NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.starblaydestudios.co.uk/Images/SFA-Logo.gif
The Third Di Bradini Cup
An Under-21 International Tournament

The third international Under-21 football tournament held by the SFA, Starblaydia is proud to be the venue for the second installment of this new competition. Sixteen teams have come to Starblaydia, and one will emerge as the champions, to lift the third Di Bradini Cup!

Candelaria and Marquez stormed to the title last time out, with other international surprises such as Popay, St Samuel and The Pazhujeb Islands also making the semi-finals. One thing is clear, the old powerhouses' reputations count for very little at youth level, as these Under-21s are all out for newfound glory of their own.

The four groups of four will be announced over the weekend, with the first matches taking place on the evening (GMT) of Sunday the 6th of January. Starblaydia, as hosts, will automatically be placed in Group A, with the remaining draw coming out of seeded pots at random.

Participating nations (DBC Ranking) (Rosters will be linked when posted)
Candelaria And Marquez (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13343293&postcount=5) (1)
St Samuel (2)
Starblaydia (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13351141&postcount=20) (3)
Popay (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13342311&postcount=3) (5)
Jeruselem (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13342323&postcount=4) (7)
Elves Security Forces (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13346059&postcount=11) (8)
Taeshan (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13344246&postcount=8) (10)
Az-cz (16)
Milchama (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13341928&postcount=2) (17)
Kura-Pelland (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13348876&postcount=14) (18)
Bazalonia (19)
Cafundeu (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13344079&postcount=7) (19)
Sorthern Northland (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13358251&postcount=43) (23)
Lovisa (27)
Ashlaea (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13344246&postcount=8) (30)
Daehanjeiguk (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13355717&postcount=32) (30)

Group Draw
Group A
Starblaydia (3)
Elves Security Forces (8)
Kura-Pelland (18)
Daehanjeiguk (30)

Group B
St Samuel (2)
Az-cz (16)
Cafundeu (19)
Ashlaea (30)

Group C
Popay (5)
Taeshan (10)
Bazalonia (19)
Lovisa (27)

Group D
Candelaria And Marquez (1)
Jeruselem (7)
Milchama (17)
Sorthern Northland (23)

Group Schedule
MD1: 1v4, 2v3
MD2: 3v1, 4v2
MD3: 2v1, 3v4
MD4: 4v1, 3v2
MD5: 1v3, 2v4
MD6: 1v2, 4v3

e.g. On MD1 in Group A, Starblaydia will play Daehanjeiguk + Elves Security Forces will play Kura-Pelland

"Dude our U21 team sucks"

"I know, we haven't made it out of the group stage in our last 3 tournaments"

"We need new and better players"

"One problem"

"What?"

"They don't exist"

"So what are we going to do?"

"Well we could either embarrass the lads for their subpar play or we could just not tell anybody their names, have them recognized only by number and then if they do well give people their names"

"That sounds like a good idea"

"Are they going to have creative numbers?"

"Nope"

"OK"

"Well then here is the Milchama roster"

The usual 3-3-4, +3 style if it exists, and the highest style under that whatever style that may be if it doesn't

GK:1
D: 2
D: 3
D: 4
M: 5
M:6
M: 7
F: 8
F: 10
F: 11
F: 9

Subs:
GK: 12
D/M: 13
M/F: 14
M: 15
F: 16
D: 18

The coach is mysteriously named "The Great One" after his great accomplishments in Milchamian football however nobody is quite sure who he is. There is speculation that he could be Marc J. Floren, Dusten Copperlee, J.J. Faren. The latter two have been active coaches in the MFL but people have also speculated it might be Milchama's second ever international coach, and former Oliverrian national team coach, Jonathan Fairbanks while others think it might be a hoax and somebody complete new is leading the Hunters on.

One thing is for sure the mystery of this team will not subside anytime soon.

Popayen U21

Basic Info
Kit One-Purple Top
Red Shorts
Red Socks
Kit Two-All Yellow Kit
Formation-{4-5-1}

Changes from last time
The line-up for Popay has a few new faces but many old ones retain their place in the line up for innevitably the last time, however, sport investment at home mean that these new youngsters who are coming through have some talent that will sure come in handy.

Manager
Freddy Fellow, 33-Retained as the U21 coach after Popay's success last time in the cup, as good motivator, his motivatioal skills can cause Popay to come back from dire situations and turn it around, which counted for alot last time around. Never count Popay out, to which many teams found out to their cost at their peril.

Goalkeepers
1-Joe Clarke, 21-Seafare City
13-Colin McFaden. 19-Portton FC

Defenders
2-Célodean, 21-Angus & Co (Full name is: Phillipe Célo de Monterro)
4-James Kyles, 19- Seafare Sealions
3-Tony Grey, 18-Popay Albion
6-Jamie Brooks, 16-Yumtaro FC
5-Jonny Pye, 21-Popay City
16-Craig Johnman, 17-Jenwood City

Midfeilders
7-Coco, 20-Angus & Co (Full name is: Covani Perruchi del Monsa)
18- Kim Jung-Sui, 16-Popay United
8-Darren King, 17-Valeton
11-Danny Watts, 16-Popay Albion Fc
16-Peter Jones, 21-Nazzerati FC
9-Tommy Jones, 16-Popay City
15-Bobo, 20-Angus & Co (Full name is: Bovani Perruchi del Monsa)

Strikers
10-Collin Jones, 17-Nazzerati FC
19-Henry Moore, 18-Nazzerati FC
23-Christiano, 20-Angus & Co (Full name is: Christan del Fuccha)

OOC:The people on the top of the list are prodominatly left footed, while the people on the bottom are more right footed. E.G Coco, is a left footed player, while his brother Bobo, is a right footed player

Jeruselem team for the Starblaydia U21 Cup 3

Coach/manager:
Monique Alexander (current World Cup assistant coach, retired Adult movie star and friend of "The Bike")
Formation: +3 (3-4-3)

The Jews decided to spend some money and send an all-Jewish team!

GK: (13,M) Shem Bahan, the son of a shopping centre owner. A safe pair of hands.
GK: (16,F) Jane Darian, an orphan after parents were killed by a car bomb. Took up football to stop from being bored and earn some money. Her hero is the Princess Skate and wants to be as rich as Dazza.

DEF: (13,F) Roz Seinfield, the teams source of Dallas jokes.
DEF: (12,M) Yief Gohast, he might be very young but he's very large and strong for this age.
DEF: (14,M) Joshua Frakes, the just call him "Jesus" for his miraculous efforts to stop goals
DEF: (15,F) Pauline Boshoba, party animal and professional "Mouse dancer". Often told off to stop acting like Skate.
DEF: (17,M) Potz Speilburg, once made movie about Dinkie Dosha as a school project (VICE CAPTAIN)

MID: (20,M) Yakuuks Hashstein, wanted to join the army but Dad said no (CAPTAIN)
MID: (16,F) Kulz Minestein, tries to be purest woman the world
MID: (15,M) Joseph Yibitz, likes driving bulldozers.
MID: (18,F) Mary Magary, quiet girl who does as she's told
MID: (14,M) Flak Sho, Ariddian Jew who moved to Jeruselem
MID: (15,M) Michael Dayjkus, wants to be a Jeruselem's best Jewish DJ

STR: (15,F) Franny Goldstein, a relative of Kara Kool. Nowhere near as good looking though.
STR: (14,M) Coss Cohen, son of football club owner who likes the glory of scoring goals and being a star. Thinks he's better than Kara Kool.
STR: (15,M) Olk Silverstein, aggressive Zionist striker who has a tendency to beat up refs.
STR: (13,M) Shakan Fleckstein, not the biggest striker but more a ball skills man than a ball smasher

...


Monique Alexander was looking at her under 21 team, she didn't recognise any of them. She'd never seen any of them before in her life. She glared at the Jewish official who could speak French.

(Converation in French)

Monique: Oi, what's this! It's an under 21 team but where did the hell they come from?
Jew: Oh, it's the Jewish team.
Monique: All of them?
Jews: Yeah, all of them. You don't like Jews?

Monique: I don't speak Hebrew! The only non-Jewish person I know who speaks Hebrew is Dazza and Kate Dallas. They only use to talk to people like you.
Jew: Oh, I forgot about that! No wonder they didn't bring a Hebrew translator for the World Cup, Kate Dallas was the translator.
Monique: Look! I need one now. I'm an ex-porn star, we don't use Hebrew in our movies.
Jew: Use one of the players

Monique: Yeah, my Hebrew is terrible. So I cannot coach a Jewish team as it is now. Which player?
Jew: Mary Magary, she knows French and Hebrew.
Monique: Her? You mean she talks?
Jew: Mary, how good is your French?

Mary: Err, not bad. I can't yabber like the Princess though,
Monique: What about the others?
Jew: They only speak Hebrew, and a bit of English.
Monique: Oh boy, this is going to be interesting.
Jew: Hey, use cue cards!

Monique: You can't coach using cue cards.
Jew: It will be a first. Say, why didn't you learn Hebrew?
Monique: I went to Catholic girls school, no Hebrew.
Jew: So your friend Dazza knows Hebrew, how?

Monique: Oh, she learnt that when she lived in a whorehouse.
Jew: Err, yes ... moving right along ...

(Mary hides)

Monique: What's up with her?
Jew: You talked about sin.
Monique: Why am I the bloody coach then?
Jew: The alternative was worse.

Candelaria And Marquez Under-21 Squad (the Small Blues)

+1 Modifier Thingy

Permission Slip:

I, the parent/guardian/president of the FA of Candelaria And Marquez, give permission for Starblaydia, Valanora, Jeruselem, Bazalonia, St Samuel, Taeshan, Popay, Sorthern Northland, Kura-Pelland, Cafundéu, Milchama, Lovisa and those short dudes to do whatever they damn well please short of actual murder.

Signed,

Owen Jones
President of the CAMAFA

Squad:

Manager: Principally on the strength of his friendship with the last Di Bradini Cup-winning manager, Lloyd Donnelly; Adam Williamson gets the task of attempting to keep the trophy in Candelariasian hands. Five players from the last squad are retained, but intriguingly Williamson looks set to eschew the preferred formation of his mentor in favour of a bog-standard 4-4-2. This will as likely as not consist of Harford – Dixon, Virta, Ortiz, Sosa – Alaoui, Mengucci, Marshall, Montano – Cunningham, French.

Goalkeepers:

1. Andy Harford, Aged 20, Gamboa FC, STARTER
Finding capable goalkeepers at under-21 level is a challenge for most countries, and C&M suffers as much as most. The DB2 three were all playing at least semi-regular top flight football but the same cannot be said this time around. At least Harford has been playing regularly, helping Gamboa to their promotion from the second division. A solid shot-stopper, but his positional sense is poor.

13. Amis Cressey, 20, Port of Clotaire
A fifteen-game loan at the start of the season convinced Port of Clotaire to bring Cressey back to their bench. Small and lightweight, but possess a fine degree of athleticism for a ‘keeper.

23. Seb Moon, 20, FC Wulting [Kura-Pelland]
A much-heralded ‘keeper whose career has been derailed by injuries and a sex tape scandal or two. Has barely played professional football, but is picked on the strength of reputation alone. [Has since moved clubs]

Defenders:

2. Harris Dixon, 20, A.Turks, STARTING RIGHT-BACK
A future C&M senior captain, quite possibly sooner rather than later, Dixon pushed out the veteran C&M international Damien Sono from his title-chasing club side in recent months. Best as an out-and-out defender, but passes neatly and crosses well.

5. Jari Virta, 20, Radyukevich, STARTING CENTRE-BACK
A die-hard Radyukevich fan made good, Virta is a lofty but sometimes unbalanced defender who can play anywhere across the back line. His inclusion in the international-heavy Jukos defence is recent months contributed massively to their rapid revival late in the season.

6. Demario Ortiz, 20, Cathedral City, STARTING CENTRE-BACK
A shoe-in for the squad despite playing in the second tier of Candelarias football, Ortiz is comfortable on the ball whilst equally capable of making glorious last-ditch saves on the line when the need arises.

18. José Luis Sosa, 21, MarquezOW, STARTING LEFT-BACK
The only player among the twenty-three to have been in the squads for the Justantina Cup and the previous Di Bradini Cup; he failed to make an appearance at either. His skill is as a defender pure and simple, and at left-back his role for CMSC champions MarquezOW this season has been unquestioned throughout.

12. Hugo Krstev, 21, Radyukevich
“Crusher” Ksrtev emerged at the last Di Bradini Cup after the right-back ahead of him was forced to pull out. Since then, his reputation has been tarnished somewhat by his regular red cards and on-and-off form for Radyukevich, but at his best he is a very able full-back

14. Reuben Fattori, 19, AFC MN Smith
Williamson is clearly gambling on Ortiz and Virta being fit throughout, with Fattori the only other out-and-out centre-back in the squad: and even he can play at right-back as well. A big, quick player he still has much to learn about his chosen sport but possesses all the equipment to go far.

3. Seiichi Ganaha, 21, Arrigo Portuguese
One of two foreign-born players in the squad, the Ariddian-born Ganaha has been a fan favourite for Portuguese for many months where he has struck up a perfect on-pitch relationship with the Kura-Pellandi winger Iain Belling. Should he play, he’ll need the man ahead of him to do just as much tireless defensive work as Belling to allow Ganaha to bomb on forwards.

Midfielders:

7. Nathaniel Alaoui, 20, Port of Clotaire, STARTING RIGHT MIDFIELDER
The best of a poor bunch of right wingers, Alaoui has lightning pace but little else. Harpies fans claimed their team carried him at times, but Williamson has regularly reiterated his support for the player who is best known in C&M for his sister who appeared on the first Big Brother in the islands.

15. Connor Mengucci, 21, CandelariaAM, STARTING DEFENDIVE MIDFIELDER, Captain
Considered a surprising pick last time around, the robust but technically well-honed Mengucci played his way into becoming an automatic choice for club and, now, country – at Under-21 level at least. With the added responsibility of the random bit of cloth, C&M’s success may depend on Mengucci holding an otherwise lightweight midfield together.

8. Jack Marshall, 20, Albrecht FC, STARTING OFFENSIVE MIDFIELDER
Another home-grown Scorpions talent who is widely expected to be a first-team player next season after a successful loan period in the second division. Though known for a deft touch and his range of passing, Marshall is most famous for having been severely deaf since birth and requiring a full-time assistant to help him communicate in the dressing room, and alert him via an earpiece to the referee’s whistle and shouted instructions from unsighted team-mates.

11. Alessio Montano, 21, Yarzoya FC [Kura-Pelland], STARTING LEFT MIDFIELDER
A bright spot in an otherwise horrible season for the Errant Knights, Montano finally delivered on his early promise. A fairly slow but immensely skilful player; with C&M’s decent record for producing left wingers that he even gets into the side is testament to his ability. [Has since moved clubs]

16. Carroll Eriksson, 21, Radyukevich
Eriksson’s versatility proved his downfall last time around, with Donnelly as unsure as all his club managers as to his best position. Principally, he is a right winger or holding central midfielder, but he can and probably will play just about anywhere. In any case, expect a great deal of enthusiastic running about, and little end product. [Has since moved clubs]

21. Hank Moya, 20, Abiodun North
Not even a regular for his own relegated club, but Moya’s own versatility is his ticket to Starblaydia. A big lump of a lad, he can play in the centre of the midfield or defence.

4. Nathanial Stewart, 20, Castillo FC
A solid but extremely uninspiring midfielder who can score and create but failed to do nearly enough of either as Castillo were relegated.

22. Merlin Siriwong, 21, MarquezOW
Breaking into the talented MarquezOW attack would always be difficult, but Siriwong has made a spot behind the striker his own. An utterly unselfish player who would rather set up a goal than create one, often to the detriment of his all-round game. MS Word suggests ‘Screwing’.

17. Neil Jones, 21, AFC MN Smith
C&M seems to pump out decent left-footers like there’s no tomorrow, and here’s another one. Pacier than Montano and with a better cross, but he’ll never beat an opposition defender for skill.

20. Erik Kjaer, 17, MarquezOW
Merely along for the ride, one feels, but Kjaer could well become the youngest ever footballer in C&M colours (there not being a World Under-17 Cup or owt, obviously). The younger half-brother of former Recluse Island winger Niclas Kjaer; Erik came to the Candelarias little more than a year ago to attend Marquez-Onwere’s academy, during which time his home nation ceased. Now a naturalised C&M citizen, Erik’s blistering pace has been tearing up division two for several months now and naranja manager Andy Woolworth may face a real clamour from fans to put him in their first team next season. Two-footed, though he prefers the left, Kjaer may just be C&M’s next big thing.

Forwards:

9. Joe Cunningham, 21, Albrecht FC, STARTING STRIKER
Seven goals in six Di Bradini Cup games speak for themselves, and Cunningham has proven himself statistically the best Candelariasian striker in the CMSC for the league’s biggest club. Small but powerful, Cunningham has eyes only for goal and requires a patient strike partner.

10. Archer French, 20, Caires Sports, STARTING FORWARD
It remains to be seen whether that will come in the form of Archer French. Despite his physical presence and natural scoring touch, the Golden Bear has had innumerable clubs since his days as an immensely talented but troubled young teenager. After moving to Caires Sports he became the top goalscorer in division two, but in Starblaydia he will have to quickly adapt to playing second fiddle to Cunningham.

18. Allen Gallagher, 19, KT Hotspur
Seldom does a player have such a natural awareness for his position on the pitch. No great pace, and frankly no great skill, but Gallagher is invariably in the right place at the right time. The Spur have treated him with kit gloves since he scored his first league goal aged fifteen – such is the way in the Candelarias where footballers have twice as much time to progress as in certain other countries – but he can no longer be ignored. On the down side are his weight problems – not for nothing does his mother Terri Akin, a popular daytime chat show host in C&M – call him her “little pudgekins”.

19. Leonard Pinto, 20, Deportivo del Arapucera [Kura-Pelland]
Has hardly broken any goalscoring records for Castillo FC but has at least played regularly. Surprisingly good at holding the ball up for a small man, and will be involved as a substitute to do just that, as well as commit tactical fouls, keep the ball in the corner and generally be an annoying tit. On-pitch, obviously. I’m sure he’s a perfectly nice young chap socially. Or he might not be. We don’t tend to breed footballers who are also accomplished musicians or human rights lawyers and stuff. Comes of having professional sportsmen. That’s capitalism for you. Why worry about creating well-rounded human beings when you can have sporting machines instead?

Anyway, he proved sufficiently impressive to earn a move to Kura-Pelland’s biggest Hispanic club.

The Albrecht Herald/Sport/Football/Di Bradini Cup
Williamson raises eyebrows with first squad

The decision to appoint Adam Williamson as C&M Under-21 manager has hardly been met with universal acclaim, being seen as a sop towards his friend and mentor Lloyd Donnelly who was recently elevated from Under-21 boss to take charge of the senior team for the next round of World Cup qualifying. As a coach at Albrecht FC he was high rated and after taking charge of tiddly Candelaria Arsenal of Lavange, Williamson won plenty of admirers after putting together an attractive side that swept with ease to the second division title in his first full season in charge.

With no money to spend, he was widely praised further for merely keeping his side in the CMSC proper by a couple of points. Since then however his cache among the press and public has dropped considerably. Fans from across the country and of any number of clubs bemoaned his disloyalty in leaving the C.A.L after the third game of the season to take the vacant manager’s position at Turks’ Club of Khatib. By Matchday 10, his old charges were topping the table under new coach Trev George while Turks’ Club were in the relegation zone.

George would ultimately guide the C.A.L to a remarkable fourth place finish with a squad missing its best player of the Williamson era. Turks’ Club would finish ninth of sixteen, and only after Williamson had left by mutual consent with the side still in relegation trouble. His assistant William Newell took charge to take them out of trouble, before joining Adam in the Under-21 dressing room. It’s a recent record that will hardly serve to inspire the Small Blues, nor scare the likes of Az-cz, Valanora and Cafundéu.

It’s Williamson’s squad picks that have seen more than a few jaws drop since the twenty-three were announced. In Hank Moya and Nathanial Stewart in particular he involves players who struggled to get a game for struggling clubs, while those who did actually play and impress regularly (i.e. William Rose and Rian Bishop for Moya’s Abiodun North) are absent. There’s no place for Manuel Ballesteros (whose Turks’ Club form was enough to see him snapped up by another Kura-Pellandi outfit), nor Nathan Bornemann who was frequently inspired for Candelaria-Allemali, nor Robbie Shannon – a C.A.L striker who made it into the last squad aged nineteen but is here deemed surplus to requirements by his former club boss. Furthering that theme, none of Turks’ Club’s highly-rated youngsters have got the nod here.

What would do get are several near-unknowns, as well as the prerequisite Rueben and a couple of different spellings of Nathaniel. Williamson has defended himself, claiming he has picked a squad to win the tournament not merely featuring the best 23 youngsters in the country; but that begs the question of why the CAMAFA have opted to choose someone to closely linked to the senior team boss as Under-21 manager, if he doesn’t see the Small Blues as the perfect place to blood talent soon set for Big Blues call-ups. Odder still is that Donnelly’s preferred 2-3-2-1-2 that won the 2DBC and will surely be used in the lead-up to WC39 has been ignored here in favour of a 4-4-2 that will unnerve no-one but Candelariasian fans.

To paraphrase, hopes are not high this time around. But when have they ever been?

CAFUNDÉU RELEASES SUB-21 SQUAD FOR DI BRADINI CUP
CCFM chooses Nelson Yaschter as coach of the NT

(Lasft, Cafundéu) - After not participating in the second Di Bradini Cup for unknown reasons, the Monopolists will return to the competition, wanting to achieve a good result. The CCFM decided to choose the coach of Galáxia, Nelson Yaschter, to command the U-21 team. The choice was because Galáxia, under Yaschter's rule, produced some very talented players.

Few players of the list are famous, of course, as most of them aren't starters in their teams and are still too young to be idols in their teams. But the CCFM believes that the team is very strong, and Yaschter agrees with that.

Style is of +3

See the list of 23 players (use names in bold):

(Nº-Name (Age, Team, Rating [3 to 5 stars]))

Goalkeepers:

1- Francesco KARDEC (20, América, ****)
12- Dirlei MOSCATTO (17, Atlético Jutense, ***)
22- José Carlos Negatti Filho "ZECÃO" (18, Ranca Toco, ****)

Full-Backs:

2- PAULO Alameda SANTOS (19, Galáxia, ****)
6- Vítor Tukambé Sampaio "ÍNDIO" (21, América, *****)
13- Manoel Braga Ivanov "RUSSO" (21, Ranca Toco, ****)
16- MARCOS PAULO Januário (18, Faculdade de Medicina, ***)

Defenders:

3- Rick TOLEDO (20, Penders, ****)
4- Mertus GAËIF (20, Petrol, ****)
14- FÁBIO Tedes Olivares (18, Petardos S/A, ***)
20- Ronaldo Eugênio Diniz "RONALDÃO" (19, SC Lasft, ****)

Defensive Midfielders:

5- Jorge De Lara "JORGINHO" (17, Dunboor FC, *****)
8- José "ZÉ" SHO (16, Atlético Jutense, *****)
15- HUMBERTO Novaes (20, Pernetas EC, ***)
23- Telmo Gleydson Sandoval "BLACK" (21, União Trabalhadora, ****)

Offensive Midfielders:

7- Isidoro MADUREIRA (21, Tabajara, ****)
10- Luís Flambert TOBIAS (20, Galáxia, *****)
18- Flávio Alexandre Oberdan "BACHAREL" (18, América, ***)
19- Dirceu Alambert "DIDI" (17, Cafundó do Juta, ***)

Attackers:

9- Xavier Perdiz Moreno "JUCA BALA" (18, Petardos S/A, ****)
11- FAUSTO Hernandez (19, A.F.F., *****)
17- José SORATO Adid (21, Atlético Insular, ****)
21- Lucas Vicenzo Júnior "JUNINHO" (15, Galáxia, ****)

Coach: NELSON YASCHTER (Galáxia)

Formation: 4-3-3 (Style of +3)

-------------------------Kardec-------------------------
--Paulo Santos----Toledo--------Gaëif----------Índio---
------------Zé Sho-----------------Jorginho-------------
-------------------------Tobias-------------------------
----------Juca Bala------Fausto------Sorato-------------

RP permissions: free to everything, unless it's something serious (a serious injury or an unexpected event).

The youngsters are back after a 1 cup absence

Roster Jersey all purple home awat green shorts purple top
pos/name/#/age
Gk/ isaac newton/43/16
Ld/chuck the duck/7/16
Cd/alan pearsin/77/16
Rd/ Ricky's Meyerse/11/16
Rm/Axe lewis/8/16
Rcm/Jack del rio/33/16
Lcm/Zack the geek/17/16
Lm/Zeke jr/12/16
Ls/Alan gregory/42/16
cs/Damion aslott/23/16
Rs/ricky zellefrow/14/16

SUBSTITUTIONS

Gk/Argentin Royal/12/13
D/Zeke rogers/3/16
M/Myan Inca/14/16
S/Theo aztec/5/16

Manager: Rio de neveda

All out D

Ashlaean players are all named george frank if they start and frank george if there backups
Metalica blue home jerseys white tops and blue short home

ooc: Meh, I'll give you guys some fodder if it's alright. I happen to have a bunch of nice players who qualify (under 21), so I can make it an even 4 groups of 4. OK?

ooc: Meh, I'll give you guys some fodder if it's alright. I happen to have a bunch of nice players who qualify (under 21), so I can make it an even 4 groups of 4. OK?

OOC: Thanks Han, that'd be great!

From the Offices of the VSC does the Marauder information come

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod Scoring Events Y
RP injuries to my players Y (be reasonable)
Godmod injuries to my players N
Hand out Yellow cards to my players Y
Hand out Red cards to my players N
Godmod Other Events Y

Style Modifier: +2

Uniforms
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/Krytenia/ESF38.png

Home Alternate

Manager

Roki Sardan
Age: 20,912
A quiet but stern manager who works his magic normally at the Night Acadeny in Raynor City. He was the personal instruct or Kiso Night, as well as tutoring his parents when they passed through their academies. With Mannasuch's commitment to his club, this great tutor is now entrusted with the youth program, and with that, a title is being hoped and demanded by many of the supporters.

Assistant

Ian Delcruz
Age: 44
After what was deemed an unsuccessful term in the Assegai domesitc league, Ian was more than pleased to here about the formation of Valanora. Now with a fresh slate, this young man whose past is shady at best, gets a chance to redeem himself. He is quite skilled at the minor tasks that are expected of an assistant, but can a man with his record be the wisest choice and best role model for our youth program?

Keeper

4 Samuel Dur, Square Haven
Age - 19
Sex - M
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 164 lbs
Country of Origin: Assegai Developments
After many different competitions on all different levels of using keepers with better technique and reflexes than body build, Dur finally fits the latter. Though he has polished reflexes, and a good technique, it is his pure keeper body frame that has Surdan callng him up and placing him as the number one. Lets hope that size does matter after all.

Defenders

30 Lance Wiat, Char Sara Academy
Age - 21
Sex - M
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 147 lbs
Country of Origin: Elves Security Forces
After being the reserve last tournament around, Wiat gets his chance to strut his polished game on the starting eleven. A very sound defender with great positioning, good technique, and an absoltely outstanding header on the ball, Wiat looks to use this tournament as a stepping stone from student teams to the youth team of Char Sara.

37 Vigel Armong, Timorlug
Age - 18
Sex - M
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 176 lbs
Country of Origin: Turruth Gordur
Unlike many of the national teamer of the past, Armong does not come from an economically sound background. Having grown up with a single parent and in the slums of Timorlug, he is a very harden shell of a teenager. Yet he has used his great gifts as a footy player to improve his status, and now is finally being granted the oppurtunity needed to get big clubs to notice him, so that he improve the lives of his family as well.

33 Flora Quintel, Valanari Academy
Age - 17
Sex - F
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 134 lbs
Country of Origin: Vyinta
Flora is a very quick and deceptively clever defender. She likes to get up with the attack alot, and has the ability to do so with confidence and composure. A wicked long shot along with some stout defending make her a very promising prospect for the future, and a great weapon for the squad.

Midfielders

18 Iswald Magni, Square Haven
Age - 21
Sex - M
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 160 lbs
Country of Origin: Assegai Developments
An elf whose family had emmigrated to Assegai before he was born, Iswald is now being called to represent his motherland for the second straight tournament. While his cousin is a defender, Magni is much more gifted in crossing and taking on defenders, and finds himself out on the wing. His endurance, has improved dramatical and will not cost the squad when it matters most.

29 Amanda Collins, Night Academy
Age - 21
Sex - F
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 137 lbs
Country of Origin: Elves Security Forces
A quick and graceful dribbler on the ball. Her talent for giving her entire effort in every match until the whistle blows is enough to keep her flaws diminished enough to start. Agile and headstrong, she certainly will be a challange for whomever matches her on the wings.

21 Isal Grazi, Valanari Academy
Age - 18
Sex - M
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 149 lbs
Country of Origin: Vyinta
Coming from an island that had been the colony of the Elves for hundreds of years, you would think Isal would hate them and their new formed government. That is far from the case as Isal jumped at the first chance of being able to represent the new government. While young, his vision and leadership are second to none. This young man simply knows how to get the most polarizing of personalities to work together and in any circumstance, easily earning him the armband.

24 Willanda Ice, Rinaldi Academy
Age - 19
Sex - F
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 129 lbs
Country of Origin: Elves Security Forces
Ice refuses to communicate with the men on the team and though this causes a great deal of trouble off the pitch, her skill alone makes up for it. She has a very polished and reformed game for a person at her age and is more likely to make waves now rather than later. Yet her sexism will hold her back from ever trully being great.

27 Jamichel Totez, Timorlug
Age - 17
Sex - M
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 186 lbs
Country of Origin: Turruth Gordur
Unlike Armong, Totez was part of the privileged few in Timorug and was subject to many luxuries in the barbaric nation. However, he had an undying passion for footy despite his parents protests of entering politics, and has the natural skills of a nuetral or holding midfielder. His size makes him somewhat uncoordinated, but given time, this stud athlete could definately become a fearsome force on both sides of the halfway line.

Forwards

6 Jeros Dragonhand, Wexax Academy
Age - 21
Sex - M
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 170 lbs
Country of Origin: Elves Security Forces
Coming from a family of Dragonslayers, Jeros was not the most popular or call-ups for the squad. But with the lack of standout strikers at such a young age, minus those who have already been through the system, there was no one better for the position. One of the best finishers at his academy, his success there needs to be translated to the international stage and often if the squad is to rebound from its poor showing last tournament.

7 Ashley Noel, Lea Monde
Age - 19
Sex - M
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 154 lbs
Country of Origin: Assegai Developments
One more Assegain who makes his way into representing Valanora, but there isn't alot else to say about Noel. He's a decent young striker who has timely goals, but not outstanding skills. Some even believe that if he were not friends with Ashley Riot, he would of not even be on the squad. Needless to say, he will be looking to quiet his doubters and prove his worth to them, himself, and the rest of the competitors at this tournament.

Reserves
GK 02 Glaras Rosell, age 17, Gladerial Academy (F)
CB 32 Nigel Thorn, age 19, Square Haven (M)
CB 37 Aramni Julli, age 17, Longview Academy (M)
MLR 23 Reo Nile Olez, age 19, Vahama (M)
MC 12 Ecani de Sharala, age 20, Sharala Academy (M)
MC 17 Roland Carr, age 19, Ibani (M)
AMC 19 April Luna, age 17, Lea Monde (F)
FC 09 Valaria Love, age 15, Rinaldi Academy (F)
FC 12 Dale Ike, age 17, Capri Academy (M)

Dur
Wiat Armong Quintel
Magni Totez Ice Collins
Grazi
Dragonhand Noel

Captain: Isal Grazi
Left Corner: Ashley Noel
Right Corner: Amanda Collins
Set Pieces: Isal Grazi
Penalty Taker: Ashley Noel

The group draw and group schedule have been announced, Matchday One will take place tonight.

The Popayen Mail

The DBC Groups annonced
With the groups drawn for the Di Bradini Cup, many bookmakers have favored Popay qualifing from their group after not drawing to many of the big teams and being the highest ranked in their group. However, Fredy Fellow, the national coach, has warned against any complaincy stating that "upsets can happen and if we go into games to cocky we may make mistakes and lose the games". This has been echoed by the fans who rember all to well the upsets they caused last time around and know that it could happen to them.

With the first match against Lovisa tonight, many fans and pundits will see if Popay can get a good solid win to kick start their tourniment and hope for success all the way through. Lovisa, however, are no pushover and will cause problems for Popay and will try to get the win for themselves, "They have a good team," says Arthur Maranesi, The Popayen National team captin, "They haven't annonced their team yet, but we know that they will likley field a strong team."

With over 40,000 Popayens travling to Starblaydia to see this match, and a further 30,000 going to watch in pubs and on big screens and a reported 250,000,000 people tuning in to watch it on TV, Popay will be well supported in this competion and many people expect them to do well but many fans, including head of the offical fanclub are saying that they do not mind if they go out in the first round, as long as they play well.

Fixture list for Group C
Popay V Lovisa
Taeshan V Bazalonia

Lovisa V Taeshan
Bazalonia V Popay

Taeshan V Popay
Bazalonia V Lovisa

Lovisa V Popay
Bazalonia V Taeshan

Bazalonia V Popay
Taeshan V Lovisa

Popay V Taeshan
Lovisa V Bazalonia

if you wish to see this match tonight then you may see it on the follwing channels:
PN1 (National)
TVI Sport (International)
SS1 (Seafare only)
PSC (Popay City East Only)
WPTV (West Popay Only)
NPTV (Gisa-Gas, Portton and Warwickshire)

Kick off will be at 7:30 PST, however most covrage will start at 6:00, (see TV listings for full details).

The hosts Starblaydia, the much-vaunted Valanora and the always-dangerous Daehanjeiguk make Group A the unquestioned Group of Death in the Di Bradini Cup, and Kura-Pelland are not expected to be any danger whatsoever.

Not that the manager Ryan Rodgers is having any of that. 'Starblaydia's fans will turn against them if we can stop them in the first half, Daehanjeiguk's side was very hastily chosen, and I hear Valanora have a lot of problems with one of their players. This is a very manageable group.'

His confidence is almost certain to haunt him. It's a sign of how little he has in reality that senior squad player Stephan Harltey is playing.

The team will play an attacking 5-4-1 (yes, such a thing exists - five at the back, wing-backs given room to move forward, one holding midfielder and three given room to move forward to help a lone striker). Style modifier -0.6.

Kura-Pelland Under-21 national team
1-11 are starters, usually...

1. Thomas Cortham (21, GK, AFC Neegera)
2. Bo Phelps (17, LB/SW, Harrington Lakeside)
3. Michel Codiez (19, CB, Deportivo del Arapucera)
4. Tariq Boon (19, CB, Varlona FC)
5. Robert Rekin (21, RB, Marthley Rovers)
6. Ben Green (20, CM/DM, AS Assiri)
7. Richard Zarimin (21, CB/RB, Curzek Rovers)
8. Stephan Harltey (20, LW/CF, Delta Force Cardim)
9. Travis Weaver (20, CM, Grayton City Wolves)
10. Danny Ibbetson (19, RM/AM, United Trilan)
11. Daniel Dubois (18, ST, Achorpe Rovers)
12. Michael Sutton (18, GK, Prangren Greens)
13. Stanislav Tourara (19, RM, Murley City)
14. Giorgio di Mambro (20, LM/AM, Curzek Rovers)
15. Tommy Yuram-Wilson (19, CB, Sorbridge Soccer Storm)
16. Graeme Skyton (21, DM/CB/SW, Arskenton)
17. Robbi Rombley (19, ST, FC Helma 1495)
18. Liam Marling (17, LM/LW/AM, Achorpe Rovers)
19. Kurt de Roemer (19, RB, FC Helma 1495)
20. Robbi Chalmont (20, ST, FC Eenigen Blauwe)
21. Ossie Oswego (21, GK, Deportivo del Arapucera)
22. Teddy Trinett (20, CF/ST, Marthley Rovers)

Valanora Express
Give me life, Give me liberty, Give me Death?

It seems that those folks in Starblaydia have a grudge against our youngins as they have undoubtedly been drawn into the group of Death for this tournament. With the upstart Kura-Pelland side, the ever dangerious Han side, and the hosts themselves; it will be a daunting task to make it into the knockouts despite winning the tournament eight years ago. With almonst an entirely different squad than the one that crashed out soo dramatically last tournament, the slate is wiped clean for this group of footballers. Yet as ever, results will be in demand, espicially after the hiring of Roki Sardan, the former tutor of the talented Night family. If nothing else, this squad should be potent in the attack and put at least two or three in the back of the net a match.

This tournament also marks a small bit of history for Valanora. This is the first time a player from the island of Vyinta will be called up on any level. In fact, there are four players from the former colony of the ESF. You can expect that the VSC and the senior national team managerial prospects will be looking on intently at their performances, to see if perhaps the Vyintians have more talent than they were lead to believe after occupying the island. And with Grazi earning the captaincy, you can bet your government salary that Titenburg and Webber will be looking quite closely at that young lad, as there is going to be a large turnover in the senior national team for the next World Cup if the reports and rumors are correct.

As far as expectactions for this squad, it's really hard to project anything definite with such a difficult group. Despite being the second seed, all four of these squads are ripe with huge amounts of talent and any one of them could find their way into the final. Yet when the dust settles and all the fixtures have been played, I think the expierence that our system has in getting deep into tournaments will allow us to proceed through. As for the other, Starblaydia should be able to use their home ground to their advantage and get the slight momentum needed to be the other squad progressing. Never a bad thing it is to bet for the hosts, let us just hope this youngsters prove that Riko's success with the Night's was more than just amazing skill on their part and more of his tactics and instructions.

Article by Ron Santapa

Matchday 1 Scores


Group A
Starblaydia 2-0 Daehanjeiguk
Elves Security Forces 3-0 Kura-Pelland

Group B
St Samuel 2-1 Ashlaea
Az-cz 2-1 Cafundeu

Group C
Popay 4-1 Lovisa
Taeshan 2-1 Bazalonia

Group D
Candelaria and Marquez 6-0 Sorthern Northland
Jeruselem 4-2 Milchama

It's like deja vu all over again. Ahem. 3-0 was the score when these two met in Shanvley in the World Cup, and the youngsters delivered the same result here.

The game was rather less one-sided though, not that it could be any more, and had Stephan Harltey's 30-yard free-kick gone in instead of hitting the bar and being cleared to safety it could have been very different. That was in the 49th minute with the score still goalless, and just four minutes later the Valanorans were off the mark, Ashley Noel taking a gamble in trying to lob Thomas Cortham from 25 yards and being handsomely rewarded as the ball arced into the top corner. From then on there was only one winner, but it took the late arrival of April Luna - on for the somewhat disappointing Isal Grazi, who seemed to be trying too hard to prove a point - to make sure. She scored the critical second in the 76th minute, just three minutes after coming on, with a perfectly-placed 20-yard daisycutter, then in injury time turned provider for another substitute, 15-year-old Valaria Love, with a perfectly-weighted lofted through ball.

3-0 flattered Valanora, but only just. They certainly deserved the victory after a superb second-half display, but their relative lack of quality earlier on means Roki Sardan may have some rethinking to do with his team selection. For Kura-Pelland, qualification already seems an impossible dream.

Monique: Great game there Mary.
Mary Magary: Thanks coach.
Monique: But we still have work on some communications issues here. It's a bit hard giving team orders when I can't communicate directly with the team.
Mary: You should learn Hebrew.

Monique: Hey, I'm not Dazza. She can speak French, Hebrew, English and even a bit of other stuff.
Mary: Well, I suppose it's a bit late to learn Hebrew now for you.
Monique: Yeah, I need to learn some swear words though.
Mary: Is that necessary?

Monique: Yes, it is. So you can find out if I'm not happy.
Mary: I heared Queen Katherine can swear pretty well.
Monique: Err, yes - she's a great exponent of the expletives, in many languages too.
Mary: I don't like people saying bad things ...

Monique: Look. I'm the coach. If I want to say you're playing like rubbish - it's my call.
Mary: I don't like bad words.
Monique: Listen girl, if you're going be in a football team then put up with coaches swearing. It's normal.
Mary: I shouldn't, the team don't like being call names.

Monique: Well, I'll go ask Dazza then.
Mary: Well, I'm sure she knows quite a few considering people call her a lot of names.
Monique: If you want to play football, you must learn to take insults. Your opponents will call you bad names too.
Mary: I don't like being called a whore.

Monique: Doesn't bother me, being an ex-porn star.
Mary: I want to be purest person in Jeruselem.
Monique: So why aren't you a Nun or something.
Mary: I'd get bored

"Wow that was quick humiliation"

"Yeh down 4-0 after 10 minutes we were lucky to get those 2 goals late or else who knows what would have happened"

"Yeh man, do you know what The Great One did?"

"Nope"

"Damn I heard that he explodes after losses"

"Really, I hope the players can take that, especially 10 he was pretty good today"

"Yeh, but it won't matter we're still going to lose our defense sucks"

"Very much so"

"And we have number 1 seed in our group and I bet we're playing them next"

"Yeh we can be out nice and early that way, really easy"

"I know dude"

"So can you wait for WC 39?"

"Yes, we get new players this cup and they all suck so I expect a lot of losses and loss of ranking"

"Aren't we not in the top 10 anymore?"

"Yeh I think so"

"Hey what is that?"

"What?"

*Man explodes*

"Oh my god, it's The Great One he really does explode after losses"

*They walk toward the exploded coach*

"Wouldn't have expected it to be so literal"

"Me too"

"Hey Great One you Ok"

"Yeh"

"Sorry about that"

*They walk away*

"He's weird that one"

"Yep, well he's the man we need to lead"

"Absolutely"

I Give My Opponent Permission
(and actively encourage them) To:
====================
Choose My Scorers
GodMod Any Goalscoring Events
Yellow Card Players
GodMod Other Events for Humorous Intent
====================

Notes:
1) The best starting eleven are, thankfully, numbered 1-11 and are in bold

2) Asterisk* on roster denotes Female player, ^ Denotes Dwarf

3) I actively encourage, nay nearly demand, that if you RP first you pick my scorers (if any).

http://www.starblaydestudios.co.uk/Images/SFA-Logo.gif
Starblaydi Squad Announced
Iakovakis tries for the title

The Staff
AI. Apollina Iakovakis (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Apollina_Iakovakis)*, Manager, 43 - Indigenous World Cup Winner
22 Caps, 4 Goals (Uncapped at Under-21 Level)

The Goalkeepers
1. Sandra van Agmark*, GK, 21 - Internashionale
12. Eduardo De Rooij, GK, 19 - Tournetas
19. Caleb Westwood, GK, 16 - Unattached


The Defenders
2. Jae Chang-hwa*, Captain. RB, 21 - Internashionale
3. Leandro Perheira, L/CB, 21 - Soldarian FC (ESF)
5. Arkady Kaneda, CB, 19 - Vecchio Victors
6. Vega Matranga, C/RB, 17 - Jhanna City
13. Gianfranco DiCampo, CB, 17 - Unattached
14. Carlito Di Bradini, R/L/CB, 17 - Unattached
20. Inithar Mazarbul^, SW, 16 - Karak Ungor Chiefs


The Midfielders
4. Jack Stafador, C/DM, 19 - Marquez-Onwere FC (C&M)
7. Denny DjibronÈ, L/CM, 18 - Penningworth United
8. Karinha*, C/AM, 21 - FC FarÁa
11. Zii Kristof, RW, 17 - Beverington Hawks
15. Wen Tze-shu, DM, 15 - Unattached
16. Batou Nakamura, R/L/CM, 16 - Hallad Reavers
21. Jaime Kuu, C/LM, 14 - Unattached
22. Chen Myung-Bo, AM, 14 - Unattached


The Forwards
9. Raphael Torino, SC, 21 - Jhanna United
10. Lubii*, SC, 17 - Iskara Daii
17. Fenchurch Bentley*, SC/RW, 17 - Hernsworth Cubs
18. Nuno Quaresma, SC, 20 - Beverington Hawks
23. Jaison Debrier, CF, 15 - Unattached


The Formation
http://www.starblaydestudios.co.uk/Images/StarDBC3.jpg


Home And Away Kits:
Kits created by:
http://www.starblaydestudios.co.uk/Images/ediraflogo.jpg
http://www.starblaydestudios.co.uk/Images/NewHome.gifhttp://www.starblaydestudios.co.uk/Images/NewAway.gif

The Albrecht Herald
Title defence opens with sublime offensive show
By Tracker Edwards

It probably doesn’t get much better than this. Not for Adam Williamson, at any rate. Mere minutes before kick-off, and TV1’s pundits were still criticizing his selections, his formations and his tactics, never mind his actual presence in Starblaydia. “He’s a team builder, sure,” they cried, “But look what his did at Turks’ Club. It took his assistant to come in and bail him out of trouble.”

To their credit, his myriad critics were not afraid to eat their words at full-time last night as the Small Blues collected the heaviest victory of any team in C&M colours. Only once have six goals been scored by a C&M team, and this time the defence held firm too. Even better was that the result came against Sorthern Northland, one of our key sporting rivals. Rugby may be a different story, but on the football field at least the Candelariasians can still lord it up over the AO’s newest recruit.

To be fair, the standard of the opposition has to be taken into account when congratulating Williamson and his boys. The Sortherners were starved in attack, overrun in midfield, truly dire at the back, tactically naïve, short on fitness and seemingly disinterested once the second goal had gone in. It was their play as much as C&M’s that guaranteed that their first sporting outing in their new national flag would be one to forget.

For their part, this was an oddly unpolished performance from the reigning champions, mixing periods of utter domination and outstanding team and solo play with wayward passing, some comically bad misses, and last-ditch tackles that really shouldn’t have been needed. Both sides initially struggled to find their feet, and it was a typically attack-minded SN side that seemed initially most likely to gain the upper hand while the Candelariasian youngsters attempted to get their heads around the formation. Jack Marshall and Connor Mengucci found communication in the centre of the park particularly difficult, and a host of anonymous players with pseudo-Han and stereotypically Irish surnames were able to get far too much time on the ball. Joe Cunningham and Archer French up front looked well out of the action.

Wearing an invisible but none the less obvious ‘Somebody Buy Me!’ banner on his back, Alessio Montano had the best early chance however when he collected a cross-field ball from Harris Dixon and side-stepped the challenge from SN’s own right-back. Faced with a free shot at goal however he blazed well over, but it served to galvanise the title holders. Andy Harford then comfortably saved a long shot, and from then on the game belonged to C&M.

The breakthrough finally came shortly before the half hour, when French showed a delicate touch for a big man in winning the ball off the aforementioned, and truly dire, Sorthern right-back. Indeed, it began a move from French that showed why Caires Sports rate him so highly, as he proved strong enough to muscle aside one player, lithe enough to bound over a challenge by another, and technically assured enough to lay off perfectly for Nathaniel Alaoui. The right-winger of Berber origin fired weekly at the Sorthern goalkeeper, but a slight deflection was enough to leave him flailing.

They had their chances to get back on terms, and the usually steadfast Candelariasian ability to hold on to a lead was tested fully. Williamson’s men were well and truly on the back foot when they went two-nil up, Dixon taking charge on the counter-attack and find Alaoui, who returned the earlier favour with an unusually adept in-swinging cross. French rose highest to get his just rewards.

It was a clearly dispirited Sorthern Northland that emerged after the break, and C&M took full advantage in as dominating a 45 minutes as you will ever see. Montano was felled just outside the area seconds after the restart and flighted in the free-kick to French’s ever-willing head. The ‘keeper made a fine save, but it was the turn of the left-back this time to make a woeful clearance which Jack Marshall gratefully pounced on. That the Albrecht FC talent has all the makings of a cult hero has never been in doubt, but he is now truly showing why Trevor Organ and the Scorpions staff have such belief in his future.

No doubt a by-product of his life-long near-deafness, Marshall’s awareness on the pitch goes beyond ordinary senses, though his second goal relied rather more on good fortune. French, narrowly C&M’s star man of matchday one, forced a corner delivered by Montano. He, Cunningham and Marshall were all well-placed, but Marshall’s plunging leg was in the right position to deflect the shot past the ‘keeper.

Arguably the only disappointment of the game, beyond a few silly late mistakes from the centre-back pairing of Jari Virta and Demario Ortiz that almost spoiled the scoreline if not the result, was Joe Cunningham. Another of Albrecht FC’s home-grown stars, the seven-goal hero of the last Di Bradini campaign was oddly lethargic compared to the all-action French. But after a series of missed opportunities he showed that he too has the va va voom as he made best use of the indecision of the Sorthern defence to nip around the stranded goalkeeper and finish with ease.

With Cunningham getting his goal, there was almost time to celebrate the youngest ever scorer in C&M colours, but substitute Erik Kjaer was felled in the box before his could get his shot away. The seventeen-year-old, still reeling from the tackle, left the penalty kick to Cunningham who fired into the top left-hand corner, to move this game ahead of the five-nil win over Geisenfried’s Under-21s in the record books. Even in the dying seconds were C&M willing to keep pushing forward, but Kjaer shot well wide after receiving from Carroll Eriksson while Cunningham missed a wonderful opportunity to secure another hat-trick.

The somewhat flattering scoreline aside, this was something of a mixed bag that augers well for the Small Blues’ future in the competition but also helped to reveal problems in all areas of the pitch that a better standard of opposition could capitalise on. But for early Sorthern profligacy in front of Harford, it could’ve been nowhere near as good a result.

Scarily though, it might just have been even better.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/Candelaria And Marquez.png Candelaria And Marquez Under-21s 6
Alaoui 28, French 44, Marshall 46 and 60, Cunningham 79 and pen 86

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/sorthern_northland.png Sorthern Northland Under-21s 0

_____________________________________

The Gassett Candelariasian Online/News in Brief

Football The hours following the six-nil drubbing of Sorthern Northland in the Third Di Bradini Cup passed off peacefully, allaying fears of retaliative action by volatile Sorthern football fans, or gloating Candelariasian ones. Extra security was on hand in Revolution Square to protect Ambassador Mares and his staff, but in the event the Sorthern FA’s apathetic attitude towards the world’s premier under-21 soccer tournament appeared to have rubbed off on the general populous and there were few signs of trouble in Beningrad. Over in Albrecht, the Irish Street district was similarly quiet. Ambassador Ó Maoilbhreanainn is believed to have watched the game with C&M Minister for Sport Tatulya Samed at the Home Office Building on Cohonda Street, while the Sorthern security guards outside the embassy were happy to pose for photographs with fans of the country’s second-favourite sports team.

The Candelarias’ sizable Sorthern Northandish minority will have another chance to have their day when the two sides meet again on Matchday Four. Before then, it’s once again the turn for the Jewish population to get back in the headlines.

Certainly, Adam Williamson’s men will be playing against more Jews than you can shake a menorah at over the next couple of weeks. The CAMAFA will however be desperate to not let the country’s traditional antipathy towards Jeruselem and Milchama make the four games become political footballs, and have taken steps to stop members of the Candelariasian Friends of Syria pressure group travelling to Starblaydia on football supporter visas.

On-pitch, Williamson looks unlikely to make any changes for the Milchama game, the first sporting clash between the two countries. He has however attempted to play down newly re-ignited hopes of a second Di Bradini title; claiming that the histories of both majority Jewish states speak for themselves, and that C&M must still be considered underdogs for a quarter-final spot.

Valanora Express
Luck Favors The Brave

Following the three to nil victory over the Kura-Pelland side, you would have to say that our squad must of been the braver. Though the second half was pure domination by the Marauders, it took the coming off of captain Grazi to really get the machine rolling. That may prove a problem heading into more difficult matches, but the Vyintan will get a chance at instant vindication with the Han side up next of the docket. Yet, for that, the first half for the Marauders was far from perfect and should give pause and a cause for concern for the supporters and Sardan himself. However, let us not read too much into this minor blip on the radar, as the squad rebounded quite nicely in the second half to earn the three points, likely thanks to some encouraging words and adjustments by Sardan.

What is even more encouraging is the fact that the goal that iced the game in injury time came from the youngest player on the squad. Valaria Love, only 15 years old, scored the third and final goal in the match, with fellow substitute April Luna, providing the throuh ball to free her. This is surprising as Love was not even expected to see playing time, much less make an impact on any result. For this young elf to do so, it speaks volumes as to the depth of Valanora and the talent that is being produced her in our lovely country. With an Assegain providing the assist, it's proof enough for me that even heated rivals can work together in harmony as long as the common goal is worth it. That my friends is a true example that we should be setting for the world.

As mentioned earlier, the Han side is up next for the Marauders. Surprisingly they were handled quite well by the hosts, and this could set up a trap game for us. They are bound to be looking for some retrebuition following their embarrassing first match, and our players will likely be confident following our relatively easy win in comparison. Now Sardan is one to keep people on task, but these are youngsters and not true professionals yet, and are quite susecptable to a lack of focus. Be that as it may, if Grazi can rebound from his poor game and take ahold of this squad as he demonstrated in the camps, the squad should be in good shape. If not, this could be one long afternoon.

Article by Ron Santapa

GAZETA DO POVO - O JORNAL DA NAÇÃO CAFUNDELENSE
Sports Section - Articles written by Carlos Alberto Gujabre
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAD START FOR YASCHTER'S TEAM

Cafundéu returned to participate in the Di Bradini Cup, but had a bad result in its first game against Az-cz. A loss. Although the game was very equal and the team could create some good chances, many supporters believe that the team didn't play good football, and are skeptical about the future of the National Team. After watching the game in a pub, I heard some fans saying things like "This winger can't make a good pass..." or "Is this the future of our nation? How sad." or "Who the hell is Fausto?"

Maybe this was because few of these players are famous in their teams, and the common Cafundelense supporter is used to watch famous players wearing the red-black shirt. And maybe that was the reason behind the fact that only Zé Sho, the son of the Ariddian Ke Sho, Jorginho and Índio were praised during the game, by the fans that were in the pub. After all, they're the most famous players of this U-21 team.

Now, about the game. This time I must agree with my friends of the pub. The game wasn't good. Many missed passes, bad finishing and some abysmal mistakes made by the defenders of both teams... in the first half, things were a bit better. We started the game well, Juca Bala nearly scored with an overhead kick and Jorginho shot well from outside the area (but the keeper saved). Good chances. Az-cz replied with very fast plays, but they were a bit nervous when finishing, missing some chances to score.

All the goals were scored in the first half. And Az-cz started. After a fast play, the winger reached the left wing and crossed. Toledo wasn't able to get the ball, and an attacker shot and scored. The second goal of Az-cz came from a penalty kick, after Paulo Santos fouled a gnome. Cafundéu was only able to score in the last minutes of the half, when Zé Sho sent the ball to the attack. Fausto got the ball, dribbled the goalkeeper and scored.

But the second half... boring. Nothing really good. Long passes, poor attacking and poor defending. The coaches made changes in the teams trying to see if something good could be seen again. But nothing. The most important play of the half was when Gaëif, when trying to clear the danger from the area, shot to his own goal... Kardec made an excellent save. The final result was 2x1 to Az-cz.

CAFUNDÉU 1x2 AZ-CZ

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Hermes Bronn (Kura-Pelland).
MOTM: Offensive Midfielder (Az-cz).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo and Gaëif (Russo 81'); Zé Sho, Jorginho and Tobias (Bacharel 45'); Juca Bala, Fausto and Sorato (Madureira 72').
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/az-cz.png AZ-CZ: no team released.

Goals:CAF: Fausto 43'.
A-C: Attacker 27' , Offensive Midfielder 36'.

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

Cafundéu – formation for game against St Samuel: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo and Ronaldão; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Tobias; Juca Bala, Fausto and Juninho.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.
Style of +3

Match’s Referee: Renner Frombarg (Lovisa).

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

DBC goalscorers:

1- Fausto

Matchday 2 Scores

Group A
Kura-Pelland 1-1 Starblaydia
Daehanjeiguk 1-5 Elves Security Forces

Group B
Cafundeu 1-1 St Samuel
Ashlaea 0-1 Az-cz

Group C
Bazalonia 0-2 Popay
Lovisa 0-1 Taeshan

Group D
Milchama 0-3 Candelaria and Marquez
Sorthern Northland 2-3 Jeruselem

Tables to follow later - Sorry Caf, you missed out by less than 60 seconds with that RP. It'll count for MD3 though.

(OOC: no problem, at least I'll be able to RP the second game earlier than expected)

GAZETA DO POVO - O JORNAL DA NAÇÃO CAFUNDELENSE!
Sports Section - Articles written by Carlos Alberto Gujabre
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FROM A LOSS TO A DRAW... SUPPORTERS STILL SKEPTICAL

Once again, I'm in this pub in the centre of Cafundó do Juta. Of course, the owner sponsor us, so I have to advertise his pub. So, come to Zezinho Freeway Pub, in the best place of Cafundó do Juta. Now that I helped him, I'll write about the game. After the loss in the first game against Az-cz, the supporters here in the pub were expecting a better result against St Samuel. And Cafundéu got it. But it was a draw. At least, it was an improvement, but the fans still don't believe that the team is good, and think that Yaschter made bad choices when selecting the 23 players.

Some of the intelligent (well, not so intelligent after all) comments that I heard in the pub: "Come on Yaschter, enter in the game, you're better than these kids!"; "Kick his legs, don't let him take the ball..."; "I've never heard of this goalkeeper Kardec before."; "My old grandmother, who has arthritis, can play better than you!"; "Hey, this Paulo Santos owes me money!" As you can see, all these supporters were very concentrated in the game, and had a good vision of it.

The attacking strategy of Nelson Yaschter, copied from the main National Team's strategy, worked well in the first half. The three attackers could receive the ball in good positions, thanks to the good midfield of the U-21 team, probably the best sector of the team (especially with Zé Sho and Jorginho). This resulted in the goal of Fausto, who invaded the area and shot with strength. St Samuel had a more balanced style, with dangerous wingers, and Paulo Santos and Índio had to work a lot.

The Monopolists were able to hold the advantage until the end of the first half, but it was clear that the team wasn't playing much better than St Samuel. After the goal, it had few chances, the best one with Juninho, who made a bad finish. The opponents started to play better in the second half, and Kardec started to work more. He even saved a penalty, once again committed by Paulo Santos.

And Cafundéu was punished before the middle of the second half. In a fast counterattack, the attacker dribbled Toledo with style (the defender even fell after suffering the dribble), invaded the area and shot when Kardec was leaving the goal. St Samuel had chances to score again, but Zé Sho played well, stopping many of their plays. Cafundéu didn't have enough power to react, and the game ended in a draw.

CAFUNDÉU 1x1 ST SAMUEL

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Renner Frombarg (Lovisa).
MOTM: Zé Sho (Cafundéu).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo (Humberto 71') and Ronaldão; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Tobias (Madureira 71'); Juca Bala (Black 45'), Fausto and Juninho.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/st_samuel.png ST SAMUEL: no team released.

Goals:CAF: Fausto 13'.
STS: Attacker 66'.

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

Cafundéu – formation for game against Ashlaea: Kardec; Marcos Paulo, Índio, Fábio and Gaëif; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Madureira; Juca Bala, Fausto and Sorato.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.
Style of +3

Match’s Referee: Tedres Farif Nosser (Valanora).

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

DBC goalscorers:

2- Fausto

Jeruselem Government News

Jewish U-21s going well

Jeruselem's U21 team in Starblaydia for the 3rd edition of the Di Bradini Cup has started well. Jeruselem fielded a totally unknown team of local Jews missing any known players from the current Jeruselem teams.

Today they downed Sorthern Northland 3-2 after earlier beating fellow Jewbees Milchama 4-2 in the first game. This is despite a chronic communication issue where the coach doesn't speak Hebrew and most the team don't speak French.

The current team are doing quite well despite the coach needing her instructions to be translated. Coach Monique Alexander aka "Moany" has learnt some Hebrew, mostly swear words from her equally infamous friend Dazza Dallas. Dazza and her daughters are very good at the art of insult to get the best of their own football teams.

Moany spoke to JGN
"It's been hard. I was expecting a bunch of French schoolgirls and got these Jews. Yes, it is hard to instructions to team as my translator's French is a bit dodgy at times. We even have an Ariddian Jew here but for some odd reason she never learnt any French either. They are doing well and trying. Mind you, sometimes I have to do a bit of swearing to get their attention. They aren't used to people swearing at them. I don't think they have had a real coach. Dazza's been a real help as she deals with Jewish people a lot and she's told me some good tips on how to deal with them. I'm going harden them up so they aren't so meek because it's better me tell them they aren't performing than them playing badly because the opposition are intimidating them. There is talent there but not enough passion. I want more commitment from the team, like the same commitment they have for their religion."

A truly stunning display against the hosts Starblaydia saw Kura-Pelland to a shock 1-1 draw.

The five-man defence proved awkward for the Starblaydi strikers to deal with, and Karinha was almost totally snuffed out of the game. It was not at all against the run of play when Stephan Harltey's cross-shot cannoned off the inside of the far post and in, with Travis Weaver prodding in to make sure before Sandra van Agmark could get a hand to the ball.

That was in the 39th minute, and the only other real chance was just three minutes in, a half-cleared corner creating space for Harltey to hit a fizzing 25-yard half-volley that just flew over the bar with van Agmark helpless. 1-0 at half-time, the players booed off the field. Ryan Rodgers' claims, laughed at even in Kura-Pellandi media, were coming true.

Starblaydia were desperate.

And the half-time substitution proved it; Chen Myung-Bo on for Karinha. It was clear the intention was to maintain the familiar shape with the diamond midfield while putting Karinha out of her misery. It looked disastrous at first, Myung-Bo dispossessed by Weaver, creating a chance for 2-0 which Harltey smashed against the bar. That was the 53rd minute.

For the remaining 37 minutes, the match followed the plot the first 53 was meant to. All Starblaydia.

Ironically, Myung-Bo himself was the man who finally delivered the goal in the 69th minute, exchanging passes with Zii Kristof on the right before cutting inside and tucking a low shot into the far corner past Thomas Cortham.

Kristof appeared to have set up the winner for Lubii five minutes from time, but the goal was disallowed for a push on Michel Codiez - who played a superb game throughout - as Lubii rose to head home. Lubii went on to hit the post in injury time, and one senses it just wasn't her day. Or her team's, come to that.

Daehanjeiguk next, and this is a team that do not look organised in the slightest this time around. Again, Rodgers called it. A future national team manager, one has to say.

The knights beat both bazolonia and lovisa on there way to a 2-0 start in there second cup. In huge fashion the knights goalie was a solid rock in goal only letting 1 goal in in two games. They play popay next.

While ashlaea lost both game s by a goal

The Albrecht Herald
C&M use their head as title defence continues with really very good offensive show
By Tracker Edwards

Here’s something quite disturbing: We’re actually quite good at this. Somehow, our little islands far away from sporting civilization have produced not one but two Under-21 squads capable of taking it to the world. Once upon a time we were most notable for having both the longest and shortest name in the international game. Today, our place among the elite of youth football is assured. Yes, only two games have gone by of this third Di Bradini Cup. Yes, there remains four to go even in the group stage. But for now the Small Blues sit top of the competition, having scored more goals than anyone else, and conceded fewer with it. Naysayers can argue that pound for pound the Valanorans, Cafundulense, Starblaydis, Jeruselemites, even the Kura-Pellandis can claim better squads. That suggestion only serves to make the form of the Candelariasian youth even sweeter. Two years ago Lloyd Donnelly’s boys won against all the odds. This time Adam Williamson is burdened by expectations. And gosh, isn’t he dealing with it well?

But we cannot allow this enthusiasm not to be tempered; that would not be the Candelariasian way. For Valanora are two from two. For Popay are two from two, as are Jeruselem, as are those unnaturally short people, terrible affliction of course can’t help but feel sorry for them but do they have to parade it quite so much? As are Taeshan, for heaven’s sake. In our joy at the republic’s second-favourite sporting team’s success, we should not ignore the cold, hard facts.

An equal consideration is what, in the long term, victory at this level truly means. For in the annals of World Cup history, where do Fmjphoenix and Hockey Canada truly belong? How will Spruitland, or Haraki or even grand Pacitalia be remembered decades from now? The old Under-21 World Cup was a grander tournament than this, for sure, yet these most successful of countries were largely unable to transfer those performances to senior level. Those who believe that our achievements here will inevitably be repeated on the highest stage will surely find themselves disappointed. As much as anything else, there is no Ariddia here; no Demot or Zwangzug or Squornshelous or SLANI. For all the fine work of the SFA (though we must continue to wonder when they will stop playing with diplomatic fire and start capitalising our name properly), such countries consider this event beneath them. We would truly be arrogant fools of the worst order were we to believe that the children of the Candelarias could ever claim a place among that privileged elite. We must celebrate and savour every victory at this level, and do so in the knowledge that this is the very most we deserve.

Not least when a small but unacceptable element of the Candelariasian support in Vecchio yesterday decided that celebrating the second C&M goal was not enough for them, and instead opted to direct a vile stream of anti-Semitic abuse at their opposite numbers. Credit must be due here to the row of oddly stocky, beardy Starblaydi stewards who stopped the combustible Milchaman fans from letting the incident spill over into physical unpleasantness as well as verbal. This column is not the place for further discussion on the matter, but episodes such as this should always serve as a reminder of the problem with this kind of attitudes we are still burdened with in our islands.

And yet for all this, the game itself was still something to savour. Milchama represented a better quality of opposition than Sorthern Northland and made few obvious mistakes throughout; a fact that made the comprehensive scoreline all the more pleasing. In the centre of the park Connor Mengucci was truly immense, snuffing out the majority of Milchama’s rare opportunities to mount a real attack, while Jack Marshall fittingly marshalled C&M’s own offence. For all this side’s attacking capabilities this was the sort of controlled performance we expect from C&M teams, and though few clear-cut chances were created across the ninety, all concerned seemed to have little doubt from the kick-off that those that were made would finish in goals as often as not. Though unnerving at times, the confidence flowing through these young men is a joy to behold.

Milchama’s more offensive set-up dribbled away as the minutes rolled on, and they found themselves chasing shadows. The possession belonged to the Small Blues, and every delicate pass around the back was happily oléd by the fans long before C&M had even opened their account. Finally, on the half hour, any fears that this cocky young group were more concerned with looking pretty and scoring the perfect goal were allayed when Archer French’s persistence paid off and he won a corner. Nathaniel Alaoui took it and the Cathedral City centre-back Demario Ortiz rose highest and headed home the scrappy opener.

Milchama huffed and puffed and C&M kicked the ball about amongst themselves serenely, but it would take another headed goal to give the Small Blues daylight. This time the corner was won by Alessio Montano, the left-winger no longer wearing his neon ‘Sign Me, Please!’ signage above his head (on account of having since been signed), but he was none the less still on sparkling form when he forced the opposing defender to put the ball out. He delivered the corner himself which this time found its way perfectly onto the head of Mengucci to give the midfield lynchpin a well-deserved goal.

And the third, that gave Williamson’s youngsters a memorable victory in the first ever meetings between C&M and Milchama sides? A header, naturally, this time coming after another precise cross from Montano came to Alaoui at the far post, who nosed it past the ‘keeper from the harder-to-miss territory. The Port of Clotaire winger has hardly been a reliable goal-getter, but he sits on two in two in this tournament.

In a surprisingly frenzied last few minutes Milchama carved out their best opportunities of the night which Andy Harford comfortably dealt with, while French and the frankly unnecessary Joe Cunningham missed decent opportunities for the strikers to find the scoresheet.

One feels they will be needed soon. Jeruselem are an unpredictable side at the best of times, particularly at this level, but few would argue that achieving any kind of result against them would set the Small Blues well on the way to the quarter-finals. The reality though is that in five meetings between Candelariasian and Jeruselemite teams, C&M’s best result was a nil-all draw in Albrecht. This will truly be the sternest test of Williamson and his team’s newfound confidence so far.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/Candelaria And Marquez.png Candelaria And Marquez Under-21s 3
Ortiz 30, Mengucci 57, Alaoui 75

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/milchama.png Milchama Under-21s 0

OCC:I did do an RP for the Lovisa game but my whole internet crashed after I had done a quite a long RP and I couldn't be bothered to do it again.

Popayen Times
Bazalonia 0-2 Popay
Hat-trick Hero Strikes Again
Christiano, scorer of a hat trick aginst Lovisa stiked again to bag Popay a 2-0 win over Bazalonia yesterday, taking Popay into a prominent postion in the group and resuring bookies promsies that Popay may qulify.

Popay dominated almost all the way through this game, with Christiano getting a goal in the 37th minute with a great strike from the edge of the area after great teamplay lead up to the goal, and then bagged a second in the second half in the 67th minute giving Popay a good victory."We played well and got a victory because of it," said winger Bobo, "If we keep playing like this then we can go far in this cup." Bazalonia did have some good efforts on goal but they just couldn't convert and they rued their misses after the final whistle went. "We just wern't good enough on the day," admited the Bazalonia coach, "If you miss chances like that then you will be punished like we where."

This win of the back of their 4-1 win over Lovisa puts Popay at the top of their group and strong promotion condenders along with Taeshan, who also have won their first two games, and who Popay play next. With Taeshan looking strong the Popay coach Freddy Fellow is pointing out key players Isaac Newton (Goalkeeper) and Damion Aslott (Striker) as possible threats for Popay which they will have to contend with.

Group 3 after MD2
(Played, Won, Goal Diffrence, Points)
Popay 2 2 +5 6
Taeshan 2 2 +2 6
Bazalonia 2 2 -3 0
Lovisa 2 2 -4 0

Popayen Stats
Goalscorers
Christaino-5 Goals
Kim Jung-Sui-1 Goal

Offences
Tony Grey-1 Yellow Card

Line up for next game Vs Taeshan
Gk-Clarke
DL-Célodean
DC-Kyles
DC-Pye
DR-Johnman
ML-Coco
MC-King
MC-Jung-Sui
MC-T.Jones
MR-Bobo
SK-Christiano

Predicited Taeshan Line Up
GK-Newton
DL-Duck
DC-Pearsin
DR-Meyerse
ML-Zeke Jr
MC-Geek
MC-Del Rio
MR-Lewis
FL-Gregory
FC-Aslott
FR-Zellefrow

Valanora Express
Young Guns Keep Firing

This was the performance that the supporters were waiting and hoping for from Sardan's troops. A goal barage against a Han side, who in truth have looked in dissaray for both matches thus far in Starblaydia, will be enough to quiet his few critics, for now. Whilst the squad did perform at an acceptable level against Kura-Pelland, Grazi had a dissapointing match. Yet, like any good captain and professional (or soon to be), he rebounded quite resoundingly against what appeared to be an overmatched Han defence. Collecting two beautiful goals, as well as setting up another, this was the type of performance that had won him the positioning. Another display or two of this quality, and I'd be willing to bet that one of the big five in the Premiership will be bargaining for his services.

But football is a team sport, and the squad as a whole were quite sound and crisp in their performances. The only blemish to the output was a defelcted freekick in the twenty-second, that went off the foot of Totez in the wall and past Dur to equalize again early on. With four players accounting for the five talleys, this is the type of team effort that gets a supporter excited. As even Totez, who is not noted for his scoring prowess notching a goal, you can start to see how this well-oiled machine of a system works. With the success the senior side has had using this style of play and formation, and now with the appearant success of the youth, you could expect to see it used more commonly in other nations. Whilst it's true most of the domestic clubs play an offensive game, a good majority of them still use a standard back four, and that my friend could or could not be holding them back, as just using three centerbacks seems to be working quite well for the national squads. Yet, you don't always have this type of personel avaible at the club level, so I'll leave that arguement for another day.

What can not be argued though is the supremacy, or assumed dominance, that the squad is having over this "Group of Death". Two matches in with eight goals for and only a single against, and there is much to be grateful and optimisitc about. Now with the hosts coming up, it would be prudent to nab the three points here. It would all but ensure qualification for our yougnsters, and then sooner that is obtained, the sooner the pressure is lifted off this younglings and they will be allowed to play their game stress free. And I don't know about you, but if this is how this stars of tommorow play while under the stress of needing results, I'd hate to be their opppisition when they are playing carefree.

Valanora 5
Jeros Dragonhand (17)
Isal Grazi (26, 54)
Ashely Noel (49)
Jamichel Totez (67)

Han 1
??? ( 22)

Scorers
Ashley Noel - 2
Isal Grazi - 2
Jeros Dragonhand - 1
Jamichel Totez -1
April Luna - 1
Valaria Love - 1

Article by Ron Santapa

whoa, accepted and no roster? NOT ACCEPTABLE!

Imperial U-21 Squad (ages not limited for simplicity, but rest assured they are all under 21!)

Player ㅇ韓ㅇ ㅇ한ㅇ # POS
Yi Jeongyeol 李正烈 이정열 1 K
Ju Sigyeong 周時經 주시경 2 D
Bae Yongjun 裵勇俊 배용준 3 D
Baek Namjun 白南準 백남준 4 D
Yi Beomsuk 李範奭 이범석 5 D
No Jeongyun 盧廷潤 노정윤 6 M
An Changho 安昌浩 안창호 7 M
Shin Hyeiseong 申彗星 신혜성 8 M
Son Daeho 孫大鎬 손대호 9 M
Pak Gyuseon 朴圭善 박규선 10 F
Yi Eunju 李恩宙 이은주 11 F
Yi Haeung 李昰應 이하응 12 K
Yi Suyeong 李秀英 이수영 13 D
Son Yeijin 孫藝珍 손예진 14 D
Wang Dong 王栋ㅇ 왕동ㅇ 15 M
Mun Hyeonyeop 門峴曄 문현엽 16 M
Seol Gihyeon 薛琦鉉 설기현 17 F
Yang Gyuseong 楊圭腥 양규성 18 K
Jeong Mongjun 鄭夢準 정몽준 19 D
Yang Manchun 楊萬春 양만춘 20 D
An Yeonghak 安英學 안영학 21 M
Kim Sungweon 金順權 김순권 22 M
Kim Mihyeon 金美賢 김미현 23 F

Coach Yu Giheung [유기흥]

I'll get something up to say who did what in the past two matches...

Two losses to start the campaign

MD1:: Starbladyia 2-0 Han
MD2:: Han 1-5 Valanora
MD3:: Kura-Pelland --- Han
MD4:: Han --- Starbladyia
MD5:: Valanora ---
MD6:: Han --- Kura-Pelland


(I guess I wasn't kidding about the fodder...)

A shutout 2-0 loss to the hosts and a resounding 5-1 defeat against Valanora seemed to indicate one thing about the future of football in the Empire. IT SUCKS. Given that the attention of our youth is much too focused on the daily rigors of astronomy, multi-variable calculus, law and order, business administration, and among other things, Starcraft, I think the losses so far can be explained.

The 2-0 loss against Starbladyia showed lack of resolve. The players were a push-over! Literally! They had their hands fixed to the PSPs while the Starbladyia players were left confused as to whether the Han players were even playing at all. It was surprising that the Starbladyia players didn't take the opportunity to make it a shooting competition, but I feel that the shock of watching Han students waste away their time reading books the size of a bath tub on the subject of how to get a job in the real estate market got to their souls too deep.

It was a different story against Valanora. Heck, the Valanora players were seasoned against the awesome stupidity of Han players waving flags and pretending to play war that the Valanora side got straight to playing football. It was a stray shot by the leading striker Pak Gyuseong - who's scored the only goal so far that the Imperial Children's squad has to claim - that put the two teams level as the Coach tried to put the team into some kind of composure to perform throughout the rest of the match. However, this seemed only to exacerbate the problem, as the Valanora side managed to make the Han Goal look like Swiss cheese at the end of it all.

A resounding defeat that seems to put the Imperial Children's Squad on the verge of becoming the first team to take the early ticket home. Fortunately for us, they've got 4 more matches to turn it around. Unfortunately, they're just children, and their time is obviously better spent reading books on how play football than actually playing it. Enough is said - either get them a whipping stick or I'll bring the army!

Matchday 3 Scores

Group A
Elves Security Forces 4-3 Starblaydia
Kura-Pelland 0-2 Daehanjeiguk

Group B
Az-cz 0-3 St Samuel
Cafundeu 1-0 Ashlaea

Group C
Taeshan 2-4 Popay
Bazalonia 1-0 Lovisa

Group D
Jeruselem 0-2 Candelaria And Marquez
Milchama 1-0 Sorthern Northland


OOC: Sorry guys, can't do tables yet - left for work at 7.15am and got back at 9.15pm. Lonnng-ass day, will try tomorrow, should have more time then. Zzzzzz

Something happened!

MD1:: Starbladyia 2-0 Han
MD2:: Han 1-5 Valanora
MD3:: Kura-Pelland 0-2 Han
MD4:: Han --- Starbladyia
MD5:: Valanora ---
MD6:: Han --- Kura-Pelland

Well, I'll tell you! The moment you get a murder convict whacking a bamboo stick on the pitch, you can get any team into top shape. Indeed, Coach Yu called the Imperial Mission of Hopeless Persons Corrections to get them the most notorious convict that they could find and got them to ship him to the Starbladyia under the auspices of the being the team's new fitness coach; I'll tell you! Coach Yu is a genius! If he were coaching our National Team, we'd be winning the World Cup right now!

I have no clue who this man, but the moment Yu introduced him to the team, he started whacking the kids with a bamboo stick. They locked him with the players in a soccer field. Those who scored goals were let out until one unfortunate soul was left alone against this crazed madman. But it seems that this crazed madman also has a soft heart and served doubly as the team's medic as well, treating all of the wounds on the team. There were rumors of other things, but I'll say nothing of those things.

Anyway, the man could be spotted at the edge of the field during their match against Kura-Pelland, and when he started to whack the field, the Han children scored! Of course, the referee got tired of that really quickly and so off he went. But I think that it's safe to say that the U-21 team has found a new fitness coach - plain and simple, he will win games! Oh, yeah. And Pak Gyuseon also scored both goals of the match, so he might a good striker after all. But we'll see. It's early, and these youngsters have yet to focus their energy on the practical and all-important matter of graduating from high school and getting a good college program so they can become rocket scientists and medical officers. And then maybe they can play for the National Team, but only if they're bad at everything else.

Also, to whomever is the responsible manager of the Starbladyia U-21 Cup organization - I do believe that this is the third edition, but according to your main website, this is the "second installment"; this might a typo error, caused by someone in their frantic hurry to get a website up and running for all the lovely and lazy children in the world to watch and wonder if they can skip their algebra homework and become football stars. Anyway, I think that the Starblaydia Football Assocation would do a great service by fixing this obvious error and hoping that children don't to hyped about playing soccer, because the children in the world need have certain and practical futures in the growing and lucrative fields of criminology and paleolithic anthropology - because we all know that justice doesn't sleep!

As if to taunt the optimistic Rodgers, Kura-Pelland were humbled 2-0 by a hitherto-dreadful Daehanjeiguk side, who seemed to show far more signs of their natural talent and were given far too many chances to by a Kura-Pellandi side who seemed to show the same weaknesses as the Han had hitherto shown, though sans bringing shinies onto the field.

Two early goals from Pak Gyeuson proved the difference in a very poor game, but the result was not without a hint of controversy as a new coach known only as 'Yu' was seen acting in a strange manner on the sidelines. One must wonder what he is doing that is so effective, and why he has not appeared in the two previous games, the first of which was against the hosts Starblaydia.

One point from three games has pretty much proven the critics right and Rodgers wrong. Dennis Jockenheim, the Yarzoya FC manager much-tipped as a potential national team coach in some quarters, has been terribly poor at hiding his smugness. Jockenheim has rated this generation as 'genuinely disappointing' for over a year now, has placed the blame firmly on the privatisation of the KPFA, and has watched smugly as a team whose youngest squad member is 23 have gone from nowhere in the Second Division to being a top-half side in the top flight in two seasons. 'We are heading for a dark age of Kura-Pellandi football,' the manager asserts. 'That the astonishingly selfish Harltey and the unimaginative Ibbetson can be seen as our country's brightest attacking talents strongly implies that Kura-Pelland will not even be a top-64 side, let alone a top-32 or top-16 side, in two or three World Cups. This tournament is proving it through and through.'

Rodgers has already turned down the vacant Delta Force Cardim job. After this display, it seems inevitable he will be unemployed next season. Meanwhile, Jockenheim is already being quoted as odds-on to become the next national team manager whenever one is sought.

In Jeruselem chat room

[Moany] Funny lot these Jews ...

*** PinkyGirl enters the room ***

[Dazza] Hi Jacinta
[PinkyGirl] Hi Mum, hi Moany
[Moany] Just talking out U21s, the Jewish ones
[Dazza] Well they were playing the top seeds anyway
[PinkyGirl] Aw they weren't too bad
[Moany] A bit lethargic still
[Dazza] There are just kids
[PinkyGirl] They were too timid really
[Moany] I think they gave up too soon
[Dazza] They'll learn about the fighting spirit
[Moany] Had to drop a few choice words
[PinkyGirl] They became too defensive
[Dazza] Can't have System Karela
[PinkyGirl] Them C&M are pretty good all the same
[Moany] We could have beaten them, if they played the same way against the Charmies
[Dazza] Funny the two Jewbee teams got the same group
[PinkyGirl] Howz the Hebrew!
[Moany] Need lessons
[Dazza] Need to tell them being defensive doesn't work unless you have 10 defenders
[Moany] Maybe they need a Rabbi or something around
[PinkyGirl] Might work

*** Skate enters the room ***

[Skate] Party here!
[PinkyGirl] Hi sis
[Dazza] The family is here
[Skate] Howz the kids going there Moany
[Moany] Hard work there
[Skate] How about a message for their queen in Hebrew to fight to good fight
[Moany] I have to go, it's getting late here. Need sleep
[Dazza] Try the Rabbi thing
[Skate] They have Rabbis in Starland?

Unofficial Tables

Group A
Team Pos P Points W D L GF GA GD
ESF 1 3 9 3 0 0 12 4 8
STR 2 3 4 1 1 1 6 5 1
HAN 3 3 3 1 0 2 3 7 -4
KPD 4 3 1 0 1 2 1 3 -2

Group B
Team Pos P Points W D L GF GA GD
SSM 1 3 7 2 1 0 6 2 4
ACZ 2 3 6 2 0 1 3 4 -1
CAF 3 3 4 1 1 1 3 3 0
ASH 4 3 0 0 0 3 1 4 -3

Group C
Team Pos P Points W D L GF GA GD
POP 1 3 9 3 0 0 10 3 7
TAE 2 3 6 2 0 1 5 5 0
BAZ 3 3 3 1 0 2 2 4 -2
LOV 4 3 0 0 0 3 1 6 -5

Group D
Team Pos P Points W D L GF GA GD
C&M 1 3 9 3 0 0 11 0 11
JER 2 3 6 2 0 1 7 6 1
MIL 3 3 3 1 0 2 3 7 -4
SNO 4 3 0 0 0 3 2 10 -8


Not that any of the places needed tiebreakers, but any ties on points would have been broken by number of wins according to our charts. Any errors will be ignored until the official tables are released.

"Alight lads and lasses, gather round me now!"

As Sardan called the squad to him, there were many strange faces. He surely couldn't be upset with them, afterall, they had just defeated to hosts to remain perfect. Sure they let in a few goals, but it could be corrected. So why was he using a stern voice to get their attention?

"First, I'd like to congratulate you all on another hard fought victory. It was tricky against those Starblaydians, but you managed to pull it out, so good job. Second, we need to sharpen up our defence and keep our focus. We went two up early and could of easily strolled to victory, but you guys let them back into the match by not marking your assignments tight enough. Yet, that can be fixed through training. Third, I want you all to make a promise to me."

"Well what do you want Master Sardan?" a curious April Luna chirped.

"Ah my dear, it is quite simple. I want you to promise me a victory in our next match. If you make this promise and deliver on it, I can personally gurantee you a reward beyond your wildest dreams. So, what do you say, will you promise this crazy goat a victory?"

"You can count on it Sardan. We'll beat that squad for you and get our just rewards." the exuberant Grazi proclaimed.

"Good good. Now it's going to be tough. Kura is coming off a tough defeat to the Han side and will be looking for the quick rebound. Remember that played you guys quite tight in our first affair and will be looking to do the same with a better scoreboard representation. You can beat them, you have more talent, but you need to make sure you follow my orders to the T. There's time for deviation and freedom, but this is not. We're on the brink of qualification for the knockouts, and they'll be gunning for us even more so than normal because of our record. Keep everything in front of you and hit them with everything we've got, and those three points shall be ours. And if at the end of the day we find ourselves with those three points, the next two will be more than worth your efforts on the pitch."

The Albrecht Herald Online

Domestic News >>

Football: Title defence motors on with rather decent all-round performance
Adam Williamson’s Under-21s remain one of three sides at the third Di Bradini Cup with a 100% per cent record, and the only one not to have conceded a goal.

The Candelariasian youngsters have now played sixteen games across three tournaments and lost only one; the Justantina Cup final against Jeruselem. Three years later in Starblaydia the Small Blues have now gone some way to avenging that defeat, as their successors rolled out 2-0 winners against the all-Jewish side of Monique Alexander.

Looking light-years from the boisterous, attacking senior team for which the Greater Prussian country is renowned, the young group looked nervous in the face of the more experienced XI of the reigning champions, despite their own undefeated record against Milchama and Sorthern Northland. With the momentum provided by successive six- and three-nil victories, the early running was all C&M’s as the Small Blues attempted to take it to the opposition.

That change of tack initially failed to pay dividends, recent history having proven that C&M sides are generally better at soaking up pressure and dictating play from the base of the midfield than ploughing on forwards in search of an early goal. As churlish to criticise Williamson as it may seem; his side have appeared at times stuck at an uncomfortable half-way house between a traditional Candelariasian outlook and the progressive game favoured by his predecessor Lloyd Donnelly. So it was again here, where as with their two previous encounters C&M could well have found themselves on the end of a very different result had Jeruselem’s few early chances been converted. As it was, Demario Ortiz was fortunate not to give away a penalty early on when Joseph Yibitz was caught on the very edge of the area. Andy Halford had to be quick off his line to turn Franny Goldstein’s free-kick around the post.

Exhausted by their early efforts, C&M settled down into a more patient game that brought forth a goal thanks to the Candelariasian prowess with the head. José Luis Sosa, having overlapped the left winger Alessio Montano, was unwisely allowed the space to get in a cross powerfully headed past little Shem Bahan by Jack Marshall for the Albrecht FC midfielder’s third of the campaign.

Going a goal behind hardened the Jeruselemite resolve at the start of the second half, but their efforts were consistently thwarted by the combination of Connor Mengucci in front of Ortiz and Jari Virta. Harford was called into action on increasingly fewer occasions, and the largely teenage side appeared to wear themselves out. Williamson rang the changes bringing off the ineffectual Nathaniel Alaoui for Merlin Siriwong and a tired-looking Archer French for Carroll Eriksson, and Jeruselem were soon forced to weather a Candelariasian storm, with Kulz Minestein clearing off the line from a Joe Cunningham effort and Siriwong forcing saves from Bahan. The pressure told on the sixty-fifth minute, when Potz Speilburg made a hash of a clearance and Cunningham was able to force the Jeru vice-captain off the ball and slide the winner in under Bahan to score his tenth under-21 goal in nine starts.

Jeruselem heads appeared to drop, and a frenzied series of substitutions could do nothing to stop C&M moving to within three points of quarter-final qualification. It may be tempting fate, but after the C&M second-string’s six-two drubbing of Sorthern Northland in the last Di Bradini Cup; Williamson had opted to change the starting XI for the first time in his tenure and put out Harford – Krstev, Fattori, Ortiz, Sosa – Siriwong, Moya, Marshall, Jones – Cunningham and Pinto against the Sortherners.

Politics: AfSE to investigate van Dijk
The non-governmental Association for Social Equality has told the Herald that they plan to ‘look with interest’ at comments made by the Social Democratic & Green Party spokesperson for Sport, Natalie van Dijk, on live television last night.

SD&GP President Bridget Duncan has already spoken out against her colleague, describing her views expressed on TV2’s This Evening programme as ‘unacceptable’, but declining to elaborate further on whether action would be taken against the beleaguered front-bencher. Party leader Ariadne Jefferson meanwhile admitted on R-Vo’s Wake Up With Wdowczyk show that van Dijk’s comments were ‘unhelpful’, but claimed that they would have no immediate impact on her ability to speak for the SD&GP on sports matters.

van Dijk had been appearing on This Evening alongside her opposite numbers from the Unionists and Modern Liberals, CAMAFA president Owen Jones and leaders of the Jewish and East Asian communities for a discussion on racism in sport, a subject brought to the fore following alleged anti-Semitic chants by Candelariasian fans in recent Di Bradini Cup games against Milchama and Jeruselem. van Dijk elicited boos and whistled from the invited audience after reacting to the Rabbi Julian Haim’s, of Arrigo’s Sinagoga del la Calle del Mosaico, statement that “These games would be the perfect opportunity to celebrate the Jewish community’s contribution to Candelariasian society” with a tart “What contribution would that be, then?”

The MP immediately back-tracked, claiming that C&M’s Jews were “valued and respected members of society.” She went on to argue however that; “meetings between the C&M under-21 football side and Milchama and Jeruselem [were] hardly the right times to be celebrating anything.” She continued that; “A country comprised almost exclusively of self-confessed warniks and one whose single purpose in existence is to denigrate its female population at every and at the earliest opportunity are hardly great adverts for world Jewry.”

Modern Liberal sport spokesman Bob Herd went on to accuse his counterpart of “pandering to the lowest common dominator” in an effort to “wrestle the far-right and fundamentalist Islamic vote” to the SD&GP cause ahead of the May elections. In an angry exchange, van Dijk accused Herd of using “an important forum for public discussion for [his] own political ends” before launching into a red-faced attack on the MLP’s policies on crime prevention and immigration describing her own party as facing a “loosing battle when it comes to recruiting Freedom Party members and Muslim nutters.”

Tempers had barely sated when Herd described ‘recent events’ as “sadly unsurprising” – a reference primarily directed at the SD&GP. Adriadne Jefferson had herself come under fire two months previously for criticizing the make-up of the Jeruselemite executive and their attitude towards Christian and Muslim ‘pressure groups’. An avowed agnostic, Jefferson has also challenged her party’s traditional inclusive and multicultural social attitudes by admitting her fears over the numbers of “Muslims, Catholics and evangelicals” immigrating to the Candelarias and the “rate at which they bang out kids.”

Shamima Darya of the Candelarias Muslim Forum called last night for van Dijk to issue an apology for her ‘islamaphobic comments’ or resign from her party role, while Rabbi Haim told the National Reporter today that “the SD&GP’s incessant and astonishing Jew-baiting [had] to stop.”

Ms. van Dijk, who is married to Holy Road actor Marc Cohen-Lewis, has yet to remark further on her outbursts.

OCC:Yet again did a long RP, but guess what? The bloody thingy timed me out when I tried to submit a reply and I lost all my whole thing...so I'm just going to do basic satisitics, don't think I'm just doing a half assed effort in RPing.

Popay-4
Christiano 9", Bobo 54", Jung-Sui 78", 87"
Christiano 17", Christiano 28"

Taeshan-2
Del Rio 17", Zellefrow (Pen) 28"

Popayen Stats
Goalscorers
Christaino-6 Goals
Kim Jung-Sui-3 Goals
Bobo-1 Goal

Offences
Christiano-1 Red Card
Tony Grey-1 Yellow Card

Line up for next game Vs Lovisa
Gk-Clarke
DL-Célodean
DC-Kyles
DC-Pye
DR-Johnman
ML-Coco
MC-King
MC-Jung-Sui
MC-T.Jones
MR-Bobo
SK-Moore

yo what he said (popay)

ashlaea lost also taeshan gearing up for rematches

"Oh hey, the Di Bradini Cup's already started."

"So?"

"Weren't we supposed to announce the squad or something?"

"Yeah we were. Oh shit does that mean we don't have a team out there?"

"Nah, just that international media such as those lovely people in Candelaria And Marquez don't know who are players are and have to talk about our new flag instead."

"It's a great flag though."

"It is, now then who's in the team?"

Belated Sorthern Northland U21 squad for the Di Bradini Cup

Goalkeepers:

1. Adam Federluchi
13: Luke Goldsmith
23: Arek Al-Malakovsky

Defenders:
2: Jalal Al-Jalalwi (Right back)
12: El-Hadke Murawani (Right-back)
3: Nathan Keen (Left-back)
23: Jamie Clareton (Left-back)
5: Carl Abele (Centre-back)
6: Jacques Le-Roc (Centre-back)
15: Yoda Obasweetie (Centre-back)
16: Oah Pione (Centre-back)

Midfielders:
7: Gregory Pinoc (Right-winger)
17: Gregory Halford (Right-winger)
11: Che El (Left-winger)
22: Socrates Castro (Left-winger)
4: Eddie O'Donnovan (Central-midfielder)
8: Roy Kin (Central-Midfielder)
14: Jua Huwang (Central-midfielder)
18: Ju Li (Central-midfielder)

Forwards:

9: John Hernandez
10: Lee Waywide
19: Paulo Ferra
20: Ji Ji-Lee


Usual formation is a 4-4-2 with 1-11 expected to start. However feel free to put in whoever you want. They're all drunk and crap anyway.

GAZETA DO POVO - O JORNAL DA NAÇÃO CAFUNDELENSE!
Sports Section - Articles written by Carlos Alberto Gujabre
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAFUNDÉU WINS. BEER ADDICTS CONTINUE COMPLAINING

After getting only one point in the first two games in the Di Bradini Cup, the Monopolists played a game that, in theory, should be very easy, against Ashlaea, which lost its first two games. Inside the pub, my "friends" were talking about how easy would be to get the three points, and how many goals Cafundéu would score. I even heard a girl (drunk) screaming that Cafundéu would score ten goals, and that the goalkeeper Kardec would score three of them.

But, when the game was being disputed, it became clear that it wasn't so easy. Ashlaea gave a lot of work to Cafundéu and, in the first minutes, nearly scored. Frank passed to Frank, who invaded the area and crossed the ball to Frank, who headed to the goal. Kardec held the ball. Frank complained with his team mate, as Frank was in a very good position inside the area, so it would be better for Frank to pass to him. After the middle of the first half, Cafundéu took the control of the game, but without creating good chances.

When the first half ended, the complaints started. A man called Edson, after drinking twelve cans of Skol beer, started shouting: "How can the three referees don't notice that the Franks are being violent in the game?" he said, ignoring the fact that there was only one referee in the field, not three. A friend of him, who was more sober (he only drank seven cans of beer) said: "This team is as bad as the team that my daughter plays for. Look at that defender (pointing Gaëif), he can't tackle a ball without losing it after few seconds!"

And the complaints continued when the second half started. The same girl who was hoping to see ten goals said: "This Madureira is a very bad player. He can't start a play! If I were there, I would invade the field, take him out and put the grandmother of that guy who was talking here in the last game!" Suddenly, the image of the television started to disappear. What happened? Well, one of the drunk people stepped on the electric outlet. When he noticed it and removed his foot, the image returned to perfect conditions.

In the second half, Yaschter made changes in the team that opened the possibility of a win. And, in the tenth minute of the second half, Jorginho shot from outside the area. The goalkeeper Frank didn't hold the ball, and Bacharel shot in the rebound to score the goal. The supporters weren't surprised, and, when the game ended, they complained about the weak victory of Cafundéu in the game. Maybe the team can get a better result in the next game?

CAFUNDÉU 1x0 ASHLAEA

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Tedres Farif Nosser (Valanora).
MOTM: Jorginho (Cafundéu).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Marcos Paulo, Índio, Fábio and Gaëif; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Madureira (Bacharel 45'); Juca Bala (Juninho 60'), Fausto and Sorato (Didi 60').
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/ashlaea.png ASHLAEA: frank; frank, frank, frank (george 87') and frank; frank, frank, frank and frank (george 85'); frank and frank (george 56').
Coach: george frank.

Goals:CAF: Bacharel 55'.

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

Cafundéu – formation for game against Az-cz: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo and Gaëif; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Tobias; Juca Bala, Fausto and Sorato.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter
Style of +3

Match’s Referee: Pô Makabi (Jeruselem).

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

DBC goalscorers:

2- Fausto
1- Bacharel

Why don't you come on over, Valanora?
Stop making a fool out of Starblaydia

Starblaydia's Under-21s had started the tournament relatively brightly, overcoming a frankly sub-standard Daehanjeiguk side. This was a dream match for many of Starblaydia's youngsters, in particular the likes of Captain Jae Chang-hwa, Wen Tze-shu, Batou Nakamuram, Jaime Kuu and Chen Myung-Bo, who all claim ancestry from Han emigrants.It was especially bright for the multi-talented youth Nakamura, who came from the bench to score the second goal that sealed the match for Starblaydia, gaining a two-nil victory.

Another Han substitute came on to score a goal for Starblaydia in their second match, but this time it was to equalise and merely save a precious point for Starblaydia - Cheng Myung-Bo. A hell of an achievement, to do such a thing at the tender age of fourteen, but untypical of Starblaydia's junior side to be in such a predicament against the eighteenth-ranked Kura-Pelland.

The purpose-made Di Bradini rankings, as we've seen, are immensely fluid, and unless the Football Associations are constantly putting the effort in to develop the youth sides, it's very easy to be overtaken by the bright young things of any nation. Take Az-cz, for instance, who are one of the best senior sides in the world, but in repeated Di Bradini Cups their teams have simply failed to get out of neutral, let alone first gear.

Starblaydia, it seems, have kept the dreams of young footballers alive over their decade-long hiatus. A lot of these players were not even born when Starblaydia bowed out of World Cup 34, and a Third Place and Quarter-Final finish in this tournament's previous iterations - allowing for a following wind of playing on home turf, of course - have shown they're just as good, comparatively, with the sides around them as they ever were. Quite if this can translate into the senior side in a few years time, however, is another matter.

The Valanora of Elves Security Forces, or more accurately the Marauders, came to Starblaydia and won the first Di Bradini Cup. After a poor showing in the second, surely down to elvish arrogance, they're back with a bang and three consecutive wins to put themselves firmly in the driving seat of Group A. Starblaydia did fairly well, however, to come back from two goals down. Firstly Jack Stafador - rumoured to be off on his travels to Marquez-Onwere FC of C&M - grabbed Starblaydia by the scruff of the neck and dragged them back into contention, starting off a move that ended with him chesting the ball down, powering through the ESF defence and blasting the ball low into the bottom corner. He barely stopped to roar in triumph before picking the ball out of the the net and running back to the halfway line to get the game kicked off again.

Starblaydia drew level thanks to Raphael Torino's well taken shot from a tight angle - a lot has been made of how often he fails to keep his head up when he shoots but on this occasion he definitely had his eyes on the prize. Though Starblaydia went behind again with the elves third goal, it was a third substitute in a third straight game, this time Fenchurch Bentley, who brought Starblaydia level with a goal. Young miss Bentley, a few generations down from the legendary David Bentley, may only play for the Hernsworth Cubs but she sure can strike a ball cleanly. Starblaydia, however, couldn't see out the game and lost to the high-flying Marauders.

Wether the win, loss and draw will be acceptable to Apollina Iakovakis, however, is quite beyond this reporter, as she never seems to betray any emotion in-game, continually chewing her gum. One thing she will demand, though, is a second victory over Daehanjeiguk.

Matchday 4 Scores

Group A
Daehanjeiguk 2-3 Starblaydia
Kura-Pelland 3-3 Elves Security Forces

Group B
Ashlaea 0-2 St Samuel
Cafundeu 3-0 Az-cz

Group C
Lovisa 0-4 Popay
Bazalonia 0-1 Taeshan

Group D
Sorthern Northland 0-3 Candelaria And Marquez
Milchama 0-3 Jeruselem

Matchday 4 Tables
Group A P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Elves Security Forces 4 3 1 0 15 7 +8 10 Q
Starblaydia 4 2 1 1 9 7 +2 7
Daehanjeiguk 4 1 0 3 5 10 -5 3
Kura-Pelland 4 0 2 2 4 9 -5 2


Group B P W D L GF GA GD Pts
St Samuel 4 3 1 0 8 2 +6 10
Cafundeu 4 2 1 1 6 3 -3 7
Az-cz 4 2 0 2 3 7 -4 6
Ashlaea 4 0 0 4 1 8 -7 0 E


Group C P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Popay 4 4 0 0 14 3 +11 12 Q
Taeshan 4 3 0 1 6 5 +1 9
Bazalonia 4 1 0 3 2 5 -3 3
Lovisa 4 0 0 4 1 10 -9 0 E


Group D P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Candelaria And Marquez 4 4 0 0 14 0 +14 12 Q
Jeruselem 4 3 0 1 10 7 +3 9
Milchama 4 1 0 3 3 10 -7 3
Sorthern Northland 4 0 0 4 2 13 -11 0 E

Stephan Harltey is one of those inconsistent players who can blow hot and cold. And against Valanora, he blew very, very hot, virtually single-handedly ending the Valanorans' 100% record in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Kura-Pelland were 2-0 down at half-time - to two excellent Jeros Dragonhand strikes - and Valanora grew complacent, making two substitutions. Two minutes after the break, Harltey beat three defenders before lobbing the goalkeeper from 25 yards. Five minutes after that, a 30-yard free-kick hit the post, and Daniel Dubois headed the rebound in off the bar. Suddenly, 2-2.

Valanora struck back - they always do - courtesy of April Luna, who caught Bo Phelps hopelessly out of position before beating Cortham at his near post. But in the 85th minute, Harltey was back, with a cross-shot that looped into the top corner by luck, outrageous skill or most probably both. And 3-3 is how it finished, enough to put Valanora through after Starblaydia's defeat of Daehanjeiguk. Kura-Pelland are practically out, but this match at least was not a poor one.

woah the knights won on a zellefrow score and the salamanders lost.

Popay-4
Moore 21", 78", Jung-Sui 42", King 65"

Lovisa-0

Popayen Stats
Goalscorers
Christaino-6 Goals
Kim Jung-Sui-4 Goals
Moore-2 Goals
Bobo-1 Goal
King- 1 Goal

Offences
Christiano-1 Red Card
Tony Grey-1 Yellow Card

Line up for next game Vs Bazalonia
Gk-Clarke
DL-Célodean
DC-Kyles
DC-Pye
DR-Johnman
ML-Coco
MC-King
MC-Jung-Sui
MC-T.Jones
MR-Bobo
SK-Moore

In an Jeruselem Internet chat room DazzaBikeShop

*** Moany enters the room ***
*** Dazza enters the room ***

[Dazza] Howz the kindygarden!
[Moany] Good game today, the Rabbi thing worked
[Dazza] Strike the fear of God in them
[Moany] Nothing like a good ol god session

*** Skate enters the room ***
[Skate] Great game there
[Moany] Admittedly Michama don't have the bestest team
[Dazza] This team might do alright
[Skate] How is that Mary girl going?
[Moany] Oh her, well ... she needs to liven up
[Skate] Too used to folks like us then
[Dazza] PARTY!
[Moany] Yes, does as she's told but far too meek for a real football player
[Skate] Pity, she's got the talent
[Dazza] She's got to be mentally stronger
[Moany] Being kids, they just need to grow up I guess

*** Tunk enters the room ***

[Dazza] Tunky! :)
[Skate] He's the man! :)
[Tunk] Hi girls, I see them Jews are doing good
[Moany] The C&M game is the big one
[Tunk] Some good talent there, I hope they do well
[Dazza] We need more Dinkie girls
[Skate] And Bikes
[Moany] Go enough bikes already there Dazza
[Tunk] Maybe more of Mary girls instead
[Skate] Boring people don't attract attention
[Tunk] Well naked people do attact attention I guess

The Albrecht Herald
No hanging about for C&M as early show downs Sortherners
By Tracker Edwards

Facing elimination with anything but a win, one suspects that the last thing the Sorthern Northland management would have wanted was to face a C&M side shorn of six of the players who skinned them alive last time out. At least if the full first XI was to be involved, the side mashed six-nil last week would have known entirely what they were dealing with. Instead, the distant racial memory of that six-two defeat to a C&M second XI in the last Di Bradini Cup must have welled up through their collective drunken haze. And having been at the ground, may I assure you that that latter comment is not merely an unbecoming use of stereotyping upon the Sorthern sportsman. It may work for rugby, but dear oh dear…

At least we in the press box knew what their names were this time, and don’t have to go on about their new flag instead (though it is a good flag, best beloved). Instead, we can talk about how poor they were, in the first half at least. Those who agreed with the consensus of opinion that Sorthern Northland were destined to make their first senior World Cup next time around may be re-evaluating their opinions based on the youth coming through. Their fans were rowdy but just about in control of their limbs and mouths however, serenading their inept players and more sedate opposition supporters with graphic but well-humoured songs and gleefully waving their national flag at every opportunity (and it is a good flag, best beloved).

In truth, they knew as well as the rest of us that their young heroes were simply not up to the job this time around, and it was clear from the off that even this changed C&M side would have little trouble in disposing of them. Keen to get the job done and allow plenty of time to prepare for the Milchama game; Adam Williamson set out his team with a particularly attacking outlook. A pessimist might argue that this tactic failed to come off against the Jeruselemite teens in the early stages of the last game, and would not have done here were it not for some rather dreadful attempts at defending. No-one would surely dare put that question to Williamson just now however, and wou can blame them after the Small Blues went a goal up with barely three minutes on the clock?

A hurried, all-action start saw both sides have distant attempts on goal through Gregory Pinoc and Jack Marshall, but C&M were the first to try and play on the floor from an Adam Federluchi kick out. Hank Moya won the header with Eddie O’Donovan and found Neil Jones, the MN Smith winger having rapidly made his way to the edge of the area. It was Jones’ first touch of the ball in Starblaydia and his subsequent cross-shot betrayed that, but Carl Abele spared his blushes with a horribly sliced clearance. Leonard Pinto was in the right place to steal the ball off the centre-back, wander round Federluchi and score his first goal for the under-21s.

Happily for those who believe that a C&M side should play to their traditional strength, the Small Blues did sit back on their laurels at that point, and Sorthern Northland were in no fit state to punish them for it. Instead, Moya slipped seamlessly into the Connor Mengucci role, while Merlin Siriwong playing on his unaccustomed right wing terrorised poor Jalal Al-Jalalwi every bit as much as Nathanial Alaoui had managed. The Sortherners looked up to the crowd to find inspiration from the still-lusty renditions of We Love You Sorthern Northland, We Do and the fluttering flags (and they are good fluttering flags, best beloved) but could find none.

So instead C&M were calm, controlled and unworried, and all-but sorted the game out on the half hour when Siriwong found himself without other options on the wing and crossed wildly into the box. Joe Cunningham won the ball, passed to Jones, who notched up another assist by giving Jack Marshall a simple opportunity to find his fourth goal in as many under-21 games.

A double substitution later and Sorthern Northland came alive in the second half, forcing saves out of Andy Harford for the first real time. His near-namesake Halford on the right narrowly put over a good free-kick chance, and was on the end of a well-worked move. Sadly for the Sortherner fans the other right-wing Gregory produced only a tame shot Harford gathered with ease.

Williamson soon opted to trust in his own subs to really put the game beyond their limp opponents (though they do have a good flag, best beloved), and was rewarded by wee Erik Kjaer. Oh, the boy has pace, certainly, but who knew he possessed such a fine shot on him too? Another sub, Nathaniel Stewart, found the Recluse Island-born teenager in space thirty yards out, and Kjaer didn’t have to think twice before letting fly. If it curved more than was in fact intended then call it beginner’s luck, but the shot outfoxed Federluchi at least and nestled in the bottom right-hand corner.

The latter stages were a procession in truth, but Federluchi still had to save once more from Cunningham while Harford produced one of his finest such to date from a John Hernandez snap shot. Hernandez muttered irritably, as Hernandezes are liable to do, but Harford was the toast of the C&M team for stopping the best chance yet to deny the Small Blues their fourteen-for-nought goalscoring record.

The team played well, but it won’t be enough to give them a second shot against Milchama. Williamson has already confirmed that given that three points in the next game would all but mathematically confirm first place in the group, he will return to pretty much his preferred XI of Harford – Dixon, Ortiz, Virta, Sosa – Alaoui, Marshall, Mengucci, Montano – French and Gallagher. Only Cunningham will be rested, making way for the highly thought-of KT Hotspur teenager up front. The crowd won’t mind either way, one suspects. If they keep winning like this, Williamson can be forgiven any decision he makes.

And as for that crowd? They were well-behaved enough yesterday, but their powers of self-restraint may be tested by the back-to-back clashes with the Milchamans and Jeruselemites. It would be a profound shame if the on-pitch respect that Candelariasian football will have earned on Starblaydi shores in recent years were to be undone by the performances of the Candelariasian people in the stands. This is an occasion like few others for those individuals to put some of their caustic opinions to one side, and concentrate on supporting these boys struggling for our honour on foreign fields and showing the world that the Candelarias are the very essence of openness, tolerance and honesty that we know them to be.

In other words; sit down, shut up and enjoy this. We have been spoiled in recent times, and need to realise that for any country, never mind our own, this kind of sustained success does not happen very often.

These young men need your unfettered support, not to be distracted by foul chants emanating from their own fans. One of these days they’re actually going to concede a goal. And then you’ll be sorry…

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/Candelaria And Marquez.png Candelaria And Marquez Under-21s 3
Pinto 4, Marshall 30, Kjaer 69

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/sorthern_northland.png Sorthern Northland Under-21s 0
It is a good flag, though

-Transcript of the press conference after the C&M game.

"Good evening Mr Bloggs, we didn't perfo... hold on your not Joe Bloggs, manager of the SN U21 team."

"No I'm not, I'm John Johnson, Minister of Sport for the People's Government of Sorthern Northland. Joe Bloggs is with the team having an emergency training session."

*Journo looks out of window.

"You mean they're in the pub across the road?"

"Yes after the last match, Joe and his coaches thought the team lacked something."

"A hangover?"

"No a belief that they are invincible. It is well known that alcohol makes you feel invincible and I expect the team to be locked in the pub until the next game."

"Well the performance against C&M was less than satisfactory wasn't it?"

"Yes, like I said earlier we lacked that invincible feeling and Joe and his coaching team are doing everything they can to rectify the situation."

*A naked Lee Waywide runs into the room and pukes over the journalist.

Johnson continues, "See already we have got an excellent team spirit in the camp, now we just have to raise them up to more than they can be."

"Are there any positives from the match?"

"Yes our new flag received a lot of praise from the C&M press."

"Erm what's the flag got to do with football?"

"Well it signifies everything that we as a nation stand for. The red background, the blood over people and players give to the cause. The hammer and sickle symbolises the unity between industrial and agricultural workers, and the gold cross symbolises the success that unity and our socialist system brings."

"That success evidently hasn't got to the football team yet though has it?"

"The U21's no but the senior team are doing quite well and stand with a good chance of qualifying for the next World Cup. Ok the youth team isn't flourishing yet but success takes time. This team hasn't been together long. Good things come to those who wait."

"I see, and are there any other plans to change any national symbols to paper over the cracks of our sporting underachievement?"

"Indeed there are. We plan to change our national anthem in the coming weeks. We have looked at the possibilities and the songs Go West, You Raise Me Up, and The Final Countdown have been rejected in favour of a combined English Irish version of The Internationalle."

"Exciting stuff, but why? We Love You Sorthern Northland, We Do is a hugely popular anthem?"

"Indeed it is and we hope it remains in the hearts of the people and will still be sung by proud Sorthern Northlanders but we feel that The Internationalle is more suitable as an official national anthem."

"Hmm I see, hold on this is supposed to be about football, Jeruselem up next. We have no chance do we?"

"Maybe not on the football pitch but I remain confident that we can out drink them in the pub."

Something might have happened!

MD1:: Starbladyia 2-0 Han
MD2:: Han 1-5 Valanora
MD3:: Kura-Pelland 0-2 Han
MD4:: Han 2-3 Starbladyia
MD5:: Valanora --- Han
MD6:: Han --- Kura-Pelland

Well, I'll tell you! The moment you get a murder convict whacking a bamboo stick on the pitch, you can get any team into top shape. It happened again, and every time that madman whacked his stick on the ground, they scored! Of course, the ref got tired of that really quickly, so the coach got ejected again. And as soon as he got ejected, the Han started playing horribly. It was day one all over again, as they whipped out their PSPs faster than the convict coach could whip them with his bamboo stick, much to the dismay of the wildly outraged Coach Yu (who is not, by the way, the convict coach).

In remarks after the match against Starablaydia, part two, Coach Yu idly spoke of 'a lack of discipline among the players, who are far too focused on school and games to play professional football.' Who is he kidding? The kids should be far too focused on school! The games, I could care less; but the school! These kids are at their prime and the only way that this country gets better is if the kids get better. And surely! Focus on school is a good thing! I think that the only discipline that this team needs is the discipline to stop playing those horrific game portals! That's the one thing that's caught anyone's attention, and I'm sure that Starblaydia was overjoyed when the PSPs came out because it was a sight with which they were familiar, and they took that opportunity to the bank. The only saving grace of this team came at halftime when Coach Yu had the convict fitness coach break all of the kids PSPs - except for Pak Gyuseon, only because he was scoring goals and deserved a little R&R.

But everyone else needs to learn that playing football is not about getting 11 players on a field together to work as a team; IT'S ABOUT WINNING. AND THESE KIDS CAN'T WIN. There, I said it. Now if you have anything else to say, please contact my lawyer; I'm sure that he can enlighten you.

GAZETA DO POVO - O JORNAL DA NAÇÃO CAFUNDELENSE!
Sports Section - Articles written by Carlos Alberto Gujabre
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HALLELUJAH! FINALLY A CONVINCING WIN!

Finally the team started to honor the red-black shirt! The three first games weren't convincing, but today... they impressed me! A very good performance against Az-cz, and now I start to believe that these guys can do a good job in the competition. Few things needed to be changed if they play like they played today. But, if they play like they played today. Who knows what can happen in the next game? Anyway, once again I watched the game in the pub, and today there were less complaints, of course.

The Zezinho Freeway Pub wasn't full, but, after watching four games here, I now know many of its customers. In fact, I was able to have a more intimate conversation with that drunk girl of the last game, but let's not deviate of the main subject, which is the game. Well, during the game, the Monopolists showed good ball control, and intelligence when creating the plays. So, the comments were a bit different. I heard things like: "Good pass, kid. You remind me of Falcus"; "That's football! Too bad that my Khalmar-Tijhus doesn't have a player of your quality" and "GOOOOOAL!" (more than once)

When the game started, the supporters here in the pub weren't optimistic. And the team really didn't play when in the first twenty minutes, with many wrong passes. At least the defence was able to avoid suffering goals, and prepared the offensive. Suddenly, in a very fast play, Tobias passed the ball to Fausto, who invaded the area, dribbled a defender, the goalkeeper and shot to score the goal. After the goal, Cafundéu continued attacking, and scored the second. This time, it was Fausto who, after receiving a pass from Índio, passed the ball to Tobias who shot from outside the area. Goal.

The party inside the pub started after the referee whistled the end of the first half. Some men asked me to drink with them, and I accepted (I only drank two glasses of beer, believe me! [I know that you won't]). A small boy, probably not older than 12, entered in the pub and asked for a glass of whisky. The bartender gave him what he asked for! What? I was upset. I asked "How can you give whisky to a small boy? He is younger than 18 years! Are you crazy? Do you want me to call the police?" The bartender answered: "Come on reporter, we are celebrating!" I could do nothing.

Az-cz improved a bit in the second half, but nothing that could stop the Cafundelense party. Kardec looked very secure in the goal, and showed maturity. Gaëif continued a bit nervous, but played better than in the last games. Russo played a bit as midfielder, and did a good job. Tobias made some nice dribbles, and the attacking trio had good chances to score. Overall, the team seemed very good, something that didn't seem in the last games. And the ending point was Zé Sho's goal, from a free kick.

CAFUNDÉU 3x0 AZ-CZ

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Pô Makabi (Jeruselem).
MOTM: Tobias (Cafundéu).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo and Gaëif; Zé Sho, Jorginho (Humberto 73') and Tobias; Juca Bala (Juninho 85'), Fausto and Sorato (Russo 60').
Coach: Franz Braddock.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/az-cz.png AZ-CZ: no team released.

Goals:CAF: Fausto 26' , Tobias 34' , Zé Sho 87'.

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

Cafundéu – formation for game against St Samuel: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo and Gaëif; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Tobias; Juca Bala, Fausto and Juninho.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.
Style of +3

Match’s Referee: Ted Garrido (Candelaria And Marquez).

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

DBC goalscorers:

3- Fausto
1- Bacharel, Tobias and Zé Sho

Matchday 5 Scores

Group A
Starblaydia 1-1 Kura-Pelland
Elves Security Forces 2-2 Daehanjeiguk

Group B
St Samuel 2-3 Cafundeu
Az-cz 0-0 Ashlaea

Group C
Popay 3-0 Bazalonia
Taeshan 1-0 Lovisa

Group D
Candelaria And Marquez 1-2 Milchama
Jeruselem 2-2 Sorthern Northland


Matchday 5 Tables
Group A P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Elves Security Forces 5 3 2 0 17 9 +8 11 Q
Starblaydia 5 2 2 1 10 8 +2 8 Q
Daehanjeiguk 5 1 1 3 7 12 -5 4 E
Kura-Pelland 5 0 3 2 5 10 -5 3 E


Group B P W D L GF GA GD Pts
St Samuel 5 3 1 1 10 5 +5 10
Cafundeu 5 3 1 1 9 5 +4 10
Az-cz 5 2 1 2 3 7 -4 7
Ashlaea 5 0 1 4 1 8 -7 1 E


Group C P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Popay 5 5 0 0 17 3 +14 15 Q
Taeshan 5 4 0 1 7 5 +2 12 Q
Bazalonia 5 1 0 4 2 8 -6 3 E
Lovisa 5 0 0 5 1 11 -10 0 E


Group D P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Candelaria And Marquez 5 4 0 1 15 2 +13 12 Q
Jeruselem 5 3 1 1 12 9 +3 10 Q
Milchama 5 2 0 3 5 11 -6 6 E
Sorthern Northland 5 0 1 4 4 15 -11 1 E

Knights in next round play popay for ship of group 3. win by twelve points gives them first. Ricky zellefrow scored the only goal of the game. Lets go dudes.

Miracle happen once in while ashlaea tied somone yeah.

In an Jeruselem Internet Chat room DazzaBikeShop

[Dazza] The team is conceding too many goals, 9 in 5 games
[Moany] We should be scoring more goals too but that's the way it is
[Dazza] Our defenders aren't really aggressive enough
[Moany] They do lay back too much, don't go forward unless they feel like it
[Dazza] I think we need a little more aggression in this team
[Moany] There's no motivator player like you or Skate
[Dazza] Can't we assign one player to that?
[Moany] Everyone prefers to play the team thing and not rock the boat
[Dazza] They need a leader, a Messiah type
[Moany] I can't think of one player really
[Dazza] I'm sure there's someone in there
[Moany] We have aggressive players but only when they get the ball, none of them are really self-motivated
[Dazza] Must be their upbringing I guess
[Moany] Yes, children who obey their parents without any question. It shows
[Dazza] I guess we grew up quite differently
[Moany] Yes, we didn't need the extra motivation - survival only thing in the early days
[Dazza] You have strive for something
[Moany] C&M will test their true mental state, I hold they don't fold
[Dazza] They did last time, but at least it wasn't a rout
[Moany] The skills are there, they need to be more independent and creative
[Dazza] And keep control of the ball, can't win without ball control
[Moany] I think they are here because the parents want them to gain some skills out of this
[Dazza] Surviving in the big bad football world
[Moany] It's a jungle out there
[Dazza] We'll teach them how it's done
[Moany] I hope so
[Dazza] What's up with that Mary girl last game?
[Moany] Oh, someone called her whore - she hates that
[Dazza] So she went back into her shell
[Moany] Yeah, and the opponent got back into the game
[Dazza] Football players should be tougher than that
[Moany] Nice girl but far too sensitive
[Dazza] I can shape her up!
[Moany] I think she wants to avoid people like you
[Dazza] Now why would that be
[Moany] Look the Kate and Jacinta, they are clones of you
[Dazza] That's good mothering
[Moany] I wonder about the cloning with you sometimes

Popay-3
Moore 32", Kim Jung-Sui 67", 89"

Bazalonia-0

Popayen Stats
Goalscorers
Christaino-6 Goals
Kim Jung-Sui-6 Goals
Moore-3 Goals
Bobo-1 Goal
King- 1 Goal

Offences
Christiano-1 Red Card
Tony Grey-1 Yellow Card

Line up for next game Vs Taeshan
Gk-Clarke
DL-Célodean
DC-Kyles
DC-Pye
DR-Johnman
ML-Coco
MC-King
MC-Jung-Sui
MC-T.Jones
MR-Bobo
SK-Christiano

Predicited Taeshan Lineup
GK-Newton
DL-Duck
DC-Pearsin
DR-Meyerse
ML-Zeke Jr
MC-Geek
MC-Del Rio
MR-Lewis
FL-Gregory
FC-Aslott
FR-Zellefrow

The Albrecht Herald
Whoops
By Tracker Edwards

“When are C&M actually going to loose a game in the Di Bradini Cup?” It was a problem that plagued mankind for over two – or possibly four – years, one of the chief questions of our time alongside, “If a plane were to fall to the ground, how big a hole would it leave?” and “Just how versatile are Birds Eye potato waffles anyway? Could you create a functioning aqualung out of them, say?”

If nothing else we now know the answer, to the first question at least, being; “On Matchday Five of the Third DBC, against Milchama.” We all knew it would happen eventually, but after the form of the last fortnight it’s still rather hard to believe that it’s actually occured.

Milchama came out knowing that they stood on the edge. Only a victory for them and three points for Sorthern Northland would keep them clinging on, while the Small Blues had already confirmed their qualification. It was no surprise that the impetus belonged to the Milchamans, just how badly Adam Williamson’s squad dealt with it. Far from the imperious group that swept aside their three opponents without so much as conceding a goal; they appeared as little boys lost against the onslaught of their nameless foes. That this was – the rested Joe Cunningham aside – Williamson’s preferred XI may give him sleepless nights, or perhaps they simple needed to get the fear of conceding, never mind loosing, out of their system. The previously rock-solid partnership of Connor Mengucci and Jack Marshall was repeatedly brushed aside, and only the rapid reactions of the Gamboan ‘keeper Andy Harford stopped the top seeds from going two behind before the first ten minutes was out.

Archer French dropped back into the midfield to help retake the scruff of the game’s neck, but to no avail. A Milchaman cross came in from the left and though the most advanced striker was held back by Demario Ortiz, the curve on the ball misled everybody and whistled past Harford.

The Milchamans had adopted a pressing game, and Alessio Montano and Nathanial Alaoui were not well suited to combating it. A Lloyd Donnelly XI aside; C&M teams devoid of serviceable wingers are usually toothless, and so it was again here. Defensively however Ortiz and Jari Virta were still strong, and despite having by far the bulk of the chances Milchama left the pitch at half time just a goal to the good.

Williamson is thankfully not one to sit on his hands, for all his flaws, and Neil Jones and Merlin Siriwong entered the fray for the second forty-five. Unfortunately, the manager’s error in judgement in bringing only one out-and-out right winger was shown up here as Siriwong struggled to adapt on his unflavoured flank. Spotting Jones as a worry, the mysterious Milchaman boss assigned a man on him permanently, which at least allowed Marshall more space to get into the game. Allen Gallagher, in practically the striker’s first touch, laid on a fine ball for the Albrecht FC midfielder, but for once he fluffed it.

It would prove pretty much C&M’s last opportunity to get at least a point, as the game was all but tied up on the sixtieth minute. José Luis Sosa was forced to put the ball out for a corner – and then carded for a petulant flick towards the Milchaman number eleven. The same player put the ball in, and though Harford punched well the number ten headed in to take his side two-nil up.

C&M toiled, but their best efforts were simply not enough. Finally, on eighty, did Neil Jones manage a break down the left and a cross to the far post, which French headed in with ease. But the Milchamans remained solid behind the ball, and the Small Blues could only batter at their ramparts impotently. Milchama ultimately held on for a… victory that meant very little, actually. The news from the group’s other game had already come through, with Sorthern Northland (bless ‘em) taking but a point against Jeruselem. That scoreline alone was enough to make Milchama 2 C&M 1 feel like a defeat for the now eliminated victors and a moral victory for Williamson’s group.

Yet the manager’s best laid plans had gang aft proper agley all the same. Victory against Jeruselem in that seemingly irrelevant final game could be the difference between a daunting tie with Valanora or Cafundéu, or a – with respect – slightly less worrying clash with Taeshan or St Samuel. With C&M holding a +10 goal difference over Monique Alexander’s kids, Williamson was hoping to be able to field a second XI once more, and given his favourite sons a rest.

Ironically, his hand will be forced. Sosa is suspended after his yellow card and Ortiz, Mengucci and Harris Dixon are all also on yellows that could see them missing the quarter-finals should they pick up a card against Jeruselem. To that end, Williamson is expected to name a team of Harford – Krstev, Virta, Fattori, Ganaha – Alaoui, Marshall, Moya, Montano – French and Joe Cunningham returning up front.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/Candelaria And Marquez.png Candelaria And Marquez Under-21s 1
French 80

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/milchama.png Milchama Under-21s 2
Number Five 17, Number Ten 60

GAZETA DO POVO - O JORNAL DA NAÇÃO CAFUNDELENSE!
Sports Section - Articles written by Carlos Alberto Gujabre
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE DRUNKS PRAISE TEAM AFTER WIN

The reception of the Sub-21 National Team inside the pub is now completely different of the one of the first three games. The team didn't have a good start, failing to make good performances and receiving many complaints from the customers of Zezinho Freeway Pub. Then, in the second game against Az-cz, things started to change, as a good win was responsible for the increase of the confidence between the supporters, who were expecting a good performance in this game too. It wasn't easy, but they received it.

The team had some problems in the defensive area, the one that probably is the weakest of the team (talking about the central defence, as the wings have good players). Kardec had to work a lot, and couldn't save all the shots. But the attack, which is the position with most unknown players, could compensate the goals suffered, scoring a lot too, and the supporters were happy with the result, with comments like: "Shoot from outside the area, their goalkeeper is poor!"; "Now I see that they are talented"; "Yaschter chose the right players" and "Yaaaahhh, we scored again!"

In the first half, the game was very disputed. Cafundéu had a very good chance in the first minutes, but luck wasn't in the side of the Monopolists. Zé Sho shot from outside the area. The goalkeeper wasn't able to save, but the ball hit the referee, who was positioned behind the goalkeeper. The St Samuel players thanked the referee, a very good defender. After many minutes, they scored. Paulo Santos lost the ball in the midfield and a winger started the counterattack. He crossed the ball and an attacker headed to score. But Cafundéu was playing well, and could react soon. Fausto invaded the area, dribbled an opponent and passed the ball to Juca Bala, who shot and scored the goal.

The first half ended in a 1x1 draw, but the team was playing well. During halftime, I was unable to see the reactions of the drunk fans, as I discovered that the girl that I talked to in the last game had a husband, who wanted to "talk" with me, after discovering what happened. Thanks to the bartender, I was able to save myself from the angry "corno" (betrayed husband). When I sit to watch the second half, the supporters were drinking, waiting for the second half. One of them was complaining about the heat, and took off his clothes, being sent off the pub soon after by the other supporters.

Cafundéu was able to take the lead in the second minute of the last half. Jorginho took the ball and shot from the outside of the area. The goalkeeper made a huge mistake and let the weak shot end in a goal. St Samuel sent the team to the attack, trying to recover. Índio saved the team with a foul, after a St Samuel player dribbled the goalkeeper who left the goal to try to stop him. The winger was sent off. The positive result was secured when Tobias headed after Madureira's crossing and scored the third goal. St Samuel even scored in the injury time, but Cafundéu won the game.

CAFUNDÉU 3x2 ST SAMUEL

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Ted Garrido (Candelaria And Marquez).
MOTM: Jorginho (Cafundéu).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo and Gaëif (Fábio 45'); Zé Sho (Madureira 55'), Jorginho and Tobias; Juca Bala, Fausto and Juninho (Sorato 67').
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/st_samuel.png ST SAMUEL: no team released.

Goals:CAF: Juca Bala 34' , Jorginho 47' , Tobias 69'.
STS: Attacker 31' , Another Attacker 94'.

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

Cafundéu – formation for game against Ashlaea: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Russo, Toledo and Ronaldão; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Tobias; Juca Bala, Fausto and Sorato.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter
Style of +3

Match’s Referee: Mandrack Sobrinho (Starblaydia).

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

DBC goalscorers:

3- Fausto
2- Tobias
1- Zé Sho, Bacharel, Juca Bala, Jorginho

OOC: Do forgive the lateness of these scores, my windscreen wipers broke on my way home from work - whilst it was snowing rather heavily. All fun and games, and here's the final Group Stage set of matches!

Matchday 6 Scores

Group A
Starblaydia 2-1 Elves Security Forces
Daehanjeiguk 1-3 Kura-Pelland

Group B
St Samuel 3-2 Az-cz
Ashlaea 1-6 Cafundeu

Group C
Popay 1-0 Taeshan
Lovisa 2-0 Bazalonia

Group D
Candelaria And Marquez 2-2 Jeruselem
Sorthern Northland 2-0 Milchama

Matchday 6 Tables
Group A P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Elves Security Forces 6 3 2 1 18 11 +7 11 Q
Starblaydia 6 3 2 1 12 9 +3 11 Q
Kura-Pelland 6 1 3 2 8 11 -3 6 E
Daehanjeiguk 6 1 1 4 8 15 -7 4 E


Group B P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Cafundeu 6 4 1 1 15 6 +9 13 Q
St Samuel 6 4 1 1 13 7 +6 13 Q
Az-cz 6 2 1 3 5 10 -5 7 E
Ashlaea 6 0 1 5 2 14 -12 1 E


Group C P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Popay 6 6 0 0 18 3 +15 18 Q
Taeshan 6 4 0 2 7 6 +1 12 Q
Lovisa 6 1 0 5 3 11 -8 3 E
Bazalonia 6 1 0 5 2 10 -8 3 E


Group D P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Candelaria And Marquez 6 4 1 1 17 4 +13 13 Q
Jeruselem 6 3 2 1 14 11 +3 11 Q
Milchama 6 2 0 4 5 13 -8 6 E
Sorthern Northland 6 1 1 4 6 15 -9 4 E

Quarter-Final Fixtures
Elves Security Forces Vs St Samuel
Cafundeu Vs Starblaydia
Popay Vs Jeruselem
Candelaria And Marquez Vs Taeshan

"Two nil? We won two nil??"

"Yeah, that's what it says."

"No, there must be a mistake."

"Why?"

"Because we're shit."

"Yeah well I'm certain we won two nil."

"How can you be sure, just go and check. Maybe you got it the wrong way round."

"I don't need to check, I know we won two nil."

"We can't have."

"Well we did, I watched the game on tele, we won two nil."

"Maybe it's a hoax, maybe the game didn't take part."

"Nope we won two nil and Waywide and O'Donnovon scored."

"Nope, that's what they want you believe."

"Right so what else did you find out at this Conspiracy Theory Convention?"

"Not a lot actually, I didn't find it in the end."

"Oh, that a conspiracy as well was it?"

wow both teams lost. taeshan hopes its youngsters win in next round

GAZETA DO POVO - O JORNAL DA NAÇÃO CAFUNDELENSE!
Sports Section - Articles written by Carlos Alberto Gujabre
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIRST PLACE IN THE GROUP!

Wow! The last game of the Monopolists in the group stage was excellent... for us. Of course the supporters were already expecting an easy win, as the team's performances in the last games were very good, and that the team needed a good result to try to get the first place of the group, but it was the best game of this Sub-21 team until now in the competition. Good attack, good defence, the players enjoyed the game, they could play with their opponents, the supporters had fun.

The girl returned to the pub, with most of the usual customers, now my friends. Yes, we are now like a family, watching the games together in the great Zezinho Freeway Pub, please come here you too, maybe you can find me! Even famous people are coming here. For example, the beggar Nostradamus, which is known for shouting on the streets of Cafundó do Juta his prophecies, saying that the world will end! Well, the supporters here in the pub were confident, once again the girl said that Cafundéu would score ten goal. But, in fact, we were just expecting the qualification.

The game started, and Juca Bala, who had just average games during the competition, surprised everybody scoring twice before the fifth minute of the game! The first goal was scored when he took the ball from the defender, invaded the area and shot with strength. In the second, Tobias passed the ball to Fausto who passed to him, and he had just to touch the ball to score. After the two fast goals, Cafundéu played with a balanced strategy, and took some time to score again. Tobias lost the ball in the midfield, but Russo recovered it. Then, he shot from outside the area, and scored. Fausto scored still in the first half, dribbling two opponents. At injury time, Ashlaea scored with one of the Franks.

It was a cold day here in Cafundó do Juta, which isn't a common thing. Because of that, the city looked different but, inside the pub, things were the same. Even in the cold climate, the supporters commemorate a lot the victory, which seemed guaranteed after the end of the first half. They started to sing, hug each other, and make their usual comments, like: "The best player of Ashlaea is Frank"; "I agree"; "Juca Bala is very fast, but Fausto is more technical"; "All the players of the team have some quality, I like them"; "I want more beer!"; "So pay the ones that you drank!".

In the second half, Cafundéu didn't show all the assassin instinct that was shown in the first half, and the players started to make their own show to the supporters, preparing nice tricks, making beautiful passes and dribbles. Some Franks complained and started to foul the Cafundelenses. In a beautiful play, Fausto dribbled Frank, then dribbled Frank, invaded the area and passed the ball to Jorginho. The midfielder shot, and Frank didn't save. Ashlaea tried to reply. Frank got the ball in the midfield, passed to Frank, who held the ball. Saw Frank in a good position and passed to him. Frank crossed, but George couldn't head the ball. Soon after, Fausto scored the last goal, with a nice play.

CAFUNDÉU 6x1 ASHLAEA

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Mandrack Sobrinho (Starblaydia).
MOTM: Fausto (Cafundéu).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Russo, Toledo and Ronaldão; Zé Sho, Jorginho (Bacharel 75') and Tobias (Black 63'); Juca Bala, Fausto and Sorato (Juninho 81').
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/ashlaea.png ASHLAEA: frank; frank, frank, frank and frank; frank (george 63'), frank, frank and frank (george 84'); frank and frank (george 63').
Coach: george frank.

Goals:CAF: Juca Bala 2'/4' , Russo 33' , Fausto 40'/72' , Jorginho 58'.
ASH: frank 45'+.

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

Cafundéu – formation for game against Starblaydia: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo and Gaëif; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Tobias; Juca Bala, Fausto and Sorato.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter
Style of +3

Match’s Referee: Carlo Di Mantini (St Samuel).

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

DBC goalscorers:

5- Fausto
3- Juca Bala
2- Tobias and Jorginho
1- Zé Sho, Bacharel, Juca Bala, Russo

The Albrecht Herald
Jeru Shos enough, but C&M secure top spot
By Tracker Edwards

In the end, it was always going to be a slightly tentative affair, with both sides knowing that Popay and Taeshan were much of a muchness, and keen to avoid picking up injuries or suspensions that could cost them in the knock-out stages. But Jeruselem are nothing if not an attacking outfit, Adam Williamson has assembled a far from typical group of Candelariasian youngsters, and there was pride at stake if nothing else. Games between Jeruselem and C&M teams in the past have been too one-sided for a genuine sporting rivalry to emerge, but after the Small Blues’ relatively comfortable win earlier in the tournament, their younger peers from the former senior World Cup finalists and two-times Under-21 World Cup champions were unwilling to settle for second best.

It was no surprise that they were keen to dictate the play, with the midfield being the key battleground. This was a game that provided proof were it needed that Connor Mengucci and Hank Moya are worlds apart, for the bigger Moya was simply overrun by the technically superior Kulz Minestein and his physical equal Joseph Yibitz. For the second game in succession the Small Blues were being battered in the centre of the park, and only the pace and strength of Jari Virta and Reuben Fattori avoided early embarrassment. Coss Cohen found good opportunities on several occasions, but proved a little too selfish with the ball with big Olk Silverstein frequently left fuming. C&M’s only hope meanwhile was to get behind their opposition and put the narrow, barely pubescent defence under pressure, but Yakuuks Hashstein had Alessio Montano under control while Nathanial Alaoui’s crosses were going hopelessly wide.

Finally, shortly before half-time, did the breakthrough come though even to their own surprise it was to C&M. Seichii Ganaha and Montano combined well to outfox the Jeru captain on the left, with the Yarzoya FC winger sending a cross well over the Jeruselemite defence. Joe Cunningham latched onto it and fired home with Shem Bahan diving that little bit too late.

Aware that it had come well against the run of play, Williamson attempted to fiddle about with the formation, with Alaoui sacrificed for Erik Kjaer. Monique Alexander meanwhile brought on Flak Sho, and inspired move that would shift the game firmly back in the Jeruselemites’ favour. C&M’s midfield collapsed under the weight of the creative new arrival and within five minutes of the restart Sho had fashioned an equaliser, beating his fellow Ariddian-born star Ganaha all ends up and crossing for Cohen to finally find the net.

Moya was hauled off soon after with Mengucci risked despite sitting on a yellow card. The Candelaria-Allemali star’s presence was instantly evident and provided renewed impetus to C&M, but Jeruselem were far from out of ideas. Sho passed to Franny Goldstein who appeared offside but was able to get a cross into Cohen. Fattori got his body in the way and was adjudged to have handled, and from the resulted free-kick Hashstein’s dinked ball fell into the area to be poked home by Cohen for his brace.

But with that combination of Mengucci and the previously quiet Jack Marshall in the centre, this group of C&M youngsters can threaten anyone. Mengucci broke free of Yibitz and found Marshall, and the Albrecht FC player continued his clever run on to the edge of the box, where he fired low past Bahan. His celebrations were more mooted than Cohen’s earlier, but his goal meant just as much. And after weathering that kind of pressure, against a side that should C&M make the final you would not bet against them facing yet again, this truly felt like a moral victory.

Not for the first time in this tournament, the heads of Alexander’s charges dropped and the remaining few minutes were allowed to tick away to an injury-free two-each. And so Jeruselem were condemned to face Popay; technically the best side in this year’s tournament in the group stages with a 6-0-0 record.

Rather less daunting is C&M’s match-up with Taeshan, but make no mistake; the purple squires have a bunch of talented young players and this will be a genuine challenge. And despite the ongoing political disagreements between the two countries, Taeshan may be able to find a certain amount of support from Candelariasian soil. For many months now, the coffee-houses of the Candelarias have rattled with the sound of Taeshanese verse, in a craze similar to the beat poetry of the early sixties. “Miracle happen once in a while yeah,” and “Well uh yeah um well anyways,” may have the feel of an early e e cummings with whom the country shares a certain antipathy towards capitalisation, but I fear our young generation may have fallen foul of that dread substance known as caffeine. This humble sportswriter for one knows the perils of over-indulgence in this way.

But whatever their support from the disenfranchised youth of Albrecht, Arrigo or Bove; Williamson must know that once more the Candelarias is behind the under-21s. It will as ever be an uphill struggle, but we can feel confident in having every faith in their success.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/Candelaria And Marquez.png Candelaria And Marquez Under-21s 2
Cunningham 44, Marshall 82

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/jeruselem.png Jeruselem Under-21s 2
Cohen 51 and 66

______________________________________

The Albrecht Herald Online/Domestic News
New Rugby to plump for Small Blues

A poll for tomorrow’s Herald will reveal that, President Krishna Crow’s claims to the contrary, a majority of New Rugby’s population will be supporting Adam Williamson’s C&M side in their Di Bradini Cup quarter-final clash with Taeshan. What is more, over 40% of Taeshan-born residents came out to the Herald in favour of their fellow citizen’s majority homeland.

The news represents a blow for the Denationalisation Party ahead of next month’s elections in the microstate based around the former Players’ Village in the Taeshanese capital, and also pours scorn on the leaders of both main parties’ claims that the match would be met with an air of indifference by most of the inhabitants of the Hotel City.

Vice-President Sean Rafferty-Dhong, a Sorthern Northlandish rugby fan who chose to remain in Taeshan following the collapse of the RWC9, was keen to stress the importance of the game to the international media. “A match in an important competition like this, between the nation that most of our population is drawn from and that where we have made our temporary home is a hugely important opportunity to bring our plight back to the eyes of the world. Morally and practically we cannot leave here until the rugby world cup has finished one way or another, and we will be staying put. What is more, a poll such as this shows the commitment of the New Rugbonian people to our status as a nation, rather than the paltry and insulting offers of province status offered by the Taes government.”

His comments are likely to enflame the ongoing dispute between the Taeshanese and Candelariasian governments over the self-proclaimed colony’s status and short- and long-term future, and goes against the President’s more conciliatory tone. Yet other ministers were also happy to sign up for the C&M cause. Speaking on NRP-TV, the state’s only broadcaster, last night the young Hooker and New Rugby's Minister of the Interior Howard Hoare urged Williamson’s youngsters to “stick it to de nevada’s kids”, to enthusiastic whoops from the studio audience. Jonni-Michaela Oakley, the young hooker and Minister for Women, was similarly eager for the fixture to be used as “an opportunity to begin a programme of organised non-cooperation with Taeshanese authorities while they continue to acknowledge neither our cause nor existence as a free people.”

Such an attitude is by no means universal, with former Capital City Panthers wing Frederick Bardi leading calls for state’s seven-hundred strong population to bury the hatchet with their neighbours and integrate into life in the Continuum or return home. There was also an undercurrent of apathy as predicted by President Crow as the game drew closer. A former Huge Blues rugby fan, Nigel Taggart, told the Herald, “We’ve no interest in soccer. It’s not a gentleman’s game,” in between taking sips from a pint glass lodged between Oakley’s breasts.

His attitude towards the sport is a reflection of the Candelariasian response to his new country. An OiMate poll due to be released tomorrow is expected to show that ‘New Rugby’ is rated only the ninth most important issue to Candelariasian voters, trailing far behind taxation, immigration, anti-social behaviour, corruption, organised crime, transport, civil liberties and Rushmori agricultural subsidies. Politicians across the main parties have picked up on this ambivalence, and the problem has yet to strongly raise its head in the pre-election campaign campaign.

Valanora Express
Old Foes Meet Again

Following two straight performances where the squad looked less than stellar, Sardan brought in a special consultant to try and get the squad back on track for this knockout match. It was none other than scoring mistress Kyla Night. While it's not known what the legendary striker said or did to help out the squad, it is more than likely that these kids will be more prepared for their matchup with St Samuel as a result. Scoring just three goals in those last two matches, which resulted in a draw and a loss respectively, it is clear that this attack has lost it's sway. This is espicially distressing as Sardan is supposed to be an offensive guru whose teams score goals by the bundles and now it has gone inept. Hopefully the leading scorer in ESF's history has helped right the ship, and get this offensive juggernaught back on track.

They will be facing familiar foes in the upcoming fixture, as they will be vying with St Samuel, whom if you recalled were their oppisition in the Final of the first Di Brandini Cup. However, the latin Crusaders have fallen from grace since that match and used the narrowst of margins against lower caliber squads to reach this point in the competition. If the offense is back on track, the Marauders should have very little trouble is dispatching the Crusaders. This is where I will be looking at Grazi to lead the squad both vocally and in his play. In this tournament, the Marauders performances have been mirrowing of how thier captain has lead them. In the three matches where he did not perform up to his talent, the squad has yet to taste the fruit of victory. Yet the three matches where he was playing up to his abilities, the squad has been completely on top of things. Thus the key is making suring Grazi is up for this match and is utilized in the best possible manner.

One good thing that can be taken from this tournament whether we lose or progress is the play of the very young reserves. Having them be able to perform at such a tender age is quite an acheivement. Think about it this way, the typical elf lives to the age 100,000 and we age quite more slowly than humans do. So a 15-21 year old elf is the equivalant of just a year old human. Also consider that most of the professional footballers in the nation did not begin to reach anywhere near their potential until about the age 400. Thus having these youngster perform above the caliber of their human oppisition is trully a work of wonders, Elune be praised. I said it after we won the first edition of this tournament, but it must be repeated, the future of football in this country, even if the other members of Valanora are not contributing, is quite bright and should give every supporter of the national team a reason to be optimisitic in the football and in our proud race and civilization.

Article by Ron Santapa

Popay-1
Kim Jung-Sui 54"

Taeshan-0

Popayen Stats
Goalscorers
Kim Jung-Sui-7 Goals
Christaino-6 Goals
Moore-3 Goals
Bobo-1 Goal
King- 1 Goal

Offences
Christiano-1 Red Card
Tony Grey-1 Yellow Card

Line up for next game Vs Jerusluem
Gk-Clarke
DL-Célodean
DC-Kyles
DC-Pye
DR-Johnman
ML-Coco
MC-King
MC-Jung-Sui
MC-T.Jones
MR-Bobo
SK-Christiano

Jeruselem Government News

Out of fire, into the frying pan for Jeruselem's U-21 team

Against the odds, Jeruselem got a hard fought draw with top seeded Candelaria And Marquez. Things didnt start well for Jeruselem with C&M's Joe Cunningham springing into action slotting in the game's first goal just before half-time. The Jews fought back after the start of the 2nd half but were unable to capitalise on chances created. The introduction of Flak Sho (an Ariddian), helped our Jewish team with burst of energy allowing Cohen to grab the next two goals. After that, C&M came back scoring the game's last goal to settle the result and Jews decided not press the issue afterwards.

A good draw but it meant Jeruselem would playing Popay with it's perfect record with no losses or draws. Popay have conceded 3 goals and scored 18 to be the team with best form this cup. Jeruselem have conceded 11 goals, scoring only 14. Popay aren't the top seed but on form, they have the team to watch. Jeruselem have been underperforming of late with two draws but you cannot write off Monique Alexander's inexperienced team.

The talent is there for but it's not performing fully yet. No time for excuses against Popay who have not lost game and will have the cup's best defense so far. Candelaria And Marquez have the 2nd best defense and the recent draw with them means there's hope yet.

Incidentally, both Elves Security Forces and Jeruselem had the 3rd worst defenses this cup but they still qualified mainly due to their attacking philophies.

Quarter-Final Results
Elves Security Forces 3-0 St Samuel
Cafundeu 3-1 Starblaydia
Popay 1-2 Jeruselem
Candelaria And Marquez 4-1 Taeshan

Semi-Final Fixtures
Elves Security Forces Vs Cafundeu
Jeruselem Vs Candelaria And Marquez

In an Internet chat room DazzaBikeShop

[PinkyGirl] Hey sis!
[Skate] I'm here!
[PinkyGirl] Great game from the Jews in Starland
[Skate] Yeah, I was fully expecting them to lose that game. Say where's Mum?
[PinkyGirl] She's in hospital for a checkup, kid is due soon
[Skate] Can't wait for that too
[PinkyGirl] Moany's kids are doing great, pretty fired up compared to last game
[Skate] Yes, even Mary girl seemed inspired!
[PinkyGirl] You did something didn't you?
[Skate] Me? Do what ...
[PinkyGirl] Come clean sis
[Skate] Well, I kinda offered them money if they won the cup
[PinkyGirl] Well they are Jewish
[Skate] Well it worked, they went out there and worked hard. They even played like the real Jeruselem - being aggressive and not giving up like they do all the time
[PinkyGirl] Good hard tackling and even a bit of passion!
[Skate] I think the kids are learning about real football now
[PinkyGirl] I wanted to be out there
[Skate] What do think of that Pauline Boshoba?
[PinkyGirl] I heard she's a bit like us.
[Skate] Scary that! A Jewish version of us.
[PinkyGirl] Hey, I like that Michael Dayjkus.
[Skate] You're older than him Jacinta
[PinkyGirl] Doesn't bother me! That was a stylish goal he scored today.
[Skate] It's like he's dancing out there, oi you serious?
[PinkyGirl] Maybe!
[Skate] What about that Coss Cohen?
[PinkyGirl] Too up himself ... yes, he's a good striker but as a person ... loves himself too much
[Skate] I think that Flak Sho is the one for you
[PinkyGirl] You're just too Ariddian sis
[Skate] I'm more Qazoxian than Ariddian, you can blame Mum for that.
[PinkyGirl] Yeah, Rocky is your brother - who married our niece Rashina.
[Skate] Don't think Flak Sho is related to either of us. Hey why are you looking at Jewish boys ...
[PinkyGirl] Don't know ...

*** Dazza enters the room ***
[Dazza] Hey girls! Jacinta what U upto, getting clucky on me
[Skate] We should line up Jacinta with that Flak Sho
[Dazza] Oh, the Ariddian boy ... 100% too
[PinkyGirl] I like the DJ better
[Skate] Either way, hurry up before a Jewish girl gets him
[PinkyGirl] I'm organising their welcome back and an ambush
[Dazza] An ambush! Sounds like a plan ... hey, what is with us and ambushing men
[Skate] Don't know, I did it too

GAZETA DO POVO - O JORNAL DA NAÇÃO CAFUNDELENSE!
Sports Section - Articles written by Carlos Alberto Gujabre
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OOOHH! TEAM IMPRESSES AND DEFEATS HOSTS!

Quarterfinals. So, of course, it was a decisive game for the Monopolists. The team, which in the beginning of the competition didn't convince the supporters (especially my friends here from the pub), now is in excellent form, ready to face the strongest opponents. And the opponent really wasn't an easy one, as it had the advantage of playing at home. But Cafundéu used well the talent of the players and the tactical ability that makes our coaches known, winning the game with a good result. Also, this game was a tough one, with some violent fouls (something not unusual regarding Cafundéu games).

Here in Cafundó do Juta, it was another cold day, but the supporters were ready to start a party inside the pub. The owner had to buy more beer and drinks to cover the demand, and the place was was more crowded than ever, maybe thanks to this magazine, as I talk about this pub in every article (after all, I'm paid to do it). The comments before the game were mixed: some supporters were expecting a good win, others were nervous and didn't want to do predictions. Examples of comments were: "Come on, our main National Team is the twelfth best of the world, our youth team must be good"; "Let's show them our talent"; "We don't have a good history in this competition"; "They are the hosts, we'll lose"; "Hey, step out of my foot!".

The first half was already very disputed. The referee had to work in the first minute after Gaëif made a dangerous slide in the midfield, showing the yellow card. Both teams attacked well, but had some problems in invading the opponent's area, so tried to score with long ranged shots. Kristof shot well in one chance, but the ball hit the bar. Cafundéu replied with a shot by Zé Sho, but van Agmark made a good save. After some times, the attacks were better, and the teams could invade the opponent's area. And, thanks to that, Cafundéu scored. Tobias dribbled Stafador and passed the ball to Sorato, who shot with strength, scoring the goal. Starblaydia tried to react in the first half, but Kardec secured the partial win.

The victory in the first half excited the supporters, who start to sing the names of the main players of the teams, and some others famous songs, as "Você me Deve Grana" ("You Owe Me Money"), of the famous musical group "Interest Rate". During halftime, I was even able to met the famous poker player Adolfo Rodrigues, and played truco against him. I lost, what means that Adolfo is good in many different card games, not only poker. When the second half started, all the attention was directed to the television. And the second half had the same intensity of the first, so we couldn't stop staring at the screen.

In the second minute, Jorginho made a mistake in the midfield and Djibronè got the ball. He ran to the attack, invaded the area, shot and scored the goal, an excellent individual play. Luckily, Cafundéu reacted soon after, when Juca Bala received a long pass from Índio and headed the ball to the goal. The goalkeeper failed, as the save was easy. In the thirtieth minute, Djibronè and Tobias had an argument and were sent off by the referee. Three minutes later, Black suffered a penalty (the goalkeeper hit him). Fausto took it and... van Agmark saved! The last minutes of the game were very difficult for the Monopolists, as Yaschter decided to defend and suffered many attacks but, in the end, Sorato scored in a counterattack, deciding the game.

CAFUNDÉU 3x1 STARBLAYDIA

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Carlo Di Mantini (St Samuel).
MOTM: Zé Sho (Cafundéu).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio (Fábio 71'), Toledo and Gaëif (Black 55'); Zé Sho, Jorginho and Tobias; Juca Bala (Madureira 71'), Fausto and Sorato.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/starblaydia.png STARBLAYDIA: van Agmark; Chang-hwa, Perheira, Kaneda (Di Bradini 37') and Matranga; Stafador, Djibronè, Karinha and Kristof (Myung-Bo 62'); Torino and Lubii (Quaresma 77').
Coach: Apollina Iakovakis.

Goals:CAF: Sorato 28'/91' , Juca Bala 49'.
STR: Djibronè 47'.

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

Cafundéu – formation for game against Elves Security Forces: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo and Ronaldão; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Russo; Juca Bala, Fausto and Sorato.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter
Style of +3

Match’s Referee: Pa-Cu (Az-cz).

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

DBC goalscorers:

5- Fausto
4- Juca Bala
2- Tobias, Sorato, Jorginho
1- Zé Sho, Bacharel, Russo

The Albrecht Herald
Oh, no… Not again
By Tracker Edwards

Another question that has plagued mankind for many years – or at least that portion of mankind with waay too much time on its hands* - is the thorny matter of whether the Greek goddess Elpis was the mythological representation of hope, or expectation. The question is of little further importance here, since it would follow that we must discuss the release of every intrinsic human evil into the world, and phallocentric cultures’ unease with female sexuality, and divert us from the more pressing need to find mildly entertaining ways of describing five goals when I already used up my best Taeshan-based material yesterday. I’m equally kind of bored of Jews right now, and wish to avoid an in-depth discussion on the impact of both ancient and early-19th century blood libels on Candelariasian anti-Semitism. When William of Norwich** is invoked in a sports report, you know that the writer is suffering from heatstroke.

Any road up, the point is that debates of the correct translation of the ancient Greek and the reliability of wikipedia on such matter aside; there exists but a fine line between hope and expectation. Particularly in a tournament such as this, and particular for a country such as ours.

The vagaries of time dilation may make us perplexed as to exactly when, but few can doubt that Candelaria And Marquez’s victory at the second Di Bradini Cup will go down in our national history. Certain awkward facts – that a number of fellow smaller and less experienced nations also made it into the latter stages – will be forgotten as such things often are in favour of the better story; that the final group stage game and the route to the final was journey by a scratch team brought to their own surprise off the bench while their more heralded peers lay in hospital beds. It was a true, Rastafariburgians-on-a-tea-tray triumph-over-adversity story that will surely be remembered long after the players themselves have been placed to rest.

After that; the Small Blues’ attempts in the third edition of the DBC would inevitably prove a damp squib. This time, with a less than inspirational manager and a poorer selection of players, C&M would be blown away by the opposition. The group draw was hardly promising, after all.

And yet somehow they’ve stood on their own two feet, at times not merely labouring towards the results they need but flattening other sides with displays of effective but still eye-catching football. And inevitably that has had an effect; for who among us can honestly say that we have not begun to watch the under-21s anticipating victory. No stray thoughts of success. No outlandish hopes that ‘our’ young lads might show themselves worthy of a place in the tournament or even a title challenge. In a quarter-final, we watch C&M not with our fingers crossed and our eyes half shut in fear but with ours arms folded. We expect to be entertained. We expect to win. We’re better than the Taeshanese. ‘Against all the odds’ is a motto for the past. Now, there will be no drama, no mess, no fuss, just victory. And great-looking flair too, for preference.

Football is never that simple. Oh, it sure seemed like it would be; in those heady, naïve days of yesterday afternoon. When Alessio Montano harried the abnormally apostrophised right-back Ricky’s Meyerse***. When José Luis Sosa threw the ball in, and the Taeshanese defence were left watching each other and shrugging as the C&M onslaught continued. As Jack Marshall headed on to Montano, as Montano passed to Joe Cunningham, as Cunningham flicked on to Connor Mengucci who stabbed the ball towards goal. alan pearsin attempted to clear off the line, but Mengucci’s shot had all the power of any number of gods you care to mention. A flailing boot was all the number seventy-seven could manage.

It had capped ten minutes of utter Candelariasian domination, which had alleviated any fears that Hope might be needed. Be we in the crowd, the media boxes or back home, we could sit back and embrace the evil that is Expectation. Why should we not? Williamson’s men played another patient, slick ten minutes and ended it with another fine goal; Nathanial Alaoui finding a change of pace to leave chuck the duck standing, supplying Harris Dixon on a rare foray into the Taeshan half for the C&M right-back. The Albrecht Turkish star timed his pass to Cunningham perfectly, and the striker from the other side of the capital slotted past isaac newton with ease. It was simplicity itself, we thought as the Small Blues tapped the ball around for the remaining twenty minutes or so of the first half. With Cafundéu, or the Eesseff or Jeruselem again to come, why would we want to exert ourselves?

But there is another idea of Elpis; that she is not Hope nor the evil of Expectation, but the Expectation of Evil. We should have remembered, sitting there all cocky and smug and pleased with ourselves. We should have known that something… something…

Something happened as they walked out onto the pitch for the second 45. Something happened in the nascent mind of young Jack del rio. His side were two-nil down, out-matched and outplayed and without Hope. So he decided to create some.

And they heard the crack in Nova Britannicus. Somehow, the referee didn’t see it five metres away, but not even Jack Marshall could miss the echo of the silence that followed as Connor Mengucci was stretchered off. del rio watched his feet, but Mengucci had no need to glance at his own. He knew as well as us that these were the sounds of C&M’s captain, heart and lynchpin exiting the third Di Bradini Cup.

And wither Hank Moya? Why did Adam Williamson take to Starblaydia a player deemed unworthy for anything but the occasion substitute appearance for a relegated club? Was he that bad, after coming on for the stricken Mengucci? No. But the other ten Candelariasians had Expectations all of their own. They knew what would happen if they lost Mengucci, if the inadequate Moya entered the fray instead. And the story they had lodged in their heads played out in Penningworth. They panicked, they lost their shape. The Taeshanese shrugged to each other once more, and set about dictating the play.

Now it was Taeshan’s turn to control the situation, to press C&M on the rare occasions they strung more than two passes together. That Taeshan would get a goal back became a given. It was Marshall, not Moya, who gave the ball away, but the Albrecht FC player still reserved a cold look for the Abiodun bench-warmer. Challenged by none but the whistling and booing Candelariasian half of the crowd, del rio drove on forwards and delivered a classy cross to ricky zellefrow. In practically his first touch of the game, the number fourteen had got Taeshan right back in it.

In the space of five minutes, zellefrow found the upright again. Alan gregory found the side netting, Damion aslott the crossbar. Jari Virta and Demario Ortiz screamed ‘till they were blue at the crumpling midfield. That Taeshan would equalise, would go on to win, was an inevitability, of course. We all knew it. Or Expected it at least.

Which shows the folly of expectations, if not their evil, for Taeshan are not all that and our under-21 are not at all bad. After that funny five minutes they regained their composure, and began to force the game onto an equal footing. On seventy minutes, Montano skipped past Meyerse and delivered a decent cross into the box. Cunningham reacted first, but was felled by the duck. It was soft, and not Cunningham nor the duck nor did any other observer, independent or otherwise, truly expect it would result in a penalty kick. But it did, and Cunningham scored to put C&M all but through to the semi-finals once more.

There was even time for big little Allen Gallagher to make an appearance from the bench and put some faintly ludicrous gloss on the scoreline. Four-one it finished, so why the despondency? Okay, yes, we’ll be missing arguably our key player for the re-re-match against Jeruselem and quite probably for the third-place play-off or, shhh, final. But so what? Lloyd Donnelly’s side were more than a man down two years ago when they lifted the title. Surely we should take some comfort from Mengucci’s absence, not get all gloomy about it?

But perhaps that is the only way. Williamson’s C&M have got this far on a heady cocktail of hope and expectation, but perhaps when all is said and done a Candelariasian team can only emerge victorious when their backs are against the wall. We are by nature a secular nation. We cannot believe that merely Believing is enough. Perhaps we have to Believe that all logic tells that our boys will fail. Perhaps we have to Expect that a heroic defeat is the only sagacious outcome. We have, once again, opened the sporting Pandora ’s Box. There is a vial of Hope inside, of distant dreams. We must think the unthinkable, whilst knowing, expecting and believing with every fibre of sense and reason in our minds that those hopes will be dashed. Perhaps only then can C&M win against all the odds once more.****

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/Candelaria And Marquez.png Candelaria And Marquez Under-21s 4
Mengucci 15, Cunningham 25 and pen 71, Gallagher 87

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/taeshan.png Taeshan Under-21s 1
zellefrow 60

___________________________________

*Hello.
** Or was it Lincoln? I forget.
*** For some reason, I’d never had Taesh down as a Royle Family fan.
**** And they call Taeshan ‘purple’…

all i can say is we lsot to the deathly offensive c&m team next cup can i be in there group with them you dont need to rp as much

Semi-Final Results
Elves Security Forces 1-0 Cafundeu
Jeruselem 3-5 Candelaria And Marquez



Final Fixtures
Final
Elves Security Forces Vs Canderlaria And Marquez

Third-Place Play-off
Cafundeu Vs Jeruselem

In an Internet chat room DazzaBikeShop

[Dazza] Great game from kids there
[Moany] Yes, they did quite well really - pity about the defense
[Dazza] Well, they are kids ...
[Moany] The future looks good for Jewish teams anyway
[Dazza] Who says Jewish people can't play football
[Moany] I didn't expect these kids to make this far really
[Dazza] Admittedly my daughter tried a bit of bribery to get them to be motivated
[Moany] Explains a lot
[Dazza] Still I think they can learn from the experience
[Moany] Yes and they can't be ashamed of their efforts
[Dazza] So, C&M to win!
[Moany] Yes, they are a goal scoring machine
[Dazza] The other game was a bit boring in comparison, 1 goal compared to 8
[Moany] I think those Elves will need to harden up with C&M
[Dazza] I don't think the Elves have had much real competition until now
[Moany] I think we could have beaten Caf or them Elves
[Dazza] Yes but 3rd spot for us I say
[Moany] We should go poach some C&M players for our local teams
[Dazza] You'd think they'll come?
[Moany] One of their government ministers looks like a hooker like us, so I think they will
[Dazza] We can send Jacinta, she'll soften them up
[Moany] She's a talker alright
[Dazza] No one outtalks Dazza
[Moany] I think Skate can
[Dazza] I suppose she could but she got that from me anyway
[Moany] It's late, I need the troops to get ready for the Caf game tomorrow
[Dazza] Kick their ass
[Moany] Another 3rd spot ... oh well

The Albrecht Herald
Small Blues come full circle after Jeru fail to weather Candelarias storm
By Tracker Edwards

As the people of the Candelarias batten down the hatches and nail down the pigs, their national under-21 football over in shivering Starblaydia are back to where they started. It is as if two-and-a-bit years never happened; for soon a group of green young Candelariasians will line up against an equally fresh-faced collection of Eeseffians. Sure of their own ability, but uncertain of its relation to that of their opponents; Joe Cunningham, Alessio Montano, Harris Dixon et al will know that this will be the most important game of their embryonic careers.

In many ways, little has changed since Cunningham last stepped out against the next World Cup co-hosts. On that day too the Small Blues were underdogs, coming off the back of reaching the Justantina Cup final but now facing the truest test of their skills against the reigning Di Bradini Cup champions, and the youth of one of the world’s pre-eminent sporting forces. With Connor Mengucci watching this belated re-match from the sidelines, young Joe is the only veteran of that game, when C&M snatched a fine point. And therein lies the major change to have occurred since that first clash – for Adam Williamson and his boys now go into this final knowing that the people back home believe that his team are capable of securing more than just a spawny draw over the first ninety. The Eeseffians may be a tall, thin people, looming over our small midfield like birch trees. But this time there is no fear for their prowess, merely respect. As the Candelariasian republic huddle round their television sets as anything up to gale force nine winds batter the countryside, they will know that their little heroes are truly capable of winning this Di Bradini decider; as the lifters of the first and second cups meet to decide the fate of the third.

One thing is for certain: there should be goals in this. With Williamson set once again to opt for Hank Moya over Nathaniel Stewart at the base of the midfield, Jari Virta and Demario Ortiz will have to be at their very best to stop Andy Harford being the most overworked man on the pitch. Roki Sardan’s Eesseff are every bit the attacking force of Jeruselem, while C&M will have to rally together all of their own offensive forces to break them down. Certainly, Cunningham and co. will not be as familiar with the particular limitations of the Eesseff defenders as they are with those of the Jeruselemites. With this having been the third clash in as many weeks between the two sides; Monique Alexander and Williamson’s sides knew one another’s squads like the fronts of their hands. They knew eachother’s tactics inside out; they knew how to deal with every training ground move. This quarter-final was always going to be a cagey affair.

Which was why it was an eight-goal thriller; as they two sides, presumably out of a mutual contempt for pre-match predictions, threw caution to the wind – and for the Candelariasians at least there was plenty of wind to throw it to – and played out a game which will have had purists wincing for ninety minutes and the assembled crowd of C&M, Jeruselem and Starblaydia natives in ecstasy.

Goals change games, of course, and had Jeruselem not gone one up within a couple of minutes of the start it may have been a very different affair. Alexander had sent her team out with a simple message: attack. Given the four goals they had conceded over the previous two encounters, and the gaping hole left by Mengucci’s absence, it was a wise choice; and Coss Cohen soon won a corner off a rattled Dixon, the stand-in captain. The Jeruselemite’s own captain Yakuuks Hashtein delivered a dangerous ball into the box, and the unlikely figure of Pauline Boshoba wriggled out of Virta’s grasp to open the scoring.

Perhaps C&M were incensed by the ensuing celebration from the defender; perhaps they were inspired by it. Either way, there was no question of doing anything but attempt to hit Jeruselem with everything they’d got. Both sides, to their credit, resisted long balls – mindful of their mutually diminutive striking options, certainly – but neither team was able to get a sustained spell of pressure. It was exhilarating stuff, but also terrifying; with the clear spectre of Jeruselem getting a second and attempting to hold C&M off for the final eighty minutes. Visions of Cohen scoring on a second-half counter to wrap up a three-nil win fluttered through more pessimistic minds… before being well and truly quashed.

And thanks to Hank Moya, of all people, who after being rather stranded on the left muscled past the opposition’s senior player, Mary Magary. The Abiodun player, knowing that he had everything to do to impress his own team-mates, the C&M fans and scouts from the CMSC and Jeruselem alike, ignored the glinting studs of Yief Gohast coming towards him and put in a hopeful cross into the area. Young Shem Bahan flapped at it, and Joe Cunningham was close enough to bring the ball down off his chest and hoof it ungracefully into the bottom left-hand corner. It was his fourteenth goal for the under-21s, the seventh of this tournament alone.

Such was the craziness that both sides were averaging a decent chance every minute, with few players able to spend more than a couple of seconds on the ball at a time. It was proper foosball stuff, and somehow Moya was increasingly at the heart of it. With little more than a quarter of an hour gone he had delivered half a dozen dangerous crosses, and finally another telling one slipped past Gohast. Cunningham pivoted superbly in the box, but Shahan was equal to it. Sadly for the thirteen-year-old, he could only palm it out to the grateful feet of Archer French, and the big man was able to poke it back off the right post before the ‘keeper could scramble to his feet.

This was a game too frantic to be a classic, and much of the remainder of the first half belonged to Jeruselem. Where C&M’s attacks were stifled by Joseph Yibitz and Kulz Minestein; Andy Harford had on a string of occasions to show the form that almost single-handedly got Gamboa FC promoted with athletic saves from Cohen and Olk Silverstein. Thanks to he and the back line, the Small Blues remained a goal to the good as half time approached, before their chances received a blow with the loss of Nathanial Alaoui to the dreaded twanged hamstring.

He failed to reappear for the second half, and Merlin Siriwong was once again brought on to fill the awkward right midfield spot. Almost immediately however the MarquezOW star made a huge difference as the Jeruselemite midfield and left-back Boshoba struggled to deal with the talented newcomer. Just three minutes after the re-start, Siriwong won a free-kick that a suddenly confident Moya stepped up to take. Well-struck once more, the effort was pushed away by Bahan but fell to the defender Ortiz, who produced a marvellous volley that gave the ‘keeper no chance of recovery.

As the Small Blues pushed for an ill-deserved fourth, Moya resumed his role of the villain of the piece; first giving away a foul that Hashstein was unlucky to put just over before loosing out to the Jeruselemite captain in midfield. He then found Goldstein out on the right who fed Cohen in space. The Jeruselem star striker scored with ease.

Once again did Jeruselem come at C&M with renewed pressure, and once again did Williamson’s men hold strong, buoyed by the introduction of Carroll Eriksson for the ineffective Marshall. The new Radyukevich player forced a corner taken by José Luis Sosa, which ended in a carbon copy goal of Ortiz’s first of the game.

Less than a minute later Silverstein scored the best goal of the match, cutting in from the left and finding the back of Harford’s net from the tightest of angles and despite pressure from Dixon and Siriwong.

Either side’s players would have been forgiven for loosing count; but the important statistic still hold, namely C&M’s four-three lead. Finally, with ten still to play, was the game put to bed when Montano supplied French to run through the far from solid Jeruselem defence. Seinfeld and Gogast both went for the ball, but the Caires Sports striker stayed strong and finished perfectly off the right-hand upright.

That it was a game to remember sounds a ridiculous cliché, but few involved will forget this… thing, in a hurry. Only time will tell whether it will prove perfect target practise for the Candelariasian youngsters ahead of their third consecutive under-21 final, or one game too many. To look at the happy but exhausted faces trudging off the pitch after the ninety-seventh and final minute, the C&M players themselves are far from certain about that.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/Candelaria And Marquez.png Candelaria And Marquez Under-21s 5
Cunningham 8, French 17 and 81, Ortiz 48 and 70

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/jeruselem.png Jeruselem Under-21s 3
Boshoba 2, Cohen 56, Silverstein 71

[QUOTE=Starblaydia;13370883]Final Fixtures Results
Final
Elves Security Forces 1-2 Canderlaria And Marquez

Third-Place Play-off
Cafundeu 3-2 Jeruselem


So it's many congratulations to the Defending Champions, C&M, who defeat the first champions of the Di Bradini Cup the bragging-rights match to end all matches (until the next one)!

GAZETA DO POVO - O JORNAL DA NAÇÃO CAFUNDELENSE!
Sports Section - Articles written by Carlos Alberto Gujabre
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 1: TOUGH GAME, TEAM LOSES BY MINIMAL MARGIN

The semifinals of the Di Bradini Cup. Once again I'm in the pub, the place that became my working place during this competition. I'm assured that, when the competition began, no one here, even the most drunk supporter, thought that the team would reach such an advanced stage of the competition. But now that the team reached the stage, they of course want more, and see in the team the quality to defeat the strong opponent and reach the final game. This game was difficult, very defensive, with few very good attacks. In the end, the most organized team won, and it was Valanora.

The teams had difficulties to attack properly since the first whistle of Pa-Cu, who also stopped the game many times, something that other referees wouldn't normally do. After a complicated first half (not boring, but without many interesting plays. It had intensity because of the battle between defence and attack), Valanora was able to slow prepare the decisive attack that ended the game, when Grazi received a crossing from Love and headed to score the goal. Cafundéu couldn't react, and lost. Of course everyone here was sad by the result, but they continued to drink.

And, of course, I was able to get some of the usual comments that you can only hear in places like the fantastic Zezinho Freeway Pub. Things like: "Hey, this isn't our game! There is no red-black team!"; "You idiot, Cafundéu is the yellow one, we're using our second kit!"; "Calm down guy (to Ronaldão), be gentle with the lady when marking her (referring to Ice)"; "Shoot the ball in their coach!"; "The referee is a gnome?!?!?!?!?!?!" This place is very good, so please come here!

CAFUNDÉU 0x1 VALANORA

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Pa-Cu (Az-cz).
MOTM: Samuel Dur (Valanora).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Paulo Santos, Índio, Toledo (Humberto 82') and Ronaldão; Zé Sho, Jorginho and Russo (Madureira 60'); Juca Bala, Fausto and Sorato (Juninho 60').
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/elves_security_forces.png VALANORA: Dur; Wiat, Armong and Quintel; Magni (Love 75'), Collins (de Sharala 63'), Grazi, Ice and Totez (Carr 45'); Dragonhand and Noel.
Coach: Roki Sardan.

Goals:VAL: Grazi 79'.

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

PART 2: CAFUNDÉU SHOWS OFFENSIVE POWER IN LAST GAME

Of course the excitement inside the pub for this game was much lower than the one in the semifinal against Valanora, but many people came to the official place of the Gazeta do Povo reporter (that's me) to watch the game against Jeruselem, which could put the team in the third place. Something that's excellent, as the team had a poor start and didn't seem to reach such a good position when the competition started. Some players improved during the competitions, others lost some form, and, in general, Yaschter was able to do a very good job. Anyway, this last game was the farewell game of this Sub-21 team, and they were able to win it, working hard. The team never gave the lead to Jeruselem, but had problems to hold the result.

Before the game, some supporters started to discuss if Jeruselem's midfielder Flak Sho (an Ariddian) would be a distant relative of José Sho (Zé Sho), the midfielder of the Cafundelense team. Everyone knows that Zé Sho is the only son of the famous and legendary defender Ke Sho, an Ariddian who now lives in Cafundéu. So, we spent some minutes discussing it (to not reach any conclusion). Zé Sho showed his ability with the ball scoring with a long ranged shot before the end of the first minute. Later, Cohen was able to dribble Gaëif, invade the area and shoot to score to Jeruselem. Still in the first half, Juca Bala scored at injury time to give Cafundéu a temporary victory at the end of the first half.

In the second half, Hashstein soon scored, taking advantage of a defensive mistake made by Marcos Paulo, who made a wrong pass to the opponent player. Cafundéu attacked to try the victory. Juca Bala even argued with the referee (the "defender" Ted Garrido, who in a previous Cafundéu game saved a goal) and was sent off. Finally, Juninho did a good job to score the winning goal for Cafundéu. Once again, I was able to hear the usual comments: "Go Sho, dribble Sho"; "Save this shot Kardec, save the shot... yeeahh!"; "Elbow his face, Gaëif, the referee is not seeing you"; "Marcos Paulo you %(¨*@$%". Nice people.

CAFUNDÉU 3x2 JERUSELEM

Place: somewhere in Starblaydia.
Attendance: not released.
Referee: Ted Garrido (Candelaria And Marquez).
MOTM: Tobias (Cafundéu).

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/cafundeu.png CAFUNDÉU: Kardec; Marcos Paulo, Índio, Toledo and Gaëif; Zé Sho, Jorginho (Bacharel 78') and Tobias; Juca Bala, Fausto (Ronaldão 72') and Sorato (Juninho 55').
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/jeruselem.png JERUSELEM: Bahan; Seinfield, Frakes and Speilburg; Hashstein, Minestein (Yibitz 45'), Magary and F.Sho; Goldstein, Cohen and Silverstein (Fleckstein 80').
Coach: Monique Alexander.

Goals:CAF: Zé Sho 0' , Juca Bala 45'+ , Juninho 69'.
JER: Cohen 18' , Hashstein 55'.

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

DBC goalscorers:

5- Fausto and Juca Bala
2- Tobias, Sorato, Jorginho, Zé Sho
1- Bacharel, Russo, Juninho

OCC: Aww shucks, I start the semester and don't get to see the thread until after the last two matches are played =\

OCC: Aww shucks, I start the semester and don't get to see the thread until after the last two matches are played =\

OOC You almost won the cup without RPing!

OCC: Aww shucks, I start the semester and don't get to see the thread until after the last two matches are played =\

*hugs* Bad luck. These things happen. :(











Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha...

Lyndon Hernández, Chair of the all-party parliamentary committee on Rushmori agricultural subsidies and Minister for Rational Thought, shivered. It wasn’t especially cold, but…

Damn. And the thing was, this was the best bit. A room full of thousands, thousands, of Candelariasian football fans, all bubbling with questions and impotent rage. At the very least, they’d wear the unmistakable expression of someone whose assured understanding of the true nature of Things had taken one hell of a dent over recent days.

Because of course, these Things were always less certain when you saw them in the flesh. Back home, people’d buy the traditional explanations of albino Maasai and sufferers of endemic non-neurological congenital hypothyroidism, but when you actually saw them in the flesh… They did look for all the world uncannily like elves and dwarves were supposed to look. Most of the latter even had proper vikingy beards. Some actually carried axes. Some carried ice hockey sticks, admittedly, but still…

It was Hernández’s job – not strictly speaking, actually, but he rather thought it his responsibility – to stand up in front of the befuddled, angry thousands and explain why none of what they’d seen was anywhere near as odd as it looked. He’d invoked genetics, and cultural convergence and the modern influence of the tourist industry. Martino had chipped in where necessary, and there’d been a slideshow, but Hernández knew that it was his gig, really. He’d just say stuff, and people would believe him. They’d hop on the plane back to the Candelarias completely satisfied that the world was the way they’d always thought. And those that didn’t… well, there were other ways of dealing with them. But this session, even by the minister’s high standards, had been particularly successful.

But damn. But yay as well, obviously. Damn was the proper, human reaction but in the long term yay mattered more. Because, yeah they’d won the second Di Bradini Cup, but everyone knew that that was more by luck than judgement. After everything that had happened, with all the health problems and all the chopping and changing of players. The fact that even going into the final, one of their own was still in a serious condition in hospital. They’d all done very well, everyone had agreed. It really went to show what happened when a bunch of guys pulled together and found strength from each other at the vital moment. Plus, it had been an odd tournament all round, what with the Pazhujeb Islands and Popay making the semi-finals. And on the day, St Samuel were awful, so…

But this time? There was a bit of all that, what with Connor Mengucci and Nathanial… thingy, the one with lots of vowels, missing the final. But their replacements had played well. They’d all played well. And Adam Williamson had organised them well. Edwards and co. could be made to say anything, but everyone could see that they weren’t ‘outclassed’ by the ‘Eesseff’. Both sides had really gone at it, and the elv… the albino Maasai had even taken the lead. But Jack ‘Pardon?’ Marshall had equalised just after the start of the second half with a fine strike and then… And the irritating thing was, as penalties go it wasn’t even contentious. Thingamybobwotzit, the defender, Alvin Stardust or something, had made just an awful challenge on Merlin Siriwong and not a single player argued with the referee. Even worse was that in the history books – which was what was important, in many ways – it wouldn’t even show up as a penalty. The great big Dur had saved it, only for Joe Cunningham to score on the rebound. It could’ve even been three-one! Could’ve been three-two to them, admittedly, but still… The effects of that, the jingoistic joy at victory, the knowledge that li’l ol’ C&M really were capable of competing with the very best the world had to offer… It was a horrible thought.

And yet… Damn. Hernández flumped onto his hotel bed in Jhanna and switched the television to the feeds from the Candelarias.

“… again, on the hour. President Anderson will wait until next week to declare a public day of mourning with another night of turmoil expected across much of the country. The reported death toll from storms has trickled over the one hundred mark in the last half an hour, but is expected to grow dramatically–”

“No kidding, Jenny,” Hernández muttered to himself. When you forced the media to scale down the size of your country, you had to scale down everything.

“…ire predictions of worse to come if Hurricane Neil’s tendrils begin to move further to the east over the next thirty-six hours as expected, to come that bit closer to the Candelarias and north-west continental Rushmore. In C&M, the worst single incident occurred in Schille, SWC, where flash floods resulted in the destruction of much of the village, with a confirmed twenty-eight deaths and many more unaccounted more. Albrecht, Allemali and Abiodun in particular have received heavy structural damage in the sixty-six miles per hour winds, while high waves in Allemali have claimed the lives of at least a dozen locals with most of the costal district having been abandoned. The Docklands, Harbour and Morganstown districts of the capital have likewise been evacuated with the ports’ flood barriers widely expected to break should we receive another night like yesterday. A number of high-rise apartment blocks in Mary’s Park have been declared structurally unsafe, and I must just remind you again as Greg said a moment ago that TTO-Local has all the news and safety information from your area. Certainly across Candelaria and the eastern islands we’re reminding you that there are still gale force eight to nine winds being reported, so don’t contemplate leaving your houses unless you absolutely have to while the ess-ess-double-yous remain in place. That may well concern you on the costa where there remains a high risk of heavy tidal bores… and we should also remind you that the Río del Rentaría has burst its banks while Onwere locals are advised not to return to the Piedrabuena and Orilla districts despite the lifting of the official evacuation orders. Power remains out across north-west Candelaria, Green Island, and we believe much of Arrigo; there’s no word on an ETA for that to back up while high winds making efforts impossible. Now, we’ve been bringing you reports over the last hour of the efforts to contact several dozen isolated hamlets and farmstead across west Candelaria, and I think we can join Jamie Roberts who’s in the village of Hinchcliffe… Jamie, can you here me?”

“Mm-mm…m-mm…. mm-mm…”

“Well, obviously we’re having troub–”

“Mm…mm-mm-mm, mm-m…m-mm!”

“Okay, Jamie, we’ll have to leave it there. We’re also hearing, before we go back to José Alfredo Ortega in the weather centre, that the C&M Under-21 football team’s plane has been diverted to Trilan, Kura-Pelland, it goes without saying that all flight, international and domestic, have been grounded while–”

Hernández muted the television. So… No ‘Back-to-back Di Bradini Cup winning C&M under-21 football team’. No ‘Adam Williamson’s victorious under-21 football team’. Right now, it didn’t matter, did it? Half the country probably weren’t even able to watch it. The effects of that kind of repeated world-level success would have long since worn off by the time the country could focus on brighter things. And the mood for over-celebration would have vanished utterly.

Yay, the minister thought cheerlessly as he watched TTO’s cameras pan across several square miles of rural devestation pockmarked by the occasional battered corpse. But damn too, obviously…