NationStates Jolt Archive

The team had been formed. Rhovani Stadium, with seating capacity for seventy-five thousand, had been built. The Pride, new national team for the nation of Sonaron, stood ready to make their entrance into the international scene. While the Pride had already been registered for the Twenty-First World Cup, Coach Jacques Raizor knew his team needed seasoning, above and beyond that which the Baptism of Fire would provide. Through his days as an assistant coach in various national football programs elsewhere, Jacques had a few contacts. Thus, he began writing a letter to them...

To: Sarzonia International Football Federation, Terry Mangoine, Chairman
CC: Talzeckia Football Organization, Howard Estill, President

Dear Sirs:
Five months ago, I was commissioned with the task of organizing and developing a football team for the nation of Sonaron. To that end, I am currently organizing exhibition series to be played between now and the start of qualifying for World Cup XXI. While I realize that your teams may well be involved in the currently ongoing World Cup XX, any assistance you could provide in scheduling matches would be greatly appreciated. To that end, if you know of any teams that may be interested in a match, please feel free to forward this letter on to them.

Yours,
Jacques Raizor
Head Coach and Program Director
Sonaron Pride Football

[OOC: I'm willing to accept exhibition matches/series with anyone, though the restrictions will be on how much I can RP in the time between now and the BoF 21 and how much Total n Utter Insanity, who has offered to scorinate the matches, can handle. TnUI is going to use RPR to scorinate the matches.]

[OOC: Since I'm too lazy to log out as Sarzonia and log in as Talzeckia and vice versa, the response will be from both national teams on this account.]

To: Jacques Raizor
Head Coach and Program Director
Sonaron Pride Football
From: Terry Mangione
Chairman, Incorporated Football Federation
Subject: Home and home friendlies

We would be delighted to play a two match friendlies series with your country and would be honoured if we were provided the opportunity to "christen" your new national stadium with a friendly match. We believe that would give us the opportunity to keep our skills sharp in an atmosphere that can only be described as positive for both of us.

We would obviously also like to extend to you the opportunity to play us at our beautiful national stadium. Hendrix Stadium in our picturesque capital Woodstock seats roughly 80,000 football fans and will be sure to be sold out.

We look forward to giving you the opportunity to compete at the highest level of football.

To: Jacques Raizor
Head Coach and Program Director
Sonaron Pride Football
From: Howard Estill
President, Talzeckia Football Organization
Subject: Friendly matches

The Talzecki national football team is eager for the opportunity to play two friendly matches, one at your new national stadium and one at our own. We will be playing at Colonial Park in our capital Constantine and will be glad to return the favor and play at Rhovani Stadium. We believe it would provide us both with two very competitive matches that will only help us as we look to compete in the World Cup.

We are eager to begin what we hope is a long and friendly series of competition between our two countries.

To: Terry Mangoine, Chairman, Incorporated Football Federation
RE: Home and home friendlies

We would be honored to have the internationally renowned Sarzonia team assist in the christening of Rhovani Stadium. Ceremonies are scheduled to commence at the beginning of the Festival of Reaping, thirty-two days hence. Rhovani Stadium should be completed well in advance of the Festival, and it would be a great honor if we could play you on the opening day of the Festival. As to the exact timing of the match in Hendrix Stadium, we can do any time except the two week window on either side of the Festival, when our players need to be home with their families.

Yours,
Jacques Raizor
Head Coach and Program Director
Sonaron Pride Football

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To: Howard Estill, President, Talzeckia Football Organization
RE: Friendly matches

Excepting a four week window commencing eighteen days from today, the Sonaron Pride are currently available to play matches both at home and on the road at nearly any time. We merely ask that any matches scheduled be at least two weeks apart. In addition, we are currently in the process of scheduling matches with Sarzonia; thus, there is a small chance that there may be some scheduling conflicts that cannot currently be forseen.

Yours,
Jacques Raizor
Head Coach and Program Director
Sonaron Pride Football

Stars win, draw v. Pride

In two matches against international football newcomers Sonaron, the Sarzonian national football team saw it as an opportunity to experiment with formations and play a more attack-oriented brand of football which assistant coach David Bostwick (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/msarzo/MikeMartz_8273.jpg) favors. Coach Dave Wilson allowed Bostwick to coach the team while assistant coach Barry Owens runs the team during an invitational tournament in Raptor Claw.

The Stars stumbled out of the gate in the game at Hendrix Stadium in Woodstock, finding themselves 2-0 before 15 minutes had elapsed. An angry Bostwick sent starting goalkeeper Mark Tanner to the bench in favour of World Cup veteran Troy Perkins, and the Stars gradually climbed back into the match, getting the equalising goal with just seconds remaining before the referee's whistle to end the friendly.

"They played real tough," Bostwick said. "I've gotta take my hat off to the Pride. They played with a lot of pride."

In the second match, the opening match at Rhovani Stadium, a hat trick from Barry Alphonso and goals by Darwin Russell and Bobby Convey spoiled the first home match for the Pride as the Stars eked out a 5-4 victory.

"We're going to have to fine-tune things if we're going to play that style of football," Wilson said. "This was a good two matches with nothing on the line but a chance to get some solid experience, but it definitely is a sign those boys are ready to play football. They will give somebody a real hard time when they play in World Cup qualifying."

Tides sweep Pride aside

Talzeckia didn't get the honour of playing the first-ever match at Sonaron's Rhovani Stadium that their colonial masters Sarzonia did, but the Tides played a hard-fought series of matches against the Pride, winning 3-1 at Colonial Park in Constantine and 3-2 at Rhovani against a determined Sonaron side.

"They're a very enthusiastic side," Coach Avid Mashoda said. "We had to play hard the full 90 minutes plus against them each time out. They're going to be a tough side to deal with."

Goalkeeper Nick Reynolds praised the field players from Sonaron, saying "they play like they've been been born with footballs at their feet.

"If you didn't know any better, you might think they played longer than we did."

The Tides are hoping the experience of playing in the two friendlies between the Cup of Harmony will help the team prepare for World Cup 21.

"We need all the seasoning we can get and playing two tough matches is a great way to do it," Mashoda said. "Sonaron can rightly call themselves the Pride because they play with a lot of it."