NationStates Jolt Archive

Squornshelous Upsets Brazillico to Advance!

Squornshelous' 2-0 victory over heavily favored Brazillico puts them into second place in group D, behind the winner of the ORD-Spaam match. This result gave Squornshelous and Brazillico exactly the same stats, but Squornshelous places ahead because of this victory. We consider this result sweet redemption for the embarassment suffered by the Squornshelan team four years ago, when they did not even advance to the second round of the CUp of Harmony, after being ranked in the top 15 in the world. The only way that Brazillico can remain in the cup at this point is if ORD adn Spaam draw, which would put Brazillico in second, due to Goal Differential. Needless to say, the Squornshelan football fanbase has been whipped back up into a frenzy and truly believe that their team is something special again. Squornshelan striker Tobias Jones, who scored both of the goals of this contest, was carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates. When interviewed after the game he had this to say: "We just went out there and played our best game ever. Ther's been a lot of doubt about the team this yar and whether we could compete but I think we've answered all those questions now."


Group D
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Squornshelous 3 1 1 1 5 4 1 4
2 Brazillico 3 1 1 1 5 4 1 4
3 One Red Dot 2 1 0 1 2 4 -2 3
4 Spaam 2 0 2 0 4 4 0 2

There is furor throughout the football world as claims that Spaam deliberately rigged their match to end in a 2-all draw so that Brazillico could proceed to the Round of 16 in the World Cup. Spaam were leading 2-0 in the 89th minute, but the Spaamanian goalkeeper Davan Bekkam seemed to let two easy goals in in the last 4 minutes of the game. As a consequence, Spaam and ORD are both eliminated, with Squornshelous and Brazillico proceeding to the next round.

Group D
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Squornshelous 3 1 1 1 5 4 1 4
2 Brazillico 3 1 1 1 5 4 1 4
3 One Red Dot 3 1 1 1 4 6 -2 4
4 Spaam 3 0 3 0 6 6 0 3

Intoxicated Tony
A view into the sports world from a different perspective

Jolt This.
Thing were so much less confusing before

I’m coming home from the Brazillico – Squornshelous match and let me tell you, I’m perplexed. Not perplexed at how Brazillico could turn in such a shitty performance, OK… maybe just a bit, but more importantly, perplexed at what the group bestoweth us for the future.

Today, Squornshelous beat the pants off us and then proceeded to beat us with our pants. The 2-0 scoreline flatters what good natured people Squornshelians are, namely the guy next to me who was hitting the bong the whole game. If those guys would have been merciless, we could have been looking at an asswhipping worthy of an angry mob hoping to get Radiohead and ending up with Muse.

Let’s not worthy about how that scoreline came to pass, that’s the past and god knows we can’t change it. Let’s look towards the crystal ball and see what the future holds.

With the 2-0 drubbing, Brazillico now sit at four points, the very same total Squornshelous hold. Follow? Now, Brazillico and Squornshelous have the same goal difference at +1 and the same amounts of goals for and against so they’re still tied. There’s been some hubbub on tiebreakers and such and whether its decided by previous matches against or what not, and if that’s the case, Squornshelous obviously go through, but if not, we’re still tied. Then it comes down to some game of chance or skill. I prefer skill, much like a game of caps at a pub. Flip a coin, penalty shootout, roll some dice, have a game of Duck, Duck, Goose… it’s anyone’s guess how this one will sort itself out.

Now, for the regulars of this column, you all know I’m a huge fan of using Duck, Duck, Goose to settle disputes, and if it comes to that, I think I know how Brazillico can win. I noticed that the centre back on the Squornshelian side, I was too high up and too drunk to notice the number, but he looked a little bigger than the others. I’m not calling the bloke fat, just saying he was a bit rounder than the other players. Anyway, I think if we “Goose” him, well, he shouldn’t be able to catch us and the second round birth would be ours!

I’ll back-pedal away from my pipe dream and right back to my bottle now.

Anyway, this is Intoxicated Tony remind you that when you put down the bottle, you pick up the hangover. Good night.

Bi Kikere awoke from a dream most dire. Clammy sweat poured off her brow. Baby, it was a rough night.

"Lemmings," she croaked out through parched lips. "All i can see are lemmings! Zombie lemmings! Arrgh."

Or maybe it was Arrghh.

HEADLINE OF THE DAY - LIVERPOOL ENGLAND QUALIFY BEHIND LEMMITANIA

Liverpool England 2 Oglethorpia 0
(Dirosa 34, Boneham 66)

Stats
Shots on Target Liverpool England 12 Oglethorpia 9
Shots off Target/Woodwork Liverpool England 7 Oglethorpia 9
Yellow Cards Liverpool England 4 Oglethorpia 1
Red Cards None
Fouls Liverpool England 17 Oglethorpia 7
Offsides Liverpool England 4 Oglthorpia 7
Free Kicks Liverpool England 11 Oglethorpia 21
Corners Liverpool England 3 Oglethorpia 5

In what was the group of death, Liverpool England easily came away with two wins from three games - six points out of nine, usually the minimum needed to qualify.

Ha~e Hangila, under immense pressure after a loss to Lemmitania, decided to play defensively, throwing out a 4-5-1 formation. It may have succeded, as the five-man midfield starved Oglethorpia's midfield from getting crosses in to their front men.

Dominique Dirosa got things underway, and the game was effectively sealed when substitue William Boneham scored in the 66th minute. Liverpool England's targets for this cup: Semi-Finals

[i Hate The Editing Feature]

Group C

In arguably the group of death in this World Cup, Liverpool England, actually seems to be the weakest of the four sides in the group. The Philosophers, more commonly known as the Wet Blankets among Melmondians, may have the skills to make the round of 16 in other groups, but in this loaded group, Liverpool England would be lucky to place third.

The Crocodiles of Tanah Burung have thus far coasted to the World Cup fueled with their raw talent as well as some rather creative moments. This may get them by in other groups, but with sides like Lemmitania and Oglethorpia, it’s just not going to cut it.

Lemmitania is certainly a side on a mission after their mega-disappointing performance at World Cup 14. The Lemmings seem to have the upper hand in heart against both Liverpool England and Tanah Burung and talent against Liverpool England, however this side eclipses them all.

Oglethorpia looks to be a solid contender this time around after stumbling a little bit at the qualifying gate. This colorful cast of characters got a chance to gel after World Cup 14 and should do very well.

Prediction
1. Oglethorpia
2. Lemmitania
3. Tanah Burung
4. Liverpool England

Last, eh? We're second at the least! Hah!

Melmond Dice lose Voodoo

With big names like Oglethorpia and Rejistania, who were predicted by Melmond's Voodoo Dice to come in first, out. Small names like former champs Liverpool England and Kaze Progressa in, but predicted out, and predicted champs Gesamtkuntswerk needing a big victory to stay in after TnUIs 2-0 thrashing of Mattigool. Melmondianananananans are at a loss. Snub Nosed People and Tanah Burungers working together with top Insanician Scientists have finally prevented outside interference with a large Anti-Voodoo Portable Generator, operating at every World Cup Match.

"Ve needed to stop these damn meddlers before they corrupted the true purpose of the Vorld Cup...to make buckets full of money."

...but the Spaamanian goalkeeper Davan Bekkam seemed to let two easy goals in in the last 4 minutes of the game...

The Association of the Sports World of ORD (aSWORD) is angered by such a statement, not only providing false information to the general public, but also demeaning the abilities of the Red Dot Wolves. According to the match statistics, it can be seen that although it is true that Spaam led the match in the first half, One Red Dot did manage to pull through and scored 2 goals in the last 40 minutes, without the Spaamanian goalkeeper letting down his guard.

Other than that, the Association will accept the teams defeat at the Cup and will look forward to WCXVI.

Scuttlebutt - Late Edition

Hooligans Slip Through - Vegetation Key
Sten Remington Grey

What?

Well, it's like this. The Snub Nose 38 Hooligans had basically no chance to advance, unless by some miracle they managed to take the match from Giant Zucchini.

The table for Group E, after two matches, looked like this:


Group E
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Eauz 2 1 1 0 4 2 2 4
2 NEWI Cefn Druids 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
3 Snub Nose 38 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
4 Giant Zucchini 2 0 1 1 2 4 -2 1

The match between Giant Zucchini and the Hooligans was, until half time, a drab and scoreless affair. Oh, sure, there were a few moments of individual brilliance by a vegetable here or a hooligan there, but on the whole...let's just say that a number of fans in the stands were seen to be napping.

Then, out came the Hooligan Cheerleaders.

And a great injustice was done.

In their zeal to take part in the traditional vegetable drubbing, fans on both sides mistook several key Giant Zucchini players for the non-sentient variety, and horror of horror, chucked them at the Cheerleaders.

Thankfully, none of the mistreated Zucchini players were killed. But they all suffered serious injury - reports from the medical staff indicated pervasive squishiness, some cuts to the seed core, peeling, and of course shock. It is not known at this writing if any of the injuries are career-threatening. But the injured players were unable to continue the match.

Special dispensation was granted by World Cup Committee officials for Giant Zucchini to substitute above the normal allowance for a match. But with so many key players out for GZ, it was just a matter of time until the Hooligans slipped the ball into the net.

Quite a bit of time, as it turned out. The decimated Giant Zucchini side defied Snub Nose 38 for 41 minutes of the second half before it just became too much, and in the 42nd minute the Giant Zucchini substitute keeper's fingers were just about a centimeter too short to keep the ball out of the net. Hooligans 1, Zucchini 0.

And that, folks, is how it ended. Giving the Hooligans a total of 5 points.

At this time we don't have the results of the Eauz - NEWI Cefn Druids match, but we do know this:

If they draw, then Eauz will take first place in Group E on Goal Differential, and the Hooligans will take second. NCD will be third, and GZ fourth.

If Eauz win, then they will take first place in Group E on 7 points, and the Hooligans will take second on 5 points. NCD will be third, and GZ fourth.

If NEWI Cefn Druids win, then either NEWI Cefn Druids or Snub Nose 38 will take first and the other second, depending on how Goal Differential, as that will leave SN38 and NCD both on 5 points. Eauz will be third, and GZ fourth.

It's a sad thing for Giant Zucchini and their supporters, but the Hooligan Cheerleaders finally seem to have, in their own odd little way, helped the Hooligans move forward.

The Bedistan Sports Digest

Lions Through to Second Round

A 2-0 victory over Nikea has led the Bedistan Lions to a decisive first place in Group B, being one of only two teams playing in Eauz with a perfect record (the other being Lemmitania). Tadjikistan also managed to get through; though they were in a three-way tie at three points, their goal difference of zero was the highest. Nikea finished third (3 pts, GD -1) and D2R came in last (3 pts, GD -4).

We are not yet certain which nation the Lions will face in the second round due to this reporter having forgotten which group we compete against (though he thinks it might be Group A, in which case the Belmore Family would be the next team to lose to us).

We must also note with a certain amount of glee that Audioslavia does not appear to be doing all that well in Group F, being in last place after Matchday 2 with a rather slim chance of recovery. Shame...looks like they won't have a chance to get to the semifinals, much less "bottle it out" there.

The opinions of this reporter do not necessarily constitute the opinions of the Sports Digest, the Bedistan Football Association, or any of its managers, players, or other staff. All right, I lied, they do. Audioslavia sucks!!

Tadjikistan through to next round

Lucky Tadjiks take the second place with a single goal

The national team had nothing to lose, noone expects Tadjikistan to get through to the next round. And the odds were against us having lost our 2 first matches. The Tadjiks played open and agressive, purtting pressure on their opponents, constantly luring on the flanks. D2R had to come out and did, but they paid for it. Cherniakhovskij took advantage of the the ball recuperation by the defence, moving down the left side and scoring the 1st and 2nd goals in the first half. On his own Cherniakhovskij secured the match for Tadjikistan. D2R was a bit in a shock by the Tadjik surprise attacks but quickly realized a loss would end their World Cup. Triandafillov had his team fall back and defend while D2R tried to even the score. In the 72th minute however Pliiev took a long pass from Gromov and scored Tadjikistans third goal.

This victory was good for the morale of the players, they were happy to have played in their first World Cup and already started to talk about their voyage home until a reporter told them of Nikea's 2-0 loss and Tadjikistans qualification to the next round. Triandafillov didnt know what to say, even for him this was a great surprise, like a dream that came true. In Tadjikistan to, it came as a great surprise that quickly turned into a national party, fans celebrating their teams qualification out on the streets in almost every city.


Group B
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Bedistan 3 3 0 0 7 2 5 9
2 Tadjikistan 3 1 0 2 6 6 0 3
3 Nikea 3 1 0 2 3 4 -1 3
4 Dance 2 Revolution 3 1 0 2 1 5 -4 3


ooc: i dont know what team i'm playing against and i cant find it.

I think this is right, but don't quote me...I said don't...stay away from the quote button.

World Cup 15 - Eauz

2nd Round Quarter Finals Semi Final

The Eagles Nest --------
| ------------------------
Tadjikistan ------------ |
| -
Lemmitania ------------- |
| ------------------------
Brazillico -------------

Bedistan ---------------
| ------------------------
The Belmore Family ----- |
| -
Squornshelous ---------- |
| ------------------------
Liverpool England ------

World Cup 15 - The Eagles Nest

2nd Round Quarter Finals Semi Final

E Winner ---------------
| ------------------------
F Runnerup ------------- |
| -
G Winner --------------- |
| ------------------------
Total n Utter Insanity -

F Winner ---------------
| ------------------------
E Runnerup ------------- |
| -
Kaze Progressa --------- |
| ------------------------
G Runnerup -------------

Not sure when we find out about the bottom half. Currently:


Group E
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
Q Snub Nose 38 3 1 2 0 2 1 1 5
2 Eauz 2 1 1 0 4 2 2 4
3 NEWI Cefn Druids 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
E Giant Zucchini 3 0 1 2 2 5 -3 1

Group F
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Lovisa 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 4
2 Kingsford 2 1 1 0 5 4 1 4
3 Aquilla 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 1
4 Audioslavia 2 0 1 1 2 4 -2 1

Group G
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
Q Europa Brittania 2 2 0 0 4 0 4 6
Q Rejistania 3 2 0 1 2 2 0 6
E Commerce Heights 3 1 0 2 1 2 -1 3
E Creedence Clearwater 2 0 0 2 0 3 -3 0

((sorry for the delay, the forums were acting silly when I tried to post this last night))

Eagle's Nest ties NASTIC 2; Moves through to Round of 16

Striker Adams saved an embarassing performance with a header late in the injury time of the second half to salvage a 1-1 tie, and knock NASTIC 2 out of the Cup. The Belmore Family earned the second spot in group A.

The first half showed a NASTIC 2 team desperate for a win with numerous attacks and coutner attacks every time they could get. Keeper Adams finally buckled to the onslaught at 37 minutes in with a redirect off of a first shot.

After the tie, the teams waited to see who ended up winning the games out of Group B so they could see who got the second slot. Tadjikistan scored in their 72nd minute, and then the game flipped over to Nikea-Bedistan to see what the score was there....2-0 Bedistan! Quickly the team realized if all helpd pat, that Tadijkistan would not only squeak through in group B, but would be their next opponents. Nikea could do nothing, and Tadjikistan held their own. The match was set.

The Nest has made one appearance in the knockout rounds before, making it to the Quarterfinals in WCXIII losing to eventual champion Eauz 2-1. this will be the Birds' first meeting with Tadjikistan.




Eagle's Nest FA Releases Official Round of 16 Pairings

On a side note, Squornshelous won Group D over Brazillico based on their 2-0 head to head win. All statistics were tied, and the Eagle's nest FA was thrilled it was finally allowed to use the fact that a team who beat another moves on.


World Cup 15 - Eauz

2nd Round Quarter Finals Semi Final

The Eagles Nest --------
| ------------------------
Tadjikistan ------------ |
| -
Lemmitania ------------- |
| ------------------------
Brazillico -------------

Bedistan ---------------
| ------------------------
The Belmore Family ----- |
| -
Squornshelous ---------- |
| ------------------------
Liverpool



World Cup 15 - The Eagles Nest

Eauz ---------------
| ------------------------
Kingsford ------------- |
| -
Europa Brittania ------- |
| ------------------------
Total n Utter Insanity -

Lovisa ---------------
| ------------------------
Snub Nose 38 ----------- |
| -
Kaze Progressa --------- |
| ------------------------
Commerce Heights -------



titles do not shrink when requested!
In another offbeat newstory, article titles do not shrink. More research will be placed into this.

Le LIBRE

Les Bleus continue on...

(The Eagles Nest) - Match day three saw Les Bleus under a bit of pressure to bring a victory or a tie to advance. Les Bleus found themselves up against the Druids. The Druids were in good position to qualify for the round of 16 if they got a victory from this match. The referee was the same referee of match day 1 from The Lowland Clans. This referee seemed to be quite fair, yet let the play continue without much stoppage.

Les Bleus knew that they had the easiest chance of qualifying out of all 4 teams in this group, yet they could not become too lazy, for the fact that a loss and a win by the Snub Nose team would mean Les Bleus would miss this cup.

The match started off with Les Bleus as usual in control of the ball. The whole Eauz team was pumped up for that match, and quickly found the first goal of the match during the 2nd minute of play. A long kick sailed into the top left corner of the net, past the diving keeper. Les Bleus went up very early 1 – 0. The NEWI defence was challenged still as Les Bleus kept on the pressure till the 10 minute, when the ball was finally cleared out of the NEWI zone by the keeper. The defence for Les Bleus was stellar in the first half, as NEWI was limited to 4 shots on goal. The first half ended in a 1 – 0 lead for Les Bleus. Fortunately this time, the referee wasn’t corrupt and messing around like in the past match.

The second half got underway with NEWI in control of the ball. Coming up field to face the strong Eauz defence, the attacker is tripped up by a defender. The attacker is awarded a free kick, and capitalises on his chance, putting it in the right corner of the net. Eauz supporters are shocked, and one can hear the loud booing and displeasure of the goal. The match stayed tied at 1 – 1 until the 82nd minute of play when Les Bleus got a corner kick. The ball was kicked and went into the crowd of players in search of the ball. The ball hit an Eauz player’s head, but it was in the same area where the keeper was. The keeper though was not able to keep control of the ball, and Joseuf kicked the ball into the open area. The match ended in a 2 – 1 victory for Les Bleus. The victory knocks the Druids out of qualification and gives Les Bleus a 7 point first place finish. Advancing also are the Snub Noseans in second with 5 points.

Advancing to Les Bleus 3rd round of 16, they will be up against tough competition from Kingsford who are ranked number 1 in the world, but have not played like number 1’s in this cup. This match should be very interesting, and one of the top teams will have to go home. It is unfortunate that matches like these don’t occur in the semi-finals, though it is always nice too, to see different teams aside from 1 and 2 in the semis.


Group E
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Eauz 3 2 1 0 6 3 3 7
2 Snub Nose 38 3 1 2 0 2 1 1 5
3 NEWI Cefn Druids 3 0 2 1 2 3 -1 2
4 Giant Zucchini 3 0 1 2 2 5 -3 1

After the match ended, the mood among the Rejistanians was low, not 'slani day' low but rather 'Why am I living at all' low. Rejistania could have won if not this Kingsfordian referee named Henry Tuck disallowed 5 rejistanian goals for strange reasons (The KaMaRi Update, the Na~ovi National and the Kalisimu han'ines published the address of Henry Tuck, so if something strange will happen to him, 1.7 billion people are suspects). Maybe because the ex-streaker liked Creedence Clearwater playing entirely naked. TV-R blurred the Creedence players out, not because of the children but for aesthetic reasons. Rejistania is eliminated - well, only from the world cup, but still, it feels for some people as if Rejistania was eliminated since rejistanian nationalism is highly defined by the national team.

The score according to officials:
Creedence Clearwater 2 (bloke 30th, other bloke 56th)
Rejistania 1 (Iti~n 76th)

The Bedistan Sports Digest

Fans Cheering for Sqournshelous After Moving On to Quarterfinals

EAUZ (BAP) -- The Bedistan Lions were ecstatic after they defeated Nikea and secured a spot in the knockout stages of the World Cup once again. They became even happier when they learned that their opponents would be none other than the Belmore Family, against whom the Lions have historically done very well.

The team brimmed with confidence as they left their locker rooms at Le Stade de Monteuz at the start of the match, and they dominated play for much of the first half. However, the Belmorian defense was having a superb day as well, with several shots from Nathan Cooke and Karen Neighbors deflected by I don't give a darn. No, seriously, that's his name, please don't fire me. Anyway, between the aforementioned keeper and the defensive line of Who, What, Now, and I don't know, the Lions were unable to score in the first half. Thankfully, the Belmores weren't quite so hot on offense, and they couldn't score either.

The second half was far more exciting, as Bedistan switched to a more attacking stance. Young Yuba Utd prodigy Tyrone Touchstone came onto the field in place of the tiring 37-year-old Neighbors and proceeded to score in the 47th minute from a free kick. Barcoenfuego midfielder Morris McGarity was also having a relatively good day on the pitch, launching several balls up into the corner for Touchstone and Cooke to finish off. In the 63rd minute, I don't give a darn's timing was slightly off and Nathan Cooke blasted one into the top left corner for 2-0. The Belmore Family started to fight back, with Today and Tomorrow continually harassing the Lion defense, and in fact Today would successfully reduce the lead with a shot from 15 yards in the 76th. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't manage another goal, and the whistle blew on a 2-1 victory for the Lions.

The victory, of course, means that the team will move on to the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of Squornshelous v Liverpool England. For reasons obvious to any Bedistan football aficionado, it would be extremely preferable for Squornshelous to win this match. Squornshelous, like Bedistan, was another explosive member of the Class of WC5, successfully reaching the quarterfinals on their very first attempt, and they have remained a good team ever since. Liverpool England, of course, snatched the WC8 trophy from our cold hands in the final match (in Bedistan, no less) and then also proceeded to defeat us in the WC9 third-place match. Thus, it would surely be best if we didn't have to face them again. But we will see.

Final score:
Bedistan 2 (Touchstone 47, Cooke 63)
The Belmore Family 1 (Today 76)

For Those Writting RP's, here are the names for the stadiums of which matches will be played which are in the Group of Eauz.

Round of 16 (in Eauz)

1. The Eagles Nest vs Tadjikistan - Parc de Socialism

2. Lemmitania vs Brazillico - Stade D'Eauz

3. Bedistan vs The Belmore Family - Stade de Monteuz

4. Squornshelous vs Liverpool England - Parc des Mémoire

Round of 8 (in Eauz)

1a. Winner of 1 vs Winner of 2 - Parc des Mémoire
2a. Winner of 3 vs Winner of 4 - Stade de Monteuz

Semi-Finals (in Eauz)

Winner of 1a vs Winner of 2a - Stade D'Eauz

3rd and 4th Position

Loser of Semi-Final in Eauz vs Loser of Semi-Final in The Eagles Nest - Stade D'Eauz

Eagle's nest wins 2 nil over Tadjikistan

Eauz, Parc de Socialism

A late penalty kick in the first half gave the Nest the lead going into halftime after a terrible tackle injured star forward Josh Adams and caused him to be subbed right before halftime. Horace took the kick and made it 1-0. Horace then took advantage in the second half of a winded defender and blew one by him (literally) as he passed out when the gas cloud drifted by from the bovine midfielder to make the score 2-0.

Concern now lies with Adams and his leg injury, as he is not the youngest player on the team these days. Coach Aefnen was quoted, "We don't know how he is right now. The staff says it's sprained, but whether or not he can play on in a few days rest, is a question that we will have to wait for. Good thing Horace took up the slack today.

The Nest awaits the winner of Brazillico vs. Lemmitania, both teams ranked in the top 10. The Nest has played Lemmitania in WCXIV group play, earning a 1-1 draw. Faring no better against Brazillico, they were in the infamous Group 11 during WC XII earning 2 draws, both times a 1-1 score. No draws allowed in this game, no matter who moves on.



Knockout Round Stadium Assignments:


Round of 16:
Rivermoot Arena:
Eauz vs. Kingsford

Nesmian Bowl:
Europa Brittania vs. Total n Utter Insanity

The Stadia at High Hold:
Lovisa vs. Snub Nose 38

Yartar Dome
Kaze Progressa vs. Commerce Heights


Quarter Finals:

Silverymoon Dome
(top 2 Round of 16 winners)

Rauvinwatch Arena
(bottom 2 Round of 16 winners)

Semifinals
Everlundian Municipal Stadium

WC XV Final
Siver Flame Arena

I'm having trouble logging onto the forums as TnUI.

The vote for hosting WC16 is starting now, Arry has asked me to collect the votes and forwarded the 2 votes he's already recieved. Please send your TGs voting for either:

The Lowland Clans-Vilita
Melmond-Commerce Heights
Rejistania-Brazillico
or Krytenia-Raptor Claw

to Antaeus Rising, mainly because that TG box is empty and TnUIs is full.

Posted on behalf of NEWI Cafn Druids who is unable to log in



There now follows an announcement from the Druid Minister for Sport, Leisure, Art, Dossing About and Lost Things, Trevor Brookley:

"Before I continue with my statement, I would like to congratulate the members of the NEWI Cefn Druids football team for their efforts in The Eagles Nest. Despite going out in the group stage, they were the first Druid team to make the World Cup Finals, and for that alone they are to be congratulated. To come away losing only one match, especially considering the circumstances the team found themselves in, is even better.

Now, as a mamber of President Geraint Griffiths' Government, I have been given power to look after all the national sporting associations of NEWI Cefn Druids, so that every decision made is done so with those at the highest level responsible. In this light, the decision has been made to fire the entire board of the FANCD from this moment onwards. The reason behind this is the advertisement they placed looking for a manager that was incapable of managing the team, then going out and hiring one. Quentin John, the afformentioned incapable manager, is also being sacked. He will return back to Gravpol Town in Krytenia.

They will be replaced by a new bored headed by the former Minister for Lost Thigs known only as The Minister for Lost Things. Not only does he have a good public profile, it will also mean that some other dude won't have to be invented to fill the post. Meanwhile, the job of managing the team will be shared jointly between Simon Greaves and Trevor Kallins. The two of them have retired from football following World Cup 15, and know the players, Druid football and international football better than any Druids around."

Le LIBRE

The match of the Cup

(The Eagles Nest) - This was the match which everyone was watching from Abysmalistan to Europa Britannia, much anticipation was put on this match due to the number 1 ranked team of the world, Kingsford, was playing against the number 2 ranked from Eauz. Though Kingsford has not played well in this cup, they still held strong to their number one ranking. Les Bleus had to step it up, and prove to the world that they deserve the number 1 rank of the world.

Les Bleus came storming out onto the field, to a packed stadium of fans from Eauz and Kingsford. The match started with a strong attack by the Kingsford team. The defence though for Les Bleus held strong as they fended off a few long kicks and a corner kick from the strong offence. By the 45th minute of play, both teams had held strong, as the defence proved. The first half ended in a 0 – 0 tie. Play resumed into the second half, as Les Bleus were hungry for a victory. During the 55th minute of play, an Eauz player was tackled, giving them a free kick. The Kingsford team set up a wall, but to no avail, as Les Bleus forward kicked the ball over the wall and into the net. The fans as well as Les Bleus were excited at what just happened. Though the attack was not over, as 5 minutes later, Les Bleus were on another attack, catching the Kingsford defence off guard. Les Bleus went up 2 – 0. At the end of the match, Les Bleus would find themselves winning by a score of 3 – 1. For many people the match was well played on both sides, but they thought Kingsford didn’t show up, except for the first bit of the first half.

The next match for Les Bleus will come against Europa Britannia, who Les Bleus have had a bit of trouble with only beating them one time, and losing or tying the rest. Though, they have had lots of experience against them. Look for a close tight match, and don’t be fooled by the EB rank of 14.

Quarterfinals!
Server upgrade results in 1-0 defeat of Kaze Progressa
THE EAGLES NEST - A very boring 0-0 draw yesterday was narrowly averted as the server running the RP bonus machine's software was upgraded in the middle of the match. The upgrade, which caused such anomalies as Lovisa's 5-384 defeat of Snub Nose, caused sparks which incapacitated the Progressan goalkeeper, who is currently in critical condition. Überkapitaliztrepublik striker Simoleon took advantage of the situation in the 88th minute, scoring a goal before the referee could stop play. The goal was allowed to stand, because the referees were limited to sitting due to the horizontal lightning bolts above them. Some fans claimed to see a cloud shaped like the word "jolt" appear in the stadium, but they were taken to a mental institution after the game. The institution, run by former citizens of Commerce Heights, sued the police for wasting their time with people who couldn't afford to pay the entrance fee, and the allegedly-insane people sued the police for wasting their time in bringing them to the institution. Both cases are currently being disputed, as several lawyers want the case to be settled under the judicial system of the Unified Capitalizt States of Commerce Heights (a system which relies heavily on bribes), while others want it to be held in the Überkapitaliztrepublik or The Eagles Nest. The Commerce Heights Chronicle and Aeropag Tribune are also considering filing charges against all parties involved for coercing their writers into changing the subject of a soccer match recap.

Final Scores: First Round
Creedence Clearwater 0 Commerce Heights 1
Creedence Clearwater 0 Europa Brittania 2
Creedence Clearwater 0 Commerce Heights 1 (invalid match results - charges have been filed against TEN approrpiately)
Rejistania 1 Commerce Heights 0
Commerce Heights 1 Europa Brittania 2
(CH second in group on GD)
Second Round
Kaze Progressa 0 Commerce Heights 1
Quarterfinals
Lovisa vs Commerce Heights

Le LIBRE

Les Bleus defeat Rival.

(The Eagles Nest) - Going into the match, Les Bleus have had trouble against the team from Europa Britannia. The two teams have met each other many times in the past and with EB taking most of the matches. Les Bleus though are out for a change and need a victory to put up any good performance, especially as one of the hosts of this cup.

The match was played in the Silverymoon Dome holding 45,000 screaming fans. The majority of the fans were from Eauz, with a few sections of EB fans. The match started off, but had to quickly be stopped, due to some fans later found to be from Vilita protesting the matches which Les Bleus play. They had signs which read, Corruption and Greed represent the authorities of the Eauz host. People believe they are protesting the fact that the Eauz/TEN hosting system is different to what they believe should be done. One of the hosts got the ball, and took it to the Eauz net, kicking the ball, only to be stopped by Yeuseuv. Yeuseuv threw the ball back at one of the protesters hitting them in the head, knocking him out conscious. Authorities in The Eagles Nest got a hold of the protesters and took them away.

The match finally started and both sides proved to be of equal strength, putting emphasis on defence. The first half was not for fans of goals, but of keepers. During the 36th minute of play though, the EB offence found a hole in Les Bleus defence, only to be stopped by Yeuseuv. As for Les Bleus, they finally broke the strong defence of EB, off of a corner kick during the 45(+2), as the ball found its way into the possession of Rousseau, who kicked the ball into the net. The fans and Les Bleus were excited to take the lead, especially against a tough team in EB.

In the second half, Yeuseuv stayed strong along with the Eauz defence, fending off a few attacks by EB. Unfortunately for the fans of EB, they saw that their team was not encouraged enough to put on any serious attacks. As for Les Bleus, they put emphasis on defence. The match was seen as even better than the Kingsford/Eauz match, as Les Bleus won 1 – 0 against EB.

Les Bleus advance to the semi-finals to meet up against Commerce Heights. This match will be seen as the fight between governments as Eauz the communists will try to be victorious against the UBER-KapitaliZts of CH. Support for Les Bleus have come from countries like Rejistania who are quoted as saying: “Defeat the evil capitalists”. We will see who wins Cold War part II.

Europa Go home.


Two time World Champions Europa Brittania left the illustrious second stage tournament this evening having dropped out thanks to a solitary goal against Former champions themselves Eauz, in the WC XV Quarter Finals.

Having dragged themselves through the tournaments without too much in the way of impressive effort, their journey comes to an end though fans and Team manager Alistair Hughes Will be unable to say they feel at all pleased with the early exit.

Eauz remained the hungrier of the two sides for the majority of the game. Brittania suffered through again the absence of both Michel Lomardi and Derek Lionel, leaving the Brittanian front line seriously lacking in firepower and pace.

In the near-death of the first half, Eauz took the lead. A whipped cross found Rousseau unguarded, who easily prodded the ball into an empty net. EB were deflated, and all inside the stadium could see exactly what the final score would be.

With a pathetically few return ventures, Brittania remained in their own half until full time. Alistair Hughes refused a post match interview, with the sound of many thousands of Brittanian boos still ringing in his ears.

FINAL SCORE

Europa Brittania 0 Eauz 1
Rousseau

Game over Tadjikistan!

The Eagle's Nest ends the Tadjik dream

Eauz - Tadjikistans 4th match on this World Cup against The Eagle's Nest was also the last one. The Eagle's Nest was the more experienced team of the game, and it even the agressive and creative Tadjiks could not change that. That agressiveness led to TENs first goal in the first half when defender Boris Gromov tackled TENs Star player Josh Adams. Gromov, known for his agressive character got a yellow card, while Horace took the penalty and scored. Tadjikistan created some chances to score the equalizer but they failed to finished them off and lost the match in the second half when TEN scored again ending Tadjikistans World Cup.

The Team returned to Dushanbe where they were awaited by thousands of Tadjik fans, who wanted to greet their hero's. The team was then escorted to the Presidential palace by the police where they received a medal from the President for promoting Tadjikistan in a positive way. Although the team won only one of its 4 World Cup-matches, they were celebrated as winners, for the first time in history Tadjikistan qualified for the World Cup and imediatly got through to the second round.

Nest Wins Nailbiter to Make Semis

(Eauz)

The Eagle's Nest played known foe Brazillico in the Quarterfinals, having scored a 1-1 draw in both previous meetings with Brazillico during Group XII in the infamous Group 11. This marked only the second time in Nest history they have made the Quarterfinals, losing in their last try 2 cups ago.

The game opened up with stellar keeping on both sides as neither team could score in the first half. Injured striker Adams did not start for the Nest, but it was evident that he would go in if the need was there. Going in tied at zero, Coach aefnen was heard saying to an assistant that this was going to be a dogfight.

And then the rain started.

A torrential downpour completely soaked the pitch as the cloudburst dumped three quarters of an inch in half an hour. There was standing water still when the teams came back out on the pitch from halftime, as the grounds keepers tried desperately to get as much water off the field as it could, but the drainage system was just overloaded. And so the match started.

Brazillico struck first with an own goal by Kai Osprey as the ball caught a puddle of water and went off his foot badly on the pass back to keeper Adams and Brazillico had a 1-0 lead.

With only 15 minutes left, and looking defeat in the eyes, Aefnen subbed in Josh Adams and the buzz on the crowd rose to a fever pitch. Would the aging star be able to save the Nest one more time?

For ten minutes Brazillico kept the ball away from the Nest, content to play keep away, but the rains opened up again, and the ball started floating on some puddles that were fast filling up pieces of the field.

Adams finall got his first touch with 3 minutes left before injury time, and passed it to Horace who showed his ability as a mudder, and plowed through the slop and water on the pitch, faked the Brazillican goalie, and grazed the post to tie the game at 1.

The Nest Side of the stadium went crazy. The game would go on as neither team tried anything in the 2 minutes of injury time to secure the win. We go to extra time.

The first half of extra time was again a mud fest, many times both teams slow on their rekicks to allow for the ir players to clean their eyes, a few started wearing goggles to keep the mud out of their eyes. The second half of extra time was the best ball played all day, as 3 counterattacks in succession held the stadium in ebbs and flows of emotion, culminating on a shot off of the post by Adams to give Brazillico a goal kick to calm the place down. The emotion rose again as the Birds almost lost it with 2 minutes left in extra time, as brazillico garnered a 3-2 rush, the shot saved barely by Adams tipping it to hit off the post and over safely.

Mercifully the sun came out right as extra time ended and the 1-1 tie would be decided by penalties.

Brazillico went first, scoring thier first two, while Horace missed his first shot.

Down 2-0, Aefnen sent Grotunia, who has been quiet this cup, who put it home high right, 2-1 Braz. after 2. Both teams got their third kick past the goalies, and then a spectacular save by Adams gave the Nest a chance to tie, which Horace managed to do. Brazillico's captain went to the spot to take the all important 5th shot but shot high! He immediately looked at the penalty spot in disbelief and started complaining about the state of the spot. It all came down to Adams. The veteran wehtn up to the spot,, and took the shot low left, the goalie managed a finger tip but was not enough to redirect it past the edge of the net as Adams fell to his knees and tore off his jersey in celebration.

The Nest was through to the Semis to face Squornshelous after beating Brazillico 1-1 ; 4-3 (PK)

The Semis as known now:

The Eagle's Nest vs. Squornshelous (in Eauz)

Eauz vs. Commerce Heights (in The Eagle's Nest)

The Aeropag Tribune: Not sponsored by the Unified Capitalizt States
Commerce Heights Government Falls, National Team In World Cup Semifinal
AEROPAG, NJ (1/3/20 TE) - Just hours after Jack Dalton was elected as the 4th Prime Minister of the Überkapitaliztrepublik, he traveled to Aeropag to announce that the government, having represented Commerce Heights (and, later on, parts of Jativa and Sokojito) for 60 years to the day, would be disbanded and replaced by the interim government of the Unified Capitalizt States, a rebel government that has been slowly gaining support for the last 18 months. Not wanting their success in entering the quarterfinals to be wasted by a forfeit, the Commerce Heights Footballing Federation abandoned their now-defunct government and was given official status in the new government by CEO Michael Yates. The change in allegiance paid off for the CHFF, as the national team, lead by an anonymous striker nicknamed "Simoleon", defeated Lovisa and moved on to the semifinals. The match itself was rather uneventful, with the stadium filled to capacity by Manhattanites (apparently the TLO (Tourism Lovisa Organization) didn't give readable directions to the stadium), and the single goal coming from Simoleon who, distracted by trying to understand the logos on the Lovisan uniforms, accidentally knocked the ball into the goal. Someone (we couldn't read the name) was given a red card after arguing extensively with the officials about the goal, saying something to the effect of "goal bad not should allowed be distracted." Confident that Lovisa probably thought the goal was in the middle of the field instead of the end, Commerce Heights switched from their normal 5-4-1 formation to a 4-6-0 for the remainder of the game. Since there was no goal line in the middle of the field, Lovisa was unable to score, and the game ended 1-0.
Final Score - Quarterfinals:
Commerce Heights 1 (Simoleon 49)
Lovisa 0

Commerce Heights' next match is against Eauz, who call themselves "Les Bleus" (or "Les Communistes d'Eauz'slani" for short). The match is anticipated to have an effect on the rivalry betweeen the two economically-divided nations, but no one is sure what that effect will be.

This publication is the property of Aeropag Tribune, Inc. Any attempt to do anything that we don't like with this publication is futile. If you sue us for any damages caused by this publication, we will sue you for wasting our lawyers' time. Resistance is futile.

COMMERCE HEIGHTS DEFEATS EAUZ, MOVES ON TO WORLD CUP FINAL!
EVERLUND, THE EAGLES NEST - Commerce Heights improved its record against Les Communistes to 3-0-0 with a shocking 2-1 win in the World Cup semifinal. The game, the last game using the red and blue Überkapitaliztrepublik uniforms, starting with Le Communiste #2 pounding the ball past Reichsmark, who was stupid enough not to capitalize on an easy opportunity to stop the goal. Despite efforts by the team, the ball got into the goal, and the commies gained a 1-0 advantage in the 1st minute. Several easy shots at the goal from midfield were missed, and things were not looking up for the Bulldogs until the one of the coach's assistants, who are all named Entraîneur Rouge, switched to a 3-5-3 formation because the goalie wasn't getting enough of a chance to play. After two quick goals in the 37th minute, Les Communistes realized the need to equalize the score, and they switched to a 0-0-11 formation. Rather than risking too many goals getting in, Noel Hicks moved the Bulldogs into a 10-0-0 formation. Les Communistes took advantage of the deployment of the Manhattanite defenders, all of who were on the right side of the field, and nearly kicked the ball straight into the goal, saved only by Reichsmark, who was willing to venture into the other side of the field (and was charged §1,000 for this violation after the game). The goalie, having seen the subliminal propaganda on Les Communistes' uniforms, moved to the center of the goal line (resulting in a §500 fine), preventing any more attempts at an equalizer. The final game of the Überkapitaliztrepublik team ended 2-1, and, as many players were not selected for the new team of the Unified Capitalizt States, they were happy to have made the last match of their careers mean something.
Final Score: Semifinals
Commerce Heights 2 (Simoleon 37, 37)
Eauz 1 (Le Communiste #2 1)

The World Cup 15 Championship Match will be held at Silver Flame Arena in Eagle City. Commerce Heights will play the winner of the Squornshelous-The Eagles Nest semifinal, while Eauz will go home to Le Stade d'Eauz to play the loser.

OOC @ Eauz: I couldn't find the roster thread, so I just used the generic 'Le Communiste #2' - I'll edit the name in if you tell me what it is.

The Bedistan Sports Digest

BFA Outraged At Terranordalian World Cup Performances
Bedistan out in quarterfinals, but CH in the FINAL?!?

AMISSVILLE, LM -- In a strange outbreak of accelerated time, it's just about time for the World Cup finals. But our Lions won't be there after a hard loss to Squornshelous by a score of 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

"Well, at least it wasn't Liverpool England again," commented BFA president Javier McGuire. "And the Squornshelans probably deserved just as much a chance as we did, considering they've been around just as long." In fact, according to this reporter's memory, there are just three nations that have attempted to qualify for at least 11 World Cups and have failed to win one -- Total n Utter Insanity, Squornshelous, and Bedistan. Neither the first nor the last has a chance to do so this time, though it could potentially be Squorn's turn, considering they have made the semifinals, where they face co-host nation The Eagle's Nest.

What really makes the BFA mad, though, is that a neighboring nation is apparently trying to steal our glory. Coming completely out of nowhere, the Commerce Heights Bulldogs have reached the final match after upsetting Eauz in the semis.

"It is an absolute outrage," said McGuire upon hearing the news. "We will not allow any nation in Terranordalis to lift the Cup before we can do it. We've been here longer than them, we've always had the better team, and we deserve that Cup, not them. Whether it's TEN or Squornshelous, I don't care, but as long as it's not those Überkapitalizts to our west, I'll be happy. Personally I hope it's Squorn, because they've been trying for 40 years now, but TEN works too."

McGuire also hinted at extensive changes for World Cup 16, but he would not elaborate.

Le LIBRE

Evil CapitaliZts win

(The Eagles Nest) - The start of Cold War II occurred between Commerce Heights and Les Bleus d’Eauz. The match for Les Bleus was expected to be the one which would take them back to the cup match which they won only 2 WC’s before. The match started off strong for Les Bleus as they put the pressure on the CH team. A weak shot was taken by an Eauz forward, which fooled the CH keeper, going into the net. Les Bleus were up 1 – 0 early and were expecting this match to go their way. Les Bleus played conservative from there hoping to prevent anything from occurring by the CH team. Unfortunately, two quick goals were put in by the CH team, during the 37th minute of play. This broke the spirit of Les Bleus, knowing they should be the team leading, not CH. There were a few other attacks during this match by Les Bleus, only to be stopped by the CH keeper. The match ended in a 2 – 1 victory for CH, and an upset. Fans of Les Bleus could not believe what they had just seen.

Coach’s Comments: “Yeh, well we seemed to have come out strong early, and we had control of the match from then. Unfortunately, we seemed to underestimate CH and they surprised us. It is unfortunate that this side of the bracket should have been won by Eauz. What else can I say? We seemed to show up for a few minutes but just let it all go.”

As for Les Bleus, not everything is for waste, as they will meet co-host TEN in the 3rd place match. Les Bleus will find that they will have home field advantage, as the match will be played in Le Stade d’Eauz. Le Stade d’Eauz has been pretty kind to Les Bleus in the past, and one can only hope for more to come.

OCC: Bah! Those evil capitalists won against communism! I must some day get revenge on capitaliZts!

In fact, according to this reporter's memory, there are just three nations that have attempted to qualify for at least 11 World Cups and have failed to win one -- Total n Utter Insanity, Squornshelous, and Bedistan.
Also Spaam.

OCC: Bah! Those evil capitalists won against communism! I must some day get revenge on capitaliZts!
2-1, 4-3, 2-1! http://terranordalis.thirdgeek.com/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif

KARMA! Strike Birds Lose on PK's

Divine Karma has ended the Strike Birds' run towards their cup as they lost 0-0, 5-4 in sudden death PK's to Squornshelous. The Nest will play co-host Eauz for 3rd place in the World Cup, unfortunately on Eauz's home stadium.

The game was a complete defensive struggle, and the game very quickly became evident that PK's would the deciding factor. Both teams got 3 past the opposing goalie and the game would go to sudden death. Nest striker Adams took the first sudden death kick, and made it top right. Squornshelous countered with a low shot left. Horace then came up to take the next one, but he cut it too close to the goalie, and it was sent away. Squornshelous now had to kick one more to go to the finals. Nest goalkeeper Nathan Adams tried his hardest to catch the ball, but it went off his hands, and the Nest's dreams of playing a home court match for the cup was over.

The Nest players went off the pitch with their heads hung low, but the applause they received from the seem to bring a jump back into their feet knowing they had one more game to play.

The 3rd place game is delayed a few hours apparently due to some construction blasting near the stadium. The final will in essence be finished before the 3rd place game will.

CHAMPIONS!
Commerce Heights wins World Cup 15 in penalty kicks
EAGLE CITY, THE EAGLES NEST - When the Commerce Heights Bulldogs ran onto the field of spotlight-lit Silver Flame Arena wearing the new gold-and-green uniforms of the Unified Capitalizt States, nobody was prepared for the match that was to come. The Bulldogs, having recently defeated Eauz in a 2-1 upset, were entering their first championship game (excluding the Cup of Harmony), a game which no one can ever adequately prepare themself for. As the players lined up on the field for kickoff, the first roster that the team has had in recent history was read over PariMedia's exclusive game coverage:
1 GK Pound Sterling
2 D E. U. Euro
3 D Dinar Jordan
4 D Franc Switzer
5 D Mark Deutsch
6 M Gold Ounce
7 M Silver Ounce
8 M Platinum Ounce
9 M Palladium Ounce
10 A "Simoleon"
11 A Cyprus Pound
Nobody had expected the four Ounce Brothers to all make it onto the national team, but, as they ran onto the field, nobody could doubt the accuracy of the roster. The game was off to a rough start, with two yellow cards (Franc Switzer [COM], Squornshelan #7 [SQU]) in the first 10 minutes, and Squornshelan #4 finally opened scoring in the 19th with a blazing-fast ball that gave Sterling no time to react. Squornshelous remained on top until halftime, when Coach Noel Hicks, after announcing that he would retire after this game, got his team together and helped them to focus more on the game and less on the trophy. The team's increased focus led them to a goal in the 53rd minute, with Pound executing a highly believable fake shot at the goal, passing the ball to Simoleon instead, who took advantage of the confused goalkeeper and equalized the score. The next half-hour of play was extremely tense for both the players and the fans, with many attacks on both sides but no goals. Pound finally put a stop to that in the 86th minute, kicking the ball straight into the goal, barely out of reach for the goalkeeper. As the final seconds of play wound down, the skies above every major city in Commerce Heights (and many in nearby countries) exploded with thousands of fireworks, only to be abruptly stopped by a Squornshelan goal, barely making it past the line as time expired. The players, and the celebrating fans, were shocked, and the 30-minute extended-time period began. Despite determined efforts by both sides to score and take home the Cup, every shot was missed or blocked, including another result of Pound's trickery. The entire nation of Commerce Heights held its breath as the penalty kicks began. Squornshelous went first and missed. Simoleon made the first kick for Commerce Heights, making the score 1-0. Squornshelan #9 equalized, followed by a successful kick by Pound to make the score 2-1. Squornshelan #11 hit the crossbar, but the unusual spin on the ball caused it to go into the goal. Pd Ounce missed, leaving the score at 2-2 after 3 penalty kicks from each side. Squornshelan #5 missed the fourth kick for Squornshelous, leaving Deutsch to give Commerce Heights a 3-2 lead. Having learned their lesson, every fan remained glued to their television (or radio, or computer) as Squornshelan #8 made the score 3-3. Euro stepped up to make the final kick for Commerce Heights, looking very obviously nervous. He positioned himself and kicked the ball. The few seconds that the ball was in the air seemed like an eternity to the nation, and, as the ball hit the back of the net, the skies exploded again. Hundreds of millions of fans had bought fireworks, and, for the next 15 minutes, the continuous thunder of fireworks could be heard as far away as Columbia. The quarter-hour after that was filled with more thunder, as every successful corporation in Commerce Heights spent tens of thousands of dollars on their own fireworks displays. Even in the undeveloped mountains of North Neosokojito, every single person in Commerce Heights could tell that we had won.
Final Score - Championship:
Commerce Heights 2 (Simoleon 53, Pound 86)
Squornshelous 2 (Squornshelan #4 19, Squornshelan #9 90)
Penalty Kicks:
Commerce Heights 4 (Simoleon, Pound, Deutsch, Euro)
Squornshelous 3 (Squornshelan #9, Squornshelan #11, Squornshelan #8)

A quest comes to an end

Squornshelous' run for the cup was ended, within inches of their goal, by a determined and talented team from Commerce Heights. Needless to say, there was a lot of dissapointment in the locker room after the game, but there was also a feeling of pride. "This team went two huge steps further than any Squornshelan team has ever gone before," said midfielder Xavier Keiths, "I think it was especially important to play well in this cup to make sure we got right back into things after WC 14, and we did." Forward Tobias Jones said, "I think we must've had the toughest games of any team in the final 16, four of our last five were decided by extra time or PK's." Even with the dissapointment of losing the cup, this team knows they've left a huge impression on the footballing world. "We proved that a team can come back from a horrible performance and do anything the next time around," said coach James Naylor.

Congrats CH :) you lucky penalty-scoring bastard you :p

oh and commiserations Squornshelous, you bottling bastard you ;)

After the final, word came that the Nest had lost to Eauz in the 3rd place game, and the home partisan crowd groaned, but applauded their home team.

The Eagle's Nest President Garric Ashallond then stood on the podium and addressed the crowd:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, despite the storms, power outages, lemming swarms, RP machines exploding, confusion over tie breakers, spastic colons, and well , any and everything else, World Cup XV is over. As you have just watched a spectacular final, let me congratulate both teams who made the final" *sproadic applause*

"In second place, Squornshelous." *Squorn's players come up to the podium, accept their silver medals, many in tears, wave to the crowd and leave the pitch*

"The Champions of World Cup XV winning in dramatic fashion.."*President Ashallond is interrupted by fireworks going off again, as the official fireworks thought they were late after CH's spontaneous firework show....he waits 20 minutes for the show to finish, as the Commerce Heights players practically BEGGED to be let up on the podium*

"As I was saying, the champions of World Cup XV, Commerce Heights. And as an aside, at least nothing else can go wrong." *Commerce Heights comes up onto the podium and is handed the Cup, and their medals. As they are celebrating their win, many begin to jump up and down....and the podium collapses. ABout this time, a CH fan shoots a Eauzian Candle into the pitch, that bounces into the podium, catching it on fire before many players and President Ashallond can get out of the wreckage.*


President Ashallond Recovering From Freak Fire

President Ashallond is recovering well from the burns he received over 20% of his body. Reports are that most of the players from Commerce Heights are also recovering. FA head Sma Scroja was sverely burned, and has resigned his post as FA head. Rumors are that Coach Aefnen will step down to take over the FA, and that aging star Josh Adams will become coahc for next cup. Time will tell.