NationStates Jolt Archive

Wavecrest City Stadium, ARIDDIA

PAVEL LANCE: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Wavecrest City Stadium, one of Ariddia’s four newly refurbished stadia, all modern and clean and new. . . and ready for a historic football match! Maria?”

MARIA SAND: “Quite right, Pavel! I’m Maria Sand, with me is Pavel Lance, and we’re overlooking the pitch of the field where the game will be beginning in just a few minutes. For now, the players are still in their changing rooms, which gives us a few minutes to bring you up to date, if you’re watching us from abroad and you haven’t been keeping an eye on our little corner of the world.”

LANCE: “Well, we’re here for a football match between Alasdair I Frosticus and Ariddia, a game which is historic in more ways than one. And actually, the Frosticans aren’t in their changing room; they’re still in the Dreamed Realm, and apparently they’ll be appearing out of thin air on the pitch when they’re ready, something a lot of people here in the stadium are looking forward to seeing. Anyway, I’ll give you a few statistics and reminders, maybe. You probably all know that Ariddia hosted the first ever World Cup, almost a century ago, and that Alasdair I Frosticus hosted World Cup Two. Neither of them have ever won it, and both have been absent from international competitions for a very long time. Another interesting little fact is that the two countries have *never* gone head to head. So this is actually the first ever match between them, after all these years!”

SAND: “Which is going to make the Ariddian side all the more keen to win. Now, of course this match is supposed to be a sort of. . . preliminary come-back for both teams, a prelude to their returning to the World Cup, even though the Frosticans’ participation is just going to be a one-off.”

LANCE: “Yes, this is a prelude match, in celebration of the Cup’s silver anniversary, since the next competition will be World Cup 25. But despite all that, I think most people will be focusing on the match itself this evening here in Wavecrest, rather than simply on its symbolic meaning. Maria, what do we know about the Frostican side?”

SAND: “Very little, actually. We’ll be giving you their starting line-up later, but essentially they’re an unknown to everyone. Ariddia, on the other hand, will be starting the match with exactly the same team as began the match against Tanah Burung, in Matebian City.”

LANCE: “How much do you think that’s going to help our side?”

SAND: “Well, they’ll be starting the match with a team that knows it can win, that has proven it’s got what it takes. That could be a psychological advantage, and they’ll be looking for a repeat of their last performance. They may also be conscience of foreign clubs’ managers watching them. It was after the match against Tanah Burung that five Ariddians were signed on by foreign clubs. Still, as I said, the Frostican team are an unknown, and that has to be a little unnerving.”

LANCE: “Well, while we’re waiting for things to start, maybe we can comment on the stadium itself. It’s the first time in decades it’s been used for an international match, and it’s been fully redone. Even more striking, perhaps, are all those flags. Maria?”

SAND: “Yes, there are flags overlooking the stadium. On one side are the flags of all the nations who have ever hosted the Cup, with the Ariddian flag on one end, the Frostican flag just next to it, and the Druidan and Krytenian flags right at the other end. Opposite them all are the flags of every team that has *won* the Cup.”

LANCE: “And outside the stadium are the flags of every nation which has ever taken part in the World Cup. And now on the big screen at the far end of the pitch, we can see old images from the early days of the competition. Brings back memories, doesn’t it?”

SAND: *laughs* “Not literally! My grandparents weren’t even born at the time! Anyway, as you can see the Ariddian team are coming out onto the field, wearing the red tops of home games. The Frosticans will probably be appearing any minute now. And over there amongst the spectators there's a huge banner to welcome them, saying: BE OF YOUR FROSTINESS. What else is there to say about this match? The ulek, perhaps?”

LANCE: “Oh, yes! Well, this is the first time it will be performed, in international sport that is, and it’s another thing many Ariddians are looking forward to seeing. Alasdair I Frosticus will be the first team to have to face a performance of the fearsome ulek (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Ulek). From what I gather, it’ll be performed after the anthems, and the players will shake hands with their opponents after the ulek rather than just after the anthem. Probably to symbolise that, despite the war chant, it’s still a game, in the spirit of fair play and good fun. Let’s just take a quick look at the starting eleven for Ariddia. . .”


GK: Sandrine Leduc (1)
DEF: Yves al Jahdali (9) ; E Te (3) ; Phillip Lukeson (18) ; Tim Wald (14) ; Jean Kitenge (11)
MID: Ue Alt (cpt; 12); Michael Swimmer (21) ; Ta I (17)
FWD: Frédéric Clément (8) ; E Lel (20)

SOMEWHERE DEEP IN THE DREAMED REALM....


Alasdairopolis, city of dreams, jewel of the Oneiromancers, and home of the Basileus of the Holy Empire, Vice-Gerent of the Dreamed Realm and Overlord of the Archregimancy. Its glittering spires have remained unseen for decades as the mortals of ordinary physical reality count time, as the Basileus ordered the Dreamed Realm closed from the corrupting influence of ordinary reality.

But now something stirs. A group of men wearing yellow shirts and red shorts with black trim - which look like this (http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/vakraas/frosticus.jpg) (home left, change right) - are gathered in the Frosticus Ampitheatre, national stadium of the Holy Empire.

A figure dressed in the ornate gilded costume of a palace official steps forward. "Gentlemen, you are the first national team of the Holy Empire to have been gathered together since World Cup 7. At the invitation of the World Cup founders Ariddia, you have been chosen to represent the Holy Empire at a special match between the first two World Cup hosts to celebrate the first edition of that tournament. You will also be entered into the forthcoming silver jubilee World Cup. The Basileus cares not whether you win or lose, only that you represent our mighty and ancient nation to the best of your ability, and display the highest standards of sportsmanship. Here is the portal to ordinary reality; step forth, and you will find yourself in Ariddia. Good luck, and may the blessings of the Basileus be upon you."

And step forth they did, materialising in the middle of the ground to the utter astonishment of the Ariddian crowd. Though they had been expecting just this moment - though indeed they had been actively anticipating this moment - nothing could have fully prepared the Ariddians. And as intimidating as the Ulek might well prove to be, surely the sight of the opposing team appearing out of thin air might prove just as unnerving?

But who was on the team? Who were representing the Holy Empire in this historic and extraordinary game? Who were wearing the famous Gold and Red?

An official with the Holy Empire squad stepped over the the stadium media point, and handed over a team list:

"We will play 3-5-2. We care not for defence. We care not for System Karela. Our team lives to attack. We live by the sword, and will die by the sword. But we will also always play fair. This we do solemnly swear.

GK: John Comneno

DEF: Michael Lascaro; Juan Tzimisces Jr.; Alexius Ducaso

MID: Michael Palealogo; Jorge Maniaces; John Palealogo; Manuel Phocaso; Andronicus Bulgaroctonico; Romanus Lecapeno

FOR: Isaac Angelo; Astor Diogenes"

And then a short statement was read out:

"On behalf of the Basileus of the Holy Empire, we bring you greetings. While our nation has drawn itself beyond the veil of the Dreamed Realm, we retain happy memories of our former footballing friendship with the people of Ariddia. While our two teams never met on the field of play, those bonds of friendship arising from our respective roles in the early days of the tournament's development should never be underestimated. For that reason, we offer you today this trophy, that we shall donate to Ariddia irrespective of the result of today's match."

And what a trophy it was: the purest gold, encrusted with valuable gemstones, dazzling all as it caught and scattered the sunlight, its value virtually incalculable.

There was a slight pause of silence, and then the entire Ariddian crowd erupted in cheers and applause in appreciation of the sheer opulent magnificence of the gesture. Some may have privately disapproved at the waste of wealth, but none could claim that the Imperials didn't know how to make a dramatic entrance.

At that point it remained only for the ulek to take place, and for the game to begin...

LANCE : “Well. . . What do you make of that ?”

SAND: “Eh. . . impressive. It seems as if the crowd is going to go on cheering forever. We’ve got a close-up on their team now, and the trophy. The audience can see them on the big screen at the far end of the stadium, and it seems to have made the cheering intensify.”

LANCE: “Well, I’ve got a shot from another angle here, and it looks as if Anna Teals. . . yes, it’s her, the President of the Ariddian Football Association. It looks as if she’s going to go onto the field and welcome the visiting team, and accept the trophy I suppose. That thing has to be priceless even as an art form! Imagine! A trophy made in the Dreamed Realm!”


After a few minutes:

LANCE: “Now, you’ve just heard the national anthems, starting with that of Alasdair I Frosticus, after Ms. Teals spoke a few warm words in thanks and welcome. And our first proper close up view of the Frostican players’ faces, as the camera panned over them during their anthem.”

SAND: “Yes, and I imagine quite a few of our viewers will be discovering or rediscovering the Ariddian players’ faces, too. This is only the second time we see them on the pitch, and the first time at home. Pavel, I think the Ariddians in the stadium cheered almost as loudly after the Frostican anthem as they did for our own?”

LANCE: “Yes, it’s a great atmosphere here in Wavecrest. Ah, now, the two teams are gathering face to face, and I think we’re about to witness the ulek. . .”

As he trails off excitedly, the camera shows an aerial view, the red-and-gold suits of Alasdair I Frosticus facing the red-and-black ones of Ariddia. Cameramen crowd round both sides on the field. Silence slowly settles over the stadium, as spectators brace themselves eagerly. Slowly, seeming to take their time, the eleven Ariddians on the field form into a flattened semi-circle, its extremities just extending round the Frostican players. The silence in the air is absolute, broken only occasionally by a muffled, almost inaudible cough from somewhere in the crowd. As the camera closes in, the Ariddian team lean forward, balancing themselves precariously yet firmly on their toes, as though to challenge and intimidate their opponents into backing down. They hold this position for several seconds as the stadium holds its breath. . .

Then, without warn, the chant explodes from them, deafening in contrast with the silence that had preceded it.

Llseh! Llseh!
Swehashi llosh e lueal o!
Wo’el yeual o!

It’s almost a roar, but perfectly coordinated, emerging identically from eleven throats, chests, mouths. The Ariddians jump, swing their arms as they chant, all coordinated down to the slightest detail. Eleven warriors, for the space of a few moments, challenging their adversaries from another realm. The chant rises in intensity.

Al llseh! Al llseh!
Wul ellul sel ei! Wul!
Silew wa oleh!
Sah wa weheshisi!
Sah wa weheshisi!

As the final words emerge triumphantly, the eleven Ariddians half-kneel as one, the better to lunge forward at the Frosticans the next moment, rushing right up to them. . . then scattering like a powerful wave that has hit the shore, allowing their sudden burst of momentum to die down, and returning to their side of the pitch.

The crowd erupts into deafening cheers, while the camera shows the grinning faces of the Ariddian players.

SAND: “Well, that was our first view of the ulek before an international match. Pavel? Was it enough to impress our visitors, or can nothing be more impressive than the Frosticans’ arrival?”

LANCE: “Well, the crowd seemed to love both. As we see the players of the two teams shaking hands now and exchanging a few friendly words.”


After a few minutes:

SAND: “And here we go! Maniaces kicks it off for the Frosticans. Passes to Lacapeno. Lecapeno to. . . that’s Palealogo, I think, Michael his first name. Passes back to Maniaces as they look for an opening. They’ve got it to Diogenes! He’s. . . outrun by Kitenge. Tries to pass back to another Frostican, but. . . Te is there, and clears it.”

LANCE: “It’s a scuffle between Swimmer and Ducaso. Ducaso has the best of it, kicks it back up the field, where. . . where Angelo passes quickly to Phocaso who shoots! It’s blocked by Wald! Angelo has it again, shoots! And a nice save by Leduc. Whew.”

SAND: “Well, this is starting with a quick pace, and the Frosticans are certainly putting the pressure on. Leduc clears it well into the other side of the field.”


Eighth minute

SAND: “A long kick from Alt. . . to. . . Clément. Is he offside? No! For a moment, I thought he was offside, but he isn’t, and. . . he can’t kick it from here, he passes to I. . . She’s trying to get past Ducaso. . . She’s through, and she passes! Clément has the ball, shoots, it’s a goal! Goal for Ariddia, opening the score!”

LANCE: “The crowd are ecstatic! Ariddia are in the lead, not even ten minutes into the game.”


Fourteenth minute

LANCE: “It’s a powerful shot, but Leduc. . . deflects it, and Te gets it out quickly. That’ll be a corner for the Frosticans, the first one this game.”

SAND: “It’s played by Michael Palealogo. It’s. . . Alt who gets it, passes to. . . Angelo has intercepted! No, wait, al Jahdali is blocking his way, forces it out. . . That’ll be another corner kick.”

LANCE: “Palealogo to kick it again. This time Leduc is going out to get it. . . Wait she’s– It’s a goal! How did that happen?”

SAND: “I’m. . . not sure who scored it, we’ll have to see the replay. I think Leduc was jostled when one of her team-mates backed into her, and she wasn’t able to catch the ball. Yes, that was Wald who backed into her, not seeing her, leaving an open goal cage for the Frosticans. . . Well, it was chaotic there. . . But that’s an equaliser, and a nice shot right on target before any Ariddians could clear or deflect it.”

"And following Diogenes' equaliser, the teams pause to draw breath. Nice to be commentating with you again, Brian"

"Thanks Nigel - and it's an honour to be sharing the commentary box with you again for the first time since World Cup 4. No doubt some of the Ariddians are a little surprised to see the two of us popping up given the time gap, but they should remember that time passes differently in the Dreamed Realm. A century for them is only a couple of years for us"

"What about that ulek?"

"Nice to see a bit of drama from both sides before the kickoff. I very much hope the ulek becomes a standard part of the Ariddian pre-match ritual."

"I have to stop you there, Brian, because the teams have kicked off again. Bulgarectonico disposses E Lel almost immediately. Bulgaroctonico dribbles forward. He goes past Swimmer. Jinks past Wald. Lukeson and Kitenge can't stop him. He shoots.... HE SCORES! MY OH MY! A GOAL STRAIGHT OFF THE OPPOSING TEAM'S KICKOFF."

"Frosty Football at its finest, Nigel. Magnificent individual brilliance from the Midfielder, and Ariddia don't know what hit 'em. Two goals inside 90 seconds. But due credit to the Ariddian crowd - their team may be behind, but they're applauding that piece of skill from Bulgaroctonico. This is a crowd that knows how to appreciate quality football, and it looks like they've come to the right place today"

30th minute

"End to end stuff, this - a frenetic pace, a marvellous match. Just after another fine opportunity for Clement, the Imperials surge forward, and Diogenes narrowly misses scoring his own second. Brian."

"Yes, it reminds me of the glorious old days of the World Cup, before the tactical aberration of System Karela. 'To attack is to lose' my arse. To attack is to score, to bring glory and excitement, to see grown men hug each other in a totally non-homoerotic way as they experience the exhiliration of scoring. This is what football should be about, not seven defenders and a lone attacker! To defend is to draw. Boringly, at that."

45th minute

"...with his chimpanzee, the Pope and five tumblers full of Jamaican Rum"

"I'll just have to stop that witty anecdote, Brian, because the referee has given a free kick to Ariddia. A brief pause in what's been a frenetic first half of end-to-end action played in the finest spirit of fairplay. For every ulek-inspired attack crashing down on the rocky shores of the Imperial defence, there's been a golden opportunity for our lads melting down in the firey furnace of Ariddia's skill. Oh, and what a pity, it looks like Clement has twisted or sprained his ankle in that challenge. What a disappointment for the goalscorer."

"And I'm somewhat surprised to see the Ariddians making a substitution here. The injury doesn't look that bad, and surely the coach could wait until after half-time before making the substitution just in case Clement can continue"

"Or perhaps they're taking the sensible precaution of not wanting to aggravate a minor injury to a star player during a friendly. A substitution it is, with Faraj coming on for Clement - they might choose to reorganise the team after half time. But for the time being Ta I takes the free kick. Swimmer picks up the ball, Tzimisces Jr. pressures him into a cross, and... FARAJ!!! The Imperial central defence was _nowhere_. Well, how about that, Brian, he's been on the pitch for all of 10 seconds, and he scores with his very first touch."

"Impressive, that is - the manager's looking like a genius right now"

"And there's the half-time whistle. After 45 minutes of this historic match, it's Ariddia 2 - Alasdair I Frosticus 2, and it's anybody's game. Brian?"

"That it is, Nigel. Some lovely skill on both sides. But I have to say that I don't think the Imperials have reached their full potential yet. I think they can improve - I think we might see some real Frosty Football in the second half if they settle down. The occasion might be getting to them a bit"

"And speaking of the second half, I wonder what sort of half-time entertainment the Ariddians are going to put on for us today...."

SAND: “And, if you’re just joining us, you’re just in time for the second half of the match between Alasdair I Frosticus and Ariddia. The score is currently two all, with goals by Clément, Diogenes, Bulgarectonico and Faraj. We’ve just seen a nice quarter hour show of dancing, with displays of various dances from various cultural backgrounds present in Ariddia.”

LANCE: “Yes, a lot of skill there and some very nice costumes. Anyway, we’ve just received the Ariddian line-up for the second half, and it seems as if there have been quite a few changes. Maria?”

SAND: “Well, no real surprise there. The coach, Adam Seul, had said he would be making the most of this friendly to give as many players as possible the opportunity to play. We’ve seen a solid performance by the usual starting eleven in the first half, even though the Frosticans probably had the edge in terms of overall skill. Let’s see what the rest of the team can do.”

LANCE: “Well, Hue has come in as goalkeeper. The defence has been lowered to four, with Bounthaiyavong coming in, while midfield has been strenghtened to four players. So a slightly less defensive configuration. Faraj and Lel stay on in forward position.”

SAND: “And that means that, over the two matches so far, we’ll have seen everyone except. . . wait a sec. . . Chem, Roberts and Ramirez? Is that right?”

LANCE: “That’s quite right. I doubt Chem will be brought in as a third goalkeeper, but there is a possibility of Seul letting Roberts and Ramirez in at some point, to give them a taste of an international match before sending them off to the World Cup. Anyway, the game is underway again!”


Fifty-first minute

SAND: “Sanjeeb has outrun Tzimisces. He passes across to Delherbe. He’s lost it to Lascaro. . . No, he’s got it back again! He has to pass back to I. She passes to Lel, who. . . who’s offside, unfortunately.”


Fifty-eighth minute

SAND: “Phocaso tackles it away from I. It’s not often she loses the ball! And he starts a counter-attack! Te and Bounthaiyavong are in his way. . . He passes over to Diogenes. Diogenes to Lecapeno. Lecapeno to. . . No, he’s shooting! It hits the sidepost and deflects in! A superb angle! I think he took everyone by surprise, trying a shot from there! Hue had no time to react.”


Sixty-second minute

LANCE: “Another effective counter-attack by the Frosticans. They’re in top form, and getting increasingly dangerous. Ariddia were looking for a more aggressive configuration, but these past ten minutes or so they’ve been forced very much onto the defensive. And it’s John Palealogo with the ball. He loses it to al Jahdali. Passes to Sanjeeb. Sanjeeb. . . loses it in turn to Angelo. The Frosticans are building their attack around Chem’s goal cage. . . Bulgaroctonico shoots! And al Jahdali is there again, deflecting it for Ta I, who clears it quickly.”

SAND: “Well that’ll be a corner kick for the Frosticans. But very well played by al Jahdali, who, by the way, is wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of both Alt and Leduc.”

LANCE: “Maniaces to kick it. It’s. . . al Jahdali has it, deflects it with his head toward Bounthaiyavong, who clears it back toward the Frostican side of the field.”

SAND: “And this time it’s Ariddia’s turn to mount a counter attack! Sanjeeb, taking it up the field. Faraj. Ooh, that was foul! I don’t think it was intentional, but it was a rather nasty tackle by Lascaro.”

LANCE: “Faraj is getting back to his feet; he doesn’t seem injured. That’ll be a free kick. . . which Delherbe takes. It goes straight to Faraj. Faraj to Lel, plays quickly. Lel shoots!”

SAND: “And a good save by Comneno. That was a powerful shot on a difficult angle. And Lel is nodding ‘well done’ to the Fostican goalkeeper. A nice example of fair play, though he must be feeling rather frustrated at that.”


Seventy-first minute

LANCE: “Oh, Ariddia’s defence is in trouble! It’s almost an open goal for Angelo, if he can beat Hue. Wait, no, al Jahdali takes it from him in a tackle. . . but there’s no Ariddian there to take it. And there’s Phocaso. He shoots. . . Oh, Hue was close! It must have brushed his fingertips. But that’s 4-2 nonetheless.”


Seventy-fifth minute

SAND: “Well, Ariddia’s defence seem to have picked themselves together again. The Frosticans are having a little trouble breaking– Oh, I spoke too soon! Diogenes has somehow slipped past our great al Jahdali and. . . Ouch!”

LANCE: “Youch, that looks painful! Hue came out from his goal cage to tackle it away from Diogenes, but that impact was on the Frostican player’s ankle. And. . . Hue is getting a yellow card! That’ll be a penalty kick!”

SAND: “Diogenes is helped to his feet by al Jahdali; he seems to be all right. We’re getting a close-up on Hue, and he doesn’t look happy at all. I think he’s angry at himself, though, not at the referee. Kitenge is talking to him, probably telling him to try and calm down and stay focused.”

LANCE: “Well, the Frosticans have been talking amongst themselves too, and Diogenes will take that penalty kick. The other players are moving out of the penalty box. This isn’t good, Maria. . . A 5-2 lead at this stage of the game would be difficult to overcome.”

SAND: “Well, Diogenes is in position. He shoots! And it’s in. That’s 5-2.”

LANCE: “Hue is looking very unhappy indeed. He’s letting frustration get the better of him, I think. al Jahdali is asking him if he’d like to be replaced. Hue’s shaking his head. I don’t think the coach will pull him out. Maria?”

SAND: “No, I don’t think so either. This is a friendly match; the idea is for the players to gain some experience. Hue will probably learn quite a lot from this game, even if he looks as if he’s feeling down right now.”

LANCE: “Well, with this pause in the game, two substitutions have been announced for the Ariddia. Roberts and Ramirez have been warming up for these past few minutes, and they’re coming in. . . let’s see. . . 13 for 11, and 2 for 20. They’re replacing Kitenge and Lel.”


OOC: Line-up for the second half:

GK: Ludovic Hue (4)
DEF: Yves al Jahdali (9) ; E Te (3) ; Jean Kitenge (11) ; Anan Bounthaiyavong (16)
MID: Ta I (17) ; André Delherbe (15) ; John Sanjeeb (19) ; Uol Lat (6)
ATT: E Lel (20) ; Ismail Faraj (10)

Substitutions: Peter Roberts (for Jean Kitenge); Clémentine Ramirez (for E Lel)

"...and with that penalty for Diogenes, it's suddenly 5-2 to Alasdair I Frosticus. Brian."

"Well, Nigel, the lad Hue will be desperately disappointed with that. And I have to say the referee was a little quick with the card there. This is supposed to be a friendly, and both teams have been playing a spirited but fair game. There was nothing malicious in Hue's attempt to go for the ball - it was just mistimed"

"But 5-2 - a surprise?"

"Maybe a little. This has been a fine display of Frosty Football from the lads, some lovely skill, but let's remember we haven't introduced any substitutes, while Ariddia seem to be using the second half to give some fringe players some international experience. The 2-2 scoreline in the first half was probably a more accurate reflection of the relative level of ability on the two teams."

"Thank you Brian. But with 15 minutes left, and the Holy Empire leading 5-2, it's back to the game"

85th minute

"...the tempo's dropped in these last 15 minutes - the result a certainty, and neither team seeming to want to risk an injury before the upcoming qualifiers for World Cup 25. We've seen some lovely pieces of individual skill from both teams, but nothing really worth writing home about, and..."

"I'll just interrupt you there, Nigel, because I think we're about to see something special"

"All I see is Lecapeno with the ball, and - oh my!"

"That's right, Nigel - I know the lad's been practicing this party piece for weeks - let's see how Ariddia cope..."

"Lecapeno has kicked the ball into the air, and is balancing it on his head. He - this is quite incredible - seems to have taught himself how to run down the field with the ball balanced on his head."

"And the worst thing for Ariddia is, they can't bump into him or knock him over without conceding a foul..."

"Still Lecapeno. The Ariddians look completely baffled. And... Well, you have to say I'm not surprised. Stand-in Ariddian captain al Jahdali has taken it on himself to give Lecapeno a gentle nudge just as he was approaching the penalty area - and it's a free-kick in a dangerous area to the Holy Empire. Brian?"

"A cheeky little manoeuvre from the lad Lecapeno, but to be honest I don't think he'll get away with that in a competitive match. Not everyone's going to be quite as forgiving as al Jahdali."

"But how do you stop him when he's doing that balancing act?"

"Nudge him harder, earlier, and don't leave him alone with the ball. Not too hard that - but the Ariddian crowd don't seem to mind too much. There's some appreciative cheering from the fans"

"Anyway, it's Phocaso with the free-kick. He shoots, Hue... Oh no. A disastrous fumble by Hue. It squirms right through the young goalkeeper's arms. His confidence seems to be completely shot after the earlier penalty incident, and it's 6-2 to the Holy Empire..."

90th minute

"...the full time whistle. 6-2 to the Holy Empire, and a sometimes-dazzling display of Frosty Football that has an appreciative home crowd applauding the visitors despite the scoreline. Not to take anything away from Arridia - the first half was well-matched, and it was only after some mass substitution for the second half that the Holy Empire really took control. Still, as the Imperial players suddenly fade from sight to return to the Holy Empire, we have to feel confident about the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, Brian."

"Absolutely Nigel. We're about to see the return of Frosty Football to the World Cup for the first time in a very long time - and I'm not sure some of the other nations in international football are quite ready for this. Play as well as they've played today, and - finally - the death knell for system karela as a serious strategy will finally have been sounded"

"Thank you. And on behalf of both myself and Brian, we'd like to wish you goodnight"

Final score:

Alasdair I Frosticus 6

Ariddia 2

----------------------------------------------

Two weeks later....

Without warning, a newspaper suddenly appears out of thin air at Ariddian football HQ. No one knows where it came from, but it calls itself "The Holy Empire Independent".

The Ariddians read the headline story with growing horror, powerless to intervene in a disaster they have inadvertently and entirely innocently caused to come to pass.

The basic story, using the headlines to tell the sorry tale, runs as follows...

"Plague hits Holy Empire - tens of thousands dead."
"Unknown disease blamed on renewed contact with Ordinary Reality"
"Footballing catastrophe"
"National football team virtually wiped out - Juan Tzimisces Jr. only survivor"
"Basileus personally intervenes to promise swift action"
"Future footballing fixtures in Holy Empire ruled out - all home matches in WC 25 to be played in the Archregimancy"
"Strict quarantine laws introduced for future contact with Ordinary Reality"

24 Hours later, a neatly addressed letter arrives similarly unexpectedly at the Ariddian footballing offices. It states simply:

"Please do not blame yourselves for what has come to pass. This was our fault. We failed to appreciate the implications of the long period without contact with ordinary reality for our nation. We do not regret playing you in the recent celebratory friendly, and we wish Ariddia all the best for the future. Our only regret is that the rest of the international footballing community will never have the opportunity to see our best-ever team extol the virtues of Frosty Football at its very best. Sincerely Yours, Alasdair I Frosticus, Basileus of the Holy Empire"

And if anyone in Ariddia appreciated that a hand-signed letter from the Basileus was arguably worth more than the gilded cup handed over at the recent footballing friendly, then no one in the Holy Empire would know for some time.

LANCE : “And we’re joined in the studio by team captain Ue Alt, and team mates Frédéric Clément and John Sanjeeb. Ue, your impressions?”

ALT: “Well, first I’d like to say we were happy to play against the Frosticans, and they played exceptionally well. Hats off to them; it was a well-deserved victory. As for the rest, we made some mistakes, and we intend to learn from them. I think this match will be valuable experience to us. Better to have faced this now than during the Cup.”

SAND: “So, you’re not discouraged at all? Frédéric? Congratulations on that goal, by the way!”

CLEMENT: “Thank you. No, we’re not discouraged. We might have been if this had been our first match. But we know we’re capable of winning, and by a fair margin at that. We just need to practice, to learn from what happened today. It’s probably a good thing, actually. We learn more from defeat than from victory.”

SAND: “Anyway, this was your last game before the big, official return to the Cup. John, how are you feeling about that?”

SANJEEB: “Excited. A little nervous.” *laughs* “As Frédéric said, we’re going to be practising a lot, and it’s probably a good thing for us to have experienced both a victory and a defeat before going to the Cup.”

LANCE: “Well, thanks a lot, and we wish you the best of luck. Congratulations again to the Frosticans, thank you for a wonderful display of talent and an impressive show. . . and we’ll be back for the World Cup!”


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Two weeks later

“Good evening. I’m Ahmed Jones, and you’re watching the eight o’clock news.

The headlines. Thousands dead in Alasdair I Frosticus, as a devastating plague sweeps through the realm. Large protest staged outside the West Ariddian embassy in Rêvane, after West Ariddia gives its go-ahead for bulldozing into a forest of ‘immense historical importance’. And a coup d’état in Streleheim has restored an emperor previously in exile.

The main headline today is the heart-wrenching catastrophe in Alasdair I Frosticus. Information directly from the Dreamed Realm reached the headquarters of the Ariddian Football Association today, outlining the immensity of the tragedy. There are no specific casualty figures, but it is feared tens of thousands of people have died, due to a plague initiated by contact with our reality during the football match between our two countries two weeks ago. Among the dead are all but one of the Frostican national football team. The Ariddian government and the AFA have expressed their profoundest condolences at this tragedy, and tomorrow has been declared a day of national mourning throughout Ariddia.

Joining us with more information is Jessica Smithes, reporting from outside the AFA headquarters in Rêvane. . ."