Haru from the Head Coach position after the last ARC tournament, the National Sports Council began its search for the next Head Coach. For some in the NSC, a new face needed to be brought in; someone who had never set foot near any of the previous National Teams under any of the three former coaches. For others, they wanted someone the players could better relate to; a former player who had years of experience with both current players and prospects alike.

As with the last two choices, the latter won the debates.

Takahashi Hikaru has quite the pedigree with the National Team -- 237 caps across 23 tournaments scoring 94 goals -- he has spent the first three ji of his retirement accepting a Defensive Coach position at the team that had originally drafted him out of Keldabe State when he was just 19, FC Mando. Now, in his first two ji Takahashi coached one of the strongest defences in the RPFL, as well as taking his team to the Tabo Finals for the first time in six seasons.

And yet again... time to see if any of that success can transfer outside of Gyatso-kai...
Rating: B+ - Team Relationship: A - Morale: B - Confidence: A-

Coaching Assistants:
Forwards: KUSONAGI Batou (56), A'den SKIRATA (50), KRYSE Pre (57)
Defence: NAKAMURA Ba'tolk (49) and MAKI LI (55)
Goalkeepers: KITA Bai’a (51) , NISHIMURA Kenshin (59)

Head Medical Officer: Doctor FONG Jintao
Height: 190cm – Weight: 82kg – Age 39 years old
Following the retirement of Wen Wuchin after the 85th World Cup, the much-younger Doctor Fong Jintao replaced the “Ol’Doc” as he was so lovingly referred to as by the team. Having served through the Grand Army of the Republic, Doctor Fong is a veritable successor to the Ol’Doc’s history as the last member of the Old Guard – all staff appointed by former-Head Coach and now Director Boba Vhett. When not travelling with the team, Fong carries the rank of Captain, First Class and serves in the 501st Legion in the First Territorial Army, stationed in Republic City; specifically, he is a resident Surgeon within the Third Avatarian Guard, and is seen as a competitor for the soon-to-be-vacated position of Head Assistant Surgeon in the Capital Medical Facility, thanks to another former member of the Old Guard retiring from that post.
Rating: A - Team Relationship: A - Morale: A - Confidence: A
Medical Assistants: HU Haicheng, HONG Sujin, LEE Jiabao

Security Chief: Captain AKAAN (RC-4868)
Height: 190cm – Weight: 90kg – Age: 48 years old CHRONOLOGICAL (62 years old BIOLOGICAL)
A clone officer within the Grand Army of the Republic, RC-4868 was appointed Chief of Security for the National Team in 2011.1. Each time the team travels abroad --- so long as he is not engaged in a mission --- RC-4868 is pulled from service and placed into the spotlight of security. He is battle-hardened, having been raised since birth for war and combat, and as such often views these assignments with true boredom. The seven men he brings with him on assignment share the same sentiments of the ‘mission’, however, their ‘unwaivering loyalty’ to the Republic prevents any negative speak during the assignment. Each is a member of the Avatarian Guard, whose sole responsibility is to defend the Avatar at both home and abroad; this protection then extends to all sports teams travelling beyond the borders of the Five Nations.
Rating: A – Strength: A – Tactics: A – Skill: A
Security Assistants: CT-2234, CT-45-9934, CC-8341, CT-2401, CC-75-3341, RC-1346, RC-4321, RC-4555

Director of the National Team & President of the ALAF: HIS RIGHT HONOURABLE VHETTBoba
Age: 78 – Time in the job: 9 Years (38 )

Once the longest serving Head Coach in Avatarian History – with a record spanning 261 games, ten World Cups and multiple other multiverse competitions – it was only right for Vhett to step into the role of President of the Avatarian Leagues of Association Football. Having brought a team from nothing to the quarterfinals in 8 World Cups is not something to look away from, and although his career was tarnished slightly by the final performances of the Bisons – going 5-7-1 in his last World Cup – Vhett is confident that soon glory will be returned to the Avatarian Republics, although initial performances in all eleven tournaments to date have been far from promising.
Rating: S - Influence: A - Morale: A - Confidence: A – History: S





┤ THE KITS ├





The Bisons will continue to wear the uniforms they debuted in the 2021.1 Campaign at the Eighty-Seventh World Cup. [/i]

Image

Image

Image







┤ GROUP STAGE SCHEDULE ├




.:: GROUP B ::.


The Bisons' return to Regional Football sees the team draw some strong opponents in the usually-short tournament. Valanora & Qasden -- perennial threats in any sport they play -- are ranked 4th & 6th in the region, respectively. Valanora, hot off a fourth-placed finish in ARC 2, looks to climb even higher on the medal podium to bring back more hardware to their storied cabinets. Meanwhile, Qasden drew the short stick in ARC 2 when in Group A, they went 1-1-1, placing third and missing the playoffs; hardly what anyone expected after The Vans took third in the First Edition of the ARC. In ARC 1, fourth place belonged to Xuois & many felt that they would make the next tournament with easy. Unfortunately for Xuios, their run in the ARC 2 ended the same as The Bisons -- falling 1-nil in the Playoff Round -- with both teams now seeking to redeem themselves and break through into the Tournament Proper. Al-Tamazgha has had two disappointing ARCs to date -- going 1-0-2 in ARC 1 & then 0-1-2 in ARC 2. For Al-Tamazgha, the ARC seems to be their proving grounds, and any team with something to prove is a dangerous opponent to face.

Luckily... The Bisons get to face all of them.





┤ PRIMARY FORMATION ├




------------XX------------
--------------------------
------08----------11------
------------14------------
------XX----------XX------
--------------------------
---16----------------23---
-------15--------28-------
------------31------------


While under Tay’haai and Vhett, the Bisons utilized the modern standard of the 4-4-2 Formation. Giving the Bisons a strong midfield presence while pairing two quick strikers – in the last cup being Skirata and Song Kaoru – the 4-4-2 allowed many of the Bison games to keep low goals for an opponent while giving them a chance to rack up high goals.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case…

Just as under Haru, new Head Coach Takahashi, the Bisons have taken out the second forward and replaced them with a stronger midfield presence in what is known as a 4-5-1 Formation. Usually taken by teams wanting to secure a lead, the 4-5-1 is often seen as a more ‘defensive minded’ formation. The extra midfielder – in this case Hisakawa Si Woo – often will float between a defensive position and a support position for the remaining forward. In choosing the speed of Skirata over the accuracy of Song Kaoru, Interim Coach Wong is giving up offensive capability to shore up defence. Especially considering that Song was the lead goal-scorer in the last World Cup, the focus on a slightly-younger Skirata may be a look to the future and keep Song on standby should the offence need a boost.





┤ ROLEPLAY PERMISSIONS ├




Choose my goal scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
Injure to my players: Yes for minor, one-game-out injuries. I will decide and RP any further inactivity for a player caused by your injury.
Godmod injuries: Yes for minor, one-game-out injuries
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes, within reason
Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes (1 MAX PER GAME)
Godmod Other Events: Yes, within reason. Please telegram me if you’re in doubt.
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Denomyn: Avatarian || Trigramme: GKI || Located: Arrosia
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Runner-Up: World Junior Hockey Championship III, World Cup of Hockey XXI, XXVI,
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Commonwealth of Baker Park
Minister
 
Posts: 3007
Founded: Jan 10, 2018
Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

Postby Commonwealth of Baker Park » Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:37 pm

Baker Park look to bounce back
Scott McCrae
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

After opening the Arrosia Regional Championship against the current World Cup Champions, who are also the hosts for this edition,the Commonwealth of Baker Park National Team will be seeking to get their first points of competition when they face Carpathia & Ruthenia on matchday 3 in Santraginus.

BP took the 2-1 defeat to Squornshelan Remnant States playing a young and largely inexperienced starting lineup which stood toe to toe with the World Cup holders in front of a crowd of over 70,000 at the Admiral Cherenkov Stadium.

Mitch Longstreet got his first start in goal while five others—Peter Newbury in defense, Anthony Dixon, Craig Domicelli and Cornelius Boyle in midfield and Tommy Applegate up front—made only their second ever senior team start, all of them seeing tournament action for the first time. Two subs—Nikolai Morris and Paulo Everhart—made their debut to earn a cut of the Captain's Purse after the match.

Manager Will Bernard said he didn't make the lineup out with the intent of throwing his side to the wolves. “Not at all. We've seen all of these guys in training, in the 18s and 21s, they've all played in National League matches. We know SRS is a different squad than the one in the World Cup, a lot of the starters here were backups then. I had no fears that we would not be competitive.”

After a bye for the second matchday Barnard said that the extra training was beneficial for the squad considering the newness of a lot of the players.
“One of the things that we stress is players working together and understanding each others preferences. We have a mix of more experienced and inexperienced guys so a few extra days to be able to work on things, communication, positioning, is a good problem to have.”

Carpathia and Ruthenia have dropped both of their opening two matches, 3-2 to Yakk and a 4-2 defeat against the hosts; the nations have met just a single time previously, a scoreless draw in the final fixture of the group stage of AOCAF 70 in Al-Tamaghza. They are managed by the veteran Qusmi’y Brelk-Xeral Erv, a former winner of the CAFA Cup with Krytenia and the Campionato Esportiva with Brenecia now in a third different confederation. They bring straight forward open soccer to the table, so the match should be good value for money for the neutral.

The squad will move camp following the match as the final two fixtures will be played in Vogsphere against Quebec and Yakk.
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Banija
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Posts: 4339
Founded: Mar 06, 2015
Capitalist Paradise

Postby Banija » Thu Oct 31, 2024 6:56 am

George Wangolo, Banija's manager, after the loss to the Sultanate of Oontaz


The stat had been brought to him- Banija had won all 5 regional matches they had played in their history against the Lions of Sand and Sea. It was important that they get their 6th victory here- with the brutal end of group stage schedule that they had been given. And after a swashbuckling 4-1 demolition of their archrivals, Equestria, this match against Oontaz should have seemed very winnable. The Banijans wanted to use the match to establish themselves as favorites. But, as they were human, they knew that a match against the regional #1s, and defending tournament champions, Milchama, loomed in the background. Was the focus in training where it needed to be? Did people look past Oontaz? Wangolo would say no- they looked at the Sultanate properly.

But the Sultanate was ready for the match. The Banijans had the lion's share of possession, holding the ball nearly 77% of the time, according to the statisticians. But the Sultanate had a game plan, and they executed it to perfection. A defensive style, often frustrating the Banijans, who loved to get forward- and catching us with our pants down on the counter. Their counter-attacking was precision-based, effective to a brilliant degree. ORtizan Karisma scoring the game's opening goal in the 42nd minute, just a few minutes before halftime. And when Donnie Ong scored in the 73rd minute for the underdogs, that was all she wrote. Wangolo grimaced when the full-time whistle was given. A disappointing result for the Banijans- they wanted to take points early in the tournament, so they'd have a cushion when they went against the group's big dogs. Instead, the Banijans were now dragged down into the dogfight- with Milchama next, and Siovanija & Teusland remaining afterwards, the Banijans were in for it.

The post-match press conference was a brutal one- the criticism was harsh from the media, and deservedly so. All of the good feelings of the Equestria game, of the demolition of a rival, had been thrown out the window- Matchday 1 may as well have been a million years ago. "This, obviously, is not the performance we were looking for- the result, however bitter, was deserved." Wangolo told reporters. "Full credit to my counterpart, Faris Feraoun. He simply outmanaged me on this day. They had a gameplan, drilled it, prepared it, and executed it to perfection. The finishing, of course, was top notch. But they were content to let us have the ball, and they wanted us to pass ourselves to death- and we did. We were much less direct than we would have liked, and it's because the Lions of Sand and Sea did a great job of taking away our opportunities."

"We have been on the right side of many upsets in our history- and we've been doing this long enough that now we are on the wrong side. But, there is still plenty of tournament left. There is a bye on MD3, for us to rest, to gather our bearings, and get ready for the big dogs, the reigning champs, Milchama, on Matchday 4." Get ready for the big dogs, indeed. If the Banijans had won, or even drawn, against Oontaz, this match might be a completely unnecessary one in terms of Banija's fate- leave it all on the line against our neighbors, Siovanija & Teusland, on MD5. But that loss makes this match a big one. If they have a second loss, well... This could be the first time ever that the Banijans are eliminated from a regional tournament in the group stages. Ever. Wangolo did not want to be that manager- after what he had built, after the great vibes. He knew that he needed a result against Milchama, something- at least a draw against the defending champs, with some luck elsewhere, could produce some damn good fruit...

With the bye, he gave his players an unscheduled day off. Everybody needed to relax- he wanted them to clear their minds, not think about the loss. Ultimately, they would need to have a perfect gameplan to defeat Milchama, and Wangolo would be buried with his coaching staff, trying to figure out exactly what went wrong, and how to do that against the champs. So while the players did some sight-seeing around the Confederacy, and the scouts were out & about, Wangolo had the task of plotting how to get a result against Milchama- something that not a single team had done in Milchama's last 8 matches in this tournament...
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Sarzonia
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Founded: Mar 22, 2004
Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

Postby Sarzonia » Thu Oct 31, 2024 10:58 am

The burgeoning rivalry between the Sarzonian national football team and the side representing Farfadillis added another chapter in the group stage of this third edition of the Arrosian Regional Championships as the teams played to a contentious 1-1 draw in front of a capacity crowd of 72,406 at Bridger Lane in Damogran, Algolia.

The teams combined for 38 fouls, 21 called on Sarzonia, and four yellow cards, including three on Sarzonia. Manager Caleb Rush was booked as the two teams began to head toward their respective dressing rooms at halftime as the navy-clad manager saw red over what he argued was a "gross disparity" in fouls called.

"I'm going to have to look at the video," a fuming Rush said after the match. "I could count at least five fouls that weren't called on the Farves that should've been, plus three plays that were called on us that weren't whistled against them." When a reporter noted the referee was from Baker Park, Rush rolled his eyes.

"I bet that fucker's still sore over the whole Baker Park loser thing," he said.

The next day, a sombre Rush approached the dais after the team's training session at the practice facility near Albrechtsson Park where the Stars were getting ready to face Busoga Islands. He strode slowly to the microphone.

"I just had a three-hour chat with [Incorporated Football Federation Chairman] Zack [Wilson, also forward Spencer Wilson's father] about my conduct after the match," he said. "I had a chance to review the video from the match and I didn't have a great view of the pitch. The calls on us were legit. There may have been one or two calls on Farfadillis that might have been ticky-tack, but nothing out of the ordinary. Zack spent a good amount of time reminding me that I'm supposed to set a better example for the team, and as a veteran manager, I should know better. I apologise to the officiating crew, to the team and to our supporters for my behaviour yesterday. It was unprofessional, and it will never happen again."

Sarzonia and Farfadillis are both level in the Group A table on four points with marks of 1-0-1. Farfadillis have the edge over the Stars based on overall point differential as neither team have the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Spencer Wilson managed an "unbelievable" goal with three Farves "draped all over him," RUsh noted in the post-match presser. "I don't know how in Cat's name he managed that goal," Rush reiterated after his apology. "We just have to do a better job of executing in all phases. We can't leave [goalkeeper] John [Wells] out to dry.

Defender and team captain Ken Webb agreed.

"John saved our arses last night," he said. Wells made eight saves and he and Spencer are the entire reason we're level with the Farves in the Group A table."

The Stars will have a bye after the Busoga Islands match before their Matchday 5 group stage finale against Myrtle Beach.

Rush said if his team were to clinch the group title prior to the match against Myrtle Beach, he would not rest his starters.

"I learned from the women's team," he said. "With a bye on Matchday 4, we'd be concerned with rust in the quarterfinals if we make it that far. It's tough to turn off and turn on the intensity in a tournament like this."
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