Cup of Harmony 34 ~ Everything Thread [Archive]

Terreiro de Ogum

09-09-2008, 03:56

THE INDEPENDANT TERRITORY OF TERREIRO DE OGUM TEAM LIST FOR THE WORLD CUP 41

Style is -4.2 (or the minimum possible from -4)

ÈPA BÀBÁ! After years trying to get our independence, our lovely country of Terreiro de Ogum was finally able to escape from the control of Estresse Intenso’s government (although that control was already inexistent). Now we are a country, thanks to our mystical power and thanks to Olorun, our great god! And, now, using our magic abilities, team work, faith and different practices, with the help of our Orixás (Orisha), we will now try to win games against the biggest opponents. Oxalá we will win something! Now, see our list of players:

“Oxalá guie nossos guerreiros do futebol rumo a vitória, usando o poder de Ogum, o apoio de Iemanjá e o braço forte de Xangô!”

The 26 players (yes, Terreiro de Ogum has 26 players in its roster) – use the names in BOLD in the RPs (no need to put their names in capital letters too, please):

Each player has a pre-game ritual, which will be made in every game that they play as starters only. There are 5 levels of spiritual strength: very low, low, average, high and very high.

Goalkeepers (the hands that hold our faith):

1- Baitolah BIBAH
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Iemanjá.
Spiritual Strength: Average.
Info: Baitolah Bibah is the most talented goalkeeper of Terreiro de Ogum. Born and raised in the territory, Baitolah is an orphan rose by a famous mãe-de-santo, and learnt how to prepare medicinal recipes to help the ill with her. He is funny, talkative and loves to show himself to the public. He is homosexual, and often makes jokes of the opponents of Terreiro de Ogum.
Pre-Game Ritual: a lover of foreign music, Baitolah Bibah is the last member of the team to enter in the field, wearing his full pink goalkeeper clothes. When he enters, the music “I Will Survive” is played (or other music associated with homosexuality).

12- Wladmir Girnos Bueno “PAPAGAIO”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Ayrà.
Spiritual Strength: Average.
Info: this man is crazy. Seriously. Wladmir, usually known as Papagaio, can’t communicate well with other people. He has serious difficulties in creating phrases of his own. He lives in a small village, where he works as a mechanic. His life isn’t special, but now he has been recruited to play in the National Team, due to his incredible agility. He is called Papagaio (parrot in Portuguese) because, as he can’t create his own phrases, he repeats what the other people say.
Pre-Game Ritual: if Papagaio plays as a starter, this means that Bibah isn’t playing. So, Papagaio will be the last player to enter in the field, making gestures to his teammates, who probably won’t understand him.

22- Bianca Marçal Nínive “CIRCENSE”
Gender: Female.
Orixá Guide: Obá.
Spiritual Strength: High.
Info: this young woman is just 16 years old, but became the third choice of the Terreiro de Ogum National Team for the goalkeeper position due to her incredible elasticity and acrobatic moves (she is a circus star), that help her to make saves with less difficulty. She lives in a small village that doesn’t have a terreiro, so she’s not much linked with Umbanda rituals. But she is very sensitive and can feel the presence of the orixás.
Pre-Game Ritual: if Circense plays as a starter, she’ll be the first player to enter in the field (yes, even before Preto Véio). She’ll look extremely happy and will make some acrobatic moves, a small show for the supporters.

Full-Backs (the messengers of our future):

2- Ananias dos Santos “BICHO GRILO”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Exú.
Spiritual Strength: High.
Info: the terreiro leaders usually are the ones that make the homemade medicines, but Bicho Grilo is the one that finds the ingredients. With extremely high knowledge of the plants and animals that live in the terrain of Terreiro de Ogum, Bicho Grilo can easily survive in the jungle and find any kind of plant there. Due to his love for nature, you can find him talking with animals, but this usually happens only after he smokes his marijuana, something that he does daily (every hour, I should say).
Pre-Game Ritual: one of the last players to enter in the field, Bicho Grilo enters in an extremely low pace; walking on the grass and feeling it (he doesn’t wear shoes). He has long hair and beard, and smokes marijuana in the field (if it isn’t a country where marijuana is prohibited).

6- Ubiratan de Carvalho Quirino “TOQUINHO”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Xangô.
Spiritual Strength: Low.
Info: brother of another starter of the National Team, Guaxinim, Toquinho is a dwarf, and is a bit taller than his brother. He has an incredible speed, and due to that usually works as a messenger in the territory, making the contact between different terreiros possible. When playing football, Toquinho is responsible for fast counterattacks and good long passes, but doesn’t score many goals.
Pre-Game Ritual: Toquinho will be one of the first players to enter in the field. He likes to show his speed to the supporters, so he’ll enter with full speed, reaching his position in few seconds.

16- Joe Hi-Kim “ZEN”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Oxumaré.
Spiritual Strength: Very High.
Info: the Umbanda attracts many people, who were used to follow a different religion. But unlike other religions, the Umbanda practitioner doesn’t have to abandon his former religion to get into contact with the orixás. And this situation was perfect for Zen. Follower of Shinto, Zen went to Terreiro de Ogum to learn about the place where strange rituals where being made. He loved the place, and started living here. Zen is a formidable defender, calm and secure, and has a high spirituality.
Pre-Game Ritual: if Zen plays as a starter, he’ll enter in an intermediate position in the order of players. He’ll walk quietly to his position, wave to the supporters of both teams, and later meditate a bit to be concentrated for the game.

23- HORÁCIO Valente “BAIXOTE”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Ibeji.
Spiritual Strength: Very Low.
Info: Horácio Baixote is the third dwarf of the Terreiro de Ogum National Team. Cousin of the starters Toquinho and Guaxinim, Horácio Baixote is much younger than them, and because of that his football talent isn’t developed. If he has one. He isn’t a very good player, but has a very good fighting spirit. So bad that he lacks strength, otherwise would be a very good defender because of that.
Pre-Game Ritual: Horácio Baixote will enter in an intermediate position in the order of the team. He’ll enter with the ball, controlling it and reaching the middle of the field.

Defenders (the guardians of our honour):

3- Maria Celeste Ernestelli “RECLUSA”
Gender: Female.
Orixá Guide: Yewá.
Spiritual Strength: Very High.
Info: no one knows from where she came exactly, or about her life before reaching Terreiro de Ogum. All they know about her was in her documents, a passport from Cafundéu and a library card. She was adopted by a mãe-de-santo when she was only a child, and soon it was discovered that she is extremely sensitive, being able to have contact with spirits and to being possessed by them. This power has been explored by her “mother”, and she is now famous because of her ability. When not possessed, she doesn’t speak with anyone, with the exception of her “mother”.
Pre-Game Ritual: in fact, Reclusa doesn’t have any special pre-game ritual. She will enter before Bibah, so will be one of the last ones to enter. She will quietly go to her position in the field.

4- Jorge Diniz Sodré “PRETO VÉIO”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Nanã.
Spiritual Strength: High.
Info: this man is a wanderer, known in the whole territory. A nice, calm man who likes to chat with everyone, from the commoner to the powerful mãe or pai-de-santo. But he specially enjoys chatting with the children, telling histories to them about his adventures. He has no enemies, and can be considered the most honest and respected person in Terreiro de Ogum.
Pre-Game Ritual: Preto Véio is the first player to enter in the field, going directly to the sector of the stadium where the Terreiro de Ogum supporters are. He’ll wave to them and after that will shake hands with his opponents, being nice with everyone.

13- José Carlos Pereira Filho “ZECA DA PONTE”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Oxóssi.
Spiritual Strength: Low.
Info: although Terreiro de Ogum’s authorities try to make the country successful in social equality, there are many things to do yet. When the territory was under the control of Estresse Intenso, there wasn’t social equality, but now, with the independence, the leader pai-de-santo is trying to give better conditions for the poor. Zeca da Ponte is one of these poor people. He lives under a bridge, sometimes without something to eat, completely miserable. But, as a player, Zeca da Ponte has some ability as a defender, and can get something to eat during the competitions.
Pre-Game Ritual: when Zeca da Ponte is selected as a starter, he enters in the field and asks the referee for food. Searches the field for some bread or other kind of food. If he doesn’t find anything, becomes very frustrated.

16- Janaína Soraya Couto “RAINHA”
Gender: Female.
Orixá Guide: Iyami-Ajé.
Spiritual Strength: High.
Info: the woman with most children in Terreiro de Ogum, Rainha has family ties with a lot of people, as her mother also had many children. She is not a mãe-de-santo, but is good at making rituals to call the orixás too. She is a bit crazy, so sometimes can become angry without reason or complain about things that didn’t happen. She is very respected by the citizens of Terreiro de Ogum, as she is the leader now of the biggest family (in number of people) of the country.
Pre-Game Ritual: Rainha loves her family. So, she’ll enter the field behind Pai Berto if put as a starter, being accompanied by her children (all her 16 children), giving a kiss on each of them before the start of the game.

20- Victor Cirino da Alvorada “BEBUM”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Egungun.
Spiritual Strength: Low.
Info: Bebum is another drunken man of Terreiro de Ogum, as Pinguinha. The difference between them is that Bebum doesn’t have to look after money to be able to buy his cachaça or beer. No, the other people give him money for him to do so. Why? Because Bebum, even drunk, has always everything interesting to talk about, and is also a good snooker player. In football, is just average.
Pre-Game Ritual: Bebum won’t enter in the field with a bottle of cachaça. No. He will enter with a barrel of beer. Will offer it to his teammates and to his opponents, and later will go to his place in the field.

Defensive Midfielders (holders of our home):

10- PAI BERTO de Tucumã de Obalatá
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Obalatá/Oxalá.
Spiritual Strength: Very High.
Info: son of the “leader” of Terreiro de Ogum, Pai Alcir de Macaé, Pai Berto is a talented pai-de-santo, who focuses on helping the people of the territory in the area of health. Some people say that Pai Berto has a better sensitivity than his father, and that he is a natural leader. His knowledge of the orixás and of the umbanda magic became legendary. Now in the National Team, Pai Berto is the captain and “boss” of the team, with more powers than the coach.
Pre-Game Ritual: while Preto Véio is the first one to enter in the field, Pai Berto is the second. He enters with his full-white clothes, wore by all pais-de-santo, and raises his arms to the sky, before making homage to the orixás.

5- DONA ROSA Lozano Pumete
Gender: Female.
Orixá Guide: Ossaim.
Spiritual Strength: Average.
Info: this old woman is a very good football player, and one of the major negotiators of Terreiro de Ogum. She makes contact with other countries, and this is very important to guarantee the autonomy of the country. She isn’t much involved in the religious ceremonies of the country, but she likes watching them, and, because of that, has some knowledge about them.
Pre-Game Ritual: Dona Rosa isn’t one of the first or one of the last players to enter in the field. In fact, she doesn’t do anything special. Just enters in the field and talks with each player of the Terreiro de Ogum team.

15- Rafael Rocha Brumes “ARMÁRIO”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Xangô.
Spiritual Strength: Average.
Info: the most strong person of the team. Without any doubt. Armário is 2 meters tall and weighs a lot too. But he isn’t overweight, he is strong. He is the security guard of Pai Alcir de Macaé, and no other person of the country have the courage to fight against him. Only his presence intimidates the opponents. In the National Team, will play as defensive midfielder, and will probably win many tackles.
Pre-Game Ritual: if Armário plays as a starter, he’ll enter in the field together with Pai Berto, looking at the stands to try to see if there’s someone or something that can harm the pai-de-santo.

24- MÃE EDITH de Maná de Ifá
Gender: Female.
Orixá Guide: Ifá.
Spiritual Strength: Very High.
Info: an evil mãe-de-santo, Mãe Edith is the only one of the team that you can accuse of making “black magic”. She is a very talented mãe-de-santo, with an enormous knowledge of rituals and of the orixás, and very strong spirituality. Too bad that she decided to make rituals to harm others rather than ones to help the people. She is the one that destroy relationships, put illnesses in people, make someone get fired from his/her job, and other bad things. She and Tramóia are the ones that won’t follow Terreiro de Ogum’s policy of respecting an opponent, making dark rituals.
Pre-Game Ritual: Mãe Edith, when playing as a starter, will enter just before Reclusa and Bibah. She’ll use a completely white outfit, will raise her hands to the sky as soon as she enters the field and will say something that no one will understand. She seems very strange and mysterious.

Attacking Midfielders (seekers of our prosperity):

9- Liceu Modesto Babuíno “PINGUINHA”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Oxóssi.
Spiritual Strength: Low.
Info: Pinguinha is a drunken man. He simply loves to drink cachaça, and does the possible to get some money to have something with alcohol to drink. He doesn’t do anything illegal, but everything else… for him, the cachaça is more important than everything else. He is a good football player, even when drunk, and will have sufficient motivation to want to score goals and create plays for the team.
Pre-Game Ritual: Pinguinha enters in the field in an intermediate position in the order. All he does is to get his bottle of cachaça, throw a bit of the liquid in the grass, and then drink the remaining after making a short prayer.

8- Rafael Graziano “TRAMÓIA”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Oxum.
Spiritual Strength: Very Low.
Info: a criminal, expert in stealing, sneaking into places without being noticed and preparing traps for the opponents. Tramóia is one of the few players that won’t respect the opponent, trying to get advantage in every play using dirty tricks. He is very good at making these tricks without being noticed, so it’ll be difficult for him to receive a card, as he probably won’t get caught. He isn’t popular in Terreiro de Ogum for being a criminal, but his talents will be very useful for the National Team, as he’ll be the main responsible for creating offensive plays.
Pre-Game Ritual: Tramóia is one of the first players to enter in the field, but he won’t be noticed until the entrance of Reclusa. He’ll appear in the middle of the field, surprising everyone and laughing, probably holding an item stolen from someone from the stands.

17- Lara Motta Ithiel “POMBA GIRA”
Gender: Female.
Orixá Guide: Exú.
Spiritual Strength: Very High.
Info: Lara is just a common woman, who works as a waitress in a famous bar in Macumba, the capital of Terreiro de Ogum. But what Lara doesn’t know is that she has a big spiritual sensitivity, something that was discovered when she went to a terreiro. The spirit of the Pomba Gira possessed her. Now this ability will be used in the football team, as the Pomba Gira is a very good dribbler.
Pre-Game Ritual: Lara will enter in the field without being possessed. When all the players of Terreiro de Ogum have entered, she’ll become the Pomba Gira, shouting and making gestures.

19- PAI Makabi Tomake “ÁFRICA”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Oxalá.
Spiritual Strength: Very High.
Info: the person that was the main responsible for the independency of Terreiro de Ogum, Pai África is currently the oldest pai-de-santo alive in the country. He says that he came from África (what’s this? Some kind of spiritual realm?), and knows the orixás and their preferences like no other. He knows rituals that no other pai or mãe-de-santo from Terreiro de Ogum knows. As a football player, can’t play much because of his age, but has an excellent vision.
Pre-Game Ritual: if selected as a starter, which is something very rare, Pai África will enter just after Preto Véio. In fact, he doesn’t need to do anything special. The supporters of Terreiro de Ogum will stand up and applause him.

Attackers (conquers of our glory):

7- Matheus de Carvalho Quirino “GUAXINIM”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Oxumarê.
Spiritual Strength: Average.
Info: brother of another starter of the National Team, Toquinho, Guaxinim is a dwarf, and is a bit smaller than his brother. Good in positioning and good at predicting what the other players will do (thanks to good knowledge of the football), is a very good attacker who will make many assists. He is very fast too, so is a special weapon for the counterattacks, as his passes to his team mate Master Kacet are perfect. Another thing that can surprise many is his good ability at heading.
Pre-Game Ritual: Guaxinim is the one that has the best relationship with the supporters. So, he will be one of the first players to enter in the field, calling the supporters to sing for the team, to send Terreiro de Ogum to the victory.

11- MESTRE Timóteo Hora Novaes KACET
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Ogum.
Spiritual Strength: High.
Info: one of the most famous and influential people of Terreiro de Ogum, Mestre (Master) Kacet is probably the only one that is known outside the territory. He is the best Capoeira master of the world, thanks to his great abilities, superb technique and good reflexes, this among other skills. A football lover too, Mestre Kacet joined the team wanting to use his Capoeira ability to score goals. And he can do that. Most of his moves are a mix between Capoeira and football, so expect to see him scoring goals using acrobatic moves. He is also a very friendly person, and likes to talk with the defender that is marking him.
Pre-Game Ritual: Mestre Kacet’s entrance order isn’t an exact one. He can sometimes enter as one of the last players, or as one of the first ones. But, when he enters, he smiles to the cameras and makes some of his Capoeira moves, to impress everyone, especially his opponents.

18- Sandro Viriatlo “DEMO”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Nanã.
Spiritual Strength: Very High.
Info: this man has the ability of summon the most evil and devilish spirits. Since he was born, Sandro often did evil things due to the influence of these spirits. He only discovered his spiritual ability after visiting a terreiro, and since then many pais and mães-de-santo are trying to help him to avoid the influence of these spirits, although sometimes they can give some good hints about supernatural things. Demo is the name of the evil spirit that controls Sandro when he plays football, a deadly attacker with an excellent long ranged shot.
Pre-Game Ritual: if Sandro plays as a starter, he’ll immediately be transformed in Demo when he steps on the grass. His expressions and gestures change drastically, and he fights for the ball even before the game starts.

21- Leão do Federal “COBRADOR”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Ogum.
Spiritual Strength: Low.
Info: what is the Leão do Federal doing in this National Team? The answer is easy. No one is better at finding breaches in the opponent’s defence than him. The Cobrador, as he is more commonly called, is the “Tax Collector” of Terreiro de Ogum. As the country doesn’t use money, he gets some food from the families of the country to use in the government’s programs of assist of the poor. The Cobrador is a very determined player, and never will give up of a play.
Pre-Game Ritual: the Cobrador will enter in the field using a black-tie outfit. When he reaches his position in the field, he’ll remove his clothes (no, he won’t play naked. He’ll use the normal Terreiro de Ogum kit) and get prepared to play the game.

25- Pirimeu Tossatto “CIENTISTA”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Iemanjá.
Spiritual Strength: Low.
Info: Cientista is a person that believes in the orixás, but doesn’t believe in their supernatural nature. He doesn’t believe that they are spirits or representatives of the god Olorun. He thinks that they are something physical, which could be explained with the use of the science. Most of our citizens feel sad by him, because it’s certain that the orixás are spirits. As a football player, is a talented attacker.
Pre-Game Ritual: the Scientist (Cientista) will enter in the field with a piece of paper in one hand and a pencil in another, making notes of interesting things that he saw in the entrance of the field. Later, will go to his place in the field.

Joker (plays in all sectors) - (the chosen one):

0- João Miguel “ILUMINADO”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: guided by all orixás.
Spiritual Strength: Enormously Huge.
Info: the Iluminado is the chosen one, the one that received the power of being able to see the orixás and contact them when he wants to. All the orixás guide him in his path, and his objective is to bring peace to the people of Terreiro de Ogum and to make them follow the umbanda with faith and justice. He is only able to play 30 minutes per game, and during it he receives all the power from the orixás to triumph, surely a gifted player, someone which qualities aren't of this world.
Pre-Game Ritual: the Iluminado will never start a game. But, before entering in the field, he will raise his hands to the sky, and the sunlight will be directed at him (yes, the sun will do it).

Staff Members (controllers of our destiny):

Coach: Duílio Menezes “BLIND MAGICIAN”
Gender: Male.
Orixá Guide: Iansã.
Spiritual Strength: Very High.
Info: Duílio, called Blind Magician by nearly everyone (only his mother calls him Duílio) is a pai-de-santo with good leadership and some abilities as a football coach, thanks to his contact with spirits of dead football coaches. His style is very defensive and cautious, that’s why Terreiro de Ogum is a defensive team. He is blind, but has a supernatural perception that allows him to walk and do other things like if he could see.
Pre-Match Ritual: when the Blind Magician enters in the field, he gets some grass from it and eats it. After that, he makes a short prayer and goes to his place in the bench, in a very slow way.

Assistant: ÍRIS Duarte Serafim
Gender: Female.
Orixá Guide: Yewá.
Spiritual Strength: Average.
Info: the assistant of the Blind Magician is probably the most common member of the team. She is a young woman, who works together with the Blind Magician in his terreiro, helping him to prepare the rituals. She has knowledge about the orixás, but lacks spiritual strength. She is very happy with her life and loves helping her master, but her job is very simple.
Pre-Game Ritual: Íris enters together with the Blind Magician, following him and watching him to see if he will fall (she knows that he can walk alone, but still worries for her master).

Formation: basic 4-4-2 (style is -4.2):

-------------------------Bibah-------------------------
--Bicho Grilo-----Reclusa-------Preto Véio---Toquinho---
-------------Pai Berto----------Dona Rosa--------------
------Pinguinha-------------------------Tramóia--------
--------------Mestre Kacet---Guaxinim------------------

RP Permissions: you're free to choose scorers, send cards to my players (red card limit is 2), RP injuries (light ones) and other things (but these things can't be absolutely unreal (can be a bit unreal, or unreal... after all, some of the things we'll post will be probably unreal) or serious (involving death, arrest, etc.) - contact me first if you really want something like this.

Stadium: Terreiro de Ogum do Pai Alcir
Info: part of the big terreiro of Pai Alcir de Macaé, this field doesn’t have grass, only dirt, but is a good place for playing football, as the players will be able to get in contact with the orixás playing in this marvellous place. Watch out for the pieces of dead chicken and the puddles of cachaça, the terrible obstacles of this field. Also, you can step on holes here, so be cautious. Apart from that, is a magnificent place, and the players will be able to hear Capoeira music during the games.

Kits (made by JMC):
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/Krytenia/TDO40.png

Details about Terreiro de Ogum: this country is in fact a small part of Estresse Intenso that got its independence few years ago. In fact, it already had full autonomy, due to the fact that Estresse Intenso’s government can’t control the country well (the country is a complete anarchy). But, anyway, Terreiro de Ogum is now independent, and due to this could have relations with other countries, something that the territory wasn’t able to do before. One of these things is football. The team couldn’t play in international competitions, but now it’s replacing the Landau Institute, which decided to stop playing in international competitions due to the death of The Machine.

The citizens of the country don’t have money, so they divide everything that they have. Their leader is the most experienced “pai-de-santo”, currently Pai Alcir de Macaé, father of the captain of the National Team Pai Berto de Tucumã, who is a pai-de-santo too. Their language is a mixed of different spiritual languages. The most important fact about the country is its religion. ALL the citizens follow the Umbanda religion, although some of them also respect and practice related religions like Candomblé and Quimbanda (Macumba). You can use Wikipedia to get information about these religions. They make mystical pre-game rituals, but nothing is done to harm the opponent: before everything, they respect their opponents like brothers, and would like to be respected too. Oh… expect some phrases in Portuguese during our RPs.

Candelaria And Marquez

09-09-2008, 11:28

Btw, I think it wouldn't harm anyone if you put the list of previously invited countries, just so we can know which countries were called to participate.

Alright, perhaps we were fools to think we could hide this forever, Adi'han and I. The bravest of minds may discover the strange and terrible secret behind the CoH34 inviation policy behind these dark walls (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/misc.php?do=whoposted&t=562619)...

That said, as it currently stands there's every likelihood of one or two of the back-up list sneaking in there. Where on earth did Newmanistan and Zwang manage to find twenty-eight nations from...?

Land de Wood

09-09-2008, 12:11

We here at Land de Wood Sports were shocked to learn that despite 84 nations entering the world cup qualifiers, only 46 nations seemed to be actively following the matches of which 2 of these were the hosts! So why were only about half the nations interested? It appears some just coasted to victory while one or two self combusted.

We are pleased to hear that the Cup of Harmony organisers have only invited those nations that actively followed their nations as they failed to qualify for the world cup.

Rumours abound that a few nations that were not being followed due to other commitments may yet sneak in to the Cup of Harmony to make up the numbers. Whilst we appreciate the heavy workloads we would ask that the Cup of Harmony organisers impose some rules for example by at the very least naming their roster of players before the tournament begins.

Arroza

09-09-2008, 12:18

I sent a tg, but to confirm, Arroza will not participate in the 34th Cup of Harmony.

Adihan

09-09-2008, 12:48

Land de Wood

09-09-2008, 13:03

[ooc: No problem, it is entirely up to you and if the teams don't roleplay then my nation should now be good enough to beat them. though my newspaper may not be so happy]

[ic]
Organisers reject suggestion
We here at Land de Wood Sports international news were disappointed to learn that our suggestions for tight restrictions on the Cup of Harmony entrants have been rejected.

However, prime minister and national team manager, Andrew Wood seems happier than we are. "Whilst it would be nice to know who we are playing against, it is not essential and we will be happy to play and beat any team we come up against."

Zwangzug

09-09-2008, 22:35

Where on earth did Newmanistan and Zwang manage to find twenty-eight nations from...?

*deep breath*

Rushmore, The Q Continuum, The Isle of Rennida, the West Pacific, doesn't matter because they no longer exist, New Caribbean, Greater Dienstad, Atlantian Oceania, Fliverton, Lazarus, Serra do Eldorado, The Heartland, xkcd, One big Island, United Nations, Europe, the Pacific, and-taking "Earth" with a grain of salt-Orion Sector.

Sorry. You did ask.

West Zirconia

10-09-2008, 00:19

The West Zirconian FA has accepted the invitation to compete in the forthcoming Cup of Harmony.

Full team news to follow.

An Blascaod Mor

10-09-2008, 00:40

An Blascaod Mór accepts it's invitation to participate in the CoH and looks forward to oogling at the bright lights of huge settlements such as Abiodun.

The An Blascaod Mór World Cup 42 squad

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/7308/abm2fr6.png (http://imageshack.us)

Starting eleven

GK: Tomás O'Neil
RB: Braden Doyle
LB: Kenny Krouger
CB: George O'Sullivan
CB: Patty O'Shea
RM: Patrick O'Donovan
LM: Donald O'Donnell
CM: Dougal McGuire
CM: Patrick Doyle
FC: Muris O'Sullivan
FC: Tomás O'Sullivan

Subs

GK: Tomás Hardy
CB: Ciarán Mac an Bhainbh
RB or LB: Fearchar O'Echtighearn
CM: Risteárd MacGeraghty
RM or LM: Maitiú MacGeraghty
FC: Patsy-Mathúin An Filla
FC: Ailín Mac Giolla Ruaidh

Kits

Home & Away
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/3923/abmhomeid6.png (http://imageshack.us)http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1066/abmawayim6.png (http://imageshack.us)

I Give My Opponent Permission
(and actively encourage them) To:
====================
Choose My Scorers
Yellow card my players
Red card my players
Injure my players
Possibly GodMod Other Events (PM either An Blascaod Mór or Sorthern Northland on NS if you want to)
====================

Style: +3 (or whatver the maximum possible is)
An Blascoad Mór will naively try to score one more than you.

RPing notes.

An Blascaod Mór is a tiny nation which is proud just to represent itself on an international scale. Even a 7-0 thrashing will be deemed a success if someone who had never heard of the country before learns of it (and the local pub is good, even a clean sheet or a goal will merit a national holiday). All 143 citizens of the island will be at the tournament supporting the team and will be about as load as 143 people (minus the 17 players) can be. Neutral fans are also welcomed with open arms by the ABM support. A large number (roughly 1,500) of Sorthern Northland will also be there to support their neighbours. The nation also leads a perhaps primitive lifestyle lacking things such as roads (and therefore all forms of transport except donkey and boats), TV's, computers and electricity and the like. This is not to say they are unaware of these things and find them foreign as they can be found easily should an Islanders visit the Sorthern Northland mainland. The players will though find big city's and playing in a ground that is more than just a patch of grass a new experience.

Green wombat

10-09-2008, 05:38

As implied in my last post (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13982766&postcount=389) GW will NOT compete in this COh, and humbly requests that another deserving team be allowed to take our place.

Green wombat

10-09-2008, 05:39

*deep breath*

Rushmore, The Q Continuum, The Isle of Rennida, the West Pacific, doesn't matter because they no longer exist, New Caribbean, Greater Dienstad, Atlantian Oceania, Fliverton, Lazarus, Serra do Eldorado, The Heartland, xkcd, One big Island, United Nations, Europe, the Pacific, and-taking "Earth" with a grain of salt-Orion Sector.

Sorry. You did ask.

UHMMM. The Q Continuum STILL EXISTS.

NM, Read it wrong LOL!

Land de Wood

10-09-2008, 19:15

We are delighted to exclusively announce the Land de Wood squad for the forthcoming Cup of Harmony

Having done our nation proud in the World Cup Qualifiers our players will now be looking for some glory in the Cup of Harmony. Andrew Wood has made one or two changes to the squad which is below.

Patrick Clemence plays GK for New Dorset Stars and is 27 years old
As reliable as ever at the Baptism of Fire.

Jonathon Horse plays GK for Wood Town and is 30 years old
Given a chance in the last game of the Oxen Cup but didn't really impress, not given much chance at the Baptism of Fire

Kevin Brown plays GK for New Dorset Stars and is 27 years old
Is the third goalkeeper selected, a real surprise choice ahead of Alexander Constantinescu who was the third choice keeper for the World Cup qualifiers. The manager is starting to look ahead with this choice.

David Aimer plays RB or CB for Coalfires United and is 30 years old
Right footed defender at the peak of his career. Looked assured at right back and at centre back at the Baptism of Fire.

Ray Hamil plays RB for Broxton United and is 21 years old
Young right back ready, likes to get down that right flank and overlap the winger. Hoping to win David Aimer's spot in the team.

Gary Lewis plays CB for Broxton United and is 29 years old
Tall centre back, great to have around for set pieces at either end of the pitch. Given the captains armband.

Stephen Diddon plays CB or DM for Wood Limited and is 23 years old
Centre defender equally happy at anchoring the midfield. Expected to make some tough tackles and will do well to escape without a yellow card this tournament. His commitment and passion make him a likely future captain as he matures.

Richard Wilson plays CB for Wood Town and is 21 years old
Called up from the U-21's and given the chance to shine.

Stephen Sterland plays LB or CB for New Dorset Stars and is 32 years old
Possible just past his peak as a player, has moved into the centre of defense recently as he has lost that yard of pace he used to have, a bit of a surprise he is still around.

Denis Whitemore plays LB for Coalfires United and is 24 years old
A good solid left back, but not too good at going forward. Missed out on a spot in the Baptism of Fire squad.

Woodrow Derby plays LB for Broxton United and is 23 years old
Up and coming left back with plenty of pace to overlap the winger, just has to make sure he gets back in time, possibly better as a wingback in a 3-5-2 system.

Richard Butty plays DM for Broxton United and is 30 years old
Tough tackling defensive midfielder. Expect him to get stuck in if given the chance.

Jayden Abassian plays DM for Wood Town and is 26 years old
Jayden is given a surprise opportunity to show what he is capable of.

Aaran Whitemore plays RW for Woodhampton Rovers and is 24 years old
Good crosser of the ball. Denis Whitemore's brother. Has a tough fight on his hands to keep that right wing spot from Tom Darkless

Tom Darkless plays RW or AM for KT Hotspur and is 21 years old
Right sided player, good down the winger and behind the front man, impressed at the Baptism of Fire and has just signed a big money move to KT Hotspur

David Clemance plays CM or AM for Wood Limited and is 24 years old
Centre midfielder who likes to get forward. Just as likely to score a goal as set one up. Impressed at the Baptism of Fire

Larry Derby plays CM for Southern Village and is 30 years old
A centre midfielder at the peak of his game. Woodrow Derby's cousin. Struggling to keep a place in the team but rarely lets them down when given the chance.

Gary Workhorse plays CM for New Dorset Stars and is 32 years old
A box to box player, only question mark would be whether he still has the stamina to get around the park as much as he used to. Whilst he4 has been used sparingly at the international level has never let the side down.

Ray Horse plays AM or CS for Woodhampton Rovers and is 30 years old
Attackive midfielder at the peak of his game, can be switched to attack as a second striker. Expect him to get some assists and si starting to improve his own goals per game ratio.

Kevin Wallace plays LW or RW for New Dorset Stars and is 21 years old
A winger with tons of pace, certainly one for the future but has been a useful substitute to terrorise tired defenders, also allowed Stephen Redrow to switch to the attack when goals dried up at the Baptism of Fire.

Stephen Redrow plays LW or CS for Northern Lights and is 26 years old
Whether playing down the left wing, or up front can be relied on to put the effort in, but not one for the spectacular, still you need consistent players at major tournaments, as he proved at the Baptism of Fire. The question is where to play him.

Gary Stering plays LW for Woodhampton Rovers and is 24 years old
Gary Stering is another surprise call up, no doubt the manager is beginning to look at alternative options.

Richard Higgins plays CS for Wood Limited and is 21 years old
Now looks like a regular fist teamer into the first team after a good Baptism of Fire. Also did well at the Di Bradini Cup and finished joint 2nd top scorer in the league.

John Little plays CS for New Dorset Stars U-21 and is 18 years old
The biggest surprise of the lot, teenage super striker John Little is called into the squad at the expense of Steve Ecclair and a host of other more experienced strikers.

Gary Hoggins plays TM for Southern Village and is 29 years old
Reliable target man at the peak of his career. Equally happy heading the ball to a team mate running into space as heading the ball into the back of the net.

David Bomber plays TM for Coalfires United and is 21 years old
Young target man, standing at 6 foot 6, he'll out jump most defenders, just needs to improve his accuracy. Called up from the U-21 and Olympic squads where he got mixed reviews.

Kits (home/away/goalie):

http://www.ajwood.me.uk/land_de_Wood/home_kit.jpghttp://www.ajwood.me.uk/land_de_Wood/away_kit.jpghttp://www.ajwood.me.uk/land_de_Wood/goalies_kit.jpg

Style: attackive [+2]
Starting line up: formation 4-1-3-2
Patrick Clemence
Ray Hammil Gary Lewis Stephen Diddon Woodrow Derby
Richard Butty
Tom Darkless David Clemance Kevin Wallace
Richard Higgins David Bomber
______________________________________

Roleplay permissions:
====================
Choose My Scorers YES
Yellow card my players YES
Red card my players YES
Injure my players YES
No Godmod
====================

The Macabees

10-09-2008, 19:56

Golden-Whites Roster

Modifier +1

In the event my opponent posts an RP first, they may:

Select my scorers — No
Give out yellow cards to my players — Yes
Give out red cards to my players — No
RP injuries to my players — No
Godmod injuries — No
Godmod scoring events — Yes
Godmod other events — No

Management
Coach: Darivan Varrios [Yafor2; coach of Chelmar FC in the LIDYT]
Defensive Technicians: Georg Talin & Forsún Tíel
Offensive Technicians: Lysander Kalk & Yonas Fíern
Head Physician: Nas´liern Coth

Goalkeepers
#1 Díenar V'har
#25 Luk Lestár

Defenders
#36 Nestor Yíer
#7 Lión Gertal
#18 Jonas Terch
#45 Klins Ter'hav
#77 Gíerd Hen
#27 Daví Nat
#26 Fortún Díabalis
#12 Tíengard Ursal

Wingers
#4 Frederík Nastel
#33 Tíengard Balánt
#22 Gerard Daví
#45 Krak Lent
#67 Samuel Gíod

Central Midfielders
#13 Norton Galastíel
#9 Tor Vanderhak
#12 Golet Níer
#21 Sorton Ferd
#17 Lamí Davíer
#37 Baldwin Cavi'ter
#48 Lok Díelnok

Strikers
#2 Mika d'Angíel [Captain]
#3 Ferst Guerp
#5 Lisander Zerch
#6 Tíer Num
#8 Gal Wíersbra

Kits [Home/Away] by Ediraf
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i291/Macabees/TGTHome4.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i291/Macabees/TGTAway4.jpg

Greal

11-09-2008, 00:51

http://s237.photobucket.com/albums/ff41/838millionman/th_Grealflag56-1.jpg
Greal announces its Cup of Harmony Squad

Style Modifier: +2

Sasha Stadium (http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff41/838millionman/olympic-stadium.jpg?t=1218671185)
Attendance: 150,000

Home Kit (http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff41/838millionman/GrlHome4.jpg?t=1217507061)
Away Kit (http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff41/838millionman/GrlAway455.jpg?t=1217507095)

Team Formation
4-2-2-3

# 1 GK Raul Grunt
# 2 DEF Henry Watson
# 3 DEF Richard Turner
# 4 DEF Mecca Oma
# 5 DEF Sam Hardy
# 6 MID Howard Anderson
# 7 MID Jack Lincoln
# 8 MID Francis Volodislav
# 9 FOR Michael Istoma
# 10 FOR Ross Trent (Captain)
# 11 FOR Qin Lang

# 12 GK Ivan Wilson
# 13 DEF Kash Fraser
# 14 DEF Edward (Eddie) Towner
# 15 DEF Fred Murrow
# 16 DEF Shia Adamson
# 17 MID Adam Fan
# 18 MID James Peters
# 19 MID Tony Soaps
# 20 MID Paul Turton
# 21 FOR Oliver Dickens
# 22 FOR Eko Tasser
# 23 GK Dennis Willows

If my opponent posts first, he/she may:

Choose my scorers?: Yes
Yellow card my players?: Yes
Red card my players?: No
Injure my players?: Yes (I'll determine the severity)
Godmode injuries?: No
Godmode scoring events?: No
Godmode other events?: No

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff41/838millionman/GrlHome4.jpg
Home Kit

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff41/838millionman/GrlAway455.jpg
Away Kit

Adihan

14-09-2008, 16:19

Well, it's best not to wait any longer, lest the WC get too far ahead — we will be going with 12 teams.

There will be two groups of six, with each team playing each other team in their group once. The top two teams in each group will go on to the semi-finals. The draw was done using www.random.org.

(We originally intended for four groups of four, but we're determined to stick to our promise not to let non-RPers into the competition, which is meant for RPers. In the stadia info, Group C and Group D will be merged into Group 2 and played in Candelaria and Marquez; Group A and Group B will be merged into Group 1 and played in Ad’ihan.)

Group 1 (matches in Ad’ihan)
Greal
The Macabees
Terreiro de Ogum
Blouman Empire
Glaycia
West Zirconia

Group 2 (matches in C&M)
Land de Wood
Taeshan
KaMaRi
Newmanistan
An Blascaod Mór
Magna Sancta Sedes

Schedule (matches will be scored around 1500-1600 UTC):
MD1: 1v3, 2v5, 4v6 Tuesday Sept 17
MD2: 2v1, 4v3, 6v5 Wednesday Sept 18
MD3: 1v4, 2v6, 3v5 Thursday Sept 19
MD4: 5v1, 2v4, 6v3 Friday Sept 20
MD5: 1v6, 2v3, 5v4 Saturday Sept 21

Semifinal 1 (Ad’ihan): Group 1 winner v. Group 2 runner-up Monday Sept 23
Semifinal 2 (C&M): Group 2 winner v. Group 1 runner-up Monday Sept 23
Third place playoff (C&M): SF1 loser v. SF1 loser Tuesday Sept 24
Final (Ad’ihan): SF1 winner v. SF2 winner Tuesday Sept 24

Newmanistan

14-09-2008, 17:38

Newmanistan maintains its roster from Cup qualifying to the Cup of Harmony. It is as follows:

Team Nickname: The Rockets
Style Modifier: +1
Formation: Generally, Newmanistan plays a 4-3-3.

If you RP first, you may.......
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (but only say they are hurt. I’ll determine the severity)
Godmod injuries to my players: NO
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, but no more then one per game.
Godmod other events: TG your idea for approval first. I’m open to doing some things, though do not wish to do death/stadium damage/or sci-fi type stuff.
ALSO: No use of real world pictures with an opponent (aka us) in the background, I have a very strong dislike of this. Computer generated images in which we are wearing our proper sky blue and white kits are ok.

(I’ll try at one point to figure out caps and goals but make no promises).

**** COACHING STAFF ****

Manager: Brian Carson
Age: 51
Club Team: Pocono City Capitals
Background: Carson has been the manager of the Rockets ever since we made the splash onto the interregional scene. He’s had several successes, including a Baptism of Fire win (27th), and an outstanding Di Bradini Cup record. However, after many felt that the team greatly underachieved in World Cup 41 qualifying, Carson’s job was in jeopardy and he was given an ultimatum that the team had to make the knockouts in Cup of Harmony 33 to be back with the senior club for World Cup 42. Well, he did that. Now, with new life, he yearns to make the next step.

Assistant: Eric Andrews
Age: 51
Club Team: Loudon Leopards
Background: Now this, was a shocking announcement. Moreso, that Carson did it on his own. Andrews was the head coach of the Rockets in Oxen Cup 6 and 7, leading the team to final in #6, and the quarterfinals in #7, and was tabbed as being Carson’s replacement if he didn’t reach the ultimatum. They have been rival NPL coaches for almost two decades.

Assistant: Chris Merrill
Age: 44
Club Team: Dover City Mountaineers
Background: Merrill has been an assistant of Carson’s since World Cup 40. They have a pretty good rapport with one another, and Merrill is retained due to his experience, though no one knows how he’ll take to be the #2 assistant now.

And Now, the starting eleven...........

**** GOALKEEPER ****

Name: Corey Hennis
Position: GK
Age: 26
Number: 81
Club Team: Springfield Thoroughbreds
Background: Hennis has continued to evolve as the top goalkeeper in the Empire, and he has been especially good lately as he is entering what should be the prime of his career. Hennis was the starting keeper in World Cup 41, as well as on the Di Bradini Cup 4 & 5 teams, so he has plenty of experience. He’s the type of player that you would think would be poised to take the next step towards superstardom in his career, and a strong showing here could do a long way in doing that.

**** DEFENDERS ****

Name: Jeremy Brooker (Assistant Captain)
Position: LB
Age: 27
Number: 5
Club Team: Dunboor FC (Cafundeu)
Background: Brooker has developed into one of the top defenders in the world, and plays exceptionally well for Dunboor FC, one of the top teams in Cafundeu. His defensive awareness makes him one of the best ever, and he is not afraid of physical contact. He has great leadership abilities, and was named the assistant captain this year. Brooker has been a starter since World Cup 40.

Name: Michael Harrison
Position: LCB
Age: 25
Number: 8
Club Team: Pocono City Capitals
Background: Harrison is really developing into quite a player. It doesn’t hurt that he plays for one of the NPL’s most dominant teams. He was Carson’s first-choice defensive substitute in World Cup 41, and now gets his first opportunity to start, though no one is really concerned about his ability to handle that. He’s bulked up too in recent years, making him a greater physical presence.

Name: Brent Treichler
Position: RCB
Age: 27
Number: 3
Club Team: Southport Tigers
Background: Treichler has interregional experience, though none as recently as the others. He was a sub in the Baptism of Fire, then on the World Cup 40 team, but did not make the World Cup 41 team. Brent used that as inspiration, and since then, he has been a dominating force. He is the tallest defender of the starting four, and always has himself in a good position on set plays.

Name: Sheldon Talcott
Position: RB
Age: 22
Number: 2
Club Team: Loudon Leopards
Background: Talcott is making is first appearance on the senior team. He was the captain of the Di Bradini 6 team. He’s a lot like Jeremy Brooker in that he generally can outsmart opposing forwards, and anticipate what they are going to do before they do it. Sheldon is normally a left-back, but Eric Andrews assured Carson that he can play on the other side of the pitch just as well.

**** MIDFIELDERS ****

Name: Chris Peterson
Position: LM
Age: 32
Number: 13
Club Team: Clube Imperial (Cafundeu)
Background: Peterson is a two-way midfielder due to his great speed. There isn’t one thing that immediately stands out about him, because he’s strong in every aspect. Chris will not score many goals, but this is because he is more of a set up man. He was a starter in World Cup 40, then became a substitute in World Cup 41. With Kevin Carrigan no longer on the senior team, as he has lost a step, there was a spot for Peterson again. Chris will be the man delivering corner kicks.

Name: Alex Parnett
Position: CM
Age: 24
Number: 10
Club Team: Olympia Gladiators
Background: Parnett has everything you want in a center midfielder. His ball control skills are outstanding, and when coupled with his speed, he is a true offensive force. But at the same time, he is responsible defensively. After a stint in Nethertopia, Alex now plays at home, signing a contract recently with Olympia, a team that’s been starving for an offensive threat like this for years.

Name: Brett Prescott
Position: RM
Age: 33
Number: 17
Club Team: A.F.F. (Cafundeu)
Background: Prescott is a fantastic finisher, so good in fact, that he could probably play up front. But his ability to control the midfield makes this the ideal sport for him. Brett is extremely physical with a mean streak. He is often assigned to the opponent’s top goal scorer to “rough him up” and throw him off his game, and he has succeeded against some great players in the world so far. He doesn’t get carded as much as you’d think because he tries to push the limit of the rulebook, though not always be dirty, and when he is dirty, it’s usually when the ref isn’t looking. In fact, Prescott draws more “retaliation” cards against opponents then he gets himself.

**** STRIKERS ****

Name: Jeremy McAllister (“J-Mac”) *** TEAM CAPTAIN ***
Position: LS
Age: 27
Number: 20
Club Team: Putnam lake Eagles
Background: What more can be said about Jeremy McAllister. He is the all time leading scorer in Newmanistan interregional play, and is consistently a threat to score in every game. He has everything you want, speed, agility, height, great ball control, and he’s not afraid to be physical with opposing defenders. He is the man that opposing coaches will certainly be most concerned with stopping. He is also a terrific leader, and is now the captain, and is just now entering what should be the prime of his career. Former captain Kevin Lewis has slowed down a little and is now a reserve.

Name: Shawn Drummond
Position: ST
Age: 27
Number: 11
Club Team: Atletico Jutense (Cafundeu)
Background: Likely to be second on the team in goals scored. Drummond and McAllister have been working together since the 4th Di Bradini Cup, and since their rise to prominence has happened at the same time, the two have established an outstanding chemistry with one another. He is a speed burner, clocked as the fastest man on the team, just a bit quicker then J-Mac. He has recently transferred to Cafundeu himself and is one of the leaders on the team.

Name: Julie McElroy
Position: RS
Age: 31
Number: 12
Club Team: Southport Tigers
Background: Julie has had a varied amount of experience on the senior teams so far, but ever since Oxen Cup 6, she has been either a starter of a reserve on all senior team entries. This is her first World Cup starting assignment, and the striker has earned it, as she is coming off one of her finest domestic seasons. She is fearless, and just because she is female, don’t think that she’s afraid of physical contact. Quite the contrary, really, as she tends to initiate a lot of it.

**** SUBSTITUTES ****

Name: Chris Kusler
Position: GK
Age: 26
Number: 1
Club Team: Putnam Lake Eagles
Background: Kusler has really come into his own lately, developing into a fine keeper. He is being honored, now, with his first ever World Cup roster spot. He has some experience interregionally, as he backed up Hennis in the 4th Di Bradini Cup, and then again in Oxen Cup 7.

Name: Mark McCafferty
Position: CB
Age: 37
Number: 4
Club Team: Centralia Cougars
Background: This is it for Mark. After this tournament, he has announced that he will retire and go into coaching, and it’s rumored that teams are lining up wanting to get him as a coach. He is a very knowledgeable player and a consistent starter, and with exception of a short stint of missed time during World Cup 41 qualifying due to injury, he has been a starter since the Baptism of Fire. Unfortunately, age has caught up to him, stamina wise. But for 15-20 minutes as a sub? He’s as good as anyone.

Name: Shawn Morton
Position: CB
Age: 27
Number: 26
Club Team: Tundra Falls Mariners
Background: Morton had a stint in playing in Nethertopia, but is now back playing in the Empire for Tundra Falls. He is tall and aggressive, and is a very intelligent defender. What keeps him from starting is a touch of inconsistency, but that shouldn’t be overstated, it’s just the others are better in that area.

Name: Steve Boland
Position: MID
Age: 32
Number: 16
Club Team: Springfield Thoroughbreds
Background: Boland is no stranger to the World Cup. He’s been on the roster since World Cup 40, but has not seen a ton of playing time. He got some as a sub in WC40, but then as a reserve, did not see much time in WC41. He’s back in as a sub here. Boland doesn’t mind this as he has a tremendous work ethic.

Name: Brett Carlson
Position: ST
Age: 18
Number: 9
Club Team: Pocono City Capitals
Background: The young phenom who made quite an impact at the 6th Di Bradini Cup is ready to be part of the senior team despite just barely being old enough to drink. He made an immediate impact playing for Carson and the Capitals, and Brian is obviously very confident in him. This is to give him a taste of World Cup action, and it is believed that he will be a starter in four years for World Cup 43. Widely seen as our next “J-Mac.”

**** RESERVES ****

Name: Eddie Chapman
Position: CB
Age: 37
Number: 7
Club Team: Loudon Leopards
Background: Eddie is going to be used more as a player/coach during this competition. Like Mark McCafferty, he has been a starter ever since World Cup 40, and is a fine defender. If his name gets called out of necessity, he’ll still be able to do the job. Unfortunately, as is the case with Mark, he is having a hard time with more agile young strikers these days as he gets older, so he will no longer start.

Name: Tony Borsinger
Position: CB
Age: 26
Number: 6
Club Team: Tundra Falls Mariners
Background: Last season, Tony sustained a nasty ACL tear, and is still not 100%. Therefore, the starter in World Cup 41 is not going to see much action this time around. He has healed enough to where he could be effective a little while, but this tournament will be a lost cause for him. Look for him to have a greater role in World Cup 43, like we are accustomed too.

Name: Tom Cuyler
Position: MID
Age: 21
Number: 14
Club Team: South Tier Seagulls
Background: An up and coming player, Cuyler will be making his first appearance on the senior team, after being a reserve in the 6th Di Bradini Cup. He is continuing to show progress, especially in his finishing ability, and he is someone who may just be a late bloomer compared to others. He’s definitely someone worth watching.

Name: Kevin Lewis
Position: ST
Age: 36
Number: 43
Club Team: Tundra Falls Mariners
Background: The former captain of the World Cup 40 and 41 teams, Kevin has shown signs of aging, and quite simply, is not as good anymore. He is still capable, and still will be used with confidence. This past off-season, he signed with Tundra Falls after 17 years of playing with Carson in Pocono City. This was mainly a money issue. Kudos to Carson for not holding a grudge and bringing Lewis back.

Newmanistan

14-09-2008, 18:11

THE ROCKET REPORT

BELIEVE IN THE TUNDRA FALLS SPIRITS

Tundra Falls, Newmanistan- This morning our players have boarded their plane and are heading to Candelaria And Marquez to prepare for Cup of Harmony 34. It is only natural, therefore, to look back to four years ago when the Cup of Harmony was played here on our turf. The spirits of Tundra Falls are well known within the Empire, and we have begun to see now some interregional nations begin to acknowledge their existence as well. The saying has always been if you respect the Spirits, they will be nice to you, and perhaps continue to guide you after the fact. It was four years ago that the Cup of Harmony was played in Newmanistan, and if you don’t believe in the Spirits, here’s a number for you. Of the 8 teams that played in Cup of Harmony 33 that ended up qualifying for World Cup 42 (host Septentrionia included), six of them played at Tundra Falls. 6 of 8. Newmanistan bracket. Let’s take a look at some nations that may have become positively influenced by the spirits:

Candelaria And Marquez: They went through Group A all the way to the championship. They won their title on Zwangzug turf, but they had several important games here at the Proving Grounds.

Rennidan: You can’t think of Cup of Harmony 33, and Candelaria And Marquez without also thinking about Rennidan. But look, they’re in the World Cup too now for the first time.

Prux: Prux makes it three teams from “Group A” four years ago that are playing in the World Cup this year. They didn’t have the greatest group stage, but maybe that Group A was pretty tough after all.

Jeru FC: A Cup of Harmony without Jeru FC? Hard to believe, but the army men also went through the Newmanistan bracket, and look, they’re in World Cup now!

Sorthern Northland: They had their group play in Zwangzug, but they came here, specifically to the Proving Grounds for the 3rd place game. And look where they are now!

Septentrionia: Well, they were going to be in the World Cup anyway, but they also had some time at the Proving Grounds.

The two teams that did not play at all in Tundra Falls that qualified for World Cup 42 are Yafalonia and Bazor 2 and Lovisa. There are other stories out there too. Such as Kura-Pelland, who was the first interregional team to ever step foot on the Proving Grounds in any competition. Look at them now, in World Cup 41 qualifying that had a stunning run, and now four years later they have re-established themselves as one of the top teams in the world. Coincidence? Or not? Maybe there are other nations out there too that have been affected by the spirits that we don’t know about yet.

So now let’s jump ahead four years, to the present. With Newmanistan playing their games in Candelaria And Marquez, there will be those that wonder here at home if the two nations will end up having a pretty interesting link to them, with them winning here in Cup of Harmony 33, and us winning there in Cup of Harmony 34, still while the nations have yet to ever play a game against each other (which is quite something since there have been several times when they were “a bracket away” in the Di Bradini Cups. You could count a meeting between the sides in the Olympics though if you wanted. While that possibility is sure to be uttered by many journalists within Newmanistan, let’s not automatically assume that the Empire is a favorite. But then we look at the other eleven teams participating, and one question comes about. Why not?

Let’s do it!!

The Macabees

14-09-2008, 19:28

Golden-Whites Prepare for Cup of Harmony

After being mercilessly knocked-out during the World Cup group stage, ending fifth out of seven teams, the Macabee National Football Team is preparing itself for the Cup of Harmony. Sometimes known as the “loser’s cup”, it can be considered a second chance for teams to redeem themselves on the international team. Not surprisingly, not many nations decided to show up, given that only twelve nations are competing this year – perhaps they were already fed up with their World Cup results. But, the Cup of Harmony has more advantages than just a second-chance of lifting some trophy – it also offers teams a chance to gain rank, or keep their current rank (a very powerful incentive to take part). So, for these reasons, the Golden-Whites have started the long route to preparing themselves for the group stage of the competition. Five long days of matches lay in front of them, and then the chance to advance to the semi-finals. Despite this being a cup of “non-qualified national teams”, the obstacles are still relatively great. But, the Macabee National Football Team has found new strength by realizing that its performance has attracted foreign coaches, and to know that perhaps they aren’t as bad as some would like to believe.

http://www.egyptianplayers.com/assets/delbosque.jpg
[Coach Varrios is sure that the Golden-Whites will make their place in Cup of Harmony history, this year.]

As many have no doubt found out, the majority of the squad found a new home in the Yaforite League. This includes players such as the young prodigy Mika D’Angíel, who will most likely be playing as a striker for the Golden-Whites for a very long time, as well. In total, fifteen players from the national team have been targeted and contracted by different teams in the Yaforite League. This makes sense, since Darivan Varrios (the national team’s coach) is also a Yaforite and the coach of Chelmar FC. Apart from these contracts, two other players have recently been offered large sums of money to play in two other foreign leagues. Tíengard Ursal was purchased by Wexax United, in the Elvish Premiership, for $2,000,000 – with a $500,000 sign-on bonus. This will be the first Macabee player in Elves Security Forces. Lión Gertal is currently being offered a 7 million Vintem contract for a place in Khalmar-Tijhus, in the Canfudelense League. This growing “international success” for Macabee players will be of great benefit in future World Cups. Experience outside of the Second Empire and the fact that they are playing in foreign leagues, without ever having played in a domestic league (the domestic league was shut down for three years due to the War of Golden Succession), will be of value – it brings confidence. This confidence will be tantamount for winning the Cup of Harmony and any future football competition the team partakes in. Besides, now that they see potential in playing outside of The Macabees, many players will be trying to show themselves off for a chance to score a contract in a foreign league.

Regardless, as aforementioned, the group stage will not be easy. Greal, ranked sixty-eigth, is technically ranked behind the Golden-Whites, but nobody needs reminding how the Macabee National Football Team defeated Northern Bettia (a team ranked much higher than them, at the time). Terreiro de Ogum is ranked forty-ninth, ahead of the Golden-Whites, while the Blouman Empire’s team is thirty-eighth. Glaycia is fifty-ninth and West Zirconia is fifty-eighth. The Macabee team is ranked fifty-fourth, which is right in the middle of the group’s range. The difficulty of Group A is mirrored in Group B, as well, which has a range between the mid-40s and the late 60s. This will, perhaps, be the most interesting football seen, given how close the teams are to each other in terms of skill and abilities. It would be improper to guess on who will make out of the group stage, given that there are no clear advantages in any of the fortunate teams to take part in the cup. Interestingly, Greal is the only team taking part in the Cup of Harmony (and World Cup) that is geographically positioned in Greater Dienstad – the same region as the Macabees. This will be a great spectacle for regional citizens, as what are currently the two biggest teams in the region duke it out. It should be mentioned that the Díenstad Cup, a regional football competition between twenty-six nations, will begin soon after the end of the Cup of Harmony – many see the Greal-Macabee match as a crystal ball which will offer the results to the Díenstad Cup (given that no other national team has to date had any experience outside the domestic league).

In the face of such uncertainty, fear and hope, the Macabee team has already begun a process of difficult training. Their rest day will only be the day prior to the first match day, and even then they will be getting prepared for the game by going through hours of muscle relaxation exercises. Prior to practices, which have been opened for all citizens to see, the players have been kind enough to sign autographs for the children, and even the not-so-small. With the prospects of two different trophies (Cup of Harmony and Díenstad Cup), football is once again becoming an important aspect of the Second Empire’s citizen’s everyday life. The national team’s participating in the two previous world cups has reinforced this. This resurgence of football in Greater Díenstad, as a whole, is remarkable, given the post-war ambiance that yet remains (especially after the Macabee invasion and occupation of Theohuanacu, and continued political strife between the Second Empire and the Holy Empire). In this light, perhaps the Díenstad Cup will be taken a bit more seriously, although the Cup of Harmony is possibly considered the most important attainable trophy at this point. However, the convergence of the two to near the same dates might make it possible for more nations in Greater Díenstad to enlist their teams and send them to participate in the World Cup – quite a feat for a region that isn’t Atlantian Oceania. Some of the Greater Díenstad participants which have shown the most interest are Stevid, Independent Hitmen, Jagada and Yanitaria, apart from the Second Empire and Greal.

http://www.goodairs.com/uploaded_images/SergioAguero-794479.jpg
[Mika D'Angíel celebrating after scoring a goal in the World Cup.]

The first Cup of Harmony match for the Second Empire will be against Glaycia (59th), which finished fifth in group twelve, during World Cup 42 (a group including nations such as Starblaydia, Vephrall and Jeru FC). On the topic of this match, Golden-Whites’ coach, Varrios, said, “It’s important to win this first match, as it will give us the footing to springboard into the semifinals. It will be difficult to recover from an early loss, especially with so few match days. Apart from the points, the morale and the confidence will be completely necessary to defeat our opponents over the following four match days – not to mention, a loss will also have dramatic effects on our performance in subsequent tournaments, including the Díenstad Cup.”

In a media release, striker Mika D’Angíel, who was also the top scorer during the World Cup, said, “We can win the next match, just as Glaycia’s team can. We are pumped and we have been training very hard. We also have the experience to put to test on the field. This first game will make or break our team, I believe. A loss of confidence can be disastrous. But, all of our fans can be reassured that we will be putting everything we have into this game, and all subsequent games, as well. We have defeated teams that have been ranked fifty places ahead of us, and so it’s obvious that we can defeat whoever we want. It’s just that our want to defeat our opponent has to be greater than our opponent’s want to defeat us. Then again, we have been defeated by teams that have not been ranked ahead of us, too. So, it really goes both ways. It’s football, what can I say?”

Perhaps an early victory will make our player’s confidence much more inspiring …

Land de Wood

14-09-2008, 23:43

Well the draw has now been made for the cup of harmony group stage and we face some interesting games:

Taeshan
KaMaRi
Newmanistan
An Blascaod Mór
Magna Sancta Sedes

Well it was during the Di Bradini Cup that we first came across the team Newmanistan who predicted that we would go on to win the Baptism of Fire, sadly their prediction was wrong but we will be seeking to make amends in the Cup of Harmony.

Magna Sancta Sedes, we meet this team in the Baptism of Fire beating them in the second group stage, however there was then that war of words that followed after our semi final against West Zirconia involving some interesting refereeing decisions. As the best performing newcomer in the recent world cup qualifiers they are going from strength to strength and will be a difficult team to beat.

An Blascaod Mor are another team we met and beat in the second group stage of the Baptism of Fire and so we will be looking to beat them again.

Taeshan and KaMaRi we have yet to play and will be two very different games.

With only the top two teams going through it is going to be a difficult group to qualify from, but we are the Woodpeckers and we will peck our way to victory!

This paper would also like to congratulate the hosts on standing by their guns and not letting in nations whose public have not been following them.

Taeshan

15-09-2008, 00:15

Smallest amount of teams entered in CoH history I Believe

Wow only twelve teams have entered in the 34th Cup of Harmoney hosted by Candelaria and Marquez, and Ad'ihan. The teams will be divided into two groups of 6. The Purple Knights of Taeshan have been entered in group two were they will face of with 5 other teams. The Knights should look to compete in there group, but with only two teams making it to round two its questionable. Here is are team by team look into history.

Week 1 An Blascoad Mor- We have fa ced the Morians once before in a friendly earlier this year. We defeated them behind the foot of Brian Ying Uing. We should have a good explosive game.

Week 2 Land de Wood- We have never faced the Woodpeckers before, as they are a young and new nation. We should look to gain a few points from them, but don't cross your fingers.

Week 3 Magna Sancta Sedes The third new team in group 2 almost qualified in there first attempt, but failed. They are a nation close to the Han, and we should be able to at least tie them.

Week 4 Newmanistan Ah the rockets rearin up to take out another bight on the Taeshan side. They will look to add another defeat of a Taeshani team, but well need this one to advance.

Week 5 KaMaRi Yes they will be are biggest competitors. They should easily beat us. Look for a wipeout.

Greal

15-09-2008, 00:26

Cup of Harmony 34 Preview

After the group draw, Greal is placed in a group which nearly all its teams are ranked higher.

The Macabees
Terreiro de Ogum
Blouman Empire
Glaycia
West Zirconia

The Macabees, a fellow regional member, it would be interesting for Greal to play them for the first time. Greal will encounter their team again in the Greater Díenstad Cup.

Terreiro de Ogum, not much known about them. All we know is that they are the second highest ranking team in the group.

Blouman Empire, never been played before, but a tough opponent, ranked very high.

Glaycia and West Zirconia will also be tough opponents, but Greal managed to overcome top teams sometimes.

However, despite everything, the Greal National Team will have a tough time qualifying, however, a surprise may happen...

Blouman Empire

15-09-2008, 14:25

Adihan

15-09-2008, 16:48

OOC: When is this going to be starting, I know the RP is very important in a CoH but atm I am swamped under and I shouldn't even be posting this, just wondering. Also only 12 teams that will have a bad affect on our KBP points won't it with less games to play a team which makes it to the semis will get less points than a team who made it through to the semis last time won't it? And it may be poor for me as this is my fourth CoH and the first one I participated in will no longer count, won't that unfairly damage teams KBP points? Note; I am am not thinking that I will make it to the semis.

Each team will play seven games at most (5 group, 1 SF, 1 Final); this is actually more than a team that goes all the way in a 4x4 group format (3 group, 1 QF, 1 SF, 1 Final). Even if you don't progress you will actually be playing more games than a team that doesn't progress in a 4x4 format. Further, the KPB works on a points-per-game basis, so on that side it won't make a difference.

The cup starts tomorrow.

West Zirconia

15-09-2008, 18:06

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm1/Starblayde/ediraf/WZrcHome4.jpg

West Zirconian coach Roy Hazell has made moderate changes to the side that disappointed in the World Cup qualifiers.

The starting eleven will be as follows:

GK Steve Gray (Aliança)
DL Ben Phillips (c) (Moorcroft City)
DC Lewis Fox (St. Andrew's)
DC Mark Dolman (Houghton Kestrels)
DR Paul Paterson (Green Island Zapata)
ML Ian Hawthorne (Serrano)
MC Patrick Williams (St. Martin University)
MC Ed French (Banks)
MR Anthony McGowan (Markham)
FW Martin Forster (Moorcroft City)
FW Steve Griffiths (Banks)

The remainder of the squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: John Hopkins (St. Andrew's), Tom Lyons (Civil Service)

Defenders: Mike Faulkner (Markham), Ryan Gregory (Bradley Hornets), Russell Munro (Taylor's Cross)

Midfielders: Nicky Shaw (Bradley Hornets), Lee Pritchard (Banks), Damion Hyde (New Toronto)

Forwards: Jerome Bennett (Taylor's Cross), Mark Young (St. Andrew's), Ryan Johnstone (Civil Service)

[OOC: Permission is granted for all you keen RP-ers to do anything except godmods.]

The draw for the Cup of Harmony has put West Zirconia in the same group as four team that they have never faced. The only familiar faces will be those of the Blouman Empire, who beat West Zirconia twice in the World Cup qualifiers.

When asked his reaction to the draw, Hazell replied, "Well, we'll have a lot of work to do just to find out how the other teams play. Pity we've got the Blouman Empire again - hopefully we'll put up more of a fight than we did last time."

Captain Ben Phillips was reluctant to comment on the draw, but did make one observation: "At least we've avoided Land de Wood."

Magna Sancta Sedes

15-09-2008, 20:26

Cup of Harmony - Group B
MD1: vs Newmanistan @ Hallowfield Park, Allemali
MD2: vs An Blascaod Mór @ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires
MD3: vs Taeshan @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo
MD4: vs KaMaRi @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht
MD5: vs Land de Wodd @ Estadio Francisco Álvarez, Onwere

=== The Dreamed Realm ===

Caesar was sleeping soundly on the Codex. Eulogus was busily sleeping as well, sleeping on a different book. Meanwhile, Tucker was wondering if his journey to the Dreamed Realm was well worth the time. He wanted to sleep as well, but after sleeping the previous night on a book of vices, he was distraught to learn that he had learned all of the vices possibly learned. It was then that Eulogus offered him a little advice - "It's best to watch where one sleeps, or else you might learn something that you'll wish that you didn't." It was a little late, but hopefully, he could excise those thoughts.

"Eureka!" Eulogus said, waking up suddenly.

"What?" Caesar said, wondering all the same.

"I've just learned the Cup of Harmony draws!"

"Really... and that means what?"

"Magna Sancta Sedes is placed with Newmanistan, Taeshan, Land de Wood, KaMaRi, and An Blascaod Mór!"

Tucker sighed. "We don't need to waste our time with this useless knowledge."

"Knowledge is not all useful, but sometimes, knowing a lot more than what you need can be entertaining."

"And how does it help us now?"

"Well, your Inquisitor General just summoned an army of demons to play the game for the Holy side."

"What???"

"It seems odd, but apparently the old bloke found a relic Clavis Salomis and suffered the demons to play for Catholicism. A bad idea, in my opinion."

"Well, that was a merry divertimento," Caesar said, reaching for a bowl of milk. He started to lap it like a cat.

"Caesar... you're not a cat."

"I know, but I'm going through the chapter on cats."

"There's a chapter on cats in the Codex?"

"You can find anything you need in the Codex," Eulogus said. "I'm not sure what it is exactly, but some people call it the source of knowledge. In it are the origins of knowledge, if you can find it."

"But didn't God make the universe?"

"And what's to stop God from putting it in a book?"

"I guess... not much."

"Exactly. You have to remember that you're in the Dreamed Realm. Things that don't happen in reality tend to happen here."

"But what the apparent disregard for divine authority?"

"God rules in Heaven, and let Him. I'm not debating that. But you have to realize that there is a world beyond Heaven, and it's a world worth exploring. A man doesn't learn anything by reading a book and crediting it with truth. Truth is out there, and you've got to pour into the crevices to find the stuff it left behind."

"This is all just utter ... "

"Well, if you can abandon your blasphemy talk, you'll learn to appreciate more the rising and setting sun everytime it does so. Because the more you credit to God's glory, the less you see its significance. Indeed, God works in mysterious ways, but to learn these ways - that is the jewel man seeks to know."

Caesar knocked on Eulogus's head at that. "You've got to remember to keep some things to yourself, friend."

"Ah, yes," after which, Eulogus shut up. Tucker was a little off-set. "What was that for?" Caesar responded promptly, "Once in a long time ago, Eulogus was a victim of his own quests for knowledge, and it found at odds with the authorities. Because pursuit of knowledge is a treasure, but there are certain... things of which one must be mindful when in pursuit."

"Like what?"

"Manipulation," Eulogus said shamelessly.

"Manipulation?"

Caesar nodded. "We should leave it at that. Discussions as these can be a little dangerous. Especially for some of us from beyond the Dreamed Realm."

(ooc @ hosts: MSS has edited its roster information in post #9 (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13995269&postcount=9))

Glaycia

15-09-2008, 21:28

"Inga why aren't we in the Cup prpoer? No one put icy fear into the other team like we Glaycians did. What's all this harmony jazz? Though you know jazz was a grand ol' kind of music, much better than all this noise these kids like these days. No mood, no emotion, just tryin' to make everyone around them deaf whether they like it or not."

"Well Ludden dear, you know the team didn;t do well enough to move along to that proper cup, but those in charge people decided we had to be here so here we are. And its a good thing too, those poor dears tried so hard fighting overheating and passing out in that awfully horrid warm weather they had there. Maybe these matches will be in cooler places, or at least at night when the sun's not so bad."

"But dang it Inga, i've never heard of any of these other places! Macabees? Aren;t they supposed to be in the Bible? i rememebr reading about them once i think. Greal, that was breakfast today wasn;t it dear?"

"That was gruel Ludden."

"That's what i said, Greal, dang it woman, why don;t you listen to me proper? Terreiro de Ogum, that's in Spain isn't it? Never been there but i bet its too danged warm there too. And West Zirconia, i know them i think Vlad's used jewelry shop gets some stuff from there. Or does that mean their whole country's just a fake diamond looking place. "

"Maybe its because they think the weather is bad there and the ground is always covered in ice. Very sparkly and such dear. Might be a nice place to vacation."

"Ah a place with a proper temperature? Thought Icy Cold Death Touch was the only place with a good climate in these Cups. Wish we had more of them. Blouman Empire. Is that a nation of florists? All those pretty flowers always blooming. Bet they can;t play too well trying avoid the flower beds every match. heh heh."

<Ludden starts coughing uncontrolably as Inga brings him his medicine>

"Now dear, you shouldn;t excite yourself like that, i bet their country smells just dandy and would be a nice vaction spot. Oh wait there's your allergies aren't there dear."

<drinks down the medicine and stops coughing before answering>

"Dang it Inga, we Glaycians aren;t allergic to anything. I just had a cold that day and something tickled my nose that day we went to the greenhouse that day. That's all."

"Whatever you say dear now drink your tea."

Newmanistan

16-09-2008, 03:47

(Rockets players gather in an undisclosed location)

McAllister: At last, we play one of these fanatical religious teams.

Drummond: Yeah they’ve gone from Saints to Demons apparently.

McAllister: Have the Demons ever worked as a nice cohesive unit together on a pitch, or don’t they usually just work on their own?

Drummond: Who cares.

Brooker: I’d imagine we would have the advantage on them since they haven’t had a lot of practice time together.

Parnett: Yes but having the power of the Devil on their side may factor into it.

McAllister: We have a greater power on our side. And that’s the power of wanting to win this damn Cup of Harmony. This is our year, there is no reason we cannot do this.

Carson: Good morning team, it’s time to get the Cup of Harmony started, I hope everyone is ready to go, if not please let me know.

Brooker: Any special game plan for this opponent?

Carson: Nope. We are going to play Newmanistan football. We will win this whole freaki’ tournament playing Newmanistan football, you got it?!

Team: Yes sir!

Carson: In Cup of Harmony 32 we got off on the wrong foot with an upset loss at the hands of a puppet of Daehanjeiguk. That’s not going to happen again eight years later!

Harrison: What do you mean by a puppet of.....

Carson: Nevermind that’s not important!

McAllister: It’s fitting that we play demons because I think in World Cup 42 qualifying we exorcized the biggest demon that had been facing our team, our record against lower ranked opposition. We won 5 of the 6 with a draw this year. We exorcized the demons and now we’ll lay the smack down on them.

Drummond: I don’t care about what they did in qualifying, they didn’t do as good as we did in our first qualifying effort.

Brooker: Exactly, did they miss out by the away goals rule? No! So we got closer, and now we will remind them that we are the better team.

Carson: Very good! I want us to be going into the mindset of this group as one of the favorites, because we are indeed a favorite to advance. This is a great shot we have right now. It’s all going to come down to execution.

McAllister: No one in this group should beat us. No one! Not even Taeshan!

Drummond: Because we always beat Taeshan!

Carson: But first, we start off like J-Mac said. Beating the demons that we exorcized during qualification. They won’t have a chance. This is our Cup of Harmony and no one is standing in our way. No one!!

Drummond: Huddle up! Hands together. Champions on three! 1... 2....

Team: CHAMPIONS!!!

McAllister: Nothing less will be acceptable. The demons will simply be our first victim.

Newmanistan

16-09-2008, 13:59

Narrator: Now it’s time for your Pocono City Sports Report. Here’s your one and only co-host, the lovely Meghan Traynor along with Kevin Collins.

Collins: I’m just as lovely come on!! Right Meghan?

Traynor: Uhmm, anyway let’s get too....

Collins: Thanks for the endorsement there Megs!

Traynor: Anytime Kevin! But let’s get to the important stuff like....

Collins: Like the 2nd World Lacrosse Championships that are going to happen, oh yeah! You know Meghan played lacrosse in high school.

Traynor: That will be one of the topics on today’s show, as well as World Bowl III, but the first thought on everyone’s mind right now is Cup of Harmony 34!

Collins: Heck yeah! It was fun while it was here four years ago. Who won that again?

Traynor: They won it when we hosted it; now will we win it when they host it?

Collins: Conspiracy theorists are all ready to pounce on that one if it happens.

Traynor: But if we don’t win then other conspiracy theorists will say we didn’t win because the hosts were afraid of the first group of conspiracy theorists. It’s a no-win situation.

Collins: Alright Meghan now you’re giving me a headache. Let’s play some football and eventually the Rockets will take their rightful place as Cup of Harmony 34 Champions!

Traynor: The group draw places us with a couple of puppets....

Collins: Calling them puppets isn’t nice, Meghan, you know that. Do you like being called a puppet of the Pocono City Sports Network?

Traynor: Haha! I am not a puppet of PCSN!

Collins: Sure you aren’t, that’s why you were called lovely and I got no cool introduction.

Traynor: So let’s see, we got Magna Secta Sedes, An Blasacod Mor, Land de Wood.....

Collins: You know that makes me nervous.

Traynor: Why?

Collins: We are in a nation of three separate “words” so to speak, Candelaria And Marquez. All three of them have three “words” too. Why isn’t Terreiro de Ogum in our group too?

Traynor: So if we lose to them, then it’s fodder for conspiracy theorists again. A plot in favor of three-word name nations. The Orixas worshippers aren’t in our group because if there were four three word names it wouldn’t fit. Three three word names works better.

Collins: You’re giving me a headache again!

Traynor: Then we have KaMaRi and a win over Taeshan, because we always beat Taeshan.

Collins: Is this where Taeshan gets their breakthrough finally?

Traynor: Nah. We should do no worse then second in this group, and get into the semifinals. Anything less is underachievement. What we really should be able to do is win the championship. I’m sure we’ll have the most consistent press releases of the twelve, that should account for something. Just look, no press releases from anyone else since our last one that was almost twelve hours ago!!

Collins: The Candelaria And Marquez media appreciates that, they are normally very active too, so maybe that will work in our favor. Some think it may have played a factor in their title run four years ago in Newmanistan.

Traynor: Or maybe it will just be more fodder conspiracy theorists.

Collins: Would you stop with the conspiracy theorists already!

Traynor: Ok, ok, I’ll try. But you know they’ll be out there if we win!

Collins: Then bring them on. This Cup is OURS!!!!

Adihan

16-09-2008, 16:15

Stadia info (including which stadia are hosting which matches) have been updated. This is the RP cutoff for Group 1.

Candelaria And Marquez

16-09-2008, 16:16

Matchday One ~ Group B

After a cheerfully underwhelming opening ceremony in Caires – a brief, football-based retelling of both host nations’ histories; a few, damp fireworks reflective of the modern credit crunch austerity; and a random Han doing keepie-uppies – Land de Wood kicked the competition off against KaMaRi.

While at the other end of the country, the islanders of An Blascaod Mór made themselves at home amongst the comparatively vast plains of Green Island; controversy has already struck, to bring into question the already doubtful organisational abilities of the Candelariasian authorities. Certainly, there seemed rather a lot of travelling Newmanistanian supporters in Allemali, quite a few empty seats at Hallowfield Park, and all together a distinct lack of locals. The match wasn’t even shown on C&M telly!

It’s a pity. We were all looking forward to seeing the new Magna Sancta Sedes side in action…

Land de Wood 3-0 KaMaRi
Taeshan 0-1 An Blascaod Mór
Newmanistan 1-2 Magna Sancta Sedes

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Land de Wood 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 3
2 Magna Sancta Sedes 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
3 An Blascaod Mór 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3
4 Newmanistan 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
5 Taeshan 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0
6 KaMaRi 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3 0

Matchday Two Shedule

Taeshan v Land de Wood @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht
Newmanistan v KaMaRi @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo
Magna Sancta Sedes v An Blascaod Mór @ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires

Adihan

16-09-2008, 16:22

Matchday One
Group 1 results

Blouman Empire 2-1 West Zirconia
Glaycia 1-1 The Macabees
Greal 0-2 Terreiro de Ogum

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Terreiro de Ogum 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3
2 Blouman Empire 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
3 The Macabees 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
4 Glaycia 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
5 West Zirconia 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
6 Greal 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0

The Macabees

16-09-2008, 18:12

Minute 54, In Game
How to save a game …

The game was not going as well as it could have, especially given that the Golden-Whites were one down, thanks to a Glaycian goal scored in the opening minutes of the game. The goal had come as quite a surprise, and the team was just not able to recover from this set-back. So, as the second half opened the Macabee team found themselves in the same exact irreversible position, and there just nobody that could change the current situation. Sweat poured from every pore in the Macabee players, as they looked exasperated. Minute after minute was passing, and attack after attack – yet, no tangible results. It seemed that their every effort was a waste. But, the adrenalin and the hope of winning kept them going. Key midfielders, such as Golet Níer, had already run over eight kilometers – back and forth on the field. Lamí Davíer, who was a defensive midfielder, had ran even more, trying to support the attack and falling back to make sure that the Glaycian offense couldn’t breakthrough the Macabee defense. Insofar the game had not gotten worse because the Glaycian team was slow to counterattack, allowing the Golden-Whites to deploy in their usual eight men, double-tier defense. But, the game was not moving in their favor, either.

Mika D’Angíel was the only player who didn’t actively participate in the defense, preferring to stay near the middle of the field. He had been able to break away a couple of times, but the Glacyan goalkeeper was good, and Mika could never get the ball in a position where it was inevitably lethal. The young football player looked at the events unfolding before him. The Glacyan players were passing the ball to each other, attempting to break through the Macabee defense, but to no avail. There! Nestor Yíer, another young player, put his foot right in front of the ball as the Glaycian midfielder attempted to pass him up. A quick pass to Gíerd Hen put the ball in the open, and Mika D’Angíel turned around and ran, as if second nature. He couldn’t necessarily see the ball going towards him, but he knew it was coming. They had rehearsed this attack thousands of time, both in training and during games. It was an unusual counter-attack, and most of the time the player found himself in a position where he had to stop and wait for the rest of his team, but if he was lucky then he could work in a counterstroke. This time it worked marvelously. The ball fell from the sky a couple of meters in front of him, but given that the field was for the most part open he was able to control it and begin dribbling forward.

The defense was rather slow to react. He was able to get in front of the defenders quickly, although they were right on his heels. Mika did not stop, as if running for his life. He could feel his breath getting heavy, as his lungs began to expend more energy for each inhale and each exhale. His leg muscles bulged as adrenaline pumped through them, accentuating the cuts on his thigh. Mika D’Angíel was fast, and he was even faster when he knew he had nothing to lose. He suddenly stopped the ball, cut behind one of the defenders (towards the right), and used his right leg to curve the ball right into the top-left corner of the goal. The Glaycian goal keeper’s body curved to try to meet the ball in mid-flight, but the black and white sphere curved over his fingertips and back down towards the goal. It was a splendid sight, and although things happened so fast, Mika saw every single second of it. It was acts like these that had gotten him in the Yaforite Football League. The faces of the defenders twisted from determination (to stop Mika D’Angíel) to distress, as they too noticed that Mika had just equalized the game. The goalkeeper fell to a prone position as he came from the air, and the energy he would otherwise use to get back up dissipated, along with the hope of winning. He looked back and scowled, yelling some type of insult to the rest of his team’s players – accusing them of leaving the Macabee striker open.

Mika D’Angíel didn’t stay to listen. He ran into the opponent’s goal, picked up the ball and ran towards his own team to celebrate. His face’s expression also changed – from glee to pure excitement. He looked towards the stands, raising his right arm in the air and screaming, as if to include them in the celebration. He saw the thousands of spectators stand and cheer him on – the Golden-Whites were no longer losing the game! As Golet Níer ran into Mika, Mika jumped on him and threw the ball behind him.

Golet Níer yelled upwards, “You lucky bastard. You always get the good goals!”

Unfortunately, the renewed energy didn’t translate into a second goal, as the time slipped by again. But, at least they had equalized the game, and the Golden-Whites were able to register at least one point. Ultimately, as most would find out after the game, it put them as third in the group, while Glaycia came in fourth and West Zirconia and Greal last (who lost 2-1 to Blouman Empire and 0-2 to Terreiro de Ogum, respectively). At least the cup was not totally thrown away. The next day would bring a game against Greal, and most were crossing their fingers that they could make their comeback. Blouman Empire and Terreiro de Ogum, the two group leaders, were playing each other, as well – this would give The Macabees (assuming they could win) a chance to catch up to at least second place, allowing them to compete to get into the semi-finals. But, this game would bring many doubts to mind, especially when it was time to play teams such as Blouman Empire and Terreiro de Ogum.

Dressing room, after the game
Most weren’t aware that this was boot camp …

Darivan Varrios did not seem to happy with the game’s results. He was almost fuming from the ears – he had not expected an early setback. He remained silent as the players filed into the dressing room, taking off their shirts to prepare for a nice cold shower. As they diffused towards their lockers Varrios yelled, “STOP!”

They all stopped where they were and looked back at him. The older man scanned them once and then let loose, “It is now that much harder to qualify for the semi-finals. You guys realize that only the top two teams can qualify, right? This means that we cannot afford to not win any other games – no more losses, no more draws. Otherwise, this team risks being sent back to the Empire without a trophy, and then we’ll just have to lay our hopes on the Díenstad Cup. Is that what you guys want? Because, if it is… fuck it, let’s just go back now and save ourselves the time, effort and embarrassment.”

One of the defenders said back, “Hey, look, we did our best. I’m sure that tomorrow we’re going to do much better. We know what we did wrong.”

Varrios hurled his head back and laughed, “Oh yea? Oh fuck, OK, that’s cool then, I guess. Go take your showers and go back to the hotel and celebrate. Shit, we tied! Let me ask you, what did you do right? Apart from the only goal you guys could put in, the entire game you were sleeping. We had control of the ball, but you guys just couldn’t put it into the net. I’m not trying to be mean, but I am trying to illustrate the problems you guys are having. You need accuracy and decisiveness – you cannot think about shooting. It must come naturally, or else you will always shoot too late. MIDFIELDERS, BLOCK THEM BEFORE THEY GET TO THE DEFENSE.” He paused for a second and then continued, “On the other hand, good job on the defense guys. Apart from that early, lucky ass goal they found it impossible to stretch the lead or take the lead again. But, we need more goals.”

Mika retorted, “I can’t be doing all the work guys!”

“Oh, shut the hell up.”

Varrios closed his little speech, “I want you guys to think about this tonight. We have a long game tomorrow.”

Glaycia

16-09-2008, 18:54

"Dang gum it Inga, that just isn;t right. Those bible people shouldn't have found a way to break through the ice and put that shot in net. i bet that guy was offsides! now we're not going to advance!"

"Now Ludden, the dears tried their best. It must be awfully tiring running around in the heat like that. At least we're not last like those poor teams that lost today."

"But that just ain't right either, how do florists win soccer matches? They don;t even have an empty field to practice on with all them dang flowers blooming everywhere. Don;t know what the spanish folk were blabbering about, maybe they're telling everyone they're going to lose to su next. Yeah and those flowers will die in the cold when they come here. We're not out of this yet!"

"But Ludden, the florist folk won;t be coming here, in fact no one is, its all in neutral stadiums."

"That just makes not a lick of sense. How can our fans see the team and cheer them live when we have to travel to tarnation knows where. i bet most folk can;t even find these strange places on the map."

"Now i'm sure they can dear, after all they showed up for all these away mathes so far. Maybe we'll have a parade when they come back. That would be exciting wouldn;t it?"

"Bah in my day we didn;t have parades just because some folk played some sport in some strange place. Only the winners got them."

"That's true dear but these children have done something no one else in Glaycia has ever done. A once in a lifetime thing. It'll be such fun to see them. Maybe they'll get a key to the city!"

"Bah Inga, you and your partying ways. No wonder the children aren't nice and sensible like me."

"Whatever you say dear."

Taeshan

16-09-2008, 20:26

Knights lose CoH 34 Opener

Yes there back to there old ways. The Purple Knights lost again to open up the Cup of Harmony to An Blascoad Mor, a team they had just beaten months earlier in a friendly, but alas it was not meant to be the Knights day as they lost to the yound lads from An getting shut out in the process 0-1.

Magna Sancta Sedes

16-09-2008, 21:48

Cup of Harmony - Group B
MD1: vs Newmanistan @ Hallowfield Park, Allemali (2-1)
MD2: vs An Blascaod Mór @ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires
MD3: vs Taeshan @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo
MD4: vs KaMaRi @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht
MD5: vs Land de Wodd @ Estadio Francisco Álvarez, Onwere

=== The Dreamed Realm ===

"The mark of the beast!" Caesar said, suddenly waking up. He flipped over his visor and starting scribbling something on a sheet of paper. Tucker, awake from the surprise, went to look at Caesar's writings. "The mark of the beast!" he said again.

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked.

"The mark of the beast!" Caesar said.

Eulogus came in from the kitchen, eating a meatball sub. "He's talking about the numbers. The greedy merchants of Mammon - 666. Alternatively, 6 times 6 plus 6." He gave a subtle pause. "42."

"You mean... the End of the World is the Devil's doing?"

"Maybe," Caesar said. "But the mark of the beast is certainly a clue that gets us one step closer to the truth."

"I'm beginning to think that there are 42 questions to Life, the Universe, and Everything."

Both Eulogus and Caesar glared at Tucker. "Don't be silly. Why would they call it the 'Ultimate Question' if there was more than one question?"

"I don't know. Because asking questions is the point of the story?"

Eulogus nodded. "He might be on to something, Caesar. Maybe there are more questions than one."

"That might explain why it's so hard to get through all of these books in one piece." With that, Caesar put the pen back down and started to sleep upon the book while half standing up. Tucker was becoming more and more perplexed each day, but Eulogus was becoming more and more suspicious of Tucker as well. He took a trip to the phone in the kitchen and called a phone number. After hearing a momentary click, he spoke softly - "I think the Friar is getting a little too smart for his own good."

=== C&M ===

Diary of Father de Turrecremata

MD1 - The demons we have summoned have performed well, even though they let loose a goal from the Newmanistan team. After that goal, Baal grew to a size many times his original and essentially became a giant wall. Unfortunately, Baal had a tendency to step away from the goal, so it wasn't as if the Newmanistan players couldn't try to score again. They complained to the referee, but the referee was a little confused as to how to regulate spontaneously growing football players. The other demons played well. It was difficult for the players to convince Mammon to pass, as he seemed to hog the ball too much. In fact, he handled the ball several times, before we finally convinced him that one plays this sport with their feet - not their hands. I suppose it will be time before we teach these savages how to share the ball. Amon was noted to have kicked the ball into the stands several times, seriously injuring several of the spectators. I had to pull him out and apply more pressure with the Portkey - he wasn't learning the way of playing football. At least Pithius demonstrated a lot of skill today, weaving his way around the Newmanistan team - maybe deceit is the key to winning?

Regardless, the demon Azazel was able to take upon himself two furious goals, although he had some 40 other shots that were either ruled off-sides or decided to be too aggressive for the referee's liking. I'm guessing we're going to have to tame the beast to make him less aggressive. Maybe we should try using Lilith instead? She's only a pervert - the demon equivalent of the Jeruselem whore queen Dazza Dallas; and perhaps like the whores, Lilith will have many goals in her?

The demons weren't happy to be summoned by Catholics. I asked them if they would rather be tamed by the Orthodox monks; they replied that the monks don't tame - they exercise. When I asked what they meant, they clarified saying that they meant to say exorcise.

An Blascaod Mor

16-09-2008, 23:49

--Down at a Green Island pub--

Tomás O'Neil: “This Zapata place is nae to bad is it? Just like An Daingean back home, all these boats and an industry built on fishing eh? A lot bigger though mind.

Patrick Doyle: “Oh I dunno, Tomás. It’s not that big really. I don’t think it’s one of the major cities in Candelaria and Marquez. It’s certainly not as big as the place I live in in Taeshan.

Tomás: “You know Packie, ye’ve changed ever since ye other there, ye not the same man any more.”

Patrick: “What you on about? Of course I’m the same man.”

Tomás: “But yer not, Packie, your no longer like the rest of the Islanders. The rest of us are simply bewildered by the sizes of the towns here but you aren’t? You seem to prefer living in Taeshan than coming back to the island for God’s sake man!”

Patrick: “That is simply not true!”

Tomás: “Then why is it ye and yer brother never come back home? We never see any of ye any more.”

Patrick: “Oh we would if we could, trust me. But it’s so expensive over in Taeshan. I just can’t afford to come back. I have to get odd jobs in the off season to make ends meet. It’s the same with Braden.”

Tomás: “Then why didn’t any of ye say anything? You know the rest of the island would try to help? We’d all thought ye’d deserted us!”

Patrick: “We can’t ask everyone else for help when. We are poor people as an island Tomás. Us asking you to give what little you have back home to help us out just wouldn’t be fair.”

Tomás: “But still, everyone’s been really worried. But Taeshan can’t be that bad surely?”

Patrick: “Aye it is. You know we went there hoping to make money to provide for the rest of the village, but we’ve just found ourselves just as poor as would be at home. Except on the island, we’re not poor. We might be in money but we’re not as a people. The way we are. The spirit of us. Sure if we come back to the island we’d be rich in terms of money, but as people me, and Braden no longer are. You know when Tomás Hardy rejected the chance to go to Taeshan, I thought he was insane. I realise no the sense behind his decision.”

Tomás: “Why don’t you come back then?”

Patrick: “Ah I can’t. We’ve got money to pay off over there, contracts to keep and so on. If I could come back I would have in a shot.”

Tomás: “So playing against Taeshan today must have been special for ye? You certainly put in a performance out there, specially that goal.”

Patrick: “Oh aye, I’ve been looking forward to playing them. Scoring that goal and beating them certainly makes up for some of the frustration of living there and the pain of being away from home.”

Tomás: “You know there’s one thing here that isn’t like An Daingean.”

Patrick: “The beer? It’s crap isn’t it? It’s like that in Taeshan as well.”

Land de Wood

17-09-2008, 01:30

Land de Wood 3-0 KaMaRi

Some would call this game a walk in the park KaMaRi just fell apart and if it wasn't for their goalie this could have been a cricket score.

Kevin Wallace was superb down the left wing, his inswinging corner was headed in by David Bomber in the 21st minute.

David Clemence in the 26th minute burst from midfield and played Richard Higgins in for the 2nd.

But it wasn't until the 65th minute that the game was buried when a run down the right wing by Tom Darkless, a smart pass to the overlapping Richard Hammil, a beauty of a cross to David Bomber, and a splendid header home, that the game was dead and buried.

Man of the match: David Bomber, two well taken goals.
Worthy of mention: Richard Hammil, rumours abound of a move abroad for this young rightback who played superbly well overlapping Tom Darkless throughout the game.
Worst player: Patrick Clemence purely because he had nothing to do.

The young strike force of David Bomber and Richard Higgins complemented each other well.

Andrew Wood has named an unchanged team for their next game which is against Taeshan who will be hoping to avoid another defeat to a newcomer having lost their first game to An Blascaod Mór.

Greal

17-09-2008, 06:28

CoH 34 Match 1

Well, Greal lost the first match. That was expected. Every team was higher ranked. The first thirty minutes was a near disaster. Howard Anderson was injured and had to be taken out of the game. The Team captain himself was knocked down. Morale fell, and Terreiro de Ogum took advantage of it by scoring twice. The next match would be against the Macabees would be tricky, and Greal will resort to defensive formation.

Team Formation

3-2-2-4

Newmanistan

17-09-2008, 09:34

KEVIN COLLINS Sports Blog

Every once in a while, I read my e-mail and post reader questions. The Cup of Harmony has begun, so this seems like a good time to do it again.

Kevin, I think Meghan was right about the 3 word nation conspiracy in Candelaria And Marquez. – Rick, Centralia

Rick, if we look at the results of matchday one we can see a clear bias towards nations that have three words in them. Magna Secta Sedes, An Blasacod Mor, and Land de Wood all won, and furthermore, they were all beat a team that had a better ranking then them. This is something that will have to be investigated if it continues, but let’s just attribute it now to a fluke of Margaret.

Why do some teams choose not to play in the Cup of Harmony? Like Arroza or Green Wombat? – Kyle, Pocono City

Beats me, Kyle. It could be an issue of government funding, either in terms of their economy beginning to struggle, or they are choosing to focus their expenditures elsewhere, which is probably the case with Arroza. Then there are some other nations like Kose and The Turkomans that you would have thought would have been here but aren’t.

Will Newmanistan climb into the third pot even if they have a moderately successful Cup of Harmony? – Sally, Hastings

The third pot. Three word nation conspiracy. Everyone is so obsessed with the number three in this, our third Cup of Harmony. Getting into the third pot is a big deal, if you don’t know what I mean by that well go look it up on the internet because I don’t feel like explaining it. It will really depend on the amount of qualifying groups there are in World Cup 43.

If I was going to go on a vacation to Candelaria And Marquez, should I go to Candelaria or to Marquez? Shawn, Dover City.

Do I look like a travel guide? Next question, please.

What is greater, the number of people living in An Blasacod Mor or the number of wars Sorthern Northland has been in during the last decade? Mitch, Dover City.

Don’t you guys have anything better to do out there in Dover City? I definitely would have to say the number of wars, but beating them both is the average number of beers consumed by one of their citizens in a week.

Since religion and nudity seem to be a good way to have success, I think it’s time for the Naked Fasting Fathers, what do you think? Jenny, Olympia.

It just occurred to me that’s a good name for a punk or heavy metal rock band.

Even though the Rockets lost, can they still win this? Kerry, Putnam Lake.

Losing the first game of the Cup of Harmony is a Newmanistan tradition, Kerry. First it was Prazkoy, then Universitus University and now this offshoot of Prazkoy. They came back last time, they’ll do it again. Starting with Kamari. Yes, I know they capitalize parts of their nation name, I just don’t feel like doing that right now.

Whatever happened to Prazkoy? Al, Loudon

It disappeared off the face of the earth. They lost a life and death chess match with some demons, I think.

Candelaria And Marquez

17-09-2008, 16:15

Matchday Two ~ Group 2

While the tournament moved down to the capital and across to Marquez for the first time; a pile-up on the A1093, caused by an overturned tanker on the Cerrud by-pass, ensured that only a smattering of Candelariasians were able to make the Kaleta Online Dome in time to take in the fine, upstanding gentlemen of Magna Sancta Sedes taking on the genetically-challenged islanders of An Blascaod Mór. Someone really ought to sort out the traffic problems around Caires, it’s becoming quite a bother.

Taeshan 2-0 Land de Wood
Newmanistan 0-0 KaMaRi
Magna Sancta Sedes 4-3 An Blascaod Mór

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Magna Sancta Sedes 2 2 0 0 6 4 2 6
2 Land de Wood 2 1 0 1 3 2 1 3
3 Taeshan 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 3
4 An Blascaod Mór 2 1 0 1 4 4 0 3
5 Newmanistan 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1
6 KaMaRi 2 0 1 1 0 3 -3 1

Matchday Three Schedule

Land de Wood v Newmanistan @ Marlow Park, Zapata
Taeshan v Magna Sancta Sedes @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo
KaMaRi v An Blascaod Mór @ Estadio Francisco Álvarez, Onwere

Adihan

17-09-2008, 16:40

This is the RP cutoff for MD2 for Group 1.

Adihan

17-09-2008, 17:02

Matchday Two
AKA Finally fixed the bloody issue with my input file Matchday

Group 1
The Macabees 2-1 Greal
Blouman Empire 1-1 Terreiro de Ogum
West Zirconia 2-0 Glaycia

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Terreiro de Ogum 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 4
2 The Macabees 2 1 1 0 3 2 1 4
3 Blouman Empire 2 1 1 0 3 2 1 4
4 West Zirconia 2 1 0 1 3 2 1 3
5 Glaycia 2 0 1 1 1 3 -2 1
6 Greal 2 0 0 2 1 4 -3 0

The Macabees

17-09-2008, 19:51

Golden-Whites pull off victory, but Varrios asks for more

The Macabee National Football Team made sure not to be left behind, driving two balls into the opposite side’s net and allowing only one goal in return (although, to be sure, many believe that it was one goal too many). Regardless, they added three points to their one, giving them four points and putting them in a three-way tie for first place (along with Terreiro de Ogum and Blouman Empire, who drew today). Although this is a better position than having less than four points, it’s dangerous considering that the three top teams in the group all have equal of a chance of making it to the semi-finals. The next match days will require utmost dedicated on the part of our players and our trainers, as we cannot afford to lose a game (or perhaps even draw). Tomorrow, the Macabee National Football Team plays against West Zirconia, who crushed Glaycia 2 – 0 (the team that the Macabees drew against the day before). It will be a crucial game to win, given that Blouman Empire will play Greal and Terreiro de Ogum will play Glaycia. It’s almost guaranteed that the drive to the semi-finals will be extremely contested (and technically, every team is still in the race). The worst news is that the next three match days will probably prove to be the most difficult (West Zirconia, Blouman Empire and, finally, Terreiro de Ogum). But, at least we don’t have it the worst, right?

Greal was first to score, putting in a surprise 0-1 thanks to the foot of striker Michael Istoma, in the 11th minute. The play had caught the Macabee defense entirely by surprise. There was not much that goalkeeper Díenar V’har could do, after Istoma had managed to break through the defense and put the ball in the top right corner of the goal box. Thanks to the opening goal scored by Glaycia the day prior this goal was not taken as badly as it could have, allowing a quick counterattack. The equalizer came in minute 29, when midfielder Tor Vanderhak (a Yaforite League player) scored a stunning goal from a distance of 21 meters from a free kick. The kick had been allowed due to a fowl on Mika D’Angíel on part of Richard Turner. The equalizing goal seemed to have been the turn around of the game, and Greal’s team was never really able to create danger in the Macabee area in the rest of the first half – nevertheless, neither did the Golden-Whites score. Instead, the two teams left for half-time appeased by the draw. Both teams returned to the field rather disorganized and neither was able to create a lead on the other. However, in minute 81 Mika D’Angíel created a brilliant play after an assist from midfielder Golet Níer and was able to put the ball over a diving goalkeeper, putting the ball safely in the net and guaranteeing the 2 – 1 over Greal. In that fashion, the game ended with a less than pleasing Macabee victory that left much to be desired.

In a press release later that day coach Varrios said, “We played well enough to win against Greal, but not well enough to guarantee us victories in the upcoming match days. We will need more than just two well placed balls to be able to come out of the group stage, and assuming we do, it will definitely take more than what we have given to win in the semi-finals and in the finals. But, I am confident that this is a learning experience for my players and that the team will come out stronger for tomorrow’s game. You can see the learning curve as you look at our recent World Cup history. We play better with each passing game.”

Upon being questioned on the Díenstad Cup and what he believed Greal’s loss meant for that specific football tournament, Varrios replied, “I am sure that we have a good chance of winning in that tournament, as well. But, for now our priority is the Cup of Harmony. On the other hand, both will prepare us for the next World Cup, which is the most important ambition of them all. I believe that we will have a good chance of moving into the World Cup finals next year, although there have been many coaches who have said the same thing. Nevertheless, we are no longer 80th in the world – we are a relatively strong team, which will come out stronger after the Cup of Harmony [in world rankings].”

As aforementioned, Blouman Empire and Terreiro de Ogum drew today in their match, surrendering leading the group by themselves, although the latter is still technically first in the group – however, they are two powerful rivals that the Macabees will soon have to meet on the field. Those games will make or break the Golden-Whites’ chances of making it to the semi-finals, and consequently, the finals. Although Greal is still pointless, and Glaycia only has one point (from the first match day), they are too still in the race, assuming that Terreiro de Ogum and Blouman Empire lose their matches against them. This will make the group even closer than it already is, and perhaps one of the most exciting groups the Cup of Harmony has seen in a long while. West Zirconia, of course, is obviously still a contestant, given their three points and their lust to win. Group 2 is slightly more polarized, as Magna Sancta Sedes find themselves group leaders with six points (after an “iffy” 4 – 3 victory against An Blascaod Mór), and Newmanistan and KaMaRi with one point a piece. Land de Wood and Taeshan each have three points and their main rivals for second or first place are each other. However, the quality of all the teams (regardless of group) means that the semi-finals and the finals promise to be just as much of a spectacle as the group stage.

Looking at past trends, such as the Cup of Harmony 33, never have the groups been so close together after the second match day (for example, in Group A of Cup of Harmony 33, Candelaria and Marquez and Blouman Empire had a clear advantage in points over the rest of the group; we avoid mentioning that Blouman Empire defeated our team 3 – 0 that year). Then again, it’s been quite some times since so few teams have signed up for the competition. In fact, the Díenstad Cup has more contestants (twenty-six) than the world-wide Cup of Harmony 34 (fourteen) – perhaps the interest in performing as badly as one did in the World Cup is not as strong as it once was, although the Cup of Harmony poses as an excellent opportunity to gain experience for the next World Cup. After all, only the most experienced teams have an opportunity to win the World Cup. But, this peculiar set-up should offer the Golden-Whites a superior opportunity in gaining experience and rank, allowing them a greater chance of preparing to qualify for the next World Cup. Reversing last Cup of Harmony’s embarrassing 3 – 0 defeat at the hands of Blouman Empire, and instead catapulting the team into the top spot in the group, will be one way of helping to guarantee the accomplishment of the previously mentioned ambition (of qualifying for the World Cup finals).

It will also give more opportunities for the young Mika D’Angíel, the rising talent of the sport, to prove himself. His contract with Yaforite team IYC Ajer already illustrated his capabilities well enough, but his position as the team’s top goal scorer in the current Cup of Harmony (two out of three goals) will expand his future after IYC Ajer, should he choose to go to another club after his contract with IYC Ajer is fulfilled. It will also allow other players to show off their talents, as well, as many midfielders and wingers have shown a great propensity to being able to set up the ball where Mika D’Angíel needs it.

Hopefully, this talent will make an appearance tomorrow.

Taeshan

17-09-2008, 20:38

Knights Handle Woodpeckers

After there big opening loss to An Blacoad Mor during the first game of the Cup of Harmony last week the Knights were able to overcome the Land de Wood Woodpecker by a score of 2-0. The Knights won on a 2 half header by Brian Ying Uing, and an ealier banana by Zeke Jr. Next they face Magna Sancta Sedes yeah.

Greal

17-09-2008, 23:02

CoH 34 Match 2

Michael Istoma surprised the Greal Team, by scoring the only Greal goal of the game. Howard Anderson still needed another day to recoup, and Greal did not have its best players in the field. In the end, the game versus the Macabees was 2-1. Another loss, and Greal will have another tougher opponent to play. The Blouman Empire.

Land de Wood

17-09-2008, 23:09

Taeshan 2-0 Land de Wood

Well this was never going to be an easy game. Taeshan wanting to prove themselves after their opening defeat played some great football and scored two beautiful goals.
Stephen Diddon was at fault for at least one of the goals while Woodrow Derby was caught out at left back on the second occasion.
Upfront things were disappointing Tom Darkless' crossing was not at its best and Richard Higgins missed an open goal.

Changes are afoot for the next game, with the Woodpeckers really needing a win to keep themselves in contention but Newmanistan will be no walk in the park.

We interviewed Andrew Wood to see how he thought the team was getting on.

Larry: Good evening Andrew,
Andrew: Good evening Larry,
Larry: So after the opening win, a little bit disappointing to lose a game.
Andrew: It is a little but Taeshan were always going to be difficult and having lost their first game as well they had a point to prove, especially as with only the top two qualifying I think you can only afford to lose one maybe two games.
Larry: Indeed so we really need at least a draw against Newmanistan.
Andrew: Yep, its going to be another tough game but we will attempt to spring a surprise on them by changing things round a bit, Ray Horse is back to full fitness and I think a 3 man defense with 5 midfielders will give us a boost in the centre of the park.
Larry: So whose going to make way?
Andrew: Well Woodrow Derby struggled in the last game so I'm going to rest him, while Tom Darkless seems to be feeling the pressure so he's going to drop out. David Aimer's experience will give us a boost at the back, and Stephen Sterland will return for Diddon to give us a left footer at the back. While Larry Derby replaces Richard Butty in the middle of the park.
Larry: interesting stuff, plenty of experience being added.
Andrew: Yes, I think for a game of this importance we need more experience to cope with the pressure.
Larry: Well I wish you all the best tomorrow
Andrew: Thank you and good night.

Starting line up: formation 3-4-1-2
Patrick Clemence
David Aimer Gary Lewis Stephen Sterland
Ray Hammil Larry Derby David Clemance Kevin Wallace
Ray Horse
Richard Higgins David Bomber

Magna Sancta Sedes

18-09-2008, 01:28

Cup of Harmony - Group B
MD1: vs Newmanistan @ Hallowfield Park, Allemali (2-1)
MD2: vs An Blascaod Mór @ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires (3-2)
MD3: vs Taeshan @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo
MD4: vs KaMaRi @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht
MD5: vs Land de Wodd @ Estadio Francisco Álvarez, Onwere

=== The Dreamed Realm ===

Eulogus was sitting in the corner of the kitchen, thinking about his conversation with the elders. He was concerned for the Friar - that he was perhaps learning too much too fast. But the elders seemed to dismiss it - they said it was "normal". Normal? What was that? He had in his recollection never seen a "normal" person in the Dreamed Realm. Wouldn't they concerned with Tucker, especially concerning what happened with Caesar and himself? Perhaps they knew that experience was the key here.

"So you know Iesu?" Tucker asked him, from the door way.

"Caesar? Ah, yes. He was a novel fellow."

"What was he like here?"

"He was like anyone else from the Ordinary Realm."

"He was from the Ordinary Realm?"

"You seem so surprised," Eulogus noted acutely. "Of course, he's from the Ordinary Realm. Where else would he call home?"

"I thought he was a resident here. After all that he knows about the Dreamed Realm."

"You assume much. No. Caesar has a tragic tale about his arrival. You see, he was a priest from some 14th century village. Apparently, some inquisitor came by his village and found him guilty of heresy. In order to prove his innocence, Caesar had to drown in a river. If he sank like a rock, they would pull him out and exonerate him of any heresy charge. If he floated, he would be killed at the stake. So Caesar accept the challenge and sank so hard to the bottom of the river that he tore the rope and had to find his way back up the bank. When he came up, he appeared in the Dreamed Realm."

"Ah... so that's how..."

"Well, pay attention. He came by that way, but he was frantic the first time he came. He wanted to go back home, to free himself of the charge of heresy. He tried many things, but found very quickly that he could not kill himself or have anyone kill him. He imagined that this place was Heaven, but the residents then assured him that he was not in Heaven. I was a librarian at the time, and I knew the ways to build portals. I decided to help him and he returned to his own time. I saw him return the next day - or I think it was the next day. But anyway, he came back."

"Why?"

"Well, when he returned, he returned a year later than his supposed death. And the village all had prepared his funeral. That they never found a body to bury was lost upon deaf ears, but they did it anyway. So he came back to the village, and they all felt that he was a ghost. And bless their hearts, they went insane, thinking that Caesar had come back to exact his revenge against the people of the village. Well, the new priest send word to Rome, and they sent the Inquisitor, who summarily sentenced the entire village to be burned to the ground, with its inhabitants inside. The reason being because Caesar had so corrupted them that they needed to purge the bodies of the innocents to free them before God, that they may yet receive salvation. Heaven knows if they ever did, but Caesar had to watch the whole thing, and whether he would like it or not, they didn't believe that he was the ghost or the real Caesar himself. And seeing that the people of his time - so blinded by their doctrine and dogma - he walked into the flames to die with his beloved congregation."

"So how did he get back here?"

"Well, irony has it. He walked into the fire, unscathed. And he managed to walk around it, wondering how he was doing this. He came to a little hole in a wall and poked his head out from my fireplace. That same one over there. Yes, he came out and was dirty from the soot, but I wasn't at home at the time. So when I came back home, I was surprised to find him there so dirty. I looked at him: 'Didn't you want to go back home?' He looked back at me and said, 'Well, I did, but now that I'm here again, I think I might want to reconsider that.' He told the story that I just told you, and I decided to take his case to the Elders."

"The Elders?"

"People from some bunker somewhere. I'm not sure exactly, but it's not important. They're the most esteemed people in the Holy Empire, as they watch everything and everyone. Makes sure that everything is kept and tidy. We consulted the Elders, anyhow. And they agreed that because of Caesar's extraordinary circumstance, that he would stay in the Dreamed Realm, and that further, he would stay with me."

"That's nice of them."

"Well, that's because I was the librarian. I had all of the books. In fact, I still have a lot of those books, but... then I wasn't the librarian. Anyway, that's how Caesar came to the Dreamed Realm."

"Why aren't you a librarian anymore?"

"Well, sometimes, a job loses its welcome." Eulogus kept the answer at that, before pulling out a salami sandwich. "Want one?"

=== C&M ===

Diary of Father de Turrecremata

MD2 - We misplaced Azazel today. Apparently, the demon of death went to some road in the Candelarias (or in Marquez, wherever it was...) and killed a few people there. A tanker apparently overturned and the road was blocked - in all, very embarrassing. We had to keep Azazel out of the trouble, while we put Lilith on the pitch. Baal was big again, but the dumb king of the demons walked around the pitch chasing the Blaskets around. At least, they didn't lose.

We also had problems with Beelzebubus - he was eating the ball everytime that he got it. And he managed to eat one of the Blasket player's shirts. When he fell down, he started to eat the grass. Apparently, World Cup and Cup of Harmony organizers were getting start as they seemingly had a factory to make new balls on site. But Beelzebubus was unable to be stopped, so we had to sub him out for Belphgorus, who did absolutely nothing for the remaining 30 minutes. We asked why Beelzebubus was eating everything that he touched. He answered that he was hungry and wanted to eat. At which, he vomited and instantly began to eat the vomit as it came out of his mouth. One of the priests vomited at the sight of the demon doing that, whereupon Beelzebubus reached over and started to eat the priest's vomit. Pretty soon, all of the priests were vomitting, and Beelzebubus was having a buffet.

Lilith was inspirational today, netting a hat-trick. Every chance that she received was a shot on goal. I asked her how she got her talent, and she replied that her talent was the talent of the same Dazzarina Dallas of Jeruselem. It was her multiple incarnations that permitted her duplicitous existence as a demon and a mongering whore. At least we were able to confirm that Jeruselem is literally being led by the spawns of the Devil. We asked why Dazza - she didn't give an answer. We also asked about the Jeruselemites, whether they would be saved from the power of the demons - she replied that not even the Elves, who had tamed Katherine, would be able to stop the demons from overwhelming the Jeruselemites. Eventually, Catholicism will fail in Jeruselem and succomb to the demons. We asked them if the Jews were cooperating - she asked me who were the Jews.

I'm learning how best to command these demons, but it seems that they are one of few who will be seldom tamed to pay for their penances. Perhaps we should make the beasts do ballet?

An Blascaod Mor

18-09-2008, 03:31

Patty O'Shea: “Close shave with that Beelzebubus eh, Donald?”

Donald O'Donnell: “Oh aye, I thought I was gone for sure there, Patty.”

Patty: “I did as well, even tried calling Father Ted over to give you your last rights.”

Donald: “Oh? He was there? I was hoping he would be but as he didn’t come over I assumed he wasn’t.”

Patty: “Oh he was here alright, he was too busy trying to banish their one called Astarothus from the pitch.”

Donald: “Oh?”

Patty: “Yeah, he didn’t have too much success though to be honest though. All he got out of Astarothus was that he was sorry for the bad things he done and some admittances of guilt.”

Donald: “Oh right, well where is the Father now? Mass should be starting soon shouldn’t it?”

Patty: “Ah no, there be no mass today, ye see after the game he tried to banish Beelzebubus as well.”

Donald: “Oh how did that turn out then?”

Patty: “Not to well I think it’s fair to say. Beelzebubus prepared a lovely smelling garnish and then ate Father Ted.”

Donald: “Oh my..”

Patty: “Aye t’is a great shame. They said they’d try and see if they can get him to puke the Father back up but they weren’t too hopeful.”

Donald: “Oh I see, hold on. Why is the whole team all jammed into this single toilet cubicle?”

Patty: “Ah that’d be that Abaddon character. He’s rageing round our dressing room wanting a fight, but he shouldn’t be able to find us in here.”

Donald: “Oh God! This isn’t very harmonious for a competition called the Cup of Harmony is it?”

Patty: “Nah but don’t worry, we’re a three word named nation. We’ll be fine.”

Donald: “Trust me, all the nations with three words will get treated better here. It’s just something that’s going on.”

Patty: “Right…”

Newmanistan

18-09-2008, 13:38

(A backstage look at a conversation taking place between Empress Jessica and Prince Michael in the Royal Palace)

EJ: Michael, have you noticed that the Empire seems to be losing interest in the World Cup?

PM: I don’t know if I’d say it’s losing interest, but it seems as though other competitions are getting more viewership.

EJ: Our World Bowl III game drew a greater ratings share then our Cup of Harmony 34 game yesterday, why is this?

PM: Is that necessarily a problem? So, our people prefer one football over the other, it’s fine.

EJ: The World Cup is the most prestigious....

PM: Jess, sorry to interrupt, but this isn’t the World Cup.

EJ: Yeah but....

PM: It’s a loser’s Cup, that’s all it is. Sure it’d be great to win it, and I still think we have a shot despite the slow start, but there is a big difference between the Cup of Harmony and the World Cup. I think a lot of our nation just isn’t into it since we got close to qualification for the World Cup.

EJ: We didn’t get *THAT* close.

PM: We were a win away, Jess. A win away had we beaten Az-Cz and you know it. If we won that game, then the approach for Liventia would have been different. We could have been second in the group.

EJ: But we didn’t so it’s the Cup of Harmony, not the end of the world, we’re still on the rise.

PM: The people just aren’t into it, because for the first time, the Cup of Harmony is a Loser’s Cup for us. Trust me, when World Cup 43 quals come around, the nation will be back into it. Right now, the World Bowl III title is still a possibility. Not a great one, but possible.

EJ: Do you think a lack of interest in the tournament is affecting our team and why we only have one point right now?

PM: I could see them needing a bit of a spark, maybe just a small one. They haven’t been terrible, and KaMaRi is quality team that we drew, they were ranked ahead of us coming into this.

EJ: The Land de Wood game is the make or break point.

PM: Agree. We need this. If we don’t win, then we’re in trouble. If we win, then I still like our chances here. Taeshan becomes our biggest threat afterwards, but we know how good our history is against them.

EJ: That other place though, from Sorthern Northland, the little island. They’re tough.

PM: We’ll take them.

EJ: I hope so.

PM: It’s all to set up World Cup 43 for us. It’s the pivotal one.

Candelaria And Marquez

18-09-2008, 16:26

Matchday Three ~ Group 2

The CoH left Candelaria behind this round; with Green Island hosting its final, crunch game between Land de Wood and Newmanistan; the language students at the vaguely prestigious Onwere University having a field day with the arrival of KaMaRi; and a cheerfully late fixture in Arrigo, following a truly dubious floodlight failure.

Land de Wood 0-2 Newmanistan
Taeshan 2-1 Magna Sancta Sedes
KaMaRi 0-3 An Blascaod Mór

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 An Blascaod Mór 3 2 0 1 7 4 3 6
2 Taeshan 3 2 0 1 4 2 2 6
3 Magna Sancta Sedes 3 2 0 1 7 6 1 6
4 Newmanistan 3 1 1 1 3 2 1 4
5 Land de Wood 3 1 0 2 3 4 -1 3
6 KaMaRi 3 0 1 2 0 6 -6 1

Matchday Four Schedule

An Blascaod Mór v Land de Wood @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo
Taeshan v Newmanistan @ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires
Magnca Sancta Sedes v KaMaRi @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht

Blouman Empire

18-09-2008, 17:07

THE EMPIRE TIMES

Burner Set to Retire

Today Blouman Empire International Football and Atlético Insular (Cafundeu) goalkeeper Henry Burner (33yo), announced today that he will be retiring at the end of this Cup of Harmony tournament from international football. Burner who has been apart of the team since the Empire first started on the international scene said that while he has enjoyed every moment of international football and would like to leave with a bit of silverware he feels that he needs to leave international football and allow younger players to take over. Burner stated in a press release that, he is disappointed that the team did not qualify for the world cup at all duing his time as first keeper, but hopes that the team can win this Cup of Harmony.

Henry Burner is considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in Blouman football history and has performed well playing in Cafundeu for Atlético Insular, which he moved to after impressing Cafundeu selectors during the 31st Cup of Harmony. Blouman Empire manager Henry Scweppe said of Burner "Burner has been a big asset to the team and I wish him well for the future, he has ensured that we haven't lost games on more than one occasion". While Burner says he will not play on an international level anymore he will continue to play for Atlético Insular until his contract runs out where he says he is consdiering to retire.

While Burner has not made his intentions to retire from football completely many teams have already expressed interest in hiring his services, Port Fansat have said that they would consider hiring Burner as a goalkeeper coach when he fishes with Atlético Insular, various TV channels have also stated that Burner would make a fine edition to their commentary team.

Ed. note:The Empire Times wants to thank Burner for the dedication and commitment he has given to the Empire through football and wish him the best in the future.

Taeshan

18-09-2008, 20:43

Knights Win. The World Is Still Good

Boi was that an exciting game. Taeshans Purple Knights vs the bad boys of Magna Sancta Sedes. Oh wait...A nyways the Knights one. God it was awesome. they're staying alive as you could put it. An ealy Magna goal led the Taeshani faithful to look down, but Brian Ying Uing would turn those frowns upside down with his arced goal past the Sancta Goalie. Then later he added his second wining goal with a header.

Next the Knights face of with Nemanistan in a game that potentially could decide if the Knights continue on in this tournament. They need a win to advance, and that will come hard as the Rockets barely ever lose to Taeshani sports teams. Lets hope we can start a new tradion in Soccer.

Newmanistan

18-09-2008, 21:53

THE ROCKET REPORT

NEWMANISTAN VS TAESHAN: A HISTORY LESSON

(OOC: Different audience, for the most part, then where this was posted before, so here it is for all of you, with some updates!)

Caires, Candelaria And Marquez- You’ll hear it over and over in our coverage of Newmanistan sports, and you’ll hear it acknowledged by the coverage of the various media outlets in Taeshan. Newmanistan always beats Taeshan. It’s one of things you can set your clock too. The Taeshan frustration with the Empire seemed to begin in the 7th World Baseball Classic, but that isn’t actually where the Newmanistanian domination of their nation took began. So for those of you out there a little unfamiliar with the history between the nations, and just how one sided this has been in our favor, well here’s how things have gone down. Perhaps Cup of Harmony 34 represents Taeshan's best chance at a win over Newmanistan, but as you will see, the Rockets have history on their side.

World Cup of Hockey 6: The teams were paired together in the same group, and met twice. In the first game, the teams played to a tie. In the second game, Newmanistan defeated Taeshan by the score of 2-1. In this competition, it should be mentioned that Taeshan was the higher ranked team, an established nation in this competition while the Empire hit the ice for the first time interregionally. Furthermore, Newmanistan ended up defeating Taeshan in the group by one point, setting up an easier second round match for themselves, which they’d win, and Taeshan would lose.

Oxen Cup 6: A football/soccer tournament in Qazox where once again Taeshan was the higher ranked team heading into the competition. They were in the same group again, and we won the head to head match by the score of 1-0. Newmanistan would go on to the final. Taeshan would not advance out of the group stage.

World Baseball Classic 7: This is where we feel Taeshan really began to get frustrated with their meetings against the Sky blue & white. On paper, ranking wise, it should have been a mismatch. Taeshan was a top ranked team. Newmanistan a debutant on the baseball diamond. After Taeshan outscored other opposition by a 12-3 margin in their first two games, they were defeated by Newmanistan by the score of 3-2 in the group stage. It was the only game Taeshan lost in the group stage and if not for this win, Newmanistan would not have advanced for their later heroics. They would meet Taeshan again in quarterfinals, and eliminate them once again. (Taeshan did win one game in the series, but the Rockets took the series) Like Oxen Cup 6, the Rockets made it all the way to the final.

World Lacrosse Championships: Both teams were listed as favorites in the inaugural World Lacrosse Championships that were played in Kura-Pelland. They would be in different groups and not meet until the semifinal. But once they did, the result was the same, a Newmanistan victory. We then went on to defeat Land de Wood in the Championship to rightfully claim our place as the world’s top nation in lacrosse.

World Baseball Classic 8: The teams would be in different groups, but when it came time for the 3rd place game, it would end up seeing again, Newmanistan vs Taeshan. Would Taeshan avenge their World Baseball Classic 7 loss? Not exactly. Another win for the Rockets.

Olympics: We even scanned the 3rd Olympiad for results of team competitions. There wasn’t much, but when there was, guess who won. There was one result of interest to us for the IBC, perhaps, as they did meet in Men’s Basketball, on a Matchday 2. In that game, it would be the Rockets defeating Taeshan by the score of 72-62. In Women’s Indoor Volleyball, our ladies cruised to a straight set victory, 25-13, 25-11, 25-17 (that’s a rout in v-ball, folks). And lastly, they met in Lacrosse once again (a demonstration sport), and Newmanistan won there as well, 9-4.

International Basketball Championships 2: More of the same. Here, Newmanistan was the likely favorite going in. Again Newmanistan was victorious in what was a close game, 110-108, in OT. We don't always blow out Taeshan and many of the games are competitive, but we always find a way to win.

So there you have it. When we say we always beat Taeshan, it’s not empty talk. It’s because we do in fact, always beat Taeshan. (OOC: Watch us lose now after going back and researching our history like this).

OOC Irony: Newmanistan is 0-1-1 in meetings against Kosovoe, Taeshan's less used puppet. ;)

Land de Wood

18-09-2008, 23:21

Land de Wood 0-2 Newmanistan

Well it was another tough game for our Woodpeckers. The new formation caused some confusion in the early minutes as Newmanistan managed to find holes in it and score an early goal.
Then in the second half as the Woodpeckers threw men forward they left more gaps at the back and conceded a second.
Was this really the game to try out the 3-5-2 formation? We seem to recall another manager tried and failed with this formation in a big game that ultimately cost his team qualification and the same could well be true here.

Up next another tough game against An Blascaod Mór and only a win will do.

Adihan

19-09-2008, 03:19

Host notice
Apologies for the lack of CoH scores for Group 1 yesterday, I fell sick and decided to sleep early, totally forgetting about the CoH (1500 UTC is 11 pm here).

Group 2's schedule will continue as planned, with Matchday Four today; Group 1's Matchday Three will take place today. As there is a planned one-day break between MD5 and the semifinals on Sunday, Sept 22, Group 1's MD5 will take place that day.

Again, apologies for the delay.

Newmanistan

19-09-2008, 03:43

(Players gather before a training session)

Carson: Alright everyone, listen up. I know that we’ve all made our little jokes about us always beating Taeshan, but the past doesn’t mean anything right now. Eventually we know that they’ll have their breakout game.

Brooker: Because we always beat Taeshan. Always. It would be a real embarrassment to be the first team to actually lose to them. I just can’t stand thinking about it.

McAllister: They’ll make up for a lot of their losses to us if they win this one, it is an extremely pivotal game for us. Well, they all are now, we probably have to win out.

Parnett: We control our own destiny, right?

Carson: Yes. If we win out, we are 3-1-1, and if we won out then Taeshan and An Blascaod Mor will have one more loss making the best possible finish for each, 3-0-2. We would then do no worse then second behind the demons.

McAllister: So in that case, all we have to do is worry about Newmanistan. Let’s play our game.

Drummond: Did you read how back home that they are questioning our motivation in the Cup of Harmony, that we’re.... hey Brett put that down!

Prescott: Sorry, I was just catching up on Candelaria And Marquez’s World Cup victory. They beat Starblaydia, if you hadn’t heard!

McAllister: How could I have not heard, it’s all they’re talking about here!

Brooker: See that’s what we got to not be doing!

Drummond: Yeah man, forget about the World Cup and what might have been. It’s Cup of Harmony time.

Prescott: It would have been so cool to have played in Cafundeu for the World Cup, right Brooks?

Brooker: Did you just hear what I said?

Prescott: No, I was reading about how Candelaria And Marquez scored their second goal... what did you say?

Brooker: (rolling eyes) Nevermind.

Drummond: Brett we need you to focus on the Cup of Harmony.

Prescott: I am focused on the Cup of Harmony when it’s time to be focused on it. Coach hasn’t officially started our team meeting yet.

Carson: Actually, I was starting to begin it, yes, Brett.

Prescott: Man I’m sorry. I got distracted. You have my full attention now.

Harrison: It’s hard not too with all the World Cup craziness around here. Candelaria And Marquez has never gone this far, so the Cup of Harmony is just the little brother that no one pays attention too right now even though the arenas are full.

McAllister: I don’t care who else is focused on it. I just know that all of us need to be concerned with it. Looks like there is some truth to the reports that our minds are elsewhere. If so let’s change that up right now. We win two games, we advance to the semifinals.

Prescott: Alright, bring on Kosovoe!

(The team looks at him and stares)

Prescott: What?

Carson: Brett, you sure you’re ready to play this game?

Prescott: Yeah, we can take Kosovoe, they suck!

Drummond: We can take Kosovoe. Just one problem, we’re playing Taeshan.

Prescott: Right, right, Taeshan. All the puppets in the group have me confused.

McAllister: Enough with the puppets. We have a legacy against Taeshan that we must continue. We cannot be the first team to ever lose to Taeshan in something. And even worse, a loss realistically eliminates us if not mathematically. We need three points.

Carson: Brett, let’s get serious here, ok?

Prescott: Sorry, time to beat Taeshan yet again!

Magna Sancta Sedes

19-09-2008, 04:27

Blouman Empire

19-09-2008, 08:55

FOOTBALL FEDERATION OF BLOUMANY

The Football Federation of Bloumany (FFB) wishes to advise all interested parties that the final roster for the 33rd Cup of Harmony has been finalised.

Manager: Henry Schweppe Brought out of retirement, had been manager of 3 different teams over his 20 year career in the top job winning a total of 25 pieces of silverware. This will be his second attempt with the team at a Cup of Harmony.
Assistant Managers:Kane Gronon, Fredrick Donald and Matthew Monhash
Physio: Dr. Bradly Holdings

Goalkeepers

#1. Henry Burner
Age: 33
Position: GK
Club: Atlético Insular (Cafundeu)
Short Bio: Considered to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of Blouman football, he has increased his experince against foreign players while playing for Atlético Insular in Cafundeu

#23. Johnathon Marton
Age: 28
Position: GK
Club: Kings Park F.C

#31. Henry Jackson
Age: 24
Position: GK
Club: Port Fansat

Defenders

#2. Sam Kiamar (Captain)
Age: 30
Position: CD
Club: Playford Atheltic Club
Short Bio: Excellent Defender and has great leadership qualities can regain morale within a losing team and has managed to be able to motivate the team to win in these situations and has previous international experience.

#3. William Walker
Age: 27
Position: CD
Club: Lincoln upon Isar
Short Bio: Excellent defender and can play right across the back line has won best and fairest for his club a total of 3 times.

#4. Ahron Bricker
Age: 32
Position: LB
Club: Clare Valley
Short Bio: Good defender with a proven record and previous international experience he is able to close down defenders with ease

#5. Richard Moaninton
Age: 24
Position: RB
Club: Jollip Province Athletic
Short Bio: Has excellent defending abilities, a player who can stave off attacks down the right wing, he has prior international experience being on the Blouman World Cup 39 40 41 and 42 team as well as corresponding Cups of Harmony and the 5th and 6th Di-Brandi Cup team.

#49. Christopher Moreton
Age: 24
Position: LCD
Club: Southcastle

#37. Sam Killner
Age: 28
Position: RCB
Club: Athletic Club of Newcastle

#26 Andrew Pollard
Age: 23
Position: CD
Club: Olympia Gladiators (Newmanistan)

Midfielders

#6 Steven Holdings
Age: 28
Position: CM
Club: CR Submiria (Cafundeu)
Short Bio: Strong midfielder extremely fit and able to run from one end of the field to the other and can quickly change from attacking mode to defensive mode, he has added to his experience and improved his skill since playing overseas in Cafundeu for CR Submiria.

#7. Alexander Lightfoot
Age: 31
Position: LM
Club: St Peters
Short Bio: Able to bamboozle opposition midfield with fancy footwork and good skills he can quickly read the game of play and adjust to suit, he does play slightly defensively

#8. Johathon Filmar
Age: 25
Position: RM
Club: C.F. Cathedral City (Candelaria And Marquez)
Short Bio: Uses the right side of the field well and can move up and down it with ease, a fast player who is dangerous in corner kick situations with his excellent heading ability and has great crossing skills. Has enhanced his skills and experience since the last World Cup playing in the 33rd CoH and playing overseas in Candelaria And Marquez for C.F. Cathedral City

#75. James Sleep
Age: 20
Position: RCM
Club: FC Middleton

#34. Johnathon Kovac
Age: 22
Position: RM
Club: Romford

#29. Ross Milsop
Age: 23
Position: LCM
Club: Clackridge

#88. Christopher Moreton
Age: 25
Position: CAM
Club: Stroudsbourg Panthers (Newmanistan)

#30. Christopher Notting
Age: 29
Position: CAM
Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Untied

Forwards

#9. Christopher Speed
Age: 23
Postion: CF
Club: Jollipville Athletic
Short bio: Teen prodigy fast, excellent shot, plays the centre forward position well, began playing for his team in their top team at the age of 16 years and 5 days and is the youngest player in 101 years to debut at this level, loved by the media due him playing with the ball well and can produce goals from the most unlikely of position he has improved his skills since in both the 39th, 40th, 41st and 42nd World Cup qualifiers, 31st 32nd and 33rd Cup of Harmony as well as playing in the 5th and 6th Di-Brandi Cup. He has won the Tonning Medal (League best and fairest) for the past four out of the five years. He is the clubs pin up player and is cited for the reason why their has been a 150% increase of females attending Jollipville Athletic games.

#15. Anthony Williams (Vice Captain)
Age: 32
Postion: ST
Club: Krondorf
Short Bio: Excellent Striker can find the back of the net more times then not, and with good ball skills can turn defenders inside out as he moves through players to get a clear shot in the penalty area, dangerous in these situations. Excellent leader who can motivate players and direct them in to his vision.

#11 Jack Junkson
Age: 28
Position: ST
Club: Corrimal Rangers
Short Bio: Good striker with near pinpoint accuracy on goal while not particularly fast being strongly built and with a wide frame he can charge through smaller players who dare to go up against him

#10. Martin Fox
Age: 22
Position: ST
Club: Newgate

#55. Issac Golding
Age: 23
Position: ST
Club: Tollingbrough

Uniform

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm1/Starblayde/ediraf/BlouHome4.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm1/Starblayde/ediraf/BlouAway4.jpg

Style Modifier: +2
Formation: 4-3-1-2
Those which have a short bio are starters.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod scoring events Y
RP injuries to my players Y
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 (within reason TG me if you want something major)

Adihan

19-09-2008, 16:06

This is the RP cutoff for Matchday Three for Group 1.

Candelaria And Marquez

19-09-2008, 16:16

Matchday Four ~ Group 2

With the two halves of the competition falling out of synch thanks to a minor hurricane in the Outer Islands (or something); Group 2 ploughs on with the forth round of matches. CoH newcomers An Blascaod Mór and Land de Wood test the three-word theory in Marquez, there’s a proper old grudge tie in Caires, and the authorities in the Candelariasian capital throw in the towel and claim weakly that the Magna Sancta Sedes players are merely wearing “really elaborate masks”.

An Blascaod Mór 0-4 Land de Wood
Taeshan 0-1 Newmanistan
Magna Sancta Sedes 1-0 KaMaRi

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Magna Sancta Sedes 4 3 0 1 8 6 2 9
2 Newmanistan 4 2 1 1 4 2 2 7
3 Land de Wood 4 2 0 2 7 4 3 6
4 Taeshan 4 2 0 2 4 3 1 6
5 An Blascaod Mór 4 2 0 2 7 8 -1 6
6 KaMaRi 4 0 1 3 0 7 -7 1

Matchday Five Schedule

Taeshan v KaMaRi @ Hallowfield Park, Allemali
Land de Wood v Magna Sancta Sedes @ Estadio Francisco Álvarez, Onwere
An Blascaod Mór v Newmanistan @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht

Adihan

19-09-2008, 16:24

Matchday Three
AKA The matchday everyone forgot (in Group 1)

Group 1
Greal 1-4 Blouman Empire
The Macabees 5-0 West Zirconia
Terreiro de Ogum 1-1 Glaycia

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 The Macabees 3 2 1 0 8 2 6 7
2 Blouman Empire 3 2 1 0 7 3 4 7
3 Terreiro de Ogum 3 1 2 0 4 2 2 5
4 West Zirconia 3 1 0 2 3 7 -4 3
5 Glaycia 3 0 2 1 2 4 -2 2
6 Greal 3 0 0 3 2 8 -6 0

Glaycia

19-09-2008, 16:39

"I can't believe these people Inga. So its a little windy and they decide to postpone all the matches? And we still can win. i bet those spanishy people were committing all kinds of unsportsmanlike conduct and never got called because no one could understand a danggum word they were saying. Another draw. it's just not right!"

"Now Ludden, clam down, remember your blood pressure. They have every right to be concerned with the safety of everyone. Remember that time we had to cancel that match between Anaboug and Dubingu when that blizzard hit Dubingu right before the halftime. They finished that game a couple days later."

"That's because the younger generation has it easy. Why in my day we'd just play through. Made things more of a challenge if you couldn;t see the ball or the other players. Remember that great save Bjorn made when he just dove to the side right when Sven launched that rocket? Bjorn never even saw the ball but heard footsteps so he took a chance. THAT's the kind of matches we should be seeing."

"Yes dear, but didn';t both teams catch pneumonia afterwards? Faalosko had to forfeit their next match because of it."

"But they still played Inga! That's the important thing. They did it for the fans who paid good aoons that day to see a good match. What about all the people who had to work today and couldn;t go because they had tickets for their day off. Its just not right!"

"Well dear, maybe you should organize the next Cup and you can run it the way you want to."

"Inga that's a great idea. I'll do just that. Right after my nap."

"Of course dear."

The Macabees

19-09-2008, 19:06

Somewhere in the northern, jungle-covered area of Theohuanacu
When there is nothing more to do than kill and watch football…

The war was dragging, despite the continuous missions that the Macabee auxiliary and Regulíes (foreign units) were pulling off. Hundreds of soldiers fighting under the Macabee flag were dead thanks to insurgent’s bullets, mines and artillery weapons, while tens of thousands of locals had been killed during the almost continuous fighting. The campaign had begun well and most troops enjoyed being there, but the war was dragging on and most missed their families. The majority had actually been promised land, money and the right to bring their families to Theohuanacu – they were the Macabee method of repopulating an occupied country and guaranteeing its loyalty to the Empire. But, most were not told how long it would take. Even assuming that the country was pacified, it would take two years to decontaminate the central part of the island (an island the size of a continent) to a degree in which one could safely live there. It would take decades to decontaminate it completely – and there was no doubt that the program would be costly. And so, disgruntlement was beginning to set in. To avoid any type of mutinies amongst the personnel, the Imperial government had begun to take steps, including improving the casting of international football games, and so watching events such as the World Cup, Di Bradini Cup and the Cup of Harmony had become important tools in pacifying the troops and keeping them together to wage war in Theohuanacu. As a result, one would be surprised to find out that at any one time there would be at least two hundred thousand spectators from Theohuanacu alone – a nation that was completely unknown to everyone outside of Greater Díenstad prior to the Macabee invasion and occupation.

Soldiers were allowed to watch the game on either company-level televisions, issued by the logistics center of their branch, or on personal televisions which soldiers had to purchase (although, the military facilitated the transfer of the equipment back home, once they were rotated back to the mainland). Three such soldiers, watching the game in their barracks, inside the city of North Point – one of the nexus’ of Macabee operations in the north. These were Sergeant Alex de la Cruz, Corporal Sergio Maréo and Díego Lunar – all three were auxiliaries originating from northern Safehaven, which had been occupied by the Empire during the War of Golden Succession. They joined the auxiliaries to save their families from being deported south, within the bounds of the new Safehaven, and to gain themselves citizenship to the Empire and the ability to make a good paycheck, well enough to support their family. Besides, a new life, after the destruction brought about by the War of Golden Succession, was enticing. Their unit was completely Havenic, but there were Guffingfordi and Zarbian auxiliaries, as well. There were even Theohuanacu auxiliary units being trained, although they would be deployed elsewhere, as opposed to their own country. It was a tough life, but it had its advantages. Although their suffering could partly be blamed on the government in Fedala, they had to admit that the Empire did not treat them as badly as they could have. They were considered full-time, active-duty soldiers and they received all the benefits, as well. On the other hand, they were cannon fodder.

Watching these games helped to keep their minds from wandering and helped inspire some type of patriotism within them. There was a constant bombardment of propaganda which molded them, taking them from being Havenic to being Macabee. Besides, the games tended to be entertaining, and the third match day for the 34th Cup of Harmony was not letting anybody down. It was the 64th minute of the match and the Golden-Whites (as everyone had begun to call them) were leading by an impressive three to zero, all scored during the first half. The first of these had come from an impressive free kick, provided by Tor Vanderhak, from a distance of twenty-three meters. The ball had never even begun to descend until it the goal’s net – an impressive feat, and showing the power Vanderhak had behind his right leg. This goal was scored in the 11th minute of the game, and the second goal was not long to come. Six minutes later (’17) Mika D’Angíel was able to sweep the ball into the goal from the inside of his right foot, after a brilliant pass into the area by winger Tíengart Balánt (another rising star in the team). The third goal came from the same scorer, but this time he was assisted by midfielder Golet Níer, who was able to make quite the pass from the top of the area’s box, over two defenders. D’Angíel made a well thought out control, and kicked the ball past the goal keeper, who had reacted incorrectly, and into the goal.

As the second half started the West Zirconian team had obvious recomposed themselves, although pulling off a victory, or even a draw, was a tricky situation at this point. Nevertheless, by the 64th minute the game had stagnated, with neither team succeeding in their attempts to either shorten the distance or elongate it. The three soldiers were becoming bored, despite their country’s team’s lead, and Sergeant de la Cruz pulled out a cold beer from a small refrigerator conveniently next to him. One of the corporals looked over and said, “Damn man, you’re freakin’ lazy.”

The sergeant peered at him and managed a small smile, while replying, “Look, I already do enough exercise killing skinnies. Now you expect me to work for my beer? I say, hell no!”

“Touché,” the corporal said sarcastically. Then he added, “Man, shut the hell up and just pass me a beer.”

“Oh, and I’m the lazy guy?”

The other corporal, Díego Lunar, interrupted both of them and said, “Why don’t you both shut the hell up and pass me a beer.”

All three of them were laughing until the television caught their attention. West Zirconia had just lost the ball in the midfield, as it had been recovered by winger Gerard Daví, and passed quickly to midfielder Sorton Ferd. The ball was moving fast, a unique capability of the Golden-Whites and it was soon at the feet of Golet Níer. The seconds were ticking, but it all seemed to go so slow. The sergeant began to cheer, “Go, go, go! C’mon, passing the f’ing ball, guy.”

As if listening, Níer made a long pass between two of the Zirconian defenders, in front of Mika D’Angíel, and the nimble striker took matters into his own hand. With the defenders right behind him, he controlled the ball, took a couple of steps and shot, putting the ball right in the middle of the net and scoring his first hat-trick of the 34th Cup of Harmony. The fifth goal did not take long, and it was scored by winger Gerard Daví, who was able to arc it from a long distance (thirty-two meters) over the hands of the goal keeper, who had come out as he expected another pass into the area. In that fashion, the game ended with an impressive score of five to zero (5-0) – a result which satiated the supporters of the Golden-Whites and put them at the head of their group. By the end of the game the sergeant was repeating, “Man, that’s what I’m talking about!”

“Yea, we heard you the first time, big guy,” the two other soldiers retorted in concert.

“We’re going to make it to the semi-finals and then we’re going to win, baby. I know for sure. How did the other teams do?”

Sergio Maréo lifted his right eyebrow and answered, “Let me check.” He lifted the remote control and pressed a couple of buttons, coming to an information screen provided by the satellite, basically allowing him to surf through a network created by the company. He came to the relevant page and began to reiterate the scores, “Greal, to no surprise,” there were a few smirks and smart-ass comments, “lost to Blouman Empire, one to four.” He continued reading, “Terreiro de Ogum drew by one point with Glaycia, which is good, I guess.” He then went on to the other group, “Yea, screw that group. We’ll worry about them later.”

Corporal Lunar suddenly said, “Hey man, turn that shit off and put it back to the television. They’re going to have a press release in like half an hour. In the meantime, let’s get drunk!”

Post-game press conference
Somewhere in Liverpool England…

Mika D’Angíel had taken a quick shower to prepare for the press conference, and he put on a fresh uniform so he wouldn’t smell completely bad. In front of him was the team’s manager, and behind him was midfielder Golet Níer – a man who had received much good press lately. The three would lead the press conference, which would most likely revolve around expectations for the next match. This next match most considered pivotal, since it was between the two group leaders. Both D’Angíel and Níer were psyched about the victory they had just pulled off not even an hour earlier, but both were very pragmatic individuals. Besides, they had been prepped by Varrios to know what to say and to keep the entire press conference under control – as usual, they would need to appear humble. Haughtiness could result in real embarrassment if things did not go as planned, and many teams had learned this the hard way. The key rule about football was that nobody really knew what the ultimate outcome would be until the referee blew the whistle to signify the end of the match. Besides, Blouman Empire’s goalkeeper was planning his retirement and so the morale in the team would be pushing for an all-important win, since this would be his last competitive international tournament. All in all, everyone knew that it would be a difficult game and that a victory such as today’s would be very unlikely. So, the two players sobered up and walked onto the stage, where they sat down in front of a desk with three microphones on it.

The questions came quickly. The first question, asked by a man seated to the rear of the crowd, was, “What can we expect about tomorrow’s game?”

Varrios took this one and replied, “In this sport nothing is certain, and this is what makes this sport so great. I cannot tell you that we will win, although I can tell you that we will do what is within our ability to win. We can have good luck, or we can have bad luck. Or, luck could even be out of the equation and instead the Blouman Empire might just prove to be a far better team than ours. This can be true vice versa, as well. I think that the history of the sport has proven that early predictions about games have a high chance of being incorrect, especially when made by someone in one of the teams.” He smiled, and then continued, “But, I will tell you that we will not hand over an easy victory, just as I expect not to receive the opportunity to create an easy victory. On the other hand, I am fully confident that our players are capable of presenting a good in-game strategy and winning the game. But, like I am inferring, it’s not just up to us. If it were, we’d be World Cup champions by now, don’t you think?”

Slight laughter filled the room, but died quickly as the next question was eagerly asked. The question came from a woman, seated to the front, but to the far right corner. She asked, “D’Angíel, your hat-trick today proves your value. Where do you think you’ll go after your contract is finished in the Yaforite League?”

The young striker was taken by surprise, but he was able to compose himself without showing any external hints of shock. He responded, “I have not really thought that far into the future yet. I am sure that I will take the largest contract.” People chuckled and laughed, and then he went on, “No, but really, I wouldn’t be able to tell you anything with any certainty of factuality and accuracy. I just don’t know. That’s too far in the future. Although, I am sure that there is a chance of moving clubs. I’m interested in playing in a domestic club if the league ever restarts and is willing to accept me as a player.”

“So, would you say that your decision will be influenced by the size of the contract?”

Mika knew what she meant and he said, “What do you think?”

The next question was oriented back towards the next game in the Cup of Harmony, “What if they tightly mark Golet Níer?”

Varrios had been expecting this one and he answered quickly, “That is a possibility and we have it accounted for. I couldn’t tell you how, because that will give our game plan away, but we have different scenarios planned out and accounted for. We won’t lose the game just because they tightly marked one of our players.”

Níer replied in succession, “Our midfield is very strong and almost all of our central midfielders are good playmakers and have the capability of making a good pass into the area. This was proved today. Tightly marking one of us will not change the pace of the game or make us any less dangerous of a team.”

The next question began to be formed, “What do you think about the chances of the Golden-Whites passing into the semi-finals?”

Varrios answered, “High. We are leaders of our group, and although this may change tomorrow I think we are strong contestants.”

The press conference went on as usual, with questions being asked and responses being given, but in general the amount of information offered to the press really never got more specific than it already had gotten. It took about half an hour to finish the meeting, but by the end of the press release everything had gone well. Now the team would go back to their hotel, rest and plan for tomorrow’s game – a pivotal game in the competition. A win against the Blouman Empire could almost assure the team of passing into the semi-finals, while a loss would make it that much more difficult to get that kind of guarantee. The fifth match day would not be any easier, as the team still had to play Terreiro de Ogum, who was right behind the Empire and Blouman Empire in points.

Taeshan

19-09-2008, 20:29

Streak Continues

Woke up this morning. We lost to Newmanistan again. Couldn't believe it, I lost my control. Shot myself a couple of times. Sat on a log. Broke my finger running threw the fog. We let them score a gaol, past Montague. Oh how I want to be in love with you. Static, breakup, a large Onion ring. A Finger, and a cok fighting machine. Do you like pasta i think i do. Wanna kill myself at the zoo. Next we face KaMaRi, we need a win to advancee. Newmanistan needs to tie, as does everone else. Eat the Potato now.

Greal

19-09-2008, 22:22

Losing continues

It was another horrible day for Greal. 4-1 loss. The Blouman Empire was tougher, and deadlier, and scored four times, while Howard Anderson did score for Greal, once. Reports are that Ross Trent will be resigning after the end of the cup and replaced, but these are just rumors. Greal's next opponent is Glaycia.

Liventia

20-09-2008, 04:34

OOC:

FYI The Macabees, the cup is in Ad’ihan. Liverpool England no longer exists as an entity; its name is now Liventia.

Newmanistan

20-09-2008, 07:01

THE ROCKET REPORT

AFTER WIN; ROCKETS LOOK TO ADVANCE

Albrecht, Candelaria And Marquez- Newmanistan and Taeshan got together once again in what was a very important match for both teams. The winner of the game would be sitting in good shape with just a game remaining on the schedule, and the Rockets knew that they would have history on their side. As has been the custom in all prior meetings between the teams, it would be a victory for Newmanistan, a 1-0 result thanks to goal in the 53rd minute by Shawn Drummond. It becomes another result in our favor to be entered into the history of competition between the nations, and it actually may rank as one of the biggest. After all, there was a lot at stake here tonight, and the Purple Knights did enter the match with the better record and with the better ranking. With the win, Newmanistan improved to 2-1-1 for the Cup of Harmony, and controls their own destiny at this point. They don’t need to worry about the others, they just have to focus on their final opponent, An Blascad Mor, and get three points. If they do, they are in the semifinals. If they lose, then they are eliminated. A draw wouldn’t be fatal, but the team would need help.

Some may call it a tad ironic that the Empire finds itself needing to get a win over An Blascad Mor in order to advance to the semifinals. If you’ve never been to An Blascad Mor, you’re not alone, as it’s not exactly a hot tourist spot. It is a small island outside of Sorthern Northland whose small population gets by without the little things that we take for granted in Newmanistan such as electricity, roads, and wireless internet. As is often the case with this kind of population, they have a strong sense of national pride and will not let anyone try to tell them they need to get with the times as they are just happy with the way things are. There seems to be a pretty good relationship between them and Sorthern Northland. Which is what makes this final matchup a little interesting, because it was the Northerners that dealt two crushing blows to the Rockets during World Cup qualifications. Sorthern Northland and Newmanistan were the third and fourth overall ranked teams within the group behind Az-Cz and Jasi-yun, so the consensus was that the head to head matchups between the teams would determine who got third place. The Northerners actually did a fantastic job and won the group outright, while the Rockets had a chance at second place with two matchdays left, fell at the end. But that’s not the end of it. If you look back four years ago, in Cup of Harmony 33, Sorthern Northland was the team that eliminated the Rockets in the quarterfinal. Unlike Newmanistan-Taeshan, Newmanistan-Sorthern Northland has not been one-sided. We have gotten key victory in the Di Bradini Cups against them, as well as a big win versus them in Oxen Cup 7. An Blascad Mor is not Sorthern Northland, but you better believe that the Northerners will be rooting for their One Small Island friends over their One Big Island rival.

The Rockets do seem to be on good form after their last two victories to get themselves to this point, and the team seems to be cautiously optimistic that they can take care of business against the Islanders. At the same though, they know how much the Islander players are enjoying the big city life, especially here in Albrecht, which is the Capital and the largest city in the country. In a statement, coach Brian Carson told us, “It’s obviously a huge game for us with a win meaning we advance to the semifinal. We have worked hard to overcome a slow start to put ourselves in this position, and everyone deserves credit for that. Two consecutive clean sheets sometimes means you only credit the keeper and the back end, and they have done a terrific job. But we’ve also been winning most of the battles in midfield, and up front, we’re generating chances. Overall, we haven’t gotten away from doing the things that have gotten to this point, and haven’t made a tom of adjustments. Our game preparation has been strong and I like the way it has been so far for An Blascad Mor. We feel good about things right now.”

And so do we, at The Rocket Report, but as we well know anything can happen in just one game. What we do know is this, Newmanistan wins and they advance. If An Blascod Mor wins, they don’t necessarily advance. If this game ends in a draw, Newmanistan will advance if Magna Sancta Sedes defeats Land de Wood and KaMaRi defeats Taeshan. KaMaRi has yet to score in this tournament, so maybe they are due! Newmanistan can win the group with a win and a Land de Wood victory over Magna Sancta Sedes. Such a result would cause a fun little tie to be figured out for second (if Taeshan also won), but we would be a point ahead of it.

Newmanistan

20-09-2008, 10:10

(Rockets players gather in one of the meeting rooms at the Fitz Inn in Albrecht)

McAllister: Man, I love this place. Shawn, I didn’t know how good you were with the piano, dude.

Drummond: Yeah, well, my mom made me take lessons when I was a kid.

Parnett: I would love to just go around and take in all of the history here. Their club football teams are pretty good too. I could see myself playing here, my kind of city.

Prescott: Yeah, playing in Cafundeu is nice too though.

Brooker: You were the crazy one that chose to sign with Olympia when you had so many good offers on the table, Parnett.

Parnett: Hey Olympia’s cool, but I like this city.

Brooker: Why don’t you just put a sign on your back saying, buy me, Albrecht FC.

Parnett: Haha yeah right. Olympia will probably match it though just like Putnam Lake always does when someone tries to buy J-Mac.

McAllister: I’m not leaving Putnam Lake anyway. I love it there.

Morton: Well you know me and how much I love history, I hope I can get some time to check out some of their great museums, I don’t know as much as I should about this country. Could learn quite a bit while I’m here.

Prescott: Can always visit after the Cup of Harmony is over.

Borsinger: I’ve already been to the Cathedral, that was a can’t miss first stop for me.

Brooker: Why am I not surprised by that!

McAllister: Coach is coming....

(Coach Carson enters)

Carson: Good morning, everyone.

Team: Good morning coach.

Carson: I hope everyone has enjoyed their rooms here at the Fitz Inn, the Empress wanted to make sure we got the best of the best while we were here, and is personally paying for our expenses, including meals. Plus most of our fans would expect us to stay at the Meissner so we thought your focus would be better here.

Drummond: The Empress rocks!

Carson: Yes, well, only when she is in a good mood. Right now she is happy with your performances and feels that we can win this game, and maybe we’ll get the help we win to win this group.

McAllister: I don’t want this to be our last game. Our last game of the last Cup of Harmony was against Sorthern Northland, I don’t want it to be again. They aren’t the Northerners, but they are pretty close to it.

Parnett: I can’t believe those guys live without electricity. When they come to a city like this they have to think it is a little weird, don’t you think.

Morton: Supposedly they know of it, but it’s gotta be different to travel for weeks in a modern country like this, and especially here in Albercht.

Drummond: I’m not going to be happy our run ends to a small little island of 143 people.

Carson: None of us will, but we all see this as a game we could and should win. If we do, then I am sure we can do a little more sightseeing here since the other group needs another matchday before the semifinals begin.

McAllister: What do you want to go see, Coach?

Carson: Well, I’ll tell you....

(The team stares at him)

Carson: This is a nation with great history as I think you can all tell by now. But there will eventually be a chapter in their history for the 34th Cup of Harmony, the biggest interregional sporting event ever hosted by this nation. Without question, somewhere it will be celebrated in one of these museums, much like the 33rd Cup of Harmony is celebrated across the Empire. I want to come back here, when there’s some downtime when it’s all over and visit that display, because we know it will be great. When I go there, I want to see a room with a heavy sky blue and white influence and a trophy that says Newmanistan: Cup of Harmony 34 champions. That, my friends, is what I want to see.

(The meeting room gets silent for a moment. Partially wondering why coach has to answer what was thought to be a simple question with such a deep response but mainly because they know that they all want to do the same thing.)

McAllister: We won’t let you down coach.

Carson: I don’t want to put pressure on you, but if this small island knocks us out, it’s going to be a big letdown for all of us. We all know what we are capable of doing, and we can make the dream that we came here to accomplish a reality. It’s there now let’s go grab it.

Parnett: We’ll make it happen.

McAllister: For us, and for all of Newmanistan!!!

(Coach Carson goes into a long strategic lecture, afterwards assistant Eric Andrews pulls him aside).

Andrews: That was good, that bit there about what you want to see.

Carson: Yeah, got them fired up. I think the not making the World Cup dejection is over with now, they have played with great form and look good in training.

Andrews: I agree. I like what I see from them.

West Zirconia

20-09-2008, 14:36

The mood in the West Zirconian hotel that evening was a gloomy one. The 5-0 defeat to the Macabees was the worst in the nation's brief footballing history, and one which left no positives with which Roy Hazell could possibly console his team.

The team filtered through to the conference room at the appointed hour of 7:30. Anthony McGowan was first there, looking rather puzzled at why this post-mortem had been delayed, rather than having been performed immediately after the game. Banks team-mates Steve Griffiths and Ed French were next, engaged in a muted conversation about where the team goes from here. They were followed by promising teenager Russell Munro, who looked as if he had been crying quite a lot after his disastrous début.

Mark Dolman hobbled in soon afterwards, obviously still in pain. As he reached the room, he stumbled and had to be helped back to his feet by Ryan Gregory, who almost collapsed himself in the process. Ian Hawthorne and Paul Paterson were having a conversation about religion which was making no sense to either of them - but they felt it was necessary to put the day's events out of their minds in any way possible.

Steve Gray walked slowly in, a consoling arm round the shoulders of Martin Forster. Jerome Bennett followed, pausing only to beckon those behind him to hurry up.

Ben Phillips was the last to arrive. He looked as if he was carrying the world's weight on his shoulders. As captain, he felt that the buck stopped with him, notwithstanding the incident before the kick-off. He knew that he - and his team - were in trouble.

At 7:45, in walked Roy Hazell, with a face like thunder. He had a video-tape in his hand, and without a word, walked over to the video player, inserted the cassette and waited for it to begin before hitting the PAUSE button.

"Right - you know why you're here. That was the most appalling performance we have ever put together, and I never want to see you play like that ever again. So I've got the video of the game, and we're going to look at every detail of...Are you listening, Pritchard?"

Ben shuddered. Roy was using surnames, which really meant trouble. "Thank you - glad you can give me just a little bit of your attention. Right, you're going to watch this now, and we'll see exactly where you all went wrong."

Roy pressed the PLAY button, and watched. Just after the singing of "A Song of West Zirconia" came the incident Ben dreaded seeing again. A man, probably in his twenties, streaked across the pitch. Roy stopped the tape before the next bit.

"Right, when a streaker runs across the pitch, what do we do?"

Paul Paterson gave the answer Roy wanted. "We ignore them."

"Correct. What do we not let it do to us?"

Damion Hyde this time. "We don't let it affect us."

"Correct. What else do we not do, Phillips?"

Ben felt faint, and his voiced reflected it. "We don't go anywhere near them?"

"What you mean, Phillips, is that we don't rugby-tackle them to the ground and have a good grope while we've got them on the floor."

"Just making it easier for the police to catch him, sir - it wasn't what it looked like."

Ben was just rehearsing his excuses now. He knew what had actually happened, and he knew that Roy knew. What if James had seen it? Would he interpret it the same way? "You will edit that out of the recording before you send it back to West Zirconia, won't you?"

"I'm not that sadistic, Phillips. But don't feed me that crap again - just tell it as it is, like I do." Roy restarted the tape, and the team watched in agony.

Dear reader, if I related every incident that made Roy stop the tape and deliver a stinging diatribe, you and I would be here for the next week. Thankfully, although Ben Phillips was responsible for several of them, they were all for footballing reasons.

One particular explosion occurred after the 64th minute of play (it was 9:50 by now). The normally reliable midfield of Patrick Williams and Ed French had been completely caught out by their Macabee counterparts, in a way that would be best described as embarrassing.

Another was when Steve Gray was completely fooled towards the end of the game, and was lobbed in such a humiliating fashion.

By the final whistle Roy was incandescent. You lot have been a bloody embarrassment to yourselves and to your country. If I don't see any improvement in our next game, there'll be big changes. Got it?

A collective murmur of "Yes, sir" rose in an uncertain manner, before the team was dismissed. As the team filed out, the receptionist approached the party.

"Excuse me - Mr. Phillips?" Ben identified himself.

"It's a Mr. Clarke on the phone." Ben had the horrible feeling that this particular Clarke was fils rather than père. He approached the phone and picked it up."

"Hello?"

"Hi, Ben." Ben's heart sank as he recognised James' voice. "I've just seen the match - I bet you're all feeling terrible about it. Tell you what, though - you were very brave tackling that streaker."

"Was I?" Ben was puzzled at how footage had reached West Zirconia so soon - before realising that James was in fact in Candelaria. Or Marquez - he could never remember which.

"Course you were. Made it a lot easier for the police to catch him, I reckon. Hey, Ben, I hope you're not feeling too down about it all."

Ben smiled. James had clearly mistaken his sigh of relief for one of despondency.

Adihan

20-09-2008, 17:07

This is the RP cutoff for Group 1/MD4.

C&M: check TGs (or alternatively if you can, come onto IRC).

Candelaria And Marquez

20-09-2008, 17:11

Right, after that minor drama...

Group 2, MD5 RP cut-off

Adihan

20-09-2008, 17:17

Matchday Four

Group One
Glaycia 2-2 Greal
The Macabees 1-2 Blouman Empire
West Zirconia 1-1 Terreiro de Ogum

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Blouman Empire 4 3 1 0 9 4 5 10 Q
2 The Macabees 4 2 1 1 9 4 5 7
3 Terreiro de Ogum 4 1 3 0 5 3 2 6
4 West Zirconia 4 1 1 2 4 8 -4 4 E
5 Glaycia 4 0 3 1 4 6 -2 3 E
6 Greal 4 0 1 3 4 10 -6 1 E

Candelaria And Marquez

20-09-2008, 17:19

Matchday Five ~ Group 2

The final, simultaneous, round of games in C&M see Taeshan looking to give themselves a chance of a semi-final place against the only team in the tournament yet to score a goal; Onwere host a Magna Sancta Sedes side looking to win the group and remain on Candelariasian shores; and the culture vultures of Newmanistan hoping to pick off the islanders amongst the bright(ish) lights of Albrecht.

Land de Wood 2-2 Magna Sancta Sedes
Taeshan 1-1 KaMaRi
An Blascaod Mór 1-1 Newmanistan

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Magna Sancta Sedes 5 3 1 1 10 8 2 10 Q
2 Newmanistan 5 2 2 1 5 3 2 8 Q
-------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Land de Wood 5 2 1 2 9 6 3 7
4 Taeshan 5 2 1 2 5 4 1 7
5 An Blascaod Mór 5 2 1 2 8 9 -1 7
6 KaMaRi 5 0 2 3 1 8 -7 2

Taeshan

20-09-2008, 19:50

Thats gay. Another tie oh well 6thish is good.

Land de Wood

20-09-2008, 23:04

Land de Wood 2-2 Magna Sancta Sedes

There was great drama on the final day. At one point our brave Woodpeckers were not only heading through to the semi finals of the Cup of Harmony but were top of the group! But sadly things did not end like that.

Going into this game Magna Sancta Sedes were top on 9 points.
Newmanistan were 2nd on 7 points
then Land de Wood, An Blascaod Mór and Taeshan were all level on 6 points. Any two of these five teams could qualify, any three could fail to qualify.

When Land de Wood took an early lead against Magna Sancta Sedes through David Bomer's header, we were topping the group. then Newmanistan overtook us, as they took a goal lead against An Blascaod Mór. Magna Sancta Sedes were now heading out of the Cup of Harmony.

But then Magna Sancta Sedes scored twice just before half time, to lead the group once more, and leave us struggling to get our breathe back.
Then shock of all shocks KaMaRi took the lead against Taeshan deep into injury time. Would KaMaRi finally win a game?

So the second game kicked of and our Woodpeckers knew they needed to get back into this game. An Blascaod Mór equalised against Newmanistan but we still needed a win here to qualify.

Taeshan then got an equaliser against KaMaRi as they sought to keep their pride.

So we had gone from 1st to 5th in about an hour and now needed a break.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Teenage wonderkid John Little came on for Ray Horse, Gary Stering came on for Kevin Wallace.
With just five minutes left, Gary Stering raced down the left wing, crossed the ball in and John Little volleyed home the equaliser. The dream could yet be alive.
Magna Sancta Sedes knew they just needed to hang on for five more minutes to knock Land de Wood out and qualify for the semis. Hold on they did, as Land de Wood threw everyone forward even the goalie came up for corners but it was not to be.

Our boys can be pleased with what occured here, and yet what might have been.....

______________________________________________
oc hope everyone doesn't mind me taking liberties and timetabling their games, but this is the first time this week I've had any real time to roleplay so I'm making the most of it. Can't believe I managed to win 4-0 and then not have time to roleplay it.

Greal

20-09-2008, 23:43

One bloody tie

It seemed as if Glaycia would win after scoring twice, but a courageous defense by Greal, and one goal each by Howard Anderson and Ross Trent saved Greal. But now it was hopeless, since it was last in rankings. All Greal can do is do the best it can on its last day here. 2-2.

Magna Sancta Sedes

21-09-2008, 02:28

Cup of Harmony - Group B
MD1: vs Newmanistan @ Hallowfield Park, Allemali (2-1)
MD2: vs An Blascaod Mór @ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires (3-2)
MD3: vs Taeshan @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo (1-2)
MD4: vs KaMaRi @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht (1-0)
MD5: vs Land de Wood @ Estadio Francisco Álvarez, Onwere (2-2)
SMF: vs ??? @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht

=== C&M ===

Diary of Father de Turrecremata

MD5 - I had to get yet another book - Beelzebubus ate my books again. In fact, he ate the entire coaching staff, which required an immediate purge of his body while we were playing the match against KaMaRi. Azazel found himself in the spot again, as he made his return to the head of the team. While playing, he managed to score one goal, kill the goalkeeper (with a deadly shot - literally), some 984 onlooking fans, and the linesman. The referee finally gave Azazel the red card, which means that Azazel did not play in the match against Land de Wood. We finally freed the coaching staff from Beelzebubus's gut when Azazel killed Beelzebubus - we asked Azazel for his reason, and he said - "It's my habit to kill. What's wrong with that?" We explain that indiscriminate killing is bad. Murder is not the righteous way, to which Azazel replied, "Then discriminate killing is right? Because I can do that too." We decided to avoid the topic altogether and banished Azazel from the bench with the Clavis Salomonis.

Against the Woodpeckers, we feared that we had brought the wrong team to Candelaria And Marquez, yet the LORD is His Supreme Majesty, sought to placate the people of the righteous way by ensuring no team would be better or worse than the other. Baal was a little sleepy when the Woodpeckers scored the first goal. We summoned the demon to play football, after which he rolled around the goal like a giant iron ball. At times, he chased the Woodpeckers up and down the pitch, as if the game had become a sick and twisted reverse of the original game - we heard some wry remarks among the Candelaria And Marquez fans... "In Candelaria And Marquez, BAAL play YOU!" Doubtless, the exercises did distract the opposing players, while the referee was uncertain about what to do. It gave Lilith the time she needed to score two goals at the end of the first half while raping the linesman flagging her for off-sides for her third shot - needless to say, she got the red card too. We came back into the second half, Baal was still chasing the Peckers, and Amon was occasionally smashing the ball into complete oblivion. I was anxious to say the least, that all of the players were going to be the downfall of the Most Holy Representative Football Team of Magna Sancta Sedes - especially as Baal chased the Peckers to score into own our net - but fortunately, the demons held off the test of time, and the MHRFT survives to play another day.

The time disjunction has confused many of us - when is today? We thought it was yesterday when we woke up, but apparently it was today. I only hope that the Christ is able to find the answer to our problems.

=== C&M ===

Caesar woke up in joy! "I've solved it!"

"Really?" Tucker asked. He too was overjoyed.

"Not really. But it works for us."

"How so?"

"Well, I've been reading through the Codex, and I've found that the problem we face has one source."

Tucker was anxious - "Which is?"

"A person. He must be eliminated."

"Eliminated?"

"Yes. As in, brought to the Holy Empire, incarcerated for the duration of 1093 lifetimes before he is to be judged by the swift and the dead."

"Who is he?"

=== Magna Sancta Sedes ===

"Cardinal Adolphus Brunodunus?"

"Yes," Iesu Caesar Salvator said in response. "It is written in the book."

"That all of our problems will go away if we get rid of him?"

"It is written in the book."

The Pope was a little confused by it. "Didn't the book speak of the number 42?"

"Well, it was referring the number of millions of people that would die in his name. It was also referring the year in which his fate would be recorded. It also..."

"Okay, I get the point. So we surrender the Cardinal to the Holy Empire, and they'll incarcerate him for 1093 lifetimes. Why so long?"

"It's a good number, I've heard," Caesar said. "Besides that, what else have you to lose?"

The Pope nodded. "Very well. By Papal decree, I - Pope HONORIFICABILITATIBVS - do excommunicate Cardinal Adolphus Brunodunus - for the reasons of which we have just spoken - and commits his soul to rest 1093 lifetimes in the Holy Empire, so God help him. Be gone therefore!"

Cardinal Adolphus was stripped immediately of his regalia and seized by Holy Empire guards, taken through a portal while wailing, and disappeared thence. Caesar nodded and was satisfied. "Tomorrow shall be a new day - and a normal one for the denizens of the Ordinary Realm! As for me, I shall return to the Holy Empire."

"Why not stay here, dear Christ?" the Cardinals all asked him simultaneously.

"I'm not the Christ, so stop calling me that!"

"Well, why don't you stay?"

"Well, I have my reasons." He hopped onto the portal and disappeared through it. Soon thereafter, the portal was dissembled and vanished entirely from the College of Cardinals' presence. If one were to ask if they even saw anything, it would have been hard to prove it. But if all was as was written, then tomorrow would be a good day indeed.

The Macabees

21-09-2008, 02:56

Important Defeat Leaves the Golden-Whites Hanging by a Thread

Today’s defeat at the hands of Blouman Empire, by one goal to two, leaves the Macabee team struggling to maintain their chances to move on to the Cup of Harmony 34 semifinals. Their right of passage will depend wholly on tomorrow’s game against Terreiro de Ogum, who drew today with West Zirconia. In order to maintain their position as second in the group the Golden-Whites would have to either win or draw against their opponent, and to ascend to the top position of the group the feat would require a victory, while the Blouman Empire would need to lose (against Glaycia). But, at this stage, Varrios’ boys would be happy simply qualifying for the semifinals. The Macabee National Football Team has never advanced past the group stage of any major international football competition, save for their debut at the Baptism of Fire many years ago (in which they did not continue beyond the quarterfinals). If they were to continue onto the semifinals their presumed opponent would be Magna Sancta Sedes, who finished the group stage at the top of their group. Blouman Empire will presumably play Newmanistan, second in their group. However, the team’s performance this Cup of Harmony has not been consistent enough to inspire confidence to the point where the majority of fans can feel safe that their team will prevail. Instead, there are hopes, fears and anxieties left in the air, wondering how tomorrow’s game will turn out. All the while, the men on both teams prepare themselves for what is an all-important showdown.

Today’s match day did not go as poorly as it could have, although the end result was the same whether the team would have lost by one or by one thousand. The Blouman Empire managed to score first, in the thirty-first minute, but a quick round shot from outside of the area (in the thirty-seventh minute), past the goalkeeper, managed to equalize the game – and give another goal to Golet Níer. Unfortunately, the Golden-Whites were not able to pull ahead due to the strong opposing defense and heavy pressure, while the second half settled the game. Blouman Empire scored their second goal in the sixty-third minute. Unfortunately, the usual players on the Macabee team did not perform as well as some would have hoped – namely Mika D’Angíel, who has put a goal in every game of this Cup of Harmony, except this one. It remains true that the Blouman Empire’s team is far more experienced than their Macabee counterparts, but some were hoping that the Macabee team’s innovation – a quality which had shown itself during the West Zirconia game – would drive them through another victory, and an automatic qualification for the semifinals. Unfortunately, this proved to be a false hope. The ramifications apparently go beyond just the semi-finals. Some question what the team will do when they actually do reach the semifinals (well, if they do) – how will they defeat that team? Or even in the finals. Most agree that it will take much more than what the team did in today’s game to win the Cup of Harmony.

In the usual post-game press conference, coach Varrios said the following, “If we plan on winning this tournament we will have to prove that we are capable of much more than what we have shown throughout most of the group stage of this Cup of Harmony. Despite our victory yesterday against West Zirconia, that isolated event did not repeat itself – in other words, we lack consistency. To have any chance of success this year we must turn that chance landslide victory into something our team can do over and over again. For that, we will need dedication throughout the entire game. Our players cannot give up and they cannot relax. If the enemy’s defense cannot be broken down in twenty minutes, then it must be broken down in longer – but, we cannot give up. This is our current weakness, and one I’m attempting to flesh out – we cannot give up because the path is dark and hazy. Victory will only come after much sacrifice. Tomorrow’s game is not the semifinals, but it will require as much as this as the next two games will – if we make it to the next two games, that is.”

When asked about the chances to defeat Terreiro de Ogum, the coach responded, “Look, I will tell you the same thing I told you guys yesterday. Both teams want to win, and both teams have the means to win. It’s like praying to God before a game. Who is God supposed to help? Why should he choose your team, and not the other team? How can I say if we will win or not? I don’t know the attitude of my players in-game and I don’t know the decisions that my colleagues in the opposite bench will make. I couldn’t give you an accurate response. It’s just not within my capabilities. You should go ask a fortuneteller for that.”

When asked about his performance today, Mika answered, “I’m not the team’s fireman. The team should not, and the team does not rely on me to score goals. Níer’s goal today was a perfect example of what other players are capable of doing. I did not score a goal because the opportunity did not present itself, or I failed when it did. Sure, that contributed to our loss, but I don’t think you are correct in inferring that my poor performance may handicap us tomorrow. Besides, everyone has bad days, right?”

Although he may be correct, it is a fact that Mika D’Angíel has become an icon for the team. His hat-trick yesterday, and the constant creation of goals has given him an aura of invincibility and natural born genius. Although other players on the team are beginning to become more well known, even in the international world, due to their new international contracts or through the effort they put into winning the game in the Cup of Harmony, Mika D’Angíel remains the top goal scorer and the hero’s image. There is no doubt that his leadership and stamina are two characteristics which drive the team. His full attention towards the game will be of utmost importance if the Golden-Whites have any intentions of defeating Terreiro de Ogum (although, a draw would do just as well, we guess). Although, yes, a draw will benefit us to the same extent in regards to passing the group stage, a win (and especially a landslide victory) would give us the morale necessary to offer greater chances of a victory in the semi-finals. For this, each player will have to be at their fullest – especially Mika D’Angíel.

Terreiro de Ogum has not preformed badly, either, during the Cup of Harmony. The first match day saw them defeat Greal by two goals to one, insuring them three early points. The second match day saw them upset Blouman Empire, by drawing with them (which is an important fact to remember), and giving them leadership of the group. They then drew with Glaycia, putting them behind both the Blouman Empire and The Macabees. Finally, today’s draw with West Zirconia puts them one point behind The Macabees – in other words, they have not yet lost a game. Although they drew against West Zirconia, a team which the Golden-Whites “steamrolled”, their draw with Blouman Empire proves that they can upset big teams. Tomorrow’s game, as most suspect, will obviously not be a “walk in the park”. It will be a game of ninety minutes of intense and suspenseful football – the type of football everybody likes. It will decide who goes onto the semifinals and who will have to wait until the next Cup of Harmony.

Newmanistan

21-09-2008, 06:48

THE ROCKET REPORT

ROCKETS TAKE SECOND; HEAD TO AD’IHAN

Albrecht, Candelaria And Marquez- Newmanistan’s Cup of Harmony will continue on, although not quite in the way it was drawn up before the game. Coming into the day, there had only been one draw in Group 2. And thanks to that draw, Newmanistan entered the matchday a point ahead of the likes of Land de Wood, Taeshan, and their opponent today, An Blascaod Mor. So when matchday five became a day of draws within the group, that point that Rockets picked up in their game against KaMaRi loomed very, very big. The final score of 1-1 here in Albrecht and draws in the two other games mean that Newmanistan finishes 2nd in the group and will advance to the semifinal, where they will take on the winner of Group 1.

Jeremy McAllister got the Rockets on the board very quickly, coming in minute number eight off a nice pass from Shawn Drummond. It set the tone for the first half as the Rockets were clearly the better team and a step quicker then the Islanders. The passes were on target, and many more chances were created after the goal. Julie McElroy banged one off the left post in the 19th minute, and Shawn Drummond was absolutely robbed of a sure goal on an amazing play by goalkeeper Tomas O’Neil in the 27th minute. They continued to press the play, but as the first half went along, we began to see the Islanders playing better in their back end and start to make the big plays, and Newmanistan got a little frustrated by this. Not necessarily because of the plays that the opponents were making, but because they were starting to look at each other with that dreaded look of “we should scored a second goal while we had a chance”. Late in the first half, they began to get a little sloppy, and the tide of momentum shifted in favor of An Blascaod Mor. In the final twelve minutes of the first half, they registered four shots on target. Though they forced Corey Hennis to make those saves, none of them were nearly as good as O’Neil’s 27th minute stop. It was one-nil at the break, but one wondered if the equalizing goal was on the way.

During halftime coach Carson instructed his team to slow the pace of the game down and focus on defense. They knew the Islanders would be trying to pick up where they left off in the first half, and his hope was that with this rest, his defense would make timely clears, and begin to get momentum back in favor of the Rockets, and then they could go for more. Carson also would not allow his players to know what the scores were in the other two Group 2 games. Instead all he would tell them was that they “needed to win”. The players bought into that. Early in the second half, the focus on defense worked, with Jeremy Brooker and Sheldon Talcott especially impressive. It seemed as though they had weathered the storm once they got past the 60 minute mark, and at that time we began to see them focus on getting a second goal to put the game away. This is where they may have made a bad mistake. In the 67th minute, a sloppy pass from Brent Treichler to Steve Boland was intercepted Tomas O’Sullivan, and he had an uncontested sprint to the goal, and Hennis was helpless on the shot. Things went from looking good to looking worse. Now, they were in trouble and the Islanders again took control of the match. Fortunately, the defense would atone for Treichler’s error and limit their scoring opportunities. The final 10 or so minutes began to see the Rockets produce the greater scoring chances as the Islanders began to press, but Newmanistan would not be able to find a second goal. Had it come, they would have won Group 2. But they’ll take the draw, since everyone else also had the same result, it would be good enough to remain in second place in the group and stay alive in the Cup of Harmony.

So now the Rockets pack their bags and head to Ad’ihan. They’ve never played here before and will be looking to make quite an impression. They will play at the huge Protectorate Stadium in City of Ad’ihan with the hopes of playing two games in this facility. The Cup of Harmony 34 final will also be here. It appears very likely that the Rockets will be playing the Blouman Empire and the two nations have had a bit of a colorful history between one another if that is the case. The Di Bradini Cup 5 “chant competitions” in the stands between the supporters of each, with the players enjoying every bit of it and then the “Corrimal Rangers” bit of Oxen Cup 6 got the rivalry going further. The Bloumans and their fans do not particularly care for the physical nature of our own Brett Prescott and if they were to go at it with a berth in the Cup of Harmony final at stake for the winner, there is no doubt that the fans in Ad’ihan would be treated to a highly entertaining game as it helps when there is some bad blood already there. Newmanistan-The Macabees, nothing against The Macabees, just doesn’t have the same history going for it. The rivalry is mainly competitive though, and we wouldn’t think that Ad’ihan would need to increase their security presence if this matchup with the Bloumans did take place. A few of their players actually play professionally in Newmanistan.

Adihan

21-09-2008, 16:37

This is the Group 1 MD5 RP cutoff.

Adihan

21-09-2008, 17:04

Matchday Five
Group 1

Greal 0-1 West Zirconia
The Macabees 1-1 Terreiro de Ogum
Glaycia 2-3 Blouman Empire

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Blouman Empire 5 4 1 0 12 6 6 13 Q
2 The Macabees 5 2 2 1 10 5 5 8 Q
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Terreiro de Ogum 5 1 4 0 6 4 2 7
4 West Zirconia 5 2 1 2 5 8 -3 7
5 Glaycia 5 0 3 2 6 9 -3 3
6 Greal 5 0 1 4 4 11 -7 1

The Macabees will play Magna Sancta Sedes in semi-final 2 in Candelaria And Marquez.
Blouman Empire will play Newmanistan in semi-final 1 in Ad’ihan.

The Macabees

21-09-2008, 21:11

War Stories

Prior to the reactivation of the national football team in 2018, early enough to participate in World Cup 42, everything and all to do with football had been mercilessly canceled in favor of pursuing the end of the War of Golden Succession. Professional football players and proletarians alike were conscripted into the Fuermak and sent to the front lines. As a result, many of the players who debuted with the national team in World Cup 42, and now in Cup of Harmony 34, were at one point in their life soldiers – battle hardened soldiers. Not all, since it depended on age, but chances are that those who are now twenty or older fought for the Second Empire of the Golden Throne against one of their various enemies. This accustomed them to hardship early, and perhaps it what is allowing them to exponentially improve their performance which each passing international tournament. The stories of these men are some of the most interesting type of tales to listen to, as it exemplifies the natural human characteristics of sacrifice, fear and the simultaneously-existing heroism and cowardliness. These stories are also important for the sake of linking these “mythological” football players with their Macabee fans; most of which fought and toiled during the War of Golden Succession, as well. It allows the people of the Empire to collectively put their tragedy behind them and look at football as a hope or a light, and a sign of a more prosperous future. It also allows current soldiers to feel that their sacrifice in ongoing wars will lead to a richer future for them, their families and the Empire as a whole.

Díenar V’har: Run through the jungle
“Thought I heard a rumblin’, callin’ to my name, two hundred million guns are loaded, Satan cries, “Take aim!”” – Credence Clearwater Revival

Before becoming the prized goalkeeper of the Macabee National Football Team, the twenty-four year old Díenar V’har had had his own adventures in the Zarbian jungle. In June 2016, during the emergency call-up of the nation’s reserves and trained militiamen, he had been appointed to an armored division and trained as the gunner to a ninety-ton Cougar main battle tank. Although, at first, the gargantuan 140mm tank-gun emplaced in the heavily armed turret of the tank seemed like it was worth the risk, he soon found out what hate for a machine really was. The progression of the war during the first few months saw the political situation in the region of Greater Díenstad quickly spiral out of control. More and more nations were becoming involved in what was originally a civil conflict inside the Second Empire of the Golden Throne, including neighbors such as Safehaven (who invaded the Empire in a bid to insert a puppet government), Guffingford and the Stevidian Empire. Havenic meddling and support of the rebellion in Sarcanza (a northern province of the Empire), setting up an aid route through the neighboring country of Zarbia, caused Fedala to declare war on Zarbia – this justified an imperial invasion of their neighbor, in an attempt to cut Havenic access to Sarcanza. As a result, a large number of divisions soon found themselves entangled in one of the worst fronts of the war – a front which represented disease, certain death and sharpened any fears a brave man could possibly have.

Zarbia’s terrain, apart from the northern extremities (bordering Sarcanza), is composed of a massive jungle which spreads from West to East, although it thins out as it approaches the Imperial frontier. The fighting which took place happened on the Western extremities of this jungle. It was a war with no rules of engagement. There was the accidental spread of jungle disease and then the purposeful spread of any disease; biological agents were not off terms. The Zarbian front was fought with the only instances of the use of biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction, and the majority of the surface area on which the conflict was fought on would be scarred for a very long time (this terrain is currently occupied by Macabee soldiers and is considered disputed territory). During the duration of the short conflict with Zarbian forces, it was found that Macabee military equipment was often misconceived for this type of warfare – a problem which continued to plague the subject of this story, Corporal Díenar V’har. Assault rifles were found to be insufficiently well built to sustain damage done in the swamplands of western Zarbia, while it was common for soldiers to pass out due to the poor choice in fabric of Macabee soldier’s uniforms. Medical packages were found to be insufficiently well prepared for the amount of injuries sustained in the jungles, and at first medicines to cure disease were supplied in insufficient quantities. It remains true that the majority of casualties during the first month of the war were thanks to disease, not to Zarbian bullets. It was a true quagmire.

In this setting, this particular story on Díenar V’har begins. His armored company was ordered to make an advance of some eight kilometers northeast by the middle of the evening, where they were to take a Zarbian defensive emplacement which was blocking the Ejermacht’s (Díenstadi for “Army”) attempt to form a northern pincer over the Zarbian army defending the city of Zerrachia. Unfortunately, at some early point during the advance his ninety-ton (or more) slab of metal, ceramic and plastic found itself stuck in a muddy portion of what could almost not qualify as a jungle road. One of the tread links had broken and the roadwheel quickly sunk into the floor – these were some of the worst problems a tank could get into, given that it would take at least an hour to get it out and patch it up well enough where it could make the eight kilometers, and then go through real maintenance. In these situations there were few options. Either, the company could wait for an armored recovery vehicle to come to the area and try to tow the tank out of the mud, or the same thing could be done by a tank in the platoon. Normally, the latter would be chosen for the sake of time. As a result, V’har soon found himself out of the tank, directing the other tank where to go in order to pull the Cougar out. Thick, nylon steel tow cables hooked on to the towing hooks on the toe glacis of the frontal arc of the tank, the operation began with little success – the tank was in deep.

“We’re not going to get it out this way. It’s just getting worse – we’re going to need more power.” V’har was trying to explain things to his tank commander, but his tank commander also understood that they were running out of time. If it got too late then they would not be able to take their objective, which would retard the operation by a day or more. On a tight timescale, sometimes delays were just not acceptable. But, if the situation continued like it was then the day would be lost. V’har continued, “If this road was wider, maybe we could try two tanks.”

His tank commander peered at him and then retorted, “Hey corporal, just shut up and continue directing us. We need to get the hell out of here and keep moving, or else this war is going to take more time than we need it to take. You want to go back home, right? Yea, so shut up.” The sergeant was not a really nice man, as one could easily tell, but he knew how to get things done. He looked around and then asked, “Has anybody called freakin’ logistics? How fuggin’ long is it going to take them to get a goddamn recovery vehicle here?”

A radio operated seated off the side of the road, passing instructions back and forth, answered, “They said ETA (estimated time of arrival) is thirty minutes, Sergeant. Orders from battalion headquarters are to keep trying our way. They need us to get moving as soon as possible. If things keep going the way they are we’re going to have to abandon the beast and leave it up for fate to decide.”

The tank commander replied, “I hope they do. The Zarbians are too dumb to figure anything out from this tank, anyways.”

In this fashion, Díenar V’har found himself directing the rescue operation in vain. Thirty minutes went by and nothing had been accomplished and there was still no armored recovery vehicle in sight. Battalion headquarters was no longer responding immediately as it seemed that another part of the company had been engaged by Zarbian forces somewhere in the north. Things were getting out of hand and the entire company had been put in danger, since it wasn’t moving. By the time forty-five minutes had passed the platoon had been ordered to stop trying to get the tank out and instead setup an independent fire base. Other platoons were engaged in firefights and it seemed that the Zarbians were counterattacking. With a tank down it seemed that the company would have to accept the onslaught and fight on the defensive. The tank, therefore, was abandoned and used as a decoy to draw Zarbian fire, while the other tanks figured out how to defend themselves. The narrow jungle road, surrounded by heavy brush, was possibly the worst location a tank could be in – they were sitting ducks. The impending fight was about to prove how much at a disadvantage they were really at. With no tank, V’har’s tank crew were given rifles and ammunition and were formed into an ad hoc independent infantry fire team ordered to defend the platoon’s tanks from enemy infantry armed with anti-tank rockets (a plentiful weapon in the Zarbian military). Unfortunately, with no real vision equipment there was little they could do from preventing Zarbian anti-tank teams from approaching the platoon. The fighting started soon.

V’har could see a red flare shoot through the sky, and the jungle fell into an ear piercing silence. Suddenly, a rocket sliced through the air, towards the abandoned tank, and struck the vehicle on the side of the chassis. Within milliseconds the warhead had done its damage, although it failed in penetrating the composite armor on the tank. Instead, it was soon followed by a second and this portion of the jungle erupted in a violent firefight. V’har opened fire as soon as the second rocket was fired, aiming for no particular target – instead, he sprayed the jungle with his assault rifle, hoping to hit something in those dark woods. Unfortunately, to make matters worse, mortar fire soon handicapped the defense and caused havoc within the platoon. Within minutes wounded and dead were everywhere – some screaming for the lives or for a medic. The situation was dire, and it seemed as if the platoon would be overwhelmed. The results could be disastrous – an entire armored company lost was nothing to scoff at. Fortunately, a nearby platoon was able to provide some covering fire from their own mortar tubes, alleviating the situation only slightly. The counter battery fire successfully placed pressure on the Zarbian counterattack, but it was much less effective than the suppressive fire being showered upon the Imperial soldiers. V’har himself had been hit by shrapnel a few times, although he chose to ignore it – most of it had hit his pack and not wounded him, although he could feel the blood ooze out of some of the cuts he had received on his leg. Things were getting out of hand, rather quickly.

The future goalkeeper could see the radio operator frantically calling for air support, “Hotel-Quebec-Sixer, this is Alpha-Charlie-Tree-Niner, over. Requesting fire support, over. Coordinators are Romeo-Oscar-Sixer-Seven, over. I repeat, requesting fire support, over.”

“Alpha-Charlie-Tree-Nigher, this is Hotel-Quebec-Sixer, request approved. Standby for artillery fire support, over.”

Finally, they were reacting. The jungle in front of them soon disappeared into a chaotic mix of flames, dust and smoke created by the intense bombardment, thanks to the long-range 155mm guns firing from the across the border. Artillery was the god of war, and it was a god in which the Ejermacht believed in – in any front, artillery existed in vast quantities. One could assume that there were at least one hundred guns being applied to save the company from being overran – this was a large quantity, considering the size of a company. The napalm rounds lit every corner of the jungle in front of them up, roasting men alive. Those “lucky” enough to survive found themselves severely scarred. Stories were told after the war that some Zarbian soldiers simply shot themselves to escape the pain. The bombardment lasted a good ten minutes, chewing up the terrain for a good ten square kilometers – even the roaches were being exterminated. To be quite honest, it was quite an impressive sight, although the fact that you could feel the heat on your sticky face made it also quite uncomfortable – those artillery guys should better know what they’re doing! As time wore on the bombardment began to become interspersed, as more and more guns were ordered to change targets to other sectors of the front – it seemed the Zarbian counterattack had taken place on a large front, threatening the entire flanking maneuver in general. They had caught the Macabee’s flank unguarded, and it had paid off. The damage done was going to take at least a day to repair. Finally, the bombardment stopped completely and silence fell over the jungle, once again – not even the birds chirped.

V’har looked at his peers and asked, “You think anything survived that?”

“I sure hope the hell not,” said the tank commander. “If they did, they are some resilient fuggin’ cockroaches.”

V’har squinted his eyes, while looking into the other side of the road, and he could actually see people move! How had they survived such brilliant firepower? It didn’t matter. He put his assault rifle against his right shoulder, pressed his right check into the plastic butt of the rifle, and looked through the red-dot reflex sights. At seventy meters he put a bullet through the man’s torso, knocking him over onto the floor and probably causing me to start bleeding to death. The other Zarbians dispersed, keeping low, as the jungle erupted in a firefight again. The Zarbians had taken damage, but the counterattack had not been stopped cold as had been hoped. Cougar tanks belched red and orange fire, filling every crevice of the jungle to their forefront with gunpowder. Anything that was left was being toasted. At this rate, Zarbia was going to face severe deforestation! Fortunately, the mortar fire had not returned, which meant that they had been neutralized, or at least forced to relocate. In any case, the counterattack had lost much of its power. Nevertheless, heavy casualties were taken and within an hour there was the burning hulk of one of the Cougar chassis – an expensive loss. The armored company would not have the strength to continue the advance the next day, if they managed to survive the fight. It seemed as if the company would actually have to give ground and pull back to the starting line, because the maneuver had been compromised – a different unit would have to try again the next day.

It did not take long for the order of retirement to come, and within an hour the company was beginning to move back, leaving their dead and destroyed where they fell. This was not a war in which the Ejermacht could control the fate of its soldiers and its equipment – this was total war; everything lost had to be left behind, for the sake of the safety of the survivors. The Empire had faced a major setback during the war, and it would take quite some time to correct it. The Cougar continued to play a major role in the advances for the first couple of months, but ultimately it was replaced by a light tank, better suited for the soft terrain of Zarbia. But, for V’har it was a little late. In that way, his first foray into modern combat dissipated. In just a few hours he had transitioned from being a boy to being a man.

Newmanistan

22-09-2008, 13:34

THE ROCKET REPORT

NEWMANISTAN- BLOUMAN EMPIRE ALWAYS ENTERTAINING

By: Clint Peterson

City of Ad’ihan, Ad’ihan- We hope the fans of Ad’ihan are ready for this. No, it’s the not the finals of the World Cup that was here not to long ago, but it is a battle between two nations who have a history with one another. The two Empires are ranked very closely in the official KPB rankings, and that is one of the major reasons why these two nations have had these great games. The fans? You bet the fans are into it. Who can forget the Di Bradini Cup 5 taunting by the Blouman fans calling superstar striker Shawn Drummond fat during the game, and then Shawn taking off his shirt and pointing to his abs and flexing after he scored his second goal of that very game. But it all started earlier, in Oxen Cup 6 when Brett Prescott referred to the Blouman Empire’s players as soft. That was the now infamous Corrimal Rangers gag, the tournament in which instead of sending a national team, the Blouman Empire sent one of their better club teams, known as the Corrimal Rangers, to participate. Before Prescott got on their case, the Rangers mailed to us here at The Rocket Report, criticizing us for calling them the Blouman Empire and not the Corrimal Rangers. That was just the start.

The rivalry between the Empires has not been a nasty one, either between the players on the pitch of the fans in the stands. Amid all the chants, and all the insults, the Newmanistan Premier League and the Football Federation of Bloumany seem to have a pretty good relationship as players have transferred from one nation to the other. Former Tundra Falls Mariner Matt Caufield is the top Newmanistanian now playing in the Blouman Empire. When we asked Caufield about what it’s like playing there, he told us, “It’s a fun place to play, I enjoy it very much. The fans are passionate but respectful, and there is a real desire here for their Empire to climb the rankings and become more of a force on the World Cup scene.” Sounds familiar doesn’t it? That’s just the way it is here in Newmanistan, and that goes a long way into the competitive rivalry that exists between the teams. On the Blouman Empire roster for this very competition there are two players who play professionally in Newmanistan: Gritty defender Andrew Pollard of Olympia and midfielder Christopher Moreton of Stroudsbourg. At the end of the day, one of these two Empires will advance to the Cup of Harmony final, and that will go a long way in their effort to climb the standings, with the other going back to Candelaria And Marquez for the 3rd place game. Expect both teams to bring a large contingent of fans to the 184,500 capacity Protectorate Stadium and they will make sure they are heard, and do whatever they can to drown out the other team’s supporters.

There’s no denying it’s a huge game. Four years ago in Cup of Harmony 33, the Bloumans had a strong run on our home turf before being ousted in the quarterfinals, the same stage in which the Rockets were eliminated. Now they can both see the final! I also had a moment to sit down with the head coach himself, Brian Carson, to discuss this huge game.

CP: It’s the night before the big game, Brian, the semifinal against the Blouman Empire. How are you feeling?

BC: I’m feeling good, we’re excited to be at this point, and we know the Bloumans are too. As are the teams in Candelaria And Marquez. The four teams that are left all have never gotten this far before, so be ready for plenty of passionate football.

CP: The Blouman Empire and Newmanistan have met on several occasions, recently. Will this create an advantage for one team over the other?

BC: I think that both myself and coach Schweppe will be able to use that knowledge to the benefit of our teams, so I think in the long run, there won’t be an advantage. What it probably will mean is that there will be no surprises.

CP: The fans enjoy the rivalry it seems. How much of a rivalry is there among the players?

BC: It definitely gets you fired up. We’ve handled them pretty well in past meetings, so we are hoping that will continue here. To answer your question, I think that’s something that will vary by player. Certainly we all know that they don’t care for Brett Prescott.

CP: One of Prescott’s biggest roles is to get under the opponent’s skin and throw their top scoring threat off their game. He’s done that with Christopher Speed already. Is it a bonus that he may already be in Speed’s head before the game even begins?

BC: It would be. It’s been a little bit since we played them, so Brett may need to re-acquaint himself with Mr. Speed. It’s an obvious part of our gameplan that I don’t have try to hide. We will try to throw him off his game.

CP: In the past you’ve called the Blouman Empire soft. Any concerns that they may try to make you eat your words in this game?

BC: It was that one particular team where I made that reference, the Corrimal Rangers squad. It wasn’t directed at their national side, and if you all investigated further you would know that I added in that their true national side was much tougher.

CP: That’s true, but they may choose not to remember that part.

BC: That’s all fine with me.

CP: Is there any looking ahead to the possible final?

BC: We can’t get bogged down in that. We’re on a business trip here in Ad’ihan and our assignment is the Blouman Empire. Nothing else matters right now.

CP: I’m sure just wanting to stay in Ad’ihan and not have to take a flight back to Candelaria And Marquez for a third place game is enough motivation.

BC: Yeah, it is.

CP: Well, good luck Brian. Hope that we’ll be seeing the Rockets get a huge win tonight.

BC: Thanks Clint, and to all the great supporters out there listening. I have seen plenty of Newmanistanian fans who have made the trip so we already know we’ll have a loud cheering section. The Bloumans will too, but either way, it’s going to be a great game.

CP: Thanks Brian.

Blouman Empire

22-09-2008, 15:00

THE EMPIRE TIMES

Undefeated Eagles through to Semis

The Blouman International football team last night cemented their 1st place in the group stage of the Cup of Harmony with a 3-2 win last night against Glaycia. While the team had already ensured that they would proceed to the semi finals, the win ensure that the eagles go into the finals without a loss.

The game started poorly for the Eagles, with Glaycia scroring the first goal in the 5th minute after Albin Dufendur placed the ball in the bottom left hand corner from 20 yards out. The Eagles went down by two goals in the 15th minute after a bad pass back by Ahron Bricker saw him score an own goal. The rest of the first half was Glycia's game, however, the Blouman defence were able to push back any attacks, and Alex Burner in his last international tournament showed the world why he is the best keeper to come out of Bloumany pulling off some magnifcent saves.

The second half the Eagles came back determined to ensure that they would not lose a game in group stage. The strong attack paid dividends almost immediately with Christopher Speed scoring a goal in the 47th minute. The Eagles continued attacking maintaining possession of the ball within Glycia's half. The game was brought to a 2-2 draw when Jack Junkson was able to slot the ball through the keepers hands in the 78th minute. While it seemed like the game was going to end as a draw as the play had turned into a midfield battle, Scweppe made a substitution taking off Williams and placing on 22 year old Martin Fox. With the eagles having their last play of the game in injury time a corner kick saw Fox head the ball into the back of the net giving the eagles a 3-2 win.

The win ensured that the Eagles stay on top of the group with 4 wins and 1 draw for a total of 13 points. The win sees the Eagles to play Group 2 runner up Newmanistan in Adihan. The game is set to be a tight one with both teams evenly matched and neither one wanting to give the other team any room to move. The two countries have established a strong rivalry between each other on the international stage facing off in various competitions. Protectorate stadium is expected to have strong supporters from both sides filling the stands, which will be both an advantage and disadvantage to both teams. Manager Henry Scweppe said of the upcoming game "The game between the two empires will be a strong one Bloumany and Newmanistan have played against each other and we know that they will enjoy to see us go down. Our two teams are evenly matched this will not be a walk in the park, if we want to make it to the final we must be on the front foot from the whistle and we must take the game to them and place them on the back foot". Captain Sam Kiamar is also gearing up for the game, "The boys are ready, we have been preparing for this game for a long time, they have had an extra day of rest than us but I know we can overcome this and beat them. Losing is not an option we deserve to be in the final and we do not want to make a trip to Candelaria And Marquez". Some critics have already sad that the Empire will be playing in the 3rd place game calling them the chokers. While the Empire has usually dropped the ball in finals Scweppe has said that the team has over come these difficulties. You can get live streaming and up to the minute information on www.empiretimes.com.be

Blouman Empire

22-09-2008, 15:19

THE DAILY REVIEW

Burner is Bound for Glory

Alex Burner has been described by many as the best goalkeeper to have played in the Blouman Empire ever. The statement is a a definite one, but it is one that he has earned since he first made his debut at the age of 18, where he maintained a clean sheet despite 23 shots on target by the opposition. From that very first game it was known that this young man had something special in him. And it is not surprising that teams payed top dollar for him.

Burner was the first man to be listed way back when the Empire first started competing in international football, way back during the World cup 39 qualifiers. Now during the 34th Cup of Harmony he announced his retirement after the team just failed to qualify for the 42nd world cup. Burner has been an inspiration to many players and to the team, he is always the first one to get a team fired up, and always the first player to ensure that the team would come back from any morale demolishing defeat. Teammates have called him everyman's friend and he has won the FFB most respected player which is voted by all registered players across the league a record total of 6 times.

Burner said during his press statement that he always hoped that he would come back from an international tournament with some silverware, this has yet to evaluate. Burner is quoted as saying "I am disappointed that we have yet to get there but I know we get better every year". While Burner has been performing better than ever this tournament to ensure that the Empire can place its name next to a long list of Cup of Harmony winners, it is up to the team to help Burner live his dream before his potentially final game against Newmanistan. It is not just Burners dream a long list of current players have been playing for the side for the past few cups and would also like to win something before they retire or is considered good enough to play with the long list of equally good young players awaiting their turn.

While Burner has said he will no longer play international games he will continue playing in domestic leagues until his contract runs out, many teams have already expressed interest in hiring him for other roles, such as goalkeeper coach, manager, youth coach, even the FFB stated that he would be a good addition to their international operations. Wherever the Burner decides to go we wish him good luck, and the best in this upcoming game as the Burner goes down his last road to international glory in search for the holy grail.

Adihan

22-09-2008, 16:18

This is the RP cutoff for the first semi-final between the Blouman Empire and Newmanistan.

EDIT —

Semi-finals
Semi-final 1
Blouman Empire 0-1 Newmanistan

Candelaria And Marquez

22-09-2008, 16:24

And this is the cut-off for t'other one.

EDIT -

Semi-final 2

Magna Sancta Sedes 1-0 The Macabees

Final schedule

Newmanistan v Magna Sancta Sedes @ Protectorate Stadium, City of Ad'ihan

Third-place play-off schedule

Blouman Empire v The Macabees @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo

Magna Sancta Sedes

22-09-2008, 17:59

Cup of Harmony - Group B
MD1: vs Newmanistan @ Hallowfield Park, Allemali (2-1)
MD2: vs An Blascaod Mór @ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires (3-2)
MD3: vs Taeshan @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo (1-2)
MD4: vs KaMaRi @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht (1-0)
MD5: vs Land de Wood @ Estadio Francisco Álvarez, Onwere (2-2)
SMF: vs The Macabees @ Solidarity Stadium, Albrecht (1-0)
FINAL: vs Newmanistan @ Protectorate Stadium, City of Ad'ihan

=== C&M ===

Diary of Father de Turrecremata

SMF - We have to move to Ad'ihan tomorrow. Yes - tomorrow. We beat the Macabees 1-0 and now must travel to Ad'ihan to play against Newmanistan - again. I received a cable from Rome, saying that things should be back to normal already. Apparently, we had to banish Cardinal Adolphus - not a terrible sacrifice for the purchase of salvation. But with the way things are still going on over here, it's not entirely certain whether or not things are back to normal. Azazel kicked the ball off for a surprising launch into space. Because the ball did not return, the referee started the match again with another ball, which Azazel promptly shot into the stands - killing a spectator. The Macabees took the goal kick, and Azazel took another shot, killing yet another spectator. We had to take off Azazel because his inaccuracy was killing people. We actually had to count the number of victims that have fallen to Azazel's killer shots, and we estimate it to be 1337 persons.

We decided to opt for a more conservative line-up, especially as we couldn't sub Lillith back on the pitch (she was busily tending her Incubus and Succubus while away on red card). We ended up playing a boring 45 minutes, which mostly consisted of 10 demons and one giant ball playing with the 11 players from the the Macabees. I'll be serious and say that Baal rolling around was getting to be a sick and tired joke, which was already apparent by the lack of interest by the C&M fans in the stands. Nonetheless, Baal managed to not chase any players into our net, although he was called for offsides at times. We finally told Baal to stand in front of the net and wave his arms for the duration of the match. He asked us - "So you want me to be a cheerleader?" We assented to that, and for the duration of the match, the giant Baal demon was dressed in a pink dress (Heaven knows why he didn't opt for at least a GOLDEN dress) and cheering the team on. For morale purposes, it seemed to work. But still, the Macabees keeper was doing well to keep the ball out of the net - that is until the ball came back. Yes, the ball that went up at the start of the match finally came back in the final minutes of play, landed splat on the Macabees's goalkeeper's head, and bounced back into the net. I believe that it was perhaps the first time that any team scored while the scoring player was off the pitch.

And the match soon ended thereafter. Despite Azazel's antics, I was much pleased to see how much the team had improved. The demons were behaving more humanly, and I can hope that by the end of these trials, the demons will have learned some of the ways of turning back to God. The Clavis Salomonis is turning out to be the key to our future success, apparently. It was a disappointment to see the Macabees stay in Candelaria And Marquez, however, as I believe that they will be a potent force in the future of football.

Anyway, we head to Ad'ihan, where I suspect that the peoples there will not take lightly the fact our demons like to cause mischief. We will need to bring these demons under control. We will face against Newmanistan, who have had the benefit of scoring one goal against Baal. I'm certainly hoping that we'll find inspiration for some of our other players to start scoring goals, as only Lilith and Azazel have had real scoring opportunities.

=== The Holy Empire ===

It was the first day of Cardinal Adolphus Brunodunus in the Holy Empire, and the chief of the dungeon was preparing for Adolphus's stay in the dungeon. He read the itinerary, easing a smile across his face. Adolphus was quickly chained into place, wondering what his stay would entail.

"Good, sir. What is one to do when he condemned to 1093 lifetimes in the Holy Empire?"

The Chief quickly and quaintly replied - "We've got (4.18838699 × 10^127) tortures to complete during your tenure here!"

"NOOOOO!"

"The first torture will consist of a baby suckling your tits."

"That's not too bad."

The Chief pulled up a baby leech. "This leech will suck on your tits until it's grown up into a mature adult."

"How long does that take?"

"1092 lifetimes."

"Wait!!!! 1092 lifetimes? How long is a lifetime?"

"However long it takes for me to die 1092 times."

"How long does that take?"

The Chief shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't tell you. I haven't died yet."

"NOOOOOOO!"

"That's the first torture," the Chief said, repeating himself as he placed the leech on Adolphus's tit. "The second torture will consist of Ben O'Bagels throwing pistachio nuts at you."

"That's not too bad."

The Chief then pulled up a Han person. Adolphus cringed in horror. "I thought you said O'Bagels!"

"I did. He is Ben O'Bagels!" (referring to the ethnic Han guy named Ben O'Bagels from WC39).

"NOOOOOOO!"

"The next torture will consist of Frenchmen surrendering to you."

"How's that torture?" Adolphus asked.

The Chief brought out one Frenchman from Septentrionie. "Every single Frenchman ever born or ever to be born will surrender to you, and subsequently perform a surrendering ceremony whereby their foot will connect to your groin. And I'm not talking about the Frenchmen from France too - every person who speaks French!"

I suppose you can imagine how the list of tortures proceded after that.

Newmanistan

23-09-2008, 03:38

THE ROCKET REPORT

ROCKETS HEADING TO CHAMPIONSHIP

City of Ad’ihan, Ad’ihan- It will all finish just how it began. The Rockets lost their first game they played of this Cup of Harmony to Magna Sancta Sedes and they haven’t lost to anyone since. Now they will have a chance at redemption. It wasn’t time to oust the evil of the tournament just yet. Tomorrow, it will be. It will be the Rockets and the Demons for the right to call themselves Cup of Harmony 34 Champions. Newmanistan earned this right by defeating the Blouman Empire 1-nil in a game that lived up to its billing of being a hard-nosed tough contest. In the end, Newmanistan would persevere, sending the Bloumans to Candelaria And Marquez for the third place game while the Championship game is played right back here in Protectorate Stadium.

The game began with the two teams trying to establish themselves and set the tone for the game. As expected, Brett Prescott went after Christopher Speed and it took just one knockdown for Speed to let Prescott know he still remembered their previous get togethers by giving him a shove in return. The referee seemed aware of the history as well as he did a good job of just letting the teams play and not try to be a factor in the outcome. After about 15 minutes of midfield play, Newmanistan began to generate the greater chances, but they were in tough trying to get a shot by Alex Burner, who is considered by most people to be the greatest keeper in the history of the Blouman Empire. Burner is pondering retirement, and his teammates were greatly inspired to get a trophy for him, starting right here in this semifinal. Their defense was very tough, and did a good job containing Jeremy McAllister and Shawn Drummond up front when the Rockets got the ball in deep. When the Rockets were able to get a shot on target, Burner was up to the task, including an amazing stop on Drummond in the 30th minute which their travelling supporters especially seemed to enjoy. The great save also became the turning point of the first half as the Bloumans began to get their best chances. But as good as their defense was previously, they ran into a Newmanistan defense that was just as strong. They elected to challenge Jeremy Brooker a couple times, which really proved to be a mistake, then looked to attack Sheldon Talcott’s side of the pitch and found the defense to be solid over there as well. They did get two quality shots on net in the waning minutes of the first half, but there was one more Rocket that they needed to solve. Corey Hennis, perhaps also inspired by Alex Burner, was outstanding in his own goal, and did everything in his power to keep the game scoreless as we headed into halftime.

At halftime, coach Brian Carson seemed content with the way the first half went. He wasn’t beaming with excitement, but he felt that the Rockets looked strong in all three areas, and that they primarily needed to just keep it going. Perhaps they would get a little more aggressive in the midfield and get Alex Parnett more involved. He was well aware that the Bloumans were also playing well and one mistake could lose the game and the Cup of Harmony dreams for Newmanistan.

The second half began much like the first half began with both teams wanting to take control of the action. Christopher Speed generated two terrific opportunities, one in the 50th minute and the other in the 54th minute, but just could not get the ball by Corey Hennis. Corey’s positioning was outstanding, and the defense put enough pressure on Speed to make him have to rush his shot, and that must get a lot of the credit, too. Then the momentum of the game shifted the other way as Brooker and fellow defender Brent Treichler got especially rough with the Blouman attackers, making Speed worry about more then just Brett Prescott. With that, it was Prescott that got the scoring play generated in the 72nd minute. His move around the opposing midfielders was a thing of beauty. If it was Alex Parnett, or Jeremy McAllister, it wouldn’t have been a surprise, but this was not supposed to be Prescott’s game, he wasn’t a finesse playmaker. Here though, he would be, and found Shawn Drummond in a prime scoring area in the center of the pitch. But Drummond did not shoot. Instead he noticed he had Jeremy McAllister to his right and gave J-Mac a perfect pass. Alex Burner was great tonight, but here in the 72nd minute, he had nothing for a pefectly placed shot by Newmanistan’s all-time leading scorer, Jeremy McAllister, putting the Rockets in front. The Newmanistan supporters went crazy while those from Bloumany got quite nervous. There just wasn’t a lot of time left, though there was some. Maybe, they could make the last minute play to tie up the game. But if they were, Brian Carson was not going to make it easy for him with three defensive subsitutes he put on the pitch, including Mark McCafferty. They got one good chance in the 80th minute that they were able to put on target but Hennis was there. Newmanistan played solid defense late until the final whistle sounded. The game was over! Newmanistan was going to the Cup of Harmony 34 Final! One more win, right here in City of Ad’ihan. Hopefully, they can make it happen.

Here is some post game reaction:

Carson: “This game was a lot like we expected and a lot like previous games with the Blouman Empire have been. They gave us a great battle, but we came up with the big play to get the goal, but let’s not forget some of the big defensive plays that were made before that to keep the game scoreless in order for that to be the winning goal.”

Hennis: “My defenders made some great plays in front of me. They have to get a lot of the credit. I felt as though I saw the ball well tonight, and was pretty confident against them. Their top scorers were kept mainly to the outside all game.”

Brooker: “The Bloumans are good, but this was our day! We can feel the championship! We have one more game to go, and trust me, we want revenge against the Demons.”

Prescott: “So much of their offense relies on the speed of Speed, so getting to him early and knocking him down as much as we could, would slow him down late in the game. I think you saw that in the later stages. I’m glad they had a moment to see that I can do more then play physical, too.”

McAllister: “It was a good game, but I think that most of us thought that we had the game under pretty firm control as long as we never fell behind. There were obviously a couple of tense moments and Corey (Hennis) really bailed us out. I’m happy to have gotten the goal to make a contribution, and now we are one game away of winning a major title for Newmanistan. We want it pretty bad.”

Newmanistan

23-09-2008, 05:39

(Rockets players gather before the big game)

Brooker: Okay, Tony, I’ll bite. What is that?

Borsinger: You can’t tell? It is an altar. Right here, right now, we will ask for guidance from a higher power, our Lord, to defeat the evil that is amongst us. The Devil must never win anything. These demons are strong and powerful, but there is one opponent they will never beat. And that is the power of our Lord. I ask that we all come together and ask for his blessing amongst this evil Satanic force.

Drummond: Why not? It couldn’t hurt.

Borsinger: Let us also pray for the people of Magna Sancta Sedes. That they do not worship and glorify the forces of evil which may just happen if these evil powers gets a victory amongst the stage of the world here in Ad’ihan. They were once a strong religious nation, worshipping the great Saints, the followers of the Lord, and now look at what they’ve become. They’ve bought into the evil.

McAllister: Would you like me to light the candles?

Borsinger: Please do.

Prescott: The last time we lit candles in a meeting room, we burnt down the hotel in Oxen Cup 6, so please lets be a little more careful as we do this.

Drummond: Amen to that.

(McAllister and Julie McElroy light the candles)

McElroy: At least this one makes more sense then that Oxen Cup nonsense.

Parnett: This is weird. Nice robe, by the way.

Borsinger: Thank you. I understand that some of you see this as a little unusual. But it is important. Satan is in City of Ad’ihan and he is set to do his evil deeds. We must adopt the guidance of our God, for the force of the Lord shall defeat the force of Evil.

McAllister: I understand, so what is our role in this as you do your thing?

Borsinger: Form a circle around me. Hold hands and bow your heads. Pray and ask for the presence of the Lord to enter this room and guide you, so that through you, He can defeat the forces of evil. Please, do this now.

Brooker: Shouldn’t coach be in here, too?

(On cue, coach Carson enters the room also dressed in a robe)

McAllister: Wow.

Borsinger: Yes, as you can see coach Carson will play an important role in this. He will join me at the altar. This way, he will have the guidance to make the proper strategic calls to prove to the demons that against the power of God, they will always be second best.

Carson: Indeed, so please form a circle, and join your hands and bow your heads and pray for the presence of the Lord to be among you. (Players oblige)

(Borsinger raises his arms and utters some Latin phrases that the team didn’t really understand, but they sounded good).

Borsinger: The Lord hears our call. (The players take his word for it). Now, everyone, I must ask you some questions. Do you reject Satan?

Team: I do.

Borsinger: Do you reject all of his evil deeds?

Team: I do.

Borsinger: Do you reject those who follow him, such as evil demons?

Team: I do.

Borsinger: Do you pray that others, such as the people of Magna Sancta Sedes, will not worship these false idols, which they might if they bring them a Cup of Harmony championship?

Team: I do.

Borsinger: Dear Lord, in this room, we are ready to follow You and Your word. It is not in our character to go all out in our asking for your blessing before a match as we understand that our opponent is also Your children and that You do not choose sides in football matches. But this game is different. The opponent is not. They are Satan’s children and they must be defeated.

(He pauses, reaches up, mutters more Latin phrases, then continues as a ray of sunlight coincidentally appears through the window.)

Borsinger: Dear Lord, give us Your guidance, through your own power, and the power of Margaret to defeat the demons so that we can win this game. For a win by us in this game is very important. The demons cannot enjoy an ultimate victory because if they do the land of Magna Sancta Sedes may choose to follow them in more important matters. We ask this in peace, Amen.

Team: Amen.

Brooker: I feel.... recharged.

McAllister: So do I!

Drummond: This is awesome, lets go get them!

Candelaria And Marquez

23-09-2008, 16:13

And now...

It's time for that most pointless game of all - the third-place play-off! Woo.

Blouman Empire 0-0 The Macabees (0-0 AET)
(The Macabees win 4-2 on penalty kicks)

We'll have a hard time flogging the DVDs of that one...

Adihan

23-09-2008, 16:42

CUP OF HARMONY 34 — AD’IHAN/CANDELARIA AND MARQUEZ

FINAL (Protectorate Stadium, Ad’ihan, City of Ad’ihan)

Newmanistan 4-3 Magna Sancta Sedes

NEWMANISTAN are Cup of Harmony champions.

Newmanistan

23-09-2008, 22:10

THE ROCKET REPORT

CHAMPIONS!!!

City of Ad’ihan, Ad’ihan- Let the celebrations begin! The Newmanistan Rockets are the Cup of Harmony 34 champions, becoming just one of a handful of nations to have won both the Baptism of Fire and the Cup of Harmony Championship! In a hard fought battle of good vs evil today the Rockets defeated the demons of Magna Sancta Sedes in a match that had plenty of goals and plenty of excitement, winning the game by the score of 4-3 and avenging the only loss that they had in the tournament. Let us celebrate this remarkable championship, and congratulations to Brian Carson and team for making it happen!

The demons were a little surprised not to see any intimidation on the face of the Rockets players. Surely, they have had that effect on previous opponents, but not here. When Brett Prescott delivered a rough tackle to Abaddon, the message was delivered. You want a conflict? Well the Rockets were ready for it as they had their own higher power behind them in the minds if not for in reality. In the 11th minute, they got on the board quickly. Mammon overcommited to attempting to intercept a pass from Shawn Drummond to Jeremy McAllister, allowing Jeremy to have a nice clear lane to take a shot on Baal. He sensed the opportunity and hit the back of the net to make it one-nil in favor of the Rockets. The large contingent of Rockets fans and in the crowd, and anyone else wanting to see the forces of evil get eliminated were going crazy in the stands. The sky blue and white carried the play for a while after that, but the demons were not about to go quietly. Taking advantage of a couple breakdowns, they found themselves up 2-1 quickly thanks to a goal by Lilith in the 34th and by Pithius in the 39th minute. Corey Hennis would have loved to have the first goal back, but he was late getting to the shot as if he was distracted somehow, but the second goal was well earned. Pithius made two outstanding plays to fake out the Newmanistan defense before getting Hennis to commit to his left, and depositing the ball to his right. The goals could have been backbreakers, but not tonight as the Rockets quickly responded, getting the equalizing goal in the first minute of stoppage time of the first half. Again, the Rockets took advantage of Mammon’s tendency to be very aggressive to attempt to intercept passes. Jeremy McAllister this time was the set up man, spotting Alex Parnett unchecked to his right. The pass was spot on and Parnett scored what amazingly was just his first goal of the tournament. But it was a big goal, and we were tied at 2 going into halftime.

At the break, the team was a bit exhausted but felt good about where they were in this game, especially with the way they quickly tied up the game after the demons got some momentum. It gave them confidence as they looked at themselves as the good guys fighting the forces of evil. They had solved Baal twice, and felt that they could do it again. The third goal would be big, and the team had it set in their heads that they would try to get it first, but at the same time play a little conservatively to begin the second half.

As the second half got underway, both teams took the approach of not wanting to make mistakes. Play remained in midfield for quite some time before the demons began to get a little momentum for themselves. Azazel, with his killer shot tried to take the lead, but the Rockets were aggressive with him on defense including a huge tackle on him by Brent Treichler. Azazel was frustrated and began to think about other things he wanted to do then to kick a football into a goal net. Lilith tried to calm him down and had a positive effect for the most part. Then, in the 66th minute, after having most of their passes broken up by the defense, the demons would recapture the lead. Pithius, who had a good game tonight, again used some crafty moves to get by the defense and put the shot by Hennis to make it 3-2. Like before, the Rockets were not discouraged, and scored the equalizing goal just three minutes later when Julie McElroy blasted her first goal of the tournament by Baal to make it 3-3. The play started thanks to a big tackle by Brett Prescott on Pithius who got the ball to Jeremy McAllister to use his speed to get through the defense. McAllister picked up his second assist when as he passed the ball in the box to McElroy, who made the shot count. Again, the Rockets fans were going crazy as they began to sense that Newmanistan simply was not going to be denied tonight. Every time the demons dealt what was normally a critical blow, the Rockets bounced back, and the demons seemed really frustrated by this. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, when they did their evil deeds they were supposed to defeat their opponent, not see them come right back at them, but that was the case in this one. And the Rockets would come back at them, in minute #75 to be precise. Again, as they tried to do all game long, they took advantage of the aggressive Mammon, this time it was Shawn Drummond, getting the ball to Jeremy McAllister, who scored his second goal of the game and the Rockets were back out in front. The demons were stunned and it took them a while to get back in the game as the crowd began to sense it. The defense may have surrendered three goals tonight, but in the final moments they played very well, frustrating the strikers of Magna Secta Sedes. In the 84th minute, they got a little help when a shot by Azazel hit the goal post. He was a little pissed off by that, but there was nothing he could do about that. We hit 90 minutes, and all that was left to kill off was stoppage time. They did that. The final whistle blew and the Rockets had done it. The Newmanistan Rockets are Cup of Harmony 34 Champions!!

The demons did not stick around to shake hands with the Rockets players, but that’s just their nature and it didn’t particularly bother our team. They celebrated at the center of the pitch as they were awarded the trophy. Brian Carson raised in the air and the players took their turns carrying it around the pitch before the celebration continued on in the locker room. For some, including Carson, this is their third major title. Winning it as Di Bradini Champions, then Baptism of Fire Champions, and now this, Cup of Harmony Champions. There is just one more honor left. It may take a while, but this is definitely a major stepping stone on the path to getting there. From all of us at the Rocket Report, we congratulate our great champions.

Here is excited some post game reaction:

Carson: “This was a great game but man I am just so happy to be here right now (McAllister pours champagne over his head)! It was a long road, we came close to the World Cup but winning the Cup of Harmony is a special achievement and we are real proud of it.”

Hennis: “They were tough man but we did it. This is one of the greatest moments ever in the Empire’s sporting history.”

Brooker: “Man it’s just awesome (gets a champagne bath)! The Di Bradini Cup the Baptism of Fire and now this! It’s a dream come true, man!

Prescott: “This beats winning the Emperor’s Cup in Cafundeu because I could do it for my home country. We did a lot of great things here tonight, and we did feel as though we were in a good vs evil fight. We got the job done, and the forces of evil saw that there would be no backing down from us. It was just great.”

McAllister: (A group of players pour champagne on him at once) It’s an honor, it really is. We don’t have the big one yet but right now this really feels like. We are honored to get this championship and we can’t wait to go back home and celebrated with our friends, family, and all the great fans out there!”

The Rocket Report would also like to thank the co-hosts, Candelaria And Marquez and Ad’ihan for their work in hosting the event as well as Margaret for any work she may have had in this championship!

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