Baptism of Fire (WC30) Rosters/Scores/RP Thread [Archive]

Az-cz

24-07-2006, 09:30

Submission to the Baptism of Fire

Federation name: Az-Cz football Federation
Team Nicknames: Gnomes, Adventurers, Robbers, Pinkos
Team Colors: Pink and Green

Roster:

Coach: Roger Levesque.

Roger is the grandfather of Az-Czid football. He was
the first person to introduce. He is not a native Az-czzer but actually moved
to Az-Cz from the United States as an adult and brought his football
knowledge with him. He had been semi-retired but has kept in touch with the
players. His resume includes stints at clubs around the world as both an
assistant and head manager and played a pivotal role in forming the -League,
the Az-Czid national league. He also managed the Yang Knights to 3
consecutive -League championships before entering his state of semi-
retirement. Seeing as how Az-Cz is heading out into international competition
for the first time he was decided as the best choice to lead them. His
knowledge of both football and Az-czzers is second to none.

Forwards:

#9 - Stanleyinho

Height: 6'6"
Weight: 180 lbs
Club Team: Red Dwarf Rangers
Age: 24

Stanleyinho and his brother Hubertino are not native Az-Czzers but both have immigrated from Brazil at a young age. Az-cz disapproves of hired hands
playing for the national team but as the boys are long time citizens there is
no problem. Along with being non native Az-czzers they are the two tallest
players on the team. Stanleyinho is a wonderful striker. His ability to beat
defenders is his strongest attribute. He has blazing speed and an ability to
go around other players is hard to stop. He does have good heading abilities,
but they aren't as strong as might be expected for someone of his height
because there aren't many players in the -League who can match up for him in terms of height. His shot is also quite impressive as he can generally pick
out where the ball is going to go. He rarely bombs them over the net like
many players do.

#19 - Bub-Rub

Height: 4'11"
Weight: 155 lbs
Club Team: Vertigo Slimes
Age: 27

While Stanleyinho is the star non Az-czzer striker in the -League Bub-Rub is
the star Az-czzer. The contrast of styles between these two players is
suprisingly small considering the physical differences. Bub-Rub is both
stronger and faster than Stanleyinho, which is hard to believe. Like most Az
-Czid athletes he has learned to use his awesome athleticism to make up for
his lack of height. The native danger sense that Az-czzers have makes him
even more dangerous. More so than most Bub-Rub has tuned into this ability,
which allows him to know when to shoot and when to pass so as to avoid
tackles and blockers. This ability allowed him to rise to the top of the
league scoring charts last season with an amazing 38 goals in 30 games. This
included 4 hat tricks, 2 four goal games and 1 unbelievable 5 goal
performance.

#15 - Ox-Rx

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 185 lbs
Club Team: Golem Golems
Age: 28

Seemingly matched with his club Ox-Rx is one of the two strikers on the Az-
czid national team from the Golem Golems. Quite large for an Az-czzer he puts
his size to good use in league player. He is usally able to outmuscle most
players to get to the ball and blast his shots past the keeper. He isn't as
fast as either of the two star forwards but his speed is still quite good.

#14 - Uz-Gz

Height: 5'2"
Weight: 130 lbs
Club Team: Golem Golems
Age: 22

The interplay between Uz-Gz and Ox-Rx is quite an interesting one. While Ox-
Rx uses his strength to win possession Uz-Gz is the master of the counter
attack. He doesn't have the strength to win challenges that Ox-Rx does but h
e is a master with the ball at his feet. He is the strongest dribbler on the
team and in the open field is almost impossible to stop.

#16 - Lur-Mn

Height: 5'0"
Weight: 133 lbs
Club Team: Asp Vipers
Age: 33

Lur-Mn is the least talented of the five forwards who are members of the Az-
Cz first 23. While he is slightly less talented then the other four his
passion and energy make him a great member of the Az-Cz contingent. He comes from the lowly Asp Vipers, the last place team in the -League last season. Even this shows his dedication, passion and loyalty. Lur-Mn was raised an Asp supporter. They brought him through their youth program and he has shown incredible loyalty to them. He's recieved offers from most of the other clubs in -League and many foreign clubs as well, but he refuses to leave the Vipers. He is the absolute captain and idol of that team. He hasn't missed one mintue of play the last 6 seasons there, be it a league match, a cup game or even a friendly. Unfortunately for him the Vipers don't have the resources to compete with the other teams in the league. Lur will be a valuable member of the Az-czid bench as they attempt their first ever world cup qualification.

Midfielders:

#7 - Zax-Im

Height: 5'4"
Weight: 145 lbs
Club Team: Yang Knights
Age: 29

Zax-im is the captain of both the club powerhouse Yang Knights and the Az-Cz national squad. He is most of the time a defensive midfielder. It is often
his responsibility to mark the other teams best player, especially if that
player is also a midfielder. He has a great persona that the other players on
the team really relate to and is able to rally the team in any situation.
While he is mostly a defending midfielder teams that fall asleep on him on
the offensive end of the pitch can suffer greatly.

#10 - Pizelkaxrovsky

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 170 lbs
Club Team: Burlock Jesters
Age: 23

Upon meeting Pizelkaxrovsky many people assume that he is not an ethnic Az-czzer. Many things about him are unorthodox, to be sure, but he is an Az-
czzer through and through. Coming from a family that eschewed social
conventions he has an interesting perspective on things. His name, far from
Az-czid standards and without the almost entirely prevalent hyphen, is just
one way in which he shows this oddness. He is also the most free wheeling and joking member of the Az-cz squad. He is the perfect face of a team called the Jesters. Usually this is an advantage but of the Az-Cz players he is the one most likely to do something outrageous in a game and get sent off. He led the league with 3 red cards last season, although none were for fouls commited. Two were for delay of games after excessive celebrations, and the third was for sexual harassment of a Yang Knights fan in the middle of a game the Jesters were losing in the Shangri-la Cup. As for his play on the pitch
Pizelkaxrovsky is a master creator. His vision is supreme in the -League and
he led the league in assists despite playing with two rather average strikers
on the Jesters. More so than even Bub-Rub he has honed his extra senses and never seems to make a wrong decision. In national team practice scrimmages he's been wicked ecstatic about getting to work with such proficient goal scorers. He is also the freekick taker for the team and has a dazzling ability to place the ball where it needs to go.

#8 - Hubertino

Height: 6'5"
Weight: 200 lbs
Age: 26
Club Team: Yang Knights

While his brother honed his skills as a goal poacher Hubertino learned to
play a much more balanced game. Hubertino is an all-around excellent player.
Hubertino can comfortably play anywhere in the midfield but most of his time
is spent in the defensive half of the midfield. Combined with Zax-im they
give the Yang Knights an incredibly strong defensive midfield, such that some
teams struggle even to get the ball to the back third of the Yang field, much
less scoring. His positioning and stamina makes it seem that he's always in
the right place, whether to make a saving tackle, corrale a looseball, or
recieve a pass.

#11 - Kn-Dg

Height: 5'4"
Weight: 140 lbs
Age: 17
Club Team: Yak Clerics

Kn-dg is rapidly developing and pushing the Yak Clerics towards previously
unreached heights at the top of the -League table. He is the youngest player
on the Az-Czid team and his speed, energy and enthusiasm are all shown in
abundance. He mostly plays on the wing using his speed to flash down the side to set up plays for the other players. He is an incredible athlete and his
skills are improving all the time. Already a star he could be the best player
in -League in a few seasons. Even despite his relative youth, he's already
earned the job as the main corner taker, quite an honor and a responsibility
for someone so young.

#12 - Bn-Dg

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 155 lbs
Age: 28
Club Team: Yang Knights

Bn-dg is the most attacking of the starting midfielders. He's got a cannon
shot and a good eye for the goal. He is a midfielder and has decent tackling
and marking abilities, but he is definitely offensive minded. He led the
champions in goals playing from the midfield and there are times when he
functions as almost a third striker. Lying in wait behind Stanleyinho and
Bub-Rub he hopes to be able to net some goals in the upcoming competitions.

#13 - Lo-Ro

Height: 5'3"
Weight: 125 lbs
Age: 25
Club Team: Vertigo slimes

Lo-Ro is the backup defensive midfielder. He is not expected to see much
playing time as Zax-im and Hubertino are both locked in ahead of him. However if there is an injury, card, or similar situation he is ready to go in and
help slow down the attack of the other side.

#20 - If-Wt

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 140 lbs
Age: 32
Club Team: Red Dwarf Rangers

If-Wt, is in a similar situation to lo-ro, as he also is not expected to see
much playing time as he is the backup center midfielder to Pizelkaxrovsky. He
is one of the older players on the side and has a good feel for the game. In
situations where the team seems rattled If-Wt, might see time to help calm
things down and control the game.

#21 - Az-If

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 140 lbs
Age: 25
Club Team: Cloud Harpies

Of the midfielders on the bench Az-If is the one expected to get the most
playing time. He is incredibly flexible and can play anywhere in the
midfield, which makes him a valuable sub. His usual position for the harpies
is as an attacking midfielder. In games where Levesque feels the team needs
more offense from the middle, Az-If will be called on to step in and fill the
void.

17 - Ip-Gp

Height: 5'3"
Weight: 120 lbs
Age: 17
Club Team: Darzog Mages

Ip-Gp is almost as young as Kn-Dg, but not as talented. Ip-Gp has some good marking skills and has developed a good shot, but doesn't have the all around game to contribute much yet. He is a rising star and has been brought on the team mostly to aid in his development. He is one of the better penalty takers and might make his way on as a sub in a game that appears destined for penalties, but he isn't expected to make much impression this time around.

Defenders:

2 - Mario Nerazzurri

Height: 6'8"
Weight: 225 lbs
Age: 23
Club Team: Red Dwarf Rangers

Nerazzuri is the third of the giant non ethnic Az-czzers on the team. He is
however, 100% Az-czid. He is a third generation Az-Czzer and he fights to the nail for his beloved Pink & Green. Nerazzuri uses his height to good form to control the box. Arial attacks are basically doomed to failure against him
and he has a good ability to sniff out other attacks as well. Generally a rock in defense.

3 - Ns-Ta

Height: 5'2"
Weight: 125 lbs
Age: 29
Club Team: Vertigo Slimes

Similar to Bub-Rub and Stanleyinho up front, Ns-Ta is the compliment to
Nerazzuri at the back. He doesn't have the height to control the air but he
has the speed and intellect to control the ground. He can read passes and
player movement incredibly well and always seems to be in the right place to
make a tackle or block a shot. His ability to lock down other teams goal
scorers has a great ability to get under others skins. He led the -League in
fouls commited against this year, for the third year in a row. Just a great
defender.

4 - Ml-Dni

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 150 lbs
Age: 30
Club Team: Golem Golems

Ml-Dni is a strong force from the right back. He plays solid defense, to be
sure, but alot of time he can be seen pushing up the field to aid in the
attack. He has a wonderful stamina which helps him get around the pitch. He
also has a wonderful ability to spring counter attacks. If he disposses a
player he often has a cross launched up field well before teams are ready to
defend.

5 - At-Zm

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 150 lbs
Age: 28
Club Team: Yang Knights

At-Zm is the alternate fourth defender. While no one aspect of his game truly shines like the other three defenders he has no weaknesses as well. If a center back is needed he can play there, if a wing back is needed he can do that and if necessary he can venture into the midfield as well. He is a solid member of the team and is certain to see time for the Gnomes.

6 - Kz-Kz

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 144 lbs
Age: 20
Club Team: Burlock Jesters

Kz-Kz is a brutally physical defender. His technique and positioning are good but his ability to muscle other players around is his shining technique. However he does have some tendency to commit silly fouls and he can lose his cool from time to time. He is expected to get better and is working hard on the mental aspect of his game. He is not quite a main player of the team, but against physical opponents he might get an opportunity to show his skills.

18 - Dugl-Bugl

Height: 5'4"
Weight: 130 lbs
Age: 27
Club Team: Pagoda Ninjas

Dugl-Bugl is a solid but not overwhelming defender. He is not expected to see the field. He has been brought along in case of injuries or suspensions of other defenders, but he isn't expected to see much time on the pitch and if he has to play much it means that the Pinkos have been unlucky and are probably in trouble in the tournament.

Goalies:

1 - Gn-Lg

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 160 lbs
Age: 24
Club Team: Yang Knights

Gn-Lg is the tallest ethnic Az-czzer on the team. Using his height and his keen senses Gn-Lg has already risen to the top of the league. Since taking over as the number one goalkeeper for the Yang Knights he has pushed them back to the top of the league. He is incredibly unflappable and has a good sense on penalties. He even made PK saves against both Stanleyinho and Pizelkaxrovsky in the last season. He gives his entire team a sense of comfort that even if they make up theres still a good chance they'll be able to withstand the attack.

22 - Dn-Zf

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 150 lbs
Age: 41
Club Team: Burlock Jesters

Dn-Zf is by far the elder statesman of the club. He is disappointed that he never got a chance to be a number one goalie for Az-Cz in a competitive competition, he is glad to get a chance to wear his country's colors for at least a few games. He is still a top flight goal keeper and should something happen to Gn-Lg he will be ready to step in and fight for his country.

23 - Fr-Tld

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 140 lbs
Age: 26
Club Team: Vertigo Slimes

Fr-Tld is the third Az-Czid keeper. He is a solid keeper but with two stronger keepers ahead of him, he shouldn't expect any action.

Formations:

The standard formation for the Az-Cz national team is 3-5-2.

#9 LF #19 RF
#11 LW #12 RW
#10 CMF
#7 LDMF #8RDMF
#2 LB #3 CB #4 RB
#1 GK

The two forwards are placed evenly just to either side of the goalie. The wings are spread pretty wide. Behind them is the center midfielder firmly in the middle. The defensive midfielders are positioned somewhat behind that. Laterally they are not as wide as the wings but a little bit wider spaced than the forwards. The defenders are in a line with the center back directly in front of the goalie with the two side backs spaed out about the same as the defending midfielders.

They have two more formations that they feel comfortable using. One is the 3-4-3, which they use in games where they need more goals. In this situation a striker is added behind the two up front, Pizelkaxrovsky and one of the defensive midfielders, usually Zax-im is taken off. The other formation is a 4-5-1, which they use in games where they need to preserve a lead. In this formation Bub-Rub moves to the bench and At-Zm is brought on as a left back. Then him and Ml-Dni slide forward a little bit, rather than the flat defense used in the three man defenses.

Representation from the -League Professional teams (In order of league rank):

1. Yang Knights (4/5)
2. Red Dwarf Rangers (2/3)
3. Vertigo Slimes (2/4)
4. Golem Golems (1/3)
5. Burlock Jesters (1/3)
6. Clouds Harpies (0/1)
7. Yak Clerics (1/1)
8. Darzog Mages (0/1)
9. Pagoda Ninjas (0/1)
10. Toad Meadow Witches
11. Nightshadow Vampires
12. Basenji Werewolves
13. Terror Lichs
14. Sphinx Mummies
15. Winterkill Ghosts
16. Asp Vipers (0/1)

Az-cz

24-07-2006, 09:48

The Mice of Miceland

24-07-2006, 10:41

I think these are the settings I want, but would appreciate an explanation of just what they mean. I couldn't find one in the Wiki so if someone would like to help this newb out I would appreciate that. For the time being these are the settings I'll choose, but I might change after recieving the explanation.

My opponents may, if they RP first
Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod Scoring Events Y
RP injuries to my players Y (if you ask about it)
Godmod injuries to my players N
Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y (within reason)
Hand out Red cards to my players Y (if you ask about it)
Godmod Other Events N (I'm unclear as to what this entails so for the time being I will say no)
OOC:
I may help my main nation (Bazalonia) has been in the WC before essentially this is fairly standard. If anyone has any questions I'll be able to help (as well as the host) anyway onto posting my roster..

IC:
*squeek* *squeek* ... *squeek*? asked a mouse that was wondering over clean sheet of paper. (Translation "I'm ready.. you?")
*squeek* *squeek*! replied a second that was there (Translation: "Yes, yes")

There was an inkpad nearby and the first mouse squiggled this message onto a piece of paper and then the 2 of them managed to somehow fold a piece of paper and slip it into an envolope. The envelope had an Andossa Se Mitrin Vega address on it. A copy of the note that was in the envelope is below

To the hosts of the Cup of Harmony;

For some time our people have been interested in playing football but it has not until recently that we have developed the technology that allows us all to participate on the same scale. Once the draw has been complete we ask you to pass on this information to all national FA's involved. Due to our size. Mice being so much smaller than many of each of the nations main sentient species any people entering Miceland will have to undergo a de-bigulation process. This will ensure that all competitors are of the same size within Miceland. On the other side of the scale on the return ship a re-bigulation process will occur for all foreign teams and a bigulation process will take place for our team leaving to increase the scale of our team. This will make sure that there is no deteriment to any team whether home or away.

Mr FootMouse, President of Football Association, Mouse

The following is also a list of the team that will take part in BoF of WC30

F - Sickly PlagueMouse, Sickly is not a carrier of plague or any other disease he just looks like he does. #34

F - Fievel ChurchMouse, a irrepresibbly bright, positive and perky individual that is always opptimistic little mice who is the mousling of the group but has shown great football talent and may just be the first mouse to get a gig in another nation. #27

M - Charity Fieldmouse, a mouse that accidently got himself trapped on an international trade ship that had gone around half the world. Fievel had managed to get himself back to Miceland and it's this determination that makes him a great midfield mouse. #63

M - Stuart Littlemouse, a mouse that was an orphan who's mother died after giving birth to him and his father had put him up for adoption because he could not cope with the loss of his father. Stuart had never known a decent family until he started licing with the Littlemouses and start to channel his problems into football.

M - Piper FluteMouse, the musician of the team has a knack of coming up with songs that seem to fit the situaition as required. He prefers playing his flute but does sing on the occasion where his flute is missing

M - Input ComputerMouse, the technologist of the team it seems there is not a computer-based device that he cannot operate. oh, and he's also a good midfielder

D - Sightless ThirdMouse, despite being blind from birth Sightless's hearing alwayshas been at the exctent that he did not need his sight to acurrately locate the ball even without a beeper inside.

D - Nibbler FatMouse, Nibbler is slightly plump and generally is always the closest mouse to the goal keeper. Nibbler isn't technically fat but he is certainly not in as good a physical condition as the majority of the team and has the lowest stamina but he can certainly make a couple of really good head on charges and engage an enemy attacker and has the mass to be able to physically check opponents.

D - Angel BalerinaMouse, an ex-Balerina who took up football here Ballerina style, grace and agility make her a perfect defender to be in the right place at the right time to remove the steal the ball from the opposing attackers

D - Reepicheap, the only mouse in the squad that no one knows their last name. "Reep" as he as affeciately known to those who call him Reepochip to his face. Reep has a violent streak, well actually a very strong sense of honour and if he decides that you have dishonoured him then expect some very harsh treatment. This couls come on or of the field but a on-field slight is usually dealt with on field. Though once the slight has been dealt with he doesn't bare a grudge. Unless shifty and underhanded measures are involved to ensure that he cannot get his payback and then the grudge is for his entire lifetime.

K - Pinky WinslowMouse, a slightly weird and near brain dead but his reaction speeds are second to none.

OOC: As for permission... As long as it does not have a long term or permanent effect then you have free reign. On other matters please feel free to contact me.

Starblaydia

24-07-2006, 12:08

I think these are the settings I want, but would appreciate an explanation of just what they mean...

My opponents may, if they RP first...

To: All BoF for WC30 Participants
From: Giovanni Lopez (gio.lopez@sport.gov.sb)
Re: RP Permissions Box

In response to comments from Az-Cz Football Federation, a Q has been added to the FAQ on the source for all information, NSWiki. Though it was thought the box itself would be relatively self-explanatory, it was, however, created by and for experienced Sports roleplayers who knew what questions they needed answering when (role)playing the game. As such, newcomers to sports (role)playing may need a little information to help them use the box effectively, this should now be available (when the damn wiki is up, which seems to be less than a third of the time) at: World Cup FAQs (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/World_Cup_FAQs#What_is_the_RP_Permissions_box.3F).

For those unlucky enough to not be able to access that site, here is a copy of the information:

What is the RP Permissions box?
This box is usually posted along with a team's roster and lets their opponents know what is acceptable to RP when posting about a match with that team. Some players give complete creative freedom to their fellow players, allowing anything that can be imagined to be fair game in a football match. Others like complete realism and prefer to tell their own story rather than let another player do it. So, the RP permissions box was born to aid RPing and help wipe out any complaints players had with what their opponent had RPed before them. These are not the only permissions possible, though this common list lets other players know the situation with what a player would be happy with happening to their team before RPing.

Choose my goalscorers (Y/N)
This, quite simply, is whether a player would like their opponent to choose their goalscorers for them, should they RP first. A necessity to this is, of course, posting a roster. Often choosing the manner and time of goals scored is implied by this permission (A. Nonymous, in the 41st minute from a header) but sometimes players will wish to choose their own scorers in regards to who, how and when, and let their opponents know accordingly.

Godmod Scoring Events (Y/N)
If a player wants total realism from their football team, this will often be denied. Can players score within a second of the whistle blowing, or from the half-way line, or without looking, or after the 'keeper has dribbled the length of the pitch, or anything equally (or moreso) outlandish? For more information see: Godmodes in sports roleplaying. (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Godmode#Godmode_in_sports_roleplaying)

RP injuries to my players Y/N
From tight hamstrings to broken necks, can your players be injured in a match with your opponent? Often players will deny this permission, as losing their players for the next match(es) can be detrimental to their RPing. Also, players may not read the previous match RPs of their opponent and not know that a certain player has missed the game because of an injury, writing that injured player in as a key part of the RP.

Godmod injuries to my players Y/N
Whether death, mutation, veneral disease or zombification, Godmodded injuries are usually done by players wanting fun and frolics in their RPs. Teams being wiped out in transport accidents, or drinking spiked orange juice to affect their performance. For more information see: Godmodes in sports roleplaying.

Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y/N
Yellow cards, or cautions, are handed out ot players for bad tackles, dissent or other unsportsmanlike behaviour. The simple question is, can your opponent give these out to your players?

Hand out Red cards to my players Y/N
Red cards are given to players who are sent off, taking no part in the rest of the game and often missing anything between one and three of their next matches. This situation, like injuries, is often missed by other players when they RP subsequent matches. Sometimes teams will have an enforcer, or a particularly dirty player and it is not uncommon to have 'Red Card A. Nonymous for violent actions'.

Godmod Other Events Y/N
This covers anything and everything. Bombs in the stadium, 8 year olds replacing your team, aliens landing, streakers or matches abandoned for tanks and APCs on the pitch. For more information see: Godmodes in sports roleplaying.

I hope this helps all who require it. Good luck to all teams in the Baptism of Fire!

Yours sincerely,

- signed -

Giovanni Lopez
World Cup Committee President
World Cup 25 Winner

Ropa-Topia

24-07-2006, 13:19

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/DarthBunny/ns_stuff/sg-title.png

Ropa-Topia's football team revealed

ISLE OF UHM - After weeks of speculation in the press, Coach Ferdinand Klungelaer, the former Minister of Sports of Uhuh-Ropa and former chairman of the Ropa-Topian Sports Alliance, finally announced Ropa-Topia's new national football team which will participate in the upcoming Baptism of Fire tournament and the subsequent 30th World Cup.

Starters

No. Pos. Player
----------------------------------
1 GK Karolien Jaspers
2 DF Peter Buzzard
3 DF Synthia Carpenter
4 DF Ruud van der Wal
5 DF Erin Wall
6 MF Mark Coenen
7 FW Bas Zadelhoff
8 MF Laurinda Baldwin
9 FW Anky Huybrechts
10 MF Kate Poorbaugh
11 FW Carlton Ammons

Substitutes

No. Pos. Player
----------------------------------
12 DF Jake Mitchell
13 DF Dyson Stoute
14 DF Ilona Bijlmakers
15 DF Annie Groenedijk
16 MF Paul Delsing
17 FW Edmundo Garland
18 MF Johan Claessen
19 FW Yvon Hendrix
20 MF John Hermans
21 FW Marlyn Henley
22 GK Alfred Leurs
23 GK Melissa Zwanenberg

Start formation

Jaspers (c)

Buzzard Carpenter vd Wal Wall

Coenen Poorbaugh Baldwin

Zadelhoff Ammons Huybrechts

Uniforms
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/DarthBunny/ns_stuff/rt-football.png

My opponents may, if they RP first
- Choose my goalscorers Y
- Godmod Scoring Events N
- RP injuries to my players Y, but nothing too severe
- Godmod injuries to my players N
- Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y
- Hand out Red cards to my players N
- Godmod Other Events N

Toranat

24-07-2006, 17:37

The Toranat Rockies

They will play a 2-2-6

Keepers
Jeffrey Willis (s)
Brad Phelps
Carl Fuller

Defenders
Craig Pierce(s)
Herman Poole(s)
Mike Pierce
Raúl Morgan

Midfielders
Brandon Williams(s)
Mario Vaughn(s)
Roland Phillips
Leonard Bowen

Forwards
Gilbert McKenzie (s)
Chester Baker (s)
Adrian Wise (s)
Mike Hayes(s)
Calvin Cox (s)
Tyler Becker (s)
Norman Gonzales
Roger Stewart

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

24-07-2006, 19:06

Group draws are in the first post of this thread

Excuse me, but Allocer signed up for the Baptism of Fire, but is not included on the list of eligible teams. I hope this is just a oversight and will be corrected shortly.

Oversight now corrected.

The Greatest Crap

24-07-2006, 21:10

OOC: I'm not that sure on how football is played generally. I know the basic parts which everyone that has heard of football knows, but that's mostly it. Any info here? I have played football before, but it was the dumbed-down kind for 6 year olds like I was, and they probably had none of the complex stuff apply.

Ropa-Topia

24-07-2006, 22:19

That Sports Show
Hosted by Joe Esperanza

"Good evening, viewers, and welcome to That Sports Show on BtB Sports+, the channel where you can find out more about any sport than you ever wanted to know. Today, group draws for the Baptism of Fire tournament were announced, but first, a message from our, and our national football team's, sponsor."

Clothes may make the man, and the champion, but remember:
It is BtB Sportswear which makes the clothes.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/DarthBunny/ns_stuff/shirt-home.jpg http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/DarthBunny/ns_stuff/shirt-away.jpg http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/DarthBunny/ns_stuff/shirt-keeper.jpg

BtB Sportswear is proud to present the new outfits of the Ropa-Topian
national football team, and you can now order the shirt with the
name and number of your favourite player for the special price of only
$59.99.
Only now, our special Baptism of Fire offer: a set of the Home, Away
and Goalkeeper shirts for only $139.99!

Website: http://www.sportswear.btb/store/
Telephone: +147-BUY-OUR-STUFF

Prices for international orders may vary. Shipping not included.
BtB Sportswear is a division of Bram the Bored Incorporated.

"Welcome back to That Sports Show. Today we are going to have a look at the opponents Ropa-Topia will meet in the first round of the Baptism of Fire tournament."

Sky Blue Group

Marion Oaks 2
Wrecker
Ropa-Topia
Lexington SC
Tocapa
The Island of Ishtar
The Mice of Miceland

*Off-screen Joe continues to talk*

"Marion Oaks 2, of Stewie Griffland. There's not a lot we can tell you about this nation at this moment. I'm not quite sure if this is a nation of walking oak trees or something else, and who knows what has happened to Marion Oaks 1..."

"Wrecker, of the Tundra region. Apparently their motto is that they will never back down, but they haven't met our football team yet of course."

"Lexington SC, from the region of Athor. A nation that rose from the ashes of two fallen empires, much like a phoenix, the national animal of Uhuh-Topia. The phoenix is of course the animal whose orange colour is used in our team's home shirts, which are currently for sale at BtB Sportswear."

"Then there is Tocapa, Acedemi CE, and their motto is 'If you tell anybody, we'll kill you', aren't I happy that I don't know what it is that they don't want me to tell you."

"The Island of Ishtar, which is what I assume is an island, in the East Pacific, is, unlike Ropa-Topia, not a newcomer to the international football world. They have participated in the third Women's World Cup."

"Last, and most likely the smallest: the Mice of Miceland. A country of mice. I've been told they possess some kind of 'bigulation' device which will be able to eliminate the difference in size between their players and ours. Ropa-Topians who want to attend the football matches are urged to leave their pet cats at home."

*The screen with the group draws fades away*

"And that brings us to the end of tonight's show already, folks. Tune in tomorrow at ten o'clock for reruns of the beach volleyball game of Spruitland against Algal States at the Tyrellian Ylompics, and for an interview with Linda Piniero of BtB Sportswear about the advantages and disadvantages of body paint versus ordinary sportswear. This was Joe Esperanza in That Sports Show, goodnight!"

This show was sponsored by BtB Sportswear

Website: http://www.sportswear.btb/store/
Telephone: +147-BUY-OUR-STUFF

BtB Sportswear is a division of Bram the Bored Incorporated.

Winchestia

24-07-2006, 23:19

Winchestia Cooks national football team:
formation: 4-4-2 (starters are #1-11)

Manager: TBA

1 Nick Seruss (GK: Higgleton United)
2 Nick Cam (D : Mikey Town FC)
3 Taylor Tinley (D : The Strongest)
4 Josh Pop (D : Kitchen FC)
5 Mack Billiot (D : Market Motors FC)
6 Orville Sporer (M : Kitchen FC, retiring after WC)
7 Mack Durland (M : Kitchen FC)
8 Marcos Bodle (M : Mikey Town FC)
9 Ismael Gor (M : The Strongest)
10 Dallas Marayan (F : Higgleton United, target man)
11 Ervin Firmin (F : Kitchen FC)

12 Ellis Spevak (GK: The Strongest)
13 Chris Niece (D : Marcheq)
14 Ellis Wedekind (D : Mikey Town FC)
15 Ellis Yule (D : The Strongest)
16 Taylor Looner (D : Wendle City FC)
17 Hugo Hartney (M : Mikey Town FC)
18 Wilfred Peiper (M : Wendle Rovers)
19 Dallas Melland (M : Mikey Town FC)
20 Levi Pavin (M : Mikey Town FC)
21 Will Winiarski (F : Mikey Town FC)
22 Levi Duman (F : Market Motors FC)
23 Marcos Vorkink (GK: Kitchen FC)

My opponents may, if they RP first
- Choose my goalscorers N
- Godmod Scoring Events N
- RP injuries to my players Y, no deaths or career-enders
- Godmod injuries to my players Y, no deaths or career-enders
- Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y
- Hand out Red cards to my players Y
- Godmod Other Events Y, the sillier the better if you must do this :cool:

The Island of Ishtar

24-07-2006, 23:25

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m133/IshtarIsland/SoccerBannerB.jpg

The Island of Ishtar Men's National All-Star Football Team
"The Royal Lions"
Style Modifier: +1 (moderately aggressive)
Formation: 4-4-2 Flat Back

Ishtar has an assembled an all-star team of its best football players from its men's top professional league. The team is nicknamed the Royal Lions.

The team utilizes a tight, well-coached 4-4-2 Flat Back formation, a strategy used by the majority of the teams in the Ishtar pro leagues and easily employed by a gathering of players from a variety of teams.

My opponents may, if they RP first:
Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod Scoring Events N
RP injuries to my players Y *nothing major
Godmod injuries to my players N
Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y
Hand out Red cards to my players Y
Godmod Other Events N

Roster
blue = adjustments

Staff
Lord Humphrey Raztloff (Manager)
Ernie "Spits" Mason (Coach)
Pete "The Puncher" Watson (Trainer)

Starters
#1 John Czechany (Goalkeeper)
#10 Mike McMaher (Stopper)
#3 Raggedy Tom Renshaw (Sweeper) - Captain
#6 Brent Brick (Left Fullback)
#7 Bobby Brick (Right Fullback)
#12 Sven Svensson (Left Halfback)
#4 Peter Sparks (Left Center Halfback)
#9 Dominic Dagora (Right Center Halfback)
#16 "Dog" St. John (Right Halfback)
#11 Nathaniel Lovecraft (Left Striker)
#8 Sir Frank Hook (Right Striker) - Captain

Reserves
#13 Leroy Lane (Fullback)
#24 Kara Madchen (Sweeper/Fullback)
#25 Freya Gottfried (Stopper/Fullback)
#26 Marcia Mueller (Left halfback)
#5 Todd Tarkingham (Halfback)
#27 Mandy Boatswain (Center halfback)
#28 Eleana Romanoff (Striker)
#14 Steve Whitecastle (Striker/Halfback)
#15 Perseus St.Trix (Striker)
#17 Scott Jonsson (Goalkeeper)
#29 Anya Rasputina (Goalkeeper)

Reserve Pool
#21 Robilar Rabbitt (Fullback)
#20 Jacob Baines (Fullback)
#23 Geoff Bakker (Halfback)
#19 Stephon Koenig (Striker)
#22 Marcus Mueller (Goalkeeper)
#2 William Pilsbury (Halfback)

Profiles

Manager: Lord Humphrey Ratzloff. Stalking the sidelines in his trademark tophat and red foxhunting jacket, this chain-smoking strategist is the guiding light and financier of the national team's debut.
Head Coach: Ernie "Spits" Mason. A crusty old geezer with a whistle around his neck and a loud pair of golf pants, but his old cranium is packed with forty years of coaching acumen. (Head Coach of Ishtar United).
Goalkeeper: #1 John Czechany, 30. This wily old veteran of the premium league plays for Supreme Navy, one of the most prestigious clubs in the nation.
Stopper: #10 Mike McMaher, 25 years old. A burly ex-marine with a mean streak, this aggressive defender is usually one of the strongest players on the field, and one of the dirtiest. He plays for the Belfalas Green Caps.
Sweeper & Captain: #3 Raggedy Tom Renshaw, 22 years old. One of the most widely-admired athletes in his native country, this double threat on offense and defense is the best player and captain of the team. He plays for Euphonia A.C.
Left Defender: #6 Brent Brick, 25 years old. A brawny mountain man, not the fastest man on the field, but tough as rocks and not afraid to throw his body around. He plays for the Island Sea Tigers.
Right Defender: #7 Bobby Brick, 24 years old. Brent's younger brother, he's just as big and just as tough and has been playing by his brother's side for more than 12 years. They're a tough defense up the middle. He also plays for the Island Sea Tigers.
Left Midfielder: #12 Sven Svensson, 19 years old. This left-footed blonde winger is the fastest man on the team and Ishtar's most dangerous scoring threats from midfield. He plays for the Harmonia Football Club.
Center Midfielder: #4 Peter Sparks, 23 years old. In the off-season he's a popular bit actor, but on the field he's a skilled, tireless presence, dominating the mid-lines. He plays for the Nye Sakhalin Kosmos.
Center Midfielder: #9 Dominic Dagora, 21 years old. This all-star has the best ball-handling skills on the team. He represents the Barlowe City Champions.
Right Midfielder: #16 "Dog" St. John , 31 years old. A long-time fixture on the Ishtar soccer scene, this clever middie uses his years of experience to command the center lines. He plays for the Pirates of Ishtar.
Left Striker: #11 Nathaniel Lovecraft, 21 years old. Lovecraft is a long-limbed striker with breakaway speed and a deadly accurate shot that Ishtar goalies have come to dread. He plays for Harmonia Football Club.
Right Striker & Co-Captain: #8 Sir Frank Hook, 22 years old. One of the few members of Ishtar's landed gentry who are skilled enough to play soccer, his haughty demeanor belies excellent ball-handling skills and corner-taking. He plays for the Pirates of Ishtar.
Reserve Defenders: #13 Leroy Lane (Ishtar United), #24 Kara Madchen (Euphonia A.C.), #25 Freya Gottfrie (Belfalas Alliance), #18 Jacob Baines (Nye Sakhalin); #21 Robilar Rabbitt (Ishtar United)
Reserve Midfielders: #5 Todd Tarkingham (National Army Squad), #26 Marcia Mueller (Ishtar City College), #27 Mandy Boatswain (Aurora University), #2 William Pilsbury (Supreme Navy), #20 Geoff Bakker (Supreme Navy)
Reserve Strikers: #28 Eleana Romanoff (Belfalas Alliance), #14 Steve Whitecastle (Stonesland Pioneers), #15 Perseus St. Trix (Harmonia F.C.), #19 Stephon Koenig (Euphonia A.C.)
Reserve Keepers: #17 Scott Jonsson (Ishtar United), #29 Anya Rasputina (Euphonia A.C.), #22 Marcus Mueller (Oceania F.C.)

Sky Blue Group Table
Marion Oaks
Wrecker
Ropa-Topia
Lexington SC
Tocapa
The Island of Ishtar
Miceland

Fixtures
MD1 Ishtar vs. Miceland
MD2 Tocapa vs. Ishtar
MD3 Wrecker vs. Ishtar
MD4 Ishtar vs. Ropa-Topia
MD5 Ishtar vs. Lexington
MD6 Bye
MD7 Ishtar vs. Marion Oaks
MD8 Miceland vs. Ishtar
MD9 Ishtar vs. Tocapa
MD10 Ishtar vs. Wrecker
MD11 Ropa-Topia vs. Ishtar
MD12 Lexington vs. Ishtar
MD13 Bye
MD14 Marion Oaks vs. Ishtar

Winchestia

24-07-2006, 23:53

Winchestia Channel 3 Presents:
The Cooks First Practice

<One Hour Ago:>
(National team defenders Josh Pop and Taylor Tinley are out on the field)

"What is HE doing here, Josh?"

(Josh looks up in the stands and sees a familiar face)

"Hey, it's Jody!, JODY COME HERE"

(Jody Shawl, formely a teammate Pop at Kitchen FC comes down to meet them)

"Hello Pop, Tinley. You guys ready for practice?"

"I thought you retired SHAWL, what are you doing here?" snarled Tinley

"You haven't met the manager yet, have you?"

"No, but that's not the point, where have you been? I haven't seen you in over a year?"

"Bedistan, Josh, learning how to coach from some of the best coaches in that country."

"Oh cool, so are you in the setup as an assistant, do you know who the manager is then?"

"Well yes and no, you see, I AM THE MANAGER. See you in a few boys"

(Pop and Tinley look at each other in shock as the manager, Shawl, walks away smiling)

<One hour later>
(Jody Shawl is at the center circle with 2 boxes next to him)

"Gentlemen, welcome to the first national team practice. For those who don't know me, I am Jody Shawl, I am your manager. You are all here because the managers of your clubs feel you are the best of the best. As you can see I have 2 boxes next to me. They contain our new jerseys. Today, #1-11 will wear the white jerseys on the left. This is the team that I, as of now, will pick for the first match against Az-Cz. So the colored jerseys are need to show me something. The numbers are on this sheet in front of me."

(After a few minutes of the players getting their jerseys and showing joy/anger at their number, they line up for a short scrimmage)

<Two Hours Later>
(The starters won the match 2-1, with Dallas Marayan scoring both for the whites and Wifred Peiper scoring on a free kick for the reserves.)

"Gentlemen, that was an interesting match. Marayan, Firmin stand up. Yes, you guys. Listen you guys got 2 goals today, but between the two of you, you blew 6 or 7 clear chances by battling each other! Now, Dallas, I know you are used to being up front by yourself at Higgleton but you NEED to work together in order to beat these teams. Listen everyone, every team in this tournament will be just like us. And just as good. It is up to us to be just THAT musch better. Think about what I said, and I will see you tomorrow."

Az-cz

25-07-2006, 01:50

Az-Cz Scroll
July 25, 2006
Az-Cz City
Il-Lur

What this Baptism of Fire, anyway?

A new day is dawning here in the USS-. While Az-czzers have always been passionate about our sports, this is the first time a team of ours has participated in international competition. Az-cz is abuzz with various thoughts and opinions on the upcoming event.
The team itself is raring to go. Coach Roger Levesque believes his squad is in good form and will make a good showing. "Look, we know that we don't have a lot of international experience, but I believe that the -League is a strong league," says the coach. "I've seen a lot of football and I'll tell you that our players are truly skilled and we'll give a good show." Captain Zax-Im agrees with his manager. "Yes, we respect the other teams but we think we can play with any of them. Do we worry about getting outsized? Of course. But we also think most teams won't have seen such a dangerous ground game as ours. And we do have a few giants roaming around, so we'll be alright".
While the team as a whole is generally confident fan opinion has been mixed. For many older Az-czzers they just don't get what the hullabaloo is about. "Look I love my country, but what's this soccer business? What's wrong with proper Az-czid sports like Kleptoball or Kleptochase. We ought to be teaching other countries those wonderous sports rather than giving up our games to play those of other countries," says Ok-Til, 64 of Mil-Bax. "Of course I'll read the newspaper and see the scores, but I probably won't watch any of the games. I mean this soccer just doesn't have the beauty of a real sport."
However many Az-Czzers believe that football is a valuable addition to the Az-czid sporting scene. Vx-Nim, a university student at Az-Cz university believes that the two sports can co-exist. "I'm captain of the Az-Cz U capture the flag team. I love my native Az-Cz sports, but I know I will be passionately rooting on my team in the BoF. Some of my profs have even cancelled some of the classes that coincide with Az-Cz matches."
Regardless of one's opinion there is no denying that the Baptism of Fire is impacting Az-Czid society. Special viewing locations are being set up around the country and many charities are having special events to coincide with the tournament. The main hope from Az-czzers is that we bring a bit of our natural theivery to the table and steal a trophy for the motherland.

The Mice of Miceland

25-07-2006, 02:10

The same two mice that wrote the letter to ASMV wrote the same letter. This time it was not a large letter. It was a mouse-sized letter. They had finally managed to get the bigulation process to work efficiently and effective enough to process the thousands of letters that had started to pour through the international post exchange. An international pen pal fad had spread like the plague throughout Miceland in this case. This letter was just one of 7 that was being sent to other nations football associations.

This time the letter read

To <insert national FA>;

Please note, the following things are banned in Miceland and anyone who approaches the Miceland border with one of the items listed will not only be turned away but will also be banned from entering Miceland forever. This is purely a standard safety precaution but because of the harshness of the penalties we have decided to alert all FA's in the Sky Blue group so that hopefully none of these are taken with you.

Any type mouse traps
Any type of rat traps
Any type of cheese (Unlike the recieved wisdom we do not like cheese and it can be deadly)
Any breed of cat, that is from the feline family

Any slur against mice along the lines of, and I shudder to write this, "filty disease-carrying vermin" will result in immediate expulsion from Miceland. The decision whether a statement was a slur is left upto any mice that heard it and the Mice Discrimination Board will immeadiately remove you to your home nation.

We do not want complications to arise due to these rules but they are important to the Miceland society and will be strictly enforced.

Thank you

Mr FootMouse, President of Football Association, Mouse

after mailing the letter the president looked over the fixtures for the SkyBlue Group

Sky Blue Group

Marion Oaks 2
Wrecker
Ropa-Topia
Lexington SC
Tocapa
The Islands of Ishtar
The Mice of Miceland

MD1
Wrecker vs. Ropa-Topia;
Lexington SC vs. Tocapa;
The Islands of Ishtar vs. The Mice of Miceland;

MD2
Ropa-Topia vs. Lexington SC;
Tocapa vs. Islands of Ishtar;
The Mice of Miceland v Marion Oaks 2;

MD3
Lexington SC vs. The Mice of Miceland;
Marion Oaks 2 vs. Tocapa;
Wrecker vs. The Islands of Ishtar;

MD4
Wrecker vs. Marion Oaks 2;
The Mice of Miceland vs. Tocapa;
The Islands of Ishtar vs. Ropa-Topia;

MD5
The Mice of Miceland vs Wrecker;
The Islands of Ishtar vs Lexington FC;
Marion Oaks 2 vs. Ropa-Topia;

MD6
Ropa Topia vs. The Mice of Miceland;
Lexington SC vs. Marion Oaks 2;
Tocapa vs. Wrecker;

MD7
The Islands of Ishtar vs. Marion Oaks 2;
Wrecker vs. Lexington SC;
Tocapa vs. Ropa-Topia;

MD8
Ropa-Topia vs. Wrecker;
Tocapa vs. Lexington SC;
The Mice of Miceland vs. The Islands of Ishtar;

MD9
Lexington SC vs. Ropa-Topia;
Islands of Ishtar vs. Tocapa;
Marion Oaks 2 v The Mice of Miceland;

MD10
The Mice of Miceland vs. Lexington SC;
Tocapa vs. Marion Oaks 2;
The Islands of Ishtar vs. Wrecker;

MD11
Marion Oaks 2 vs. Wrecker;
Tocapa vs. The Mice of Miceland;
Ropa-Topia vs. The Islands of Ishtar;

MD12
Wrecker vs The Mice of Miceland;
Lexington FC vs The Islands of Ishtar;
Ropa-Topia vs. Marion Oaks 2;

MD13
The Mice of Miceland vs. Ropa Topia;
Marion Oaks 2 vs. Lexington SC;
Wrecker vs. Tocapa;

MD14
Marion Oaks 2 vs. The Islands of Ishtar;
Lexington SC vs. Wrecker;
Ropa-Topia vs. Tocapa;

No one knew just how the mice would go on international stage but that was a matter for the football team. Let's just hope they did their team proud.

Az-cz

25-07-2006, 02:16

Az-Scroll
July 25, 2006
Az-cz City
Em-Nm

The matches are set

The matches of the Baptism of Fire that preludes the 30th edition of the world cup have been set. The teams in our group are Uncle Pete, Alif Laam Miim, The Candrian Empire, The Greatest Crap, Commerce Heights JSY, and Winchestia. The opening match of our group is Winchestia.
While we don't know that much about our opponents it does look like a decent challenge for our Pink & Green. We don't think there will be any teams that rollover in the group, but none standout as overpowering. Of course, that is to be expected in a tournament of teams without international experience.
Coach Roger Levesque had this to say about the group: "In general I think it's a fair group. My biggest complaint is that we got stuck in the dreaded #7 spot, which means a last day bye. It's unfortunate to have a bye go to waste, but it had to happen to somebody. I haven't really started to dig in and analyze most teams in the group." He then explained his opinion on the starting match. "We're going to concetrate on figuring out how to crack the Cooks lineup. One advantage they have over us is much more synergy between their players. While our team is made up from players around the league with no team having more than 4 representatives, they have a few power teams that supply the bulk of their team. With 5 players from Kitchen FC and a whopping 7 players from Mikey Town FC we expect their team to have a great ability to meld together." However Levesque did also notice something that suprised him. "On the other hand they don't seem to have their roster quite as well set as ours. I've heard reports that there is still some chance that they will juggle their roster between now and gameday, where as I am quite confident in my starting 11. So that's an advantage in our favor."
The players also had a view on the draw. Zax-im was very diplomatic in analyzing the group. "I think anyone could win" he was quoted as saying. "I think that every team will have some suprises but that if we play as well as we can we should be ok." Not suprisingly Pizelkaxrovsky was not as diplomatic. "We ought to win the group. I can make plays that no one at this level can deal with. Maybe if we had Starblaydia or Bedistan we'd be worried, but come on. Greatest Crap? We can handle them."
As for Joe on the street, well they don't have too much of an opinion. Mia-Ree, 24 of Az-Cz city believes that any group is fine. "All the teams are basically equal. I just want to throw on my new pink & green finest and enjoy the games." Il-Jo, of Mil-bax didn't even know the draw had happened. "Sorry, I will be watching the games, but right now were in the middle of the 2nd voting stage of the kleptodance tournament. I'm comitted to seeing my Sandcaster Sorceresses through till the next round, so I've been a little distracted as of late.
And in the end, that's truly how Az-Cz works. Even with such a monumentous event coming up, the sports of Az-Cz are still going on and it all will be watched with a balanced eye.

Aurendia

25-07-2006, 02:55

Etoka Journal-Tribune
“Now with larger print for those hung-over mornings”

National team roster announced for BoF

THREE RIVERS - National Team Coach Ed White today announced the twenty-three men and women that will represent Aurendia in the upcoming Baptism of Fire and World Cup XXX tournaments. The Raptors, as the team has been named, resemble what one may consider an All-Speedster Team of Aurendia Football League stars. Team speed, solid passing, and physical defensive play will be the key to the Raptors’ game plan, which will be based on an aggressive 3-4-3 formation.

Aurendia Raptors
Formation: 3-4-3
Colors: Green, Blue, and Yellow

Head Coach: Ed White (Three Rivers Capitals)
Assistant: Danielle Schuster (Southport Cnidarians)
Trainer: Anita Simpson

Jersey # Name (Age) AFL Club
Starters in Italics

Goalies:
1 Rick Baxman (25) Sirocca Foxes
28 Liza “the Lemur” Kohl (23) Zeneri Rattlers
32 Julia Kennedy (22) Norumbega Wolves

Defenders:
5 Joe Hill (23) Three Rivers Capitals
11 Bart Sheriff (24) Rock Ridge Blazers
9 Lou McMann (25) Nocona Riptide
10 Kate Podolski (23) Starksville Trout
13 Rachel Brady (25) Polamoa Sirens
23 Ken Weathers (23) Ashoona Gamblers
16 Karina Delvecchio (24) Southport Cnidarians

Midfielders:
6 Tara Pellegri (23) Rock Ridge Blazers
12 Adam Rusic (24) Ossipee Dragons
3 Randy “Pink” Floyd (23) Zeneri Rattlers
8 Cassandra Campbell (Captain) (23) Etoka Bandits
15 Jessica Colenti (24) Medford Marmots
19 Ann Ellida (25) Twin Falls Titans
21 Jeff Yaneohe (23) Rendora Rapids
24 Kasia Nue (24) Sauterne Storm

Forwards:
2 Matt Sanchez (24) Southport Cnidarians
4 Regina Dunlop (23) Three Rivers Capitals
14 Tom Lamorieaux (23) Hill Valley Hawks
7 Ashley Campbell (22) Etoka Bandits
33 Denise Little (22) Springfield Valkyries

My opponents may, if they RP first
Choose my goal scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y, nothing major
Godmod injuries to my players: Y, nothing major
Hand out Yellow/Red cards to my players: Y, it’s a very physical team
Godmod other events: Y, especially if fun/hilarious/silly

Schedule:
MD1: vs. Ten Thousand Maggots
MD2: bye
MD3: vs. KCToker
MD4: vs. Delesa
MD5: at Lost Limeyville
MD6: at Toopoxia
MD7: at Perturbed Leopard
MD8: at Ten Thousand Maggots
MD9: bye
MD10: at KCToker
MD11: at Delesa
MD12: vs. Lost Limeyville
MD13: vs. Toopoxia
MD14: vs. Perturbed Leopard

Winchestia

25-07-2006, 04:43

(Manager Jody Shawl is sitting in his office)
"Well, at least we got our first match at home. That should calm the boys down a bit. Those Bedistani coaches tried to tell me about all the weird stuff, but smallish thieves? That play something called kleptoball? That is just a bit too weird...Still we're going to have to be on our toes against them..."

(Knock on door)
"Yeah, come on in"

(Levi Pavin, Hugo Hartney and Dallas Melland walk in)
"How can I help you three?

"You can start by answering why we, the starting midfield for the 2-time defending WPL champs are not in your starting eleven! Instead you have your old buddy from Kitchen; Sporer." scowled Levi Pavin, the senior of the group

"Well, all I am trying to do is get the best team..."

"Best Team? If this is the best team, then were is Weare? The four of us were UNBEATABLE 2 years ago. And when we were lucky enough to get Bodle at the club, WE brought him up and taught him how to play. Now he's in your starting lineup, and we are left fighting for scraps!"

"Listen guys, I understand where you are coming from. This is a new concept for everyone here, and there will be some kinks to work out. I'll tell you what: My mind is made up on the starting eleven against Az-Cz, but I'm a bit worried that they might tire us out with their athleticism. I'll keep the 3 of you as subs, but I'll give all of you pitch time if things look like they are going badly. If the four of you (including Bodle) turn the game, I'll make you guys permanent starters for the World Cup, ok?"

(after a few moments consultation, Pavin shakes his head yes and they leave peacefully)
"Well that went reasonably well, now if Dallas and Ervin could just coexist, we'd be all set....."

The Island of Ishtar

25-07-2006, 04:57

Close-up on a silver-haired, tan-faced man with flawless features and a perpetual smile:

"Hi, I'm Ken Silvermane, your friend from IBC-TV. Thanks to an IBC Sports exclusive, I'll be bringing you unlimited behind the scenes coverage with the Ishtar's men's national team as they embark on the appropriately named Baptism of Fire."

Cue dramatic, ominous music, showing a baby being baptized while computer-generated flames are shown all round it. Then cut to a scene of some healthy young men in purple sweatsuits and football kit descending to the tarmac from an Air Ishtar luxury jetliner, as Silvermane narrates:

"Here we see footage of the team as they arrive in the pleasant land of Andossa Se Matrin Vega, known for its environmentally stunning natural spaces.

"But these men aren't here to gawk at the wilderness, quite the opposite, they are embarking upon a grueling, fourteen day tournament that will determine whether the nation would be invited to advance into World Cup 30.

"Here's Coach Ernie 'Spits' Mason giving his men a pep talk at the Hotel du Andossa, which our team has reserved for the duration of the tourney. Let's listen in..."

Tight shot on an intense, beady-eyed man with a crop of grey whiskers and a tacky plaid golfing outfit:

Coach Mason: "Men, the eyes of the nation are now upon you! The hopes and dreams of one hundred million people depend on you and you alone. You represent our freedom, our traditions, our very way of life.

"Triumph, and you will vindicate our nation's existence before the universe. Fail, and you will bring shame to our forefathers and disgrace to our nation. I don't think I exaggerate when I say that the next fourteen days will be the most important two weeks in your otherwise empty and meaningless lives.

"That's why for the next fourteen days your cell phones have been confiscated and a radio tracker has been placed on your collar. You will go nowhere except to the practice field, the tape rooms, the gymnasium, and your meals. Focus and concentration will be total. Forget you have families, girlfriends, wives...they no longer exist. You must think, eat and breathe football, and nothing else."

"Coach?"

"Yes, what is it Brick?"

"Will we be allowed to go to the bathroom?"

"Yes of course!"

/CUT TO COMMERCIAL/
When you want to get going,
Let your patriotism be showing!
Buy a car from Ishtar Motorworks,
'Cuz foreign cars are made by jerks!
Paid for by the Ishtar Automobile Manufacturer's Association.
/BACK TO THE SHOW/

Ken Silvermane, "Now we're going to speak to Coach Mason, as he evaluates the opposition for us. Coach, who are our opponents and how does our team stack up against the table?"

Coach Mason: "Those are good questions, Ken. While we don't know much about our opposition, we do know that they are all new contenders to the World Cup, so all things being equal, there chances are all likewise equally good.

"Marion Oaks appears to be a heavily-populated nation with some influence, being a UN delegate and all. I'm told they have a rather extensive private prison system and a national gambling problem. We expect its players will be motivated by fear to do well, lest they end up in prison folding pizza boxes. But I could be wrong on that.

"The Nation of Wrecker has even more people than Marion Oaks, and we imagine it must be very crowded there. The national animal is something called a Flying Alex. What kind of critter that could possibly be we're not sure, perhaps they'll have them on their uniforms or something.

"Speaking of uniforms, these Ropa-Topia chaps certainly have come through a nice, attractive collection of football kit. I think I can speak on behalf of the entire tournament when I say their uniforms are second in quality only to our own. Fans of nice uniforms are going to have a field day when our two teams match up."

"Coach, I hate to interrupt here, but is any of this information actually useful to you in helping you form a game plan?"

"Well now," said Coach Mason, "Can't say it if is, can't say if it isn't. Would you like me to go on?"

"Hold that thought! Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be right back after a word from our sponsors."

/CUT TO COMMERCIAL/
Don't be a dummy,
Fill your tummy,
With a Yummy!
Paid for by the Yummy Company Soda Conglomerate.
/BACK TO THE SHOW/

"Ken Silvermane here, welcome back. Coach Mason, you were examining the opposition?"

"That's right Ken. Let's see, Tocapa. Hmm, they seem to have a problem with juvenile delinquency. Well what do they expect when they let children attend school in their pajamas. Discipline, strict discipline, that's what I always say.

"Next we have the Unites States of Lexington, which seems to a be a small, pleasantly managed nation quite similar to ours. There national animal is the Wildcat, and as it appears on their flag, we expect it will be on their uniforms too. Their motto is 'Avada Kedavra', which we find baffling and mysterious."

"Right Coach. And now Miceland?"

"Hmm, well we're not sure here. The league provided us with some videotapes of some mice walking around upright playing football. Or perhaps it's people in mouse costumes, we're not entirely sure. The tape says it's been 'bigulated' and it's pretty blurry. Somebody's idea of a practical joke, I guess."

"Thank you very much coach! And that's all for me, Ken Silvermane, reporting live from the Draggonnii Socialist Empire of Andossa Se Mitrin Vega, for IBC Sports."

New Manhattan

25-07-2006, 05:18

Note: Commerce Heights JSY is not a nation; it is the name used by the World Cup Committee to represent the 자본가는 스포츠 연맹을 (Jabonganīn Sīpoçī ʼYūnmāŋʼīl) in systems capable of handling only a limited set of characters, including the infamous RP-bonus machine. The 자본가는 스포츠 연맹을 (abbreviated 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn)) is one of two football associations in the Unified Capitalizt States, which is a nation. For various reasons, the WCC and other sports organizations still refer to the Unified Capitalizt States by their old name, Commerce Heights. The WCC also uses this name to refer specifically to the other football association, Capitalizt SLANI (the organization that has competed in the last five cups).

—————

Official 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) Press Release

The members of the 자스연 혜성즈 (Jasīʼyūn Hyesūŋjī) national squad to be sent to the seventeenth Baptism of Fire tournament and thirtieth World Cup—and, in all likelyhood, the twenty-second Cup of Harmony—have been chosen. Due to the overwhelming success of the Port Lusambo Paladins in the 자스연 리그 (Jasīʼyūn Ligī), eight of the starting eleven will be from that club:
Formation: 4–4–2

# Pos Name Age Club
1 GK Ana Clark 32 Port Lusambo
2 FC 원석교 (ʼWon Sūg-gyo) 24 소코지토 도시 (Sokojito Dosi)
3 FC Loretta Carr 27 Port Lusambo
4 ML 조일중 (Jo ʼIl-juŋ) 28 Port Lusambo
5 MC 신몽윤 (Sin Moŋ-yun) 17 Noka
6 MC 왕해혜 (ʼWaŋ Hā-hye) 19 Port Lusambo
7 MR Heiko Kampfenberger 31 Port Lusambo
8 DL Σωκράτης Μπάτης (Sōkrátīs Mpátīs) 30 Port Lusambo
9 DC Emily Armstrong 23 Port Lusambo
10 DC Bruce Hodges 25 Port Lusambo
11 DR 이일혜 (ʼI ʼIl-hye) 25 Naquada Falls

Substitutes will be chosen on a per-match basis (OOC: if you want to have the team make a substitution in your RP, you can use the Capitalizt name generator (http://www.thirdgeek.com/namegen/XN-COM), or make up a name), unless the team reaches the World Cup proper, in which case a full roster will be chosen.

To allow people to distinguish between the Capitalizt SLANI and 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) teams, the Sonoma Center Panthers and Port Lusambo Paladins have allowed their respective football associations to use their match kits. The Paladins’ kits are shown below:
http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/worldcup/kits/JSY/30/home/
http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/worldcup/kits/JSY/30/away/

All home matches will be played at JPL Paladin Stadium in Port Lusambo, Jativa (capacity 128 400), with the exception of the match against Winchestia, which will be played at the Sokojito Überdome in 소코지토 도시, 소코지토 (Sokojito Dosi, Sokojito) (capacity 400 552) due to a scheduling conflict.

OOC: You can do whatever the slani hell you want with the team, within reason. You’re also welcome to refuse to recognize 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) as a valid football association, as a couple of nations have already.

Demot

25-07-2006, 05:22

Demot Daily ~ Schedule Ready

Yes, the time is drawing nearer to Demot's impending victory in the BoF, but until then, we offer you up their schedule.

Legalese Red Group
Toronat
The Colony of Delaware
Allocer
Czariums
Carvalo
Demot
Lylybium

Schedule
MD1 Demot v Lylybium
MD2 Carvalo v Demot
MD3 The Colony of Delaware v Demot
MD4 Demot v Allocer
MD5 Demot v Czariums
MD6 Bye
MD7 Demot v Toronat
MD8 Lylybium v Demot
MD9 Demot v Carvalo
MD10 Demot v The Colony of Delaware
MD11 Allocer v Demot
MD12 Czariums v Demot
MD13 Bye
MD14 Toronat v Demot

Coach Dogood offered this statement earlier in the day.

"I see us rolling through this group with ease. As far as my researchers know, only Toronat has WC expierence, and that is their women. The rest of these teams have no expierence, and are going to suffer because of it. Yes, I know our team doesn't have much itself, but we have been playing international unso freindly friendlies with the hated Elven Marauders for a few years now, and I believe that will be enough to push us over the top. As long as Black and Frontson do their job on the front, Lucas play the rock solid defence she is known for, and Whitehurse finish off his fantasic career in style, we will be brilliant."

There you have it, straight from Charles himself. Will his bold prediction hold true? Can the team, now dubbed the Demot Fortress, win this BoF? Only time will reveal the truth, so join me in the coming journey in Legalese.

Article by Jamine Olvander

The Greatest Crap

25-07-2006, 20:58

OOC: Can someone please answer my earlier question? Nobody has yet.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

26-07-2006, 01:25

I am working on a suitable answer to that question. Not yet though, sorry. Perhaps I should get Star back in here :D I will have you something soon though.

MD1 will be Wednesday night Central Time (US). That gives you somwhere in the neighborhood of 25-26 hours before the RP cut-off for MD1. Scores will follow that shortly. Thanks.

The Greatest Crap

26-07-2006, 01:33

What time would that be in Pacific time? I don't want to miss my match.

Elves Security Forces

26-07-2006, 03:01

Pacific time is two hours behind Central Standard time. So if it is in the evening (6-10 i'm guessing) then somewhere between 4-8 for you.

Bazalonia

26-07-2006, 03:09

What time would that be in Pacific time? I don't want to miss my match.
OOC: There is usually a 24 hour period between matchdays so you don't really have to worry about missing the scores. They're posted in this thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_(soccer) this might be of assistance.

Sel Appa

26-07-2006, 03:46

Is this still open?

(subscription)

Bazalonia

26-07-2006, 04:36

Is this still open?

(subscription)

The actual Baptism of Fire itself is closed but the World Cup number 30, which it leads up to is still open. If you want to sign up for WC30... Go Here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=489617)

Az-cz

26-07-2006, 07:37

Mn-Ld, a 74 year old man living in Ft. Ben-Degly turns on his TV. As he is doing so he mutters to himself "I guess I ought to see what this Football stuff is. My grandkids have been bugging me for weeks."

<An image of a player throwing a baseball-sized ball at a target>
Announcer: The delight of triumph
<A running man gets two hands pushed in his back by a man running behind him>
Announcer: The cruelty of losing
<A naked woman is dancing through a room full of wires>
Announcer: The beauty of movement
<One man running with the same baseball-sized ball collides with another man>
Announcer: The brutality of contact
<The camera slowly fades in from a view of the whole country of Az-cz, to Az-Cz City to a single building to a television studio>
Announcer: All of these things and more make up are wonderful Thin Country of Sports

<One single man is sitting behind a news desk>

Broadcaster: Hi, I'm Jm-Mky. As you are probably well aware our nation is about to embark on its first ever international sporting competition. However, it isn't in one of our national sports. Rather its in the sport of soccer, also known as football. While Az-Cz has had a professional football league for 17 years now, there might still be some viewers out there who are unaware of the rules and techniques of football. Tonight we will have a couple of guests to help make things clear for those fans who still mostly follow the Klepto-sports.

Jm-Mky: My first guest tonight is Noz-Tf, president of the Az-Cz Football Federation. Good evening Noz-Tf.

Noz-Tf: Good evening Jm-Mky.

Jm-Mky: First question, how are you feeling? It's only a matter of hours to kickoff.

Noz-Tf: Of course there are nerves floating around, but more than anything I feel proud that we have finally been able to launch our nationa team. I think we have a good chance to win, even travelling to Winchestia. More than that though I'm sure the team will fight hard and play cleanly and make us proud, even if we happen to lose.

Jm-Mky: Glad to hear confidence, Noz-Tf. Alright for our fans who will be watching their first soccer games, what are the most important rules?

Noz-Tf: Well the basic idea of the game is to put a ball into an opposing teams goal. In this sense it is most like Kleptoball. The most important rule is that you are not allowed to use your hands, unless you are the player known as a goalkeeper. He can use his hands.

Jm-Mky: Can he use his hands anywhere?

Noz-Tf: No, only in a box painted on the field around the goal he is defending, and only if the ball comes in from live play. If a teammate passes the ball to him he can't use his hands.

Jm-Mky: What else do we need to know?

Noz-Tf: Well the number of players is much larger than most Az-Cz sports. There are 11 players on the field for each team at most times, including the goalkeeper.

Jm-Mky: 11 players is quite a number isn't it?

Noz-Tf: Yes, it can be a little hard to track the first few times you see it, but eventually you get used to the flow of play.

Jm-Mky: You mentioned before that at most times there are 11 players on each side. In what situations might there be less than 11.

Noz-Tf: There are two situations in which this might happen. The first and more common is if one player gets expelled from the game for a rules violation and the other is if a team has used all their substitutions and then a player becomes seriously injured.

Jm-Mky: Alright, let's take the less familiar of these two first. Please explain substitutions.

Noz-Tf: Substitutions are an idea that is not native to our native sports. In many foreign sports you are allowed to change the players in the game midway through the game. Each sport has its own rules about how these changes occur, but the important rule is that each team only has 3 substituions per game. If all of these subs are used than no more changes can be made, even if a player gets injured.

Jm-Mky: So in most games 8 players will play start to finish. I assume one of these is usually the goalie.

Noz-Tf: Yes.

Jm-Mky: Great. Now explain to us how expulsion works.

Noz-Tf: Well soccer has three levels of fouls. Most fouls are regular fouls, which just lead to restarts in play with the team who was fouled getting the ball, sometimes with special chances on goal. If there is a moderate foul a player will get a yellow card, or a warning. For a very severe foul, or a classless act outside of the flow of the game, such as stepping on someone's testicles, a player can recieve a red card, which is an automatic expulsion. Two yellow cards in one game lead to a red card. Also over the course of a number of games is a player accumulates a number of cards they can be suspended for more games.

Jm-Mky: I see. Explain to us about the restart of play after a foul.

Noz-Tf: Where a foul occurs determines what happens. If the ball is in the defensive half of the field for the team kicking they just use it as a pass. If it is in the offensive half they recieve what is known as a "direct free-kick". On this they can try to shoot on goal or set up a goal chance for a teammate. I suggest our fans keep an eye on Pizelkaxrovsky. He is fabulous at these kinds of plays. If an attacking player gets fouled in the goalkeepers area he recieves a penalty kick. This is a one-on-one shot versus the goalkeeper. Penalty kicks are scored most of the time they are taken, so they are very important to avoid.

Jm-Mky: What about out of bounds plays?

Noz-Tf: In football the field is a rectangular field with sidelines and endlines. When the ball goes over these lines the team that touched the ball last gives possession to the team that didn't touch the ball. Depending on where the ball went out there are three different possibilities.

Jm-Mky: Which are?

Noz-Tf: When the ball goes over a sideline there is a throw in. This is an exception to the no-hands rule. During throw in one player from the team recieving the ball can use his hands to throw the ball in. If the attacking team kicks it over the endline, the other teams goalkeep gets the ball to kick back in to play. If the defending team puts the ball over the endline the attacking team earns a "corner kick", where the ball is literally put on the corner of the field. This position is a good chance for a player to set up his teammates for a goal. Most teams set up headers from corners, but giving our height issues we don't do that as much.

Jm-Mky: Are there any other rules we should know?

Noz-Tf: Three more. First is offsides. This is probably the most complicated rule in soccer. If an offensive player in the offensive half of the field gets past all of the defenders except for the goalkeeper before a ball is passed or shot, and is relevant to the play, he is offsides. When a player is offsides no goals can be scored and the other team gets the ball. The second important rule is diving. Many times players, although not so much our players, will try to convince the ref there were fouls when there wasn't. He will intentionally fall or pretend to be injured or something similar. This is called diving or simulation. It is against the rules and a player can be given a yellow card for such, but the officiating of this is uneven. The third is not a rule but is common sportsmanship. When a player is seriously injured the team with the ball is expected to kick it out of bounds. Then the player can be treated. When play restarts the team that recieved the ball will then also kick it out of bounds so that the ball returns to the team who originally possessed it. While this isn't a rule it is an important custom and is something fans should be aware of.

Jm-Mky: Alright. Thanks for sharing your wisdom with it.

Noz-Tf: No problem Jm-Mky. I enjoy coming on. Feel free to have me back at some point during the Baptism of Fire.

Jm-Mky: Thanks President Noz-Tf. We'll be in touch. After these commercial breaks we'll delve into technique and strategy in football.

<Cuts to commercial>
<Video of people building houses>
As we come closer to the first ever international sporting event we can't forget those less fortunate. During the days when you aren't watching the games come on out to help us at Habitat for Gnomanity. Who knows perhaps you'll even meet a professional football player or two. <Cuts to 3 athletic looking young men>
M1: Hi I'm James Levesque.
M2: I'm Bz-Kl.
M3: And I'm Kl-Mv.
M1: While my father is working his magic with the national team I'll be here in Az-Cz building houses. My father always taught me that building community is important, and what better way to build community is there then this.
M2&M3: While our Yang Knight teammates are away fighting for national honor we'll be out here devoting our time. Hopefully you'll come down and join us.
<Cuts to info screen with contact info for Habitat for Gnomanity>
Announcer: Habitat for Gnomanity, for all Az-czzers

<Back to the studio>

Jm-Mky: I now present our second guest. He is the current manger of the Yang Knights, who have won three consecutive -League trophies as well as being the current holders of both the Shangri-La and Newcastle cups. Holding all three titles is an unprecented first for -League. Suffice it to say he knows his football. Thanks for joining us tonight Rx-Wna.

Rx-Wna: It's a pleasure Jm-Mky. The more I can do to spread my sport the better. I'm very excited to see how the team performs, especially the Yang Knights players on the team.

Jm-Mky: Alright coach, what is the easiest way to control tactics on a football field?

Rx-Wna: Well the first thing to look at is a positioning of players on the pitch. Every team has one goalkeeper which leaves 10 position players. The standard formation is 4-4-2.

Jm-Mky: Which means?

Rx-Wna: That's the number of players on the pitch. The first number is defenders, the second midfielders and the third strikers. Generally if a team wants to get more defensive they add more players to the back and take off players at the front. Similarly to get more offensive, you'd do the reverse. To take a couple of examples look at my team, the Yang Knights and the national team. My team plays a 4-5-1. That formation has a tendency to be slightly more defensive as we've traded one striker for one midfielder. The national team is a 3-5-2, a more offensive formation as they've traded one defender for one midfielder.

Jm-Mky: So to get an idea for how attacking a team is we must simply look at there numerical formation?

Rx-Wna: No that's a baseline indicator only. One 4-4-2 is a different from another. That is true with any formation. They give a base idea, but there can be much differentiation.

Jm-Mky: In what ways can these formations vary from each other?

Rx-Wna: Well the positioning of each player within each area is very important, especially for midfielders. There is a certain amount of control about how far forward defenders go and how far back strikers come but alot of the variation is found in the midfielder. A 4-4-2 with mostly defending midfielders is more defensive than a similar 4-4-2 with attacking midfielders. Take the Knights as an example again. We play a 4-5-1, which means only one true striker, but we also play two wing midfielders who push well into the attack and are almost strikers themselves. Hence we play a somewhat attacking brand of football despite the 4-5-1 formation.

Jm-Mky: How do teams choose their formations?

Rx-Wna: It depends on the manager really. Some managers like to emphasize their strengths and others like to hide their weaknesses. It depends a lot on the personnel at hand.

Jm-Mky: Alright aside from personnel positioning, what other tactical things should we be looking for?

Rx-Wna: Another key thing to be looking for is how the team is attempting to create there attacks. Some teams look to create the attacks themselves and are pressing with constant movement of dribbling and passing. Other teams like to play catenaccio football, a style developed by Italians. In this style of football one most plays defense and tries to make good tackles to quickly counterattack and get chances in before the other team is ready to defend. Weaker sides often try all sorts of other measures to make up for technical deficiencies, like rough play or tactically diving in the penalty box.

Jm-Mky: On an individual level what are things to look at?

Rx-Wna: There is such a thing as marking, which is choosing a player and making sure that there is always someone in his area with an eye on him. This is used to try to slow down better players who if they are given space can be very dangerous.

Jm-Mky: What about the tactics behind substitutions?

Rx-Wna: There are a number of theories behind that. The first use of substitutions is for injuries of course. An injured player can be replaced by a player on the bench. Similarly a tired player can be replaced as well. Subs are also used to change the feel of the game, to inject energy or adding a defender instead of an attacking player to preserve a lead or adding an attacker to press to find a tying goal.

Jm-Mky: Are there any other tactical things we should know about coach?

Rx-Wna: Yes keep an eye out for the offside trap and the way teams play free kicks and corner kicks. The offside trap is a system of moving your defenders away from the goalie to try to make the attackers be offsides. If it works then you earn the ball and prevent the other team from scoring, but it can be very dangerous because if you mistime it and don't get the other team offsides you often give up very good scoring chances.

Jm-Mky: And what about the kicks should we be watching?

Rx-Wna: On corner kicks there are two main ways to take them. The regular method is to loft the ball into the air and try for a header. The tactic is known as a short corner. In this case you pass it to a player near the corner on the field of play who then tries another pass, or ocassionally a direct shot. Seeing as we don't have that much height, we tend to use mostly short corners, although we do on occasion go for suprise lofted corners, especially to the Brazillian boys and Nerazzuri. As for free kicks its interesting to see whether teams try to shoot directly or to set up passes for a second player to shoot. Here we often try direct shots as Pizelkaxrovsky has a brilliant foot and can often find net on his own.

Jm-Mky: Now specifically about the Az-Cz team, who are the key players?

Rx-Wna: Well Pizelkaxrovsky is the most important player. He is the player who will control where are passes are going and how well are attacks function, from his position in central midfield. Because of our 3-5-2 formation there is also a lot of pressure on the two defensive midfielders, Zax-Im and Hubertino. Both are Yang Knights and I know them well, and it will be there job to limit the amount of action our back row sees. If the defenders are spending much time in action then we'll have problems cause they'll wear down and a three man back line leaves chances for goals. As for the most likely goal scorer. I have two candidates beside the strikers. I think when all is said and done Pizelkaxrovsky we'll be the leading score for the team. He takes the freekicks and I believe he'll take any PKs...

Jm-Mky: Those are penalty kicks.

Rx-Wna: Yes, I think he'll be the player who takes our PKs as well. Those opportunities plus shots in the natural flow of the game we'll be good chances for him to score. Also keep an eye on Kn-Dg on the left wing. His speed and stamina means he'll wear down defenders on his side of the field and he could find himself coming upon many goals late in games.

Jm-Mky: It's nice to see a good balance of youth on this team isn't it coach.

Rx-Wna: Definitely. We have a few players who these upcoming events will be their only internationals, but most players on the squad we'll have a good chance to appear in more events, and some like Kn-Dg could appear in many more. One more young player who I have to mention is my goalie at Yang Knights, Gn-Lg. His rise to #1 keeper has propelled us to top of the league and his steady influence at the back row could be a great help in our competition.

Jm-Mky: Thanks for all your insight coach. Be sure to come back during the tournament with more insight. Good luck next season and wish the squad good luck for us the next time you talk to them.

Rx-Wna: Thanks for your having me Jm-Mky.

Jm-Mky: Well that does it for this episode of The Thin Country of Sports. See you next time as we cover the womens only Kleptodance championships and provide a profile of Az-Cz national football team member, Bub-Rub. Good Night everyone.

Mn-Ld clicks off the TV. "So that's what this football is?", he grumbles to himself. "Can't have the beauty of are sports, but it is for my country and a good chance to bond with the grand-kids, so I'll guess I'll have to give it a go." <Writes on a piece of paper> "Get all grandkids pink and green jerseys tommorow"

OOC: Greatest Crap, did that help? I am more than willing to help answer questions you have, but your original question was quite vague. More specific questions are far easier to answer.

The Mice of Miceland

26-07-2006, 07:53

The Mice of Miceland to wear clothes while away!

Clothes are something that we mice generally find unnecessary in our everyday life and so usually football is played with no clothes. Infact there are virtually no clothes manufacturers in Miceland. However in respect for the potential of national laws requiring clothes to be worn. We have contacted a company known as Sabre Incorporated. The major clothes supplier for a nation called Dorian and Sonya. We have gven them our requirements and they have come up with a mouse freindly, with free movement of the tail, design that we have accepted to wear while away. This is to ensure that our mice respect national laws of nations that we will visit during the Baptism of Fire tournament.

And in conjunction with this we have released a poster, to help build up support for our national team. This poster will be on public display throughout the nation. Everywhere. and shows Fievel ChurchMouse, Micelands favourite striker in the new kit. The posters will be up everywhere in just a few hours from this release.

....

In just a couple of hours the posters had been posted throughout Miceland, at train stations, theatres and movie cinemas, in shopping centres, malls, on park benches, on nearly every concievable spot that posters could have been posted the posters appeared as if by magic. But in fact a dedicated group of public servants put up the posters in miceland.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f387/Bazalonia/miceland-poster.jpg

The Colony of Delaware

26-07-2006, 22:44

Islanders Roster

-2
(4-1-5)

F
10 Deke DeMueller
11 Kevin Hill
22 Justin Hallimere
50 Chuck Iago
RESERVES
39 Lewis Delta
8 Bob Whittaker
90 Andy Omo
21 Julian "Boss" Treverson

M
44 Marvin Gottlieb(C)
RESERVE
13 Andre Lox

D
1 Yvano Kincade
23 Hiram Briggs
34 Luigi Kello
20 Mark Dunn
99 David Heveron
RESERVES
78 Carl Duquense
26 Jim Haddag
17 Vincent McGreen
00 Landon Batista
80 Zack Jarnja

G
100 K.J.Roe
200 Edwin Garmone

Demot

27-07-2006, 00:09

Demot Daily ~ Fortress Prepped

With only hours left until the start of Demot's march into the BoF, the players are in good spirits.

"We are so hyped for this. This has got to be one of the most important matches in Demot's short history. We all know of our limited success in the BNW, and that is all well and good. But truth be told, that competition is nothing like what we will be seeing at this level. So yeah, we're going in a little confident, and a little out of our realm. In the end, things will go our way or won't, and we just have to accept that."

That was a bit from our interview with captain Samantha Black this afternoon. She and the rest of the team will be playing Lylybium and will hopefully pull out a good result.

Article by Jamine Olvander

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

27-07-2006, 03:23

This is your friendly MD1 RP cutoff. Scores to be added to this post shortly - hopefully

And now for the MD1 Scores!!!!! Finally!!!

Red Group
The Colony of Delaware 2:1 Allocer
Czariums 1:1 Carvalo
Demot 0:0 Lylybium

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Colony of Delaware 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
Czariums 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Carvalo 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Demot 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Lylybium 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Toronat 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Allocer 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0

Black Group
Aurendia 3:1 Ten Thousand Maggots
Perturbed Leopards 3:3 Toopoxia
KCToker 1:3 Lost Limeyville

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

Lost Limeyville 1 1 0 0 3 1 2 3
Aurendia 1 1 0 0 3 1 2 3
Perturbed Leopard 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 1
Toopoxia 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 1
Delesa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ten Thousand Maggots 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2 0
KCToker 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2 0

Sky Blue Group
Wrecker 1:1 Ropa-Topia
Lexington SC 1:0 Tocapa
The Islands of Ishtar 1:1 The Mice of Miceland

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

Lexington SC 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3
The Islands of Ishtar 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
The Mice of Miceland 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Wrecker 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Ropa-Topia 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Marion Oaks 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Tocapa 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0

Yellow Group
Alif Laam Miim 2:0 The Candrian Empire
The Greatest Crap 0:1 Commerce Heights JSY
Winchestia 1:3 Az-Cz

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

Alif Laam Miim 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3
Az-Cz 1 1 0 0 3 1 2 3
Commerce Heights JSY 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3
Uncle Pete 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The Greatest Crap 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0
The Candrian Empire 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0
Winchestia 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2 0

Carvalo

27-07-2006, 04:03

Dear BoF Organizers,

All of the information regarding Carvalo's participation at the WC30 Baptism of Fire has been finalized and has been sent along with this message and is ready to be made public to the other participants. If you or anyone has any questions, please send them to the return adress below. Thank you.

Carvalo Crusaders
Formation: 3-4-3
Colors: Blue, White

Head Coach: Issandro Emilian
Ass. Coach: Natalia Salezao

Starting Roster (Number, Name, Age, Position)
1 Xavier Dosao - 17 - GK Starter
12 Adrian Vitorino - 15 - GK Reserve I
13 Alex Palmieri - 16 - GK Reserve II

2 Ernesto Baretto - 18 - DF Starter
3 Mathias Morazano - 16 - DF Starter
4 Carlos Nava - 17 - DF Starter
14 Antonio Mallorno - 15 - DF Reserve
15 Roberto Castrati - 17 - DF Reserve
16 Orlando Vargas - 16 - DF Reserve
17 Giovanni Sacato - 16 - DF Reserve

5 Miguel Caneira - 17 - MF Starter
6 Luis Medrano - 16 - MF Starter
7 Andrani Vahasalabrazonozadeo - 16 - MF Starter
8 Gianni Montalbo - 17 - MF Starter
18 Adamo Marquez - 15 - MF Reserve
19 Christao Arego - 16 - MF Reserve
20 Derrick Nosraeli - 14 - MF Reserve
21 Dominic Nosraeli - 14 - MF Reserve

9 Hugo Valente - 19 - FW Starter Team Captain
10 Dominic Yanez - 17 - FW Starter
11 Simao Santos - 17 - FW Starter
22 James Centeno - 15 - FW Reserve
23 Noel Torres - 16 - FW Reserve

My opponents may, if they RP first...
Choose my goal scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y (Nothing Major)
Godmod injuries to my players: Y (Nothing Major)
Hand out Yellow/Red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y

Andres Maro
Minister of Culture
232 Acores Avenue
Tiago, Carvalo

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

Adrenaline Logo (http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4559/adrenalineos2.png)

The screen turns from the Adrenaline Sports Network logo to an ultra modern blue and white studio where a middle-aged man in a suit, a younger man in casual attire, and a very attractive young woman in a revealing blouse sit behind a news desk, on which several Carvalan flags hang from. The camera turns to middle-aged man, who is sitting in the middle.

M: Allo and Welcome! I’m Manuel Alveiro.
The camera turns to the younger man on the left…
S: I’m Samuel Alonzo.
The camera switches to the woman on the right…
G: Hi I’m Giselle Casio and welcome to The Goal Post, Carvalo’s most popular football talk show! I’d also like to especially welcome those viewers from around the region who are joining us for the first time, as the Adrenaline Sports Network is now available in 274 nations!
The camera, which had momentarily zoomed into Giselle, zooms out so that all three anchors are in perfect view.
M: Yes, welcome to all! Now, as all Carvalans know, the Baptism of Fire is going to kick off tomorrow, where the National Football Team of Carvalo will play in its first international match and tournament. For those of you unaware of the Baptism of Fire, it is a tournament hosted every year before the World Cup to give new teams a chance to not only pick up KPB points, but to give them a taste of the competition that awaits them. This year it will be hosted in both Legalese and Androssa Se Mitrin Vega!
G: So has the squad been announced yet?
S: Well, duh. He just said that the tournament start tomorrow. I doubt the Ministry of Culture is that -
M: It’s a great thing you bring up the squad, since that will be our first topic of the night! Now, the squad is made up of Carvalo’s finest footballers, ranging from ages 14 to 19. The team’s nickname is the Crusaders, and the –
G: That’s a terrible name. So is The Goal Post. I mean were on in like five hundred countries and you’d think someone –
S: For once, I actually agree with you. I mean –
M: And the team colors are blue and white. They will play with a 3 – 4 – 3 formation and will be coached by Issandro Emilian of the Ministry of Sports.
G: Wow, how old is he? He’s quite the looker if you –
S: Old enough to be your Dad I bet.
M: Now, let’s look at the starting line-up. At the net we have Xavier Dosao, a seventeen-year-old start keeper from Postiga.
S: In his three years as keeper at his high school, he has a record total of ninety-two saves, and has only let in five goals, four of which came in his freshman year.
G: That’s impressive.
M: For Defense, we have Ernesto Baretto, Mathias Morazano, and Carlos Nava.
G: Carlos Nava as in related to Nefer Nava?
M: Yes, the two are brother and sister.
S: This three-man defense will prove to be a strong asset to the team, and along with Dosao, it should make it tough for the other teams to effectively penetrate our defense and score. Next up, the midfielders…
G: The midfield is made up of Miguel Caneira, Luis Medrano, Andrani… what the hell is up with his last name? I can’t pronounce that… Va-ha-sa-za-la-la-la?
S: Vahasalabrazonozadeo. Andrani Vahasalabrazonozadeo.
G: Va-ha-sa-la-bra-zo-no-za-de-o. I’ll just call him Andrani for now. So where were we? Oh yeah, midfield. So we have Caniera, Medrano, Andrani, and Gianni Montalbo.
S: Expect our midfield to dominate the field. I’ve seen Caneira and Montalbo play as they both play club football together in the summer. They are definitely a force to be reckoned with.
M: Finally, the three forwards, who were front and center on this months’ edition of Popaganda Magazine. Inside there was a very detailed section on each player and I highly recommend it to everyone.
G: I read it too, actually. It was –
S: Wait, you can read?
G: Oh whatever, at least I’m not twenty-something and still living at home.
S: HEY! It’s temporary, you don’t know the –
M: The three forwards are Hugo Valente, the team captain, Dominic Yanez, and Simao Santos.
G: For those of you unaware, Simao is gay and in his interview with Popaganda he discuss his life as a gay athlete. It’s interesting – he’s also a very funny guy.
M: Our offense is just as solid as our defense, so expect lots of good passing and goals. Next up, we’ll talk about the teams facing Carvalo in the first round.

S: Toronat – They might be good, they just might be good enough to qualify. Nothing can validate that, as the research team here at The Goal Post was unable to dig up any information regarding Toronat. That or the research team is made up of incompetent, lazy, bastards. Carvalo plays Toronat Matchday 3 and 10.

The Colony of Delaware – No, just no. Are you kidding me? No. Not a chance. Carvalo should breeze by the colony, and if they don’t, well than, noso merda! Can we even say that? Well, if your still watching this, we just did! Carvalo plays Delaware Matchday 6 and 12.

G: Allocer – Allocer? Se son familiar, talves se a de nostro rayon? Talves se paler Carvalense! We like their name, so they could most likely qualify. Expect us to thrash them in one match, and tie the next, or something of that sort. Carvalo plays Allocer on Matchday 7 and 14.

Czariums – They sound important, and that’s all I can tell you. Maybe they’ll win, maybe they won’t. Expect Czariums to become the wild card of the group. Carvalo will play their opener against Czariums on Matchday 1 and again on Matchday 8.

M: Demot – From the looks of it, the team from Demot does look to be one of the teams to beat, with a strong roster composed of professional players from around their country. Led by Charles Dogood, Demot seems to be in prime position to qualify out of this group. They play against Carvalo on Matchday 2 and 9.

Lylybium – Just like Delaware, this team isn’t going anywhere. Expect a record of one win, one tie, and twelve losses. I really do think they are that bad. Carvalo will play Lylybium on Matchday 4 and 11.

In the end, only four teams will qualify from each group to battle it out in the knock-out rounds of the tournament, and the current predictions for the final standings of the the red group are as followed.

And that was The Goal Post! Goodnight, and Good Luck Carvalo!

Az-cz

27-07-2006, 05:32

Az-Cz Scroll
July 27, 2006
Winchestia
Il-Lur

Pinkos Strut their stuff

A glorious day for the Robbers. To go on the road and win their first ever international contest 3-1 is quite an accomplishment. This game wasn't settled until late and despite the fantastic effort of Winchestia fans wasn't enough to see there team through to any points.
The game started off a little bit tenatively, as might be expected in the first international competition for the two sides. However even from the get go you could see eventual man of the match Zax-im start to stamp his pitch on the game. Neither team could get a shot early but Winchestia struggled to even get the ball into the Az-cz end of the pitch, which ended up being the main theme of the day.
The first shot of the game came in minute 7. Kn-dg slashed up the wing and put a good shot up but the goalie was well positioned for Winchestia and stopped it easily. The flow of play settled down with both teams having little to work with. From Kn-dg's opening shot to the next good attempt there were only 2 shots for Az-cz and one for Winchestia in a span of 27 minutes. In the 34th minute Az-cz once again had a good chance against Winchestia, earning a free kick just outside the box. Pizelkaxrovsky made one of his trademark curling freekicks, but the goalie made a save that might well stand up as the best of the tournament. Somehow he read it perfectly to get enough of his fingers on it to push it out for a corner.
This energized Winchestia who got their first successful attacks going. The crowd was enthused and they pushed forward quite well. In the 37th minute the whole crowd thought Winchestia would push ahead when Dallas Maryan blistered the crossbar. A half inch lower and Winchestia would've taken the lead. They got another good chance 2 minutes later when Josh Pop suprised the Az-Cz side by sneaking up from the back. He was open about 20 yards, but fortunately for Az-Cz he wailed it over the post. Az-cz got one more shot off before half but it wasn't ever a threat to the keeper. Both teams could easily have scored in the first half, but Winchestia was slightly better in the opening 45.
The second half saw the Az-Cz midfielders really take over. Az-Cz started the scoring off with a blazing counter attack in minute 48. Zax-im dispossed Mack Durland in the middle of the pitch, swinging it quickly over to Pizelkaxrovsky. He found Kn-dog outwide. With Bub-Rub and Stanleyinho racing down the middle, the few Winchestia defenders back clung around those two. They fell asleep on Ml-Dni who intelligently came up from his right back position. He fired a quick one timer that the keeper had no chance to stop.
As a testament to their fans, the Winchestians got louder after falling behind. However they still couldn't get any closer to the goal. Basically every pass they were trying on the ground Zax-im, Ns-Ta or Bn-Dg snuffed out and Hubertino and Nerazzurri controlled the air. On the other side the Winchestia keeper kept them afloat making a number of good saves to hold the scoreline at 1-0.
Finally without having a shot in the first 24 minutes of the second half, Winchestia found their only goal of the match. Ml-Dni, the first goal scorer of the tournament for Az-cz was the culprit on this sequence. After Ns-ta made a nice dispossession of the ball he tried to swing it wide to Ml-Dni who gave the ball up which allowed Winchestia to get a quick attack in on Gn-Lg. He got a hand on the ball, but it wasn't enough to keep it out and the score was evened up in the 69th minute.
This was when Az-Cz made the first substitution of the game, taking off Hubertino and bringing on Az-If. He moved Pizelkaxrovsky and Az-If a little wider and put Zax-im on the middle of the pitch. This put even more pressure on Zax-im, but he responded brilliantly.
Like the second goal the first goal was created by Zax-im dispossesing a Winchestia player. Again he swung to Pizelkaxrovsky. This time Pizelkaxrovsky dribbled down the field by himself Eventually getting to about 35 yards from goal. He had a number of targets to choose from. He eventually suprised almost everyone by playing it to the head of Stanleyinho in the box, who put in down perfectly into the lower right corner or the net to give Az-Cz the lead back in the 79th minute.
While the fans stayed behind Winchestia, the players were visibly deflated. Just 4 minutes later Pizelkaxrovsky completed the scoring from a free kick. The first time the keeper was able to make a save this time he couldn't get to the ball and Pizelkaxrovsky climbed on the score board. With his team up 3-1 Levesque then made a defensive substitution going to a 4-5-1. He took off Bub-Rub up front and brought on At-Zm in the back. With Az-Cz playing in a defensive formation there were no more shots after Pizelkaxrovsky's goal. The Winchestians couldn't break the defensive line and the Az-Czzer's were preserving the advantage.
In good news for both teams there were no injuries and no yellow cards given. Az-cz will next play host to Uncle Pete, the one team in the group yet to play, while Winchestia will try to regroup againg Commerce Heights JSY, a 1-0 victor in their opening match.

Statistics

Goals: Az-cz 3 Winchestia 1
Az-cz scorers: Ml-Dni 48 Hubertino 79 Pizelkaxrovsky 83
Possession: Az-cz 61% Winchestia 39%
Shots: Az-cz 11 Winchestia 4
Corners: Az-Cz 3 Winchestia 2

Demot

27-07-2006, 05:56

Late Night Sports
Currently Airing
Demotian Sports News

John:... and the match-fixing scandal still has no resolution and the leagues might be gone next year as well.

Jessica: Speaking of football, the national squad began their run in the BoF today, taking on Lylybium. Although ehavily favored to win the match, the squad only managed a scoreless draw. Quite a dissapointing start considering the hype around the teams chances to qualify from the group and even win the BoF.

Jn: Well Jessica, I don't think the squad neccasarily played bad, Lylybium just played a fabolous game on defence. If you look at the time spent in each end, the team was in Lylybium end for 68 minutes of the game. They also registered 17 shots, with 10 on frame. The opposing 'keep was just on its game and the post was no friend, with Black hitting it three times!!!

Ja: Regardless, the team will have to capitalize on its chances in its next game. They will be taking on Carvalo who look fairly stout. Both these squads are full of talent from top to bottom of the respective depth charts. Each team had a draw today , and whoever gets the result in the match will be that much ahead in their hopes of moving deep into the tournament.

Jn: Quite right. I see Demot edging them out 2-1 though.

Moving onto baseball, Skyhaven Angels won in a thriller ,6-5 in 10 innings ...

The Island of Ishtar

27-07-2006, 06:13

ooc notes a scorer's error, the Sky Blue Group has the 'Draws' and 'Losses' columns switched.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

27-07-2006, 06:39

ooc notes a scorer's error, the Sky Blue Group has the 'Draws' and 'Losses' columns switched.

Thanks. Fixed.

Aurendia

27-07-2006, 06:41

Etoka Journal-Tribune
“Now with larger print for those hung-over mornings”

Raptors streak to comeback victory in BoF opener

LEGALESE - Despite some miscues, Aurendia’s first international sporting event ended in victory today, as the Raptors came away with a comeback 3-1 victory over Ten Thousand Maggots.
As soon as the national anthems were finished, both teams came out aggressively, but the pace of the game soon slowed down as neither side was able to capitalize. In the 32nd minute Ten Thousand Maggots struck first, when a clearing pass meant for defender Rachel Brady was intercepted by a Ten Thousand Maggots player who promptly put the ball into the nearly open net. The rest of the first half seemed to be all Ten Thousand Maggots, as Aurendia missed several scoring chances, including a header by forward Regina Dunlop that bounced off the post in the 40th. The only reason the score remained at 1-0 was the stellar play of goalie Liza Kohl, who made several crucial saves during a Ten Thousand Maggots barrage in the last minutes of the half.
At the end of halftime, nearly two dozen Aurendian fans forced their way past stadium security and made their way onto the field where they proceeded to disrobe and form a naked conga line, which was greeted with thunderous applause and laughter from the thousands more Aurendians who followed the team to Legalese.
Energized by their fans, the Raptors played much more aggressively in the second. In the 48th minute this energy translated into an equalizer, as Aurendia captain Cassandra Campbell gained possession near the midline and made a perfect pass to her younger sister Ashley, who proceeded to dribble past the defender and score in the top corner.
Ten Thousand Maggots again threatened in the 55th, when defender Ken Weathers was whistled for a hard tackle and a penalty kick awarded. However Kohl correctly guessed the direction and made the save, preserving the tie.
Aurendia put the game away in the 62nd, when Cassandra Campbell struck again, this time sending a corner kick towards forward Matt Sanchez who headed it into the back of the net. Ashley Campbell scored an insurance goal in the 80th, off a cross from Jessica Colenti.
With the win in the opening game, the Raptors are tied for first in the Black Group with Lost Limeyville, who will face Aurendia on match days 5 and 12. Tomorrow’s bye day will be used to rest the team before their next games, as Coaches White and Schuster have elected not to hold practice. Instead, the players are expected to explore and sight-see the host nation Legalese.

Scoring:
1. TTM 32nd
2. A (A. Campbell 1) 48th (Assist: C. Campbell)
3. A (M. Sanchez 1) 62nd (Assist: C. Campbell)
4. A (A. Campbell 2) 80th (Assist: J. Colenti)

Schedule:
MD1: Aurendia vs Ten Thousand Maggots (W 3-1)
MD2: bye
MD3: Aurendia vs KCToker
MD4: Aurendia vs Delesa
MD5: Lost Limeyville vs Aurendia
MD6: Toopoxia vs Aurendia
MD7: Perturbed Leopard vs Aurendia
MD8: Ten Thousand Maggots vs Aurendia
MD9: bye
MD10: KCToker vs Aurendia
MD11: Delesa vs Aurendia
MD12: Aurendia vs Lost Limeyville
MD13: Aurendia vs Toopoxia
MD14: Aurendia vs Perturbed Leopard

The Mice of Miceland

27-07-2006, 06:50

"Disappointing Turnout at first International Leads to Dissapointing Result"

A disappointing 1-alll draw at the Islands of Ishtar national stadium was the result of a poor turnout to support our Mice. The 12 good mice of the team started well with Fievel ChurchMouse using his extravagent personal skills scored in the 31st minute of the match. A long run from the middle of the field stepping around his opponents before taking of a longer range shot from outside the penalty area. Taking the mice 1 up on the scoreboard. However it seemed that there was no mice in the crowd to support the team and the jubilation of the goal soon evapporated as there was no support from the crowd.

The team fought valiantly till half-time and prevented the home team from scoring. However this was not to last as after half time the home team being bouyed by the home crowd and with the Mice gaing no support from the measily crowd of mice that Did turn up. it was not long till the Islanders home team scored the equaliser. This was in the 76th minute and the only reason that they managed to score was of the the home ground advantage. We need more mice to attend these away games. If you are not seeing the posters for supporting the team while on away games. Please contact the government's poster morale division for this to be rectified.

It has also come to our attention that before the match that our hosts thought of us as "some kind of prank". Well now that they have seen us and know they have no excuse to think of us some kind of prank. The video that was sent of an internal Miceland exhibition match toi help determine just who should represent miceland in the Baptism of Fire. It contained details and explanations of the bigulation process but the manager for the team mocked us on air. We have expressed our dissapointment and have requested that the person resposible for the comments or the fact that it went to air face the full force of Islands of Ishtar's justice system. We have yet to receive any reply from the Islands of Ishtar government/police force.

This is has been a public release from the government.

Az-cz

27-07-2006, 07:15

MC: Coming on shortly will be coach Roger Levesque, Captain and Man of the Match Zax-Im, and the first goal scorer in Az-Cz history, Ml-Dni. First Coach Levesque will give some remarks and then we will open the floor for questioning.

Levesque: First let me give a hearty round of applause to our hosts from Winchestia. The stadium was good, the football competitive and the fans first class. They kept there team in the match the whole way. While we proved to be the better team on the day, the match easily could've swung there way. If that first half shot of the post finds net we could've been in real trouble. I'm looking forward to the return trip, but they could easily take points off of us, even with the crowds at our backs. The element of suprise helped us today, and like I had hoped are speed wore them down. Zax-Im played brilliantly and there were no cards or injuries. Just about a perfect day.

MC: Alright, let's open it up to questions.

Az-cz reporter: Describe the feeling of heading out on to the pitch.

Levesque: As I'm not a native Az-Czzer all leave that to the players to explain.

Zax-Im: Heading out on to the field as the first person in my country was an incredible honor. I felt nervous for the first time in years. I can't imagine what some of the younger players were feeling.

Az-cz reporter 2: Ml-Dni, explain how you put the Gnomes ahead.

Ml-Dni: Really I had very little to do with it. Zax-Im started the counter and Kn-Dg's cross was about as good as you can imagine. From their I just had to finish it off. I'm known within the league for making runs and I don't think Winchestia was ready for it. That being said, if you'd have told me I'd be the first goal scorer in Az-Cz international history I wouldn't have believed you.

Az-cz reporter 3: Zax-Im, Ml-Dni, walk us through how your recovered from the blow of giving up the goal.

Ml-Dni: Well I just looked around at my teammates. They were the ones who created the first goal and I knew they would pick me up again.

Zax-Im: Plus we knew we had been playing well the second half. While they were celebrating I brought the players together and reminded them of that. They hadn't developed a shot of their in the second half, and is turned out wouldn't do so at all. We all understood it was a fluke mistake and I helped the team turn the screws.

Az-cz reporter 4: Coach, tell us about the next match versus Uncle Pete.

Levesque: Well if we play like we did today, we ought to be able to beat them. Very little is known about their club, so that element of mystery will work towards their advantage. But as you saw today we have skilled footballers here. We ought to be alright. Plus we'll have the home advantage, which as the people of Winchestia showed can be quite something.

Winchestia reporter: Coach Levesque, could you go into more detail about your thoughts on the Winchestia team?

Levesque: I thought coming in that Winchestia would have a good chance of qualifying and I still believe that to be true. The main thing for coach Shawl is to build his confidence back up. They've drew what looks to be an unfortunate schedule. Including us their first three matches are against the three opening day winners. And both of their next two matches will be away games. So they might be stumbling after the first 3 matches. However if they keep their heads up they ought to be alright.

Az-cz reporter 5: Any possible changes in the lineup for next game?

Levesque: We just won 3-1. Do you think there'll be any changes in the lineup? The starters played excellent and both of the subs did just what they were called on to do. So for the time being no. The plan is to force teams to react to us, not the other way around.

MC: Alright we've got time for one more question.

Az-cz reporter 6: Coach, what would you say was the biggest weakness of the team this opening day?

Levesque: I'm very pleased with the team, so I don't have much to say here. I think there was a bit too much time dawdling. I'd like to see more quick counterattacks. Our offense was generated by quick counters and Pizelkaxrovsky free kicks. Since we can't control when we get free kicks looking to counter attacks is probably a valuable thing for us to do.

MC: That's all the time we have for today. Good luck to Az-cz as it progresses through the Baptism of Fire group stage.

The Island of Ishtar

27-07-2006, 08:24

Thanks. Fixed.
no problem. quick OOC question, do the games take place at the stadiums of Andossa, or at our own countries (that would be a lot of traveling?)

New Manhattan

27-07-2006, 08:50

OOC: Shouldn’t Az-Cz be ahead of Alif Laam Miim, and Winchestia be ahead of The Candrian Empire, on goals for?

quick OOC question, do the games take place at the stadiums of Andossa, or at our own countries (that would be a lot of traveling?)
Since the group stage has home and away legs, I assume that they’re actually being played in the countries participating. The later stages will probably be played in Legalese and ASMV.

The Aeropag Tribune—Petition SLANI to add another Aeropag team! It’ll be sure to do better than the other two…

Sports: 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) win first international match
THE GREATEST CRAP—The 자본가는 스포츠 연맹을 (Jabonganīn Sīpoçī ʼYūnmāŋʼīl) national team have won their first match, a 1–0 win over the Greatest Crap. Although our reporters were unable to locate the stadium in which the match was played, the official records show that the game was won on a penalty kick by Loretta Carr in the thirty-eighth minute, after a foul that is disputed by many of the fans from the Greatest Crap that attended the match. One fan who was interviewed said, “There was no foul, Joel-jang or whatever [probably 조일중 (Jo ʼIl-juŋ)] was diving! And even if he wasn’t, it was outside the penalty area, and even if it wasn’t, it was the right thing to do, and even if it wasn’t, this isn’t the right place to discuss it!” The person then ran away from our reporter.
This victory by 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) sharply contrasts with the first match played by the Commerce Heights Footballing and Soccer Federation in World Cup 7, a 3–4 loss to Pavesia. Many people have interpreted this to mean that 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) will play more defensively or will be more successful than their counterparts at Capitalizt SLANI, or both. When interviewed, Syku Hijil, a Rejistanian-born Capitalizt sports commentator, said about the team: “Han'il, Karela!”

Final score:
자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) 1 (Carr pen 38′)
The Greatest Crap 0—FT

The Island of Ishtar

27-07-2006, 08:56

ooc :Thanks for the answer, New Manhattan

Ishtar Men Draw 1-1 With Peculiar Opponent

It would not be an exaggeration to say that national interest in the performance of our men's all-star soccer team was at an all-time high today, as all five national television channels broadcast the game live while 100,000 fans filled Ishtar City Metropolitan Stadium to shout their support for the men's team.

Then came a national shock. The opponent team emerged on the field, and ... the opponent players ... were entirely man-sized, anthropomorphic mice!

The stadium fell to a complete silence. A national, collective, WTF! could be sensed in the entire stadium.

On-the-air personalities tried to explaining this baffling predicament, with no success.

"This is clearly some kind of joke," claimed Izzie Bunion, Harmonia Herald scribe and commentator of dISH-TV's SportsEyeLive™ coverage. "The World Cup Committee is trying to insult our nation by sending out men on the pitch dressed in mouse outfits."

Pauline Smoot, commentating for IBC-TV took a different take. "Can it be? Is there actually a planet of Mouse-People out there, who are now playing football against us, here in our home stadium?"

Regardless of a nation's total confusion, the impartial referees of the Baptism Fire of Cup whistled the start of the game.

The Ishtar Men, obviously as flabbergasted as the crowd and the rest of the nation, played horribly for the entire first half. The Mice-Men, apparently not at all surprised by this reaction, immediately began to play football, and the Ishtar players and coaches responded stiffly and confusedly.

In the 31st minute, one of the Mice scored, leaving the team flummoxed and embarrassed.

During the half-time break, the coach shouted at his team: "I don't care if they are men, if they are women, if they are mice, cats, dogs, dragons, or little green men! You retards are acting like stiffs! Get out there and play football!"

In the second half, the team seemed to shake off its shock and confusion regarding nonhuman opponents, returning to its game plan and coming back with a score. Finally getting their plan into action, #11 Striker Nathaniel Lovecraft took a breakaway pass out on the wing then wove through several defenders, taking the net and tying the score.

It was a little too little, a little too late though, at least for the win. The team drew 1-1 against the Mice visitors, and after the game, acknowledging the good football the visitors played, the team lined up and shook hands with their unusual opponents.

Quite a magnanimous gesture from an insular, xenophobic island nation, all the Ishtar commentators agreed.

Separately, the Island of Ishtar's government released a short statement refuting Miceland's charges of bigotry and on-air mockery: "The Most Serene Republic welcomes interactions with all nations. We hope that said nations should not take our surprise and shock as an insult, but understand that we have no experience with non-human beings whatsoever...in fact, our scientists and scholars are still debating this event. Our most traditional conservatives still adhere to the 'men in suits' theory. However, the issue remains unclear...Bigulation is unknown to our science, our nation is confused.

"Obviously no charges will be filed against our Coach, who broke no laws but simply exercised free speech on a pre-game show."

The Mice of Miceland

27-07-2006, 10:08

Government official response to Ishtar's Ignorance (sent to the government of Ishtar and public posted in Miceland

Firstly let's start with a number of facts about our nation. First and most important fact we are not dressed up as mice but we are mice. Mice that play football. Is that so hard to understand? Second one of your commentators said "Is there actually a planet of Mouse-People out there, who are now playing football against us, here in our home stadium?" There are a number of things wrong with this statment. First we are not from another planet, but we exist right here on the same planet as you, second we are not mice-people, we are just plane mice and we take this as an afront.

However we understand that finding an assumption that has been the basis of your society for so long has been thrown out the window, as the saying goes. Can cause alot of confusion. So we have decided not to quite these insults against you for now. We have decided to wait and see how your nation reacts on matchday 8 when your team comes to play at our home.

We will not go into the technical details about our bigulation technology, but you might be surprised to know that we are not naturally human-sized, in fact we are naturally only slightly larger than "normal" mice. It is this bigulation that allows us to become man-sized. The technology is perfectly safe and has gone through a number of tests. First on inanimate objects, then on living creatures, such as ants and then the last test where on volunteers. These where extremely successful.

This has been an official government commique and public release

Winchestia

27-07-2006, 15:39

The Winchestia Times Presents: Our First International:
Winchestia Robbed!
It was the most disappointing day in the history of our great nation. Our team, full of vigor, and with our great fans behind them get hammered 3-1 by a bunch of robbing gnomes.

After a scoreless first half, Az-Cz took the lead early in the second half. Manager Shawl then took off Durland and Sporer and put on Pavin and Hartney. It was then that Winchestia had it's best moment of the match. Winning a free kick, against the run of play, near the edge of the area, Pavin stepped up and fired a rocket into the corner of the net.

Az-Cz then seemed to find another gear, one in which Winchestia could not compete. They scored 2 goals in 5 minutes to put away the game they deserved to win.

It is clear that international football is of a higher standard then our WPL, and Jody Shawl is going to have to adjust tactics the rest of the way. Having said that, Az-Cz looks to be the best team in the group, so hopefully it will be clear sailing from here. Next up is the somewhat confusing team labeled Commercial Heights JSY. Which is apparently not really their name. This reporter is starting to think that maybe this international stuff is too confusing.....

Winchestia

27-07-2006, 16:10

(In a conference room in the Winchestia National Stadium, Jody Shawl is is ready to start his first post-match press conference)

Shawl: Let me first say that today we were completly outclassed by a better team. Those <beep>ing gnomes were fantastic. That isn't to say I am happy with how we played, and I will be making changes. Questions?

Reporter: Now you have said that you weren't happy in general with the team, what did you think the bright spots were?

Shawl: Well, Seruss kept them off the scoreboard for quite a while with some fine saves. Pavin and Hartney played ok when we had the ball in the second half. Everyone else was crap.

Reporter: Looking forward now, are you thinking of changing the formation? Marayan and Firmin looked like they were tripping over themselves.

Shawl: Yeah, I do think that with time Marayan an Firmin will create a wonderful partnership. For the "JSY" match, the changes will be in players, not in the formation.

Reporter: Care to be more specific?

Shawl: The line-up will be: Seruss -- Niece, Cam, Tinley, Billiot -- Hartney, Pavin, Bodle, Melland -- Marayan, Firmin

Reporter: So you are putting the Mikey Town midfield together?

Shawl: Yeah, if this match showed us anything, it is how important the midfield is in international football. I feel we have the best midfield in the tournament, but they didn't know how to play with each other against Az-Cz, so I put together the players that I KNOW will play well together.

Reporter: OK, any last words to the fans who might be a bit disillusioned by this result?

Shawl: Well, I watched the other matches in the group, and I really think Az-Cz is the best of the group. I have the feeling they will win this group. So it is not shameful to lose to them, despite their gnomishness. We are competing to advance to the KO stages, which means 4th out of 7. I feel we will do this easily, so keep supporting us, and we will not let you down!!

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

Meanwhile, in another part of the stadium, the chairmen of the WPL were discussing the future match schedule:

"Look, we've really messed this up. The Az-Cz delegation weren't notified of where they were supposed to go until they touched down at the airport! We look like total fools!"

"Agreed! Lets hash out where the rest of our home matches will be played and send them out to the other countries."

"Ok, MD 4 we play Candian, MD 5 The Greatest Crap (chuckles throught the room), MD 7 against Uncle Pete, MD 9 against JSY and MD 10 against Alif Laan Miin, try saying THAT 5 times fast"

"I propose that we hold all the matches here. This IS the Winchestia National Stadium, after all!"

"I disagree, Higgleton's stadium is bigger, we should hold a couple of matches there"

"But how would these teams do in the thin air of the Grandor Mountains? Surely playing there will give us a bigger advantage? Why not play a few at the Multiplex where The Strongest play. Perhaps we could borrow some seats from the rugby stadium next door to accomidate a greater number of fans?"

(after a three hours of arguing back and forth, the schedule was finally announced)

MD 4 v The Candrian Empire: National Stadium (Wendle)
MD 5 v The Greatest Crap: Higgleton Arena (Higgleton)
MD 7 v Uncle Pete: National Staduim (Wendle)
MD 9 v "JSY": Grandor Multiplex (Grandor Mountains)
MD 10 v Alif Laan Miin: National Stadium (Wendle)

The Greatest Crap

27-07-2006, 23:27

OOC: New Manhattan, is it ok to RP a win without asking for the opposing team's opinion on doing that? It just seems a little cheap to me.

Carvalo

27-07-2006, 23:45

Adrenaline Logo (http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4559/adrenalineos2.png)

The screen turns from the Adrenaline Sports Network logo to an ultra modern blue and white studio where a middle-aged man in a suit, a younger man in casual attire, and a very attractive young woman in a revealing blouse sit behind a news desk, on which several Carvalan flags hang from. The camera turns to the middle-aged man, who is sitting in the middle.

M: Allo and Welcome! I’m Manuel Alveiro.
The camera turns to the younger man on the left…
S: I’m Samuel Alonzo.
The camera switches to the woman on the right…
G: Hi, I’m Giselle Casio and welcome to The Goal Post, Carvalo’s most popular football talk show! First off, I’d like to thank those who watched our broadcast yesterday, which topped the rankings to become the most-watched sports related broadcast in Carvalo and Europa!
The camera than zooms out so that all three anchors are in perfect view.
M: That’s quite the accomplishment!
G: I know, I’ve got fan clubs popping up from across the region! It’s wonderful.
S: So who watched the match last night?
M: What a match! Even though we didn’t win, we managed to a tie against a great team and that’s something to be proud of.
G: I was too busy watching Big Brother 6, which was equally exciting.
S: Big Brother 6?
G: Yeah, what a show. Now, everyone who is watching, go to the Big Brother website and vote to evict Nayeli from the house, because if Scott is evicted than I will be very upset.
S: First, this isn’t a Big Brother talk show, and second, you were supposed to watch the match as part of your job, you incompetent –
G: You didn’t let me finish. The website is http://bigbrother.crv/6/vote, so get –
M: For those of you who didn’t watch the match –
S: Giselle.
M: - Carvalo tied Czariums with the score of 1-1. Let’s look at some highlights!
S: First up, the national anthems… next, a close shot-on-goal by Hugo Valente. Barely misses. Then we have another close shot, this time coming from a Czarian player.
M: After the half, in the 60th minute, that same Czarian headed a corner kick into the net. Here you can see Xavier Dosao absolutely stunned.
S: In the 78th minute, Luis Medrano managed to break through to the goal area, where he passed it to Simao Santos, who sent it into the back of the net. Their goal keeper didn’t stand a chance against that shot.
M: In the end, the game was over, and our first international ended in a 1-1 tie.
G: So what else happened in the group?
M: Delaware took out Allocer 2:1, Demot and Lylybium had a scoreless tie, and Toronat had a bye.
G: Delaware?
M: Yeah, Delaware.
S: So next up, Demot. Think we can beat them?
M: Oh, definitely. The midfield has to do a better job defensively though, but I think our boys are playing pretty good football.
G: Now, I did watch some highlights from around the tournament, and have you heard of The Mice of Miceland? There soooo incredibly cute! It makes me want to clear my attic of mouse traps.
M: I did watch the highlights from their match, they look pretty decent actually! And it looks like our time is up, be sure to tune in tomorrow and tonight for the match against Demot!

[NS:]Delesa

27-07-2006, 23:56

My opponents may, if they RP first
Choose my goalscorers N
Godmod Scoring Events Y/N what do you mean by this?
RP injuries to my players Y one per
Godmod injuries to my players N
Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y
Hand out Red cards to my players N
Godmod Other Events N

Delesa National Football Club
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i189/seanmyhre/DelesaFC.jpg
Manager: Paul Lejeune

Coach: Liam O'Reilly

Team:
#1 Javier Topper (Keeper)
#2 Joseph-Marie Turpin (Midfield)
#3 Patrick O'Casey *(Fullback)
#4 Michael McShane (Striker){C}
#5 Norbert Tison (Midfield)
#6 Jason Clare (Sweeper){C}
#8 Patrick Keogh *(Fullback)
#9 Florian Olivier (Striker)
#10 Dustin Lupton *(Stoper)
#11 Fernando Kellett (Midfield)
#14 Silvain Frassin (Midfield)

--Bench--

#12 Erik Kontos *(Fullback)
#13 Conor Kelly (Striker/Midfield)
#15 Darryl Rezentes (Striker/Midfield)
#16 Jean Girardin *(Fullback)
#17 Patrick McGuinness*(Fullback)
#18 Gerard Guillemot (Striker/Midfield)
#19 Clayton Dattilo (Keeper)

* Defence
{C} Captain(s)

HomeField: National Delesa Soccer Centre

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i189/seanmyhre/edgesoccerlogo.jpg
EXTREME DELESA SPORTS NEWS

Interview with head coach about the BoF;
Hi, great to be here. My name is Liam O'Reilly, head coach of the Delesa National Team. We have had a lot of practice time. The players have been pulled from their premier team games to practice with the national team. We are really trying to win here. Well no not win. We would like to say we would like to win, but...wait this tournement is for new teams! Yeah i think we should do just fine. Our first game is against Lost Limeyville. They just came off a 3-1 win over somebody and i think it will be on hell of a fight, but it sould be ok, we practiced hard, and long, and this is what we were waiting for. Cheer for the Red and White!

Soccer Jersey will be posted in Aug 3-5. And i'll be gone this upcoming monday, tuesday and wednesday.

New Manhattan

28-07-2006, 00:20

OOC: New Manhattan, is it ok to RP a win without asking for the opposing team's opinion on doing that? It just seems a little cheap to me.
It’s okay to RP any match without asking for the opposing team’s opinion on doing that. You can still RP anything about the match that doesn’t contradict what I said (you might even say that the winning goal was in the 88th minute and it was written down wrong, though that might be stretching it a bit :p ). And if you RP a match first, you get to decide what happened (while still following the instructions given by the other team; e.g., not choosing their goalscorers if they don’t want you to).

EDIT: Unless you were referring to the score itself—the scores are randomly generated by the host, and were posted in post 35 of this thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=11444355&postcount=35).

The Greatest Crap

28-07-2006, 00:28

OOC: Oh, ok. Thanks for letting me know!

Demot

28-07-2006, 03:59

Demot Daily ~ Black Deterimined

Black, who had but 2 shots in the teams tie in the last match, says she is ready to break out against Carvalo. Saying that she is ready to make a difference for the squad, that it is here duty as captain of the squad.

"Charles would not of made me captain if he didn't believe in my abilities. So i have to out there on the pitch and prove him right, and lead my team to victory. Carvalo is definately going to be a test for us, but our strenth lies in our unity and I've never seen us more unified. The team is laughing during pratices, hanging out at each others houses during down time, and there is just this chemisty that is our glue. Add that to Charles great coaching philosophies, you have a formidable team.

We didn't have a good game last time out, and that's fine, every team is entitled to a bad game or two. This is a twelve match marathon, not a single game sprint. So we will have our chances. I suspect that this game here will show that to everyone."

We as fans can only hope that the offence sparkles in this match. Carvalo has a top notch midfield, and there might be the greatest problem. If we can keep possesion, and zig zag past that talent in the middle, the team should coast.

Article by Jamine Olyvander

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

28-07-2006, 04:50

And finally - The "Ya gotta love your job" MD2 RP Cut Off.

Thanks for answering the questions, CH. I appreciate it greatly.

The first side listed is the home side, the other had to travel. Matches in Legalese and ASMV will be during the knock-out stages. Consider the travel to be practice for the WC proper. You will do a lot of it in the qualifiers there.

And now for the scores:
Red Group
Allocer 3:0 Czariums
Carvalo 1:1 Demot
Lylybium 1:1 Toronat

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

Allocer 2 1 0 1 3 2 1 3
The Colony of Delaware 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
Carvalo 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 2
Demot 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
Lylybium 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
Toronat 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Czariums 2 0 1 1 1 4 -3 1

Black Group
Ten Thousand Maggots 0:3 Perturbed Leopards
Toopoxia 4:1 KCToker
Lost Limeyville 1:1 Delesa

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

Toopoxia 2 1 1 0 7 4 3 4
Perturbed Leopard 2 1 1 0 6 3 3 4
Lost Limeyville 2 1 1 0 4 2 2 4
Aurendia 1 1 0 0 3 1 2 3
Delesa 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Ten Thousand Maggots 2 0 0 2 1 6 -5 0
KCToker 2 0 0 2 1 7 -6 0

Sky Blue Group
Ropa-Topia 4:1 Lexington SC
Tocapa 0:4 The Islands of Ishtar
The Mice of Miceland 1:1 Marion Oaks 2

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Islands of Ishtar 2 1 1 0 5 1 4 4
Ropa-Topia 2 1 1 0 5 2 3 4
Lexington SC 2 1 0 1 1 4 -3 3
The Mice of Miceland 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 2
Wrecker 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Marion Oaks 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Tocapa 2 0 0 2 0 5 -5 0

Yellow Group
The Candrian Empire 2:0 The Greatest Crap
Commerce Heights JSY 1:1 Winchestia
Az-Cz 3:0 Uncle Pete

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 2 2 0 0 6 1 5 6
Commerce Heights JSY 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4
Alif Laam Miim 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3
The Candrian Empire 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
Winchestia 2 0 1 1 2 4 -2 1
Uncle Pete 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3 0
The Greatest Crap 2 0 0 2 0 3 -3 0

Aurendia

28-07-2006, 05:10

quick OOC question, do the games take place at the stadiums of Andossa, or at our own countries (that would be a lot of traveling?)

OOC: I was confused about this myself, thanks for the answer New Manhattan.
and now, because I needed to RP something on my bye day-

IC:

Three Rivers Times
“Voted ‘Best Crossword Puzzle’ five years running”

Oops! Raptors games to be moved

THREE RIVERS – Turns out it was supposed to be an actual home game. Aurendia Football Association President Ryan Santiago today announced today that the opening round games of the Baptism of Fire Tournament are supposed to take place in the respective nations participating, and not as originally thought, in neutral host nations. This announcement comes just days after the Aurendia National Team opened the tournament by winning what was supposed to be a home game that instead took place in neutral Legalese.
With this realization, the AFA has moved the five remaining home games to select AFL stadiums. Match days 3 and 13 will be held in Three Rivers, and Southport, Etoka, and Zeneri are to serve as hosts for the other home games on MD4, MD7, and MD12 respectively.

The new schedule and venues is as follows:
MD1: AURENDIA vs Ten Thousand Maggots (at Legalese) W 3-1
MD2: Bye
MD3: AURENDIA vs KCToker (at Capitals Park, Three Rivers, capacity 70,100)
MD4: AURENDIA vs Delesa (at “The Reef”, Southport, cap. 62,325)
MD5: Aurendia at LOST LIMEYVILLE
MD6: Aurendia at TOOPOXIA
MD7: AURENDIA vs Perturbed Leopard (at Etoka City Stadium, Etoka, cap. 68,750)
MD8: Aurendia at TEN THOUSAND MAGGOTS
MD9: Bye
MD10: Aurendia at KCTOKER
MD11: Aurendia at DELESA
MD12: AURENDIA vs Lost Limeyville (at AurendiCorp Field, Zeneri, cap. 73,020)
MD13: AURENDIA vs Toopoxia (at Capitals Park, Three Rivers)
MD14: Aurendia at PERTURBED LEOPARD

Winchestia

28-07-2006, 06:31

(On the plane from JSY to Alif Laam Miim, Manager Jody Shawl is on a conference call with reporters from home)

Reporter: Manager Shawl, what was it like for the boys to play in such a massive arena? We heard rumors that it has capacity of 200,000!

Shawl: Actually, and I am not making this up, it was 400,000+. An amazing experience. They were wonderful hosts to us. First time I really wished I was playing. I think some handled it fine, but others.....

Reporter: How does it feel to get that first point? Are you satisfied with the draw, or did you really want the three points?

Shawl: Considering the previous answer, I think were are quite lucky to come away with anything from this match.

Reporter: What is the condition of Dallas Marayan after getting hit from that freak shot by Ervin Firmin.

Shawl: Dallas is fine overall, we had to sub him because he got cut. He should be fine and ready to go by next match.

Reporter: In making that sub, you went from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1, and then Firmin actually scored. Are you thinking about a permanent formation change?

Shawl: Nah, that was an emergency spur of the moment thing. Sporer was really the only one loose at the time, so I put him in. Everyone else was just in awe of the number of people in the stadium, and weren't ready.

Reporter: Sadly, Tinley's Yellow card for a vicious foul on the #11 (who I won't pretend to know how to pronounce) directly led to their equalizer. Tinley's temper is a well know problem at The Strongest. Being a former defender, and rival to Tinley, how do you plan on dealing with his problems?

Shawl: Well, Taylor is Taylor and there really isn't anything I can, or want, to do curb him. It is his temper and tenacity that make him the best defender in the League today.

(Just then Shawl hears a noise and a bunch of the players yelling)

Shawl: Can I call you back later, I have to go check on something *click*......

--------------------------------
(A few minutes earlier in another part of the plane, some players were watching highlights of BoF matches, while others were playing dice at a table)

"Yo Tinley, you got to see this! This team is made enitrely of giant MICE!" exclaimed a shocked Josh Pop

"MICE?! MICE?!, I hate mice. Are you sure that those are really mice?" replied Taylor Tinley

"Yeah, there was even a report by their government saying that 'Yes, we are mice'"

"Well, if WE ever play them, I'll make sure they aren't upright for long....."

(Meanwhile at the table a few players, including Ervin Firmin are engaged at in a rather heated edition of the dice game "Spreads")

"HA! Three 5's Firmin, I got you pay up! You owe me 300 medals"

"GROWL, I knew I should have sold at 10. You're cheating Spevak. Oh ok, I'm in a good mood, here's your money"

"Man, that was some shot you hit Marayan with Ervin. Did you do that on purpose?" said Spevak, collecting his medals

"Nah, my aim isn't THAT good. Or is it...hehe. No, there is too much on the line for petty things like that. It was my first scoring chance of the tournament, I'm actually a little annoyed he got in the way."

(Just then Dallas Marayan, with a bandage on his forehead, comes and sits down at the table)

"Hey jerk, yeah I'm talking you Firmin. What do you think you were doing out there? Did you want all the glory yourself? Well you got it you Wendle hick!"

"Listen Dallas, if I wanted to take your prissy butt out, I would have done it in training. It's just like all you northerners to act like nothing is ever your fault! Why were you two feet in front of me when I had that chance, huh?"

(Dallas moves closer to smack Ervin in the head, the two then start fighting in the seats of the plane before Shawl comes out to break them up)

"YOU AND YOU (pointing at Marayan and Firmin) BACK THERE NOW!"

(A few minutes later Shawl has the two sitting with him in the private back of the plane)

"Listen guys, I know you don't like each other, but you are the best two strikers we have. We need BOTH of you working TOGETHER to make this work. Having said that, there are two other fantastic players who would love the chance that you are having now. So I am suspending you both for three matches for that little wrestling match out there. I have also booked both of you to be roommates at each hotel we stay at for the remander of this trip. You WILL work this out, or there will not be a place for either of you on this team, no matter how many goals you score for
your club."

(After a couple of hours rest, Shawl filled in the lineup sheet for the next match against Alif Laam Miim)

Seruss -- Niece, Cam, Tinley, Billiot -- Hartney, Pavin, Bodle, Melland -- Winiarski, Duman

Az-cz

28-07-2006, 06:44

Az-cz Scroll
Em-Nm
July 28, 2006
Az-cz City

Delight in Az-cz

Az-cz could nary have scripted a better home opening then the one the team provided them today. In front of a packed audience in Slimes Stadium the hosts put on quite a show. The Pink and Green supporters were loud and you'd need a magnifying glass to find Uncle Pete fans in the crowd.
Straight from the get-go you could tell that the Az-cz players were determined to earn a victory for their fans. The players may have been a little too jacked-up however. Although they controlled the pitch the shots were just a little too strong and a little too wild. 3 times in the first 10 minutes Az-cz players put the ball off the post and 2 more good chances were uncharacteristically walloped over the goal. Unlike the last game, however, where the counterattack was needed to set up the goals, this game Az-cz was making good chances from the flow of play.
While a number of good chances had been wasted, everyone seemed to understand that it was only a matter of time before Az-cz would score. And finally in the 24th minute they did just that. Pizelkaxrovsky made one of the sweetest plays you could imagine. He neatly squirted between two defenders in midfield, spun around a third, and then made a play too unimaginable for words. A defender was charging at him and Pizelkaxrovsky realized that he wasn't going to be able to get a good pass off, but he saw that Bn-Dg was running with him on his left. So he kicked the ball off the defender, bouncing it neatly over to Bn-Dg. With only one more defender to go, Bub-Rub timed it perfectly to stay onside and corraled Bn-Dg's pass and easily tapped it past the keeper to give Az-cz a 1-0 lead.
With that the crowd became even louder and you could see the energy drain from the Uncle Pete players. They needed to respond with fight they the Winchestians had did, but they weren't up to the challenge. Az-cz continued to press the attack and it wasn't too much longer before the Gnomes found the net again.
In the 35th minute the captain added his name to the list of international scorers. The Robbers had earned a corner kick, which Kn-dg short cornered to Pizelkaxrovsky. The Uncle Pete players on the far side of the pitch fell asleep on Zax-Im and Pizelkaxrovsky swung it across, leading Zax-Im to an easy chip-in.
There wasn't much else of note in the rest of the first half. Each team got off a couple of shots, but neither team looked much like scoring.
The Uncle Pete's coaches words must have been good ones, because the Uncle Pete players showed their best football just after the half. They had their best chance 9 minutes into the second half when they got off a shot that Gn-Lg was just able to deflect for a corner. However the corner was easily snuffed out and they never looked a threat to score again.
The third goal, that really broke the back of Uncle Pete, came in the 68th minute. Once again it came from the foot of a beautiful Pizelkaxrovsky pass, this time to a beautiful run from Kn-Dg up the left wing. For the third time in the game Az-cz had gotten a one-on-one with the goalie and for the third time capitalized.
Up 3-0 Levesque decided to use two of his subs. He decided that it was time to try to preserve the lead, so he took out Bub-Rub up front and Kn-Dg from attacking midfield and brought on Kz-Kz in the back row and Lo-Ro as a defending midfielder. Although this disappointed the fans who wanted to see more goals, from a tactic standpoint it worked brilliantly. What little offense Uncle Pete was able to generate was completely stymied by three defensive midfielders. No shots were taken by Uncle Pete the rest of the game.
Az-cz had a few other chances but with such a defensive formation Uncle Pete sniffed them out. In the 78th minute Levesque used his last sub, bringing on Ip-Gp for Bn-Dg. This move was mostly done to give Ip-Gp some experience, as he is expected to be a key member of future Az-cz squads.
Once again there were no injuries or cards from this game. With the win Az-cz rises to the top of their group, as well as being the only team to earn 6 points from the first two matches. They hope to continue their impressive run of form against Greatest Crap, who have lost their first two games. As for the visitors from Uncle Pete, they will try to rebound against the tough side from Commerce Heights JSY.

Statistics

Goals: Az-cz 3 Uncle Pete 0
Az-cz scorers: 24 Bub-Rub 35 Zax-Im 68 Kn-Dg
Possession: Az-cz 69% Uncle Pete 31%
Shots: Az-cz 11 Uncle Pete 5
Corners: Az-Cz 3 Uncle Pete 1

The Mice of Miceland

28-07-2006, 06:50

The mice hosted their first internation game at home today. Their oppoents Marion Oaks 2 arrived and came through the de-bigulation process un-scathed. Well, it was the first time it had been used on humans so it was a certain amount of interest about the teams entry, and just how it would effect them.

The team was shrunk down to the size of mice and while the team had to get used to their new size it seemed that there was no problems. Obviously most of the mice where wary of the humans despite being the same size, or probably because they where the same size. The Mice hand a great amount of spies and intelligence networks and their great power was in that they went unnoticed by the unwashed masses even by most of the intelligence agencies... mice where just mice.

The government had kept itself insular for a long time and had instilled an inherrent distrust of all that is not mice. This distrust was only enhanced by a 1-all draw against Marion Oaks 2. The government did not have to do a propoganda campaign to convince the populace of some sort of cheating. Some of the popular theories where drug use, others where of under-handed physicality against the mice on the field, or even before the match. There was also accusations of max fixing but none of these allegations have any evidence of any sort. The media was more focusing on the allegations of the Marion Oaks 2 team than the actual reporting of the match, this was after the team was not expelled from Miceland but they where certainly being pushed out.

The only comment on the actuall match was the result and that the "Stadium of Mice" was the location that it happened.

What really happened on the field was a near duplicate of the Islands of Ishtar mice the away team scoring the first goal in the first goal. This caused an uproar in the crowd, there was no way that these ... humans... could beat them at their own stadium. There where supporters of the Marion Oaks 2 team in the Stadium of Mice, a sporting stadium that honoured the great mice of History, which we will go into more detail a bit later. the crowd was uneasy from that point to the end of the half.

After a bit of a half-time talk and push by the coach the team came out with what seemed like a new vigour, the crowd sensed this and lifted the team to score in the first 4 minutes of the 2nd half.

The opponents defense strengthened themselves in response to the new mice threat and no further goals where scored though a number of times the mice came close.

Unfortunatley Matchday number 3 in which the Mice go to Lexington SC co-incides with the national holiday "MARCH Day", an acronym for Miceland Armed Forces Culture and History day. All mice in miceland are forbidden to work during this day so there will be announcement but because the team will be away in Lexington SC and that they had been given official sanction by the government so this would not affect the match but will affect the miceland media coverage. On another note, a large contingent of mice will be expected to attend. The government is subsidising all international transport to Lexington SC for the mice to attend the match.

Az-cz

28-07-2006, 07:41

MC: Coming on shortly will be coach Roger Levesque, Captain Zax-Im, and Man of the Match, Pizelkaxrovsky. Same as last time, first Coach Levesque will give his thoughts and then we will open the floor for questioning. Take it away, coach.

Levesque: First I'd like to thank the whole country for their support. Diverting your attention away from Kleptochase, and the current Kleptodance tournament is difficult, but the support at the stadium coupled with the TV ratings for the game were great. You could see the players feeding off the energy. I'd also like to congratulate my players. They were excellent today.

MC: Alright let's go to some questions.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach Levesque, your side is the only team with 6 points right now. Does that make you the favorite?

Levesque: <chuckles> Let me ask you a question. If a novice won two matches in the Supreme Maze tournament, would you designate them as a favorite? No. The two wins are very nice, but we're not yet a favorite to win our group, much less the whole tournament. Three other sides in the tournament, including one in our group, have won their only matches. We've just played an extra one. Now getting six points in two games gives us a nice start. But six points isn't going to be enough to qualify. We need to keep playing well, keep playing hard, and stay confident without getting overconfident. We're headed in the right direction, but we're still a long way away.

Az-cz reporter 2: Pizelkaxrovsky, explain to us how you set up that first goal?

Pizelkaxrovsky: After I spun around the one defender, I saw that the next defender would get to be before I could try to get a real pass. I also saw that Bn-Dg was unmarked to my left. I correctly analyzed that he would never expect me to blast the ball of him and that with his positioning I could carom the ball to Bn-Dg, who could then do something else with it. I tried it, and of course it worked.

Az-cz reporter 3: Six goals, six different scorers. Is that on purpose, coach?

Levesque: <chuckles more> Ummm..... if I was a good enough manager to control which of my players score, than I would spread the scoring around yes. But I don't have that power. If we won are first two games with one player making all the goals that would be just as good.

Zax-Im: I agree. I think it's good for our confidence and just nice that many players have gotten to score. I will remember my goal today regardless of what else happens.

Az-cz reporter 4: What was the thought process behind bring on Ip-Gp today?

Levesque: Three things. One, that we had a secure lead so I could bring on anyone without fear of coughing up points. Two, that I'd like to get all of my players capped here in the qualification round if possible. It benefits the team for them to all have experience, plus as Zax-Im mentioned earlier, the experience of playing for your country is an honor they won't forget. Third, Ip-Gp is only 17. He could well have 3,4 or possibly even 5 world cups ahead of him in his career. Getting experience now will be a boon to future Az-cz teams. The next coach can thank me later. A nice set of chopsticks would be good. <He winks and then laughs as do the reporters>

Uncle Pete reporter: Coach, could you give us your thoughts on the Uncle Pete side?

Levesque: Well, you guys got a bit unfortunate today. We were clicking and when a homeside is locked in like we were today there's not too much you can do. Who knows maybe you guys will be in the zone on the return trip and beat us 3-0. That being said, I think the thing that is presenting itself as most important is presence. That's what's allowed us to win both of our games. Against Winchestia we weren't rattled by their fans and even when we gave up a disappointing goal we steadied our nerves and quickly establishe control again. And today when we scored our first goal the Uncle Pete team was visibly rattled. All of these teams are competing for the first time, so presence has to carry the team through in place of experience. This theme can even be seen in other matches. Look at what Miceland said after their opening match. They said that they struggled due to a lack of fan support. In international football you have to be able to adjust. I've played in stadiums where fans acted like monkeys in a zoo, flinging stuff that oughn't be thrown, if you know what I mean. <Everyone laughs> So you have to have presence. Zax-Im has done a great job of helping us with that so far.

Az-cz Reporter 5: Looking forward at your next game against Greatest Crap, what do you see?

Levesque: I think they're a better side than the score indicates. They easily could have taken 1 or even all 3 points against Commerce Heights JSY. They didn't give up any goals from the flow of play and had some good chances themselves, denied only by fine defending. Against The Candrian Empire again they had chances and again just couldn't quite find the back of the net. They've been close but just haven't had the bounces. But because they've gotten bad breaks they'll be in a desperate situation. Which means they'll be dangerous. And after 180 minutes without a goal, they'll be dying to get on the board. If we play well we ought to be able to beat them, but I'm expecting a battle.

MC: Alright, one more question. Coach has been a little wordy, today so we're running short on time.

Az-cz reporter 6: How much of the other teams have you been able to see?

Levesque: Not as much as we'd like. We're mostly focusing on our upcoming opponents, and the other teams in our group. Mostly what comes down as major news is what we're aware for teams outside our group.

Zax-Im: We've been a little bit more free to watch outside of our group. The players on our team have started a little pool based on the other groups. So we've watched a few games cause of that. And of course there's the talk of the tournament, Miceland. It's hard not to take notice of something like that.

MC: Thanks to Coach Levesque and the players for answering our questions today. Good luck against Greatest Crap.

The Island of Ishtar

28-07-2006, 09:13

Ishtar Nationals Crush Tocapa, 4-Nil

The Ishtar Men's team solidly defeated its Baptism of Fire opponent today, drawing a four-nil score over the Empire of Tocapa, never ceasing its relentless second half pummeling until the opposing team was left far behind.

The game was not entirely unequal, beginning inauspiciously with a yellow card thrown at Ishtar Center Halfback Peter Sparks in the seventh minute, called for a high kick. The remainder of the first half was a scoreless chess match, as the two sides felt each other out, took some tries, but hung back.

Not until the 43rd minute did Ishtar halfback Sven Svensson break it open, taking a sweeping upfield pass from Dog St. John and weaving through several out of position defenders to put it in the net for his international goal.

The second half began even more forlornly for Tocapa, as on the 50th minute a place kick was called inside the zone. Dog St. John took the shot and gained his first international.

On the ensuing kickoff Tocapa's side lost the play in a miscue, quickly capitalized on by Ishtar Midfielder Peter Sparks, making up for his earlier yellow and putting it in the corner with an excellent shot for his, too, first international goal. Tocapa's left striker took a minor injury on the play, although he is fit for the next fixture.

With the score now 3-0, Tocapa began to press as Ishtar fell back into a staunch defense. Two yellow cards followed, one for each side, but that was the end of the scoring until the 88th minute, when reserve midfielder Tarkingham fielded a corner kick and neatly put in, sealing the match for Ishtar.

Reaction
"I was extremely pleased with our play on the pitch today," said Ishtar coach Ernie 'Spits' Wilson, before hawking a stream of tobacco juice into a Yummy Soda-brand plastic cup. "We executed our game plan, put our points on the board, and walked away with the win."

Noted spots columnist Izzie Bunion of the Harmonia Herald was effervescent in his praise. "Having just returned from the miserable outing that was the Women's World Cup 3, I am gratified to see an Ishtar team that knows how to score, play defense, and defend the net.

"Kudos to Keeper Czechany, who defended the goal like a hero, unlike that horrible woman whose name I forget. And Kudos to Coach Wilson, who actually understands football, unlike our horrible Women's coach, who hates our country."

Diplomatic Fallout
On a related note, the government of the Most Serene Republic of the Island of Ishtar issued no official comment to a communiqué from the Mice of Miceland regarding certain comments made by network broadcasters during the recent Baptism of Fire cup match.

"The government does not consider sporting events a matter of foreign policy," an unnamed source in the Foreign Ministry told this paper. "As we have no formal diplomatic relations with that nation, a response is impossible. Our broadcasters, speaking live before a national audience, of course are allowed certain leeway to express their surprise and curiosity."

The source refers to certain comments made by IBC-TV and dISH-TV play-by-play announcers during the surprising appearance of mouse-like soccer players in the national stadium. The Miceland government released a statement announcing they were "affronted" and decrying Ishtar's "ignorance."

"The government has no dispute with this alleged Miceland nation, whatever its origin, and we expect their nation will respect the rights of our citizens traveling abroad for sporting events, when our team visits their nation," the source said.

"We would regret it deeply if our team was threatened in some manner, or if we felt the need to petition the Cup authorities for a neutral venue for their next match."

Women Return
Shortly after the Ishtar recorded its first win against Tocapa, the Ishtar's women's team returned to the island, after having fared badly in Women's World Cup 3. However five of the returning women were named as alternates for the men's team.

Unable to join the team in Wrecker, they will be made available for the next home game against Ropa-Topia. Rosters will be adjusted accordingly before the game.

Travelling
Following the resounding victory at Tocapa, the Ishtar men quickly boarded a plane bound for the Wracing Nation of Wrecker and their next match. As of press time, the Foreign Ministry could not explain what "Wracing" means.

Source: Ishtar United Press Services

Sky Blue Group Table
Ishtar 1-1-0
Ropa-Topia 1-1-0
Lexington 1-0-1
Miceland 0-2-0
Wrecker 0-1-0
Marion Oaks 0-1-0
Tocapa 0-0-2

Sky Blue Group Results - Day Two
Ishtar 4-0 Tocapa
Ropa-Topia 4-1 Lexington
Miceland 1-1 Marion Oaks

Fixtures
MD1 Ishtar 1-1 Miceland - home game
MD2 Ishtar 4-0 Tocapa - away game
MD3 Ishtar at Wrecker
MD4 Ishtar vs. Ropa-Topia
MD5 Ishtar vs. Lexington
MD6 Bye
MD7 Ishtar vs. Marion Oaks
MD8 Ishtar at Miceland
MD9 Ishtar vs. Tocapa
MD10 Ishtar vs. Wrecker
MD11 Ishtar at Ropa-Topia
MD12 Ishtar at Lexington
MD13 Bye
MD14 Ishtar at Marion Oaks

TEAM STATS
Goals: Lovecraft (1), Svensson (1), St. John (1), Sparks (1), Tarkingham (1)
Bookings: Sparks (Y), Svensson (Y)

Toranat

28-07-2006, 15:39

Late Goal Gives Rockies a Draw

The Toranat Rockies played their first ever game in international football yesterday. The team drew Lylybium 1-1. A Lylybiumneese player scored in the 54th minute to make it one nil. Then in the 89th minute Mike Hayes put in a perfect shot to make it 1-1. That is how the game ended. The Rockies sit second to last in their group, but have only played one game.

Rockies Schedule
MD1 Bye
MD2 @ Lylybium (D 1-1)
MD3 VS. Carvalo
MD4 @ The Colony of Delaware
MD5 VS. Allocer
MD6 @ Czariums
MD7 @ Demot
MD8 Bye
MD9 VS. Lylybium
MD10 @ Carvalo
MD11 VS. The Colony of Delaware
MD12 @ Allocer
MD13 VS Czariums
MD14 VS Demot

Record 0-1-0

Goal Scorers
Hayes-1

[NS:]Delesa

28-07-2006, 18:06

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i189/seanmyhre/edgesoccerlogo.jpg
EXTREME DELESA FOOTBALL NEWS

1 - 1 Tie with Lost Limeyville

Last nights game was a nail biter. Lost Limeyville scorced first in the first half and it looked like Delesa was going to loss a second goal by the end of the first half, but Javier Topper the keeper make a wonderful save in the top right hand corner. But the head coach must have given a good heart to heart talk during half, because Michael McShane the striker came out hard wiyth his team and got a quick goal in the 49th minute. From that point on it was a bitter fight back and forth, both keepers doing their job very well. Lost Limeyville wasnt able go buy a second goal, but niether could our national heros. Get got a after game press release from Coach Liam O'Reilly.

Yeah, well tonights game was a tough one. Lost Limeyville just came off a victory 3-1. So i'm betting they came out hard hopping to break moral early. They got that goal on us in the first there, and almost got that second there also before half. But we held out. Then we went out int he second, and we pushed hard from the begining and got us a quick goal. Michael McShane got us that nice header from the corner by Fernando Kellett. ANd we just heald out till the end there. Im happy with the second half play. So we can hold our heads high that we came close to winning against a team that came of that win 3-1. So we can go into the next game with a good attitude. Thanks.

DFC @ Lost Limeyville.
Perturbed Leopard @ National Delesa Football Centre
DFC @ Toopoxia
Aurendia @ National Delesa Football Centre
DFC @ Ten Thousand Maggots
DFC @ KC Toker
DFC BYE
DFC @ Lost Limeyville.
Perturbed Leopard @ National Delesa Football Centre
DFC @ Toopoxia
Aurendia @ National Delesa Football Centre
DFC @ Ten Thousand Maggots
DFC @ KC Toker

Demot

28-07-2006, 18:48

Demot Daily ~ Another Match , Another Draw

Traveling to Carvalo, the squad was hoping to secure at least a point against the tough oppenent. Dogood secretly was hoping to pull off the victory and leave at the top of the group. Yet it was not to be, as the team did just barely manage to get a draw. Black scored in the 84th as the game was winding down and it looked like Carvalo was going to take the match.

The game began with Demot on the defencive with Carvalo putting on a full fledged attack. For the first 10 minutes or so, it was defend, defend, clear for our warriors. Then in the 29th minute Simao Santos recieved a pass from Gianni Montalbo and tore up field. Hostra was left alone between Santos and Whitehurse. Santos faked left, then right, and the toe poked the ball between Hostra's leg, rolled past him, and dribbled a few steps before sending a bending ball on net. Whitehurse was caught out of position, and the ball curved right into the corner of the goal putting the home side up. Nikalas Gooden who was trailing the play, shoved down Santos in frustration and was given a yellow card along with a long talking to.

The half went on with Carvalo dominating all facets of the game. They were continually in Demot's end, with Demot able to do little to change that. At the half, Carvalo dominated possession 71-29, and Demot had only tallied one shot. Dogood was seen shaking his head as he and the team made its way to the locker room. He needed to cook up some adjustments and quick or else risk losing the squad to frustration.

When the team came out of the locker room, there was a different look on their face. It wasn't the uncomfortable sqaud that had been on the pitch the last 135 minutes, no, this squad had a determined look on its face. Sarah Ysman also came in for Keaunu Reeves, which seemed to spark the offence for the away side. As play began, Demot began to push the issue, and pressed Carvalo hard. In a 10 minute period, Xavier Dosao was forced to make 10 saves, as Carvalo was now the team that couldn't clear its end.

Despite the pressure put on by the Demot side, Carvalo was holding strong. Their was just 10 minutes plus stoppage left, and it looked like they would escape a second half let down, but then Black took control. Lucas had recieved the ball from Whitehurse, and moved it up to Masteron, then dished it to Smith. Smith charged up field and scooted it to Ysman at the right hand corner of the box. Black was calling for it as she dashed into the box, and Ysman placed it perfectly two steps ahead of the running Black who powered it past Dosao.

Now the team shits its focus to The Colony of Deleware. The team will hope to secure another point or 3 on the road and perhaps get the offence clicking.

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Ropa-Topia

29-07-2006, 02:40

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Victory on home ground

ISLE OF UHM - After the 1-1 draw in and against Wrecker, the Ropa-Topian team met Lexington SC in the Unity Stadium on the Isle of Uhm. The game started relatively calm, but that changed in the twentieth minute when Bas Zadelhoff scored his first goal of the match.

Lexington SC scored scored five minutes before the end of the first half, which also resulted in an injury for goalkeeper Jaspers when she jumped into one of the goal posts. In the second half she was replaced with keeper Melissa Zwanenberg, the second youngest player of the team. According to coach Klungelaer, Jaspers's injury was relatively minor and he expected she would be able to play again against Ishtar in two days, although he didn't rule out the match would start with Zwanenberg as the goalkeeper.

In the fiftieth minute Anky Huybrechts scored, followed less than ten minutes later by another goal by Zadelhoff. The score stayed at 3-1 for quite some time until with only four minutes left to play, Yvon Hendrix -who was brought into the game during the first half as a substitute for striker Carlton Ammons- raised the score to 4-1.

This win has put Ropa-Topia nearer to the top of the Sky Blue group, at a second place below the Island of Ishtar, who also had one draw and won one match so far, but who also have one goal against less than Ropa-Topia.

The fellow Uhuhland team of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Uncle Pete has only played one match so far, which ended in a 3-0 loss against Az-Cz.

Sky Blue Group
Ropa-Topia 4:1 Lexington SC
Tocapa 0:4 The Islands of Ishtar
The Mice of Miceland 1:1 Marion Oaks 2

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Islands of Ishtar 2 1 1 0 5 1 4 4
Ropa-Topia 2 1 1 0 5 2 3 4
Lexington SC 2 1 0 1 1 4 -3 3
The Mice of Miceland 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 2
Wrecker 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Marion Oaks 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Tocapa 2 0 0 2 0 5 -5 0

Yellow Group
The Candrian Empire 2:0 The Greatest Crap
Commerce Heights JSY 1:1 Winchestia
Az-Cz 3:0 Uncle Pete

Nation G W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 2 2 0 0 6 1 5 6
Commerce Heights JSY 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4
Alif Laam Miim 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3
The Candrian Empire 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
Winchestia 2 0 1 1 2 4 -2 1
Uncle Pete 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3 0
The Greatest Crap 2 0 0 2 0 3 -3 0

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

29-07-2006, 03:38

Your friendly MD3 Cut Off.

Red Group
Czariums 1:0 Lylybium
Toronat 1:1 Carvalo
The Colony of Delaware 3:1 Demot

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Colony of Delaware 2 2 0 0 5 2 3 6
Czariums 3 1 1 1 2 4 -2 4
Allocer 2 1 0 1 3 2 1 3
Carvalo 3 0 3 0 3 3 0 3
Toronat 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 2
Lylybium 3 0 2 1 1 2 -1 2
Demot 3 0 2 1 2 4 -2 2

Black Group
Perturbed Leopards 0:0 Lost Limeyville
Delesa 2:1 Toopoxia
Aurendia 1:2 KCToker

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Perturbed Leopard 3 1 2 0 6 3 3 5
Lost Limeyville 3 1 2 0 4 2 2 5
Toopoxia 3 1 1 1 8 6 2 4
Delesa 2 1 1 0 3 2 1 4
Aurendia 2 1 0 1 4 3 1 3
KCToker 3 1 0 2 3 8 -5 3
Ten Thousand Maggots 2 0 0 2 1 6 -5 0

Sky Blue Group
Lexington SC 0:2 The Mice of Miceland
Marion Oaks 2 2:0 Tocapa
Wrecker 0:4 The Islands of Ishtar

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Islands of Ishtar 3 2 1 0 9 1 8 7
The Mice of Miceland 3 1 2 0 4 2 2 5
Ropa-Topia 2 1 1 0 5 2 3 4
Marion Oaks 2 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 4
Lexington SC 3 1 0 2 1 6 -5 3
Wrecker 2 0 1 1 1 5 -4 1
Tocapa 3 0 0 3 0 7 -7 0

Yellow Group
The Greatest Crap 1:3 Az-Cz
Uncle Pete 1:1 Commerce Heights JSY
Alif Laam Miim 0:3 winchestia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 3 3 0 0 9 2 7 9
Commerce Heights JSY 3 1 2 0 3 2 1 5
Winchestia 3 1 1 1 5 4 1 4
The Candrian Empire 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
Alif Laam Miim 2 1 0 1 2 3 -1 3
Uncle Pete 2 0 1 1 1 4 -3 1
The Greatest Crap 3 0 0 3 1 6 -5 0

Az-cz

29-07-2006, 05:45

Az-Scroll
Greatest Crap
July 29, 2006
Il-Lur

A tale of two halves

Once again Az-cz has manged to take all three points from their match. However unlike their previous two match days, there was a time when it looked like their opponent might take all three.
The first half opened very poorly for the Gnomes. There seemed to be a feeling of overconfidence after two relatively easy wins to open the Baptism of Fire. The players seemed to be thinking they could all make spectacular plays like Pizelkaxrovksy's pass against Uncle Pete, and had gotten away from sound football.
Eventually The Greatest Crap was able to make them pay for this attitude. In the 28th minute Hubertino tried to spin around his a defender to spin the ball upfield, but the defender made a nice poke-check and took the ball the other way. They made a couple of nice passes to get the ball inside the Az-cz penalty box. A Greatest Crap player had gotten open in the box and Ns-Ta tried to jet over to tackle him, but he didn't have time to square up and make a clean tackle, so he fouled the player conceding a penalty, as well as earning himself a yellow card. The Greatest Crap player easily slotted it home as Az-cz found themselves behind for the first time in the tournament right on half an hour into the third game.
Az-cz was shocked into action at this point. However they still didn't seem crisp and Greatest Crap continued to press the attack. They had another couple of good opportunities, including one shot off the bar, but Az-cz managed to escape with only a one goal deficit.
Coach Levesque must have said something strong at halftime, because the side that came out for the second half was clearly not the same side that was playing in the first half. He also made one substitution, adding Lur-Mn upfront and taking off Hubertino. This came as a suprise as Lur-Mn was not expected to see as much action as either of the strikers from the Golems. However, the decision definitely worked.
It didn't take long for Lur-Mn to validate his manager's decision. He came on as a secondary forward, almost an attacking midfielder. He pressed well and made a nice takeaway in midfield. He then dribbled on his own a bit until he found Bub-Rub streaking into the box where he laid off to Bub-Rub who found the net to equalize in the 49th minute.
Lur-Mn's strong played continued after the opening goal. Az-cz started to control the midfield which allowed them to cut down the field and eventually Lur-Mn won a freekick. Everyone expected Pizelkaxrovsky to shoot it directly, but Lur-Mn had cleverly established himself a bitoutside of the box and made a perfectly time run as Pizelkaxrovsky swung a cross over to him and he booted it past the goalie to give Az-cz a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute. This is when Levesque made his second sub, bringing on If-Wt in the middle and taking off Bub-Rub.
Az-cz continued to push forward and it didn't take much more time for them to find the 3rd goal. In the 70th minute Pizelkaxrovsky started an incredible 14 pass sequence that eventually culminated a minute later with Lur-Mn picking up a brace.
Levesque then used his final sub to take Ns-Ta and his yellow card out of the game. He brought on Dugl-Bugl and once again Az-cz went in to shutdown mode, and once again their opponents were unable to create any offense. It is clearly becoming known that if you let Az-cz get a lead you are in serious trouble.
Az-cz advances to their next match, schedule to be played in Knights Coliseum, against current second place side Commerce Heights JSY. If Az-cz can find three points from that match, they will be in very good shape. As for Greatest Crap they are in trouble. They are off next game, before travelling to a resurgent Winchestia. It will be a tall order for them to earn points, but they must find a way to do so.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 3 Greatest Crap 1
Az-cz scorers 49 Bub-Rub 64, 71 Lur-Mn
Possession Az-cz 54% Greatest Crap 46%
Shots Az-cz 10 Greatest Crap 8
Corners Az-cz 0 Greatest Crap 1

Winchestia

29-07-2006, 06:07

Winchestia Channel ThreeSport Presents:
BoF 1st Round: Alif Laam Miim v Winchestia

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Channel Three Sport studios in Wendle. Tonight we have extended highlights of the Baptism of Fire match between Alif Laam Miim and our Cooks. Though it is early in the tournament, this match is crucial for Winchestia's chances as they currently sit 5th in the Yellow Group table. The top four will go on to the next stage. Points in this road match are absolutely necessary if we want to move on.

Manager Shawl has made some lineup changes, most
notably sitting Marayan and Firmin for "breach of team rules". No word yet on what this breach was, but it is thought it has to do with missing practices. On to the match

<1st minute>
"A beautiful night here in this wonderful land. We have been treated to some fantastic sights on this trip of JSY and Alif, and it is an experience we will never forget. Winchestia will kick off going from right to left. And Duman kicks off to start the game."

<12th minute>
"Alif charges down the right side, cross in the box, looks dangerious...HEADED JUST WIDE. That was the first good chance of the game. Seruss was there if needed, but really a poor finish"

<28th minute>
"Tinley is disposed of in midfield, Cam slides in with a covering tackle...OHH, caught the leg there. Ref comes over and books Cam for that challenge. Only the 2nd yellow of the tournament for Winchestia, now level with the number of goals scored..."

<31st minute>
"Niece with the throw from the right side. Finds Melland, pass to Pavin, through ball to Winiarski in the area.....WOW, what a mis-hit. It's gone out for a throw in!"

<39th minute>
"Pavin with a free kick 35 yards from goal. He has been dangerious from set pieces in the last matches. This one curls in to the area, DUMAN IS THERE TO HEAD IT IN ..GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL COOKS! 1-0 TO THE GOOD!"

<45th minute>
"Well, it has been an entertaining first half thus far. As we approach half-time it is 1-0 Winchestia. There is the half time whistle now....1-0 at the half"

(Commericals play)

Welcome back to our extended highlights of tonight's BoF match in Alif Laam Miim. Shawl made one substitution at half time taking out the booked Nick Cam and bringing on former teammate Josh Pop. Now back to the action...

<55th minute>
"Well Alif has certainly come out the brighter thus far in the second half. Winchestia, much like against Az-Cz look like they are holding on for dear life! Oh their #9 is one-on-one with Seruss. HE ROUNDS SERUSS, BUT SLIDES THE SHOT WIDE!!!! OH, HOW DID HE MISS THAT ONE?! Look at him on the ground holding his head in shame and agony. That might have been the match right there!"

<75th minute>
"Bodle takes the ball at midfield, passes to Melland, who gives back to Bodle. This is one of the few times the ball has been in Alif's half this half. Bodle dribbles around the defender and lets fly from 25 yards, RIGHT INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET!! That must be goal of the tournament right there! What a strike from Bodle and it's 2-0 to the Cooks!"

<80th minute>
"Alif's heads are dropping now, the crowd which was wonderful all night, has really had the air taken out of it now. Hartney, takes the ball and has numbers going forward. He picks out Winiarski, who fires from in the area, AND INTO THE BACK OF THE NET!! 3-0 NOW, AND IT IS SURELY ALL OVER!! Winiarski, making up for a terrible miss in the first half has his first international goal, and who needs Marayan and Firmin when you have players capable of this kind of performance?"

<90th minute>
"It is now just a matter of moments. History is upon us as we enter the 3rd minute of injury time. Winchestia, our hearts beat as one in this, our greatest moment, our first victory! Referee blow the whistle! AND HE DOES!! WINCHESTIA HAVE WON, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY! Full-time from Alif Laam Miim: Alif 0, Winchestia 3. Thank you all for sharing in this wonderful moment, good night from us all!"

(Back in the studio)
And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, our nation has won. As you put your children to bed tonight, take time to remember this day and pass it on to the future generations. It is they that will grow in the soil planted on the fields of far off Alif Laam Miim. Goodnight everyone.

Az-cz

29-07-2006, 06:57

MC: Alright, here we are after game 3. Congratulations to the team once again. Today we have Coach Levesque, Man of the Match Lur-Mn, and the captain Zax-Im. Like before we'll hear the coaches thoughts before the questioning period.

Levesque: Today is definitely the least pleased I've been in the tournament. We showed much less poise today then in the first two games, and we easily could've lost. We got incredibly lucky that Greatest Crap couldn't find a second goal against us. If that had we probably would've lost. That being said I think it will help the team to realize just how quickly you can find trouble in international football.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach, what did you say at halftime? Something clearly changed.

Levesque: Well, I'm not going to get into specifics, but I expressed my displeasure with them. I told them I had confidence but that the mental side was poor.

Az-cz reporter 2: What inspired you to go to Lur-Mn? We weren't expecting to see much of him this tournament.

Levesque: Well as anyone who follows -League knows, Lur-Mn's mentality is beyond reproach. If you need someone who'll give 110% effort and has the stamina to not rest and an unbreakable spirit, he's the guy. Our football skills weren't the problem. It was mentality. That's why I went with Lur-Mn. That isn't to say that Ox-Rx or Uz-Gz have bad attitudes. They have very good attitudes, but Lur-Mn is just a whirling dervish.

Az-cz reporter 3: Lur-Mn, were you suprised when coach called your name at half?

Lur-Mn: Honestly, I was a little bit. I knew my role and was aware that I was 5th on the depth chart. But I had been practicing hard and was ready when coach told me I was gonna play.

Az-cz reporter 4: Coach, does Lur-Mn's brilliant second half play make you think about making any changes in your lineup?

Levesque: Absolutely not. He played great, we really appreciate it, and he'll get more playing time in the future, to be sure. But our two best forwards are Stanleyinho and Bub-Rub. Bub-Rub's scored in two of our three matches and Stanleyinho is our aerial threat, so I don't think we'll change. We've still won all of our matches, so no need to panic.

Lur-Mn: And I understand that that's the situation. I'm not expecting to start. Just to be able to contribute when I'm needed is great.

Zax-Im: That's one of the great things about our team. We really do have a great team comraderie and a great team spirit. None of our bench players are demanding to start and none of our starters complain when they are subbed. We all truly want each other to succeed.

Az-cz reporter 5: Does Ns-Ta's yellow card change how you will play?

Levesque: Again, it won't. He picked up a card, and we hope he won't get another, but we can't get passive because of it. If he does we'll adjust. It's not like our bench defenders are a big drop-off. So no it's not a big deal.

Greatest Crap reporter: Your thoughts on todays opponents?

Levesque: They've got some talent. They're the only team to have a lead against us, so all hope isn't lost. They dug themselves a hole, but there's still plenty of time. Everyone neads to remember that 3 out of 12 is only a quarter way through the tournament. If they can take their bye week to regroup there's still a great chance of qualifying.

Az-cz reporter 6: Your four points clear of second place, Commerce Heights JSY. What affect does that have on the team?

Zax-Im: Well clearly we thought too much of ourselves after our first two wins. We realize how good all the teams are and an early lead doesn't mean much.

Az-cz reporter 7: Speaking of Commerce Heights JSY, we've played the same three opponents, with them only having one once. They only managed a draw with Uncle Pete, a team we crushed. And they've only scored 2 goals from 3 games, while we've scored 3 goals in all our games. Don't you feel pretty confident about that match?

Levesque: That's quite some info you have there, eh? <The audience chuckles> I'm gonna tell you a story about my childhood. When I was growing up there was this radio ad for some financial thing that always ended "Past results are not indicative of future performance." And that's just as true about football. We can't say that we're better than them because we've had better results. What we can say is there a good football team. They've had two clean sheets, and like us have yet to be beaten. If we don't take them seriously they'll do something rarely done, accheive a victory for the visitors at Knights Coliseum.

Az-cz reporter 8: Looking at the group as a whole, do you feel confident about Az-cz qualification?

Levesque: Yes and no. I feel confident because we're a good team. I think we'll continue to gain points and qualify. But looking at the other teams, Commerce Heights is clearly strong, pehaps learning a few tricks from their neighbors, Winchestia is revitalized and playing well, and both The Candrian Empire and Alif Laam Miim have 3 points from only two games. One bad result and we're right back with the group. So we still need to win football games. Really the question of qualification won't really be on my radar until the bye week.

MC: That's all the time we have for today. Thanks for giving us your time today Coach Levesque, Lur-Mn, and Zax-Im.

Aurendia

29-07-2006, 07:09

Southport News
“We don’t need a slogan. We’re just boring like that.”

Disappointment at home for Raptors

THREE RIVERS – A solid first half wasn’t enough for the National Team, as penalties in the second half resulted in a 1-2 defeat at the hands of KCToker in front of a capacity crowd at Capitals Park. The early going developed into a defensive struggle, as both sides combined for a total of only four shots over the first 45 minutes. The stalemate was finally broken during stoppage time, as hometown favorite Regina Dunlop scored off a Cassandra Campbell corner kick.
The second half appeared to be going the same way, until the 55th minute, when midfielder Adam Rusic was red-carded for a hard tackle. With the man advantage, KCToker was able to capitalize, scoring the equalizer in the 59th. At this point Aurendia’s coaching staff elected to go defensive and preserve the draw, subbing out forwards Matt Sanchez and Regina Dunlop, and bringing in midfielder Randy Floyd and defender Joe Hill in their place for the 4-4-1. This arrangement would prove to hold, until the 88th, when defender Bart Sheriff was called on another hard tackle, awarding a penalty kick to KCToker. Goalie Liza Kohl wasn’t able to stop this one, and KCToker came away with the 2-1 victory.
With this loss and yesterday’s bye, the Raptors currently sit in 5th place in the Black Group with 3 points. The team next heads to Southport and the rowdiest fans in the AFL to take on a strong Delesa squad, who come into the match following a 2-1 victory over Toopoxia.

Scoring:
1. A (R. Dunlop 1) 45th (Assist: C. Campbell)
2. KCT 59th
3. KCT 88th (PK)

Lexington SC

29-07-2006, 21:29

The State NewspaperThe Lexington SC Soccer Club has headed into the WC 30 BoF with excitement and hope from the fans at home. Over 75,000 fans attended yesterday's match with the Mice, and although LSC came away empty handed, fans were happy to come out and support the 1-2 Wildcats.

The Island of Ishtar

29-07-2006, 23:20

Ishtar Nationals Wreck Wrecker, 4-0
Solid defense, well-coached attack key in latest win
WRECKOCRACY, July 29 -- Two red cards and three devastating injuries were not enough to stop the Ishtar Nationals from taking their second straight Baptism of Fire victory from host nation the Wreckocracy of Wrecker in a crushing 4-nil win.

The game began ominously when stopper Mike McMaher collapsed on the pitch untouched in the first minute, grabbing his knee. It was later determined he had re-injured cartilage in pre-game stretches and is expected to miss the remainder of the tourney. He was replaced ably by Leroy Lane for the remainder of the game.

A scant five minutes later striker Sir Frank Hook was sent off the pitch with a red card, after a shoving match with a Wrecker player ended with him throwing a punch. "Hook threw a sharp right hook," noted one wag. This unfortunately left the team a man down. The Wrecker player drew a yellow for his part in the fray.

"That sort of behavior is unacceptable," Coach Ernie 'Spits' Wilson noted after the game. "Unfortunately Hook now must sit out the next match as well. And regrettably he is no longer a co-captain." Hook had no comment after the game.

After the red card, with his side down a man and the score drawn at nil, Coach Wilson reached into his playbook of tactical tricks. He removed one of his midfielders (Dominic Dagora) and put in a second striker, Eleana Romanoff, as the team shifted to a 4-3-2 formation, decently defensive but still capable of scoring.

Romanoff's appearance marked the first female player on the pitch for the national men's team in Ishtar history. The women reserves were not expected to attend this match but a late night shuttle brought them and assistant coach Miriam Westmoor to the game just before dawn.

On the ensuing free kick, midfielder Peter Sparks stole the ball and passed it deep to striker Nathaniel Lovecraft, who scored on a breakaway play, putting Ishtar up 1-nil and vindicating the Coach's strategy.

"That was the turning point in the game," Coach Wilson remarked afterwards. "Being a man down is devastating, but once you get the lead there are things you can do to compensate. But if we had lost the lead at that point, likely we'd have lost the game."

The formula was repeated on the following play, as Peter Sparks again stole a midfield pass from an errant Wrecker player and in a well-executed attack, the pass came to midfielder Sven Svensson, who found net on a rebound. Ishtar was up 2-nil at that point.

In the 22nd minute, after several exchanges, the Ishtar offense again entered the goal zone, only to see striker Romanoff slide-tackled from behind. The Wrecker defender drew a yellow and Romanoff scored on her place-kick, putting the side up 3-nil.

It was Romanoff's third international goal and her first in the Baptism of Fire. "He nicked me from behind," she said after the game. "So I made them pay."

Shortly before half, the team scored yet again on a trick play, in which the strikers fell back to defend while the fullbacks attacked. Sweeper "Raggedy" Tom Renshaw scored on the play with an excellent header.

Unfortunately when he was coming down an opponent's boot caught his jaw and broke it, and he was taken from the pitch. After the game it was announced he would miss the remainder of the tourney. Kara Madchen substituted for him for the remainder of the game. Ishtar was up 4-nil.

"Losing Raggedy is a tough blow four our side," Coach Wilson noted in his post-game remarks. "He's our captain out there." With both captains (Renshaw and Hook) off the pitch, keeper Czechany was named in their stead.

During injury minutes before the half-time whistle, the Ishtar attack again advanced, only to be stalled when on a wild play, striker Romanoff was carded for a high kick on an attempted bicycle kick that met a Wrecker player's head. She was sent off the field and later announced would be suspended for one additional match.

"I only went for the ball," she said after the game. "I never meant to kick his head. They were playing dirty all game, and we get two reds? Something's wrong there."

Viewing the replay, most Ishtar commentators agreed that the penalty was unwarranted and the punishment unduly harsh. Perhaps it was an attempt to mollify the Wrecker crowd, which was growing restless and belligerent, hurling their Wrecking beers onto the pitch to express their fury with their team's terrible play.

Returning from the half, Coach Wilson put his team into the unusual 4-3-1 alignment, to account for the fact they only had nine players on the field and a large lead to protect.

"At half-time, I just told our team to stick together and ride it out, that a four-nil lead was big enough even nine players could protect it," Wilson said post-match. "I'm proud of the way we managed that, yielding not a single answering score."

Protecting that lead, the team played defensively until the 57th minute, when defender Bobby Brick went down with a concussion after an unfortunate collision with a goal post. He was replaced by Freya Gottfried. Brick's medical status post-game was positive, and he was cleared to return for the next game.

At that moment, Coach Wilson also substituted Steve Whitecastle for Ishtar's sole remaining striker, Lovecraft, who was quite winded at that point. Five minutes later Whitecastle himself went down with a fractured fibula after a rough collision with his own player, hulking defender Leroy Lane. Perseus St. Trix came on for Whitecastle for the remainder of the game.

"We really were hit hard by injuries and reds," Wilson remarked ipso facto. "It's a testament to the quality of our bench how well we played."

The final thirty minutes were a demonstration of Ishtar's tight-knit defense, as the team hung back and protected their half of the pitch against the opponent's increasingly desperate and futile attacks. A dozen shots on goal were taken but none got past the adroit hands of keeper John Czechany and his defense.

Key to Ishtar's success has been the adept goal-keeping of Czechany, who has yielded but a single goal across the entire tournament, giving the team the lowest Goals Allowed total in the Baptism of Fire to date.

When asked what was the secret to his success, Czechany remarked, "I'm just playing the game the way I always do. I've got a great bunch of defenders out in front of me, who just shut down the opponent's attacks. That makes my job a lot easier, and makes me look good."

"Czechany is being too modest," said Izzie Bunion, an outspoken sports personality. "He is the greatest player to ever wear the purple and white of Ishtar. No, he is the greatest human being to ever wear a sports uniform."

Bunion writes a column for the Harmonia Herald and hosts the sports talk show Bunion Says, with an estimated audience of 15.6 million listeners. "He is like some sort of Superman," Bunion said in a widely-seen post-game show. "We should worship him as our new, personal God!"

Reaction to the team's latest victory was euphoric, with crowds pouring into the streets well after midnight and celebrating boisterously.

"We've had lots of complains about the noise," noted Police Captain Roger Thornbush, "And we've made a lot of arrests for public intoxication, but nothing too serious. I'm pleased at the way our well-policed nation is dealing with these wins."

"Ishtar rules, Ishtar rules!" chanted a large crowd, gathered outside several foreign embassies, none of whom are involved in the World Cup pre-tournament. Several stones were thrown but police quickly dispersed the crowd with water hoses.

After the game, a weary Ishtar side boarded a charted plane for a quick flight home, where they will host table rival Ropa-topia, a well-coached and well-dressed team also making noise in the tourney.

Source: Ishtar United Press Services

Match Ticker
1 INJ STOPPER Mike McMaher
1 SUB STOPPER Leroy Lane for McMaher
6 RED R.STRIK Sir Frank Hook (fighting)
7 SUB STRIKER Eleana Romanoff for MIDFIELDER Dominic Dagora
7 FORM Formation to 4-3-2
8 GOAL L.STRIK Nathaniel Lovecraft, Ishtar 1, Wrecker 0
10 GOAL L.MIDF Sven Svensson, Ishtar 2, Wrecker 0
22 GOAL-PK R.STRIK Eleana Romanoff, Ishtar 3, Wrecker 0
41 GOAL SWEEPER Raggedy Tom Renshaw, Ishtar 4, Wrecker 0
42 INJ SWEEPER Raggedy Tom Renshaw
42 SUB SWEEPER Kara Madchen for Renshaw
44 RED R.STRIK Eleana Romanoff (high kick)
45 HALF Ishtar 4, Wrecker 0
45 FORM Formation to 4-3-1
57 INJ R.DEFEN Bobby Brick
57 SUB R.DEFEN Freya Gottfried for Brick
57 SUB L.STRIK Steve Whitecastle for Lovecraft
62 INJ L.STRIK Steve Whitecastle
62 SUB L.STRIK Perseus St. Trix for Whitecastle
90 FINAL Ishtar 4, Wrecker 0

INJURIES: OPP -- None; ISHTAR -- McMaher (tournament), Renshaw (tournament), Brick (game)
BOOKINGS: ISHTAR Sir Frank Hook (RED), Eleana Romanoff (RED), OPP (Yx2)

Sky Blue Group Table
Ishtar 2-1-0
Miceland 1-2-0
Ropa-Topia 1-1-0
Marion Oaks 1-1-0
Lexington 1-0-1
Wrecker 0-2-0
Tocapa 0-0-3

Sky Blue Group Results - Day Three
Ishtar 4-0 Wrecker
Ropa-Topia 2-0 Tocapa
Miceland 2-0 Lexington

Fixtures
MD1 Ishtar 1-1 Miceland - home game
MD2 Ishtar 4-0 Tocapa - away game
MD3 Ishtar 4-0 Wrecker - away game
MD4 Ishtar vs. Ropa-Topia
MD5 Ishtar vs. Lexington
MD6 Bye
MD7 Ishtar vs. Marion Oaks
MD8 Ishtar at Miceland
MD9 Ishtar vs. Tocapa
MD10 Ishtar vs. Wrecker
MD11 Ishtar at Ropa-Topia
MD12 Ishtar at Lexington
MD13 Bye
MD14 Ishtar at Marion Oaks

TEAM STATS
Goals: Lovecraft (2), Svensson (2), St. John (1), Sparks (1), Tarkingham (1), Renshaw (1), Romanoff (1)
Bookings: Sparks (Y), Svensson (Y), Hook (R), Romanoff (R)
Injuries: McMaher (5 weeks), Renshaw (4 weeks)

NEXT GAME STARTERS
CZECHANY (keeper)
MADCHEN (sweeper)
BRICK - LANE - BRICK (defenders)
SVENSSON - SPARKS - DAGORA - ST.JOHN (midfielders)
LOVECRAFT - WHITECASTLE (strikers)

Toranat

30-07-2006, 00:20

Rockies Draw Again

The Toranat Rockies played their second game in the Baptism of Fire and came away with another 1-1 draw. The team played Carvalo. The game was very evenly matched throughout. In the 34th minute Mike Hayes scored his second of the tourny to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead. However in the 67th minute Hugo Valente scored to make it 1-1. The game then turned into a stalemate. The Rockies now sit 5th in their group, but still with in striking distance. The Rockies next game will be against table toppers The Colony of Delaware.

Rockies Schedule
MD1 Bye
MD2 @ Lylybium (D 1-1)
MD3 VS. Carvalo (D 1-1)
MD4 @ The Colony of Delaware
MD5 VS. Allocer
MD6 @ Czariums
MD7 @ Demot
MD8 Bye
MD9 VS. Lylybium
MD10 @ Carvalo
MD11 VS. The Colony of Delaware
MD12 @ Allocer
MD13 VS Czariums
MD14 VS Demot

Record
0-2-0

Goal Scorers
Hayes-2

[NS:]Delesa

30-07-2006, 00:38

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i189/seanmyhre/edgesoccerlogo.jpg

DFC TAKES TOOPOXIA 2-1

Last night was a intense game since the kick off. Both teams fought for that first goal, each team pushing hard and using there strong defence to throw aback the pressuring offence, but in the 32 minute, Micheal McShane put one past the Toopoxia goal tender. Putting DFC up 1-0, but not for long. Toopoxia quickly struck back before the first half was over, putting the score back in a dead lock at 1-1. But inthe opening moments of the 2nd half the game, DFC player Fernando Kellett got a header from a cross in from Silvain Frassin. The rest of the game was a constent fight between the Toopaxia strikers and DFC fullbacks. But Toopoxia just wasnt able to by a second goal.

Next game Aurendia @ National Delesa Football Centre.

Demot

30-07-2006, 01:51

Demot Daily ~ Failure To Launch

If the squad thought it was having an off BoF up to now, then it surely has become a miserable one after the game against The Colony of Delaware. In what was the most lopsided game thus far, the colonists defeated the squad three to one, and dropped Demot to last in the group.

"Well I don't know what in the world that was, but it certainly wasn't our game. The defence looked shady all night, and despite Samantha's goal, our offence was non-existant. Whitehurse did what he could to stem the damage, but still allowed two more than we would of liked. There will be some changes to come next game. Ysman will be starting instead Reeves, and might keep the spot for the rest of the tournament if she performs well."

After these two road ventures, the squad does finnaly get to come back to the comforts of home. They will play Allocer, and will hope to bounce back from the humilating defeat. Despite the defeat, the team was in decent spirits, and Masteron has guranteed victory.

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Tocapa

30-07-2006, 03:36

The Bartol Occassional
Bringing you the news... when we feel like it

A startling announcement came from the world of Tocapan football today as the Tocapan head coach, Geraldo Ascou, actually said something. "I just assumed he vas mute," said reserve keeper Aron Takleo, after finding out his coach was, in fact, able to speak. When asked how he thought the team was being coached with a mute coach, Takleo repeatedly tapped his ear and said, "Eh?" For several minutes this continued, until midfielder Brai Trus told us "[h]e's deaf, you idiots." Here follows a transcript of Ascou's speech:

Oh, yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that I vas going on vacation during this whole, um, Baptism. I guess I vas kind of afraid 'cause I thought ve vere really going to get baptised or something, and I'm atheist, so that just vouldn't vork out, 'cause then I'd be like, "Hey vait, I can't get baptised, I'm atheist," and stuff. That vouldn't have been good. Anyvays, so I vent on vacation, yeah, but now I'm back, and I think I'm ready to start coaching the team again.

We asked several bystanders their opinions of how this would affect the team's chances in the rest of the tournament. One man said, "Yeah, I knew something vas wrong, 'cause vhen I vatchin', I couldn't see the guy that vas tellin' them vhat to do, so I think, yeah, that vas bad." After having done some preliminary research, we have determined that a lack of coaching is indeed bad, and that without someone telling them what to do, most footballers are lost. Another man, mostly nude, and wearing Tocapan colors, was asked his thoughts, and responded, "Football? I vear this every day, man." The man next to him then said, "Yeah, he does. It's kind of disgusting now that I think about it. Put some goddamned clothes on, man." The nude man then proceeded to make an obscene gesture in the direction of the nearby man, leave, trip, get run over by a bike, and stand up, only to wobble around for several minutes before finally collapsing, unconscious apparently.

Ascou also had this to say: "Oh yeah, and you know that roster, I should probably post that up too. Othervise the announcers are going to be like, 'Who's that?', and like, 'I don't know'. Hard, I know."


OOC: Yeah, I probably should've told someone I would be away this week, but I guess it didn't change things that much. Here's hoping I can get back in the game. I'll have rosters up sometime tomorrow with any luck.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

30-07-2006, 03:52

This is your friendly "No Party on a Saturday Night" MD4 RP Cut off.

Red Group
The Colony of Delaware 0:1 Toronat
Lylybium 1:0 Carvalo
Demot 2:0 Allocer

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Colony of Delaware 3 2 0 1 5 3 2 6
Toronat 3 1 2 0 3 2 1 5
Demot 4 1 2 1 4 4 0 5
Lylybium 4 1 2 1 2 2 0 5
Czariums 3 1 1 1 2 4 -2 4
Allocer 3 1 0 2 3 4 -1 3
Carvalo 4 0 3 1 3 4 -1 3

Black Group
Aurendia 2:0 Delesa
Lost Limeyville 0:0 Toopoxia
KCToker 1:0 Ten Thousand Maggots

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 3 2 0 1 6 3 3 6
Lost Limeyville 4 1 3 0 4 2 2 6
KCToker 4 2 0 2 4 8 -4 6
Perturbed Leopard 3 1 2 0 6 3 3 5
Toopoxia 4 1 2 1 8 6 2 5
Delesa 3 1 1 1 3 4 -1 4
Ten Thousand Maggots 3 0 0 3 1 7 -6 0

Sky Blue Group
Wrecker 2:1 Marion Oaks 2
The Mice of Miceland 3:0 Tocapa
The Islands of Ishtar 2:2 Ropa-Topia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Islands of Ishtar 4 2 2 0 11 3 8 8
The Mice of Miceland 4 2 2 0 7 2 5 8
Ropa-Topia 3 1 2 0 7 4 3 5
Marion Oaks 2 3 1 1 1 4 3 1 4
Wrecker 3 1 1 1 3 6 -3 4
Lexington SC 3 1 0 2 1 6 -5 3
Tocapa 4 0 0 4 0 10 -10 0

Yellow Group
Alif Laam Miim 1:0 Uncle Pete
Az-Cz 2:0 Commerce Heights JSY
winchestia 3:0 The Candrian Empire

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 4 4 0 0 12 2 10 12
Winchestia 4 2 1 1 8 4 4 7
Alif Laam Miim 3 2 0 1 3 3 0 6
Commerce Heights JSY 4 1 2 1 3 5 -2 5
The Candrian Empire 3 1 0 2 2 5 -3 3
Uncle Pete 3 0 1 2 1 5 -4 1
The Greatest Crap 3 0 0 3 1 6 -5 0

[NS:]Delesa

30-07-2006, 06:04

HARSH BEATING TO DFC

DFC got its butts kicked in the latest game 2-0. This puts Delesa in a tough spot. Head Coach Liams pissed. Fernando Kellett with one goal two games ago is out with injury to left ankle, guesed to come back in two games until then Conor Kelly wil be covering in for him.

Az-cz

30-07-2006, 06:59

Az-cz Scroll
July 30, 2006
Es-Ef
Il-Lur

Unsuprising result, surpising game

Coming into the match against Commerce Heights JSY, most people doubted that Az-cz would be able to uphold their streak of games with 3 goals. Commerce Heights had been a defensive juggernaut up to this point allowing only 2 goals in 3 games, but only scoring 3 themselves. So it was expected to be a defensive battle. The final score of 2-0 was not a huge shock, but how we got there was.
The game started out at a fast pace with both teams making good chances and taking a number of shots, much different from expected. The first really big play of the game came in the 11th minute. Bub-Rub went down in the box on what was a clear foul. Everyone in the stadium expected a penalty kick but were stunned when instead Bub-Rub was booked for diving.
Again both teams continued to push forward. Both had a few shots. Both goalkeepers made a number of saves but both teams were held off the scoreboard.
Finally in the 31st minute Az-cz put itself on the scoreboard. They won a corner kick. Throughtout the tournament Az-cz had played short corners, even scoring a beautiful goal on one. Everyone expected that again, but Kn-Dg saw that Nerazzuri was open so he lofted it high and Nerrazzuri put it down into the net.
If the JSY attack was playing well until then, they really turned it on after that. Knowing that they had to score at least once to earn any points, and at least twice to win, they really pushed forward. Thankfully for Az-cz, Gn-Lg was incredible at the back.
In the last 14 minutes of the half he made an incredible 9 saves. The defense looked a little ragged but he was there to bail them out everytime.
At halftime Levesque made one substitution bringing on Uz-Gz for Bub-Rub, both to remove the risk of Bub-Rub being sent off and to hopefully improve the Az-cz counter attack.
While JSY continued to push on towards Gn-Lg unsuccessfully, Az-cz did eventually find the counter attack the other way. In the first 20 minutes of the second half Az-cz was outshot 7-1. However the second shot in the half was the one that sealed the game.
As JSY was getting more and more desperate they left their back row open and Zax-Im took advantage. He made a beautiful tackle about 35 yards from Gn-Lg and swung it to Pizelkaxrovsky. He immediately moved it forward to Uz-Gz who took it up field by himself, going around the only two defenders back. Once he earned a one-on-one with the keeper there was no way he was being stopped, adding the second goal in the 67th minute
Levesque then made his other two substituions. He switched into a 4-4-1-1 formation. He brought on Ox-Rx upfront for Stanleyinho, and he brought in At-Zm for Bn-Dg. Ox-Rx was being played not as a full forward but a little further up than the attacking midfielders.
With those two changes Az-cz once again went into lock down mode and once again there was no more offense to be found. Two goal leads are proving to be more than enough. The Commerce Heights JSY offense that had been rolling for 20 minutes, immediately died. They only found 1 more shot the rest of the second half and it was easily brought in by Gn-Lg.
Az-cz next plays Alif Laam Miim, in Slimes Stadium. Commerce Heights JSY is off for match day five, then hosts that same Alif Laam Miim side.

Statistics
Goals Az-cz 2 Commerce Heights JSY 0
Az-cz Scorers 31 Nerazzuri 67 Uz-Gz
Possesion Az-cz 54% Commerce Heights JSY 46%
Shots Az-cz 9 Commerce Heights JSY 20
Corners Az-cz 2 Commerece Heights 2

Az-cz

30-07-2006, 07:01

OOC: ASMV, Az-cz's scores and table don't add up. The results we've had our 3-1, 3-0, 3-1, 2-0, which adds to 11-2, not 12-2. I think you gave us one extra in the goals for and goal differential column. I also think Commerce Heights is off. They were 3 GF 2 GA coming into MD4 lost 2-0 and are now 3 GF 5 GA. Was the score of the game supposed to be 3-0?

Az-cz

30-07-2006, 08:07

MC: Here we are after match day 4. Today we'll be hearing from Coach Levesque, Man of the Match Gn-Lg, and captain Zax-Im. I hope you guys have figured out the drill by now. <laughs from the reporters>

Levesque: I'm quite pleased with the way todays game went. We played pretty well, Gn-Lg was fantastic and we earned 3 points against a tough squad. And once again we've had great support. It makes me proud to represent the country, especially as an adopted son.

MC: Alright, let's open things up.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach can you comment about the yellow card Bub-Rub recieved for diving?

Levesque: I think it was a mistake. Bub-Rub never dives in -League. He plays an above the board style, as does the rest of -League. Those tactics aren't part of our football. And if you watch the tape he clearly gets kicked in the back of the legs. Like the fans I thought it was a penalty. Maybe you could say it was a no-call but to earn a yellow for diving was absurd.

Az-cz reporter 2: For the first time this tournament you were outshot and they seemed to have quite an attack going. Were you worried about what was happening.

Levesque: A little bit. I mean anytime you have that many shots there is a chance that something will go wrong and they'll score, but I was pretty confident. Gn-Lg was on top of his game and the defense was playing well. They really pushed foward to try to find an equalizer. It's hard to completely prevent chances in such a situation. I didn't want to go into defensive mode at that point, so we had to grin and bear it. But I thought we'd be ok, which we were.

Gn-Lg: I agree. I wasn't that worried about it. I felt good. I think we're very hard to score on from the flow of play. Both goals have come from mistakes rather than us being beaten. So far the only people that have done damage to us are us.

Zax-Im: Plus you have to remember that it was even until we scored. It was only after they scored that they started to attack so much.

JSY reporter: What are your thoughts about the Commerce Heights JSY team?

Levesque: I think you guys have a solid squad. I was worried about today's game, as you guys were in second coming in. You're still holding down a top 4 spot and I think you'll make it through qualification ok.

Az-cz reporter 3: Explain to us the thought behind the subs today.

Levesque: Uz-Gz was brought on for the counter attack. I thought he'd be able to take advantage of the lack of players in the back, which he did. Ox-Rx was brought on for two reasons. One was that he was the last uncapped player other than the goalies and two was that his physical presence allowed him to play a little bit recessed behind his teammate. And At-Zm was brought on to improve our defense so we could lock down the game.

Az-cz reporter 4: What are your thoughts on the upcoming game?

Levesque: Alif Laam Miim has won twice in three games, so their an opponent to be respected. I believe that we can beat them, to be sure, but it will take a good effort for us to get the full points.

Az-cz reporter 5: No other side in the tournament has won three times while Az-cz has won four times. How does that make you feel?

Zax-Im: It feels good, but we all learned are lesson about overconfidence against Greatest Crap. We're making progress towards our goals, but we've still got a lot of group stage games left.

MC: The players have some charity commitments tonight, so we need to finish this early today. I think we can squeeze in one more question.

Az-cz reporter 6: What do you think about the difference between Knights Coliseum and Slimes Stadium in terms of how the team played.

Gn-Lg: Well I benefited from playing at home. There's a natural sense of comfort for me there.

Zax-Im: I agree, but I assume that the Slimes players felt the same way on their home grounds.

Levesque: We've sold out both stadiums, so their's really no problem. Like the two players I'm a Knights man so I'm comfortable in the coliseum, but club loyalties have gone out the window for the time being. All the home pitches are great and the fans have been amazing. They taken on me, the other non Az-czzer players and a sport that's unnatural to them incredibly well.

MC: That's it for tonight. Thanks for your time and good luck in your fifth match.

New Manhattan

30-07-2006, 10:03

JSY reporter
*wonders why a football association would have reporters* :p

—————

자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) headquarters, 소코지토 도시, 소코지토 (Sokojito Dosi, Sokojito)

Donald Harmon (CEO, 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn)): What happened?

Ludgerus Wiesmüller: Well…uh…um…we lost.

Harmon: We lost?

Wiesmüller: Yes, two goals to zero. Or maybe it was three; the match is being reviewed by the World Cup Committee.

Harmon: Fun. I’ll be sure to send the appropriate bribes to our friends at the WCC. Or, rather, to Capitalizt SLANI’s friends at the WCC, as they won’t even let us join yet.

Wiesmüller: So, anything happen at HQ while I was away?

Harmon: Yes. We decided that football associations don’t need their own reporters.

Wiesmüller: Meaning…what?

Harmon: Meaning…you’re fired.

Wiesmüller: Slani, I need the money! Can’t I just stay through the next match?

Harmon: You sure can. Unfortunately for you, it’s a bye, so you don’t get any money.

Wiesmüller: But if I’m not there, then there won’t be any Capitalizt reporters at the press conferences!

Harmon: Let the Aeropag Tribune worry about that. Or PariMedia. Or the Altera Daily Herald. Or—

Wiesmüller: Okay, I get the point!

Az-cz

30-07-2006, 10:09

OOC: I meant a reporter from that country, as I don't know the names of any of your media sources. But some countries might well have national media. Don't know. Interpret it how you will, although I'll probably use a JSY reporter again next time. Cheers :)

The Mice of Miceland

30-07-2006, 12:07

Mice in Force at Lexington SC

The Mice of Miceland MARCH Day match against Lexington SC lead to a 2-0 win against the hosts as it seamed a swarm of mice arrived in Lexington SC on government subsidised flights. The bigulated mice where clearly seen and vocal in the stadium used for the match it seemed that the home crowd where dominated fairly easily by the mice that where away.

Adding to the fact that it seamed the mice's opponents seemed to have been distracted and where unable to concentrate for the majority of the match. The New lexington defense did not seem upto the task and failed to prevent 2 goals from Sickly PlagueMouse and Fievel ChurchMouse who scored goals in the 23rd minutes and 57th minutes respectively. It seemed only luck that the mice did not make it 5-0 as there where three shots that went just wide, hit the bar or the keeper just managed to tap the ball out of the goal these events where in the 41st, 68th and 89th minutes. No real blame could be placed upon the referee but it seemed the football god was against it.

A 2-0 win is now recorded for us on our Baptism of Fire campaign and next matchday will be a home game against Tocapa in which those ignorant Ishtars scored a 4-0 win against. Our mice are expected to do bd to do better against this opponent.

This has been a delayed public release due to MARCH Day

........................

Miceland Hosts Tocapa... 3-0 win for the mice

Today after the successful MARCH day match away in Lexington SC Miceland hosted Tocapa. And totally dominated. It seemed the Tocapa team was slightly disturbed by the de-bigulation process but with the assistance provided by the Miceland Foreigner Aid Office. We have been providing all assistance that we can to all those that are new to Miceland and the de-bigulation process but in the end it is all up to how the foreigners react.

The Tocapan football team did not seem to react to well to being surrounded by mice. The over whelming support that our mice had in Miceland National Stadium must had been overwhelming. This was something that we could not over come dispite the team being as prepared as was possible mentally. Practically it just was too much for the team to handle.

It seems, though we don't know why, these humans just cannot seem to accept us, with those ignorant Ishtars and the reaction these Tocapans have the government is still keeping an open mind on or relations with these humans and whether or not we should keep participaiting internationally or resume isolation.

However we have committed ourself to both the Baptism of Fire and World Cup and we will honour our word. The Mice of Miceland will continue to participate in international football until we decide it is not for us.

Winchestia

30-07-2006, 16:32

Winchestia Times Player Grades:
Winchestia v The Candrian Empire

Nick Seruss (GK) 5: Didn't do much, but then didn't have to do much. Long goal kick put Candrian defenders off balance, led to Duman's second

Chris Niece (D) 3: Lone Marcheq rep looks out of his depth. Gave up only real chance of game. Az-Cz and JSY will take advantage of him.

Taylor Tinley (D) 9: Crunching tackles, slick passing and kept his temper in check. Completely shut down opposition. We need him in this form to win BoF.

Josh Pop (D) 6: Wasn't needed as Tinley had a blinder. Still did well when called apon.

Mack Billrot (D) 7: Silly yellow card for bad challenge blighted an otherwise outstanding performance. Will need to watch his temper as well.

Hugo Hartney (M) 5: Average game from average midfielder. Clearly the weak link of the all-Kitchen midfield

Levi Pavin (M) 7: Free kicks didn't connect as well as last 2 matches, still was able to hold possession well and take sting out of Candrian attack. Should be made captain soon.

Marcos Bodle (M) 8: Another wonder goal from the wonder kid. Still tends to drift forward when defending is needed, however didn't hurt him in this match. Seems to really enjoy playing with his Kitchen teammates.

Dallas Melland (M) 6: Solid game, but didn't stand out. Didn't see much of the ball, but marked his man well.

Will Winiarski (F) 2: Missed 5 or 6 good chances (again). Only here because of "resting" of Firmin and Marayan. Shouldn't really be in the team. Probably worst forward in anyone's international football history.

Levi Duman (F) 10: 2 goals to beat out Bodle as Winchestia's new all-time leading international goalscorer. Volley from Seruss goal kick was thing of beauty. It will be interesting to see what happens when Firmin and Marayan get back into lineup.

Subs:
Nick Cam (D, for Niece 55th minute) 6: Should be starter. Candrian chances all died after introduced into match.

Orville Sporer (M, for Bodle 85th minute) N/A: Shawl looking for minutes for Sporer's "retirement tour". Good type of match for it.

Manager:
Jody Shawl 6: Not a great test of what he can do. Candrian not as good as advetised, but still selection issues continue to haunt him (formation, insistance on Hartney, Niece).

OOC: I am going to be out of town, so this will probably be me last RP until Tuesday night

[NS:]Delesa

30-07-2006, 17:20

OOC:I'll be gone til late wednesday night

Tocapa

30-07-2006, 20:11

The Bartol Occassional
Bringing you the news... when we feel like it.

Taking advantage of the team's bye, Tocapan head coach Geraldo Ascou announced today the names of the players of the Tocapan nationa football team, which has been playing anonymously for the last four matches. "I thought it vould be a good time to tell everyone that, yeah, ve have names too, you know," stated the coach. Now that Ascou has announced the names, it will "be easier for the international football fans to know who the hell ve are," said a bystander on the Tocapan streets. Asked what he based his beliefs on, he said "absolutely nothing." More reports are coming in on this bystander as we speak.

Formation: 3-4-3
Head coach: Geraldo Ascou

Po No Name Age
STARTERS
GK 42 Roran Eldrop 23
DF 16 Arur Ber 24
DF 8 Jayk Heshar 27
DF 47 Blace Oraor 21
MF 15 Jerro Smiss 23
MF 5 Henter Nol 25
MF 32 Brai Trus 27
MF 25 Enst Overoke 28
FW 23 Stowe Erroe 24
FW 33 Cler Bestov 27
FW 12 Trolo Culur 22
BACKUPS
GK 21 Aron Takleo 25
DF 45 Olore Steva 30
DF 4 Urle Resse 27
DF 29 Korreo Ulut 25
MF 20 Aloof Stori 23
MF 36 Cole Teekor 28
AF 7 Looka Aladie 23
AF 27 Nure Opplos 26
AF 30 Kest Wolere 22

OOC
If they RP first, my opponents may:
*Choose my goalscorers: Y
*Godmod scoring events: Y
*RP injuries to my players: Y, not severe
*Godmod injuries to my players: Y, same
*Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
*Hand out red cards to my players: Y, sparingly
*Godmod other events, Y

The team has lost its first four internationals and has yet to score a goal. Officials of the Football Division of the Tocapa Athletic Foundation have stated that Geraldo Ascou's position as head coach is currently under scrutiny. Vice president Tenter Blasore personally has said that, "ve figured ve vere going to have a problem vhen ve decided to pick the coach's name out of a hat. Ve probably should've used a bigger hat." Whether or not Tocapa can pick up its game will be a determining factor in their presence in the upcoming World Cup 30.

Aurendia

30-07-2006, 21:05

Polamoa Press
“We like alliteration in our headlines”

Raptors rediscover winning ways

A pair of goals was enough to propel the Raptors to victory over Delesa yesterday. Aurendia first struck in the 30th when the Campbell sisters reversed their normal interaction, this time with Cassandra scoring off a pass from Ashley. Just five minutes later the Raptors’ midfielders scored again, with Jeff Yaneohe scoring off a Tara Pellegri cross.
Three minutes into the second half Aurendia went down a man, as forward Regina Dunlop was ejected following a cleats-up tackle. Despite the disadvantage, the defense managed to hold Delesa at bay, and when the final whistle sounded the Raptors found themselves with a 2-0 victory and in first place atop the Black Group standings.
The Raptors will now head out on a two-game road trip, traveling to second-place Lost Limeyville followed by a match at Toopoxia, after which the Raptors return home to welcome Perturbed Leopard to Etoka City Stadium.

Scoring:
1. A (C. Campbell 1) 30th (Assist: A. Campbell)
2. A (J. Yaneohe 1) 35th (Assist: T. Pellegri)

Demot

31-07-2006, 02:37

Demot Daily ~ Masteron - Prophet?

Many thought Masteron was out of his mind when he boldy predicted a Demot victory against Allocer. Nor many had confidence in the team after their first three games, which all were bad results for the team who had come into the tournament thinking of winning it all. With only two goals in the first three games, both coming from star striker, Samantha Black, the team looked lacked it lacked the offence prowess to achieve victory at this level. Yet admist all the pessimism, the team itself was optimistic about its chances. Now with Masteron's prediction of a victory coming true, we might just find ourselves jumping on the bandwagon again. With the match today, again in the comforts of Skyhaven, against Czariums the squad can make us even more optimistic if they can win, and have two in a row before heading into the bye.

The game started off well with the team dictacted the pace and controlling the majority of the possession in the first 15. With the fans behind them, the squad worked methodical attacks, that ended with good socring chances. Coming into the 21st minute, Lucas was working the ball upfield again, with Masteron and Frontson flanking her. They provided a clinic on give and gos, each dishing it off to an other when any Allocer defender would come close to dispossesing them.

Once inside the final third, Masteron bore down on net. The keep moved and tried to cut off the corner, when a Allocer defender came in from behind and took out Masteron's legs just inside the box. Awarded the penalty, Lucas set it up and waited for the official's whistle. Once it blew, Lucas feigned a shot and delayed once more, with the Allocer keep diving to the right, and Lucas sending the ball into the upper left corner.

The team continued to dominate every part of the game for the remainder of the half. The Allocer side, clearly becoming frustrated from the dominance, began to lash out physically, taking down a Demot player whenever they had the chance. Bruised but up, the squad went into the locker rooms all smiles. The smiles where there still when they came out for the 2nd half.

The second half started much like the first half ended, Demot dominating, but Allocer taking as many shots on the players as they could. Wearing down the Allocer defence, Ysman broke through in the 74th minute, converting from just outside the box off a lob by Masteron. With that, the Allocer team began to flagerantly attack the Demot side, and 3 players were ejected from the game in the final 16 minutes, plus stoppage.

Lucas (22')
Ysman (74')

Scorers
Samantha Black - 2
Allison Lucas - 1
Sarah Ysman - 1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

31-07-2006, 04:21

This is your friendly "Where are all the RP's at?" Cut Off for MD5.

Tables now fixed.

Red Group
Lylybium 0:1 The Colony of Delaware
Demot 3:0 Czariums
Toronat 0:0 Allocer

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Colony of Delaware 4 3 0 1 6 3 3 9
Demot 5 2 2 1 7 4 3 8
Toronat 4 1 3 0 3 2 1 6
Lylybium 5 1 2 2 2 3 -1 5
Allocer 4 1 1 2 3 4 -1 4
Czariums 4 1 1 2 2 7 -5 4
Carvalo 4 0 3 1 3 4 -1 3

Black Group
Lost Limeyville 0:1 Aurendia
KCToker 0:1 Perturbed Leopards
Delesa 1:0 Ten Thousand Maggots

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 4 3 0 1 7 3 4 9
Perturbed Leopard 4 2 2 0 7 3 4 8
Delesa 4 2 1 1 4 4 0 7
Lost Limeyville 5 1 3 1 4 3 1 6
KCToker 5 2 0 3 4 9 -5 6
Toopoxia 4 1 2 1 8 6 2 5
Ten Thousand Maggots 4 0 0 4 1 8 -7 0

Sky Blue Group
The Mice of Miceland 2:0 Wrecker
The Islands of Ishtar 4:1 Lexington SC
Marion Oaks 2 0:1 Ropa-Topia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Islands of Ishtar 5 3 2 0 15 4 11 11
The Mice of Miceland 5 3 2 0 9 2 7 11
Ropa-Topia 4 2 2 0 8 4 4 8
Marion Oaks 2 4 1 1 2 4 4 0 4
Wrecker 4 1 1 2 3 8 -5 4
Lexington SC 4 1 0 3 2 10 -8 3
Tocapa 4 0 0 4 0 10 -10 0

Yellow Group
Az-Cz 3:0 Alif Laam Miim
Winchestia 3:1 The Greatest Crap
Uncle Pete 1:1 The Candrian Empire

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 5 5 0 0 14 2 12 15
Winchestia 5 3 1 1 11 5 6 10
Alif Laam Miim 4 2 0 2 3 6 -3 6
Commerce Heights JSY 4 1 2 1 3 4 -1 5
The Candrian Empire 4 1 1 2 3 6 -3 4
Uncle Pete 4 0 2 2 2 6 -4 2
The Greatest Crap 4 0 0 4 2 9 -7 0

[NS:]Delesa

31-07-2006, 04:35

This is your friendly "Where are all the RP's at?" Cut Off for MD5.

HEY IM RPING HERE!!haha, i'll be gone till wednesday

[NS:]Delesa

31-07-2006, 05:52

DELESA FC DEALS IT TO TEN THOUSAND MAGGOTS 1-NIL

After the harsh loss last game DFC strikes back at the Ten Thousand Maggots. Not winning my a large margin, the DFC still pulls the win witht he one goal scored by Conor Kelly, the replacement for Fernando Kellett, vollying the ball in from a cross by Micheal McShane in the dwindling minutes of the 1st half. Winning the game puts DFC in 3rd place.

NEXT GAME DFC @ KC Toker

OOC:i would put more effort in, im just pushed for time tonight, cause tomarrow i leave and won't be back till wednesday.

Az-cz

31-07-2006, 06:24

Az-cz Scroll
July 31, 2006
Az-cz City
Em-Nm

Az-cz continues it's rampage

In the last home game for the Gnomes before what's shaping up to be the battle for the top of the group against Winchestia in match day 8 the Pink & Green was dominant. Coming in they were worried about the Alif Laam Miim squad, but they proved that they had things totally under control.
Pizelkaxrovsky was in complete control of things. Az-cz took the lead in just over a minute on a play that was either pure luck or a work of genius. Zax-Im dispossed the ALM player and swung it to Bn-Dg, who dribbled for a bit before swinging it to Pizelaxrovsky. He blasted a ball off the crossbar but it bounced almost straight to Stanleyinho who whaled it in.
Despite scoring in the first minute Az-cz showed no signs of letting up as they controlled the game and had two near chances that just came up short. The first came from the foot of Kn-Dg. Having gotten open down the left he had a good shot on goal, but a defender just got his foot on it and was able to bounce it into the woodwork. The second came from a Pizelkaxrovsky free kick. He curled it beautifully and the goal keeper had no chance to stop it, but it just deflected the inside post. It bounced to Stanleyinho, but he missed his chance to pick up his second goal as a defender made a great tackle to block the ball out for a throw.
No matter the Az-cz attack pressed forward. And in the 17th minute they did get the second goal. Once again Pizelkaxrovsky was at the middle of it. Zax-Im won the ball at the back of the midfield and shoveled it to Pizelkaxrovsky, who then played a wonderful game of give and go down the field. First he gave to Hubertinho, who then slid it back to Pizelkaxrovsky. Then off to Bn-Dg, who again returned. Then he quickly moved it to the other side to Kn-Dg, who crossed it back to Pizelkaxrovsky who then blasted in a shot to put the team up 2-0.
It didn't take long for Az-cz to find the third goal either. Once again they pushed up the field. They're next good chance was accompanied by a very scary moment for the team. Kn-Dg had the ball on the left wing and passed it to Bub-Rub just outside the box. Bub-Rub got smeared by the defender and seemed to be injured. He had to be subbed out of the game, with Ox-Rx coming into replace him. However on the following free kick, Pizelkaxrovsky found a corner of the net that was wide open and Az-cz moved ahead 3-0, after just 20 minutes had gone by.
All of the best chances in the rest of the half were had by Az-cz as they put two more off the posts and easily could have been up four or five going into the half.
At the halftime Levesque made his usual offense for defense substitutions, bringing Stanleyinho off and Kz-Kz on. From their Az-cz went into their shell, amazingly not allowing Alif Laam Miim a shot in the entire second half. Az-cz had a few chances but failed to find the net. The second half was definitely just Az-cz sitting on a lead.
Despite the lack of goals or even attacks the crowd enjoyed the second half relaxing and cheering on their team.
The win pushed Az-cz to 15 points and meant that they succesfully defended their stadiums in the first half of the group stage. Next comes The Candrian Empire who picked up a draw with Uncle Pete today. The Candrian Empire sits just outside of the top four right now, so they will be clawing for their points. The Alif Laam Miim team will try to put themselves back on the right track with a huge match against Commerce Heights JSY.

Statistics
Goals Az-cz 3 Alif Laam Miim 0
Az-cz Scorers 1 Stanleyinho 17, 20 Pizelkaxrovsky
Possession Az-cz 82% Alif Laam Miim 18%
Shots Az-cz 18 Alif Laam Miim 2
Corners Az-cz 3 Alif Laam Miim 0

The Mice of Miceland

31-07-2006, 06:41

Wrecker was wrecked

Today the people of Miceland once again played host to an international soccer match. Wrecker, was the name of the nation and it seemed wrecked was what they become. Actually, we are taking a bit of litterary licence but 2-0 was the score line. Charity FieldMouse, a midfielder, scored the first goal in the 59th minute, it seemed that Wrecker was a team that managed to cope farily well with both the de-bigulation and the fact that we are mice. These humans have seemed to be the only one's so far that have not been weird.

They have been the only ones to have not let a goal been conceeded by us in the first have when coming into contact with us. Wrecker seemed strong in their defense early and it was only in the later stages that the wrecker team started to get worn out letting a goal in in the 59th and 72 minutes. The second goal was by Sickly PlagueMouse.

We offer a paw of friendship to the people of Wrecker, and if they don't want it then it seems that they are just like every other human nation out there. Further decisions about international participation in football tournaments are scheduled to be made at the end of the Wold Cup qualifiers.

Ropa-Topia

31-07-2006, 08:14

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/DarthBunny/ns_stuff/sg-title.png

Keep your cats inside, the mice are coming
Marion Oaks 2 not a problem

ISLE OF UHM - With four matches played, the inhabitants of Uhm are now preparing to welcome the national football team of Miceland. The mice, who are normally the size of, well, mice, will have undergone a so-called bigulation process to increase their size when they meet our team in the Unity Stadium tomorrow, so please don't be alarmed when you see man-sized mice walking around town.

In order not to offend our foreign guests, the sale of the following items has been restricted in shops near the stadium district: Mousetraps
Cheese
The board game 'Mouse Trap'
various other items; for a complete list, visit the website of the RTSA at http://football.sports.rta/baptism/
The RTSA Department of Football has also announced that any spectator who attempts to bring mousetraps or cheese into the stadium will receive a life-long ban from visiting or participating in any sports event within the Allied States of Ropa-Topia.

Cat-owners are requested to keep their pets indoors the entire day.

Marion Oaks 2 defeated

The 1-0 victory over Marion Oaks 2, that was ensured by 18-year-old Laurinda Baldwin in the 55th minute today, added three more points for Ropa-Topia. This still keeps us on a third place in the Sky Blue group, but will make it harder for the numbers 4 to 7 to catch up with us.

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Islands of Ishtar 5 3 2 0 15 4 11 11
The Mice of Miceland 5 3 2 0 9 2 7 11
Ropa-Topia 4 2 2 0 8 4 4 8
Marion Oaks 2 4 1 1 2 4 4 0 4
Wrecker 4 1 1 2 3 8 -5 4
Lexington SC 4 1 0 3 2 10 -8 3
Tocapa 4 0 0 4 0 10 -10 0

Az-cz

31-07-2006, 08:20

MC: Once again congratulations to the team on another fine performance. Joining us today are the coach, captain Zax-Im and Man of the Match, Pizelkaxrovsky. Now to the coach's thoughts.

Levesque: I'm very proud of today's results. The team turned in their most dominating performance to date and the fans were excellent. Three home games and three victories is very nice. Also hats off to Pizelkaxrovsky. He was brilliant again today and deserved to be honored with his second Man of the Match.

MC: Alright, let's go to the questions.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach, once again today you pulled the attack back. Don't you think it would be a good idea to continue to attack?

Levesque: Why? Do you have any fear about are scoring. We've scored three goals in four different games, and our fifth game got two. That's plenty of offense, especially the way our defense is clicking. I'm not too worried about goal differential, and I'm not looking to run up the score. Seeing as how there's only one team who's scored more than us, I think we're doing ok.

Az-cz reporter 2: What's the condition of Bub-Rub.

Levesque: He's fine. It looked worse than it actually was. He could have kept playing, but with a 2-0 lead there was no reason to chance it.

Az-cz reporter 3: Pizelkaxrovsky, What happened on that opening goal? Was that pass intentional.

Pizelkaxrovsky: Absolutely. I have such control over the ball that I can control exactly where it will bounce off the post....<pauses>........that's what I'd like to tell you. <the audience laughs> Really it was well thought out good luck. I saw that he was there and that if I missed and the keeper blocked it out or if it came off the woodwork he would get it and score. So I figured I'd just jam it on in and see what happened. And he got the rebound and scored. So it all worked out ok.

Az-cz reporter 4: Winchestia has moved to second place on the table. They seem to have some internal issues, but they don't see to have slowed them down. What are your thoughts?

Levesque: I knew they'd be a strong team and have rebounded beautifully. It's unfortunate that they had to suspend their two strikers Maryan and Firmin, but sometimes adversity helps a team, and it's certainly helped them. I also think going to the Kitchen FC midfield helped. Hopefully both teams can stay strong until our match day eight game.

Alif Laam Miim reporter: Coach what are your thoughts about our squad?

Levesque: You're still in good position. You'll need a strong performance against Commerce Heights JSY to take points, but you've won twice and currently sit in third place, so there's no reason to worry. We'll try to take out The Candrian Empire for you. If you can stay the course there's no reason that you shouldn't be able to qualify.

Az-cz reporter 5: Any idea what you're going to do with your bye?

Levesque: That depends on what happens against The Candrian Empire.

Az-cz reporter 6: Now that you guys have a few games under your belts, what's your impression of international football.

Zax-Im: It's tough. It's a different thing from the -League. We've shown we have talent and can play well, but we also have to remember that we're still in the Baptism of Fire. These are good squads, but they're a far cry, as are we, from what we'll see in World Cup Qualifying. Winchestia is a strong team, but we could combine with them, and still probably not be able to take down a Bedistan or a Starblaydia.

Pizelkaxrovsky: I dunno. I find that some of the league games are more difficult than some of the games we've had out here. I think if you took the Yang Knights straight out of -League, they'd qualify for the last 16. But I do agree that it's only going to get tougher from here. Especially now that we've painted a target on our backs.

Az-cz reporter 7: How has the travel affected you guys?

Zax-Im: It hasn't really. Our accomodations have been top notch, the host countries fantastic, and we've had a good time. There's nothing bad about spending a few hours on a plane. We watch the Kleptodance feeds, we play some cards, we chat, we eat, we drink, and we be merry. So really, it hasn't been a problem.

MC: Alright, last question.

Az-cz reporter 8: How many more points do you think you guys will need to qualify, and how many to win the group?

Levesque: I don't know and I don't care. I told you I wasn't looking at qualification until the bye. I'm just going to concentrate on our next opponent , The Candrian Empire. Actually I may not get to it during the bye either, as our next opponent after that is Winchestia, a game that we'll take my full attention.

Pizelkaxrovsky: Since coach is dodging the question, I'll take it. As of now 14 points will qualify us, and 17 points will give us first place. But I don't think it'll take as much as that. I say we qualify with another 3 points and can take first with another 14. <Levesque glares at Pizelkaxrovsky>

MC: Hmmm..... I think it's best for us to be going now. Thanks for your time today gentleman. Good luck against The Candrian Empire.

Az-cz

31-07-2006, 08:30

July 31, 2006
From the office of Noz-Tf
Az-cz Football Federation

The Az-cz football federation, as a gesture of goodwill, would like to offer the Mice of Miceland a football arrangement.
We propose that the Miceland football team and the Az-cz football team arrange a set of two friendlies to be played during world cup qualifying. One goal is to show that not all non-Mice countries are unfriendly and hopefully encourage the citizens of Miceland and their football team to continue in international competitions. The second goal is to improve the footballing abilities of both of our nations. Two matches at international level can only aid both of our young nations.
Although Miceland has had some unpleasant encounters we encourage them to keep an open mind. As us gnomes can attest they are not the only federation made that has non-Human members. In a spirit of warmth developed through international sport, we make this offer.
Details of the arrangement, such as when to schedule these matches, where in each country to play these games, and so on can be arranged later, especially after both countries know their schedules for qualification for World Cup 30. This offer is simply to establish an in principle desire for such matches to occur.
We look forward to hearing from our counterparts in Miceland.

Noz-Tf
Az-cz Football Federation President

The Mice of Miceland

31-07-2006, 09:56

Mice with friendly Gnomes

The Gnomish nation of Az-Cz, yes finally another non-human nation, has offered us an international friendly during the World Cup Qualifying stages. The government has considered the proposal and there is no word on an official position on this offer but we have. If things work out well and schedules allow the offer that Az-Cz has made of a match will be seriously looked at.

The government would like to thank the nation Az-Cz for it's offer and we will certainly check for feasibly of such match once the group draw for the world cup has been released. Even though there is a potential that the friendly match will not be able to happen, the offer of the friendly is enough for us to take you into out hearts, and for bit of trivia for the non-mice readers which beat so fast that it sounds like on single rumble to the human ear.

We will continue to monitor things and hope that a friendly with Az-Cz is possible. The government of Miceland as well as the micelandic rodentia hopes that such a match would be possible and wishes to expand our friendship, perhaps even beyond the realm of football.

Toranat

31-07-2006, 16:14

Toranat Draw

The Toranat Rockies played another game in the Baptism of Fire yesterday. They drew against Allocer. The game was very boring with little action either way. The Rockies now sit 3 in their group 3 points behind first. The Rockies are the only undefeated team left in their group.

Rockies Schedule
MD1 Bye
MD2 @ Lylybium (D 1-1)
MD3 VS. Carvalo (D 1-1)
MD4 @ The Colony of Delaware (W 1-0)
MD5 VS. Allocer (D 0-0)
MD6 @ Czariums
MD7 @ Demot
MD8 Bye
MD9 VS. Lylybium
MD10 @ Carvalo
MD11 VS. The Colony of Delaware
MD12 @ Allocer
MD13 VS Czariums
MD14 VS Demot

Record 1-3-0

Goal Scorers
Hayes-3[/B]

Demot

31-07-2006, 18:39

Demot Daily ~ Strong Winds

If the suprise dominant victory gave everyone a flicker of hope for the national team, then the latest results are a lighthouse. The team continued it's dominance from the Allocer game and brought it against Czariums with authority. The stats, score, and tempermant after the game easily showed how the team has responded after starting the tournament on the wrong foot.

The game got underway quickly with Gooden coming up from the back to lead the charge on net. He did a 360 around one defender, deked out the other, and crossed the ball right to Lepierre. Lepierre did a 180 that threw his defender off balance and placed a perfect bender right into the netting making it one-nil just four minutes in.

Refusing to just fall back, the team was on the attack against 20 minutes later. Masteron took in a throw from Hostra and chip it ahead to Ysman. Three defenders came to close her down, but she managed to slip it back to Smith, who one timed a pass to Masteron. Surveying the field, he flicked the ball in the air and delivered a powerful siccor kick on goal. The keep dove, and caught the hard shot, but he was past the white line and the crowd went wild.

Unlike the last match, Czarium didn't fall into reckless play. The Czariums instead played with the class that you expect at this level, and for that they recieved enormous applause by the Demot fans at the end of the match. Yet their suffering was not finished in the match. The half ended and the second started as a game of cat and mouse. Then in the 58th minute Demot found the back of the net again. Black rose high in the air to deflect a corner into the near post, catching the keeper completely off guard.

Stats
Shots -
D ~ 9
C ~ 2

Fouls
D ~ 11
C ~ 10

Corners
D ~ 4
C ~ 1

Scorers
Samantha Black - 3
Allison Lucas - 1
Sarah Ysman - 1
Vince Lepierre - 1
David Masteron - 1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Tocapa

31-07-2006, 20:07

The Bartol Occassional
Bringing you the news... when we feel like it

As the Tocapan national football team prepares for the upcoming match against Wrecker, the Occassional sought fit to discuss with both players and fans their feelings on Tocapa's performance so far in Baptism of Fire 17. When asked how he feels about giving up, so far, ten goals in four games, keeper Roran Eldrop had this to say, "It vouldn't be so bad, but vhenever I hear the announcements, they alvays pronounce my name Eldrope. There's no 'e' at the end, dammit. That's really destroyed a lot of my confidence, and I didn't have a lot to begin vith." Young defender Blace Oroar had this to say: "Everyone else is just, like, so much faster than us, so much better trained, I think. I mean, I kind of vish I vas on the mouse's team, they're really good." Preliminary research has indicated that the mouse's team is, in fact, really good.

Fans on the Tocapan streets have been, less than enthusiastic, so far. "You know, I'm getting really [censored] tired of you [censored] reporters alvays approaching me on the street. I don't give a flying [censored]," said one bystander. Several fans have gathered around a large big screen television in the capitol city to watch each game. One of them, when asked why, responded, "Ve lost the large remote, so now ve can't change the channel." Occassional reporters found several teenagers and young children playing a quick game in a nearby park. Teran Ollios, star keeper for the Bartol High Crowns, said that "[he] dreams of being on the national team one day, so that [he] can get avay from all the [censored] going on at home. [His] parents are alvays fighting. If [he] can get on the football team, [he] can go far avay from here, and never have to listen to their 'discussions' again."

Colli Setorse of the Football Division of the Tocapa Athletic Foundation said that "[she] really enjoys vatching her adopted son[, forward Stowe Erroe,] play, even though he's probably the vorst starter they have. [She's] glad she could convince [head coach Geraldo] Ascou to put him on the team." Asked of what her thoughts on Tocapa's next opponent, Wrecker, were, she replied, "Oh, Stowy vill never score a goal against them, no matter how bad their defense might be. I'm so proud of him." We caught up with Erroe and asked him if he thought his adopted mother was right about him, to which he said, "That voman has got, like, the best immune system ever. I tried to poison her once and she vas like, 'Damn that vas one strong drink.' It's been hard trying to find a vay to kill her these last couple years."

Carvalo

31-07-2006, 21:48

The National Post
Carvalo’s Largest English Newspaper

Tiago, CRV – For the national football team of Carvalo, the last five days has given way to three draws and a loss, leaving the team at the bottom of the Red Group and in a rather melancholy mood. Their first game, a 1-1 tie away against Czariums gave the team a bit of confidence, seeing as they could compete with foreign national teams. The next game, another 1-1 tie at home against Demot, didn’t seem to do much for either teams, and the Carvalans looked forward to their next match, hoping for a win. Played at a training field near the National Athletics Center, their first home match was scheduled to be at the National Stadium of Tiago (http://mapy.pomocnik.com/img/karaiskaki6.jpg), however the stadium was still under construction at the time. The next match, away against Toronat, was an exact repeat of the previous two matches. The Carvalo Crusaders left Toronat a bit shaken and in disbelief. As they arrived in Lylybium, they looked eager for a first victory. For those who watched the match, the results were far from a victory. Both teams played well in the first half, and it looked to be a repeat of their first three encounters as both teams challenged with several shots on goals coming from both sides. At the half, they were scoreless. In the second half, the team began to break down. At the 57th minute, Dominic Yanez missed a crucial shot into the goal by mere inches, and afterwards he sat on the pitch in disbelief. A few minutes later, Simao Santos and Miguel Caneira had a very unfriendly conversation, ending in yelling as they were quickly drawn a part. The team was slower than usual, the defense broke loose, and the players wallowed away as soon enough, Lylybium scored. Nothing could be done, and as if it could not come soon enough, the end of the match came and they had lost.

The team boarded their specially made jet, courtesy of Song Airlines, and made their way back home to Tiago. That same night, the players headed straight to their dorms at the National Athletics Center and slept the night away in the comfort of their home country. The next morning, the well rested players were bussed to the National Stadium of Tiago (http://www.stadia.gr/karaiskaki/karaiskaki3.jpg) for their day off, where they stood on the pitch looking in all directions at the impressive sight of the stadium. Training followed, and by night time the players had bonded together as a team, and as they left the stadium they looked on to the rest of the tournament, hoping to secure their fate as one of the teams to qualify into the next round of the tournament.

The next match will be played at home in the National Stadium of Tiago, against the Colony of Delaware. The inauguration of the National Stadium will take place before the match, and the celebrations in and around Tiago will start much sooner as the whole country watches their boys and hopes for the best. From downtown Tiago, that's all there is to know about Carvalo in the Baptism of Fire. Check our website at http://www.thepost.crv for more coverage of the BoF, along with athlete profiles, football mini-games, and up-to-date match tables.

Winchestia

31-07-2006, 23:18

(OOC: Hooray High-Speed Internet in Hotels!)

Winchestia Times Editorial:
Winchestia Win; Gnomes, Mice Unite Against Winchestia
Well, as expected, We've beaten those inexperienced footballers from The Greatest Crap. Duman got 2 more, Pavin from free kick, but then you all knew that already, and that is not why I am writing today.

The reason for this column is the potential embarrassment to football caused by those "teams" that are not of human origin. I am refering, of course, to Az-Cz and Those Darn Mice (or whatever they are called). Now I am no speciesist (my best friend is a dog) but having mice and gnomes, working together, can only mean one thing: Death to the Winchestian way of life. Yes, I am in a minority here in this country, but is there anything wrong with thinking that humans are, by definition, the masters of this universe? No, I think not! ANY union of power between nations of non-humans spells disaster for the noble and right human nations. So I say this: To the Winchestia National Team, let's play these gnomes again, and let Taylor kick them to little bits! Then lets play these mice in a friendly, and have our cats have their way with them! That will teach them to play OUR game, the greatest invention of human beings.....football!

May the sporting gods have mercy on their souls.....

Aurendia

31-07-2006, 23:58

Three Rivers Times
“Voted ‘Best Crossword Puzzle’ five years running”

Raptors find a win in Lost Limeyville

LOST LIMEYVILLE – One late goal was all the Raptors needed to down Lost Limeyville and claim sole ownership of first place in the Black Group standings. The first half rapidly developed into another defensive standoff, with neither team managing to effectively penetrate the other’s defense.

Most of the second half action was equally uneventful, as neither team ever really threatened until the last ten minutes. Aurendia took the lead in the 85th minute when Cassandra Campbell sent a corner kick straight to the right foot of younger sister Ashley for the game winner. Lost Limeyville made a last desperate attempt during stoppage time, but Liza Kohl stopped all shots to secure Aurendia's second consecutive shutout.

This win leaves the Raptors alone in first place in the Black Group, with 8 games remaining in the opening round.

Scoring:
1. A (A. Campbell 3) 85th (Assist: C. Campbell)

Lexington SC

01-08-2006, 00:40

Lions Overpower 'Cats
Lexington Sports Report
At the Baptism of Fire, Islands of Ishtar The Royal Lions from Ishtar easily cruised past the 'Cats today in fine fashion, in an easy 4-1 victory. Ishtar keeper John Czechany went down in warmups with a slight ligament pull, (Czechany is fine for MD 6) but the Lions really didnt need him. Scoring 3 goals in the first 30 minutes, the 'Cats fell victim to the fine precision play of the Lions. Lexington added a goal in the 53rd minute, but the Lions continued to bury the 'Cats, adding their 4th goal in the 61st minute. The Wildcats gear up for Marion Oaks tomorrow.

Game Summary
Player Team Event Time
Hook ISH Goal 23
Lovecraft ISH Goal 24
Belue LEX Yellow 25
Sparks ISH Goal 29
Pilsbury ISH Sub 38
Belue LEX Red 46
Griggs LEX Goal 53
Marinelli LEX Sub 55
Rabbit ISH Sub 57
Rabbit ISH Red 62
Marinelli LEX Red 62
Lovecraft ISH Goal 63
Tarkingham ISH Sub 79
Whitman LEX Sub 82

Lexington SC

01-08-2006, 00:43

My opponents may, if they RP first
Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod Scoring Events Y
RP injuries to my players Y
Godmod injuries to my players Y Not Cup ending, maybe a game or two
Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y
Hand out Red cards to my players Y
Godmod Other Events Y
Lexington SC Wildcats BoF Roster

Manager: Chris Fryland
Team Doctor: Damone Leaphart
Stadium: Wildcat Hollow (Capacity 120,000) Retractable roof, grass field
Kits: http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i307/New-Lexington/NewLexingtonKits.jpg
Style: +1
Formation: 4-4-2
Lexington SC Wildcats Roster
Goalies
(Bold Indicates Starter)
1 Michael Lee FC Lexington
25 William Moore Real Lexington
14 Sam Casanova FC Irmo

Forwards
22 Trevor Trudeau FC Lexington
19 Trevor Griggs Real Orangeburg
31 Austin Meadowes Ridge View
46 Jason Whitman Airport
55 Chaz Reinhold FC Irmo

Midfielders
5 Will Belue Real Orangeburg
23 Brian Gillespie FC Lexington
18 Anthony Marinelli FC White Knoll
51 Blake Sox Real Swansea
02 Jordan Hicks FC Chapin
12 Isaiah Reeves CS Wren
15 Stern Smith FC Lancaster
33 John Blake Real Lexington

Defensemen
01 Sir Mike Chaps Real Cayce
76 Chris Hutto CC Columbia
99Arnold Patterson Real Orangeburg
74 Eric Bennett FC Lexington
88 Roger Mitchell FC Lexington
97 Terry Holthausen Real Saluda
0 Adam Langdon Lake Murray
00 Terrence Miles Real Orangeburg

The Candrian Empire

01-08-2006, 01:38

OOC: It's VERY hard to RP when you lost teh internet at your house.

Tomorrow I'll put up a roster & such.

BENKONATE

01-08-2006, 01:53

i sighned up but do not see my nation listed please correct any way were is the baptism gonna be this year anywere it is my team is ready iwill have a roster up soon

Bazalonia

01-08-2006, 02:05

i sighned up but do not see my nation listed please correct any way were is the baptism gonna be this year anywere it is my team is ready iwill have a roster up soon

First, details found in here (Sign up for WC 30) (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=11251520&postcount=1) show that you had not confirmed entry into the BoF

Second, It's the host's decision how many of the unconfirmed potential BoFee's actually play. In this case only 2. Farstra and Eseck.

Third, The BoF has already started if you are not listed as one of the participants then there is no way the host of the BoF will change the structure.

Tocapa

01-08-2006, 02:48

"Hello, and velcome to An Okay Darn Sports Show Period; I'm your host, Erick Akage, and tonight ve have some very special guests joining us. From the Tocapan national football team, ve are joined by defender Jayk Heshar, midfielder Henter Nol, and forvard Stowe Erroe. In addition, our head football expert, Terian Elloere, is here to discuss the future of the team and football itself in Tocapa. Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to have you here." - E.A.

"It's great to be here, Erick." - H.N.

"Certainly." - J.H.

"Evening, Erick. Is it okay if I give a shout-out to my mother?" - S.E.

"Of course, go ahead." - E.A.

"Hello, mother. I hope you enjoy the food that I've sent you. Please stop talking to me. I vill kill you." - S.E.

"Vell, that's all vell and good, but I'm afraid ve need to get to some serious football talk here. I'll start with you, Jayk. Vhy do you think you and the other defenders have had such a hard time preventing the goals from scoring?" - S.E.

"Erick, I think the problem is just that ve haven't had a lot of training, and the little training ve have had is from Geraldo Ascou. Before this Baptism I'd never even heard of this guy, and I know almost everyone." - J.H.

"Really, do you? Do you know my old neighbor, Yames Oleoa?" - S.E.

"Indeed, I once ran into him on a crowded bus. He tried to mug me, so I stabbed him." - J.H.

"Oh, that vas you! He used to tell that story all the time. Anyvays, back to football. Stowe, let me ask you a question. Tocapa has yet to score a goal, and from the look of many of these games, it appears you have been given very few opportunities to do so. Vhat has been the difficulty in getting shots off?" - E.A.

"The problem is that ve've just been playing against incredible defenses. I vas once going downfield vith the ball, and suddenly I look down and I vas like, 'Vhere is the ball?' I don't know vhat that vas about." - S.E.

"Interesting. Mr. Elloere, vhat do you think has been the main problem vith the team?" - E.A.

"Erick, the answer is very simple: teamvork. This is simply not a team, this is a bunch of footballers who don't know each other and have never vorked together. Maybe in a couple of years if they get back together they can work it out, but vith the vay this team is playing, I don't think they'll have the time." - T.E.

"Henter, vhat do you think about Mr. Elloere's assertions?" - E.A.

"He's absolutely right. That and Ascou. Sometimes I can't understand a vord he's saying. I'm not sure he even speaks our language." - H.N.

"Vhile this discussion is very lively, ve have to take a short break now, but vhen ve come back, ve'll discuss more." - E.A.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

01-08-2006, 03:55

First, details found in here (Sign up for WC 30) (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=11251520&postcount=1) show that you had not confirmed entry into the BoF

Second, It's the host's decision how many of the unconfirmed potential BoFee's actually play. In this case only 2. Farstra and Eseck.

Third, The BoF has already started if you are not listed as one of the participants then there is no way the host of the BoF will change the structure.

One mistake there Baz. Farstra and Eseck are not in this BoF. Only confirmed entries, as updated by NSWC Signups, were entered into the BoF.

It is not plausible or possible to restart the BoF at this point. Sorry.

Red Group
Allocer 2:2 Lylybium
Czariums 1:0 Toronat
Carvalo 4:0 The Colony of Deleware

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Colony of Delaware 5 3 0 2 6 7 -1 9
Demot 5 2 2 1 7 4 3 8
Czariums 5 2 1 2 3 7 -4 7
Carvalo 5 1 3 1 7 4 3 6
Toronat 5 1 3 1 3 3 0 6
Lylybium 6 1 3 2 4 5 -1 6
Allocer 5 1 2 2 5 6 -1 5

Black Group
Ten Thousand Maggots 1:1 Lost Limeyville
Perturbed Leopards 3:1 Delesa
Toopoxia 0:0 Aurendia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Perturbed Leopard 5 3 2 0 10 4 6 11
Aurendia 5 3 1 1 7 3 4 10
Lost Limeyville 6 1 4 1 5 4 1 7
Delesa 5 2 1 2 5 7 -2 7
Toopoxia 5 1 3 1 8 6 2 6
KCToker 5 2 0 3 4 9 -5 6
Ten Thousand Maggots 5 0 1 4 2 9 -7 1

Sky Blue Group
Ropa-Topia 0:1 The Mice of Miceland
Lexington SC 5:1 Marion Oaks 2
Tocapa 2:0 Wrecker

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 6 4 2 0 10 2 8 14
The Islands of Ishtar 5 3 2 0 15 4 11 11
Ropa-Topia 5 2 2 1 8 5 3 8
Lexington SC 5 2 0 3 7 11 -4 6
Marion Oaks 2 5 1 1 3 5 9 -4 4
Wrecker 5 1 1 3 3 10 -7 4
Tocapa 5 1 0 4 2 10 -8 3

Yellow Group
The Candran Empire 0:2 Az-Cz
The Greatest Crap 1:2 Uncle Pete
Commerce Heights JSY 3:2 Alif Laam Miim

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 6 6 0 0 16 2 14 18
Winchestia 5 3 1 1 11 5 6 10
Commerce Heights JSY 5 2 2 1 6 6 0 8
Alif Laam Miim 5 2 0 3 5 9 -4 6
Uncle Pete 5 1 2 2 4 7 -3 5
The Candrian Empire 5 1 1 3 3 8 -5 4
The Greatest Crap 5 0 0 5 3 11 -8 0

This is your MD6 Cut off. All further RP will be counted to MD7.

Az-cz

01-08-2006, 04:07

August 1, 2006
From the Desk of Noz-Tf

A friendly request

I have been made aware of an article in the Winchestia newspaper declaring that our playing a friendly with Miceland will lead to "Death to the Winchestian way of life". And that "humans are, by definition, the masters of this universe". We object to these claims with great vigor. First and most importantly , we believe in equality between racies and species. In Az-cz humans and gnomes live together happily. The great founder of Az-cz travelled with Elves and Dwarves and Humans and Half-Orcs and was friendly with many other races. Even the Az-cz football team contains human and gnome members. So we see no problem of incompatability there.
Furthermore we bear no ill will against Winchestia. We enjoyed our visit to Winchestia and were looking forward to their visit here. We would like to establish friendly relations with all country in the Baptism of Fire, Winchestia included. The reason we chose to make an offer of friendly matches to Miceland was because they seemed to be having problems with other races and we wanted to show that other nations could be friendly. This runs directly counter to that spirit.
We call on members of the Winchestia football team such as coach Shawl and the players to denounce this hateful article. However in lieu of such hate speech and direct requests for violence against our players we are requesting extra security and members of the Baptism of Fire organizing comittee from Andossa Se Mitrin Vega come to the match to prevent any unnecessary danger. We still welcome Winchestia fans into our country with open arms and hope to have a friendly match, unmarred by these types of opinions.

Noz-Tf
President of Az-cz Football Federation

The Mice of Miceland

01-08-2006, 05:28

The Good, the Bad and the outright Ugly

There a number of events related to the experiement of iternational interaction of mice recently. For the first time a nation has seemed to gone out of their way to make our stay there without a threat of cheese, trap or cat. The Ropa-Topians have passed instructions to all those in the nation that have those terrifying cats to keep them under strict security procedures, have taken measures for the removal of mice traps and the poison of cheese. It even seems that a game built around the premise of trapping mice have been removed from circulation. A mice-friendly version of this is being considered to be undertaken as a developement project under the auspices of the Miceland Gaming and Entertainment Council

On the other hand it seems that a nation called Winchestia has made statements in regards to friendlies between our Mice and Az-Cz is "a threat to Winchestian way of life" and "Gnomes, Mice Unite Against Winchestia". These claims which are ludicrous. How does a friendly against gnomes, one of the few nations that understands the problems of specism, count to an attack on Winchestian way of life? Either way a threat of "have our cats have their way with them" does not look like a nation that we would have anything to do. However in an effort to stand up to these bigoted, speciest and crudely inappropriate nation we will have a so called 'friendly'. But let us tell you friendly it ain't.

As from now on, all citizens from Winchestia will be refused entry to Miceland and our CDU, Cat Detection Unit will be re-inforced to protect our borders from those cruel, vicious and deadly cats and their owners will be dealt with significantly. The so called friendly we will go into the mouth of the cat and stare them down. We cannot let these hypocrites who say they are not speciest, backing that up with a 'my best friend is a dog'. Yeah, a dog that is not sentient and doesn't speak back.

This is an official government communique and public release

The Mice of Miceland

01-08-2006, 06:19

Mice continues to dominate

The Baptism of Fire, a tournament where our government is testing it's current isolationist policy seems to be the very thing, We have come across the friendliest to the worst of the international persons. Despite the political happenings as a result of the Baptism of Fire. However no one can doubt the Mice are performing very admirably with strong support from government subsidised transport.

In travel to Ropa-Topia the mice had been made to feel confortable by the hosts nation and it seemed that the Ropa-Topians came excited and ready to play Mice. The Mice seemed to struggle early on, this was the first match that they actually had to start working right away which was a near disaster. The Ropa Topians came very close to scoring many times but Reepicheep and Angel BalerinaMouse combined to block the shots. The team really struggled in the first 35 minutes and it was not until the half-way point of the match that the Mice seemed to have gotten themselves back together.

In another 23 minutes, 78 minutes into the game Sickly received a great cross from Charity Fieldmouse and shot the ball into the back of the net. Most of the mice seemed to enjoy their time in Ropa-Topia and started to experiment with human food, most of the ones that had experiemented found that serious health problems had suddenly came upon them and where rushed back to Miceland for emergency treatment. This is not accounted towards the Ropa-topians but the dangerous disease that individualism can affect our wonderous nation.

Miceland is now on the top of the group table with a bye for the next matchday, and unless the Island of Ishtar wins their next match then we will remain the top. After the bye We will host Ishtar on our own minature continent.

Az-cz

01-08-2006, 06:21

Az-cz Scroll
Augsut 1, 2006
The Candrian Empire
Il-Lur

Perfect First Half

With today's game against the Candrian empire Az-cz finished up the first half of the group stages. And they go into their bye in style, winning todays game to move to 6-0. That puts them temporarily eight points ahead of second place in their group and in excellent shape. Furthermore, like the previous five games, they again won by multiple goals, 2-0.
In today's game the only thing that prevented the scoreline from being more lopsided was fantastic play from the Candrian Empire's goalie. Three times in the first five minutes Az-cz was denied goals through great goalkeeping. In the next five minutes rather than the goalkeeper it was the post that kept Az-cz out of the books as both Pizelkaxrovsky and Stanleyinho bounced shots off the posts.
Clearly it was only a matter of time before Az-cz scored and sure enough in the 22nd minute they moved into the lead. Bub-Rub had recieved a pass and dribbled into the box where he was crushed by a Candrian Empire defender. Az-cz fans were a little nervous because of the fact that Bub-Rub was injured last came and was carrying a yellow, but this time things went in Az-cz's favor as they were awarded a penalty. Az-cz doesn't have a set penalty taker and Zax-Im made a curious choice. Despite all of the attacking ability with two great strikers, two attacking midfielder, and Pizelkaxrovsky's wizardry, eventually Ns-Ta stepped up to take the shot. It worked fine though as Ns-Ta buried the ball in the back of the net.
That goal didn't help the Candrian Empire any as they couldn't establish an attack. After the first goal there was a bit of a lull as neither team got much going. Eventually in the 35th minute The Candrian Empire momentarily found their footing and played good football for a stretch of about 7 minutes, getting 4 shots and even earning 1 corner. However Gn-Lg was more than up to the challenges.
Az-cz found the second goal of the half in stoppage time. Zax-Im dished to Pizelkaxrovsky, who juked around one defender before swinging the ball to Bn-Dg on the right who blasted it into the net for Az-cz's second goal.
After the half Az-cz continued to attack for about 15 minutes, getting off another incredible volley of attacks. These required another set of fine saves and two more balls of the posts. Candrian fans hoped that surviving those attacks would turn things in their favor.
They were half right. After those 15 minutes Az-cz attack mostly dried up, but not because of The Candrian Empire. Once again Levesque changed to a defensive formation. He took off Bub-Rub for Kz-Kz, Ns-Ta for At-Zm and Bn-Dg for If-Wt. Once again the game ground to a halt at that point. Az-cz has proven that when they want to hit the kill switch they are capable. Indeed only our friends from Miceland have been allowed as few goals as our squad.
Az-cz now heads into their bye week, which will be followed by a huge match against second place Winchestia. Although their have been some negative things said in the Winchestia media we encourage Az-cz fans to come out to the game. There will be extra security on hand. As for the Candrian Empire their next match is against Commerce Heights JSY. Although they currently sit in 6th place, a win against Commerce Heights and they are back in the thick of it.

Statistics
Goals Az-cz 2 Candrian Empire 0
Az-cz scorers 22 Ns-Ta (pen) 45 Bn-Dg
Possession Az-cz 75% Candrian Empire 25%
Shots Az-cz 22 Candrian Empire 5
Corners Az-cz 3 Candrian Empire 1

Aurendia

01-08-2006, 07:09

Etoka Journal-Tribune
“Now with larger print for those hung-over mornings”

Kohl injured, two ejected in scoreless draw against Toopoxia

TOOPOXIA – A point was gained in the standings, and no goals were conceded, but all is not well for the Aurendia Raptors in the wake of a scoreless draw in Toopoxia. Due to injuries and penalties, the Raptors will be without the services of three key starters for the next match. The trouble began during a Toopoxia corner kick in the 68th, starting goalie Liza Kohl collided with a Toopoxia player and had to be taken off the pitch with a sore ankle. Tests performed at a local hospital revealed that Kohl will likely be out of action for at least the next three match days.

Backup Rick Baxman replaced Kohl and managed to preserve the shutout, but not before penalties could further alter the Raptors’ line-up for the next match. In the 85th, forward Regina Dunlop was a little overzealous in her defensive play, being awarded a red card for elbowing a Toopoxia player. A second red came was issued in the 88th following an illegal tackle by midfielder Jeff Yaneohe.

These line-up issues come at a bad time for the Raptors, as the next match will be at home in Etoka against Perturbed Leopard, currently the highest-scoring team in the Black Group and the team now in first place in the standings.

Az-cz

01-08-2006, 08:38

MC: Here we are again. Once again the Az-cz team has won their match. We congratulate the team on a perfect six for six start. We remind everyone that there is no match tomorrow as the team has their first bye. Talking with us today will be Coach Levesque, Man of the Match Ns-Ta, and team captain Zax-Im. Coach, hit it.

Levesque: I feel like a broken record. Every day I come up here and congratulate my team on their beautiful play. But I like the broken record feeling. Hopefully we can keep this broken record spinning right up till the end of the Baptism of Fire.

MC: Alright, let's go to the questions.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach, you said you wouldn't talk about qualification until the bye week. We've advanced to the bye week. What are your thoughts on qualification?

Levesque: My thoughts on qualification are this: We'd better qualify. At this point we need at most 9 points to qualify. And most likely the necessary number will be much lower than 9. So I think we'll qualify. Now we set our sights towards winning the group.

Az-cz reporter 2: Zax-Im, Ns-Ta, how did you guys decide that Ns-Ta would take the penalty?

Zax-Im: It mostly came down to confidence building. It might have been a bit arrogant on my part, but I truly believed we would win the game, and also that any of the players could have scored the penalty. So I looked at who was unlikely to score otherwise. I thought about asking Gn-Lg to take it, but figured that might be too much. So I asked Ns-Ta to take it.

Ns-Ta: It wasn't my idea to take it, and I didn't ask to take it, but I wasn't remotely nervous when I did take it. Although I'm not a regular penalty taker, it wasn't something I have a problem with. And I think it could help down the road. I think it showed the team that PKs aren't a problem. If we encounter PKs down the road I think we'll be confident in them.

Az-cz reporter 3: What will you do with your bye?

Levesque: Since our first game after the bye is at home in Knights Coliseum, I'm giving the players the day off. Me and the coaching staff will watch film of Winchestia, with Zax-Im and Gn-Lg coming in with us in the morning, but we're taking it pretty light. These guys have earned some freetime to enjoy with their families.

Az-cz reporter 4: Speaking of Winchestia, give us your thoughts on their team?

Levesque: Winchestia is a strong side. I'm not suprised they've rebounded to the top of our group. That's going to be a tough battle. They nearly took us last time. I expect the lineup changes to stick even though Firmin and Marayan are off of suspension. But who knows. They'll have the advantage of suprise but we'll have the advantage of a completely comfortable squad. So It'll be a good match.

Az-cz reporter 5: What are your thoughts about the editorial in the Winchestia Times complaining about the proposed friendly between Az-cz and Miceland?

Levesque: I hope and believe that those are the thoughts of one prejudiced man, not representative of the people of Winchestia. We were well treated while we were there. So I don't expect much to actually come of it. But it is disappointing. Our Football Federation took a very bold and very positive step to establish good relations with Miceland, who had already experienced prejudice in these qualification rounds. As you can see from the announcement that Miceland will accept a delegation to learn about Kleptochase it is already having positive results. It is sad that a beautiful thing had to be marred this ugliness. As a note to all the teams in the Baptism of Fire, our friendliness with Miceland doesn't not exclude friendly relations with other nations. We have positive will towards all the countries competing in the Baptism of Fire.

The Candrian Empire reporter: What are your opinions on The Candrian Empire team?

Levesque: They're only two points behind Alif Laam Miim for fourth place, so they still got a chance. But performances like we saw today won't be enough. They have talent and can improve, but they must do so. With us and Winchestia looking like solid bets for two spots, the pressure is on for the last two. A win against Commerce Heights would take them along way.

Az-cz reporter 6: Now that qualification looks pretty safe will you begin to watch teams from outside of the group?

Levesque: Yes, before we progress to the knockout stage we would like to plan out more carefully strategies against other teams. However we won't begin until after Winchestia. And even then we'll be careful to make sure that we can maintain first in the group. While I was worried about having our bye at the end, now it looks like it will be an advantage. To be honest I didn't expect to be progressing through qualification as easily as we are. For a team that is scrapping for points having a bye at the end is bad. But for a team that can look forward to the knockout stage having extra preperation time, with a good idea of who your opponents might be is definitely an advantage.

Az-cz reporter 7: In a similar vane, will we seen any lineup changes near the end of qualification?

Levesque: That's a distinct possibility. I'd like to be able to protect my injured and carded players. However I do believe that it's in our best interest to win the group, so I won't be making too many lineup changes as long as that is up for grabs. What changes occur will be directly related to how things unfold.

MC: Last question

Az-cz reporter 8: How will your six wins affect the way you approach the second half?

Levesque: I think our mental approach has to be the same. We're still playing good sides, and as things advance the results become more and more important. Now a bad result will seem more important so teams will be more desperate. If we get lax, we will pay. So the mental approach has to be the same, even if we make lineup changes.

MC: Thanks for your time men. Congratulations again, and enjoy your time off.

Winchestia

01-08-2006, 14:32

"A Very Bad Day"

Jody Shawl woke up and looked outside. "Lovely day, I am looking forwards to relaxing on this bye week." He whistled as he made is breakfast, fed his cats checked his e-mail and sat down with his daily copy of the Winchesta Times.

"THAT <beeeeeeeeeeep> SOB! Now he has gone too far."

He called the Winchestia Times editorial department in a rampage, yelling and screaming at anyone and everyone he can get on the phone with.

"Are you guys TRYING to make my job harder? Isn't it bad enough that Az-Cz is clearly much better than us, now you want to make them mad?! And those sentient mice too? You guys are trying to kill me!"

After a few minutes Shawl finally got in touch with the lead editor. "I demand an apology to the mice and gnomes. I want you to print CLEARLY that our team and, indeed, the sane people of Winchestia do not think the way your idiot writer does. You are lucky the government of Az-Cz is so understanding, you almost caused an international incident!"

After being assured that such an article would be printed the next day, Shawl finally sat down to his now cold breakfast and tried to plan the rest of his day.

After winning their last 3 matches, he had canceled training for the day. He hadn't expected anyone to show up when he got to his office at the National Stadium. Yet, there to greet him was Dallas Marayan and Ervin Firmin, his two feuding forwards whom he had recently suspended. Surprisingly, they were standing together, laughing.

"MANAGER! How nice to see you!" said Firmin

"Hey, Ervin, Dallas, it looks like you guys have finally buried the hatchet. I'm so glad to hear it!"

"Yeah, we've come to an understanding." replied Dallas, "It turns out we have a few things in common in our athletic backrounds. Thank you for putting us togther on the trip so we could work out our differences."

"By the way, we aren't barred from going on TV are we? One of the networks was putting together a contest of sorts, and asked if we could come on."

"Yes, of course, just make sure you are in training tomorrow. We have the trip to Az-Cz coming up, and the Times has made sure they'll be fired up for it. Welcome back to the team!"

After Firmin and Marayan left, together, Shawl sighed, happy that something had finally gone right. Against all odds he had gotten his two star strikers to start working together. Well, at least not beat each other up. Or so he thought.....

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

Later that night, Shawl was watching the Candrian-Az-Cz match trying to find a way to counter the speedy, athletic gnomes who gave them SO much trouble the first time around. At Half-time, Az were Az and led 2-0. Shawl almost didn't hear the commercial at first, but soon....

"Tonight, LIVE from the Tilse Arena..it's The Celebrity Fighting Challenge! That's right your favorite Winchestians fighting in MMA combat! The main event this week is between those feuding strikers of the national team, Ervin Firmin and Dallas Marayan!"

Shawl immediatly called for a cab.
----------------------------------------
Arriving at Firmin's dressing room first, Shawl was in a rage.

"You're doing WHAT?! I thought you guys were all settled? That you reached an understanding? What is this nonsense?"

"Relax, Jody, we DO know what we are doing. See it turns out that Dallas was a kickboxer at school, and I was a wrestler. We know what we are doing. The network paid us LOTS of money, more than we, well more than I, get in 2 weeks at Kitchen for this fight. Besides, it is only 2 4-minute rounds. We can both do that in our sleep! We'll be fine by tomorrow and training."

"When I said you can go on T.V., I surely didn't have THIS in mind....I'll tell you what though, if you guys AREN'T ready for training tomorrow, you'll never be on the team again! In case you haven't noticed, Duman is making his bid for first choice striker, and a compelling one at that!"

With that Shawl took a complementary seat at ringside for the fight.

As for the fight itself, well, Firmin tried to shoot in, but Marayan's takedown defense was too tough. Marayan was able to keep him at a distance with his strikes, and it came as no surprise when a left mid-kick followed by a flurry of punches on the ground halted the contest in the 1st round. After checking to make sure Firmin was ok, Shawl left in building in disgust of his players taking, what he felt, was a needless risk.

Going home that night, Shawl noted that since Marayan hadn't taken any damage, he should be good for the trip to Az-Cz. His lineup was thus:

Seruss -- Cam, Pop, Tinley, Billiot -- Bodle, Hartney, Melland, Pavin (all Mikey Town FC, not Kitchen FC as I may have said previously) -- Duman, Marayan

Winchestia

01-08-2006, 15:21

"A Very Confused Manager"

(On the national team plane, Jody Shawl is in the air with his starting eleven for the Az-Cz match)

"Gentlemen, I am sorry to have startled you all in the early morning, but due to recent events, I thought it best to send a few people as possible to Az-Cz."

"But Jody...", interrupted Josh Pop

"Not now Josh, I just wanted to tell you that there will not be any subs available for the next match at Az-Cz, and we are going to leave just as soon as possible after the match"

(The players all look at each other with concern)

"What's wrong? Surely you have all played 90 minutes before, it shouldn't be THAT big of a deal..."

"Yeah, but Manager....you forgot about Uncle Pete?"

"Uncle Pete? I don't have an uncle Pete"

"No, no, no...Uncle Pete....OUR OPPONENT THIS WEEK BACK HOME!!!! The one on the schedule BEFORE Az-Cz......"

"Oh <beep>"

With that Shawl quickly went to the back of the plane to his office and called Orville Sporer back home.

"Hey listen, Orville"

"Yeah, is that you Jody? It's 3 AM! What do you want?"

"Er..I've forgotten about Uncle Pete. We're in the air headed to Az-Cz, but I've only brought the starters like we discussed. Can you get the 12 guys you got there ready for Uncle Pete tonight?"

"Um....sure? But Firmin is still hurting a bit from the match with Dallas, so really we only have 11 available, that includes 2 goalkeepers."

"Oh crap, that's not good...Well, just pair Vorkink with Winiarski up front then."

"Er...how are we going to score then? You want the strike partnership to be Winiarski (who can't seem to hit the side of a stadium lately) and our 3rd choice keeper. How is this suppose to work?"

"You'll figure it out! Listen, we are about to enter Az-Cz space, I have to go now...go get us the points against Uncle Pete!"

Ropa-Topia

01-08-2006, 16:21

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/DarthBunny/ns_stuff/sg-title.png

The best-viewed game of Mice and Men
Interesting match ends in 1-0 defeat

ISLE OF UHM, Unity Stadium - The football match between our national team and the Mice of Miceland has become the best watched sports event that was broadcast on Ropa-Topian TV since a certain memorable beach volleyball match during the Tyrellian Ylompics. Over 85% of the nation watched the first half of the game, and even more tuned in during the second half, to see Miceland striker Sickly PlagueMouse score Miceland's winning goal.

When asked if Ropa-Topia would have lost had the opponent been human, coach Klungelaer responded, "Of course the team was a little apprehensive when we found out we would be playing against a team that consisted entirely of mice, and at first it was indeed a strange sight to see them play, but after a short time it quickly became clear that both teams were just there to do one thing, to play football. Sports, and football in particular, have already transcended notions of gender and religion, and now also of species. Playing football never has and never will harm any way of life, whether the opponent is human or not."

Uncle Pete vs. The Greatest Crap: 2-1
On the same day that our team lost their first match in this tournament, the team from the Rocky Mountain Federation of Uncle Pete actually won a match, although it was not a really big surprise as their opponent, The Greatest Crap, is the only nation in this tournament that has lost all matches they have played so far.

Tocapa

01-08-2006, 19:42

The Bartol Occassional
Bringing you the news... when we feel like it

The Tocapan national football team recorded their first international victory in Baptism of Fire 17, a preliminary tournament for the upcoming 30th World Cup. For four games the Tocapans had struggled to even find the goal, let alone win a match, but finally pulled out the guns against Wrecker in last night's exciting game.

The first half was relatively boring compared to the half that followed. The match started out fairly inconspicuously, with no shots attempted for more than 20 minutes. In the 23rd minute, Wrecker made a long shot for the goal, but it was too high and sailed into the stands. Four minutes later, Tocapan midfielder Brai Trus was handed a yellow, which almost resulted in a tussle between players on both sides.

A mistake by a Wrecker defender in the 32nd minute gave Tocapa a penalty kick, but forward Cler Bestov failed to convert. In the 38th, a yellow was handed out to another Wrecker defender, which was followed soon by Tocapa giving up a penalty, which also failed to convert. The first half would end in a scoreless tie.

As the teams headed out onto the pitch for the start of the second, the stadium was quiet, as Wrecker fans were disappointed with the level of their team's play, and Tocapans were simply confused as to what was going on. However, it was only eight minutes into the second half when forward Stowe Erroe sent a scorching header past Wrecker's keeper to notch his and Tocapa's first international goal.

At first the stadium remained quiet, as Tocapan fans weren't sure whether this was a good or bad thing, but after around two minutes began cheering excessively for the first time in the match. For the rest of the match this shouting failed to cease, even when Erroe was brought down in the 68th minute, resulting in a red for Wrecker that essentially sealed their fate. Inexperienced Looka Aladie was brought in replacement for Erroe, who is expected to be ready for the next game against Ropa-Topia.

The injury and experience failed to deter Tocapa, as substitute Aladie converted a penalty kick in the 72nd to make the game two-nil in favor of Tocapa. For the rest of the match, Tocapa's defense was able to prevent Wrecker from getting any shots off, and the team walked away from the pitch in a spirited mood, now preparing for the Ropa-Topians.

Our reporters caught up with Trus soon after the game, and he explained his thoughts: "After that yellow, man, I thought it vas all over, especially vhen they started to get riled up, but no, ve stayed in it all night and vere finally able to pull out the vin. I'm so happy, now."

Erroe, resting his leg, had this to say: "Vell, I know vhat you're thinking, mom, but this only gives me more time to plan your death."

Head coach Geraldo Ascou, ecstatic, said of the game: "Ooh, this is nice, huh? I'm glad ve finally able to get the goals and vin the game, now if ve just vin the rest then ve are really good, ya?"

Fans painted in red, green, and blue exiting the stadium were talked to. One had this to say, "I vas rooting for the guys that von the whole time. I didn't know vhether or not they vere ours, but they sure looked nice out there." Another fan echoed the statements of perhaps the entire nation: "That's it? That's all there is to it? I could do that. Sign me up!" Our research indicates that, indeed, that is all there is to it.

Briefs:

Doctors have said that Erroe's injury is not serious enough to keep him out of the tournament, and that while he probably will be ready for the next game, they will have to wait and see.
The Football Division of the Tocapa Athletic Foundation has stated that despite the victory, Ascou's job is not certain, and that if any further disappointments arise, he will most certainly be fired before qualification for World Cup 30 begins.
Asked if they plan to take any precautionary measures for the eventual home match against The Mice of Miceland, the Football Division responded, "They're just mice, for god's sake! If they wanted to be treated just like everyone else, who are we to stop them?"

Lexington SC

01-08-2006, 21:19

[Sportscenter theme playing]
Voice: This is Sportscenter
"Welcome to another edition of Sportscenter"
"I’m Rick Patrick"
"And I’m Trey Montgomery"
"We start at the Baptism of Fire, MD 7 tonight where the Wildcats took on Marion Oaks 2"
"I feel a good game coming"
"And so do I"
"However the real match was a different story. We pick up the action in the 21st minute."
"Marinelli with the ball at midfield lobs a pass to Trudeau, controlled. Trudeau looking for options has a man left side that’s Griggs now with it. Griggs back to Trudeau shot GOAL!!!!! Back of the net Trevor to Trevor Trudeau. GOAL!!!
"And it would only get better for the Cats in the 25th minute"
"Griggs now has it streaking down the side, puts in a shot from about 50 feet... GOAL!!!!!, a rocket from the foot of Trevor Griggs, 'Cats up 2-nil"
"But Marion Oaks wasn’t out of it yet"
"Here's a free kick for Marion Oaks. Shot, deflected by Chaps, off Sox's foot and in! An on goal by the Wildcats as the lead is cut to 2-1"
“After halftime the ‘Cats were back on the prowl”
“Here’s Griggs with the ball now passes to Trudeau back to Griggs and to Sox now, shot deflected by the keeper, but put back by Sox!!!! GOAL!!!!!!”
“And just a few minutes later”
“Here’s Griggs lining up a free kick, here it goes, the keeper leaps, but not far enough!!! The ball bends just out of his reach and now it’s 4-1 Cats! Griggs’ second goal.”
“And one more time”
“Griggs now with two defenders to beat, spin move and he’s by one, rainbow and its 1 on 1 with the keeper, a bloop shot over his head and Griggs has a hat trick!!!!!”

“Tomorrow the ‘Cats will face Wrecker in a match between the 4 and 6 place teams in the Sky Blue Group”
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOO ‘CATS!!!”

Demot

02-08-2006, 01:20

Demot Daily ~ The Turning Point

With two dominat wins heading into the bye, the team looks refreshed and ready to go against Toronat at Skyhaven. The teams success can be attributed to any number of players as they have had a multitude of goal scorers, but the dominant Black does lead. If the team gets the win tonight, it will be full steam ahead as the squad would go into the second half of the group stage secure in it's position.

"Well we obviously were a tad nervous coming into this grand tournament, and our played definately showed that and then some. But after a good pratice and team meeting following the game against (The Colony of) Deleware, the team has responded well. Black has been the steady hand, scoring the bulk of our goals, but I've been really pleased that others have chipped in as well. This is not an I sport, it takes a team effort to win. And I think we have that now, and if we continue to have it, we can win this group and hopefully go deep in the knockout stages. That in itself would be a great acheivement and hopefully continue the support of fans after our suprising win of the BNW Premier League."

So Dogood believes in the team, and the nation is starting to reestablish its faith in the team. But rest assured, Toronat are no pushovers despite their record.

"They are a tough team with good players. They are just unfortunate not to catch a few breaks." added defender Hostra. One thing can be sure though, the nation and team will know itself better after tonight's match.

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

02-08-2006, 03:47

This is your MD7 (aka Migraine from your kids) RP cut off

From: Vegan Defense Force Headquarters
To: All interested BoF participants.

It is with regret that we inform you that any protection your players or fans may need during the group stages of this Baptism of Fire fall solely on your own shoulders. The matches during this phase are not played on ASMV soil and can not be policed by our forces. This will change during the knock-out stages when matches are played in the Draggonnii Socialist Empire of Andossa Se Mitrin Vega.

Thank you for your attention.

And now the scores. Yay!

Red Group
Demot 2:0 Toronat
The Colony of Delaware 4:2 Czariums
Carvalo 1:0 Allocer

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Colony of Delaware 6 4 0 2 10 9 1 12
Demot 6 3 2 1 9 4 5 11
Carvalo 6 2 3 1 8 4 4 9
Czariums 6 2 1 3 5 11 -6 7
Lylybium 6 1 3 2 4 5 -1 6
Toronat 6 1 3 2 3 5 -2 6
Allocer 6 1 2 3 5 7 -2 5

Black Group
KCToker 0:3 Delesa
Aurendia 3:1 Perturbed Leopards
Toopoxia 1:1 Ten Thousand Maggots

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 6 4 1 1 10 4 6 13
Perturbed Leopard 6 3 2 1 11 7 4 11
Delesa 6 3 1 2 8 7 1 10
Toopoxia 6 1 4 1 9 7 2 7
Lost Limeyville 6 1 4 1 5 4 1 7
KCToker 6 2 0 4 4 12 -8 6
Ten Thousand Maggots 6 0 2 4 3 10 -7 2

Sky Blue Group
The Islands of Ishtar 0:1 Marion Oaks 2
wrecker 0:1 Lexington SC
Tocapa 3:0 Ropa-Topia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 6 4 2 0 10 2 8 14
The Islands of Ishtar 6 3 2 1 15 5 10 11
Lexington SC 6 3 0 3 8 11 -3 9
Ropa-Topia 6 2 2 2 8 8 0 8
Marion Oaks 2 6 2 1 3 6 9 -3 7
Tocapa 6 2 0 4 5 10 -5 6
Wrecker 6 1 1 5 3 11 -8 4

Yellow Group
winchestia 5:0 Uncle Pete
Alif Laam Miim 3:0 The Greatest Crap
Commerce Heights JSY 1:1 The Candrian Empire

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 6 6 0 0 16 2 14 18
Winchestia 6 4 1 1 16 5 11 13
Commerce Heights JSY 6 2 3 1 7 7 0 9
Alif Laam Miim 6 3 0 3 8 9 -1 9
The Candrian Empire 6 1 2 3 4 9 -5 5
Uncle Pete 6 1 2 3 4 12 -8 5
The Greatest Crap 6 0 0 6 3 14 -11 0

The Mice of Miceland

02-08-2006, 06:07

In the inner most sanctum of the miceland government, faceless bearaucrats are sitting around the table where all major government decisions are being made. There are a total of 10 of these, all of course as you would expect are mice.

"The experiment is progressing, it is too early to determine which way it will go." Mouse 1

"Az-Cz seem to be a good nation, though we're not ready to fully open the door to them, Kleptochase seems fun though. I was actually managed to get shown from Art-Bob himself." Mouse 2

"Which is of no consequence, On the other hand Winchestia, noting that the paper did make an apology." Mouse 3

"Far too little, far to late. We shudln't be surprised if they just said that to pull our tails over our eyes." Mouse 4

"And then there's Ropa-Topia, nice nation, but not as friendly as Az-Cz. At least they have attempted to make us feel comfortable." Mouse 5

"And finally Islands of Ishtar, which we played on Matchday 1, We are not certain of these guys, They where the first ones to come across and I don't think it even occured to them that there might be a sentient race other than humans. We won't as yet make a judgement on them but we host them next matchday and it is then we will make our judgement." Mouse 6

"We are proving our football worth against these humans. Top of the Sky Blue Group. and Islands of Ishtar are next losing to Marion Oaks 2 on matchday 7. Keeping our Mice 3 points clear." Mouse 7

"It seems that officials in the Entertainment and Gaming Office are predicting a win, over our next opponent, a small one but a win none the lesss. Home advantage, history over Marion Oaks 2 (we drew while they lost), but they have a higher goal differential. Anyway, we'll see."

Aurendia

02-08-2006, 06:13

Southport News
“We don’t need a slogan. We’re just boring like that.”

Raptors regain scoring touch against Perturbed Leopards

ETOKA – Unusually hot weather didn’t slow down the Raptors, as they easily defeated Perturbed Leopards 3-1 in front of a raucous blue-and-green clad (if clad at all) crowd at Etoka City Stadium.

Team Aurendia started off the scoring in the 17th, when Cassandra Campbell stole the ball from a Perturbed Leopards player and passed it up to Matt Sanchez for the top-corner strike. The Raptors’ offense continued to press against Perturbed Leopards, leading to a second goal in the 35th as Ashley Campbell pounced on the rebound of a Tom Lamorieaux shot that bounced off the post.

Perturbed Leopards came out more aggressively in the second half, which resulted in a goal in the 52nd minute. Emboldened by the shrinking deficit, Perturbed Leopards stepped up their attack as the second half continued. This was all for naught however, as the Raptors’ defense and goalie Rick Baxman managed to prevent any further goals.

Any Perturbed Leopards momentum was lost around the 67th when Raptor fans, who have been surprisingly well-behaved so far this tournament, struck again. During a routine stoppage of play following an out-of-bounds, a handful of members of the Etoka-based fan club “Campbell’s Crazies” streaked onto the field, stopping play for nearly three minutes before they were finally escorted off the pitch. This display of fan support caused Perturbed Leopards to completely collapse, while simultaneously invigorating the Raptors’ attack. This was most apparent in the 73rd, when Jessica Colenti sent a long clearing pass to Ashley Campbell for her second goal of the game.

Scoring:
1. A (M. Sanchez 2) 17th (Assist: C. Campbell)
2. A (A. Campbell 4) 35th (Assist: T. Lamorieaux)
3. PL 52nd
4. A (A. Campbell 5) 73rd (Assist: J. Colenti)

Az-cz

02-08-2006, 11:12

August 2, 2006
From the desk of Noz-Tf

Deal with Mice and other news

The first piece of news from the Az-cz Football Federation is to announce that terms have been reached on the friendlies with Miceland. The first will be played in Az-cz between the finish of the Baptism of Fire and the start of world cup qualifying and the second will be in Miceland during the beginning of world cup qualifying.
Combined with their willingness to experiment with Kleptochase we believe our friendship with Miceland is off to a good start. We wish them continuing success in the Baptism of Fire.

Misunderstanding

We are disappointed to hear that Andossa Se Mitrin Vega will not be sending anyone to our game, we believe there was a misundestanding. The request was not for troops but rather a request for World Cup Organizing officials to attend the match. We believe both teams would benefit from knowing that the game will be closely monitored. If officials are unable to travel to Az-cz, we ask that officials monitor the game closely.

Popularity

A survey, taken by the Az-Scroll regarding the popularity of football in Az-cz has shown that interest in football has steadily increased throughout this Baptism of Fire. Before the first game 26% of respondents described themselves as very interested and 30% described themselves as somewhat interested, while 19% described themselves as uninterested. After 3 games the percentage very interested had risen to 31% and somewhat interested had also risen to 31%, while uninterested fans had decreased to 14%. After the 6th game 41% described themselves as very interested with another 33% somewhat interested. Accordingly, the percentage of uninterested dipped to 9%. These are very good signs for Az-czid football and hopefully we will be able to translate this interest into support for the -League.

Noz-Tf
President of Az-cz Football Federation

Az-cz

02-08-2006, 12:48

Eli-As Sports Bureau

Baptism of Fire statistics

These statistics provide a look at the Az-czid performance through their first six games.

Appearances

Player Games Starts Subs On Subs Off Playing Time

Pizelkaxrovsky 6 6 0 0 540
Zax-Im 6 6 0 0 540
Mario Nerazzuri 6 6 0 0 540
Ml-Dni 6 6 0 0 540
Gn-Lg 6 6 0 0 540
Kn-Dg 6 6 0 1 518
Ns-Ta 6 6 0 2 490
Bn-Dg 6 6 0 3 475
Hubertino 6 6 0 2 474
Stanleyinho 6 6 0 2 472
Bub-Rub 6 6 0 6 340
Kz-Kz 3 0 3 0 97
Ox-Rx 2 0 2 0 93
At-Zm 3 0 3 0 60
If-Wt 2 0 2 0 56
Lur-Mn 1 0 1 0 45
Uz-Gz 1 0 1 0 45
Lo-Ro 1 0 1 0 22
Az-If 1 0 1 0 21
Dugl-Bugl 1 0 1 0 20
Ip-Gp 1 0 1 0 12

Offense

Player Goals Assists Points

Pizelkaxrovsky 3 9 12
Kn-Dg 1 5 6
Zax-Im 1 4 5
Lur-Mn 2 1 3
Bn-Dg 1 2 3
Stanleyinho 2 0 2
Bub-Rub 2 0 2
Ml-Dni 1 0 1
Mario Nerazzuri 1 0 1
Uz-Gz 1 0 1
Ns-Ta 1 0 1

Goalie Statistics

Player Shots Goals Save% GAA Clean Sheets

Gn-Lg 44 2 95.5% 0.33 4

Cards

Player Yellow Red

Bub-Rub 1 0
Ns-Ta 1 0

Man of the Match Awards

Player Awards
Pizelkaxrovsky 2
Zax-Im 1
Lur-Mn 1
Gn-Lg 1
Ns-Ta 1

Team Statistics

Possession: Az-cz 66% Opponents 34%
Shots: Az-cz 81 Opponents 44
Corners: Az-Cz 14 Opponents 7

Some other interesting numbers after these first six games:

*Pizelkaxrovsky has been involved of 12 of the 16 Az-cz goals. Only 2 of the 27 other teams have scored as many goals as Pizelkaxrovsky has points. Furthermore he has twice as many points as the second most on the team Kn-Dg, proving Pizelkaxrovsky's value and importance to this team.

*Az-cz has had a great fluctuation in shot attempts, with games allowing only two and four shots, but also a game allowing as many as 20.

*Az-cz has twice as many corner kicks and nearly twice as many shots as their opponents, numbers that help explain the 6-0-0 record.

*Bub-Rub has been subbed for in all six games. His minutes are significantly lower than any other starting member. However those numbers are slightly distorted by the 70 minutes he missed against Alif Laam Miim due to injury.

*A stunning 11 different Az-cz players have scored. Only three other teams have scored that many goals. That is a big advantage for Az-cz and a big problem for other teams. Nine of the ten starting field players, all but Hubertino, have scored, as well have two back up forwards, Lur-Mn and Uz-Gz.

OOC: What's the best way to control spacing on those tables?

Az-cz

02-08-2006, 14:12

9:30 AM

<Coach Levesque, two assistants, Zax-Im, and Gn-Lg have gathered in an office at Knights Coliseum>

Levesque: Good morning gentleman. Here are the tapes from the Winchestia games. We're going to go through them all rather quickly. Focusing on some of the key elements. We hope to get you out of here by noon. I know you've still got prep work to do for your house party, so we won't be keeping you too long.

Zax-Im: Thanks coach. I'll stay until we finish, but Sa-Toko is a bit nervous about things, so it'll be good for me to get back.

Gn-Lg: <makes a whip crack noise> We see who runs thing in that house.

Zax-Im: Well it's true, but it has it's benefits. <He smiles at Gn-Lg> It's not a problem I particularly mind having.

Levesque: Alright, could you guys put on our game first please. <the Az-cz v Winchestia game shows up on the screen> Now here you can see the formation of the 4-4-2..........

12:22 PM

<Ml-Dni, his wife Rch-El, their son Fi-Lx and daughter So-Fia are driving in the car>

Ml-Dni: You guys each get one present today, what would you like?

Fi-Lx: I want a Pizelkaxrovsky jersey?

Ml-Dni: Pizelkaxrovsky? You already have daddy's jersey?

Fi-Lx: Yeah, but Pizelkaxrovsky's so cool. He's the star of the team. You just play defense. Plus he always does cool things. Like his goal dances and when he taunts the fans. I love you daddy, but you're not very cool.

Ml-Dni: Alright, if you don't want to wear mine, how about uncle Ox-Rx or uncle Uz-Gz?

Fi-Lx: No, I want Pizelkaxrovsky's.

Rch-El: Just let him have it dear. And how about you sweety?

So-Fia: I want the new Br-Bi doll. Js-Ka says that they made a new football Br-Bi, and I want it.

Ml-Dni: Sounds find precious.

3:30 PM

<In a packed conference hall>

Pizelkaxrovsky: I'm here to announce my new video game. Pizelkaxrovsky's Crazy Football. This game has 4 Modes: Arcade, Player, Franchise, and Nation.

The Franchise and Nation modes are standard to most football video games. In our game you can play in the -League and a number of other professional leagues. You can also create your own team and add it to those leagues, or create your own league. This is similar to the nation mode. You can play as Az-cz or an existing nation, you can create your own nation. And you can even create your own world filling it with any number of nations of your own desire. You can also hook up your created nations to play against other nations on the internet.

But my favorite part of the game is the Player mode. In this you create a person and play him. You have to manage his skills, training time, but you also get to manage his posse and other things like that. Plus you get bonus points for designing goal celebrations and doing super skill plays. Both my bounce off the players leg and the off the crossbar pass will be possible and quite valuable maneuvers. For the adults we will be selling a special version that recreates the life of a footballer down to his nightlife. Let me tell you that some of those scenes are quite interesting.

Here to give you more details about the game is the creator Bil-Gt.

6:00 PM

<The players, families, girlfriends, have gathered at Zax-Im's house>

Sa-Toko: How is everything?

Kn-Dg: Delicious, thanks for having us.

Fr-Tld: Did you guys see the Miceland Kleptochase exhibition. I thought they did pretty well, but their thievery techniques need some work.

Bub-Rub: <Laughs> That's pretty rich coming from probably the only professional athlete in all of Az-cz to ever get stuck in a kleptochase course.

Kz-Kz: What's this now?

Lo-Ro: Yeah, it's true. It's a pretty great story. A couple of seasons back we went to Az-cz university for a meet and greet. Well it had been arranged that we would play against the girls Kleptochase team. So me and Ns-Ta, go. We both manage to barely when the races. Then Bub-Rub goes. And of course he brutalizes the poor girl. That's what you get when your father is the best ever, I suppose <everyone laughs>

Ns-Ta: So then it's Fr-Tld's turn. And he steps in. And he gets to the third obstacle, and he absolutely can not get it open. When he hears that the girl has reached the target object, he gets really frustrated and eventually he broke his lockpick inside the lock, something which I've never seen before.

Bub-Rub: Yeah, it basically never happens. In all the competitions I saw my dad compete in nobody ever broke a tool during a race.

Lo-Ro: So he's stuck their the whole time and the girl finshes the chase and eventually he has to turn around and walk away.

Fr-Tld: Yeah, I goofed. Not only that but I had to pay to fix their danged trap. Do you guys know how much those things, cost? Damn. Now I know where all my Ex-gx's go.

Dn-Zf: Holy crap, you guys might want to come in here and catch the Winchestia game.

If-Wt: What is it?

Dn-Zf: There roster is, ummm....... broken. Apparently they made some sort of scheduling error. Anyways they're starting a goalie at striker and some other pretty odd stuff.

<The guys gather around the TV>

Zax-Im: Hmmm.... we better make sure coach is seeing this.

<Calls coach Levesque>

Zax-Im: Coach are you seeing the Winchestia game. Something fishy's going on.

Levesque: We're looking into it as we speak. Don't worry about it.

Lexington SC

02-08-2006, 16:53

'Cats Extend Winning Streak to Two
Lexington Sports Sentinel
Old Wildcat Hollow- In a relatively boring game today, the Wildcats toned it down a little bit and held Wrecker to no shots on goal. Will Belue fresh off of a 1-game rest (Red card vs Ishtar) scored on a header on a corner kick in the 73rd minute. Coach Fryland was pleased with his team's performance. "Well i told the guys to tone it down and our goal was to focus on defence this match and well, we suceeded. We held them to no shots, and we dominated the passing game." Now the 3rd place 'Cats look towards the second rotation of BoF 17, starting with Topoca.

Az-cz

02-08-2006, 17:16

<An image of a player throwing a baseball-sized ball at a target>
Announcer: The delight of triumph
<A running man gets two hands pushed in his back by a man running behind him>
Announcer: The cruelty of losing
<A naked woman is dancing through a room full of wires>
Announcer: The beauty of movement
<One man running with the same baseball-sized ball collides with another man>
Announcer: The brutality of contact
<The camera slowly fades in from a view of the whole country of Az-cz, to Az-Cz City to a single building to a television studio>
Announcer: All of these things and more make up are wonderful Thin Country of Sports

<One single man is sitting behind a news desk>

Jm-Mky: As you are all probably well aware, Az-cz has entered into a soccer competition known as the Baptism of Fire. The results have been quite good and tonight we've gathered a panel of experts to discuss what we've seen so far. Joining me tonight will be two coaches and two current -League players. From the league powerhouse Yang Knights coach Rox-Wna will be joining me. The other coach joining us tonight is Dwr-Kng, the coach of Red Dwarf Rangers, the last non-Yang Knights team to win each of the three championships. Also joining us tonight will be James Levesque, son of national team coach Roger Levesque and midfield partner with Kn-Dg at Yak Clerics and defender Qu-Dng from the Vertigo Slimes. Thank you for joining me tonight gentleman.

Alright, let's get down to business. First question: Who do you think has been the best Pinko through the first half of the group stages.

Dwr-Kng: I don't think there's any question that Pizelkaxrovsky has been the best. He has by the far most points of any Az-cz player, he is the ultimate creator for the midfield, and deservedly has won two Man of the Match awards.

Rx-Wna: I'd hardly call it so obvious, I think that Zax-Im has been the best player. Yes Pizelkaxrovsky has made the unbelievable plays, but what Zax-Im provides is the stability. Zax-Im was Man of the Match against our toughest opponent in our first game. He's kept the team on a good attitude and that's what is important. Coach Levesque even made it clear that the key was presence, and as Captain Zax-Im has provided just that.

Levesque: While Rx-Wna is clearly biased to Knights players, I am not. I'd like to say Kn-Dg has been the best, and he has played quite well, but the best player has been Gn-Lg. Look at his numbers: a .955 save percentage. 4 Clean sheets. He even threw down a clean sheet against a good Commerce Heights squad when they fired 20 shots at him. He's only given up two goals and one of them he got a hand on and just couldn't quite deflect it. And the other goal was a penalty. Basically he's played about as well as a keeper can. That kind of support is priceless for a team and is really helping out the side.

Qu-Dng: I guess that makes me the tie breaker. I'm gonna have to side with Pizelkaxrovsky, but the truth is you don't win six games in a row by multiple goals and establish a +14 goal differential without a number of players playing well.

Jm-Mky: Alright, the flip side, who's been the most disappointing?

Qu-Dng: Well as I say it's hard to call anyone disappointing, but I'd call out Ml-Dni. His defense has been good, but not great, he hasn't gotten into the attack that much, as can be shown by not having recorded one assist in six games and he gave up that brutal goal against Winchestia. You know we're playing well when a member of a three-man defense that's only conceded two goals in six games and has scored is the worst player.

Rx-Wna: I think the most disappointing has been one of my Knights, Hubertino. Again this is stretching the definition of disappointing, but somehow he's the only starter not to have recorded a goal and he really doesn't have much going for him in the midfield either. He hasn't earned any assists and his midfield play has been good, but not up to the level of the other midfielders.

Dwr-Kng: Again it's hard to choose, but I'd look at Ns-Ta. His defense has been expectedly stellar. He's played really well except for giving up a penalty. Ml-Dni's the only other player with a blemish as bad but at least Ml-Dni might have thought there was some chance to make it up. A penalty basically equals a goal for the opponent.

Levesque: Well there are no good choices, but I guess I'll choose Ox-Rx, cause he's the only forward who hasn't scored. The bench has made a lot of contributions and his is maybe the smallest. He was expected to be the third choice striker, but both Uz-Gz and Lur-Mn have played better with less time.

Jm-Mky: What's been the biggest suprise so far for you?

Qu-Dng: I'd just say the six wins. I think we all expected international football to be a much higher level than we've seen. Which isn't to say that we'll continue to roll, but six wins of such convincing fashion is better than any of us could have expected.

Levesque: I'll go with Lur-Mn's performance against Greatest Crap. In the one game we have faced a deficit he played brilliantly. He was the fifth choice striker and yet he is the only striker so far to have brought home a Man of the Match award.

Rx-Wna: Both definite suprises, but I'll go with the play of Pizelkaxrovsky. We all know how fabulous he is, but the two plays he made defy football logic. He's made a number of great plays in -League, but nothing of that level.

Dwr-Kng: I think the biggest thing is the balance of the offense. If you'd told me we'd have 11 different scorers in our first six games I wouldn't have believed you. Considering Hubertino and Ox-Rx have both yet to score I would expect it to climb to 13 before the group stage ends, and possibly a couple of the backup midfielders can find goals as well.

Jm-Mky: Looking outside of our yellow group, which teams do you think have looked the best so far?

Dwr-Kng: I think you'd have to say Miceland. Looking straight at points, they're in second place. They're also the only team that has yet to lose other than us. I'd like to see them do well as they seem like a nice, if shy, nation. And the fact that they're taking up Kleptochase is a boost. Unfortunately we're both in the Andossa Se Mitrin Vega region, so a trip to the finals for both of us doesn't seem possible.

Qu-Dng: I agree about Miceland, but I think we need to keep an eye on Islands of Ishtar. Any team with that strong of an offense is a definite threat. Outside of us and Winchestia they've got the best goal differential of any team.

Levesque: I agree outside of our group the strongest team looks to be Miceland, but I think the best looking team so far is Winchestia. They looked awesome tight with their backup 11. They are a definite threat. We'll see again how the two teams matchup tomorrow, in what should be a beauty of a match. It's unfortunate though, in that it seems that all the best teams ended up being sent to Andossa Se Mitrin Vega. Us, Winchestia, Miceland, and Islands of Ishtar will all be in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega. That means fans there will get high level football but that some good teams will be going home early.

Rx-Wna: Agreed. Looking at the teams playing in Legalese, Aurendia looks to be the best team. They've accumulated the most points and the greatest goal differential. And I think they may be the favorites at this point. I think whoever advances from Andossa Se Mitrin Vega will deserve to be the champion. However that team will be gassed. While the team from Legalese may be able to drift through their round and be better posed to win one single game. If it was best of five I'd say the team winning Andossa Se Mitrin Vega would win but in one game things like rest become big factors.

Jm-Mky: Predictions for the Winchestia game?

Rx-Wna: 1-0 Az-cz wins. I think Winchestia will give us all we can handle but I think we will continue to show that we are the best team in the tournament. My guess is that we have an equal number of shots, but Pizelkaxrovsky finds the one thread of daylight and Zax-Im and Gn-Lg keep Winchestia off the board the other way.

Dwr-Kng: 2-2 I just don't believe it's possible for us to keep winning every game. And Winchestia is clearly the team most likely to take points off of us. I think it will be an up and down game but we won't be able to shake them.

Levesque: 3-2 Az-cz wins. I agree that it will be up and down but I think we'll find a way to sneak past them in the end. In my little bit of Homerism I'm going to say that Kn-Dg steps up and finds a Hat Trick and the winning goal to send Winchestia home empty.

Qu-Dng: 4-0 Az-cz wins. I think there will just be too much energy and passion from our side for Winchestia to combat. After their racist statements the other day you know that our players and fans will be fired up. But we won't channel it towards violence but to dominating the match. And it seems as if Winchestia is a little off their kilter at the moment. Yes they won their match tonight 5-0, but one wonders why their head coach and starting 11 landed in Az-cz while their assistant and back up 11 were playing against Uncle Pete. I think that will hurt them.

Jm-Mky: Alright last thing, where do you see us going into the knockout stage?

Rx-Wna: If we win tomorrow I don't think there's any question that we ought to win the group. That would put us eight points up with five games to play. The saying is that it's always realistic to expect to make up a point a game. Eight points in five games is well above that. With the second place team being finished we'd be well set to go. If we lose we'll be in for a fight, but at any rate we'll still be the top team.

Dwr-Kng: Not much else to add. We ought to finish first. Winchestia can't take us down by themselves and if we take even a point tomorrow we just have to stay strong and first is ours. A great first half performance has really been a boon.

Qu-Dng: Indeed. I think if you switch us with the top team from any other group we're basically a lock for first place. Only a strong opponent in Winchestia is keeping us from that.

Levesque: Agree with what they said. I think the thing to watch rather than our place is our lineups. It will be important to see who coach Levesque chooses to imploy in those last few games. If we're not fighting for points we might get an idea of who the important subs will be by who earns starts for the first time.

Jm-Mky: Thank you for your time gentleman. Hopefully we'll be able to talk under similarly pleasant circumstances when we recap next week.

Qu-Dng: Thanks Jm-Mky.

Levesque: Night

Rx-Wna: Thanks for having me on again.

Dwr-Kng: I'll see you soon Jm-Mky.

Jm-Mky: Coming up after these commercials, a look at Kleptochase in miceland and a look at the third round of the once a year fan voting Kleptodance tournament.

Winchestia

02-08-2006, 21:48

Winchestia Times
Surreal Scenes as Winchestia Hammer Uncle Pete.

Today a team that can only be described as Winchestia "B", under the care of apparent caretaker boss/midfielder Oliver Sporer hammered Huncle Pete 5-0 in the Baptisim of Fire tournament. The goals were scored by Sporer himself (13th and 79th), Will Winiarki (30th, 35th) and a second-half injury time penalty by Kitchen FC goalkeeper Marcos Vorkink, of all people. Though a clearly and important match, the win seems to all but assure qualification to the knockout stages, Manager Shawl, and 11 players were missing from the match.

When asked about this strange set of circumstances, Sporer replied "Well, all I can say is that there was a series of misunderstandings in the last few days which led to what you saw out there today. We really are fortunate that Winiarski found his form, or this would have been a complete disaster."

"Although I can not go into details about where Jody (Shawl) is at the moment, I can tell you that he WILL be in Az-Cz the next matchday along with the players missing today. I'm afraid the answer to all other questions must be 'no comment'".

That controversial match, stroked by an inflammatory editorial written by an ex-editor of this newspaper, has led to tensions between the two nations and fear that violence may break out at the match. There are unconfirmed rumors that members of the Tilse Police Force, who have experience dealing with the rowdy Marcheq supporters, have been asked to go along on the trip. As for the whereabouts of Jody Shawl and the rest of the team, I guess we will just have to find out in a weeks time.

Toranat

02-08-2006, 23:18

Demot

03-08-2006, 01:10

Demot Daily ~ A Half To Go

With another resounding victory over Toronat, Demot has placed itself in a favorable position. Win or draw four of the remaining six matches, and we make it past the group stage. The conditions all point towards this being the only possible route that the team will have.

So what has caused the first half success? It's this reporter's opinion that the whole team is doing its job during every match. If you excuse the game against Deleware, the defence has been sound and the offence strikes when it needs to. An amazing five different players have accumilated for the teams eleven goals with Samantha Black leading with three. If the team continues to play as a cohesive unit, it is quite possible that they can ride this momentum all the way into the semis or the final.

Looking outside the group, Aurendia looks secure in it's spot as leader of the Black Group. Yet Delsea and Pertuurbed Leopard are in great spots to demantle them from the top spot while Toopoxia and Lost Limeyville will be battling for the last spot in the group.

Moving over to the Sky Blue table, the pecular nation known as Mice of Miceland are dominating the group quite easily. Yet amidst the spectacular play from the odd team, there has been quite controversy with the nation of Winchestia declaring the team a threat to their lifestyle. We here in Demot sympathize with the Mice who are here like everyone else trying to put on a good display of football.

In the Yellow Group, no one can deny that Az-Cz are the favorites to win the group, and possibly go into the knockout stages undefeated. We see them weaving their way all the way to the championship. This is not to say that the other teams don't have good teams, it's just that the Azers are a step ahead of everyone else at this point.

So with half the group stage over, we look forward to the second half with glee. Hopefully the spark that has united a team and nation shall become a grand flame in the majestic lighthouse leading the squad to glorious fortune. All we know is that it shall be quite entertaining, beginning tonight against Lylybium.

Scorers
Samantha Black - 3
Justin Frontson - 2
Allison Lucas - 1
Sarah Ysman - 1
Vince Lepierre - 1
David Masteron - 1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Tocapa

03-08-2006, 01:50

The Bartol Occassional
Bringing you the news... when we feel like it

A fairly uninteresting game played out last night in Tocapa against the Ropa-Topia national football team. Though the match looked to be intersting from the get-go, with Tocapan midfielder Brai Trus getting a straight shot past Karolien Japsers, the Ropa-Topian keeper, in the 16th minute, but from there it was a fair let-down. The next 20 minutes were slow, with neither side attempting a shot, just a lot of back-and-forth play between the two sides. The 39th minute, however, brought another Tocapan score, this time by Stowe Error, forward for the team.

The second half opened up fast with Trus blasting another shot in the 48th minute, but from then on the game was a menagerie of missed shots, missed opportunities, and "My God will somebody please do something!?" Ropa-Topia seemed to take advantage of Erroe being taken out in the 67th minute, but failed to score, even as Tocapan defender Arur Ber was shown a red in the 84th for a tackle on Ropa-Topian forward Anky Huybrechts. Huybrechts did not appear to be seriously hurt, as he was only off the field for moments before returning.

The rest of the match played out without much fanfare, and as the stoppage time ended, we caught up with Ber, who had this to say about his indiscretion: "It's the damned parasites, man. They're in my head!" There is no word on whether Huybrechts is prepared to accept this apology yet. Head coach Geraldo Ascou, seemingly exuberant, explained his team's sudden resurgence, "No, I've not been drinking! How dare you! If you'll excuse me," he stated while brandishing a bottle of rum.

We were able to catch up with Colli Setorse of the Football Division of the Tocapa Athletic Foundation, adopted mother of Erroe, after the game, who had this to say: "He scored a goal? Vhat's that about? I didn't train him to vin, I trained him to suck. Oh, and that food he sent me from Marion Oaks 2? I think it vent bad 'cause I tried it and it really didn't taste very good." Our forensic investigators were able to examine the food and determine that, indeed, it was bad. Erroe was able to reply, "Goddammit voman! You must stop living!"

Briefs

Tocapa is currently in sixth place in the Sky Blue Group of the Andossa Se Mitrin Vega region. They need to get to fourth or better by the end of the group stages to advance to the knockout stage and remain alive. They have six games left in the group stage.
Emperor Sange has stated that the recent move to Atlantian Oceania "vill not affect the upcoming matches in Tocapa. Vhich game is this ve're playing?"

Winchestia

03-08-2006, 02:19

The Higgleton Post
"For Winchestians By Winchestians"

Wendle City-- Despite the best efforts in ignoring the event by "other" newspapers, the message of Human Party leader Sam Waterton, the former editor of the said "other paper"'s sport section, was heard loud and clear. 10,000 members of the newly formed party formed after Waterton's firing for an impassioned plea for sanity by kicking non-humans out of football, marched outside the Winchestia National Stadium before the demolition of Uncle Pete. They demanded that Winchestia cut off ties with the NSFA until such time non-humans are thrown out of all internatonal football. It is a position that this paper completely agrees with. There is plane being supplied for however many protesters wish to go to Az-Cz to let our feelings toward non-humans know, right in their own backyard! Our message WILL be heard!

The Mice of Miceland

03-08-2006, 02:58

Bazag RogerMouse, codenamed Alice, was a member of Miceland's External Security Force, a network of Mice that owe their allegiance to Miceland and work in the world as 'normal' mice. This however is not an easy job as most mighht think. The problem is getting reports back to Miceland. and then there is the innate size difference. Miceland's mice are slightly larger, to a casual observer there is no difference but someone who knows what size mice should be may notice something different. The de-bigulation process is not able currently to recitfy the situation as the difference is so small, but scientists are working on it.

Bazag RogerMouse was in Winchestia, he was sent there by the chamber, the only known source of power in Miceland. The Chamber is virtually unknown outside security forces of the government. They sent him in response to the hateful and idiotic statements that one of the Winchestia rags published. The editor was sacked and it seemed that things where fine until rumours started to flow through the ESF back to the Chamber. The rumours where of a 'Human Party' a party of what seemed neo-fascists that hated anything that was not 'normal'. Gnomes and sentient mice are according to them 'not normal'. This nation was something that concerned the chamber and so he was sent.

When he arrived in Winchestia it was obvious just how much the rumour was true. There was news stories about this human party spreading their message both within Winchestia just before their win against Uncle Pete and then with their upcoming match against Az-Cz, for the human party that's like going into the mouth of the cat. Added on top of this was the Higgleton Post, the mouth piece of this hateful and totally ignorant party.

Bazag RogerMouse cringed as he read the pamphlets that the party distributed, he was glad as he saw at least some of the humans being hostile towards the party but the party was obviously going to be something that he'd need to be of concern about.

A message was communicated back through the ESF detailing everything that the party had done and was known. Maybe it would be time that he went into the cat's litterbox and faced these guys in their party headquarters, or maybe not. It depended on the instructions he got back through the ESF.

Tocapa

03-08-2006, 03:42

Here posted is the following press release from Geraldo Ascou, head coach of the Tocapa national football team:

Ya, so I'm ya gonna be taking another vacation here right soon and I don't know for how long yet so just to let you knows this time. I might not make it back in time for da qualifying so ya.

OOC: I'm going to be leaving this Friday or Saturday and am going to be gone for another week (or longer), and I am unsure of whether or not I'll be able to access a computer (no specific deity willing) during this time period.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

03-08-2006, 03:55

This is now your friendly "Who Wants to be a Champion?" MD8 RP Cut Off.

Red Group
Allocer 0:1 The Colony of Delaware
Carvalo 5:0 Czariums
Lylybium 1:1 Demot

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Colony of Delaware 7 5 0 2 11 9 2 15
Carvalo 7 3 3 1 13 4 9 12
Demot 7 3 3 1 10 5 5 12
Lylybium 7 1 4 2 5 6 -1 7
Czariums 7 2 1 4 5 16 -11 7
Toronat 6 1 3 2 3 5 -2 6
Allocer 7 1 2 4 5 8 -3 5

Black Group
Ten Thousand Maggots 0:3 Aurendia
Toopoxia 1:0 Perturbed Leopards
Lost Limeyville 3:1 KCToker

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 7 5 1 1 13 4 9 16
Perturbed Leopard 7 3 2 2 11 8 3 11
Toopoxia 7 2 4 1 10 7 3 10
Lost Limeyville 7 2 4 1 8 5 3 10
Delesa 6 3 1 2 8 7 1 10
KCToker 7 2 0 5 5 15 -10 6
Ten Thousand Maggots 7 0 2 5 3 13 -10 2

Sky Blue Group
Ropa-Topia 1:1 Wrecker
Tocapa 0:0 Lexington SC
The Mice of Miceland 2:0 The Islands of Ishtar

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 7 5 2 0 12 2 10 17
The Islands of Ishtar 7 3 2 2 15 7 8 11
Lexington SC 7 3 1 3 8 11 -3 10
Ropa-Topia 7 2 3 2 9 9 0 9
Marion Oaks 2 6 2 1 3 6 9 -3 7
Tocapa 7 2 1 4 5 10 -5 7
Wrecker 7 1 2 5 4 12 -8 5

Yellow Group
The Candrian Empire 1:2 Alif Laam Miim
Commerce Heights JSY 4:0 The Greatest Crap
Az-Cz 0:0 Winchestia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 7 6 1 0 16 2 14 19
Winchestia 7 4 2 1 16 5 11 14
Commerce Heights JSY 7 3 3 1 11 7 4 12
Alif Laam Miim 7 4 0 3 10 10 0 12
The Candrian Empire 7 1 2 4 5 11 -6 5
Uncle Pete 6 1 2 3 4 12 -8 5
The Greatest Crap 7 0 0 7 3 18 -15 0

Az-cz

03-08-2006, 03:58

August 3, 2006
From the desk of Noz-Tf

More racism

We in the Az-cz football federation are deeply saddened to hear that the nation of Winchestia continues to incite violence and racism. A second major newspaper has come out with a highly racist and pro-violence stance towards non-Humans. Depending on the actions of the Winchestia team and fans today, we are considering filing a protest to the World Cup organizing comittee asking that Winchestia be banned from World Cup qualification.

We would like to establish friendly relations with Winchestia, as we would with all nations, but any nation that refuses to recognize the valid existence of non human-races makes it very difficult to do so.

Despite rumors that Winchestia is planning on sending citizens with the express purpose of protest, we won't be denying entrance into the country to any Winchestia citizens. However, protests based on our ethnic or racial characteristics will not be allowed and any Winchestian simply promoting a Human's Only agenda will be arrested and deported. We hope that Winchestians will show good sense and avoid such action, but there will be heavy security deployed throughout the stadium and in areas surrounding the stadium as well.

Noz-Tf
President of Az-cz Football Federation

Winchestia

03-08-2006, 05:29

The Winchestia Times
Winchestian Shame, Violent Protestors Ruin Entertaining 0-0 Draw

The football was magnificent, and for us that use to be enough. Sadly, a small group of ideological morons led by a former editor of our newspaper rampaged in the streets outside the stadium before the match causing multi-millions of medals in property damage. This shameful act has already been condemmed by President Michaels and by all of the national team players. It is to the eternal credit of our wonderful hosts that the football was allowed to go on. And go on it did....

Now most 0-0 draws are boring lacklustre affairs played between 2 defensive minded teams. This wasn't one of them. Playing with no subs (Shawl elected to only bring the 11 starters for fear of safety, apparently they arrived last week which was the reason for the Uncle Pete incident) the Cooks managed to run stride for stride for 90 minutes with the team that so embarrassed us on Matchday 1. Though there weren't many clear chances, the threat was always there on both sides, and both defensive units worked very well to contain the teams.

It was a physical game, but not an overly physical one, only Tinley getting a yellow card for a borderline challenge against Pizelkaxrovsky.

All-in-all, it would have been a perfect day, in a beautiful setting, had it not been for some idiots in the streets. For that ALL of us should be ashamed.

Aurendia

03-08-2006, 06:51

Southport News
“We don’t need a slogan. We’re just boring like that.”

New faces find success against Ten Thousand Maggots

TEN THOUSAND MAGGOTS – The Raptors started off the second half of opening round matches in the Baptism of Fire with a strong 3-0 victory over a struggling Ten Thousand Maggots team.

The Raptors came out shooting, and they found success early on, as Ashley Campbell scored off a long pass from Tara Pellegri. Team Aurendia’s offense kept up the pressure, and this led to a second goal in the 39th, as Cassandra Campbell headed in the rebound of a Matt Sanchez shot off the post.

At the beginning of the second, the Raptors’ coaches subbed in some of the players who hadn’t seen any action yet in the tournament. This didn’t affect the momentum of the game, as shown in the 63rd, when substitute forward Denise Little scored off a Cassandra Campbell corner.

On the defensive side, Aurendia started third goalie Julia Kennedy in an effort to give her some game-time experience. The Raptors’ defense kept her from being too busy this match, but she blocked all seven Ten Thousand Maggots shots she faced to earn the shutout. The Raptors also managed to avoid any major penalty this game, the only card being a single yellow being given to defender Karina Delvecchio near the end.

The Raptors currently sit in first place in the Black Group with a 5 point lead over second-place Perturbed Leopard. Tomorrow is a bye day for Team Aurendia, after which they head to KCToker, where the Raptors hope to avenge a 2-1 defeat on MD3.

Scoring:
1. A (A. Campbell 6) 13th (Assist: T. Pellegri)
2. A (C. Campbell 2) 39th (Assist: M. Sanchez)
3. A (D. Little 1) 63rd (Assist: C. Campbell)

Az-cz

03-08-2006, 16:31

Az-cz Scroll
August 3, 2006
Es-Ef
Em-Nm

Disappointing Day

The tension was high coming into the day and with good reason. There had been a number of stupid racist comments coming from Winchestia, which had led to an increase in tension, amongst fans and players. The Winchestia coach was so scared as to only bring his starting 11.
The day got off to a bad start when Winchestia protesters got out of hand. They started with simple racist chants, such as "No more Gnomes!" and "Gnomes are a crime against God" and similar nonsense. When the Az-cz police force began arresting Winchestians, as they had stated they would, things began to get out of hand. The Winchestians began attacking police officers as well as Az-cz civillians and hurling all manner of thing. Although there have been no reported fatalities, there have been many injured Az-czzers as well as severe property damage. The number of arrested Winchstians is reported to have been in the hundreds.
With such a back drop to the game, it was hard for either team to get really focused in. Although the game was played with attacking in mind, neither team really created many chances. The first have was fairly even, with Az-cz having a slight lead in chances.
In the second half Az-cz was beginning to set the pace of the game and looked like they were going to score when Tinley fouled Pizelkaxrovsky in the 53rd minute. Many fans believed that it should have been a red card. In watching the replay it clearly looked as if Tinley was swinging for Pizelkaxrovsky's knee. And he succeeded. Pizelkaxrovsky continued to play, but it was obvious that he lost his magic, and after just four more minutes had to be subbed off. When that happened coach Levesque seemed to make the decision to try and hold off for a draw. He brought on At-Zm to stabilize the defense. Although Zax-Im tried to orchestrate the offense, he was unable to create the beautiful plays that Pizelkaxrovsky is capable of. Although Az-cz continued to try to attack it was clear that Winchestia had the better of the last 30 minutes. Thankfully Zax-Im controlled the midfield and Gn-Lg was able to find another clean sheet on his home pitch.
It was unfortunate to see two ugly incidents mar a game between two high calibre opponents. Amazingly outside of Tinley's foul there were no other cards in the game. For Az-cz the result is good enough to keep us well in control of the group. Az-cz next travels to Uncle Pete, where a win will make Az-cz the first team to be guaranteed of passage to the knockout rounds. As for Winchestia they play host to Commerce Heights JSY in a game that will be incredibly important in the standings, but without the drama surrounding this game.

Statistics
Goals Az-cz 0 Winchestia 0
Possession Az-cz 52% Winchestia 48%
Shots Az-cz 7 Winchestia 11
Corners Az-cz 1 Winchestia 2

Lexington SC

03-08-2006, 17:53

'Cats play reserves vs Topoca, Tie
In a gamble by Lexington coach Chris Fryland, the Widlcats played many reserves in order to rest their regulars for tomorrow's critical match vs Ropa-Topia. The Wildcats tied Topoca 0-0, and only managed 2 shots on goal, while Topoca managed 5. The match vs Ropa-Topia tomorrow will be critical, with Ropa-Topia right behind Lexington by 1 poitn in the standings. A Wildcat win could put them back in the hunt with Ishtar and Miceland. Tomorrow's match will be held at Wildcat Hollow, and a sellout is excpected.

Az-cz

03-08-2006, 18:14

MC: I'd like to thank Coach Levesque, Zax-Im, and today's man of the match Gn-Lg for joining me today. Considering the days events it would have been understandable if they didn't join me, but they are commited to doing their jobs right and join us today. I'll pass the floor to you coach Levesque.

Levesque: Today was a difficult day for Az-czzers. My thoughts are first and foremost with the Az-czzers who were injured in today's violence. We hope they all make speedy recoveries. I'd also like to thank Coach Shawl for mostly keeping his team away from violence. Although his one player comitted a blatant foul other than that it was a clean game.

MC: Alright let's go to questions.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach, could you discuss that foul for us?

Levesque: What's to discuss. Tinley was aiming for Pizelkaxrovsky's knee and he got a good shot in. He ought to have been red-carded at the time. But ref's miss these things. I just hope that either the Baptism of Fire organizing comitee or coach Shawl step up and do the right thing and suspend Tinley for a large number of games. We all saw the incident on the camera and know he was purposefully trying to injure Pizelkaxrovsky. That kind of football can not be allowed.

Az-cz reporter 2: Speaking of Pizelkaxrovsky, how is he doing?

Levesque: He's ok. It wasn't that serious of an injury, but he will miss at least the next three games. We might see him back at the end of qualification, but more likely his next game will be in the knockout stage.

Az-cz reporter 3: If Pizelkaxrovsky is injured, who will be replacing him in the starting lineup?

Levesque: We'll have to look at that on a game by game basis. For the next game against Uncle Pete, we'll be making a number of changes. First we will be playing a 4-4-2 formation. We'll be adding At-Zm in the back row and pushing Ml-Dni and At-Zm up the sides more. The entire midfield will be played slightly more foward. And we'll be playing a bit different Midfield formation. Zax-Im will be the lone defnsive midfielder with Az-If in front of him. The we will be using the same front four that we've been using.

Az-cz reporter 4: Are you concerned about the possibility of having to play Winchestia again?

Levesque: No. If we meet again it will be in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega. I'm sure both teams will be well behaved and there won't be any problems. I think we'll see a good football game if we meet again.

Winchestia reporter: What are your feelings about Winchestia after today's events?

Levesque: I still respect Winchestia as a whole, but there are significant elements of there society that are deeply troubled. Winchestia needs to examine these things and try to improve them. What we saw today is a blemish on international football. If they want to be part of the international footballing community, as well as compete in other sports, they need to improve their behavior.

Az-cz reporter 5: Zax-Im, Gn-Lg, tell us what effect losing Pizelkaxrovsky had on the team.

Zax-Im: Clearly it was a blow at the time. We couldn't create enough offense after that. It hurt us.

Gn-Lg: Indeed we would have won the game if it wasn't for Tinley's dishonest play. I have no doubt of that. When he got injured I knew I'd have to really get focused as there would be more action in my direction. Thankfully I was able to keep Winchestia off the board. To have let them take three points today would have been a travesty.

Az-cz reporter 6: What effect do todays results have on Az-cz qualification chances?

Levesque: Not much. We're still in complete control. There's a good chance we'll be the first team to clinch qualification. And we still ought to win our group. I think all of the players want to make sure that we stay ahead of Winchestia, so I don't think there will be any slip ups.

MC: I think we ought to let them get out of here today, so we'll allow one more question.

Az-cz reporter 7: Do today's events have any influence on the Az-cz approach to international sports?

Levesque: None at all. Why should we let a fraction of one country's population influence that much. Instead of focusing on Winchestia we all should focus on the goodwill being created throughout this tournament. Look at our friendlies with Miceland. Or any number of games played in good spirits. We don't have to let one bad apple spoil the bunch.

MC: Thank you for time today. Please try to relax and good luck against Uncle Pete.

Toranat

03-08-2006, 18:19

Rockies Lose

The Toronat Rockies lost again in the Baptism of Fire this time to Demot. The game was even in the first half. In the 56th minute Justin Frontson scored a beautiful goal. Then in the 67th minute he scored again. This loss puts Toranat 6th in their group. They sit only 3 points behind 3rd place.

Schedule
Rockies Schedule
MD1 Bye
MD2 @ Lylybium (D 1-1)
MD3 VS. Carvalo (D 1-1)
MD4 @ The Colony of Delaware (W 1-0)
MD5 VS. Allocer (D 0-0)
MD6 @ Czariums (L 1-0)
MD7 @ Demot (L 2-0)
MD8 Bye
MD9 VS. Lylybium
MD10 @ Carvalo
MD11 VS. The Colony of Delaware
MD12 @ Allocer
MD13 VS Czariums
MD14 VS Demot

Record 1-3-2

Goal Scorers
Hayes-3

Ropa-Topia

03-08-2006, 20:01

(OOC: Original by Edgar Allan Poe. Mutilations to text and meter by me... My apologies :P)

Once upon a midnight dreary, the coach pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While he nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at his chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," he muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this, and nothing more."

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled him--filled him with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of his heart, he stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door--
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;--
This it is, and nothing more."

Presently his soul grew stronger, hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said he, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"-- here he opened wide the door;--
A reporter there, whom he had seen before.

Deep into a camera peering, long he stood there wondering, fearing,
Mentally cursing curses no mortals ever dared to curse before;
But the silence was now broken, and questions were now spoken,
And the only questions spoken were the ones he heard before,
This he hated, and they echoed through his head like before,
"Go away, I must implore."

* * *

Klungelaer has trouble dealing with loss

ISLE OF UHM - Coach Ferdinand Klungelaer still hasn't recovered from the 3-0 loss against Tocapa, which explained why Assistant Coach Johan Vlemmix was present in his stead at today's match against Wrecker and the subsequent press conference.

A reporter for That Sports Show tried to get an interview with Klungelaer at his private residence in Uhm, but had to leave again when Klungelaer called the police. We can only hope Klungelaer will feel better soon, because although a 3-0 loss may look bad, Ropa-Topia is not doing that bad at this tournament.

"We didn't lose a third time," were Assistant Coach Vlemmix's optimistic words after the second 1-1 tie against Wrecker, this time on home ground in the Unity Stadium. Vlemmix also added that he hoped that this tie would help Klungelaer to feel better in time for tomorrow's match against Lexington SC, although with only five more matches to go, the stress which Klungelaer is feeling is bound to increase. Three of those will be home matches, so that should make it easier on the poor coach, although one of the away games is in Miceland, and although Klungelaer's reaction to the team of mice was very positive when they had to play in Ropa-Topia, it is still to be seen how he will react when he will be shrunk to their size.

Matches left to play
Day 9 - Away: Lexington SC (previous match: win, 4-1)
Day 10 - Bye
Day 11 - Home: Island of Ishtar (previous match: draw, 2-2)
Day 12 - Home: Marion Oaks 2 (previous match: win, 1-0)
Day 13 - Away: Mice of Miceland (previous match: loss, 0-1)
Day 14 - Home: Tocapa (previous match: loss, 0-3)

Top scorers1. Anky Huybrechts 3 goals
Bas Zadelhoff 3 goals
3. Laurinda Baldwin 1 goal
Yvon Hendrix 1 goal
Kate Poorbaugh 1 goal

Tocapa

04-08-2006, 02:14

The Bartol Occassional
Bringing you the news... when we feel like it

While last night's match against Lexington SC wasn't a particularly exciting one, I had a particularly exciting time at the stadium itself. The trouble started before the kickoff, when I'd gotten to the ticket taker without my wallet, where I was nearly given a penalty. By the fourth minute, I was in a rush to get back to the stadium and get to my seat in time. In a mad dash, I made a startling move through an impossible number of blockers only to make it in the 11th.

For the next several minutes I carefully watched the match, its every twist and turn, until the 23rd, when my stomach began to reveal weariness and hunger. Three minutes later, I was on my feet and fighting the incredible defense to get to the concessions. It wasn't until the 32nd minute, however, that I was finally able to get to the goal: the hot dog vendor. After a brief skirmish over a failed doman conversion, I was finally able to obtain my reward.

In the 34th alone I found myself in the yellow, and then the red, when the condiment dispensers exploded. It was a fierce struggle to clean my clothes, but by the 37th I was clean, and happy to enjoy a dog when I realized that I had forgotten to quench my thirst. Before I could enjoy my triumph, I was able to get a beer, which I was able to get just before the end of the first. However, as I returned to my seat, I was befallen by an inconsiderate neighbor, who knocked the beverage into my lap. The situation was not so awful, as I was able to convert into a free beer in stoppage time.

As the second half began, I had just finished my dinner and was preparing for a long night. However, in the 58th, I encountered a road block as my bowels unstoppably needed an opening. I made a strike at the bathroom only to find myself blocked by no less than ten men. When I was finally able to break through the defense in the 66th, I opened up and let loose on the facilities. Within three minutes I was back in the game, tearing open an ice cold one in the middle of the stands.

From then on, the game was firmly in my grasp. However, as the back-and-forth play wore on, I began to tire. In the 84th I finally threw in the towel and took myself out, against the advice of my brother, who I'd phoned only four minutes earlier. I staggered out of the stadium, when a man walking down the street volunteered to go in for me. Knowing this might be my only chance, I handed him the ticket and the game didn't have to live on a man down.

Only scant minutes after the end of the game, I was approached by none other than Occassional reporter myself, to whom I commented: "It vas a pretty boring match, alright, but I don't regret it." I was also able to find the rude beer-spilling man, who had this to say, "I totally expected that guy to kill me right there, but I vas just glad to get avay vith a consolation beer. I could've gotten sent off right there."

Winchestia

04-08-2006, 03:06

(Jody Shawl is sitting in his office on the eve of the home tie against JSY when his phone rings)

Shawl: Hello, this is Manager Shawl

man's voice: Hello Jody, this is Chairman McDonald

Shawl: Oh hello, Chairman. How are preperations going in your home stadium for the match tomorrow.

McDonald: Funny, I was about to ask you that.

Shawl: You're refering to Tinley aren't you?

McDonald: It seems his interview with the Higgleton Post caused some controversy.

Shawl: Controversy?! He said that, wait let me get it,
"Gnomes should be mowing lawns, mice should be used as
test subject only, and the only thing female Elves are good for is staffing brothels!" So I'm suspending him for the rest of the tournament. It is the only proper thing to do. Hopefully the international press will not find out about it.

McDonald: Yeah, that's why I'm calling Jody. You can't do that.

Shawl: WHAT?! DON'T TELL ME I CAN'T DO THAT?!

McDonald: Jody, don't forget who it was who set you up to go to Bedistan last year. You owe me, and owe me big. We need Tinley in the lineup. He is our local hero. He is the main draw for this match. He WILL play.

(conversation continues in this vein for a while longer)

Shawl: Fine, he'll play tomorrow, but that's it. No more in the BoF. If he apologizes, then maybe, MAYBE, I'll let him play in the World Cup Qualifiers. But not against the Elves, should we have to play them.

(after the conversation, Shawl was too angry to think, so he transfered the lineup card from the Az-Cz match to the current one, leaving the lineup unchanged)

Demot

04-08-2006, 03:15

Demot Daily ~ Fluke?

Coming into the match, the squad was confident, quite confident at that. Coming off three straight wins, and sitting pretty at second in the Red Group, it was full steam ahead. The whole team was jiving as a cohesive unit, and they were expected to wipe the floor with Lylybium. Appaerntly no one told them as the game ended in a 1-1 draw, the second draw the team has had against Lylybium. Carvalo took advantage of the draw with a resounding win to move ahead in the group due to goal differential.

The game itself was a fierce competition, each team fighting for ever inch on the field. By the end of the game, Gooden, Hostra, Lucas, and Masteron had all picked up yellow cards for what were normal tackles during the game. The squad went down early with a striker tripping up Dwight on the way to goal and fooling Whitehurse into diving for the ball. Down but not out of it, the squad continued to fight on. Black got in behind the Lylybium defence in the 49th minute and got a good shot on goal, but the keep snatched it right out of the air just as Black was about to celebrate.

It loooked bad when Ysman went down in the 83rd minute, holding her hamstring. Dogood gave the nod to Unitus, and he came in immedately for the ailing Ysman. As Whitehurse cleared the ball to midfield, Smith brought it down with his head, and flicked it to an unguarded Masteron. Unitus made a run into the box and Masteron delivered it to him in stride, but then he gave back to Masteron who promptly floated it to the far post where Black put a hard header on net. Yet the keep got a foot on it, but Unitus was johnny on the spot and blew the ball into the wide open net to save the game for the squad.

Now the team faces the seasoned Carvalo squad, whom they drew with last time in Carvalo. The team definately needs the win and put itself back into the second slot, making the odds to qualify that much secure. However Dogood is not as confident as Black and Masteron are.

"I just don't know. We're a good squad, yet we've been up and down this tournament. The same could be said for Carvalo, except they are coming off a 5-0 victory while we are coming off a 1 all draw. It shall be interesting, hopefully our fans will be enough to push us over the edge on these guys."

Scorers
Samantha Black - 3
Justin Frontson - 2
Allison Lucas - 1
Sarah Ysman - 1
Vince Lepierre - 1
David Masteron - 1
Winchester Unitus - 1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

04-08-2006, 04:23

This is your Happy Happy Joy Joy MD9 Cut Off for RP

Red Group
Czariums 1:2 Allocer
Demot 4:0 Carvalo
Toronat 2:1 Lylybium

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Demot 8 4 3 1 14 5 9 15
The Colony of Delaware 7 5 0 2 11 9 2 15
Carvalo 8 3 3 2 13 8 5 12
Toronat 7 2 3 2 5 6 -1 9
Allocer 8 2 2 4 7 9 -2 8
Lylybium 8 1 4 3 6 8 -2 7
Czariums 8 2 1 5 6 18 -12 7

Black Group
Perturbed Leopards 0:4 Ten Thousand Maggots
KCToker 1:1 Toopoxia
Delesa 2:0 Lost Limeyville

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 7 5 1 1 13 4 9 16
Delesa 7 4 1 2 10 7 3 13
Toopoxia 8 2 5 1 11 8 3 11
Perturbed Leopard 8 3 2 3 11 12 -1 11
Lost Limeyville 8 2 4 2 8 7 1 10
KCToker 8 2 1 5 6 16 -10 7
Ten Thousand Maggots 8 1 2 5 7 13 -6 5

Sky Blue Group
Lexington SC 0:1 Ropa-Topia
The Islands of Ishtar 0:0 Tocapa
Marion Oaks 2 0:2 The Mice of Miceland

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 8 6 2 0 14 2 12 20
The Islands of Ishtar 8 3 3 2 15 7 8 12
Ropa-Topia 8 3 3 2 10 9 1 12
Lexington SC 8 3 1 4 8 12 -4 10
Tocapa 8 2 2 4 5 10 -5 8
Marion Oaks 2 7 2 1 4 6 11 -5 7
Wrecker 7 1 2 5 4 12 -8 5

Yellow Group
The Greatest Crap 1:0 The Candrian Empire
Winchestia 2:0 Commerce Heights JSY
Uncle Pete 0:2 Az-Cz

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 8 7 1 0 18 2 16 22
Winchestia 8 5 2 1 18 5 13 17
Commerce Heights JSY 8 3 3 2 11 9 2 12
Alif Laam Miim 7 4 0 3 10 10 0 12
The Candrian Empire 8 1 2 5 5 12 -7 5
Uncle Pete 7 1 2 4 4 14 -10 5
The Greatest Crap 8 1 0 7 4 18 -14 3

Az-cz

04-08-2006, 07:58

Az-cz Scroll
August 4, 2006
Uncle Pete
Il-Lur

Step One? Check.

In their first game with their new lineup, Az-cz was able to claw their way to victory, which also gave them the honor of being the first team to guarantee themselves a spot in the knockout stages. However it was not a pretty game and it took a while for Az-cz to find the goal without Pizelkaxrovsky.
Both teams came out of the gate sluggish. Az-cz just didn't look comfortable. There were no shots taken in the first 10 minutes of the game as both team basically just kicked the ball around the midfield. Uncle Pete was the first to fire a shot up, but it went screaming wide in the 12th minute. The game continued to be a slow pace, with Az-cz finally getting a shot off in the 17th minute, which was on goal, but no problem for the keeper.
For the rest of the first half things continued pretty much in the same way. Az-cz was slightly better using their speed to get some good shots, but you could tell that they missed Pizelkaxrovsky. As for Uncle Pete, you could just tell they were out classed.
At halftime, Levesque decided that things just weren't working, so he switched into a 3-4-3. He took off At-Zm and brought on Ox-Rx. And once again a Levesque coaching move proved to be the right.
The first 10 minutes of the second half started like the first 10 minutes of the opening stanza with neither team taking a shot. Unlike the first half however, the first shot of the second half was a beauty. Ox-Rx, stole the ball from a midfielder near the back of the defense, quickly spun and shot a whale of a shot. It went screaming past the keeper, who didn't even move, and Az-cz had put themselves ahead in the 56th minute.
That energized Az-cz as the attack started to push forward more and they started to create better chances. They continued to get shots on goal, but the Uncle Pete keeper played quite well.
In the 74th minute Levesque switched back into a 3-5-2 taking off Stanleyinho for his brother Hubertino. And again this lead to a goal. Az-cz continued to push forward and earned a corner kick, which Kn-Dg swung high to Hubertino who headed it straight in, with 12 minutes left to play. With that Az-cz's victory and advancement looked assured and it meant that two more Az-czzers would appear on the goal scorers pages. Once again Levesque tweaked his formation, bringing Bub-Rub off and putting on Dugl-Bugl to revert into a 4-5-1. Az-cz then put on the defense and killed the game.
Another win puts Az-cz through, heading into their next match against Greatest Crap. Uncle Pete next has Commerce Heights JSY.
Looking at our qualification scenarios, we can clinch a top three spot with a win, a tie and a Commerce Heights tie or a Commerce Heights JSY loss. If we can win and Alif Laam Miim loses then we clinch a top two spot in our group.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 2 Uncle Pete 0
Az-cz Scorers 56 Ox-Rx, 78 Hubertino
Possession Az-cz 61% Uncle Pete 39%
Shots Az-cz 13 Uncle Pete 5
Corners Az-cz 2 Uncle Pete 0

Az-cz

04-08-2006, 08:17

Az-cz Scroll
August 4, 2006
Mth-Mn

Qualification Scenarios

Yellow Group:

Az-cz: With Win & Alif Laam Miim loss, clinches top two. With Win or a tie and Commerce Heights JSY tie, or a Commerce Heights JSY loss clinches top three. Already clinched qualification.

Winchestia: With win & Uncle Pete tie or loss, or With tie & Uncle Pete loss clinch qualification. Have already guaranteed themselves at least a tie for fourth place, with advancement depending on tiebreakers.

Greatest Crap: With Tie & Alif Laam Miim win & Commerce Heights JSY win they are eliminated. With loss & Alif Laam Miim win or tie & Commerce Heights JSY win or tie they are also elminated.

Sky Blue Group:

Miceland: With a win they clinch a top three finish. With a tie and a Lexington SC loss or tie they clinch a top three finish. With a win and an Islands of Ishtar loss or tie clinch a top two finish.

Thoes are all of the possible qualification and elimination scenarios for match day 10. Unsuprisingly the three teams who can clinch qualification spots are the three teams with the most points and the team who can be eliminated is the team with the least. In the upcoming match days these scenarios will get much more complicated.

Az-cz

04-08-2006, 09:19

OOC: ASMV, Could you post an explanation of how the knockout round is organized? My guess is

R = Red
B = Black
S = Sky Blue
Y = Yellow
W=Winner

First Round
1: R1:B4
2: B2:R3
3: B1:R4
4: R2:B3
5: S1:Y4
6: Y2:S3
7: Y1:S4
8: S2:Y3
Second Round
9: W1:W2
10: W3:W4
11: W5:W6
12: W7:W8
Semi Finals
13: W9:W10
14: W11:W12
Finals
15: W13:W14

Is that correct? I'd like to make reference to it in my RPs. Thanks.

The Mice of Miceland

04-08-2006, 12:04

Mice 8 points clear

In a weird match where the Mice faced Islands of Ishtar and won, followed by going to Marion Oaks 2 after hosting the team in matchday 2, These nations response to our mice have been eerily muted, we are not sure if that this means they have accepted us, don't care or have just started to hide their emotions either way, both of these results have seemed to be inextricably linked to each other.

Both results 1 all in matchdays 1 and 2 and now both 2-0 to the Mice in matchdays 8 & 9. The mice have 5 matchdays to go. The results of all of these are expected, by officials of Entertainment & Gaming Office, to be wins, or at least a draw. Very few of the teams in the Mice's upcoming fixtures where deemed to pose a big risk to the team, Ropa-Topia and Tocapa will be our major worries but the dominance of our mice is generally expected

.....

However what wasn't publically released as it was technically illegal but the law enforcement officers had been paid off so when any raid was undertaken it seemed that it was just a normal social club. But "Mouse Hole 52" was not just any ordinary club. It was the home of Miceland's "Paw Creek Gang" the largest operaters of an underground and illegal sports betting agency. No more bets are being taken on the mice to qualify but there are still taking bets on who will take the 1st place.

Miceland's obviously the favourite for the 1st seed, Tocapa is next, followed by Ropa-Topia and The Islands of Ishtar. But the chance for Island of Ishtar's first seed is getting reasonably high somewhere around 1 in 20

Lexington SC

04-08-2006, 16:00

'Cats Dissapoint, Drop to 4th in Sky Blue Group
Lexington Sports Sentinel
In a lackluster performance, the 'Cats managed only 3 shots on goal and lost in a majro dissapointment 1-0 to Ropa-Topia. A goal by Ropa-Topia in the 33 minute bent by keeper Michael Lee, and rolled aroun the net. Said coach Fryland after the game "I was very dissapointed by our team's performance today. We didnt give alot of effort and we really stunk out there." The 'Cats dropped to 4th in the ASMV Sky Blue Group, but striker Trevor Griggs is optimistic. "I think we can bounce back tomorrow, I think we can pull out a victory over Miceland. However, we will have to play a perfect game to defeat the Mice."

Demot

04-08-2006, 16:29

Demot Daily ~ Break Out

One word can only describe the feeling of the nation after tonigh's match , euphoria. Everyone thought it would a great match with two of the better sides in the Red Group. Everyone thought it would be a close game with whoever got the lucky bounce would get the win. Some even expected the Carvalo side to steal a victory away from the team in their own comfrots of Skyhaven. We now realise how wrong we were, instead of a close game, it was a completely one-sided affiar, with the home side dominating from start to finish.

The game got underway slowly, with each feeling each other, much like the last time they met. The ref clearly wanted to control the game as his whistle blew with every ticky tack foul. This strict referring however would prove useful to the team as Lepierre got taken down by Morazano about 8 yards away from the edge of the penalty area. Masteron, Black, and Lucas each lined up behind the ball and waited for the ref's whistle. Once it blew, Lucas faked a shot that got the wall moving, and that's when Masteron struck the ball and it flew beneath the wall and into the netting with Dosao never having a chance.

Just three minutes later Frontson took the ball off the feet of Medrano and began his charge up field. With Ysman trailing and Black off to the side, the defenders were just doing their best to cut off the angles and passing lanes. As he moved into the box, he turned Nava and feigned a shot that got Dosao moving in the wrong direction and leaving half the net empty for an easy chip and score.

The half began to wind down with each team stepping up it's play, and Carvalo finnaly got an organized attack going in the 41st. Valente had picked off an arrid pass by Smith and held the ball, waiting for some teammates to move up field. As he moved farther into the attacking end, he tried to get fancy as Hostra came to defend him. Trying to pull a 360, he got stripped of the ball and fell flat on his face and stayed there for a few minutes. Meanwhile, Gooden was leading the counter attack. He was weaving his way through the Carvalo defence like a hot knife through butter, and then pulled of a nifty lob to Ysman making a hard run on net. The ball was placed perfect as the young lady struck it as it coming down top put the team up three just as the half ended.

It was all smiles for the squad as they came out of the locker room at the start of the second half. It was quite the oppisite for the oppisite for the traveling side who liked tired and abused. This sullen attitude lead to a quick goal in the second half with Masteron lobbing one from 35 yards out that dipped and ducked under the crossbar. Not wanting to embarass the traveling side any more, the team fell into a 5-3-2, and played off the counter attack for the remainder of the game. Whitehurse made two spectacular saves that robbed Valente of goals in the 67th and 81st minutes.

Next up for the squad is The Colony of Deleware who throughly embarresed the side last they played. Yet this is a different team, full of confidence and not doubt like the last match. A win gives the team all out control of first in thr group, while a tie keeps the in first due to goal differential, and a loss drops them a few slots and letting Deleware grab ahold of the top slot.

Scorers
Samantha Black - 3
Justin Frontson - 3
David Masteron - 3
Sarah Ysman - 2
Vince Lepierre - 1
Allison Lucas - 1
Winchester Unitus - 1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

[NS:]Delesa

04-08-2006, 16:47

DFC NAILS LOST LIMEYVILLE 2-NIL

DFC put the metal to the pedal after having a days rest. Javier Topper the keeper, kept the limeyville team at bay, coming out with a shut out. Michael McShane and Norbert Tison scored to put DFC in the lead. So far in international games;
Goal Scorers:
#4 Michael McShane (Striker){C} - 5 goals
#11 Fernando Kellett (Midfield) - 2 goals
#13 Conor Kelly (Striker/Midfield)(Bench) - 1 goal
#9 Florian Olivier (Striker) - 1 goal
#5 Norbert Tison (Midfield) - 1 goal

Winchestia

04-08-2006, 17:00

Winchestia Times Player Grades:
Winchestia v JSY

Player grades for last night's 2-0 win over JSY.

Nick Seruss (GK) 8: Was peppered with shots all night. Clearly the star of the game

Nick Cam (D) 5: Wasn't tested on the wing much, but didn't come forward much either. Average performance

Taylor Tinley (D) 4: Despite (or perhaps because of) bizarre comments to other newspapers, was the most popular player at his home stadium. Was exposed by the JSY attack on a few occasions, but Seruss bailed him out. At least he kept temper in check this time.

Josh Pop (D) 6: Had a better game than Tinley and is starting to position himself as the best defender in the country.

Mack Billrot (D) 5: Like Cam, there wasn't much to do on the wings. Hasn't done a lot in the tournament to really stand out.

Hugo Hartney (M) 6: Took yellow card, but assisted on first Marayan goal in 55th minute

Levi Pavin (M) 7: The set piece king was at it again, this time a picture perfect corner for Marayan to put in in the 82nd minute to seal the match.

Marcos Bodle (M) 5: Coming back down to the ground after some oustanding performances. Didn't need to have a big game, and didn't have one.

Dallas Melland (M) 6: Steady Melland had his usual performance.

Dallas Marayan (F) 8: FINALLY! The best striker of this generation finally has international goals. Neither were spectacular Marayan strikes, but they all count in the end

Levi Duman (F) 6: A bit unconfortable in the support role, but far better in it that Firman. Expect to see this partnership much of the rest of the way.

Subs:
none

Manager:
Jody Shawl 6: Another good result, but seems to be quickly losing control of this team off the field. Looks to be hamstrung by some unknown force.

Az-cz

04-08-2006, 17:42

MC: Congratulations to the team on becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout stages in this Baptism of Fire. Joining us today will be Coach Levesque, Zax-Im and this games Man of the Match Ox-Rx. Alright, let's hear from the coach.

Levsque: I'd like to congratulate my players, they've fought hard until now and deserve to be the first team through. We know we need to keep fighting, but we have placed ourselves quite nicely. You could tell the team was discombobulated without Pizelkaxrovsky, but they persevered and found victory.

MC: Ok, question time.

Az-cz reporter 1: What does qualifying mean to the team?

Zax-Im: Quite a lot. To be the first ever athletes to represent our country in foreign competition and to put the kind of results up that we have is a huge honor. I'm incredibly proud of all the other players and the coaching staff.

Az-cz reporter 2: Coach Levesque, you always seem to make the right moves, how do you do it?

Levesque: The key is recognizing what your team needs and what personnel you have to fill those needs. I was very careful in picking my roster to make sure that basically all the players had a role to fill. I've seen coaches in the past select players they knew weren't going to play and have glaring holes that needed adressing. I'm also seen coaches fall in love with a certain segment of the players and try to fit those square pegs into round holes. I trust all my players so haven't had to do that.

Az-cz reporter 3: What was your impression on the lineup and will you be making any changes?

Levesque: There might be a suprise or two in store. Just take note that the next game is being played at Burlock Castle.

Az-cz reporter 4: Ox-Rx, what inspired your play today?

Ox-Rx: A number of things. I'm not going to lie and say that being called out the coach's son didn't motivate me. Plus the disappointing result against Winchestia. Plus the fact that we were struggling today. So I knew how important my contribution was. And I was able to use my physicality to influence the game. Once again coach waved his magic wand.

Uncle Pete reporter: Coach, what do you think of the Uncle Pete team's chances?

Levesque: Well of the teams currently sitting out of the top four your chances are mathematically the best. However I must admit that I don't see you overcoming your deficit. You have to beat Commerce Heights JSY in your next game.

Az-cz reporter 5: What will you try to do to fill in for Pizelaxrovsky?

Levesque: For the time being I'm not sure there's a lot we can do. I'm going to stick with the same lineup and hope to find better results. We've just got to keep grinding.

Az-cz reporter 6: Are there any results that you are rooting for?

Levesque: Results that help us clinch higher spots are good. Other than that I don't have any particular opinions. I suppose I'm slightly rooting for Miceland, but that's about it.

MC: Alright last question.

Az-cz reporter 7: What will the focus of your practices be from here on out?

Levesque: The best answer would be rest. We're not going to learn much technique at this point. The time for that has passed. We're basically doing drills to stay in shape and on form and a lot of mental work and tape work. But the practices are very toned down. Especially with Pizelkaxrovsky and some others dinged up it's best to tone things down.

MC: That's all for today. Thank you for talking with us gentlemen. And congratulations again for qualifying for the knockout stages.

Aurendia

04-08-2006, 20:22

Three Rivers Times
“Voted ‘Best Crossword Puzzle’ five years running”

With the Raptors having a bye day and thus no match to recap, we would like to review Team Aurendia’s performance so far in the Baptism of Fire tournament, as well as take a look at the other groups.

MD1: AURENDIA 3-1 Ten Thousand Maggots (at Legalese)
MD2: Bye
MD3: AURENDIA 1-2 KCToker (at Capitals Park, Three Rivers, capacity 70,100)
MD4: AURENDIA 2-0 Delesa (at “The Reef”, Southport, cap. 62,325)
MD5: Aurendia 1-0 LOST LIMEYVILLE
MD6: Aurendia 0-0 TOOPOXIA
MD7: AURENDIA 3-1 Perturbed Leopard (at Etoka City Stadium, Etoka, cap. 68,750)
MD8: Aurendia 3-0 TEN THOUSAND MAGGOTS
MD9: Bye
MD10: Aurendia at KCTOKER
MD11: Aurendia at DELESA
MD12: AURENDIA vs Lost Limeyville (at AurendiCorp Field, Zeneri, cap. 73,020)
MD13: AURENDIA vs Toopoxia (at Capitals Park, Three Rivers)
MD14: Aurendia at PERTURBED LEOPARD

1st Place, Legalese Black Group
5 W – 1 D – 1 L 16 pts
13 GF – 4 GA - +9 GD

Player Stats:
Scoring:
Name G - A - Pts
C. Campbell 2 – 6 – 8
A. Campbell 6 – 1 – 7
M. Sanchez 2 – 1 – 3
J. Colenti 0 – 2 – 2
T. Pellegri 0 – 2 – 2
R. Dunlop 1 – 0 – 1
D. Little 1 – 0 – 1
J. Yaneohe 1 – 0 – 1
T. Lamorieaux 0 – 1 – 1

Goaltending:
Name GP W – D – L : GA - Shutouts
L. Kohl 5* GP 3 – 0 – 1 : 3 GA – 2 SO
R. Baxman 2 GP 1 – 1 – 0 : 1 GA – 1 SO
J. Kennedy 1 GP 1 – 0 – 0 : 0 GA – 1 SO

* injured MD6 at Toopoxia, unable to finish match

Red Cards:
R. Dunlop 2
A. Rusic 1
J. Yaneohe 1

Meanwhile, in the other groups:
Legalese Red Group:
Demot currently sits in first place in the group with 15 points and The Colony of Delaware sit atop the Red Standings, each with 15 points. Demot currently has the advantage in goal differential, but placement will be affected when these squads play each other next. In third place, 3 points back from the leaders, sits Carvalo. Barring a major collapse from any of these teams, they should all advance on to the next round. The last four teams in the group are all still alive for the fourth spot, with only 2 points separating current 4th place Toronat from last place Czariums.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega Sky Blue Group:
The Mice of Miceland hold a commanding lead on first place with 20 points thanks to an unblemished record and only two goals surrendered. This unique team, like the nation they represent, are all regular mice. They have however perfected a “bigulation” process that allows the mice to be increased in size for away games, or visiting squads to be decreased to mouse-size. The other three advancing squads in this group will be determined by upcoming games, as the Royal Lions from the Islands of Ishtar, Lexington SC's Wildcats, Ropa-Topia, Tocapa, and Marion Oaks 2 are only separated in the standings by 5 points.

ASMV Yellow Group:
This group has already seen a nasty war of words develop that threatens to overshadow some great on-field action. Currently in first are the Gnomes from Az-Cz, who are the first team to clinch a spot in the next round with 22 points, and the other team that hasn’t lost a match yet. In second place is Winchestia, tied for the highest scoring team with 18 goals for. The bigotry that now mars this tournament started after now-fired Winchestia newspaper editor Sam Waterton published some very anti-nonhuman speciesist remarks that later resulted in the rise of a new political party. Az-Cz and Miceland have understandably expressed outrage at this, and Winchestia has stated that these views only represent a small minority. This rivalry reached a new level with a recent scoreless draw in Az-Cz, where riots and demonstrations resulted in injuries to spectators and the arrest of certain violent Winchestian protesters. Turning back to football, currently in third and fourth places in the group are JSY and Alif Laam Miim, both of whom should also reach the next round.

Lexington SC

04-08-2006, 21:51

Hide your Mice the Cats are on the Prowl
Lexington SPorts Sentinel
Outside Wildcat Hollow- The party before the Lexington SC-Miceland match is now at full swing, a full 20 hours before the actual match. Over 15000 fans have made the long trip to Miceland, and have camped in the parking lot across form the Miceland stadium.
"I cant wait to stomp those Mice tommorrow, look at them all high and mighty atop the group, having their cheese and eating it too!"
Commented disgusted fan Sam Shanksford.
"In fact, if I see another hunk of cheese, ill just, well ill, well, I dotn know what ill do but it wont be pretty!"
"I think we can win, I really think we will" said Emperor Harris's wife, Jennifer.
It is rumored that the Emperor himself will be in attendance at tomorrows match, sitting with the President of the Mice himself, while nibbling on cheese.
Exclusive interview with Wildcat keeper, Michael Lee:
Lexington Sports Sentinel: So Michael, how do you rate Lexngton's chances with Miceland tomorrow.
Michael: Well Doug I think we have an excellent chance. Were all pissed off after our loss verses Ropa-Topia today, and I really think we'll play harder than we ever have tomorrow, after all who would want to loose to a bunch of Mice?
LSS: Well, they are first in your group.
ML: Yeah I know, they are some big cheeses.
*Transmision lost

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

05-08-2006, 03:35

This is your fiendly "Cat & Mouse" MD10 RP Cut Off

And yes, Az that appears to be a correct assessment of the knock-out stages. With the small exception that the losers from matches 13 & 14 will play for third place as well.

Red Group
Lylybium 0:1 Czariums
Carvalo 0:0 Toronat
Demot 3:0 The Colony of Delaware

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Demot 9 5 3 1 17 5 12 18
The Colony of Delaware 8 5 0 3 11 12 -1 15
Carvalo 9 3 4 2 13 8 5 13
Toronat 8 2 4 2 5 6 -1 10
Czariums 9 3 1 5 7 18 -11 10
Allocer 8 2 2 4 7 9 -2 8
Lylybium 9 1 4 4 6 9 -3 7

Black Group
Lost Limeyville 1:0 Perturbed Leopards
Toopoxia 0:3 Delesa
KCToker 1:3 Aurendia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 8 6 1 1 16 5 11 19
Delesa 8 5 1 2 13 7 6 16
Lost Limeyville 9 3 4 2 9 7 2 13
Toopoxia 9 2 5 2 11 11 0 11
Perturbed Leopard 9 3 2 4 11 13 -2 11
KCToker 9 2 1 6 7 19 -12 7
Ten Thousand Maggots 8 1 2 5 7 13 -6 5

Sky Blue Group
The Mice of Miceland 4:0 Lexington SC
Tocapa 4:0 Marion Oaks 2
The Islands of Ishtar 4:0 Wrecker

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 9 7 2 0 18 2 16 23 Q
The Islands of Ishtar 9 4 3 2 19 7 12 15
Ropa-Topia 8 3 3 2 10 9 1 12
Tocapa 9 3 2 4 9 10 -1 11
Lexington SC 9 3 1 5 8 16 -8 10
Marion Oaks 2 8 2 1 5 6 15 -9 7
Wrecker 8 1 2 6 4 16 -12 5

Yellow Group
Az-Cz 5:0 The Greatest Crap
Commerce Heights JSY 2:1 Uncle Pete
Winchestia 4:0 Alif Laam Miim

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 9 8 1 0 23 2 21 25 Q
Winchestia 9 6 2 1 22 5 17 20 Q
Commerce Heights JSY 9 4 3 2 13 10 3 15
Alif Laam Miim 8 4 0 4 10 14 -4 12
The Candrian Empire 8 1 2 5 5 12 -7 5
Uncle Pete 8 1 2 5 5 16 -11 5
The Greatest Crap 9 1 0 8 4 23 -19 3

Aurendia

05-08-2006, 05:50

Polamoa Press
“We like alliteration in our headlines”

Campbells crush KCToker

KCTOKER – The Raptors came into KCToker looking to avenge a 2-1 defeat on MD3, and that was the result following a 3-1 victory. The Raptors desire and fast, aggressive play was rewarded soon after the beginning of the match. Just 8 minutes in, Ashley Campbell was pulled down by a KCToker defender for a free kick. Campbell sent the ball right to midfielder Jessica Colenti for the goal and a quick 1-0 lead.

Following the quick opening strike the pace of play noticeably slowed, which allowed KCToker back into the game. They capitalized in the 33rd, when defender Joe Hill lost the ball to a KCToker player who managed to slip it past keeper Julia Kennedy. KCToker continued to threaten through the first, even drawing yellow cards off hard tackles by Rachel Brady and Cassandra Campbell, yet KCToker wasn’t able to convert and the draw still held when the whistle was blown for the half.

Whatever the coaches said in the locker room must have worked, or maybe it was the half-time streakers that made another appearance, as the Raptors came out and dominated the second half. Play began much the same way as the first half had, with a fast-paced offense leading to a goal 8 minutes in. The 53rd minute saw Aurendia regain the lead as Cassandra Campbell stole the ball at midfield and made the quick pass to her sister for the Raptors’ second goal. Team Aurendia sustained the pressure this time, and another goal resulted 4 minutes later. This goal also involved both Campbell sisters, but the interaction was reversed and it was Cassandra finishing.

Tomorrow’s game against second-place Delesa at the National Delesa Football Centre will be an important one for determining possible advancement and seeding in the knockout round. A win or draw by the Raptors will keep them in first place, while a Delesa win would mean two teams in the Black Group with 19 points. First goalie Liza Kohl is still recovering from an ankle injury, but otherwise the team should be fully healthy and ready to challenge a strong Delesa squad.

Scoring:
1. A (J. Colenti 1) 8th (Assist: A. Campbell)
2. KCT 33rd
3. A (A. Campbell 7) 53rd (Assist: C. Campbell)
4. A (C. Campbell 3) 57th (Assist: A. Campbell)

The Mice of Miceland

05-08-2006, 05:52

Wildcat's not so wild (or cat-like)

The largest influx into the nation of Miceland has been recorded today with 15,254 supporters of the Lexington SC Wildcat's and various media outlets arriving in Miceland between 48 and 24 hours till the kick off. All publically-available accomodation arround the stadium was filled within an hour with 6 hours later all publically available accomodation was filled to the brim.

The amount of this influx required the government to make the unprecedented step of re-allocating space around the stadium for the various forms of transportation used in miceland. No parking or entrance of vehicles was permitted in the entire area but the public transport system was stepped up to accomodate the increased numbers of people coming in. Those that saw the match where not to be disappointed.

However it seems that something visitors ate in miceland did not agree with them. Many of the visitors believed that they saw cheese everywhere and even making jokes based on that fact. However there is no cheese in the entirity of Miceland as cheese in fact is dangerous to us.

There was a small number of fans that had made slightly un-savoury comments in regards to stomping, but there was no action taken upon them as it was deemed "friendly rivalry" of those mice that heard it and they joined in this "friendly rivalry" saying things like. "We may be small but we are fast", and "good luck finding someone to stomp" and finally the most accurate one, "Yea, but your the same size as us now, so let's see whom is going to stomp who."

The Lexington SC team, within the 90 minutes of the game, showed very little to no spark of their name sakes, or even any type of feline at all. And those few glimpses of it that we did see where that of a 3 legged-blind cat that swung widely not knowing where the mice was or where it was going. Fievel, Charity and Sickly all scored a goal with Fievel scoring 2.

The Mice however seemed to run like their lives depended on it, like they where playing real cats. The speed and dexterity that these guys showed on the field had set up the 4-0 win against Lexington SC. It was in the 23rd, 45th minutes that Charity and Sickly scored their goals respectively. A last minute run in the midfield gave sickly the opportunity to take the shot and the ball just broke through the front of the net and into the back seconds before the half-time whistle blew.

Fievel had a run of goals in the 2nd half scoring in the 56th and again a few minutes later in the 60th minute. It was this goals that showed why Miceland has officially qualified for the knock-out stage of the world cup. And even with a loss to Ropa-Topia and Tocapa, the Mice are nearly guaranteed a top-place finish in the sky blue group.

The friendly Gnome/human team of Az-Cz is also sitting pretty on top of their table and if both teams progress to the regional finals then it seems we'll be playing each other for the first time. The fixtures for the remaining 3 matchdays that the Mice will play are. And only 3 losses will allow current 2nd place Islands of Ishtar, who need three wins to steal first place on the table away from us.

MD 11: Away @ Tocapa

MD12: Away @ Wrecker

MD13: Home vs. Ropa-Topia

[NS:]Delesa

05-08-2006, 05:54

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i189/seanmyhre/DelesaSoccer.png
Finally i have managed to upload the soccer jerseys.

DFC HAMMERS TOOPOXIA 3-NIL IN LATEST GAME

"The Team seems to be on a roll" says team manager Paul Lejeune.
"The team has really taken a turn for the better" remarks head coach Liam O'Reilly after the stunning victory. Javier Topper was once again able to keep the net clear of the Toopoxia goals. Meanwhile Michael McShane scored a goal as well as Joseph-Marie Turpin, and Fernando Kellett.
Next game is Aurendia @ National Delesa Football Centre. Aurendia is currently at first place and DFC in second. Tomarrow nights game shall prove to be a big one, and its at home at the National Football Centre, and its already a sell out with 72,906 spectators. When last played, DFC lost 2-nil. The coaching would like to see the team pull out with a win and possibly secure a spot and move on. The team has been told to watch out for the Campbell sisters, as they made spectacular plays in their last game.

Current Goal Scorers:

#4 Michael McShane (Striker){C} - 6 goals
#11 Fernando Kellett (Midfield) - 3 goals
#13 Conor Kelly (Striker/Midfield)(Bench) - 1 goal
#9 Florian Olivier (Striker) - 1 goal
#5 Norbert Tison (Midfield) - 1 goal
#2 Joseph-Marie Turpin (Midfield) - 1 goal

Also in other football news, The Mice of Miceland have qualifiled in the sky blue group as well as Az-Cz and Winchestia in the yellow group repectivly. Meanwhile its a dog fight in the Red group and Black group and for the second spot in the sky blue group.

Az-cz

05-08-2006, 06:56

Az-cz Scroll
August 5, 2006
Mth-Mn

Qualification Scenarios:

Yellow group: Az-cz with win & Winchestia loss or tie clinches first. Already clinched a top two spot.

Winchestia: With win & Commerce Heights JSY loss or tie & Alif Laam Miim loss or tie, clinches top two. With win & either Commerce Heights JSY loss or tie & Alif Laam Miim loss or tie, clinches top 3. Already clinched qualifcation.

Commerce Heights JSY: With win clinches qualification. With tie & Candrian Empire loss or tie & Uncle Pete loss or tie, clinches qualification. With Candrian Empire loss & Uncle Pete loss, clinches qualification.

Alif Laam Miim: With win & Candrian Empire loss, clinches qualification.

Candrian Empire: With loss & Alif Laam Miim win, eliminated.

Uncle Pete: With loss eliminated.

Sky Blue Group:

Miceland: With win clinches first place. With tie & Islands of Ishtar tie & Ropa-Topia tie, clinch first place. Already clinched a top two spot.

Islands of Ishtar: With win & Tocapa loss clinches qualification.

Black Group:

Aurendia: With win & Lost Limeyville loss or tie, clinches top two spot. With win & Lost Limeyville win clinches top three spot. With a tie clinches qualification. With Toopoxia loss or tie clinches qualification.

Delesa: With win & Toopoxia loss or tie clinches qualification.

Red Group:

Demot: With win & Carvalo tie or loss & Toronat tie or loss, clinches top two spot. With win & either Carvalo tie or loss or Toronat tie or loss clinches top three spot. With win & Carvalo win & Toronat win clinches qualification.

Thos are all of the qualification and elimination scenarios for match day 11. Interestingly all of the qualifications and eliminations can be decided in the yellow group, but no team can be eliminated in any other group and no more than two teams can clinch qualification in any other group.

Az-cz

05-08-2006, 07:48

Az-cz Scroll
August 5, 2006
Mil-Bax
Il-Lur

A Royal day at the Castle

Coming into the penultimate home match, and the only game being played in Mil-Bax, things were a little up in the air. Pizelkaxrovsky wasn't healthy for the game, the offense had been struggling a bit and Levesque had announced that their might be some changes. And changes there were, but it worked beautifully as Az-cz rolled to a 5-0 victory, their easiest win yet.
With the game being played in Mil-Bax at Burlock Castle Levesque had decided to honor the players from the cities two club teams, the Burlock Jesters and Red Dwarf Rangers. With the exception of the injured Pizelkaxrovsky, all the players on the Az-cz roster from these two squads earned starts. That mean that If-Wt was starting in place of Az-If, Kz-Kz was starting in place of At-Zm, and the biggest sub Dn-Zf starting in place of Gn-Lg in goal. Dn-Zf was also awarded the captains arm band for the day. Unrelated to Mil-Bax Bub-Rub was given the day off and Lur-Mn earned his first start of the tournament.
The energy and the noise of the Mil-Bax fans combined with the Mil-Bax players led to a great output straight from the beginning. Zax-Im set the tone straight from the opening kickoff. Less than a minute in he made a crunching but legal tackle that scooted the ball over to If-Wt. He took it down the pitch a bit and scooped it over to Kn-Dg. Kn-Dg turned on the jet boosters and took it in to just outside the box where he blasted a shot past the Greatest Crap keeper and two minutes in Az-cz was already ahead.
It didn't take long for Az-cz to extend there lead. Greatest Crap's keeper took a goal kick and tried to boot it way up field. Unfortunately Nerazzuri won the 50/50 and started another Az-cz counter attack. Again If-Wt was at the middle of it. He swung the ball to Bn-Dg who swung it back to him in the middle and again If-Wt found Kn-Dg on the left wing who powered another shot past the greatest Crap goal keeper. With only eight minutes gone by Greatest Crap had already surrendered a brace to Kn-Dg.
Amazingly Kn-Dg capped his hat trick just 9 minutes later. Az-cz continued to push the attack and won a free kick on the left side of the pitch. Kn-Dg short cornered it to Zax-Im. The Greatest Crap defense forgot about Kn-Dg as he came onto the pitch. Zax-Im slid the ball back to Kn-Dg who curled in a beautiful shot. 17 minutes into the crushing at the castle Kn-Dg had earned Az-cz their first ever international hat trick.
Kn-Dg continued to push the attack and only four minutes later Kn-Dg was cruelly denied a fourth goal twice. The first time he blasted the ball off the crossbar. It bounced downwards and just missed clearing the line before a greatest crap defender cleared the ball. On the next Az-cz attack his shot was headed for the goal before an ever so slight redirect from a Greatest Crap defender sent it wide for a corner.
After surviving those two shots Greatest Crap had their one small period of life. They were able to get a slight attack even putting two shots on Dn-Zf. He looked a bit suprised by the first one, having a bit of trouble corralling it. The second one was no problem as he made a fine catch to reel it in.
Greatest Crap looked for a time like they might get to halftime down 3-0 or maybe even 3-1, but they would have no such luck. In the 43rd minute the reverse of the first two goals was the tandem for the fourth. This time Zax-Im swung wide to Kn-Dg, who then fired a beautiful cross to If-Wt in the box who slotted home a brilliant one time shot to put Az-cz up 4-0. The party atmosphere in the stadium was in full effect.
At halftime Levesque made a couple of subs to ratchet up the defense level. He brought on Hubertino for his brother Stanleyinho, as he had done in the previous game. He also brought on Az-If for Bn-Dg. This meant two central midfielders two defensive midfielders with Lur-Mn up front and Kn-Dg behind him in support.
Az-cz again put the game in kill mode as they were barely looking to attack. There was not much action in the second half, but amazingly Az-cz found a fifth goal.
In the 65th minute Kz-Kz started a great sequence from the back. He recieved a back pass from Zax-Im and then swung the ball way up field to Hubertino. He dropped the ball of to Kn-Dg who swung it over to Az-If. Az-If then passed it up to Lur-Mn waiting in the box. There he got fouled from behind, earning a penalty. In honor of Dn-Zf, who had been a -League player since the first season and would definitely not get another chance after this year's world cup qualifying they let him take the penalty. He slotted it in brilliantly and Az-cz now had a 5-0 goal lead, and Dn-Zf had an international experience that would stay with him and his country forever.
The final sub was then used to make the team even more defensive. If-Wt was taken off for Lo-Ro with 22 minutes to play. After Dn-Zf's penalty you could tell that Greatest Crap had no more fight in them and that Az-cz was fine to play keep away until time was called, which is what exactly what happened.
It was an incredible day for all involved. Two more goal scorers mean that Az-cz has now had an unbelievable 15 different goal scorers. Plus the first hat trick in Az-cz history means that the game coming to be known as the "Crushing at the Castle" was a very special day indeed.
Az-cz follows up their high by travelling to Alif Laam Miim. A win there coupled with an unlikely result of Greatest Crap taking a point off of Winchestia would see Az-cz to the top of the group.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 5 Greatest Crap 0
Az-cz scorers 2, 8, 17 Kn-Dg 43 If-Wt 68 Dn-Zf
Possession Az-cz 85% Greatest Crap 15%
Shots Az-cz 20 Greatest Crap 2
Corners Az-cz 3 Greatest Crap 0

Ropa-Topia

05-08-2006, 08:08

That Sports Show
Normally hosted by Joe Esperanza, except today

A guy is sitting in what usually is Esperanza's chair, looking nervously into the camera for a minute or two, but then he suddenly turns to look at something behind the camera.

"Huh, what? Oh, yeah, of course..." He turns back to look into the camera, with a nervous smile on his face. "Sorry about that, well esteemed viewers, and good evening. I'm not Joe Esperanza and I am not a professional sports show host. My name is Guy, Guy the cameraman, who lost a bet with Joe and that's why I am here tonight. Tonight I am supposed to tell yo- What?" Guy looks away again. "Already? All right then..."

Guy turns back to the audience. "Whatever I will be telling you tonight, it will be after this commercial break."

**Five minutes of commercials, mostly from companies that are part of Bram the Bored Inc.**

"Welcome back to That Sports Show," Guy says, looking slightly less nervous now. "First the news that caused me to lose the bet with Joe. Coach Klungelaer held a press conference today, and I had predicted he would be announcing that he would be stepping down, for being a bad loser, but apparently Mr. Klungelaer has learned to deal with losing a lot better now, because in fact he announced he would be staying for the rest of this Baptism of Water- What?" Guy looks off-screen. "Fire? I thought baptising involved water?"

Guy shrugs and looks toward the audience again. "All right then, the Baptism of Fire... What a silly name. Klungelaer will be staying for that, and also for the 30th edition of the World Cup, and possibly even the next World Cup as well."

"Now I am supposed to tell you that Ropa-Topia didn't play any matches today. Nor did they play with matches, because that would have been dangerous and the Baptism of Fire might have been a bit too liter- Yes, I agree with the director, this was not funny. My apologies." Guy grins nervously. "Then who did play in the Sky Blue group, well, if Ropa-Topia didn't play, everyone else did, because only one team has a bye which is of course because there is an odd number of teams in the group but the director is informing me right now that he doesn't want me to explain that to you so let's look at these results then."

**A screen appears with the match results of MD10**

[off-screen] "Hmm. Are you sure these are the correct results?" [pause] "But these results are all the same." [another pause] "Really?" [a pause again] "So you are telling me that all three matches in our group ended in 4-0 for the home team?" [pause] "You are sure this is not one of Joe's pranks again? No? Okay... Well, viewers, sorry about that again. As you can see, today's results are rather amazing. Three times a 4-0 win... Are you really sure these are corr-"

**The sound mutes and a new screen appears with the following text:**

We are experiencing some technical difficulties.

That Sports Show will be back soon.
With Joe Esperanza. We promise.

Az-cz

05-08-2006, 10:58

MC: Today we've got a special treat. Along with Coach Levesque, we have three players today. Today's Captain Dn-Zf, Man of the Match If-Wt and Hat Trick scorer Kn-Dg. Coach, over to you.

Levesque: Wow. What can I say. Today was as good as can be imagined. 5-0. A hat trick in 17 minutes. Just hats off to the team. We're closing in on the goals we've set for the group stage. We've nearly locked up top of the group, so things are good.

MC: To questions then.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach, when did you decide to make the changes to the lineup and give Dn-Zf the captain's armband?

Levesque: Well I decided after the Winchestia game that if we maintained our advantage that I'd let Dn-Zf start in front of his home crowd. So that was decided upon. Most of the other decisions didn't come until before game time today. I felt that we were in a position and playing an opponent who I could afford to shuffle my lineup a bit. Getting various players starting time will be a help down the road.

Az-cz reporter 2: Does that mea that we might see more shuffling going into the game against Commerce Heights JSY?

Levesque: Indeed. I haven't set my lineup for the next game. We might end up shifting formations as well. That's something we'll discuss as we're preparing.

Az-cz reporter 3: Who's idea was it for Dn-Zf to take the penalty.

Dn-Zf: It was Zax-Im who asked me to take it, but it was pretty clear the whole team wanted me to take it. I tried to talk them out of it, but they insisted I take it, so I did.

Az-cz reporter 4: Dn-Zf, were you suprised to be given the start today.

Dn-Zf: Not especially. I figured that being the number two keeper and the way qualifying has been going coach would give me some time.

Az-cz reporter 5: Dn-Zf tell us your feelings about today.

Dn-Zf: It was just incredible. It was a wonderful experience. Everyone knows that this Baptism of Fire and the following world cup qualifying, and maybe if we're lucky enough to get invited, the Cup of Harmony, will be my only taste of international football. So to get a start was wonderful. And to do it in front of the home crowd. And as the captain. It was just incredible.

Az-cz reporter 6: Kn-Dg, explain how you got the Hat-trick and your feelings about it.

Kn-Dg: Well I got some good runs in and I got great support. If-Wt was masterful all game and definitely put up a performance worthy of unseating my hat trick for man of the match. I made good contact but my teammates put me in position for those goals.

Az-cz reporter 7: And If-Wt, describe how it felt to earn Man of the Match in your first start.

If-Wt: It felt really good. I know that I can't do what Pizelkaxrovsky can. I just try to play solid football and make passes that help my teammates. But to show that we can still make strong attacks without him was a boost to my ego and should give the entire team confidence. As all of us earning our first starts today showed this team isn't reliant on any one player. The whole team is strong.

Az-cz reporter 8: Looking at the possible draw, are there any teams you'd like to avoid?

Levesque: Well the goal is to finish first. Then we'll be able to avoid both Miceland and Winchestia until the regional finals. That isn't to say that a team like Islands of Ishtar isn't good and that we'll roll into the regional finals if we win the group. But Miceland and Winchestia are both proving to be very strong. Miceland is undefeated and Winchestia has only lost to us on the opening day of group play before they really found their footing. So avoiding those two as long as possible would be very nice.

MC: Alright, last question.

Az-cz reporter 9: What is the word on Pizelkaxrovsky?

Levesque: He's day to day. If we needed him we could bring him back any time, but we'll probably take things slowly. However I'd like to get him some pitch time before the knockout stages, so don't be suprised to see him against Alif Laam Miim or The Candrian Empire.

Lexington SC

05-08-2006, 15:56

'Cats Crushed 5-Nil
The Mice scored quick and hard in Miceland and pushed over the not so wild Wildcats easliy, winning 5-0. Over 15000 'Cats fans were on hand for the dissapointment. The 'Cats now have a break day, followed by a match verses Ishtar. The 'Cats have slipped to 5th in the Sky blue group.

Demot

06-08-2006, 01:54

Demot Daily ~ Firing On All Cylinders

Revenge? Was that what the team was thinking this go around versus The Colony of Deleware? Or perhaps were they thinking to send a message to their possible oppenents in the knockout stages. Whatever was on their minds, the team acheived it with style. All three of the squads goals came by the foot of a sub, and in the second half. So now the team holds it destiny solely in it's own hands, by taking the group lead with their win over the colonists. With Allocer, Czariums, and Toronat left on the match schedule, the team can coast into the knock outs, with Toronat being the only squad that they have to put some worry into.

The first half of the match was pretty even, each team gaining an edge on the other, but then losing it just as quickly as it had gained it. Few shots were taken, and those that were usually were off target, not posing much danger to the keepers. But then in the second half, the offence began to flow for the Fortress and the three goals came in a 10 minute span, from the 71st to the 81st minute. Wright headed home a corner in the 71st, Argonot lobbed one in in the 77th, and Isola powered one by the the keep in the 81st. The team now has an impressive ten different scorers with Black, Frontson, and Masteron tied for the lead with three a piece.

Scorers
Samantha Black - 3
Justin Frontson - 3
David Masteron - 3
Sarah Ysman - 2
Vince Lepierre - 1
Allison Lucas - 1
Winchester Unitus - 1
Ben Isola - 1
David Argonot -1
Slyvester Wright -1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

06-08-2006, 04:40

This moment will henceforth be known forever as the MD 11 RP Cut Off.

Red Group
Toronat 0:0 The Colony of Delaware
Carvalo 2:0 Lylybium
Allocer 0:3 Demot

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Demot 10 6 3 1 20 5 15 21 Q
Carvalo 10 4 4 2 15 8 7 16
The Colony of Delaware 9 5 1 3 11 12 -1 16
Toronat 9 2 5 2 5 6 -1 11
Czariums 9 3 1 5 7 18 -11 10
Allocer 9 2 2 5 7 12 -5 8
Lylybium 10 1 4 5 6 11 -5 7

Black Group
Delesa 1:1 Aurendia
Toopoxia 2:1 Lost Limeyville
Ten Thousand Maggots 1:0 KCToker

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 9 6 2 1 17 6 11 20
Delesa 9 5 2 2 14 8 6 17
Toopoxia 10 3 5 2 13 12 1 14
Lost Limeyville 10 3 4 3 10 9 1 13
Perturbed Leopard 9 3 2 4 11 13 -2 11
Ten Thousand Maggots 9 2 2 5 8 13 -5 8
KCToker 10 2 1 7 7 20 -13 7

Sky Blue Group
Marion Oaks 2 0:1 Wrecker
Tocapa 2:1 The Mice of Miceland
Ropa-Topia 1:0 The Islands of Ishtar

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 10 7 2 1 19 4 15 23 Q
The Islands of Ishtar 10 4 3 3 19 8 11 15
Ropa-Topia 9 4 3 2 11 9 2 15
Tocapa 10 4 2 4 11 11 0 14
Lexington SC 9 3 1 5 8 16 -8 10
Wrecker 9 2 2 6 5 16 -11 8
Marion Oaks 2 9 2 1 6 6 16 -10 7

Yellow Group
Uncle Pete 3:1 Alif Laam Miim
Commerce Heights JSY 0:4 Az-Cz
The Candrian Empire 2:3 Winchestia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 10 9 1 0 27 2 25 28 Q
Winchestia 10 7 2 1 25 7 18 23 Q
Commerce Heights JSY 10 4 3 3 13 14 -1 15
Alif Laam Miim 9 4 0 5 11 17 -6 12
Uncle Pete 9 2 2 5 8 17 -9 8
The Candrian Empire 9 1 2 6 7 15 -8 5
The Greatest Crap 9 1 0 8 4 23 -19 3 E

The Mice of Miceland

06-08-2006, 06:09

Mice leave and return with first ever loss.

A freak transport accident has caused the thousands of Mice that where on their way to Tocapa for the away game at the Tocapan stadium. A freak weather system hit the MSS Minnow. Sometime during this storm the the Miceland Maritime Monitoring Station lost contact with the MSS Minnow. A search party had been sent but has so far found no sign of the MSS Minnow. The skipper of the ship Skipper Jonas GrumbyMouse and the first mate of the MSS Minnow a certain Willy GilliganMouse.

A full list of mice that have been lost at sea can be found at the Miceland Maritime Safety Institute, please contact them to find out if your loved one is affected.

Related to this is the 2-1 loss that Tocapa inflicted on our mice, exact details of the match itself is that Sickly scored in the dying minutes of the match after Tocapa had already gained a 2-0 lead. Accusations of using the threat of cats to intimidate the team have been leveled at the Tocapan FA, combining that with a biased referee has resulted in the first loss of Miceland's international stage. It will be how we react to this humiliation that we can show the world the true heart of mice.

The Entertainment & Gaming Office Judicial Panel is investigating these accusations and will provide a publicly available report once the investigation has been completed.

This has been an official government public release

[NS:]Delesa

06-08-2006, 19:46

THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME UP TO DATE FOR DFC ENDS IN A SPECTACULAR TIE!!

1-1 tie with Aurendia, keeps DFC in second, and brightens team flare.

It was the most intense and important game in DFC history up to date. The spectators stood the whole game, singing and chanting, all through the Delesa capital, St. Myhre, you could hear the roar coming from the NFC(National Football Centre). Aurendia is top of the Black group seeming like a unstoppable force. Right from the get go, the game was action packed. In the first 25 minutes, the game was a pitched battle at half, where the ball mostly stay, constantly changing possession. The in the 27 minute #7 Ashley Campbell got past the DFC defenders and made a spectacular shot from atop the 18 yard box, hammering the ball into the top right hand corner. The DFC team seemed to get angry, we not sure at who, themselves, Aurendia, or even the fans, but #10 Dustin Lupton from DFC tackled #4 Regina Dunlop, in which the referee found it necessary to give him a red card. The action was constantly tense, but then the whistle was blow for half time, where head coach Liam O'Reilly seemed red as the jerseys as he stormed off the pitch, the team following with there heads hung low.

But when it was time to start the 2nd half the team seemed revived, where in the 67th minute, where #6 Jason Clare chipped the ball from their side of the field up to #9 Florian Olivier, where he sprinted past the defenders, and nailed a shot at the net, where #28 Liza “the Lemur” Kohl the keeper, deflected the ball away, but into the feet of #4 Michael McShane. He took the shot from the left corner of 18 yard box, and the ball curled around the keeper in top the right top corner of the net. At that point the crowd went wild. The fans started to sing the national anthem. And the game remained a continuous battle, until the final whistle where the crowd seemed pleased with the team. The two teams meet at half where they shook hands, smiling and DFC offered their jersey’s as a sign of sportsmanship. Yes is was a intense game of high caliber.

Goals:
27 min - #7 Ashley Campbell (Aur)
67 min - #4 Michael McShane (DFC)

Cards:
32 min - #10 Dustin Lupton (DFC) - Yellow

Aurendia

06-08-2006, 21:48

Etoka Journal-Tribune
“Now with larger print for those hung-over mornings”

Raptors retain first place following epic draw with Delesa

DELESA NATIONAL FOOTBALL CENTRE – Team Aurendia held on to first place in the Black Group following a 1-1 draw in front of a packed house in Delesa. The ball barely left the midfield over the first 25 minutes, as the teams waged a battle of alternating possessions. This changed in the 27th, when the Raptors penetrated the DFC defense, culminating in Ashley Campbell scoring her 8th goal of the tournament, to the vocal displeasure of the crowd. Aurendia continued to pressure, leading to DFC’s Dustin Lupton drawing a card in the 32nd off a tackle on Regina, but the Raptors were unable to add to the 1-0 lead.

The second half saw a much more energetic Delesa squad increase the pressure, leading to a DFC goal in the 67th. Keeper Liza Kohl, returning from an ankle injury in MD6, made the save on a shot from Florian Olivier, but the rebound went right to the feet of Michael McShane for the equalizer. The Raptors’ defense managed to hold off a DFC offense invigorated by a loud, cheering crowd. No further goals resulted and the match ended with the 1-1 draw and the exchange of handshakes and jerseys between squads.

With the draw in this match, the Raptors clinched qualification into the next round, and currently hold on to a three-point lead on first place in the Black Group, while Delesa remains in second place. The Raptors will return to Aurendia for the next two games, facing Lost Limeyville in Zeneri, followed by Toopoxia in Three Rivers.

Scoring:
1. A (A. Campbell 8) 27th
2. DFC (M. McShane 7) 67th

Lexington SC

06-08-2006, 22:09

Lee Benched for Ishtar Game
In a not so suprising move today, manager Chris Fryland announced that starting keeper Michael Lee will be benched, and backup keeper William Moore will start in his place. Moore, who plays for Real Lexington of the Lexington Premier League, has had limited international experience. Moore is confident however, "I feel confident and im not scared, I see this as a great opporotunity to prove myself." Lee was unavaliable for comment. The WIldcats, who have slipped to 5th in the Sky Blue Group, face Ishtar at Wildcats Hollow tomorrow.

Demot

06-08-2006, 22:11

Demot Daily ~ Another Out

Pin point passing, fantastic finishing, dominant defending, and excelent keeping. Those are the ingrediants to a championship team, and my friends, those qualities have come to fruitition in our side. With another win, and shutout, over Allocer, the team is now officially qualified for the knockout stage. The team now gets to take on Czariums before getting a nicely timed bye, and then take on Toronat in the final match.

The game itself was what we've come to expect from Demot. An aggressive possesive style of game, holding prolonged attacks in the oppisitions end, before stringing passes into the box for quality attempts. Black got her 4th goal in the 17th minute, then her 5th in the 32nd. Masteron got one of his own in the 54th to all but let the team coast from that point forward.

"We're doing well, and are just looking forward to the other stages of the tournament. We still got these two games, but we're qualified and that was our goal. Black is looking good, and Whitehurse looks like he can retire in style after the Cup. Yeah, we're good."
- Dogood

Scorers
Samantha Black - 5
David Masteron - 4
Justin Frontson - 3
Sarah Ysman - 2
Vince Lepierre - 1
Allison Lucas - 1
Winchester Unitus - 1
Ben Isola - 1
David Argonot -1
Slyvester Wright -1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Winchestia

07-08-2006, 02:45

(OOC: technically, I'm on my honneymoon, so I've decided to just write a couple of Haikus for the previous 2 matches :))

4-0 over Alif Laam Miim:

Those Alif people
Are they the Best of the rest?
Hope they like the mice!

3-2 over The Candrian Empire:
Wow! That one was close!
Maybe I should RP more
At least they're not mice!

Az-cz

07-08-2006, 02:55

Az-cz Scroll
August 7, 2006
Commerce Heights JSY
Em-Nm

Getting Close

Following up the 5-0 thrashing of Greatest Crap, then turning around and following that up with a visit to Commerce Heights JSY, there was some expectation of a let down. Fortunately, once again Levesque pushed the right buttons and Az-cz advanced to a 4-0 victory.
The first interesting thing was the lineup. For this game Az-cz used a 3-4-3. The backline was back to normal. If-Wt earned his second start and Ox-Rx was also starting in place of Hubertino.
Both teams came out pushing strong and there were a lot of shots in the opening 15 minutes. However neither team could find a way to beat the other teams keeper.
The scoring was opened in the 17th minute. If-Wt swung it wide to Bn-Dg, who slipped a little dink pass into Bub-Rub. He then spun around one defender before firing a beautiful shot straight into the goal.
And with that Az-cz took off like gangbusters and floored Commerce Heights JSY. It took them only two more minutes for them to find their second goal. This one came from a rather delayed play. Az-cz had taken the ball back quite quickly but Commerce Heights JSY were in a good defensive position. So the ball was passed around quite a bit until Bn-Dg swung it to Zax-Im who then passed to Ml-Dni darting up the field and fired in his second goal of the tournament.
But the bleeding didn't stop there for Commerce Heights JSY as Az-cz managed to score only a minute later. After the kick to restart play Zax-Im immediately intercepted the ball. He swung it quickly to Ox-Rx, who fired in a rocket from 40 yards out to make it 3-0.
After that burst Commerce Heights JSY slowed the game down. Both teams had a few more chances, but the score line remained the same until halftime.
At the half Levesque made two subs. First he brought in Ip-Gp for Bn-Dg and the second sub was At-Zm for Ox-Rx. Again he was putting the team mostly in shutdown mode, but clearly not 100% as his bringing on Ip-Gp showed. Ip-Gp looked incredibly determined to get his name in to the Az-cz score books.
It didn't take long for him to do it. After 8 minutes he made an incredible open field tackle to win the ball than made an incredible individual run through the defense and launched a shot from about 25 yards that whistled into the goal. It was an incredible bit of individual skill from someone not expected to play much this tournament.
And with that Az-cz did put it into kill mode. They prevented Commerce Heights JSY from getting another shot. At the 70 minute mark Hubertino was brought on for Kn-Dg, to really kill the action. Commerce Heights fought hard to break through, but they couldn't do it.
With the win Az-cz is very close to clinching first place. If they can win their next match against Alif Laam Miim or Winchestia fails to take full points against Greatest Crap then Az-cz is top. As for Commerce Heights, they have a bye before playing Alif Laam Miim in the game that should decide third place.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 4 Commerce Heights JSY 0
Az-cz scorers 17 Bub-Rub 19 Ml-Dni 20 Ox-Rx 53 Ip-Gp
Possesion Az-cz 64% Commerce Heights JSY 36%
Shots Az-cz 14 Commerce Heights JSY 9
Corners Az-cz 2 Commerce Heights JSY 1

Az-cz

07-08-2006, 03:16

MC: Congratulations to the team on another wonderful performance. Joining the coach and captain Zax-Im today will be the Man of the Match, Ml-Dni. Take it away, coach.

Levesque: Thanks. I'm incredibly happy. What a team of players I've got. Every one is commited, they're all playing well and I have total trust and freedom to change things around. It's just a great situation.

MC: Ok. To the questions.

Az-cz reporter 1: With Miceland's loss today that leaves Az-cz as the last undefeated team. How does that feel?

Levesque: It feels good. It's a testament to our hard work and skill. But it's not our only goal. We still have to find results in these last two games to clinch the top spot in our group. Despite their loss we still think it's preferrable to avoid Miceland as long as possible as they are a dangerous side. So we're still pushing hard for that. And of course we want to put on a strong showing in the knockouts as well. So being undefeated now is nice, but hopefully just a beginning.

Az-cz reporter 2: What was the impetus behind the 3-4-3 today?

Levesque: I wanted to see how well it would work and thought it would give us an offensive shot in the arm against a team we struggle to score against last time. I'd say it worked pretty well, wouldn't you?

Az-cz reporter 3: Ml-Dni, how does it feel to earn that Man of the Match.

Ml-Dni: Great. I scored the first goal of the tournament, but didn't deserve man of the match then. I feel much better about today. I scored and we played great defense the whole time. Contributing to the seventh straight Az-cz clean sheet is a great feeling.

Az-cz reporter 4: The two, three and four spots in the Sky Blue group are totally up in the air. Do you have any preferences for who ends up second and fourth?

Levesque: Not really. We know that any team that qualifies is capable of beating us, but also that we're capable of beating anybody if we play well. So no, there is no team we must avoid and one team we'd rather play from that group.

Zax-Im: Agreed, but we would like some separation. It would be nice to have an idea of which team we'll play so that we can start our preperations.

Az-cz reporter 5: Do you have any thoughts on the Winchestia match?

Levesque: Yes. They're a good team and found a way to win. That's what good teams do. They haven't lost any ground on us in the last eight games. That's quite impressive. They will be a tough draw for anybody that gets them.

Az-cz reporter 6: What will we see in the next game coach?

Levesque: I think football. <Everyone laughs> As far as tactics go, I haven't totally decided, but I think we'll probably try a 3-5-2 again.

MC: Alright, last question.

Az-cz reporter 7: What's the most recent word on Pizelkaxrovsky.

Levesque: He's doing much better.

MC: Well I guess that's it for tonight. Thanks for your time gentlemen. Good luck in securing the top spot in the group.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

07-08-2006, 04:09

this is your friendly match day 12 RP cut off

Red Group
The Colony of Delaware 4:1 Lylybium
Czariums 0:2 Demot
Allocer 0:1 Toronat

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Demot 11 7 3 1 22 5 17 24 Q
The Colony of Delaware 10 6 1 3 15 13 2 19 Q
Carvalo 10 4 4 2 15 8 7 16
Toronat 10 3 5 2 6 6 0 14
Czariums 10 3 1 6 7 20 -13 10
Allocer 10 2 2 6 7 13 -6 8
Lylybium 11 1 4 6 7 15 -8 7 E

Black Group
Aurendia 6:1 Lost Limeyville
Perturbed Leopard 0:0 KCToker
Ten Thousand Maggots 0:2 Delesa

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 10 7 2 1 23 7 16 23 Q
Delesa 10 6 2 2 16 8 8 20 Q
Toopoxia 10 3 5 2 13 12 1 14
Lost Limeyville 11 3 4 4 11 15 -4 13
Perturbed Leopard 10 3 3 4 11 13 -2 12
Ten Thousand Maggots 10 2 2 6 8 15 -7 8
KCToker 11 2 2 7 7 20 -13 8

Sky Blue Group
Wrecker 0:2 The Mice of Miceland
Lexington SC 0:2 The Islands of Ishtar
Ropa-Topia 4:0 Marion Oaks 2

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 11 8 2 1 21 4 17 26 Q
The Islands of Ishtar 11 5 3 3 21 8 13 18 Q
Ropa-Topia 10 5 3 2 15 9 6 18 Q
Tocapa 10 4 2 4 11 11 0 14
Lexington SC 10 3 1 6 8 18 -10 10
Wrecker 10 2 2 7 5 18 -13 8
Marion Oaks 2 10 2 1 7 6 20 -14 7 E

Yellow Group
Alif Laam Miim 1:4 Az-Cz
The Greatest Crap 0:2 Winchestia
The Candrian Empire 3:2 Uncle Pete

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 11 10 1 0 31 3 28 31 Q
Winchestia 11 8 2 1 27 7 20 26 Q
Commerce Heights JSY 10 4 3 3 13 14 -1 15 Q
Alif Laam Miim 10 4 0 6 12 21 -9 12
The Candrian Empire 10 2 2 6 10 17 -7 8
Uncle Pete 10 2 2 6 10 20 -10 8
The Greatest Crap 10 1 0 9 4 25 -21 3 E

Az-cz

07-08-2006, 04:30

Az-cz Scroll
August 7, 2006
Mth-Mn

Qualification Scenarios:

Yellow Group:

Az-cz: With win or Winchestia loss or tie, clinches top spot. Already clinched top two spot.

Commerce Heights JSY: With Uncle Pete loss, clinches qualification.

Alif Laam Miim: With win & Uncle Pete loss, clinches qualification.

Uncle Pete: With loss & Alif Laam Miim win, eliminated.

Candrian Empire: With loss or Alif Laam Miim win, eliminated. With tie & Alif Laam Miim tie, eliminated.

Sky Blue Group:

Miceland: With win or Ropa-Topa loss or tie clinches top spot.

Islands of Ishtar: With win clinches qualification.

Ropa-Topia: With win & Lexington SC loss or tie, clinches qualification.

Marion Oaks 2: With loss, eliminated.

Black Group:

Aurendia: With win or tie, clinches top two spot. With Perturbed Leopard loss or tie, clinches top three spot.

Delesa: With win & Perturbed Leopard loss or tie, clinches top three spot. With tie & Perturbed Leopard loss & Lost Limeyville loss or tie, clinches top three spot. With win, clinches qualification With tie & either Perturbed Leopard loss or Lost Limeyville loss or tie, clinches qualification.

KCToker: With loss or tie or Lost Limeyville win or tie, eliminated.

Red Group:

Demot: With win & Colony of Delaware loss or tie clinches top spot. With win clinches top two spot. Already clinched top three spot.

Colony of Delaware: With win & Toronat loss or tie & Czariums loss or tie, clinches top three spot. With win & either Toronat loss or tie or Czariums loss or tie, clinches qualification. With tie & Czariums loss & Allocer loss or tie, clinches qualification.

Lylybium: With loss eliminated. With tie & either Toronat win or tie or Czariums win, eliminated. With Toronat win, eliminated.

Those are the qualification scenarios for match day 12. Each group can now see a number of teams qualified and at least one team eliminated. It is also possible for the top spot to be clinched in three of the four groups.

Az-cz

07-08-2006, 05:34

Az-cz Scroll
August 7, 2006
Alif Laam Miim
Il-Lur

Best in Show

Az-cz continued their run to the top of their group. With a 4-1 victory over Alif Laam Miim they officially stamped themselves as group champions. However there was some doubt about the result of this match.
The starting lineup for this game was the original one, with only If-Wt starting instead of Pizelkaxrovsky.
Both teams came out strong. Their would good tackles, fine passes, and powerful shots on both ends of the field. The goaltending, was also top notch, to keep the score even.
In the 22nd minute Alif Laam Miim finally brought an end to the Az-cz scoreless streak after 712 minutes without allowing a goal, and an even more incredible 853 minutes since last allowing a goal in open play. Alif Laam Miim was also the first team to actually generate their own goal as opposed to Az-cz mistakes. A series of fine passes swung around till they found a nice shot on Gn-Lg from just outside the box and blasted it by him.
Going up 1-0 Alif Laam Miim continued to press the attack. They had a number of good shots and only Gn-Lg's determination and skill kept Alif Laam Miim from extending their lead.
Just before half Az-cz finally found the equalizer. Zax-Im started the attack with a nifty pass to Bn-Dg. He crossed the ball to the opposite side to Kn-Dg, who swung it in the middle to If-Wt. He then shoveled it to Ml-Dni, who made a picture perfect cross to Bub-Rub who blasted in the goal in the 44th minute.
At halftime Levesque made a very suprising substitution. He brought on Pizelkaxrovsky and took off If-Wt. Immediately Pizelkaxrovsky displayed his magic and affirmed his health. The first time he touched the ball he set up the game winning goal. He made two fine jukes to get open in the middle of the Alif Laam Miim half. He faked a pass to Kn-Dg and then deftly sent the ball over to Bn-Dg who took two dribbles than crushed the ball into the upper right corner of the net in the 47th minute.
Alif Laam Miim tried to get back in the game, but the Az-cz defense was playing incredible football. Ns-Ta and Zax-Im seemed to have a read on the Alif Laam Miim passes and a number of attacks died at their feet.
Az-cz came out of a bit of a lull they fell into after the second goal. In the 62nd Pizelkaxrovsky scored another goal himself. Bub-Rub had gotten fouled running down the pitch, earning a free kick. Pizelkaxrovsky curled it into the upper left of the net and Az-cz was up 3-1.
Levesque tried to make a defensive substitution, but before he could Az-cz scored again. Zax-Im again dispossed the Alif Laam Miim team. He forwarded it to Pizelkaxrovsky, who found Kn-Dg racing forward and swung it off to him. Kn-Dg one timed the ball into the bottom of the goal.
At that point At-Zm came on for Bn-Dg and Lo-Ro for Bub-Rub. Az-cz put the game into defensive mode and easily held off Alif Laam Miim to guarantee the top spot in the group.
The next game for Az-cz is against The Candrian Empire. Although the game means nothing to Az-cz in terms of qualification, they would like to go out at home victors. Plus The Candrian Empire is still fighting for qualification. So it is not an insignificant game. As for Alif Laam Miim they are trying to secure qualification and possibly the third spot in a huge game against Commerce Heights JSY.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 4 Alif Laam Miim 1
Az-cz Scorers 44 Bub-Rub 47 Bn-Dg 62 Pizelkaxrovsky 63 Kn-Dg
Possession Az-cz 53% Alif Laam Miim 47%
Shots Az-cz 12 Alif Laam Miim 12
Corners Az-cz 0 Alif Laam Miim 0

The Mice of Miceland

07-08-2006, 05:50

Mice go to Wrecker and restore their Honour

A loss against Tocapa in Matchday 11 was the only blight on a clean sheet for the Mice as the team won against Wrecker at a home stadium. The government subsidised transport to wrecker had no problems and the loss of MSS Minnow did not seem to affect the crowd of mice that appeared in wrecker for the match.

Speaking of the MSS Minnow, the ship has yet to be found, we have not even found any debris from the ship, search for the Minnow is still underway but the searches have expressed that there is now little, if any hope, of there being any survivors or the wreck being found despite the common belief that the ship is "somewhere out there".

The away match was a 2nd half match as it seemed that neither team where able to settle into any rhythm for the entire half. There was a chance for a goal by Sickly as Angel BallerinaMouse managed to deftly place an accurate kick to the striker but there was a trip by a Wrecker defender. The referee did not seem to see this as Sickly fell to the ground and the defender took the ball and started to take the ball up the field.

At half-time the score was 0-0 and the Mice's coach had a talk, this talk combined with the bouying effect of the mice in the crowd shot the Mice up into a higher level of activity. in the first few minutes the Wrecker defense was caught napping as in the 46th minute Angel BallerinaMouse did a long-range shot against the Wrecker goal and it seemed to be like the goalie assumed the defense to get it before it came anywhere near the goal but everyone was caught going the wrong way and the ball flew through the air and the goal keeper failed to reach the ball in time.

The second goal was by Fievel ChurchMouse in the 78th minute, the wrecker defense was just over powered in the minute, as it had managed to snap out of its slumber and had managed to keep the mice at bay. The mice however was just wearning the defense down, and an amazing run by Sickly who traveresed three quarters of the field with the ball. Managing to side-step a number of challengers and take a successful shot at goal.

With this win the Mice has made a statement, that they belong at the top of the table, meanwhile Marion Oaks has been eliminated from the Bof and Islands of Ishtar and Ropa-Topia.

Aurendia

07-08-2006, 07:26

Southport News
“We don’t need a slogan. We’re just boring like that.”

Campbell nets hat trick as Raptors kick off holidays with 6-1 thrashing of Lost Limeyville

ZENERI – The Raptors gave their fans something else to celebrate this holiday season, as Team Aurendia defeated Lost Limeyville 6-1 in Zeneri on the opening night of the It’s Really Hot Out So Let’s Get Drunk Festival.

The capacity crowd at AurendiCorp Field in Zeneri didn’t have to wait long for goals, as the Raptors opened the scoring in the 6th minute when Cassandra Campbell beat a Lost Limeyville defender at midfield, and made the pass to her sister for the goal. Team Aurendia kept pressuring the Lost Limeyville end, resulting in a second goal for Ashley Campbell in the 17th off the rebound of a Jeff Yaneohe shot. The Raptors made it 3-0 in the 32nd when Cassandra Campbell sent a corner kick right to Regina Dunlop for the goal.
Lost Limeyville made it interesting just before the end of the half, scoring in the 43rd, but that would prove to be the closest they came.

Halftime saw the most elaborate performance yet by Aurendia’s notorious streakers, as nearly 300 stark naked fans came on to the pitch to spell out the word “Raptors,” before returning to their seats as the teams emerged from the locker rooms.

The second half would prove to be just as one sided as the first, even with Aurendia’s coaches making substitutions to rest starters. Ashley Campbell would complete the hat-trick in the 54th, with the assist coming on a pass from Jessica Colenti. Aurendia made it 5-1 just eight minutes later, when Cassandra Campbell sent another corner kick to forward Denise Little. Team Aurendia still didn’t let up, finishing the scoring in the 73rd when Cassandra Campbell cleared the ball to midfielder Tara Pellegri for Aurendia’s sixth goal of the game.

This victory ensured that the Raptors have clinched one of the top two spots in the Black Group going in to the knockout rounds. Two games remain in the opening round for the Raptors, tomorrow against Toopoxia at Capitals Park in Three Rivers, and MD14 in Perturbed Leopards. With second-place Delesa also victorious today, the Raptors’ lead stayed at three points. A win in either of the Raptors’ upcoming games will guarantee the first place finish, setting up a match with the fourth place team in the Red Group, currently Toronat, for the opening game of the knockout rounds.

Scoring:
1. A (A. Campbell 9) 6th (Assist: C. Campbell)
2. A (A. Campbell 10) 17th (Assist: J. Yaneohe)
3. A (R. Dunlop 2) 32nd (Assist: C. Campbell)
4. LL 43rd
5. A (A. Campbell 11) 54th (Assist: J. Colenti)
6. A (D. Little 2) 62nd (Assist: C. Campbell)
7. A (T. Pellegri 1) 73rd (Assist: C. Campbell)

Winchestia

07-08-2006, 13:59

The Winchestia Times
10 Straight Results Secures 2nd Spot

With all of the craziness that has surronded some of Winchestia's matches in this tournament, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the Cooks have now gotten points in their last 10 matches, including away at Az-Cz! They have now secured 2nd place in the group with only one last match, at Uncle Pete, to play. Due to the storms that have been sweeping through Winchestia during the last month, we haven't been able to print summaries of these matches. For the record, here were the incidents:

Vs. Alif Laam Miim
20: Goal 1-0 Levi Duman
44: Yellow Card Chris Niece
60: Goal 2-0 Dallas Marayan
63: Goal 3-0 Levi Pavin
72: Red Card Chris Niece
80: Goal 4-0 Dallas Marayan (pen)

At The Candrian Emprie
23: Goal Candrian Empire 1-0
45: Goal Candrian Empire 2-0
55: Yellow Card Levi Pavin
59: Yellow Card Dallas Marayan (diving)
63: Goal Marcos Bodle 2-1
74: sub Firmin in Billiot out
78: Goal Ervin Firmin 2-2
85: Goal Levi Pavin 2-3
90: Red Card Dallas Marayan

At The Greatest Crap
63: Goal Will Winiarksi 0-1
90: Goal Ervin Firmin 0-2

Ropa-Topia

07-08-2006, 14:10

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/DarthBunny/ns_stuff/sg-title.png

Guy gets his own show
In less important news, Marion oaks 2 defeated 4-0

Reactions of viewers throughout the Allied States of Ropa-Topia to Guy the Cameraman's attempt to host That Sports Show have led network executives to give Guy his own show. They have yet to reveal what kind of show it would be, because Guy didn't appear to know a lot about sports.

Marion Oaks 2 defeated
The defeat of the team from Marion Oaks 2 has been Ropa-Topia's biggest win so far. Four goals with none against, and two of those goals were scored by Ropa-Topia's youngest international football player, 18-year-old Laurinda Baldwin.

The 4-0 victory also means that Ropa-Topia is ensured of a place in the next round, although in what position we'll end in the group can still change, with still a match to play against -- and in -- Miceland tomorrow and the day after that against Tocapa in the Unity Stadium.

Az-cz

07-08-2006, 15:28

MC: Congratulations to our conquering heroes. They've now guaranteed the top spot in their group as well as the best record of any team in the knockout stages. Here to tell us more our coach Levesque, captain Zax-Im and Man of the Match Pizelkaxrovsky.

Coach: It's hard to describe how I feel right now. What more could you ask for. This team has been fantastic through and through. Now we've got one more game to work on our skills and get ready for the knockout stages.

Az-cz reporter 1: When did you make the decision to play Pizelkaxrovsky?

Levesque: He looked healthy enough to play and I wanted to get him some pitch time before the elimination stages. He's showed that he's back.

Az-cz reporter 2: How do you feel Pizelkaxrovsky?

Levesque: Great. The stiffness is basically gone. I'm pretty much 100% at this point. Hopefully we can all stay healthy here on out.

Az-cz reporter 3: Your goal differential is greater than the number of goals scored by any other team, how does that feel?

Pizelkaxrovsky: Great. It shows the level of football we've been playing. We've definitely established ourselves as a threat in this tournament. But with that means that we come to have higher goals for ourselves, so we've got to keep pushing and find ways to get wins.

Az-cz reporter 4: Zax-Im, as captain of this team how does it feel to clinch the top spot?

Zax-Im: I'm very proud of my teammates. They make my job easy. I basically let them do their own. They're all very professional and mentally strong. Even the younger players show a lot of grit and poise.

Az-cz reporter 5: Who do you expect to play in the knockout stages?

Levesque: It's hard to say. It looks likely that our opponent will be Tocapa in the first round, but after that who knows. All I know is that we'll get to avoid Miceland and Winchestia until the regional finals. Which is a break.

Az-cz reporter 6: What will the lineup look like for the final game of the group stage?

Levesque: Expect it to look different than what you've seen recently. There will be a different player wearing the captain's armband and a different goalie. Other than that we'll be looking at a lot of things as to who to play. But all the players know that the players against The Candrian Empire will not reflect the side for the knockout stages. Barring injury we will go back to our regular starting lineup for the knockout stages.

MC: Alright, time for one last question.

Az-cz reporter 7: You've unquestionably been the best team in the group stages. How much will that matter to you if you don't get results in the knockout stages?

Levesque: Both a ton and not at all. Regardless of what happens in the knockout stages we've proven we're a strong side. One bad result won't undo that. But at the same time, if we don't advance deep into the knockout stages we won't have ended up with a good finish, which would hurt.

Pizelkaxrovsky: Not much. Proving that we are a good side was very important. But does a few extra points now compare with the knockout stages? No. If someone else wins the title those extra points won't matter <expletive>.

MC: <Reacts with great suprise> Ok then, I think it's time to say goodbye for now.

Lexington SC

07-08-2006, 16:31

'Cats have now Scored 0 Goals Last 3 Matches

After a 2-nil loss today to IShtar, the WIldcats are now without a goal in their last 3 matches (0-1-2). Backup keeper WIlliam Moore gave up 2 penalty kicks in the 51st and 63rd minutes, while the cats managed 5 shots on goal, Ishtar had 3.
This game was highlighted by a lack of effort and the subs played out most of the second half.

Goal Scorers:
T. Griggs 5
T. Trudeau 1
A. Marinelli 1
B. Gillespie 1

Lexington SC

07-08-2006, 16:40

Cats Hope to releive frustration, Crush Mairon Oaks 2

Next up for the wildcats, is hapless Marion Oaks 2, sititng at the bottom of the SKy Blue Group. With a new player at midfield for the cats (Patrick Anderson) back from injury, the cats hope to have better sucess in the later stages of group play.

Az-cz

07-08-2006, 16:45

Az-cz Scroll
August 8, 2006
Mth-Mn

Qualfication Scenarios

While many spots have been secured, many are still up for grabs. Here's a look at the various qualification scenarios from around the Bapitsm of Fire.

Yellow Group:

Commerce Heights JSY: With win & Alif Laam Miim loss or tie clinches third place. With tie & Alif Laam Miim loss, clinches third place.

Alif Laam Miim: With win clinches qualification. With tie & Uncle Pete tie or loss & Candrian Empire tie or loss clinches qualification. With Uncle Pete loss & Candrian Empire loss clinches qualification.

Uncle Pete: With loss, eliminated. With Alif Laam Miim win, eliminated. With tie & Alif Laam Miim tie, eliminated.

Candrian Empire: With loss, eliminated. With Alif Laam Miim win, eliminated. With tie & Alif Laam Miim tie, eliminated.

Sky Blue Group:

Ropa-Topia: With win, clinches top three spot. With Tocapa loss, clinches top three spot. With tie & Tocapa tie, clinches top three spot.

Tocapa: With win, clinches qualification. With tie & Lexington SC tie or loss clinches qualification.

Lexington SC: With loss, eliminated. With Tocapa win, eliminated. With tie & Tocapa tie, eliminated.

Wrecker: With tie or loss, eliminated.

Black group:

Aurendia: With win & Delesa tie tie or loss, clinches top spot. With tie & Delesa loss clinches top spot.

Delesa: With either win or tie or Toopoxia loss or tie, clinches top two spot.

Toopoxia: With win & Perturbed Leopard loss or tie, clinches top three spot. With tie & Lost Limeyville loss or tie, clinches qualification. With Lost Limeyville loss, clinches qualification.

Lost Limeyville: With win & Perturbed Leopard loss, clinches qualification. With loss & Perturbed Leopard win, eliminated. With tie & Perturbed Leopard win & Toopoxia win or tie, eliminated.

Perturbed Leopard: With win & Lost Limeyville loss or tie, clinches qualification. With loss & Toopoxia win & Lost Limeyville win, eliminated.

Ten Thousand Maggots: With loss or tie, eliminated. With Toopoxia win or tie & Perturbed Leopard win, eliminated.

Red Group:

Demot: With Colony of Delaware loss or tie, clinches top spot.

Colony of Delaware: With win, clinches top two spot. With Toronat loss, clinches top three spot. With tie & Toronat tie, clinches top three spot.

Carvalo: With win & Toronat loss or tie, clinches top three spot. With tie clinches qualification. With Czariums loss or tie, clinches qualification.

Toronat: With win or tie, clinches qualification.

Czariums: With tie or loss, eliminated.

Allocer: With loss or tie, eliminated. With Toronat win or tie, eliminated.

Suprisingly, there isn't too much excitement. Most teams have filtered themselves out. The closest race is in the black group. With three teams closely battling for the third and fourth spots. Mathematically Lost Limeyville is in the worst shape, as they only have one game left.

As for Az-cz's most likely path. It looks to be Tocapa first. The other two teams to join their quadrant look to be Ropa-Topia and Commerce Heights JSY, although Islands of Ishtar could finish second in their group, and Alif Laam Miim could sneak up to third if they win the next game against Commerce Heights JSY.

Demot

08-08-2006, 00:07

OCC: I can't seem to find anywhere if the RP bonus is culmative. Can someone point it out to me if it says where, and if it is or isn't.

Bazalonia

08-08-2006, 03:08

OCC: I can't seem to find anywhere if the RP bonus is culmative. Can someone point it out to me if it says where, and if it is or isn't.

As an ex-BoF host myself I can confirm that RP Bonuses are culmulative... as to anything official saying that it always is? I don't know. But for World cup related events culmulative RP Bonuses are standard.

Demot

08-08-2006, 03:43

OCC: Alright, thanks Baz.

Demot Daily ~ Sugar, We're Coming

So, you say you want some football? You say you want some goals? You want some wins? You even want a championship? Well then this reporter has nothing but good news for you. In another display of its talent, the squad crushed Czariums underneath it's heel like the bug it was. This just wasn't dominance my friends, it was utter torture. The final score of two to nothing might seem like just a good win, but that was only because Dogood called off the attack only 20 minutes in. With Black scoring off the kickoff, and then Frontson off a corner but four minutes later, it was all over. Yes, Czariums tried to mount attacks for the remainder of the game, but they were quickly met with rough challanges and several defenders. Czariums were barely in the attacking half for 6 minutes of the game.

Looking across the board, Areundia has a vice grip on it's group and will likely have the top spot. Carvalo and The Colony of Deleware will be battling for the second slot in our group, while we just need to win our last game or have Deleware lose or tie to secure the top spot. Lylybium has already been eliminated. Miceland suffered their first defeat, but bounced back with a good victory. Az-Cz still looks like the team to beat out of the entire contingent of teams.

This reporter believes that only the following scenarios will play out for the championship.

Demot V Az-Cz
Demot V Miceland
Areundia V Az-Cz
Aruendia V Miceland

Shall this happen? Only the next few days will tell. Stay tuned to the news to find out!

Scorers
Samantha Black - 6
David Masteron - 4
Justin Frontson - 4
Sarah Ysman - 2
Vince Lepierre - 1
Allison Lucas - 1
Winchester Unitus - 1
Ben Isola - 1
David Argonot -1
Slyvester Wright -1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

08-08-2006, 04:08

this is your friendly matchday 13 RP cut off

Red Group
Lylybium 0:0 Allocer
Toronat 0:3 Czariums
The Colony of Delaware 0:0 Carvalo

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Demot 11 7 3 1 22 5 17 24 Q
The Colony of Delaware 11 6 2 3 15 13 2 20 Q
Carvalo 11 4 5 2 15 8 7 17 Q
Toronat 11 3 5 3 6 9 -3 14
Czariums 11 4 1 6 10 20 -10 13
Allocer 11 2 3 6 7 13 -6 9 E
Lylybium 12 1 5 6 7 15 -8 8 E

Black Group
Lost Limeyville 1:1 Ten Thousand Maggots
Delesa 0:0 Perturbed Leopards
Aurendia 2:0 Toopoxia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 11 8 2 1 25 7 18 26 Q
Delesa 11 6 3 2 16 8 8 21 Q
Toopoxia 11 3 5 3 13 14 -1 14
Lost Limeyville 12 3 5 4 12 16 -4 14
Perturbed Leopard 11 3 4 4 11 13 -2 13
Ten Thousand Maggots 11 2 3 6 9 16 -7 9 E
KCToker 11 2 2 7 7 20 -13 8 E

Sky Blue Group
The Mice of Miceland 4:0 Ropa-Topia
Marion Oaks 2 0:2 Lexington SC
Wrecker 1:3 Tocapa

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 12 9 2 1 25 4 21 29 Q
The Islands of Ishtar 11 5 3 3 21 8 13 18 Q
Ropa-Topia 11 5 3 3 15 13 2 18 Q
Tocapa 11 5 2 4 14 12 2 17 Q
Lexington SC 11 4 1 6 10 18 -8 13 E
Wrecker 11 2 2 8 6 21 -15 8 E
Marion Oaks 2 11 2 1 8 6 22 -16 7 E

Yellow Group
Az-Cz 3:0 The Candrian Empire
Uncle Pete 3:0 The Greatest Crap
Alif Laam Miim 0:0 Commerce Heights JSY

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 12 11 1 0 34 3 31 34 Q
Winchestia 11 8 2 1 27 7 20 26 Q
Commerce Heights JSY 11 4 4 3 13 14 -1 16 Q
Alif Laam Miim 11 4 1 6 12 21 -9 13
Uncle Pete 11 3 2 6 13 20 -7 11
The Candrian Empire 11 2 2 7 10 20 -10 8 E
The Greatest Crap 11 1 0 10 4 28 -24 3 E

Thank You Bazalonia for answering the question for me:D

Aurendia

08-08-2006, 05:56

Etoka Journal-Tribune
“Now with larger print for those hung-over mornings”

Raptors clinch first place in group with win

THREE RIVERS – Team Aurendia chose to rest most starters against Toopoxia, but the reserves still came away with the 2-0 victory to clinch first place in the Legalese Black Group.

The capacity crowd of 70,100 at Capitals Park just got louder and louder as the game went on, sparking an early goal from the Raptors’ in the 11th. Off the clear, midfielder Randy Floyd found Tom Lamorieaux waiting at the corner of the box for the opening score. Consistent pressure from the Raptors doubled the lead in the 25th, with Matt Sanchez burying the rebound of a Denise Little shot. With the 2-0 lead, Coaches White and Schuster had the team back off of the attack and focus on holding off Toopoxia’s offense. This strategy would prove to be effective, as Toopoxia only managed three shots over the course of the entire game, all easily saved by goalie Rick Baxman for the shutout.

One more match day remains, which will see the Raptors travel to Perturbed Leopards to take on a team that must win if they are to avoid elimination. With the win today coupled with a Delesa scoreless draw, Team Aurendia has already locked-up first place in the group. Delesa has clinched second place in the group, but the last two qualification spots will be determined by three teams still alive. Lost Limeyville has played all their matches and can keep fourth place if the Raptors defeat Perturbed Leopards tomorrow, a result that would also benefit current third-place Toopoxia.

In the Red Group, Demot, the Colony of Delaware, and Carvalo are all moving on, with the fourth spot coming down to either Toronat or Czariums. Czariums was the victor as these teams faced off today, but Toronat still holds the one-point lead for fourth, and can guarantee advancement with a win tomorrow.

The Andossa Se Mitrin Vega Sky Blue Group has already been decided, with the Mice of Miceland holding on to first by a huge margin, followed by the Islands of Ishtar, Ropa-Topia, and Tocapa all advancing, with final order to be determined by match results tomorrow.

In the Yellow Group, Az-Cz finished the opening round with an undefeated record and a stranglehold on first place, followed by Winchestia. JSY has qualified, and can clinch third with a draw or win in their final match. Alif Laam Miim has a two point lead for the final spot, and will advance if Uncle Pete can’t get the win in their last game.

Scoring:
1. A (T. Lamorieaux 1) 11th (Assist: R. Floyd)
2. A (M. Sanchez 3) 25th (Assist: D. Little)

The Mice of Miceland

08-08-2006, 05:59

Sky-blue group decided.

All qualification and eliminations have been decided in the sky-blue group. The only group to have have done so one matchday away of the ending of the group stage of the Baptism of Fire. The group stage had ended for the mice as the next matchday.

We hosted Ropa-Topia at Miceland National Stadium, Ropa-Topia the only nation that has hosted to take measures to make our Mice team feel at home. However it seemed the Topa-Topia did not seem at home, The mice went all over the Ropa-Topian side and it never looked good for the Ropa-Topians with an early miceland goal from Charity Fieldmouse in the 3rd minute.

The other three goals where in the second half, and there done almost one after the other in the last 8 minutes of play. No one is sure why the spread of goals was this way, some say it duplicated a fictional event in what has started to be known as the real world. Whatever the cause of the goals spread that way no one can deny that the result was 4-0 in favour of Miceland

Since this was the last match that the Mice will play before taking ranking position one on the Sky-Blue group in the regional quarter finals against the person taking the 4th spot in the yellow group. The mice will be well rested for their match in the finals.

Az-cz

08-08-2006, 12:46

Az-cz Scroll
August 8, 2006
Az-cz City
Il-Lur

Finishing Full of Fine Form

On it's last match, Az-cz wanted to give their fans one more thing to cheer for. And they were given that opportunity. Although they started a strange lineup, it was a fine showing.
Up front Ox-Rx and Uz-Gz were starting just like if they were back in Port Mid-Mjr. In the midfield Pizelkaxrovsky was in the middle. Ip-Gp and Az-If were the attacking midfielder and Lo-Ro and Hubertino were playing in the defensive midfield. Ns-Ta was in his spot in central midfield and wearing the captains armband. Flanking him were Kz-Kz and Dugl-Bugl. Fr-Tld was in goal.
Although most of the players were earning their first starts, they still played well. The Az-cz team was determined to crush Candrian Empire, if not in scoreline than in actual play. In the first half they had 14 shots on goal while Candrian Empire only had one.
Az-cz was dominating the flow of play and Lo-Ro earned the first goal. Az-cz had earned a corner, which Az-If short cornered to Pizelkaxrovsky. He sliced it in to Lo-Ro who fired Az-cz ahead after 22 minutes. Although the Pinkos continued to attack the scoreline stayed at 1-0.
In a rare move, Fr-Tld was taken off for Dn-Zf just after half. Levesque waited till then so that Fr-Tld could earn a big ovation in front of his home fans.
Az-cz continued to dominate play and eventually did find a second goal. This time Pizelkaxrovsky swung to Ip-Gp who crossed over to Az-If who fired in the second goal in the 50th minute.
Although this is often where Az-cz would get defensive, Levesque got even more attack minded, bringing on Lur-Mn for Hubertino.
Az-cz continued to dominate and Pizelkaxrovsky prooved he was all the way healthy by making another fabulous assist. He dribbled around one Candrian Empire player and then whipped the ball between a crowd of four defenders to get it to Uz-Gz, who fired in the third goal of the game with the clock reading 69.
Az-cz continued to press the attack. In the 74th minute he brought on Ml-Dni for Ns-Ta to try to increase the attack even that little bit more. However despite a number of shots they just couldn't quite find the back of the net a fourth time.
Az-cz finished up their qualifying campaign with a record of 11-1-0. They go into the knockouts with a bye and as the top team. As for The Candrian Empire, they finish up with Commerce Heights JSY. They might be able to knock Commerce Heights down to the fourth seed before they go home, but that will be their last game in the Baptism of Fire.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 3 Candrian Empire 0
Az-cz scorers 22 Lo-Ro 50 Az-If 69 Uz-Gz
Possession Az-cz 80% Candrian Empire 20%
Shots Az-cz 27 Candrian Empire 3
Corners Az-cz 3 Candrian Empire 0

Az-cz

08-08-2006, 15:43

MC: Congratulations to Az-cz on a wonderful group stage. 34 of 36 possible points is quite impressive. Joining us today our coach Levesque, today's captain Ns-Ta and Man of the Match, Pizelkaxrovsky.

Coach: Well, that part is done and done well. I think my team showed today that from the top to the bottom of the roster we are quite strong. We can endure injuries and we are looking to perform well in the knockout stages.

Az-cz reporter 1: Pizelkaxrovsky, how did you feel today?

Pizelkaxrovsky: Great I was able to go the full 90 minutes perfectly healthy. I feel fine. I got some timing back and felt good out there. I'll be ready to go for our next match, no question.

Az-cz reporter 2: Ns-Ta, when did you find out you would be todays captain?

Ns-Ta: He told me today. Similar to what he did in Mil-Bax when we played in Burlock Castle he put the Slimes players front and center. Fr-Tld got the start in goal, Lo-Ro started in midfield and I was captain. I really appreciate coach doing that for the home fans. And for me it was quite an honor. But I'm perfectly happy to return the armband back to where it belongs, Zax-Im.

Az-cz reporter 3: What's the plan for the off day?

Levesque: Rest and relax. I think the best thing to do is make sure the whole team is healthy. If we can fight on for four more games, that all it takes. And rest is the best thing to help with that.

Az-cz reporter 4: Were you suprised by the ease with which you won the group?

Levesque: Yes and no. I Certainly didn't expect to earn 34 points, but we did face some tough teams with more tough teams to come. Winchestia, for example taking points off of us, came as no suprise. They are just one of the teams that has a good shot at the title.

Az-cz reporter 5: Outside of our team, who do you think are the main competitors?

Levesque: Clearly anyone who made the top 4 is good and has a chance, but of course you have to look at the group winners as the best candidates. Winchestia looks like the strongest second place team, but they're all strong.

Az-cz reporter 6: How will the events of the Baptism of Fire affect the World Cup qualifying?

Levesque: Well it's good experience and has given us confidence, but it won't affect how we play too much.

MC: Last question.

Az-cz reporter 7: If it comes down to it how do you feel about this team and penalties?

Levesque: Confident. Look at who's taken penalties for us. Ns-Ta, Dn-Zf, these are not a shooters, and they slotted their goals in easily. We have great goalkeeping and confidence. I think we'll do well in PKs, although we definitely won't be playing for them.

MC: Thanks for your time today. Congratulations on an amazing group stage. Good Night.

Toranat

08-08-2006, 16:30

Win and In

The Toranat Rockies have left themselves alot of work for the last matchday of the Bof. They need to win to get in. Another way for them to get in is if they lose by 6 or less and Czariums ties. The Rockies will play a tough team in Demot who they lost to earlier in the Tournament 2-0. This is probly the most important game in international history so far.

Schedule
Rockies Schedule
MD1 Bye
MD2 @ Lylybium (D 1-1)
MD3 VS. Carvalo (D 1-1)
MD4 @ The Colony of Delaware (W 1-0)
MD5 VS. Allocer (D 0-0)
MD6 @ Czariums (L 1-0)
MD7 @ Demot (L 2-0)
MD8 Bye
MD9 VS. Lylybium (W 2-1)
MD10 @ Carvalo (D 0-0)
MD11 VS. The Colony of Delaware (D 0-0)
MD12 @ Allocer (W 1-0)
MD13 VS Czariums (L 3-0)
MD14 VS Demot

Record 3-5-3

Goal Scorers
Hayes-6

Demot

08-08-2006, 17:02

Demot Daily ~ Lazy Day

Well folks, its here, the last match day in the group stage. The squad will travel to Toronat, who needs a win to advance. Meanwhile, the squad already is assured the top spot in the group with Carvolo drawing with Deleware. When asked what he to expect out of the game, Dogood had this to say.

"Don't expect anything flashy, or much offence. I'll play the starters for the first half just to keep them active, but the second half expect early subs for our key players. At that point we will probably just shell up and try to prevent their attacks. Afterall, it is them that are under pressure, not us. For me, this is just a warm up match before the real action starts in the knockouts."

With hours before the game is set to start, the players are relaxed and ready to go. Nothing can stop the team now from it's rightful glory, so enjoy the show Demot, just enjoy the show.

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

Az-cz

08-08-2006, 17:28

Az-cz Scroll
August 9, 2006
Mth-Mn

Here are the qualification scenarios for each group:

Yellow group:

In yellow group there are three relevant teams:
Commerce Heights JSY, Alif Laam Miim, and Uncle Pete.

Commerce Heights: With win or tie, 3rd. With Alif Laam Miim loss or tie, 3rd. With a loss and Alif Laam Miim, tie decided on goal differential. If Alif Laam Miim is +9 or better then Commerce Heights is 4th, on +8 tie with Commerce Heights Probably 4th with less goals scored, +7 or less Commerce Heights is 3rd.

Alif Laam Miim: With win & Commerce Heights loss and a gain of 9 or more goal differential Alif Laam Miim is 3rd, with +8 GD probably 3rd, and 7 or less 4th. With win & Commerce Heights win or tie, 4th. Without win and with Uncle Pete loss or tie, 4th. Without win and with Uncle Pete win, eliminated.

Uncle Pete: With win & Alif Laam Miim loss or tie, 4th. With Alif Laam Miim win, eliminated. With loss or tie, eliminated.

Sky Blue Group:

Three relevant teams: The Islands of Ishtar, Ropa-Topia and Tocapa.
Because of the closeness of these teams a chart will be used. The teams will be abbreviated I, R, and T respectively. W,T,L will be used to abbreviate win, tie and loss. So that I-W means Islands of Ishtar wins. This assumes no major shifts in goal differential.

If:
I-W, R-W, T-L: Then I=2, R=3, and T=4
I-W, R-T, T-T: Then I=2, R=3, and T=4
I-W, R-L, T-W: Then I=2, R=4, and T=3.
I-T, R-W, T-L: Then I=3, R=2, and T=4
I-T, R-T, T-T: Then I=2, R=3, and T=4
I-T, R-L, T-W: Then I=3, R=4, and T=2
I-L, R-W, T-L: Then I=3, R=2, and T=4
I-L, R-T, T-T: Then I=3, R=2, and T=4
I-L, R-L, T-W: Then I=3, R=4, and T=2

Black Group:

There are three relevant teams: Toopoxia, Lost Limeyville and Perturbed Leopard

Toopoxia: With win, clinches third. With tie & Perturbed Leopard loss or tie, clinches third. With loss & Perturbed Leopard loss, tied for 3rd, depends on GD. With tie & Perturbed Leopard win, 4th. With loss & Perturbed Leopard win, tied for 4th. With loss & Perturbed Leopard tie, three way tie for 4th.

Lost Limeyville: With Toopoxia win or tie & Perturbed Leopard win or tie eliminated. With Toopoxia win or tie & Perturbed Leopard loss, 4th. With Toopoxia loss & Perturbed Leopard loss, tied for 3rd. With Toopoxia loss & Perturbed Leopard tie, threeway tie for 3rd. With Toopoxia loss & Perturbed Leopard win, tied for 4th.

Purturbed Leopard: With win & Toopoxia loss or tie, 3rd. With win & Toopoxia win, 4th. With tie & Toopoxia win or tie, 4th. With tie & Toopoxia loss, threeway tie for third. With loss, eliminated.

In case of tie between Toopoxia and Lost Limeyville, if Toopoxia's loss is by 3 goals or less they are ahead. If Toopoxia's loss is by 4 goals or more, Lost Limeyville is ahead.

In case of tie between Toopoxia and Perturbed Leopard. If Toopoxia's loss is by more than 1 goal, Perturbed Leopard is ahead. If it is by 1 goal than they look at goal scored. If Perturbed Leopard scores 3 goals more than Toopoxia, Perturbed Leopard is ahead. If Perturbed Leopard scores 1 goal or less more than Toopoxia, Toopoxia is ahead. If they score exactly 2 goals more than Toopoxia all hell breaks lose as they have the same number of points, goals for and goals against. As Toopoxia has a 1-0 victory of Perturbed Leopard, they should advance.

In case of tie between Perturbed Leopard and Lost Limeyville, Perturbed Leopard is ahead.

In case of threeway tie, first compare Toopoxia and Perturbed Leopard. If Toopoxia is ahead then they are 3rd and Perturbed Leopard is fourth. If Perturbed Leopard is ahead, Perturbed Leopard is third and then treat Toopoxia and Lost Limeyville just as if they were tied regularly.

Red Group:

Colony of Delaware: With win or tie or Carvalo loss or tie, second. With loss & Carvalo win, third.

Carvalo: With win & Colony of Delaware loss, second. Otherwise, barring a major shift in goal differential Carvalo is third.

Toronat: Barring major shift in goal differential, With win, 4th. With tie & Czariums loss or tie, 4th. With loss & Czariums loss or tie, 4th. With tie or loss & Czariums win, elminated.

Czariums: Barring major shift in goal differential, With win & Toronat loss or tie, 4th. Otherwise, eliminated.

As for predictions here are this gnomes:

Yellow Group:

1. Az-cz (certain)
2. Winchestia (certain)
3. Commerce Heights JSY
4. Alif Laam Miim

Sky Blue group:

1. Miceland (certain)
2. Islands of Ishtar
3. Ropa-Topia
4. Tocapa

Black Group:

1. Aurendia (certain)
2. Delesa (certain)
3. Toopoxia
4. Lost Limeyville

Red Group:

1. Demot (certain)
2. Colony of Delaware
3. Carvalo
4. Toronat

If that were the case Az-cz's quadrant would be Az-cz, Islands of Ishtar, Commerce Heights JSY and Tocapa.

OOC: The Black groups scenarios are quite complicated. Also don't you hate it when it takes so long to type a post that Jolt logs you out?

[NS:]Delesa

08-08-2006, 20:11

DFC CAPTURES QUALIFYING SPOT

After a brutal tie, DFC head coach Liam O'Rielly says he is now relieved and the major of the stress is off for the moment. The coach is happy with the teams performance in the last several games except for last night, he says the team got too cocky and lost their chance in getting another victory.

Best of uck to the rest of the teams, as the BoF narrows down.

Lexington SC

08-08-2006, 23:30

'Cats Finally Win, But Eliminated, Fryland Steps Down
Lexington got a much needed win today in a 2-0 win over Marion Oaks 2, but was eliminated from post-group play. Trevor Griggs scored in the 21st minute, and Will Belue in the 51st.
Goalie William Moore made 5 saves, but was injured late in the 55th minute with a broken ankle in a collision with a MO2 player. Michael Lee played out the rest of the game and made 2 saves. Next up for the cats is Topocoa, a team that has already qualified for post-group play.
Also, coach Chris Fryland has stepped down for personal and family reasons, and Emperor Harris has replaced him with Will Gettys.
Scorers:
T. Griggs 6
T. Trudeau 1
A. Marinelli 1
B. Gillespie 1
W. Belue 1

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

09-08-2006, 04:47

This is your friendly "can you guess who gets in" MD14 RP Cut Off

Red Group
Toronat 1:3 Demot
Czariums 3:1 The Colony of Delaware
Allocer 1:0 Carvalo

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Demot 12 8 3 1 25 6 19 27 Q
The Colony of Delaware 12 6 2 4 16 16 0 20 Q
Carvalo 12 4 5 3 15 9 6 17 Q
Czariums 12 5 1 6 13 21 -8 16 Q
***************************************************************
Toronat 12 3 5 4 7 12 -5 14 E
Allocer 12 3 3 6 8 13 -5 12 E
Lylybium 12 1 5 6 7 15 -8 8 E

Black Group
Delesa 3:0 KCToker
Perturbed Leopards 2:6 Aurendia
Ten Thousand Maggots 1:2 Toopoxia

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Aurendia 12 9 2 1 31 9 22 29 Q
Delesa 12 7 3 2 19 8 11 24 Q
Toopoxia 12 4 5 3 15 15 0 17 Q
Lost Limeyville 12 3 5 4 12 16 -4 14 Q
***************************************************************
Perturbed Leopard 12 3 4 5 13 19 -6 13 E
Ten Thousand Maggots 12 2 3 7 10 18 -8 9 E
KCToker 12 2 2 8 7 23 -16 8 E

Sky Blue Group
Marion Oaks 2 4:2 The Islands of Ishtar
Lexington SC 1:0 Wrecker
Ropa-Topia 1:2 Tocapa

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

The Mice of Miceland 12 9 2 1 25 4 21 29 Q
Tocapa 12 6 2 4 16 13 3 20 Q
The Islands of Ishtar 12 5 3 4 23 12 11 18 Q
Ropa-Topia 12 5 3 4 16 15 1 18 Q
***************************************************************
Lexington SC 12 5 1 6 11 18 -7 16 E
Marion Oaks 2 12 3 1 8 10 24 -22 10 E
Wrecker 12 2 2 9 6 22 -16 8 E

Yellow Group
Uncle Pete 2:3 Winchestia
The Greatest Crap 2:1 Alif Laam Miim
The Candrian Empire 2:0 Commerce Heights JSY

Nation P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Az-Cz 12 11 1 0 34 3 31 34 Q
Winchestia 12 9 2 1 30 9 21 29 Q
Commerce Heights JSY 12 4 4 4 13 16 -3 16 Q
Alif Laam Miim 12 4 1 7 13 23 -10 13 Q
***************************************************************
Uncle Pete 12 3 2 7 15 23 -8 11 E
The Candrian Empire 12 3 2 7 12 20 -8 11 E
The Greatest Crap 12 2 0 10 6 29 -23 6 E

Congrats to all who have qualified. Venues and schedule will be posted very soon.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

09-08-2006, 05:43

Welcome to Andossa Se Mitrin Vega for the final rounds of the World Cup XXX Baptism of Fire.

It is with open arms and minds that we welcome each and every one of you to our great nation. Due to tragic occurrences in the nation of Legalese, all knock-out round matches will be played in the Draggonnii Socialist Empire unless otherwise stated. The Venues to be used are as follows:

Stadii Se Draggonnii Arcea (Stadium of the Sea Dragons).
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/stormgiantxxxl/ASMVStadiumEdit.jpg
This is the home stadium of ASMV’s very own Sea Dragons. The state-of-the-art stadium offers every convenience available in today’s sporting world. Add to that the fact that nearly 150,000 fans can comfortably be present for any match, and you can see why this is one of the best stadiums in the world today.

Errion Vega Stadii.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/stormgiantxxxl/ErrionVega.jpg
The most known and loved stadium in all of ASMV. The original home of the Sea Dragons and the host of many international events. Capacity is 84,000.

Carrington Memorial Championship Arena.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/stormgiantxxxl/a56210e0.jpg
Carrington’s original stadium was partial victim to terrorist attack during the 2nd edition of the Draggonnii Inviyatii. Since that time, the stadium has been fully reconstructed as a lasting memorial to the events of that day. Capacity is 93,000

Meldenburg Mountain Fieldhouse.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/stormgiantxxxl/Meldenburg.jpg
The high altitude will challenge any squad that plays here. Bring lots of oxygen. Capacity is 61,500.

Inferii Domei.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/stormgiantxxxl/InferiiDomei.jpg
The premier dome venue in ASMV. This place is loud to the point of deafening. Capacity is 138,900

Tapia Reis Civic Arena.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/stormgiantxxxl/tapiareis.jpg
Mostly a tourist attraction, Tapia Reis has football as well. Capacity is 48,500.

Beachfront Arena.
http://http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/stormgiantxxxl/Beachfront.jpg
Relax and visit the sand and hen you’re done you can see some football as well. Capacity is 45,000.

Lighthouse Stadium.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/stormgiantxxxl/lighthouse.jpg
The newest venue in ASMV. Top of the line technology marks the venue as one of the leaders in modern sports. Capacity is 41,275.

And now for the all-important schedule:

Legalese Memorial Bracket

Demot vs Lost Limeyville - Carrington Memorial Championship Arena

Delesa vs Carvalo - Errion Vega Stadii

The Colony of Delaware vs Toopoxia - Beachfront Arena

Aurendia vs Czariums - Tapia Reis Civic Arena

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega Bracket

The Mice of Miceland vs Alif Laam Miim - Meldenburg Mountain Fieldhouse

Winchestia vs The Islands of Ishtar - Inferii Domei

Tocapa vs Commerce Heights JSY - Lighthouse Stadium

Az-Cz vs Ropa-Topia - Stadii Se Draggonnii Arcea

Good Luck to everyone who has made it this far. The first round of Knock-outs will be scored approximately 48 hours from now.

14

Aurendia

09-08-2006, 06:55

Three Rivers Times
“Voted ‘Best Crossword Puzzle’ five years running"

Offense comes alive as Raptors Perturb Leopards 6-2

PERTURBED LEOPARDS – Team Aurendia finished off a very successful opening round to the Baptism of Fire tournament by defeating Perturbed Leopards 6-2. With first place in the group locked up already, the Raptors rested several starters, but still managed to grab a 3-1 lead by the time halftime rolled around.

Aurendia’s barrage of goals began in the 13th, as Jessica Colenti cleared the ball to Ashley Campbell for her 12th goal so far in the tournament. Seven minutes later the Raptors took advantage of a free kick, with Cassandra Campbell passing to Matt Sanchez for the score. Sanchez scored again in the 31st, this time off a long pass from Jessica Colenti. Perturbed Leopards made it interesting in stoppage time, when a Perturbed Leopards player penetrated the Raptors’ defense and put the ball over the head of keeper Julia Kennedy.

The second half opened with Team Aurendia using their substitutions to bring in new players who haven’t seen as much playing time yet. The line-up changes didn’t affect the on-field play, as the Raptors just kept on scoring. The substitutes struck in the 57th, with a shot by Kasia Nue rebounding straight to Ann Ellida. The Raptors scored another set-piece goal in the 66th, Regina Dunlop heading in a Tara Pellegri corner.

With the score now at 5-1, the match turned ugly as a shoving match near midfield developed into a full brawl; to which the referees quickly responded with cards. Pellegri, Sanchez, and defender Rachel Brady all received reds for punching Perturbed Leopards players, while Nue, Dunlop, and even goalie Kennedy received yellows. Perturbed Leopards was also penalized for the fracas, earning two reds and four yellows. With the man advantage Perturbed Leopards scored a second time in the 81st, but it was too little, too late. The Raptors managed one more goal in the 88th, Kasia Nue scoring off the feed from Jeff Yaneohe.

With the tragic disappearance of the entire nation of Legalese, Baptism of Fire co-host Andossa Se Mitrin Vega has stepped up to host all second round matches, not just those involving the Sky Blue and Yellow Groups. With the first-place finish in the Black Group, Aurendia will take on the fourth place team from the Red Group, Czariums two days from now at the Tapia Reis Civic Arena in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega.

Scoring:
1. A (A. Campbell 12) 13th (Assist: J. Colenti)
2. A (M. Sanchez 4) 20th (Assist: C. Campbell)
3. A (M. Sanchez 5) 31st (Assist: J. Colenti)
4. PL 45th
5. A (A. Ellida 1) 57th (Assist: K. Nue)
6. A (R. Dunlop 3) 66th (Assist: T. Pellegri)
7. PL 81st
8. A (K. Nue 1) 88th (J. Yaneohe)

The Mice of Miceland

09-08-2006, 07:03

Deep within the depths of the giant that is the Micelandic government a meeting room has 10 mice in it the 10 mice are those that specify the direction of the Miceland government

"My researches tell me that Kleptochase, using the base definitions of the two words that are mangled together, means "To actively seek after a thief" Mouse 1

"Oh, my, that won't do, that won't do at all. That will encourage theivery, we must change the name." Mouse 2

"unfortunately if we change the name rodentia will start asking why? And then if anyone does not know what it means thay will soon find out. What about abbreviating it to "KC". So the news related to the Kleptochase courses will only use KC. That way we can easily explain away and hopefully rodentia will start forgetting." Mouse 3

"Good plan.. So what about the match results of the Baptism of fire?" Mouse 1

"Great performance by the Mice, 9 points clear of 2nd place, and they should have a fairly easy run through to the regional final. Where we will most likely end up playing against Az-Cz." Mouse 4

"In terms of Patriotic duty this tournament has been the best thing for the nation. Everyone is behind the national team and is wishing the best for them." Mouse 5

"What do we know about the stadium against.. uh.." shuffling some papers around ..."Alif Laam Miim, and who are they?" - Mouse 6

"Alif Laam Miim is some nation that was in the ASMV Yellow group, they where fourth on the ladder of that group, not much about them is known otherwise. The stadium is in a high-lattitude area, the hosts are recomending for us to bring air supplies along with us. It seats 61 and a half thousand and looks like it is better than Miceland National." Mouse 7

"Okay, first, get some containers of oxygen, where going to need them, secondly expand Miceland National, we can't have these foreigners upstaging us. Third, why haven't we got an agent in Alif Laam Miim?" Mouse 8

"Apparently, the agent has not made any significant to make a report back on." Mouse 9

"Ok then, let's see how this goes." Mouse 8

"Any further news of Human Party activity?" Mouse 9

"No, Agent Alice has reported no major action. It seems the movement is winding down." Mouse 10

Az-cz

09-08-2006, 12:28

Here are the statistics from the second half of the group phase:

Second Half statistics

Player Games Starts Subs On Subs Off Playing Time

Ns-Ta 6 6 0 1 524
Ml-Dni 6 5 1 0 466
Zax-Im 5 5 0 0 450
Mario Nerazzuri 5 5 0 0 450
Kn-Dg 5 5 0 1 430
Stanleyinho 5 5 0 2 389
Gn-Lg 4 4 0 0 360
Bn-Dg 5 5 0 3 333
Bub-Rub 4 4 0 2 321
Hubertinho 6 3 3 1 311
Az-If 3 2 1 0 225
If-Wt 3 3 0 2 203
Pizelkaxrovsky 3 2 1 1 192
Kz-Kz 2 2 0 0 180
Ox-Rx 3 2 1 1 180
At-Zm 4 1 3 1 150
Lo-Ro 3 1 2 0 139
Ip-Gp 2 1 1 0 135
Dn-Zf 2 1 1 0 134
Lur-Mn 2 1 1 0 130
Dugl-Bugl 2 1 1 0 102
Uz-Gz 1 1 0 0 90
Fr-Tld 1 1 0 1 46

Offense

Player Goals Assists Points

Zax-Im 0 7 7
Kn-dg 4 2 6
Pizelkaxrovsky 1 5 6
If-Wt 1 4 5
Bn-Dg 1 3 4
Ox-Rx 2 0 2
Bub-Rub 2 0 2
Ml-Dni 1 1 2
Ip-Gp 1 1 2
Az-If 1 1 2
Hubertino 1 0 1
Dn-Zf 1 0 1
Lo-Ro 1 0 1
Uz-Gz 1 0 1

Goalie Statistics

Player Shots Goals Save% GAA Clean Sheets

Gn-Lg 37 1 97.3% 0.25 3
Dn-Zf 4 0 100% 0.0 1
Fr-Tld 1 0 100% 0.0 1

Cards

N/A

Man of the Match Awards

Pizelkaxrovsky 2
Gn-Lg 1
Ox-Rx 1
If-Wt 1
Ml-Dni 1

Team Statistics

Az-cz Opponents
Possession 66% 34%
Shots 93 42
Corners 10 3

Points to note:

*Pizelkaxrovsky once again proved his ability. Despite his limited playing time only one player had more second half points than he did.

* The playing time was very chaotically distributed in the second half. With the exception of the third string goal keeper every player saw at least a full game's worth of action.

*If-Wt proved a valuable addition to the team, putting up nice second half numbers.

Az-cz

09-08-2006, 12:35

Az-cz Scroll
August 9, 2006
Mth-Mn

Here are the total statistics for the group stage:

Total

Appearances

Player Games Starts Subs On Subs Off Playing Time

Ns-Ta 12 12 0 3 1014
Ml-Dni 12 11 1 0 1006
Zax-Im 11 11 0 0 990
Mario Nerazzuri 11 11 0 0 990
Kn-Dg 11 11 0 2 948
Gn-Lg 10 10 0 0 900
Stanleyinho 11 11 0 4 861
Bn-Dg 11 11 0 6 808
Hubertino 12 9 3 3 785
Pizelkaxrovsky 9 8 1 1 732
Bub-Rub 10 10 0 8 661
Kz-Kz 5 2 3 0 277
Ox-Rx 5 2 3 1 273
If-Wt 5 3 2 2 259
Az-If 4 2 2 0 246
At-Zm 7 1 6 1 210
Lur-Mn 3 1 2 0 175
Lo-Ro 4 1 3 0 161
Ip-Gp 3 1 2 0 147
Uz-Gz 2 1 1 0 135
Dn-Zf 2 1 1 134
Dugl-Bugl 3 1 2 0 122
Fr-Tld 1 1 1 46

Offense

Player Goals Assists Points

Pizelkaxrovsky 4 14 18
Kn-dg 5 7 12
Zax-Im 1 11 12
Bn-Dg 2 5 7
If-Wt 1 4 5
Bub-Rub 4 0 4
Ml-Dni 2 1 3
Lur-Mn 2 1 3
Ox-Rx 2 0 2
Az-If 1 1 2
Stanleyinho 2 0 2
Uz-Gz 2 0 2
Ip-Gp 1 1 2
Hubertino 1 0 1
Dn-Zf 1 0 1
Lo-Ro 1 0 1
Mario Nerazzuri 1 0 1
Ns-Ta 1 0 1

Goalie Statistics

Player Shots Goals Save% GAA Clean Sheets

Gn-Lg 81 3 96.2% 0.3 7
Dn-Zf 4 0 100% 0.0 1
Fr-Tld 1 0 100% 0.0 1

Cards

Player Yellow Red

Bub-Rub 1 0
Ns-Ta 1 0

Man of the Match Awards

Pizelkaxrovsky 4
Gn-Lg 2
Ox-Rx 1
If-Wt 1
Ml-Dni 1
Zax-Im 1
Lur-Mn 1
Ns-Ta 1

Team Statistics

Az-cz Opponents
Possession 66% 34%
Shots 174 86
Corners 24 10

Points of interest:

*Az-cz plays a very clean brand of football, with only two cards, one a dubious flop.

*Ns-Ta was the player who played most. He also was the only player to start all 12 games.

*Kn-Dg was top score from the midfield, and Pizelkaxrovsky was by far the leader in assists and points.

*Az-cz finished with more than twice as many shots and corners as their opponents.

*Pizelkaxrovsky showed himself to be the star of the team, earning Man of the Match awards in nearly half the games he played.

* The most amazing statistic of all is that Az-cz had 18 different goals scorers, a greater number than the total number of goals of 9 of the other 15 qualifiers. All five strikers, all nine midfielders, three of the defenders, and even a goalie.

Az-cz

09-08-2006, 13:15

From the Desk of Nz-Tf
August 9, 2006

Congratulations!!!

Az-cz would like to congratulate the other 15 nations that have qualified for the knockout stages of the Baptism of Fire. As such we would like to send a gift to the coaches and players from each nation.
We plan on sending the stuffed gnome used as a trophy and item in one of our native sports, Kleptochase. This gnome is both part of the event and a prize the winner gets to keep after the match. It is approximately two feet tall. In honor of this event we will be sending him wearing the colors of the recieving nation, with BoF as the name on the back.
We will also be selling these commerative gnomes through the Az-cz national football association website, at www.nfa.or.a-c. For those interested in learning more about Kleptochase please visit the Kleptochase wikipedia site at http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Kleptochase

Noz-Tf
President of Az-cz Football Association

Winchestia

09-08-2006, 17:38

Winchestia Times Presents:
Interview with National Manager Jody Shawl

WT: So Jody, it's been an interesting tournament so far, what are your thoughts as we enter the finals?

JS: Well, from a footballing prospective, I feel that many of the players have really grown. I never expected Levi Duman to become the national hero that he has. However, I must say that I am a bit dissappointed in some of the off the field stuff. The Human Party incidents have really shed a negative light on Winchestia, and in the future we will unfortunatly have to be aware of the political affiliation of our players for some matches. We've had some internal struggles as well, but I think those have been sorted out now.

WT: Speaking of the internal struggles, are you now satisfied with your strike partnership?

JS: Yeah, I think Duman and Marayan will be what I hoped Firman and Marayan would be. That isn't to say I don't have plans for Ervin, but he will not be starting against Ishtar.

WT: About that match, it is going to be played in the Inferii Domii, which apparently seats over 100,000. Will the boys be ready for that kind of crowd?

JS: Actually, I think they will. Remember we got a point in JSY in a dome that seats over 400,000! It was a fantastic learning experience for them, and me, and one I really feel will give us the edge against Ishtar, who I don't believe have played in that kind of enviroment.

WT: What about Ishtar, what do you know of them?

JS: Not much really, they did very well in a tough group that contained the mice, Ropa-Topia and Topaca. I had only seen a few games from that group but they were entertaining and a high brand of football.

WT: Since you mentioned the mice, I have to ask: What is your take on the Human Party's activities?

JS: Let me say I totally disagree with what the Human Party stands for. Yes, it was humans (probably) that invented this game, but why does that mean that mice, or gnomes or elves can not play?

WT: It has been noted that Taylor Tinley hasn't played since the match in the mountains. It has been suggested that his controversial interview was an excuse to bench your former rival. Care to comment?

JS: Well, we all knew Taylor was a bit of a hot-head. Even then, stating that the females of an entire race should only be prostitues is quite over the line. I understand that the Human Party has quieted down activity since the Az-Cz incident, but I am worried as to what will happen if we play the mice (as it looks like we will, should we get by Ishtar). Getting back to the implied question: Taylor will not be playing in the BoF any more, however, he will be travelling with the squad to ASMV and I have plans to play him in the World Cup. But he has one thing to do first, which is between him and I.

WT: I thank you for your time Jody, do you have any comments you would like to make?

JS: Just that I hope all of Winchestia respects the teams we play and supports us as we try for our first trophy. It is a tough road, even if we beat Ishtar, we would still need to get by Miceland and probably Az-Cz, whom we still haven't beaten yet. I am confident that we will do our best, and hope to make Winchestia proud

Az-cz

09-08-2006, 19:35

<An image of a player throwing a baseball-sized ball at a target>
Announcer: The delight of triumph
<A running man gets two hands pushed in his back by a man running behind him>
Announcer: The cruelty of losing
<A naked woman is dancing through a room full of wires>
Announcer: The beauty of movement
<One man running with the same baseball-sized ball collides with another man>
Announcer: The brutality of contact
<The camera slowly fades in from a view of the whole country of Az-cz, to Az-Cz City to a single building to a television studio>
Announcer: All of these things and more make up are wonderful Thin Country of Sports

<One single man is sitting behind a news desk>

Jm-Mky: Good evening I'm your host Jim-Mky. Tonight we'll take a look at the spread of Kleptochase to foreign nations, the continuing Kleptodance fans choice event, but first our main topic for the evening. Az-cz has advanced to the knockout stages of the Baptism of Fire. To help us put that into perspective and to give us an idea of what to expect we have four guests. From the league powerhouse Yang Knights coach Rox-Wna will be joining me. The other coach joining us tonight is Dwr-Kng, the coach of Red Dwarf Rangers, the last non-Yang Knights team to win each of the three championships. Also joining us tonight will be James Levesque, son of national team coach Roger Levesque and midfield partner with Kn-Dg at Yak Clerics and defender Qu-Dng from the Vertigo Slimes. Thank you for joining me tonight gentleman.

Jm-Mky: First a recap of the group stage. What would you say has been the key to Az-cz posting the best record in the knockout stage?

Dwr-Kng: Well, obviously it's been great football. We have the most goals scored and the least goals against, and our goal differential is as great as the number of goals scored by any other team, so clearly great all around football. But I'd say it's been defense that's really been the key. Once we've put a game into lockdown, no one was able to score against us. Basically we give our opponents only 60 minutes to score. And that's tough.

Levesque: Definitely that's true, but I'd say what makes us so dangerous is that anybody can score. Pizelkaxrovsky has clearly been the best player, but even without him we threw up some big goal numbers. To have 18 different players score and to put up four and five goal performances without our best player shows that you have to worry about the whole team and can't just key on two or three guys.

Rx-Wna: I think it's presence. I have to tip my cap to your father James. The team is hard to rattle. I think that shows great work from the staff, great veteran leadership and a mentally prepared team.

Jm-Mky: What was the biggest suprise of the group stage?

Qu-Dng: I'll say the play of Lur-Mn. We all know and admire his effort and passion, but he really played well in the group stages and justified the minutes he earned.

Levesque: I'm gonna go back to the 18 goal scorers. That kind of balance is just incredible. It's hard to believe that such a things is possible. We're only three defenders and two keepers away from the whole team registering a goal.

Rx-Wna: For me I'd have to say the play of If-Wt. He filled in for Pizelkaxrovsky beautifully. I certainly didn't expect him to be such an important player. If you'd told me he'd win a man of the match I wouldn't have believed you, and in the game where Kn-Dg got a hat trick. Just fantastic.

Dwr-Kng: If Levesque is sticking with balance I'll stick with the defense. Three goals in 12 games. With a team like Winchestia in our group. Impressive.

Jm-Mky: Ok, looking forward, what is the key for Az-cz going ahead?

Dwr-Kng: Health. The thing that has the best chance to derail us is a spate of injuries. If we stay healthy we are the team to beat.

Levesque: We've got to stay strong and get lucky. I think our half of the bracket is much stronger than the other half. Any of those eight teams could emerge and the team who does will do so with the help of some fortunate bounces.

Rx-Wna: The key is to control tempo. If we impose our will and wear the other teams out then we should be in good shape. But if we let other teams dictate and we try to react that could give us trouble.

Qu-Dng: We have to maintain focus. At some point in the knockout stages we will either fall behind or give up a lead from ahead. I don't think there's any chance we'll be able to curl up and hide four games in a row. If we're going to win, we're going to have to respond to difficult situations. I think that's the key not just for us, but for everyone. There will be no easy games and the champion will be the most composed team.

Jm-Mky: What do you think of our match against Ropa-Topia?

Rx-Wna: Clearly it will be a tough game and a good test for our defense. They can score goals fairly well, but they are liable to give up a few as well. Their 3-4-3 formation is an offensive one, so the test is to shut them down. If we can keep them to a goal or less we should prevail.

Qu-Dng: Agreed, there number nine is especially of some worry. Perhpaps we will see one of the defensive midfielders man marking him.

Levesque: If we play Az-czid football we ought to be alirght. This is a team that gave up 5 times the number of goals we did while scoring less than half the number of goals we did. We should be able to get past them.

Jm-Mky: Assuming we can get past them what do you see in the next match?

Dwr-Kng: I think we got lucky here. Tocapa has come on strongly recently, but I am glad we got them and avoided Islands of Ishtar. With their strong offense Islands of Ishtar were dangerous. To have them shipped out with Winchestia and Miceland is brutal. That's a strong set of three.

Qu-Dng: Of course there is the possibility of a third match against Commerce Heights JSY, I do tend to believe that it will be Tocapa that we're facing. And I'm not so certain we did get lucky. Yes Islands of Ishtar has a stronger offense. But Tocapa has improved greatly, winning their last four games and taking points in their last 8. They've been undefeated after their brutal start and in that stretch even beat Miceland, so they're clearly dangerous.

Rx-Wna: They're a good team, but I don't think they can beat us. If we lose to them it will be mistakes on our part. I just don't think they have it in them.

Jm-Mky: Looking at the teams we might face in the regional final, what do you see?

Rx-Wna: If we get there in the fashion we should, we ought to have an advantage. I think Miceland and Winchestia are probably the two best teams other than us. Winchestia earned 29 points as a second place team, which is quite strong. Take out the opener against us and they also are unbeaten. Probably a top seed in any other group. And the third most prolific offense. As for Miceland they earned the top spot with 29 points from a tough group, and they did it going away.

Dwr-Kng: I think Aurendia deserves to be in that conversation as well. But I agree. Those are two tough teams, and they'll wear each other down. That is assuming that Winchestia makes it past Islands of Ishtar, which I think they will, but is hardly a given.

Qu-Dng: Agreed. I think you'd have to agree that Winchestia is the best second seed in the tournament. And Islands of Ishtar looks like the best three, with a strong +11 goal differential. So that is a difficult difficult quadrant. It's unfortunate for them that one of those teams is guaranteed to go home next round and another before the regional finals.

Jm-Mky: Which teams do you think are most likely to make the finals from the other side?

Levesque: Well clearly you start with Aurendia. They have the second most goals scored and the second biggest goal differential. They look to be the favorites from that side.

Rx-Wna: Agreed. Considering the difficulty of our half, they might even be the overall favorites. It wouldn't suprise me if nearly every game on our half required extra time while they roll through Czariums and Delaware or Toopoxia.

Dwr-Kng: Another thing that helps them is the three other teams I think might make it to the finals from their half are all not in their quadrant. Demot, Delesa and Carvalo are the only other teams with positive goal differentials. And they're clustered together, so they also might wear each other down for Aurendia.

Jm-Mky: So we should probably expect Aurendia in the finals then?

Qu-Dng: I think that's quite reasonable.

Jm-Mky: What do we think of the stadium for our next match?

Rx-Wna: I think the Meldenburg Mountain Fieldhouse would have been ideal as I think it would've increased our stamina advantage. I don't think Tocapa would be happy trying to run with us for 90 minutes at altitude, but I think we got a good draw none the less. It will definitely be an honor to play in the ASMV crown jewel stadium.

Levesque: Agreed, and I hope that we'll both roll out more fans to the stadium and be better able to deal with the lights and feeling of such a big stadium. Playing in the biggest stadium shouldn't rattle us, but it might get to Tocapa.

Jm-Mky: Ok, quickly, give us your final four, finalists and champion.

Rx-Wna: I think things play to form. Demot, Aurendia, Miceland and us. Aurendia and us. And I think we put it together and bring home the championship.

Qu-Dng: Demot, Aurendia, Winchestia and us. Aurendia and Winchestia. Winchestia in a wild shootout for the championship.

Jm-Mky: Not us, eh?

Qu-Dng: I just don't think Winchestia looks like a team ready to lose again.

Dwr-Kng: I think in a suprise Carvalo advances to face Aurendia. Us and Winchestia meet for a third time, with us getting the better of it again. In the finals us over Aurendia.

Levesque: I think Delesa will get a third match against Aurendia. And I think we'll get a first match with Miceland. And I think there's a good chance they'll get there with a win over Islands of Ishtar rather than Winchestia. And I'll say that Aurendia takes the title in a close game over Miceland.

Jm-Mky: You too?

Levesque: I think we're the best team. But I'm just afraid we've used up all of our luck. If we go out in the semifinals in a close game we won't have anything to hang our heads about and everyone will still have taken notice of our fine team.

Jm-Mky: Apparently there is a good feeling that Aurendia is in the best shape. Even us only picked twice for the finals, while all four panelists feel that Aurendia will make it. Interesting. Thanks for visiting with us tonight.

Rx-Wna: Thanks Jm-Mky.

Levesque: My pleasure.

Dwr-Kng: It's always fun.

Qu-Dng: Night.

Jm-Mky: After these commercial breaks a look at the fan vote Kleptodance tournament.

Lexington SC

09-08-2006, 23:05

'Cats close out last game as 'Cats on two game winning Streak, Gettys 1-0
In the 'Cats first game with their new manager, Will Gettys, the 'Cats played tired, but hard and earned a 1-0 victory over Wrecker. Even with this win, the 'Cats remained in 5th place, 2 points bhind Ropa-Topia, narrowly missing a qualifying spot.
Emperor Drew Harris had this to say about the team:
"I was proud of the effort, we arent traditionally a soccer nation, and we still almost qualified for post group play. I think coach Gettys will do a great job in the future. Also for the WC we will have a mascot change. We shall no longer be the Wildcats, but the Lexington SC Golden Eagle. New Kits will be coming out soon!"

Scorers
T. Griggs 6
T. Trudeau 2
A. Marinelli 1
W. Belue 1
B. Gillespie 1

Demot

10-08-2006, 00:32

Demot Daily ~ Book It

As I've been notified by many unhappy e-mails for fans, it has come to my attention that my latest articles are not what the fans want to hear. Appearntly you lot want more about other teams, and more in depth analysis. Well never one to back away from giving the fans what they desire, here is what you have been asking for.

In a crucial match for Toronat, the squad had announced it was just going to play a defence and counter game. Little scoring was expected with the near imprenatrable wall our back line had been up to this point in the tournament. Yet the game produced four goals, with three coming from our side in route to the victory. It was a gritty grudgematch with Toronat giving it their all. They scored in the 11th minute and the squad looked slightly deflated. Yet before the ball was put back into play, Black was yelling instructions to her mates, showing her true colors in a pressure situation. The team responded to her stern mood, and began to rise its game despite Dogood calling for a shell from the sidelines. Masteron took a ball from Lucas, dished it to Fronston, who made hast up field, put in a hard cross to Black. Black took it down and tried to fire a shot, but a defender had her tangled up. Ysman then came out of nowhere to take the ball, shimmy past a defender and fire one into the net.

That would prove to be the last goal of the half, with each team nearly getting another goal, but the keeps saving it at the last possible second. Cards never came, but there were plenty of fouls with each team going in hard for every loose ball. Both teams seemed up going into the half, each seeming to achieved it's first half goals. And despite a stern talking by Dogood, the squad came out on the attack. However, Ysman and Black were replaced by Unitus and Isola just ten minutes into the half.

The second half started quite differently than the first, with Demot bringing an oppressive attack on the Toronat back line. The squad zig zagged through the defence, and made nice crisp passes to those open. Yet they weren't able to crack the net again, until Unitus feigned a shot in the 61st that had the keeper juke the wrong way, and Unitus blasted it home. The crowds haf barely began to quiet when the squad was back on an attack. This time Frontson and Masteron were weaving thier way through the midfield, and Isola making a hard run on net. Masteron got him the ball, and he did a 540 which left many defenders dazed, and tapped it ahead of Frontson who sent it bending into the lower right corner. The keep dived, but it went just between his arms.

Toronat went on full out attack after the goal, Hostra and Lucas shut down nearly every attack. Whitehurse made an amazing grab in the 86th minute that sunk the hearts of the Toronat players, and had Demot fans gleaming with energy. After the game, the exaughsted and dissapointed Toronat players fell to the ground, but only to be helped back up by the Demot squad. The squads then shook hands and exchanged jerseys, before Demot went celebrating off into the streets.

Demot won the Red group with Delaware coming in second following a tie and loss in their last two matches. Carvalo missed it's chance to take second with a loss to Allocer, and has to settle with 3rd, and Czariums just slipped into fourth.

Looking to the Black group, Areundia won it by a good margiain and is likely going to be the team Demot faces in the regional final should they reach it. Delsea finished strong, and might swing that momentum into wins in the knock outs, with Toopoxia and Lost Limeyville looking like easy targets.

As for the Sky Blue Group, it was indeed quite the odd winner in Miceland. These Mice somehow used technology to make themselves human sized for away matches and made visitors mouse sized. Maybe this is why they won their group comfortably? Who knows, but this reporter knows that they are indeed a team that can go deep in this stage. Tocapa came in second thanks to some decent play in oppurtunitial times, with Ishtar and Ropa-Topa both taking a slot in the group with 18 points.

Finnaly in the Yellow Group, Az-Cz won it with authority. Clearly the favorites for the championship, this team displays everything a team needs to win. Coming in second is the despicable Winchestia club who believes only male humans should be allowed on a football pitch. Squeaking into the knock outs are Commerce Hieghts JSY and Alif Laam Miim. Both teams should put up a test to their oppenents, but be defeated easily.

Demot will be playing their next match in the Carrington Memorial against Lost Limeyville. I tell you now, secure your seats in the 93,000 marvoulous stadium to watch your side advance. This reporter predicts a 5-1 victory.

Scorers
Samantha Black - 6
Justin Frontson - 5
David Masteron - 4
Sarah Ysman - 3
Winchester Unitus - 2
Vince Lepierre - 1
Allison Lucas - 1
Ben Isola - 1
David Argonot -1
Slyvester Wright -1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

New Manhattan

10-08-2006, 02:03

자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) Headquarters, 소코지토 도시, 소코 (Sokojito Dosi, SK)

Harmon: I assume you’ve read all the recent reports?

Kreed Kafer: Of course, I wouldn’t slack and what have you, on—what was that?—what you might call, day one.

Harmon: Anything interesting?

Kafer: Well, it’s like as if a pushing, a physical pressure, from the fans, and—can I just say?—I feel it’s not a national, and, it could be, I think, the domestic.

Harmon: Um…anything else—

Kafer: Thank you, Sam. Sam’s giving me something about the layers, they want more layers.

Harmon: “Sam”? *pause* Uh, never mind. You’re saying the fans want us to add more levels to the domestic league? To keep up with the slani SLANIers?

Kafer: Yes.

Harmon: So, anything interesting happen in the Baptism of Fire tournament?

Kafer: I’m getting, like a circle, but I feel it’s not a circle. And there’s two of them—there’s two of them! YES! So I think it’s the second—thank you, Sam—the second round, that we’re in.

Harmon: How many rounds are there?

Kafer: How many are there, Sam? There’s now, I feel, a third circle, but this one’s like as if it’s sliced up *makes horizontal and vertical slicing motions with his arm*, and I think it means quarters, the quarterfinals, next.

Harmon: Who are we playing?

Kafer: Can you give me a name, Sam? I feel it’s like Tocarpa…Tocarpa…yes, it’s Tocapa.

Harmon: Alright then, where are we playing?

Kafer: Can you show me? *pause* Thank you. Sam’s showing me a lantern, and I feel, it’s a beacon, from a lighthouse, and—it’s gone, it’s like as if a ring, an oval, it’s the physical stadium. So I think, it could be a stadium at a lighthouse.

Harmon does some typing on his computer, and pulls up the official site of Lighthouse Stadium.

Harmon: But this thing’s tiny! Why would they hold an international match here?

Kafer: What was that? Thank you Sam, that’s very clear. Sam’s made contact with a spirit, a spirit male, who was murdered, he was put to so-called physical death. And I feel, there’s a large building there, maybe a big, a big stadium, that’s haunted by the presence of others, and this spirit, and when people try to play there, he’s a nasty one, he’ll snatch the ball from them.

Harmon: Forget I asked. I hope you don’t have any reason to stay here?

Kafer: Actually, at my desk, I felt a presence of a spirit person, a young man, and he—

Winchestia

10-08-2006, 13:40

(At an undisclosed location inside Winchestia, Human Party leader Sam Waterton is in a room with National Team Defender Taylor Tinley)

Waterton: Now, brother Tinley, I have a mission for you, but one that requires stealth not just your strength. I have chosen this as your initiation into our Party.

Tinley: I understand. I am willing to do whatever I need to help the cause.

Waterton: Good. I know Shawl has forced you to make a public apology to those mice during the tournament. I want you to get close enough to their delegation to get some idea of how bigulation works, and how we can build our own machine.

Tinley: With respect, brother.....

Waterton: You are not a full member yet, please refer to me as Master Waterton.

Tinley: Yes, Master. With respect, I have no idea how to do what you are suggesting.

Waterton: That is why I've enrolled you, under an alias of course, with the Tilse Special Police Unit. You will train with them in their stealth techniques until you go to the BoF finals. Then you will perform your mission. It's not like you;ll by playing or anything......

The Mice of Miceland

11-08-2006, 01:35

Bazag RpgerMouse aka Agent Alice was intrigued it seemed that the Human Party leader Sam Waterton, had an important meeting. Though even they thought they where alone the details of the meeting was kept quiet. It was not until 10 minutes before the meeting started that he found out where the meeting was being held and who it was being held with, Winchestian Defender Taylor Tinley.

The details of what was going to be spoken about did not reach Bazag RogerMouse's ears, he needed to know what was going on. And there was no way he was going to let the meeting go by without having mouse ears listen to it. He scamparred off, using backalley's and shortcuts that only mice could know or use.

He got to the destination in time and hid under a piece of furniture that was low to the ground, he didn't know what it was, but he didn't care. He listened and waited for the meeting to start by which it soon did, the meeting unfolded and the people left.

"They're going to try and steal the plans for the bigulation process." He told himself, he also needed to tell the Network, he also had a plan.. The Mice where going to ASMV and they would have something with them, something that would cause a chain reaction that would reveal this human party as the degenerates that they are.

Composing a message under the name of Alice the message passed through the miceland intelligence network and found it's way to the council, where the plan for how to deal with this was approved.

Winchestia

11-08-2006, 03:24

"Wow, this is a lot easier than I imagined" thought Taylor Tinley, as he worked his way into basement of the hotel where the Miceland delegation were staying in ASMV. So far things had gone smoothly. His superior training with the Tilse Special Police Force was starting to pay off. He thought back to how this night started......

It was easy enough to avoid the prying eyes of that good-for-nothing traitor manager of his, Jody Shawl. Didn't he (or for that matter, most of Winchestia) realize that the very ESSENCE of humanity was at stake? He simply waited for everyone to go to sleep. That idiot Shawl hadn't even bothered with a curfew, so he simply walked out the front door. Looking at the map kindly provided by the ASMV organizing committee, it was easy to spot his target.

Eagerly anticipating his status as a brother in the Human Party, he nearly got caught by the blundering security guards the mice had hired to protect their managers' room. After avoiding that misstep by doubling back through the hotel corridor, he was able to get to the door of the Miceland manager, just as his contacts had said. Amazingly, he found the door unlocked! Perhaps, in their haste to get to film study, they left the door open. It was the only opportunity Tinley needed.

After going through the usual manager stuff, the scouting reports on the other 15 teams, half-filled out teamsheets and the like, he had found what he was looking for. His contacts had said that each of the members of management kept a copy of "Guide to Bigulation" that contained many of the features of bigulation, possibly enough to understand the science itself! He quickly grabbed the copy, walked out of the room and quietly made his way out and back to his own hotel.

One of the reasons Tinley was chosen for this mission was the fact that he is a footballer by trade. No one would ever expect such an action from a simple man like Tinley. The drawback, as it turned out, was that Tinley himself didn't know when he was being set up............

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

11-08-2006, 03:27

This is your friendly "Let's make 8 new squads happy" round of 16 RP Cut Off

Legalese Memorial Bracket

Demot 3:0 Lost Limeyville - Carrington Memorial Championship Arena

Delesa 3:2 Carvalo - Errion Vega Stadii

The Colony of Delaware 1:3 Toopoxia - Beachfront Arena

Aurendia 2:0 Czariums - Tapia Reis Civic Arena

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega Bracket

The Mice of Miceland 5:0 Alif Laam Miim - Meldenburg Mountain Fieldhouse

Winchestia 3:0 The Islands of Ishtar - Inferii Domei

Tocapa 2:1 Commerce Heights JSY - Lighthouse Stadium

Az-Cz 7:0 Ropa-Topia - Stadii Se Draggonnii Arcea

Regional Semifinals

Legalese Memorial Bracket

Demot vs Delesa - Stadii Se Draggonnii Arcea

Toopoxia vs Aurendia - Inferii Domei

ASMV Bracket

The Mice of Miceland vs Winchestia - Carrington Memorial Championship Arena

Tocapa vs Az-Cz - Errion Vega Stadii

Congratulation to the 8 winners today. See you all tomorrow when 4 more go home early.

Winchestia

11-08-2006, 04:10

The Higgleton Times
"For Winchesians, By Winchestians"

This Is The Time
by Sam Waterton

In a few hours, our heroes, our team, the Winchestia National Football Team will compete in their biggest match yet: The Baptism of Fire Quarter-Final against The Mice of Miceland. My views are well known and clear, mice should not be playing football, or at least against humans.

Some of fans out there feel the need to express this message violently. This is not the way. We will beat them all over the pitch. Though I wish Taylor Tinley would play, Manager Shawl has put together a wonderful team. One that will embarrass the mice back to their holes where they came from.

We are a sporting nation, we will make our point on the pitch. I take no responsibility for the actions of others, who may feel rioting is the way to make our point.

LONG LIVE HUMANITY! LONG LIVE WINCHESTIA!!

The Mice of Miceland

11-08-2006, 04:31

Hector TractorMouse, was one of the Managers of the Miceland team. The team had been given mysterious instructions to leave the hotel, leave the door to their rooms unlocked and ot leave everything apart from identity documents in their room. The management decided to have a late night session looking at the tactics and play of their opponents, it was before the Alif Laam Miim match.

What happened was an agent, the only agent to have actually have been bigulated. Whose cover was as a miceland security guard used his position to place a false "Guide to Bigulation" in every managers effects. He completed the mission just in time, he noticed a sound that was out of the ordinary and would have smiled if he didn't have to let the person think he didn't notice. And so he went and walked away from the door, the person could not have seen him leave the room but it was time to provide the oppurtunity for the thief.

The council had a big discussion and did not like the concept of fouling even the likes of the Human Party, but the argument went is that it was them that was decieving themselves, not the government so the decision was made to allow it.

After the man, the agent did not know who it was, did his dead the agent took back all the false guides and put the effects of the managers back to the way they where.

.................

Mice Dominate Round of 16

With the Mice being in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega for the Regional Quarter Finals at the heights of the Meldenburg Mountain Fieldhouse stadium. Adapting to the high altitudes very quickly the mice started the match in total dominace. There where alot of reasons that can be thought up that explaining the mices win that have nothing to do with our dominace on the field. The altitude of the field was a major claim. But the fact is that the mice are just a really good squad against as team that barely snuck through to the qualifiers. It had to be admitted that a 5-0 win was unexpected, but a win certainly was not.

Whatever the other reasons that may or may not have helped the mice win, the mice won because they where the better team and deserved to win.

The scorers where Angelia in th 56th minute, Sickly had his first hattrick ever, with a goal in the 34th, 45th and 76th minutes. Fievel split up sickly's hattrick with a goal in the 56th minute.

The upcoming match will be at the Carrington Memorial stadium, apparently which was near the site of a terrorist attack. We as of yet have not been able to get any details from the people involved. The team the Mice will be facing? The nation of Winchestia, any mice that are in ASMV to spectate are recommended to contact the Miceland Security Liason, who is in constant communication with the police of Adossa Se Mitrin Vega. We are expecting a large turn-out of human party rioters how could very easily turn violent.

Security will be of upmost important and a number of enhanced security measures will be implimented to keep the team and all visitors to Andossa Se Mitrin Vega safe.

This has been an official government public release.

Az-cz

11-08-2006, 04:48

Az-cz scroll
August 11, 2006
Andossa Se Mitrin Vega
Il-Lur

Az-cz goes wild

Playing in front of a recorded 151,323 people at a stadium filled above capacity the two teams clearly separated themselves. It was clear who was the confident team driving for the championship and which team was lucky to be in the round of 16. And it was clear that the confident team was Az-cz.

Straight from the beginning of the game you could tell that Ropa-Topia was awed by their surroundings while Az-cz was comfortable. Even the opening kickoff was poorly taken by Ropa-Topia as they lost possession immediately.

It didn't take long for Az-cz to break the scoring open. Four minutes after kickoff Zax-Im passed ahead to Pizelkaxrovsky who got the ball forward to Bub-Rub. It was looking like the keeper had the angle to block his shot but Ruud van der Wal made a very stupid tackle to give Az-cz the penalty. Bub-Rub tapped it easily into the lower right corner of the net, and Az-cz was up 1-0.

However for the Ropa-Topian fans who made the journey out to Andossa Se Mitrin Vega the horror was just beginning. Six minutes after the penalty another silly mistake cost Ropa-Topia. Erin Wall tried to pass the ball ahead to one of her midfielders, but whoever was the target was unknown even to that person. Hubertino however read the pass clearly and easily won the ball. He then fired it quickly to Kn-Dg who took three dribbles and fired off a shot before anybody from Ropa-Topia could react. After only 10 minutes Ropa-Topia was two goals behind and their chances were fading fast.

The third goal, in the 17th minute, was by far the worst gaffe that Ropa-Topia comitted and completely killed the spirit of the team. Az-cz was applying a bit of a press to win the ball back, so Peter Buzzard decided to pass the ball back to his keeper, but it went right past the keep and straight into the back of the net. When that own-goal went off the dejection in the eyes of the team, but especially Buzzard and the keeper Karolien Jaspers.

At this point Ropa-Topia had no choice but to put everything they had into the attack. As they were aware no team had scored more than once against Az-cz in the group stage, so they had to attack like crazy if they were going to rally. But this left them incredbily vulnerable at the back, which Az-cz took advantage of.

Zax-Im made a nice dispossesing tackle, then swung the ball forward to Kn-Dg. He saw Bub-Rub make a perfectly timed run at the one remaining Ropa-Topia defender and timed the pass exactly to keep Bub-Rub just onsides so that he could crush the ball home for goal number four. After just 22 minutes it was already a dream day for Az-cz.

Goal number five was added just before the half-hour mark. The fifth goal was all Pizelkaxrovsky magic. He cut through the entire defense, or what wasn't pushing up field, by himself and curled in a beauty from 20 yards out.

At this point it was clear that everyone from Ropa-Topia in the stadium just wanted to go home. They were hoping to gain some pride back with a couple of goals, but they needed the suffering to end. However they couldn't even get to halftime before Az-cz added another goal to their misery. This time it wasn't a wide open attack. Az-cz won the ball in defense and Ropa-Topia was able to get back but a series of clever passes culminated in Pizelkaxrovsky finding Zax-Im open and the captain then laid in the sixth goal with five minutes left in the opening half.

Amazingly Az-cz put the ball of the post once more before the end of the half, but Ropa-Topia was able to hold the 6-0 scoreline.

At half time coach Levesque pushed things into a quite defensive position. He took off Bub-Rub for At-Zm and Kn-Dg for Lo-Ro. Although Az-cz wasn't looking to attack, there was one opportunity that was too good to resist. Down 6-0 the goalkeeper was even starting to come forward on attacks. On one play he got up to almost the half way line, when Ns-Ta made a sudden brilliant tackle and slung the ball forward incredibly quickly to Stanleyinho. With the goal wide open Stanleyinho launched the ball forward and found an incredible goal from his own half of the pitch.

However after that goal in the 68th minute, Ropa-Topia gave up and just sat back in defense. With both teams doing nothing the game stayed as is and Az-cz walked to a 7-0 victory. One other sub was made with Ip-Gp coming in for Bn-Dg with 15 minutes left in the game.

Az-cz advances from this victory to a game against Tocapa. As for the Ropa-Topians they have to deal with this loss on their long flight home and try to regroup before world cup qualifying.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 7 Ropa-Topia 0
Az-cz scorers 4(Pen), 22 Bub-Rub 10 Kn-Dg 17 Buzzard (OG) 29 Pizelkaxrovsky 40 Zax-Im 68 Stanleyinho
Possession Az-cz 85% Ropa-Topia 15%
Shots Az-cz 16 Ropa-Topia 3
Corners Az-cz 1 Ropa-Topia 0

Aurendia

11-08-2006, 04:51

Southport News
“We don’t need a slogan. We’re just boring like that”

Offense keeps rolling as Raptors send home Czariums

TAPIA REIS CIVIC ARENA, Andossa Se Mitrin Vega – The Raptors made it into the Baptism of Fire regional semifinals with a 2-0 victory over Czariums in ASMV tonight.

Czariums’ offense threatened early, but Liza Kohl’s several acrobatic saves kept Czariums off the scoreboard. The Raptors’ offense final struck in the 33rd, with a Jessica Colenti connecting with Regina Dunlop for the opening goal. Each team kept attacking, yet no further goals resulted before the half.

The second half opened with another Czariums flurry, but again Team Aurendia’s defense held them off. A second goal was added in the 68th, as defender Ken Weathers launched a long clearing pass that found Denise Little all alone at the top of the box. Czariums kept applying the pressure until the end, but the Raptors’ defense clamped down and refused any points.

The Raptors’ next game will be a rematch against Toopoxia at the Inferii Domei. This match will be the third meeting between the Raptors and Toopoxia, who are themselves coming off a 3-1 victory over the Colony of Delaware.

The other Legalese group semifinal will be a double-D affair, as Demot sent Lost Limeyville home 3-0 and Delesa held off Carvalo 3-2. Meanwhile the ASMV side of the bracket saw a lot of offense, with Az-Cz demolishing Ropa-Topia 7-0, Miceland topping Alif Laam Miim 5-0, Winchestia over The Islands of Ishtar 3-0, and Tocapa overcoming JSY 2-1. The semifinal match-ups will pit Tocapa vs Az-Cz, and Winchestia vs Miceland in a match that should provide significant off-field fireworks.

Scoring:
1. A (R. Dunlop 4) 33rd (Assist: J. Colenti)
2. A (D. Little 3) 68th (Assist: K. Weathers)

[NS:]Delesa

11-08-2006, 04:59

DFC MOVES ON WINNING 3-2

DFC Goal Scorers;
16 min - Micheal McShane
72 min - Fernando Kellet
79 min - Florian Olivier

The next game will be against Demot. The team is looking forward to playing them, and hopes they wont be the ones sent home early, butit always is a possibility. But the team won't give up that easy. Demot will have to fight for every inch of turf. May the best men and women win tomarrow and good luck to all those who move on.

OOC: cant do really anything tonight.

Demot

11-08-2006, 05:29

Demot Daily ~ Seeing Red

Well am I genious or what folks? I called an easy ride into the next round and that is exactly what happened as the squad demolished an undertalented Lost Limeyville side. Unfortunately for all you readers, this reporter has to have dental work and will be gone until Monday or Tuesday, so tune into your televisions for the news. Now onto the game!

Lost Limeyville seemed detirmined to make the squad work for everything in the begginning. Every foul was rough, every loose ball there were multiple players headed for it, and every shot was fired with precision. But the team was more than up to the challenge, absorbing every foul, going in hard for the ball regardless, and Whitehurse making save after save look like child's play. The pressure by the Limeyville side began to die down in the 21st minute, and the squad took little time taking the advatage and began another of their classic prolonged attacks. Hostra had moved up with had pressure on the buckling LL midfield, and gave it off to Lucas. She moved passed the half way mark and along the right line with grace, and delivered a nice heel pass to Masteron. He wasted no time in getting it to an open Ysman, but before she could control the ball, she was already closed down, and dished it off to Frontson. He faked left, then faked a pass to black, and fired. The crowd roared and cannons went off as the ball hit the back of the netting.

Limeyville tried to build up the pressure again, but the squad now had the lead and momentum. After thwarting an attack, Gooden moved it hastely forward to Lepierre whose defender went for the ball but slipped on the turf. It had rained earlier in the day, and appearntly the grounds keepers did not manage to get the field completely dry. With tons of open field ahead, Lepierre dashed down field and then put in a perfect cross to Black who hit it in flight to put it in the oppisite corner of the keep. Black pumped her fist and pointed to the D on her shirt as her teammates came to celebrate and the ref whistle ended the half.

Up and with all the confidence and momentum, there was little Limeyville could do in the second half to keep Lepierre's bending ball from 3 feet inside the box from going in and putting Demot into coast mode for the remainder of the half. Limeyville lived up to their name and looked completely lost after the third goal. Now the team faces a Delsea squad who just survived a tight game with Carvolo.

Demot is the only squad from the Red group left, while Aruendia will face Toopoxia in the other region semi. Az-Cz squashed their competition 7-nil and looks to do the same to Tocapa who bounced Commerce Heights JSY 2-1. Winchestia now faces Miceland whom they have repeatedly said doesn't deserve to be in the tournament. Will the mice overcome this speicists? One would hope so.

Scorers
Samantha Black - 7
Justin Frontson - 6
David Masteron - 4
Sarah Ysman - 3
Winchester Unitus - 2
Vince Lepierre - 2
Allison Lucas - 1
Ben Isola - 1
David Argonot -1
Slyvester Wright -1

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

OCC: Gone for the rest of the weekend due to a death in the family. Good luck to everyone.

Az-cz

11-08-2006, 06:26

MC: Congratulations to the team for putting together a fine performance. Anybody who hadn't taken notice of Az-cz before certainly will now after a 7-0 brutalizing. Joining us today our Coach Levesque, Zax-Im, and Man of the Match , Bub-Rub.

Coach: What can I say? We had a game against a tough opponent in a huge stadium with a lot of expectations, but they came out and exceeded them. We were on the recieving end of a few fortunate plays, to be sure, but the team was determined to get the job done, and they did.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach, tell us your thoughts about your next opponent.

Levesque: Tocapa is a strong team. They haven't lost in their last nine games. So we have to be worried about them. Any team left at this point is a strong opponent. There are no flukes here. All of the regional champs won and three of the two seeds did, so this is the cream of the crop. We just have to prove our strength.

Az-cz reporter 2: Bub-Rub, tell us how the first play developed.

Bub-Rub: Well the build up was good. I recieved a good ball to get to the box, but unfortunately I didn't have a good angle. I was thinking about trying to play it off the keeper for a corner, but I got bailed out. There was some luck, but putting pressure on early paid off. As for slotting home the first knockout stage goal it was huge. It took whatever nerves we had out and put us into a comfort zone.

Az-cz reporter 3: Were you guys suprised at how tenative Ropa-Topia seemed?

Zax-Im: Yes. We expected a more composed performance than that. Yes they were fourth in their group, but only by two points. They easily could've finished second. So we thought they'd be able to respond. They just couldn't.

Bub-Rub: I don't know if it was the stadium, or it being knockout's or what, but something got to them. We still believe they're better than that. If we get drawn together in qualifying we certainly won't be expecting 7-0 victories.

Az-cz reporter 4: Looking at the other half of your region, what are your thoughts about Miceland versus Winchestia?

Levesque: We respect both teams greatly. Basically we have two hopes for that game. We'd like to see a good football game and we don't want there to be any off-field incidents. In terms of who we'll face in the next round, I don't have any preference. Both teams are dangerous, but neither team is unbeatable. The key to advancement is just playing as well as we can.

Az-cz reporter 5: Any thoughts on the Legalese memorial half of the bracket?

Levesque: Not particularly. We're keeping an eye on it to be sure, but we've got Tocapa to think about for now. And then either Miceland or Winchestia, so we're a wee bit busy at this point.

Az-cz reporter 6: Will there be any changes between this game and the next?

Levesque: I can think of at least seven reasons why we'll be rolling out the same lineup next game. It may not come as a suprise to Tocapa, but it's still something they'll have to figure out.

MC: Alright I think we can squeeze one more question in here.

Az-cz reporter 7: The next game is in a much smaller stadium, how will that effect the team?

Zax-Im: It won't have any effect on us. The stadium is irrelevant to us. The key is how it effects our opponents. I'd say the stranger the stadium the better for us. So the huge stadium was slightly toward our advantage, but basically it doesn't matter.

MC: Thanks for your time today. Once again, congratulations on an impressive win. Good luck against Tocapa.

Az-cz

11-08-2006, 08:06

Az-cz scroll
August 11, 2006
Mth-Mn

Voice of the Fan

As a service to our nation I decided I would get some fans perspective on the Baptism of Fire. With some help here our some percentages as well as some raw quotes:

1. Do you think Az-cz will beat Tocapa?

Yes: 92%
No:5%
Unsure: 3%

2. Who will win the tournament?

Az-cz:73%
Aurendia: 20%
Miceland: 4%
Winchestia: 3%
Demot:2%
Others: 1%

3. Who will win Miceland or Winchestia?

Miceland: 52%
Winchestia: 48%

4. If Az-cz doesn't win the tournament, who are you rooting for?

Miceland: 72%
Aurendia: 20%
Tocapa: 6%
Others: 2%
Winchestia: 0%

Literally not one respondent was rooting for Winchestia to win the tournament.

5. Other than Az-cz who has the best chance of winning the tournament?

Aurendia: 66%
Miceland: 14%
Winchestia: 11%
Demot: 5%
Delesa: 3%
Others: 1%

6. Who is the best Az-cz player?

Pizelkaxrovsky: 45%
Gn-Lg: 20%
Kn-Dg: 11%
Zax-Im: 9%
Ns-Ta: 7%
Ml-Dni: 6%
Others: 2%

7. Who is your favorite player?

Zax-Im: 40%
Pizelkaxrovsky: 24%
Bub-Rub: 15%
Kn-Dg: 9%
Stanleyinho: 6%
Gn-Lg: 3%
Others: 3%

Some interesting quotes:

"So long as those scum from Winchestia don't win, I don't really care."

"I'm hoping that Miceland does well. Than our two countries can have a big Kleptochase party."

"Aurendia is a solid team. They look well positioned to go out on top."

"Pizelkaxrovsky plays for a team I don't like, but he's so good that you have to root for him."

"Kn-Dg is dreamy."

Winchestia

11-08-2006, 16:08

(OOC: Yes, these are in the wrong order timeline-wise....oops)

The Winchestia Times:
Cooks Dominate Ishtar 3-0, go to Quarter Finals

ASMV-- A second-half hat trick from Dalla Marayan capped an absolutly dominant performace by Winchestia over Ishtar last night. From the opening kick, Winchestia were the better, faster, more agressive team and completely outplayed the hapless Islanders the entire 90 minutes.

Despite the performance, Winchestia were a bit concerned at the half as Levi Duman had trouble converting chances. There were thoughts that Ishtar might just steal it in the 50th minute, but an Ishtar goal was ruled out for an obvious offside. Then Marayan struck in the 53rd minute with a fantastic strike from outside the penalty area. He followed up with a goal from a Bodle cross in the 63rd and a header from a Levi Pavin corner in the 81st. Besides the disallowed goal, Ishtar did not manage a shot on goal, and Nick Seruss was actually duing pull-ups on his crossbar toward the end of the match.

The Quarter Final will be against the Mice of Miceland. On the pitch, it should be fantastic, like all of the matches. Perhaps even better now that this is the quarter-final. Off the field, both the security forces of the Mice and of ASMV are preparing for the worst. This stadium has already been the victim of one attack, and is a memorial to that. I would like to tell those of you who may feel the need to be stupid to take the time to look at the exhibits and think about what it is you are doing. Is it really worth the loss of life to keep mice from playing football?

Projected lineup: Seruss -- Niece, Billiot, Pop, Cam -- Hartney, Melland, Pavin, Bodle -- Duman, Marayan

Demot

11-08-2006, 16:41

Demot Daily ~ By The Numbers

Well this is it folks, my last article before I'm gone due to dental work. Throughout this tournament we've sent out polls on various subjects regarding the tournament, and now we'll reveal the results.

1) Is Demot going to win the BoF?
a) Yes 52%
b) No 21%
c) If they can beat Areundia 20%
d) If lightning strikes down the Az-Cz team 7%

2) Who is the best player on Demot?
a) Samantha Black 63%
b) David Masteron 17%
c) Sarah Ysman 12%
d) Justin Frontson 8%

3) What do you think of Winchestia?
a) Idiots 78%
b) Disillusioned fools 12%
c) Go Mice 10%

4) Who will win the tournament?
A) Az-Cz 52%
B) Demot 42%
C) Areundia 8%

and

5) What of the Mice?
a) Good team 43%
b) Whoa, they let mice play? 21%
c) Giant mice? Cool by me. 21%
d) Elves are better 15%

Interestingly enough, we had more total votes than our actual population. Maybe those people at the Census Beareu messed up, or we got foriegners infiltrating our polls. Take care Demot, and Do What It Is Needed!!!

Article by Jasmine Olyvander

The Mice of Miceland

12-08-2006, 01:15

In some run-down section of miceland, away from the government's pervasive eyes. There is a place, that only people who have been there before can find, a place where the fantastical and whimsical dreams of the ordinary mice can come true. Which just a spin of a wheel, the turn of the roulette, a hand of cards can make all your fantasies come true. Well, that's what the owners think. In essence it is a way for the runners of this illegal casino to gain money for themselves.

As this is a casino, what self respective casino does not put bets on Sport, and the Baptism of Fire is just one of those things being the target of the sports gambling going on in the illegal casino.

Some of the questions and current numbers

Who will win the Baptism of fire?

Az-Cz: 1 in 1.45
Miceland : 1 in 6.67
Demot: 1 in 8.33
Aurendia: 1 in 20

Winchestia will fail when....

We beat them in the match: 1 in 1.42
They mysteriously blow themselves up: 1 in 5.26
They realise the error of their ways: 1 in 100

The reason that the mice don't get to, or lose the final.
Outclassed by Az-Cz: 1.81
Thriller loss against Demot: 1 in 3.12
"Huh" loss against Aurendia: 1 in 8.33
Freak loss to Winchestia: 1 in 100

Reason why the Winchestian's hate us

Jealousy: 1 in 8.33
Ignorant Fools: 1 in 2.22
Do they need a reason: 1 in 3.12
Envy of our technology: 1 in 9.09

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

12-08-2006, 03:45

This is your friendly "Let's Outrun a Thunderstorm" Regional Semi RP Cut Off

Regional Semifinals

Legalese Memorial Bracket

Demot 4:0 Delesa - Stadii Se Draggonnii Arcea

Toopoxia 1:4 Aurendia - Inferii Domei

ASMV Bracket

The Mice of Miceland 4:1 Winchestia - Carrington Memorial Championship Arena

Tocapa 2:4 Az-Cz - Errion Vega Stadii

***********************************************************************************

Regional Finals

Legalese Memorial Bracket

Demot vs Aurendia - Carrington Memorial Championship Arena

ASMV Bracket

The Mice of Miceland vs Az-Cz - Errion Vega Stadii

Congratulations to everyone that made it this far.
Good luck to the four sides left.

The 2 victorious sides will play for the BoF Championship Match
The 2 unfortunates will beat up on each other in the 3rd Place match

Aurendia

12-08-2006, 05:12

Etoka Journal-Tribune
“Now with larger print for those hung-over mornings”

Raptors move on to regional finals with defeat of Toopoxia

INFERII DOMEI, ASMV – Two games are all that remain between the Aurendia Raptors, and the nation’s first ever international sports title. Team Aurendia moved one step closer to the Baptism of Fire Finals with a 4-1 victory over Toopoxia.

A packed dome of 138,900 screaming fans made this the loudest match the Raptors have yet participated in, and the team fed off that energy with a strong early offensive barrage. An early goal was the result, when in the 10th Regina Dunlop found Ashley Campbell open in front of the net. A second Raptors goal was scored 30 minutes in when Jessica Colenti scored from just outside the box after receiving the feed from Cassandra Campbell. Colenti would strike again 11 minutes later, shooting in a rebound of a Matt Sanchez shot.

Toopoxia put themselves on the board early in the second half, when a well-executed clear successfully breached the Raptors’ tight defense in the 50th. The score never got any closer than 3-1 however, and Aurendia drove the final nail into the coffin in the 73rd, when midfielder Jeff Yaneohe stole the ball from a Toopoxia player and passed to a streaking Dunlop, who put the ball in from near the corner.

Demot defeated Delesa 4-0 in the other Legalese Semifinal, setting up tomorrow’s Legalese Regional Finals showdown between Demot and the Raptors. Demot brings a well-balanced offense into the match, with Aurendia’s coaches telling their squad to especially watch out for Samantha Black and Justin Frontson.

In the ASMV side of the bracket, The Mice of Miceland disproved any Winchestian notions of human superiority with a 4-1 victory, and Az-Cz defeated Tocapa 4-2. Az-Cz, the highest scoring team in the entire tournament will face off against a dangerous Miceland squad in the ASMV Regional Final tomorrow.

Scoring:
1. A (A. Campbell 13) 10th (Assist: R. Dunlop)
2. A (J. Colenti 2) 30th (Assist: C. Campbell)
3. A (J. Colenti 3) 41st (Assist: M. Sanchez)
4. T 50th
5. A (R. Dunlop 5) 73rd (Assist: J. Yaneohe)

OOC: Bah. Here I am just a few days from possibly winning the whole thing, and I'll be on vacation and unable to RP anything for the next week. So, good luck to everyone else in the top four and I'll have to check how it all ended when I get back.

Az-cz

12-08-2006, 07:31

Az-cz Scroll
August 12, 2006
Andossa Se Mitrin Vega
Il-Lur

Az-cz escapes near disaster.

For the twelve group stage games and the first knockout game, the Pink & Green had looked like a well oiled machine. They had gotten lucky to be sure, but for the most part they had played well. They had also played quite intelligently, picking up only two yellows, one undeserved. However all of the things that they had done so well for 13 games nearly came crashing down.

Tocapa came out and looked unperturbed by the setting. The game started out pretty evenly. Both teams took a few chances but neither team was able to take the lead.

In the 15th minute the first thing went wrong for Az-cz. Stanleyinho tried to cut up the field but he made a weird move and twisted his ankle. He had to be subbed out, with Lur-Mn getting the call to come in.

Things went back and forth like that for another nine minutes until the second bad turn. Tocapa had made a nice attack and looked to get a good shot in the box. Bn-Dg came back to make the tackle but he clearly came in recklessly. The ref saw it and gave him a red card sending him out and also giving Tocapa a penalty. Cler Bestov stepped up and slipped it in just past Gn-Lg.

Az-cz knew they were in for fight. Down a goal and a man things would be difficult. And they would proceed to get worse before they would get better. Az-cz had the better of the chances, but the next goal also was tallied by Tocapa.
In the 36th minute Tocapa put together by far the best goal that Az-cz had given up. They just flat out beat the defense with a nice 7 goal sequence culminating in Trolo Culur beating Gn-Lg. Up to this point no team had managed two goals against Az-cz and now a team had a two goal lead and a man advantage.
Neither team had much of a chance to find a goal in the rest of the half. At halftime Levesque made an interesting decision. Despite being down two goals with a sub already used, he brought off his other starting striker and brought on If-Wt in his stead.
The first fifteen minutes of the half and Tocapa continued to control the game. A buzz started in the stadium that our beloved Gnomes might find themselves going out of the tournament far earlier than we had imagined. When the third striker for Tocapa, Stowe Erroe, blasted a ball of the crossbar in the 62nd minute, it looked like Az-cz was really out of answers.
But once again Levesque's knowledge of his team proved to be brilliant. If-Wt and Pizelkaxrovsky started to get a feel for each others movements and those two really took control of the game.
The first goal was an amazing bit of two man football. Zax-Im won the ball and got it to Pizelkaxrovsky. Then him and If-Wt took the ball down the entire length of the field passing it back and forth. It ended with Pizelkaxrovsky passing it over to Kn-Dg, who put Az-cz finally on the board in minute 71. From there Az-cz really kicked it into top gear.
The equalizer came just four minutes later. Again If-Wt and Pizelkaxrovsky did the set up work with a series of nice passes that this time culminated in Lur-Mn earning the equalizer.
The winning goal came in minute 85. If-Wt earned a free kick with a nice run. Pizelkaxrovsky faked like he was going to do a direct shot and instead slid a pass over to Lur-Mn who put in his second goal of the game.
Although Tocapa tried to bounce back, instead it was the Robbers who were able to steal a fourth goal. The fourth goal was set up by Ns-Ta making a great tackle, which he got upfield quickly with Pizelkaxrovsky setting up Kn-Dg for his second goal in the 89th minute.
Levesque sent on Kz-kz on at this point in place of Pizelkaxrovsky, but there was hardly any time left. The clock just ran out and Az-cz advanced to the regional finals. There they will face the mice of Miceland. Both sides are looking forward to a fantastic game of football. As for Tocapa they can return home with their heads held high. 20 minutes of great football from Az-cz did them in, but on the whole they played very well.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 4 Tocapa 2
Az-cz scorers 71, 89 Kn-Dg 75, 85 Lur-Mn
Possession Az-cz 45% Tocapa 55%
Shots Az-cz 8 Tocapa 14
Corners Az-cz 1 Tocapa 2

The Mice of Miceland

12-08-2006, 14:25

Mice overcome Speciest Scum

Miceland vs. Winchestia, it was the match that had the most international interest for both on-field and off-field reasons, media from the nations of Demot and Aurendia had made comments about the Winchestia match, The Demot media actually supported us against the speciests of Winchestia.

The security put in place to protect the team against the expected violent turn out from the Human party did their job perfectly and the team was in great spirits from the support from the mice that had braved the Human party thinly veiled threats of violence.

On the field was what that matter, completely dis-regarding any and all of the controversy that may have happened off-field and what happened on field was a 4-1 thrashing of the Winchestian national team. A brief lapse in the defense provided the Winchestia's their only chance to let a ball sullied by their touch into the net.

This was at the begining of the 2nd half, The Mice had already scored 2 goals giving the Winchestians what could be thought as some sort of consolation for the team. 2 more goals where scored by the Mice taking the result to an undisputable finish.

The next match will be the hardest match that the mice will have to play in their Baptism of Fire campaign. The gnomes of Az-Cz, at the Errion Vega Stadii in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega. This match is between the 2 top teams in the Andossa Se Mitrin Vega region, and the winner of the match will go to the finals while the losers of the match will face the losers of the Demot vs Aurendia match to battle it out for third place. Whatever happens from now on our mice has proved that we belong on the international football scene and if they cannot take it then. To quote a famous micelandic film "We fart in your general direction".

Az-cz

12-08-2006, 15:17

MC: Well it wasn't easy but again we bring you the proud victors of today's match. Joining us today are the two regulars coach Levesque and captain Zax-Im and today's man of the match, If-Wt.

Levesque: Today was a tough day. A lot of things seemed to be working not in our favor. But we persevered and never gave up, and fought back for a victory. Of course there are some things about the match that displease me, but I'm very proud of my guys today.

Az-cz reporter 1: Coach, what will you do with Bn-Dg unavailabe against Miceland?

Levesque: I'm sure the mice are watching and I don't want to give away trade secrets. We'll just let them find out as we're lining up for kickoff. But let me say that I already know who will be playing and there will be a number of changes from usual.

Az-cz reporter 2: How serious is Stanleyinho's injury?

Levesque: We've been told that if necessary he could play, but that probably he won't be available for the game. It's a blow but we can overcome it.

Az-cz reporter 3: What are your thoughts about your next opponent?

Levesque: There a strong side. Look at their demolition of Winchestia today. It'll be tough to get through them, to be sure. I'm personally glad they won to show Winchestia that non-humans can play this game as well. It ought to be a good game with both sides playing hard but fair. Regardless of the result tomorrow I wish good luck and good health to Miceland during our attempts at world cup qualifying.

Az-cz reporter 4: Guys, tell us what was going through your mind it that second half, especially when that ball smoked the crossbar?

Zax-Im: We never lost confidence. We know that we can score quickly and even playing a man down, we could see that Tocapa was tiring out. It takes a strong side to run with us for ninety minutes and they just couldn't do it.

If-Wt: We all knew our roles and no one panicked. I think we all felt safe when that ball went off the crossbar and took it as our second chance.

Tocapa reporter: Vat do you tink about da Tocapa team?

Levesque: I think they have the natural talent there to develop into quite a squad, but they still need more practice to gel it together. They came on during the tournament quite well and if they continue to improve could cause some headaches during the qualifying.

Az-cz reporter 5: How will playing in the same stadium twice affect the match?

Levesque: It will be slightly in our favor. We'll feel a bit more comfortable to be sure. But at this point none of these teams are concerned about things like the stadium. It's just about making plays. These teams are too good to let outside stuff influence.

Az-cz reporter 6: Does this match have any influence on the friendlies with Miceland?

Levesque: Nope. This is just a prelude. I expect a good game and both sides to enjoy the competition. But we still want to play the friendlies to celebrate diversity, make friends, and share our cultures.

Az-cz reporter 7: If-Wt, were you suprised to earn the man of the match award?

If-Wt: Yeah. I figured it would go to Pizelkaxrovsky. I think he earned more points than I did, and it just seemed like he was more influential. But I'll gladly take it. To earn man of the match in a quarterfinals of any competition is quite an honor.

MC: Alright, last question.

Az-cz reporter 8: What are your thoughts on Demot and Aurendia?

Levesque: They're both fine football teams. The results to now point to Aurendia winning, but it could easily go the other day. It will make a fine doubleheader with our game. I expect good football from both sides. And we'll be watching to see who our next opponent will be and how they play. So it will be interesting.

MC: Thank you. Good luck against Miceland. Try to enjoy the experience as well.

Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

13-08-2006, 04:26

This is your friendly "Lets see who get to play for a CHAMPIONSHIP!" RP Cut Off

Regional Finals

Legalese Memorial Bracket

Demot 1:4 Aurendia - Carrington Memorial Championship Arena

ASMV Bracket

The Mice of Miceland 0:2 Az-Cz - Errion Vega Stadii

***********************************************************************************

Baptism of Fire 3rd Place Match

Demot vs The Mice of Miceland - Inferii Domei

Baptism of Fire Championship Match

Aurendia vs Az-Cz - Stadii Se Draggonnii Arcea

Both the 3rd Place and Championship matches will be scorinated tomorrow in order to get WC30 underway a tiny bit faster. Good Luck!

Winchestia

13-08-2006, 05:06

(A couple of days after WInchestia's elimination at the hands of Miceland, but before the regional finals, Manager Jody Shawl and a heavily guarded Taylor Tinley held a press conference)

Shawl: Thank you all for coming today. To be honest, we were crap against Miceland, and the gentleman next to me <points at Tinley> would have made all of the difference. He has something he would like to say to everyone.

Tinley: I'm supposed to be up here begging forgiveness for my beliefs, so I can return to the national team. Is that right Shawl? Well, that's not going to happen after all! You see, recently I've discovered all the secrects of bigulation <crowd gasps at this mention>, oh yes, and here's a copy that I made of Miceland's sacred "Guide to Bigulation". Where was I? Oh yeah, once I get home and give this to Sam Waterton, the balance of power in Winchestia will change forever! Oh, and Jody, perhaps you can apply to be my maid or something.

<Tinley storms out with his 6 guards, on the way out he notices a bigulated mouse, that look vaguely familiar but that he couldn't quite place. Tinley could almost swear that that mouse was smiling...............>

(OOC: To be continued at World Cup xXx, congrats to Aurendia and Az-Cz)

Az-cz

13-08-2006, 05:16

Az-cz scroll
August 13, 2006
Andossa Se Mitrin Vega
Il-Lur

Gnomes squeak by mice

On a beautiful sunny day in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega Az-cz and Miceland met on the pitch for a fantastic game of football. Neither team was able to establish a clear advantage and both easily could have won, but in the end Az-cz made the plays that found the back of the net to advance to the finals.
Az-cz came out in a 3-6-1 formation. Az-If was starting in place of Bn-Dg and If-Wt was in place of the injured Stanleyinho. The game started out a bit slowly as both teams seemed to be trying to feel the other out. Both teams play with unorthodox styles that don't necessarily translate from video to real life so both teams were being cautious at the beginning of the game. Especially with Az-cz showing a formation they hadn't shown all tournament both teams took time at the beginning.
Twenty minutes in the mice created the first good scoring chance of the game. Input ComputerMouse pushed the right buttons to set up Fievel ChurchMouse for a great shot on goal, unfortunately for Miceland, Gn-Lg read it perfectly and time his jump perfectly to take away what looked to be a certain goal.
Both teams continued to push forward and play good defense, but there were no chances as good as ChurchMouse's for the rest of the half.
In the second half Az-cz's midfield started to stamp their authority on the match. Zax-Im really stepped up his defense and the mice started to struggle to get the ball into the Az-cz end of the pitch. As their offense slowed down their defense started to wear out and Az-cz looked to take advantage.
In the 71st minute Az-cz finally found the scoreboard. Zax-Im made a fine tackle on Piper FluteMouse to take the ball away. He then outletted the ball to If-Wt, who got it to Kn-Dg who found Bub-Rub alone in the box for a beautiful one-time goal.
Both teams continued to battle but the mice just didn't have the pace to stay up with the gnomes. In the 80th minute that was shown as Zax-Im quickly swung the ball up to Kn-Dg who just outran the mice to fire in a goal by himself.
As is the Az-cz tradition Levesque put in the defensive subs and locked down the game. At-Zm came on for Az-If and Lo-Ro came on for Pizelkaxrovsky. The mice continued to battle, but they couldn't figure out the Az-cz defense and the game ended at 2-0 in favor of the gnomes.
The mice look to regroup against Demot in the third place game while the Pink & Green move to the finals against Aurendia. A win there and the gnomes will have a fine piece of silver to place in their trophy chests.

Statistics

Goals Az-cz 2 Miceland 0
Az-cz scorers 71 Bub-Rub 80 Kn-Dg
Possession Az-cz 58% Miceland 42%
Shots Az-cz 13 Miceland 8
Corners Az-cz 2 Miceland 1

The Mice of Miceland

13-08-2006, 10:49

Mice bettered by Gnomes

In what was the most anticipated match for the entirety of Miceland a 2-0 loss to the gnomes of Az-Cz. Computer InputMouse saw a great opportunity and passed to Fievel ChrurchMouse but the gnomish keeper performed some magnificent acrobatics and timed the save to perfection. There was no better opportunity for a goal even though Computer InputMouse took a corner as the gnomes pushed the ball over the wrong line.

The 2 goals where both scored in the last 20 minutes of the match as the first half contained both sides trying to explore each others set ups and defenses. The Mice are now set to face Demot in the 3rd Place Play off. The result of this is not totally unknown as both sides have reached the top 4 in the Baptism of Fire but we have nothing to compare the teams performance against but the team is quietly confident about being able to win this match.

This has been an official government public release

...........

Confusion over 'theft' claims

In a press conference that we expected Taylor Tinley to apologise for his out burst and return to the Winchestian national team for the World Cup. Taylor Tinley made a bizzarre claim that he had in fact stolen a 'Guide to Bigulation' from one of the teams Manager's rooms. In which he claims contains a scientific explanation of Miceland's bigulation technology.

After a governmental inquiry we can confirm the following facts:

Neither do the managers of the Miceland team now, or ever have they carried anything like a "Guide to Bigulation"

There never has been in possetion of any such so called guide in any paws other than those of governmental scientists.

No manager of the Miceland team has had any item that they took with them to Andossa Se Mitrin Vega stolen or mis-laid.

Whatever Taylor Tinley thinks he has, and we have to doubt whether he has anything at all, it is nothing to do with bigulation. The Winchestian Human Party, in which we suspect would be behind any such theft if it where to have occured, and even behind Taylor Tinley's false claim.

This has been a governmental public release

Az-cz

13-08-2006, 17:15

MC: Here we are at the penultimate press conference for the Baptism of Fire. Joining me today are Coach Levesque and Zax-Im, the captain and today's man of the match. Also joining us today is the scorer of the winning goal, Bub-Rub.

Levesque: Hats off to Miceland. They made us work hard for everything today. Just a bit of luck in their favor and they could have gotten us. But I have to give credit to my guys. Once again they got the job done. Like against Tocapa we left things until late, but when the chips were on the table they made the plays.

Az-cz reporter 1: What is the status of Stanleyinho?

Levesque: He's been cleared to play, but he won't be in the starting lineup.

Az-cz reporter 2: Will you stick with the 3-6-1 you played today or switch to a different lineup?

Levesque: Will let Aurendia ponder that one, shall we. Other than Stanleyinho not starting I'll leave it to your imagination who will start tomorrow.

Az-cz reporter 3: What are your thoughts about Aurendia?

Levesque: They're a strong side. You don't win a semifinal by three goals without being pretty dang good. They've got talent through out their lineup and of course you have to be worried about the Campbell sisters. It ought to be a fine match.

Miceland reporter: What do you think about the Miceland team?

Levesque: Well as I said before they are a strong side. They're probably the favorites in the third place. We're looking forward to our two friendlies. They ought to be heated but fair matches that both sets of fans can enjoy. We wish the best success to them in the upcoming qualification.

Az-cz reporter 4: Zax-Im, what are your feelings going into the final.

Zax-Im: It's like a dream. For our whole team to play as well as they have up to this point and for me to be right at the center of it, there's just no words.
I'm absolutely looking forward to putting on my kit tomorrow and slipping on the armband and going out and battling for 90 minutes.

Az-cz reporter 5: Bub-Rub, describe the feeling of scoring the winning goal today.

Bub-Rub: Relief really. Those mice are dang good footballers. It was hard getting through their defense. To be honest I think both sides didn't know how the game was going to go. So it felt like a big burden off of our shoulders to go ahead. While we've shown an ability to rally, like we did against Tocapa, we definitely like to play from in front. With the defense we have teams are in big trouble if they fall behind.

Az-cz reporter 6: What are the plans for after the Baptism of Fire?

Levesque: Some time off but not too much as the qualifying for world cup 30 fires up pretty much immediately after the end of the Baptism of Fire. We've got to be at our peak if we hope to make either the actual tournament or the Cup of Harmony. So there's a lot at stake.

Zax-Im: Indeed. But regardless we'll be looking to relax and also there will be some celebrating. Being a Baptism of Fire finalist is not an insignifcant accomplishment. So we want some time to enjoy that. Plus we've got -League coming up, so there's a lot on our plates.

Bub-Rub: Indeed. Somebody has to find a way to knock those dang Knights off the top of the table this season.

Az-cz reporter 7: Bub-Rub how has your injury recovered?

Bub-Rub: Just fine. I'm 100%

MC: Alright, last question.

Az-cz reporter 8: What do you think it will take for victory?

Levesque: We have to execute. I don't think the performance we've thrown up in either of the last two games will be good enough. We've dodged major bullets. If we can find a first half goal or two, that would be absolutely massive. We really want to give ourselves the opportunity to play from in front.

MC: Good luck tomorrow gentleman.

NationStates Jolt Archive

Baptism of Fire (WC30) Rosters/Scores/RP Thread