2018 UENA World Cup

[Orioni]

The 2018 UENA World Cup will be the 3rd round of the international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of UENA. It is scheduled to take place in Orioni from June to July 2018. This will be the first World Cup held in Orioni.

The tournament will involve 16 national teams, which include 15 teams determined through qualifying competitions and the automatically qualified host team. A total of 31 matches will be played at venues located in 14 cities. The opening match will take place on June 14th at the Zuidmax Stadium in Zuidhaven. The final will take place on July 14th at the New National Stadium in O'polis.

The choice for official World Cup anthem was made by the Andro Academy of Fine Arts. From half a dozen nomitions, the preference went to L'Été Oriental by Baloji, a musician-refugee from the war-torn nation of Afropa.

Participants (A-Z)

With regional qualifications started in March 2018, the current and final roster includes the following 16 nations:

1. Adaptus (team)
2. Asgeirria (team)
3. Cristina (team)
4. Derthalen (team)
5. Eurofuhrer, The
6. Fulgistan (team)
7. Gallambria (team)
8. Iverica (team)
9. Mauridiviah (team)
10. Morheim
11. Orioni (team)
12. Prymont (team)
13. Selayar (team)
14. Shffahkia (team)
15. Sunset Sea Islands (team)
16. Variota (team)

Group of 16

The draw for the final tournament will take place on June 13th at the Palace of Arts in Andro, Orioni. The hour-long ceremony will be hosted by Atalan Phoenike and Debora Bozena, television presenters from the host country.

• Group A : Orioni (host), Derthalen, Shffahkia, Variota
• Group B : Adaptus, Fulgistan, Iverica, Selayar
• Group C : Asgeirria, The_Eurofuhrer, Gallambria, Mauridiviah
• Group D : Cristina, Morheim, Prymont, Sunset Sea Islands

(Reference link to the above spreadsheet.)

Group Phase

The teams finishing in the top two positions in each of the four groups progress to the quarter-finals, while the bottom two teams are eliminated from the tournament. Tiebreaker rules will apply.

First matches

• Group A match 1: Orioni v Derthalen (June 14 in Zuidmax Stadium, Zuidhaven)
• Group A match 2: Shffahkia v Variota (June 15 in Vega Big Arch, Vega)
• Group B match 1: Adaptus v Fulgistan (June 16 in Breguet Stadium, Nordhaven)
• Group B match 2: Iverica v Selayar (June 17 in Azadi Stadium, Perseus)
• Group C match 1: Asgeirria v The_Eurofuhrer (June 18 in CCC Arena, Corona Borealis)
• Group C match 2: Gallambria v Mauridiviah (June 19 in Siena Fleet Park, Cygnus)
• Group D match 1: Cristina v Morheim (June 20 in Andro Arena, Andro )
• Group D match 2: Prymont v Sunset Sea Islands (June 21 in MedPharm Dome, Meda)

Second matches

• Group A match 3: Orioni v Shffahkia (June 22 in Green Stadium, Gruis)
• Group A match 4: Derthalen v Variota (June 23 in New National Stadium, O'polis)
• Group B match 3: Adaptus v Iverica (June 24 in Pontus Athletic Stadium, Pontus)
• Group B match 4: Fulgistan v Selayar (June 25 in Breguet Stadium, Nordhaven)
• Group C match 3: Asgeirria v Gallambria (June 26 in Canvas Stadium, Dion)
• Group C match 4: The_Eurofuhrer v Mauridiviah (June 27 in CCC Arena, Corona Borealis)
• Group D match 3: Cristina v Prymont (June 28 in Oris City Stadium, Oris)
• Group D match 4: Morheim v Sunset Sea Islands (June 29 in Andro Arena, Andro)

Third matches

• Group A match 5: Orioni v Variota (June 30 in Vega Big Arch, Vega)
• Group A match 6: Derthalen v Shffahkia (June 30 in Green Stadium, Gruis)
• Group B match 5: Adaptus v Selayar (July 1 in Azadi Stadium, Perseus)
• Group B match 6: Fulgistan v Iverica (July 1 in Sirius Savings Stadium, Sirius)
• Group C match 5: Asgeirria v Mauridiviah (July 2 in Siena Fleet Park, Cygnus)
• Group C match 6: The_Eurofuhrer v Gallambria (July 2 in Canvas Stadium, Dion)
• Group D match 5: Cristina v Sunset Sea Islands (July 3 in MedPharm Dome, Meda)
• Group D match 6: Prymont v Morheim (July 3 in Oris City Stadium, Oris)

Knockout Phase

In the knockout phase, extra time and a penalty shoot-out are used to decide the winner if necessary.

Quarter-finals

• Quarter-final 1 Variata (group A winner) v Cristina (group D runner-up) (July 6 in MedPharm Dome, Meda)
• Quarter-final 2 Selayar (group B winner) v Gallambria (group C runner-up) (July 6 in Canvas Stadium, Dion)
• Quarter-final 3 Asgeirria (group C winner) v Iverica (group B runner-up) (July 7 in Breguet Stadium, Nordhaven)
• Quarter-final 4 Sunset Sea Islands (group D winner) v Derthalen (group A runner-up) (July 7 in Sirius Savings Stadium, Sirius)

Semi-finals

• Semi-final 1 Variota (QF1 winner) v Gallambria (QF2 winner) (July 10 in Andro Arena, Andro)
• Semi-final 2 (QF3 winner) v (QF4 winner) (July 11 in Zuidmax Stadium, Zuidhaven)

Final

• Third place play-off Gallambria (SF1 loser) v Iverica (SF2 loser) (July 14 in Sirius Savings Stadium, Sirius)
• Final semi-final 1 Variota (SF1 winner) v Sunset Sea Islands (SF2 winner) (July 15 in New National Stadium, O'polis)

Game Mechanics

OOC-discussion
The OOC signup topic can be consulted here. http://www.europans.com/?showtopic=4701

Room for reply
As host and game master for this RP, I will be generating random match results with the FIFA Football Match Generator. I will copypaste the results in this topic. Each match will be generated only once so the results are random. After the results are posted, each participant in the match is welcome to RP the story of their team. I will leave 2 days or 48 hours for you to reply with an RP story. This is not an obligation, but will earn you the advantage of a "second chance".

Gain a higher chance of winning
Players who reply with RP a story of at least 300 words will be awarded a "second chance" in the next match, meaning: I will generate two match results. This feature serves to reward active participation.

• One RP player. Should one of these two results be in favour of the player who RP'ed the story of their last match, then the favourable result will be chosen. Should a "second chance" deliver two bad results for the player who RP'd, then the result that is least negative for their side is chosen.
• Two RP players. This "second chance" is ignored if both players RP'd their last match.

[Orioni]

Atalan Phoenike wasn't nervous. He had done shows like this before. Usually as a guest, and now, for the first time, as co-host. He looked over at Debora Bozena who seemed more shaken by the event. But the old midfielder knew that this was nothing compared to hearing the roar of a full football stadium when you make the deciding goal. That was 15 years ago when he finished his career. Today he was representing his beloved sport in another way.

Phoenike: "Good morning everyone and welcome to this highly expected draw. First, we would like to thank the Andro Academy for letting us use this Palace of Arts in Andro. And what a palace it is to behold!"

Bozena: "On Tuesday, more than a month after @The Eurofuhrer became the first team to qualify for the 2018 UENA World Cup in Orioni, @Selayar defeated @Andalla in the last leg of the playoff round to become the final team to punch a ticket to the tournament. Now that the field is set, we're counting down the days before the start of the tournament. But before the first match kicks off June 14th at the Zuidmax Stadium in Zuidhaven, we'll need to know what group each team is in."

Phoenike: "Four groups of four teams will be labelled A to D the four pots will be emptied completely by allocating one of their four teams to each of the four groups. My lovely colleague Debora will now start the draw."

Debora stepped forward on her pink high heels and approached the drawing pots. She pulled a ball from each pot, opened it up to take out the name, and held it up for the cameras to see. Excitement swept through the room as representatives from each team found out who they were playing against. After 10 minutes, the final results looked like this.

• Group A: Orioni, Derthalen, Shffahkia, Variota
• Group B : Adaptus, Fulgistan, Iverica, Selayar
• Group C : Asgeirria, The_Eurofuhrer, Gallambria, Mauridiviah
• Group D : Cristina, Morheim, Prymont, Sunset Sea Islands

Bozena: "All 16 teams now know which groups they'll compete in and who their first competition will be."

Phoenike: "Hosts Orioni will kick-off the tournament on Thursday by playing against Derthalen at the Zuidmax Stadium in Zuidhaven, and the stage is set for football's international elite to chart their path to the title."

---

OOC: And there you have it. My mouth fell open when generating this draw. But it looks like the first world cup match will be Orioni v Derthalen. I updated the play schedule in the first post as well. Hopefully, this schedule works out for everyone. If you are planning to RP your match after I post the results, you now know when to keep some time available for writing.

[Prymont]

The Central Canastota Sports Stadium, home of Prymontian football.

World Cup Roundup Show
PTVO, 2000hrs
United States of Prymont

 

"Welcome to the World Cup Roundup Show here on PTVO, I'm your host, Sebastian Welde, and I'm joined here by the wonderful Ella Buer, and our special guest for the World Cup, Foolish Bandit! Now, with only hours left before the first game of the tournament, we'll be looking over Prymont's eleven best, who we hope will take us to global footballing glory. Ella, who's your standout player from the qualifiers and recent friendlies?"

Three presenters sat together on spacious blue chairs, in a TV studio before thousands of viewers. Behind them, scenes of key Prymontian football players and aerial views of stadiums in Orioni were displayed on a large green screen. Football themed items furnished the room, with the official match ball held upon a stylish plinth in between the hosts. Sebastian Welde, lead host of the programme, had played for the United States in the 1990s, during their international golden era, and held much knowledge and expertise of the team. Ella Buer had represented Prymont in the female team in international friendlies since 2010, and offered a unique view of the sport. Then there was Foolish Bandit, the show's special guest who was a keen fan of football and a great form of inspiration for the players in Orioni; however, some believed that he only appeared on the show to boost interest and support of the Prymontian team. Tonight, they'd be hosting a special preview show, looking at the squad's star players, recent performances, and predictions for the competition.

"I think we have a very strong defense in the first choice team, seeing a mix of old and new which will really mix up how we play and form a solid block at the back. You have the old boys like Simon Jensen and Andreas Eskeland, who have been playing for years now and have always impressed. Then, you have the two youngsters, Trym Hansen and Ravn Ulleberg, who have been very promising in the domestic league and are definitely two young stars of the future. I've been really impressed by Trym, who combines physicality with power to get the ball from other players and send it up the field to create counter-attacks. It'll be really interesting to see how they work together to provide opportunities for the players up front."

"Yeah, Trym has been very good from what we've seen so far, and bigger and better things are in store for him. I'm also keeping an eye on Ollie Sæther at the front, who has been a record goal scorer domestically this season and is on target to really stand out at the World Cup. His second half goal against Iverica in that friendly back in March was excellent. I hope we see more of that over the next few weeks. And how about you Noah, who do you think needs to step up their game to really complete our team?"

"A couple of guys look a bit weak to me. Fred Skogland in the midfield is getting old and hasn't been playing well lately, and Mikkel Karlsen up front just doesn't look inspired like he did a couple of years ago. We might have a really good defence, but it won't be any good if our strikers can't make use of the plays." Marshall seems somewhat uninterested, looking awkward amongst his peers and glancing behind the cameras for cues and pointers.

"Right, Mikkel has been a bit of a let down lately. I really hope he can kick it up a gear when we get going. How about our first match against the Sunset Sea Islands next Thursday?"

"The Sunset Sea Islands are always an unknown. Sometimes they play exceptionally well, other times they look lost. It'll be a really interesting match to watch, that's for sure. Our boys will be hoping to make a good impression and start the tournament off right, and if we can beat them, I think we can get through to the quarter finals."

"For sure. Group D is very much a neutral pack of teams, with Morheim and Cristina also looking up and down as of late. I think Cristina will be our hardest challenge in the group stages. They've been looking on point in their last couple of friendlies and their manager has been hyping the team up a lot lately. Do you think they'll pose any trouble?"

Foolish Bandit looks uncertain, taking a moment to search for some words and gather an opinion on a topic that he's quite uneducated about. "Umm, yeah, they're a really good team and we might struggle against them. You know, we have a lot of talent on our team and if everyone is in the right frame of mind, we can really attack them and do some damage. I think we'll be able to reach the next round."

"Alright, well thank you both for joining us tonight. This has been PTVO's World Cup Roundup Show. Don't forget to tune in tomorrow to see the first game of the World Cup, Orioni versus Derthalen. Thank you, and goodnight."

[Orioni]

This very first match of the 2018 UENA World Cup sees the host nation of Orioni take on the team from @Derthalen. The match in Group A takes place at the Zuidmax Stadium in Zuidhaven with 49032 in attendance. Orioni the match in a bad way by receiving a yellow card in the second minute. A sign of things to come. Both teams played were aggressive and collected a total of 10 yellow cards and 48 fouls. There was no love lost between the Orcas and Golden Boys. It was Mendel Hendriksen who opened the score for Derthalen with 0-1. The home team was already put on the backfoot. High pressure continued for this first half. During the second half, the violence continued. The team from Orioni must have received a good talking to from coach Guus Hiddink, because in 52nd minute Julio Hoffmann scored the 1-1 the equalizer.

Match Statistics

Orioni	Team	Derthalen
1	Goals	1
1	Shots On Goal	4
3	Shots	8
19	Fouls	29
4	Corners	8
3	Free Kicks	0
3	Offsides	2
0	Own Goals	0
4	Yellow Cards	6
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 2:  Orioni is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 3: Derthalen takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 5: Derthalen scores! The scorer was (7) Mendel Hendriksen ⚽
• 8: Derthalen takes a shot. That's off target.
• 9: Derthalen is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 12:  Orioni is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 14: Derthalen is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 24: Derthalen takes a shot. That's off target.
• 26: Derthalen is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 29:  Orioni is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 37:  Orioni takes a shot. That's off target.

Second half

• 45: Derthalen is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 52:  Orioni scores! The scorer was (9) Julio Hoffmann ⚽
• 59:  Orioni is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 64: Derthalen takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 67: Derthalen takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 71: Derthalen is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 72:  Orioni takes a shot. That's off target.
• 73: Derthalen takes a shot. That's off target.
• 80: Derthalen takes a shot. That's off target.
• 92: Derthalen is shown a Yellow Card. █

Added Time: 4 minutes

[Derthalen]

Special News Report on the World Cup

This is the Imperial News Service reporting after the fact on the first game of the Union of National Football Associations World Cup. The game was rife with violence, as both teams played on the offensive from the start. A player from Orioni was the first to be awarded a yellow after one of their players swept the legs out from under Corporal Saint-Thor after he had already passed the ball. The ball had been Haraldson who brought it up to near the goal. As the other team's players closed in on him, he managed to pass the ball to Hendriksen who had moved up to just off the goal, who in turn scored the first goal of the game with a powerful strike in what seemed like near silence. After the ball hit the back net, the crowd of soldiers watching the game broke out in wild cheering, with some of the fans chanting mockingly 'beached whales cannot swim' at their counterparts. After this initial success, the Golden Boys managed to keep control of the ball for most of the first half. Borlo Fylk was able to get control of the ball from the Orioni team, ran it up to the goal only to take a shot for corner and miss. The ball flew wide by a few inches and he was denied his glory. Following that display, Corporal Dix was given a yellow after he accidentally headbutted an opposing player while trying to get the ball. Neither player sustained severe injuries, with the Orca Ratman Jain only suffering from a bloody nose. The next few minutes became filled with intense bitterness from the two teams. An Orca player in an attempt to stop Fylk from trying to take another shot, was carded for accidentally punching him in the gut after the two collided. This interception inspired similar acts of accidental violence from the Golden Boys, who proceeded to become extremely aggressive in their tackles and body checking of Orcas who tried to take the ball. Fylk made another attempt at scoring a goal, but the goalkeeper for the Orcas, a Mr. Paredes was able to slide in and stop it; hollering could be heard from the stands as Paredes' name was cheered out. The referee was forced to issue two more yellow cards to the Golden Boys, while the Orcas only received one more when one of theirs tripped and dragged down one of our players.The Orca player Julio Hoffmann showed an impressive level of foot work, as he managed to gain possession of the ball and with the help of another team mate get it up to the Imperial goal. Despite his show of skill, Altmann was able to stop the ball from going in. Shortly after that, half time was called.

During the half time, both teams had their injuries seen to. The Orca coach Guus Hiddink was seen animatedly talking with his team, and it would appear that whatever he said was important. After the half time was over, the Orioni team began focusing more on passing and was able to evade all attempts by the Boys to get the ball. Julio Hoffmann showed his skill yet again, and was able to kick the ball into the net faster than you could blink. The fans from Orioni went wild, letting out chants in their native tongue. A small scuffle occurred in the seats, and apparently went on for a full fifteen minutes before it could be broken up. Tensions were running high now, as both teams needed a single goal to win. The Golden Boys made to blitz, with Fylk and Schneider passing the ball between them constantly and running at exhausting speeds. Their gambit did not pay off though, as Paredes was at the top of his game. It was like the ball was attracted to him, as the first shot from Fylk was deflected away from the goal, and the second one from Schneider was actually caught by him despite its speed. After that, av Widuwald was given a yellow card due to crashing headlong into another player, and the Orioni team was able to get the ball again. They managed to yet again pass it between their players and bypass the defence, but when they took their shot it went wide of the goal. The sense of relief was palpable. With time running out, another attempt was made to get a goal against Orioni. Despite their attempts though, the players had slowed down noticeably from the last try and were unable to get close enough to take a good shot. Another two shots were tried, and both went wide. Before the game ended, a small fist fight occurred between of the players. A yellow card was given out. 

The game ended with a score of 1-1, and with a great deal of excitement for the rest of the World Cup. Great results are expected from both teams, as they will be playing two more matches in the qualifying round. As a side note, it has come to our attention that spectators from @Iverica have taken to calling the Golden Boys 'Fully-Ottomatik' due to their admiration of certain players. We thank those Ivericans for coming up with such a creative nickname, and wish them luck in their games.

Edited June 15, 2018 by Derthalen (see edit history)

[Variota]

NTSV 3 - Sports and Events
UENA World Cup Coverage
With Rottel Ronnie

 

Het Gaut'n Freikaapers to face Jaguars
 

So, I'm here near the Vega Big Arch for the upcoming match in the UENA World Cup, which I've been asked to commentate. Held in the nation of Orioni, I was faced with the fact that this would be my first time travelling to Europa. I was a bit weary because, let's face it, Europa is basically the other end of the world. Who are these people really? Sure, we speak with them on the internet, we do all kinds of stuff with them on the internet... Anyway, it was strange coming here! There are these strange places like Zuidhaven and Nordhaven that totally sound Variotan, those are place names in Old Variotan, the kind that sounds like Saalian. So I went there and I was like, where are my Variotan homeboys? Guess what? The only Variotan shop I could find was owned by an Afropan refugee! An Afropan! What is this? I just don't know! Are these Europans doing cultural appropriation? Is this the twilight zone? Is this the mushrooms that I bought off a hippie? Who knows but cultural appropriation is not cool man!

Rottel Ronnie freaking out about cultural appropriation

What I do know is that we'll be facing the Jaguars. This team is a bit of a wild card as there has been very little information about them available. I do know Het Gaut'n Freikaapers and I think Ronnie Ronthuissen is the man to lead them further. We have some great people in the starting eleven. Take my personal friend Kokkie, for example. Kokkie has that tactical eye, you know. He sees a gap and he fills that, he patches and works to ensure the team as a whole get stronger. Great man, also great at a party. He has so many interesting stories, you wouldn't tell that he previously worked as a whale harpooner but he still has the strong legs that were needed to keep onto the harpoon and get that whale.

Look at Costa, the Iverican. Named Kostenpost, loosely translated expense, by the fans of MSK Reierferplattoterp because he cost an arm and a leg. Depending on who you ask, he's that expensive because he has an addiction to gay escorts to feed. If it's true, who cares? The guy has some raw talent, even if his age means that it's not refined. Between him and Kokkie, we have the center locked down. The back is solid and the goal is on lock with Dekkerburg. He has skilled and, for those that believe such things help, is blessed by Gillofan V due to playing in GFKK.

My prediction is 2 - 1 or 3 - 1 with us winning. Bookies think the same, giving 3:4 odds to win. If we do, we would end up on top of our group for the time which is a great morale boost. If everything goes well, I can see us reaching the quarter or semi finals at the least. Toi toi toi, boys! The whole nation is proud of you!

[Orioni]

Half-time between the match Orioni v Derthalen
Somewhere in the locker room
Zuidhaven Stadium

Looking at his deep frown on his face, everyone could see Coach Guus wasn't pleased. But he didn't want to express his anger and disappointment. The first half of this match was abysmal. What was wrong with his team? He didn't know if his players wanted to attack at all. This warranted a good pep talk, that's for sure.

"Now come on guys, we've got to get ourselves together. I know the Derthaleners are ahead. But it's only one point. Despite all the pressure we only gave away one chance. We've got to be more aggressive. Just one shot on target is not enough to score a goal."

Guus looked around the room. Every one of his players was looking right back at him. No protest. He continued.

"What I want to see is more chances. We've got to create more chances. Our midfield needs to open up their defence. I'm looking at you, Jain and Kaur. Be more creative in your passes. We've got to give Acosta and Laing better chances."

As captain of this team, Romeo Acosta knew his coach was right. So he spoke up: "I agree with coach Guus. We all know those Golden Boys are playing a tough game. I know it almost feels like a war, with all those fouls and yellow cards. I also know we can win this match. We have the home advantage. The whole nation is looking at us to bring this home. We can't let these barbarians get the best of us. Am I right? Am I right?"

"Awo kapiteni! (Yes captain)", the team replied in forceful unison.

Coach Guus felt very proud of his captain. Acosta has more passion in his right toe than other internationals have in both legs. "That's right, boys. We can do better than this. And you know it. Now go out there and make your motherland proud!"

"Awo meri! (Yes coach)", they all shouted while running out of the locker room.

The team was ready for their second half.

[Orioni]

Group A match 2: @Shffahkia v @Variota

On June 15 at Vega Big Arch in Vega with 46941 in attendance.

Match statistics

Shffahkia	Team	Variota
0	Goals	3
5	Shots On Goal	4
10	Shots	6
22	Fouls	20
4	Corners	9
0	Free Kicks	0
2	Offsides	4
0	Own Goals	0
3	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	0

Match events

First half

• 1: Variota scores! The scorer was (2) Harry Balleman ⚽
• 8: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 9: Variota scores! The scorer was (9) Jannes Sloffeboer ⚽
• 13: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 17: Variota scores! The scorer was (11) Ibrahim Wu ⚽
• 20: Variota takes a shot. That's off target.
• 21: Variota takes a shot. That's off target.
• 28: Shffahkia is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 31: Shffahkia is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 43: Variota is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 45: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.

Second half

• 51: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 52: Shffahkia is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 57: Variota takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 67: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 72: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 76: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 80: Variota is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 82: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 85: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 91: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.

Added Time: 1 minutes

---

OOC: You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explained in the very first post.

[Orioni]

Group B match 1: @Adaptus v @Fulgistan

On June 16 at Breguet Stadium in Nordhaven with 60758 in attendance.

Match Statistics

Adaptus	Team	Fulgistan
0	Goals	0
2	Shots On Goal	5
6	Shots	15
20	Fouls	22
5	Corners	5
0	Free Kicks	1
0	Offsides	5
0	Own Goals	0
3	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 1: Adaptus takes a shot. That's off target.
• 8: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.
• 12: Adaptus is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 18: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.
• 24: Adaptus takes a shot. That's off target.
• 25: Fulgistan takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 28: Fulgistan takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 29: Fulgistan takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 31: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.
• 41: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.

Second half

• 46: Adaptus takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 47: Adaptus is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 48: Adaptus takes a shot. That's off target.
• 49: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.
• 50: Fulgistan takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 52: Adaptus is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 59: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.
• 60: Fulgistan takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 67: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.
• 73: Adaptus takes a shot. That's off target.
• 74: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.
• 81: Adaptus takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 83: Adaptus takes a shot. That's off target.
• 88: Fulgistan takes a shot. That's off target.

Added Time: 2 minutes

---

OOC: No RP bonus modifier was used. You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explain in the very first post.

[Cristina]

GAZZETTA SPORTIVA

 

Albani and Concetto hope to take Cristina further in 2018

Andro, Orioni - Cristina's World Cup hopes are the best after the return the team's biggest star, Rocco Albani from an injury. Today, there are no major concerns about the squad that will try to repeat the unforgettable qualification campaign.

Near the start of their 2018 World Cup campaign, Cristina has all its players fit and ready. Rafaelle Gardeni didn’t face any obstacles when it came to choosing the group of players that will carry the flag for the growth of Cristinese soccer. It is true that their performance in the final rounds of qualifying left more doubts than certainties, but it is also true that this group of players already knows what it is like to play under pressure against the best in the world.

It is easy to say that in terms of individual players, Cristina are better now than they were four years ago. They have a young but seasoned center-back, a strong personality and a great future ahead. They have full-backs with continuity and ability to attack and defend, midfielders who know their roles and exactly what their coach wants from them, and forwards on a positive run of form.

Individually, there are no concerns but most of their recent struggles have been collective in nature. So that It was the staff's task during these last months: building the team's identity.

There are very few days for the last preparations left before the World Cup first match, against Morheim. It's safe to say that Gardeni has already picked his final roster. The March games represented the final test for those who have booked their tickets to Orioni. Captains Adriano Concetto and Rocco Albani already know they'll be relied upon to make the difference in tight games. The pair are capable of turning an average side into a team capable of many things. Albani, the star from Razzi FC, has already proved that he can be one of the best players in Europa, while Concetto is eager to finally play in the tournament of his dreams.

 

Rocco Albani.

 

The arrival of Rafaelle Gardeni was vital for Albani to regain his confidence. Now he is one of the best players of a Razzi side aiming for their third consecutive national title, and his national team will be energized by his renewed sense of motivation. Concetto, for his part, is FC Azure leader and he's managed to become one of the top scorers in Cristina despite that his team is no longer able to create as many chances as they did last season. This week they've both suffered physical setbacks but will definitely be present in the Cup first match next week.

What Gardeni needed to do is assemble a squad capable of supporting Concetto's creativity and enhancing Albani's scoring threat, and he got plenty of players to do it. Giordano Valdi (FC Azure) and Valerio Marciano (Korvi FC) are the Gardeni’s favorite center-back tandem. These prodigious young players only differ in the number of matches played this year: the Azure man is a regular starter while the Korvi center-back has yet to win Cristinese supporters trust.

Outside-back Andreas Sabini has practically secured his spot on the right by featuring regularly as a key player at Central FC. Luca Angioli was chosen to man the left after his excellent performances with Razzi FS. Sabini is a better defensive player, while Angioli is tireless in attacking his area of the field. Savio Ponzio (Central FC) and Luigi Sandre (FC Azure) are multi-functional men capable of defending and playing in midfield roles.

Giuseppe Nazzara (Marinai SC)' great match against Razzi for the Cristinese Championship is one of the best pieces of news Gardeni has received of late. "La Roca" is one of Cristinese fans' favorite players and if he keeps this form up, he'll definitely start against @Morheim. Further ahead, Albani' natural partner is Andreas Orcini (Korvi FC), but he has yet to play full time following groin surgery. Baldi Grotto (Korvi FC)’s excellent presence should give the staff some peace of mind.

A few days from its first match in Orioni 2018, Cristina are calm and confident because they know what they are capable of. They have players who are capable of excellent performances. They just needed to build a reliable team that knows what they want and how they want it. Rafaelle Gardeni came to be the right man for the job. The hope is alive.

Edited June 17, 2018 by Cristina (see edit history)

[Orioni]

Group B match 2: @Iverica v @Selayar

On June 17 at Azadi Stadium in Perseus with 69270 in attendance.

Match Statistics

Iverica	Team	Selayar
3	Goals	1
10	Shots On Goal	6
15	Shots	12
21	Fouls	19
4	Corners	3
0	Free Kicks	1
0	Offsides	8
0	Own Goals	0
1	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 2: Selayar is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 3: Iverica takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 7: Selayar takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 11: Selayar takes a shot. That's off target.
• 16: Iverica takes a shot. That's off target.
• 17: Iverica takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 19: Iverica takes a shot. That's off target.
• 23: Selayar is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 25: Selayar takes a shot. That's off target.
• 29: Iverica takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 30: Selayar takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 31: Selayar takes a shot. That's off target.
• 35: Iverica takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 39: Selayar takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 41: Selayar takes a shot. That's off target.

Second half

• 48: Iverica takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 51: Iverica takes a shot. That's off target.
• 59: Iverica scores! The scorer was (11) Léonel Messy ⚽
• 63: Selayar takes a shot. That's off target.
• 64: Iverica is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 66: Selayar takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 68: Selayar takes a shot. That's off target.
• 70: Iverica takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 71: Selayar takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 72: Selayar scores! The scorer was (10) Pandu Culanama ⚽
• 78: Iverica takes a shot. That's off target.
• 81: Iverica scores! The scorer was (2) Diego Sorro ⚽
• 82: Iverica takes a shot. That's off target.
• 88: Iverica scores! The scorer was (11) Léonel Messy ⚽
• 90: Iverica takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.

Added Time: 4 minutes

---

OOC: No RP bonus modifier was used. You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explain in the very first post.

[Sunset Sea Islands]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, hello and welcome to today's episode of SSI Sports, live from O'Polis! My name is Olimar Wilke and I will be bringing you the newest news and hottest stories from the UENA wurld Cup 2018!
As all of you know, this is the first time ever that the Sunset Sea Islands have qualified for the football wurld championships. We should celebrate the moment whilst it lasts, since our boys in black have a steep wall to overcome to enter the knockout phase. Our national team will face football super giant @Prymont in the very first match they will compete in on June 21st. Will the radiant sunlight melt the northern glacier or will the Argic blizzard extinguish the equatorial flames? It will take more than luck to even score a remis against the Jötunns in blue-white but not all hope is lost. Although our qualification was miraculous in nature, we do have some talents in our team who might be able to stand a chance against the wall of ice in front of us. The healthy competition between REDACTED and REDACTED might become a fierce battle to see who fares better against a superior enemy. What REDACTED lacks in strength and endureance in comparison with REDACTED "the Kong" REDACTED he makes up with speed and footwork. Furthermore, many speculate that this might be the season of REDACTED whose condition improved steadily over the past few months. Defensively, all eyes are on REDACTED and REDACTED. Truly, what a baptism of fire for our boys in @Orioni! No matter how the match will end, it will give us valuable input that might help us in the battle against @Morheim eight days later. Potentially the most ballanced match will be against @Cristina. As both teams are not known for their exceptional performances in past games and face eachother as fellow underdogs, the game is expected to be a hit with the audience.

Furthermore, remember that this is all a game. We should be thankful to be able to face our friends and allies on the football field instead of a battlefield. May these games tie the bonds that connect us all closer!"

[Orioni]

Group C match 1: @Asgeirria v @The Eurofuhrer

On June 18 at the CCC Arena in Corona Borealis with 63123 in attendance.

Match Statistics

Asgeirria	Team	The Eurofuhrer
3	Goals	2
5	Shots On Goal	3
14	Shots	9
19	Fouls	15
7	Corners	6
0	Free Kicks	1
3	Offsides	5
0	Own Goals	0
2	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 3: The Eurofuhrer takes a shot. That's off target.
• 7: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 9: The Eurofuhrer takes a shot. That's off target.
• 12: The Eurofuhrer scores! The scorer was (3) ⚽
• 17: The Eurofuhrer takes a shot. That's off target.
• 20: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 23: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 24: The Eurofuhrer scores! The scorer was (9) ⚽
• 25: Asgeirria scores! The scorer was (11) Janos Kvothe ⚽
• 27: Asgeirria is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 30: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 37: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 38: Asgeirria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 41: The Eurofuhrer takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.

Second half

• 49: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 57: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 61: Asgeirria scores! The scorer was (7) Georg Huginn ⚽
• 65: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 67: The Eurofuhrer takes a shot. That's off target.
• 68: The Eurofuhrer takes a shot. That's off target.
• 70: The Eurofuhrer is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 74: Asgeirria scores! The scorer was (9) Sigmond Vucari ⚽
• 79: Asgeirria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 84: Asgeirria is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 91: The Eurofuhrer takes a shot. That's off target.
• 93: Asgeirria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.

Added Time: 3 minutes

---

OOC: No RP bonus modifier was used. You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explain in the very first post. Since I haven't received a full player list from @The Eurofuhrer, I couldn't add the player names.

[Asgeirria]

The Asgeirrian players were large and intimidating, although somewhat less agile than their opponents. The large amount of midfielders and defenders kept constant pressure on the strikers, keeping them from making good shots, keeping close and taking the ball several times. The opponents' defense was stiff as well, deflecting many of the Asgeirrians aggressive forrays, but the tireless Imperial strikers kept up their pace well into the first quarter of the game, slipping only once. The enemy skillfully slipped past the midfielders, attempting several shots before finally making their first and last goal.

Asgeirrians were an enduring people, sportsmen especially so. With a few exceptions, they continued with defensive voracity throughout the game, relying on their solid defense and large, versatile array of midfielders controlling the center, smoothly and quickly passing the ball between gaps in the enemy's defense. The strikers primarily employed feint tactics, allowing the midfielders to shoot many times, being blocked only twice.

The Asgeirrians showed an exceptional amount of cohesion, exhibiting great endurance for people of their size. While only a few inches taller on average, the light colors of their uniforms made them appear much larger than they actually were, and they used this to their advantage when blocking shots and roughing up the opponents. They incurred many fouls, but this was mostly due to the aggressive nature of their playstyle.

Their greatest disadvantage was the mobility of the opponents, which almost made up for the cohesion and size of the midfielders and defenders. This allowed the Eurofuhrer players to score several time, at the expense of a few fouls on the part of the Asgeirrians, clearly frustrated by the small and mobile opponents they were facing.

The Vucari players in particular were responsible for fouls, struggling with the restrained nature of the games held in foreign countries. During halftime, they could be seen on meditating, being led in their spiritual journey by their coach, whose primary purpose was the keep the players level-headed and hydrated.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Asgeirria
This team doesn't have a meditation couch with water dispensers (see edit history)

[Orioni]

Group C match 2: @Gallambria v @Mauridiviah

On June 19 at Siena Fleet Park in Cygnus with 61795 in attendance.

Match Statistics

Gallambria	Team	Mauridiviah
2	Goals	1
9	Shots On Goal	6
12	Shots	13
18	Fouls	23
2	Corners	7
1	Free Kicks	0
2	Offsides	2
0	Own Goals	0
3	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 2: Mauridiviah takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 3: Gallambria is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 11: Mauridiviah takes a shot. That's off target.
• 15: Gallambria scores! The scorer was (5) Mark Milligan ⚽
• 18: Gallambria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 19: Gallambria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 22: Gallambria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 27: Mauridiviah takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 28: Mauridiviah takes a shot. That's off target.
• 29: Mauridiviah is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 33: Mauridiviah takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 37: Gallambria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 40: Mauridiviah takes a shot. That's off target.
• 43: Gallambria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 44: Mauridiviah is shown a Yellow Card. █

Second half

• 46: Gallambria scores! The scorer was (5) Mark Milligan ⚽
• 55: Gallambria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 56: Mauridiviah takes a shot. That's off target.
• 60: Gallambria is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 61: Gallambria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 62: Gallambria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 64: Mauridiviah takes a shot. That's off target.
• 67: Mauridiviah takes a shot. That's off target.
• 71: Gallambria takes a shot. That's off target.
• 72: Mauridiviah takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 74: Gallambria takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 76: Gallambria is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 78: Mauridiviah scores! The scorer was (6) Reynado Salcedo ⚽
• 79: Mauridiviah takes a shot. That's off target.
• 86: Mauridiviah takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.

Added Time: 5 minutes

---

OOC: No RP bonus modifier was used. You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explain in the very first post.

[Variota]

NTSV 3 - Sports and Events
UENA World Cup Coverage
With Rottel Ronnie

 

Het Gaut'n Freikaapers to face Golden Boys after 3 - 0 victory over Jaguars
 

Have you ever just screamed into a room? Just AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! No? I did, multiple times. More precisely, three times. Luckily, since the last match, the Vooters Variotan Feestcafe has been set up and thus, I was not alone in my screaming. Between downing the many free drinks my fellow Variotans and Gaut'n Freikaaper fans gave me, being the well-connected amazingly attractive and charismatic socialite that I am, we were hollering for WooWoo, Stoffsuiger and Balleman. The Gaut'n Freikaapers channeled their ancestors and stole the ball from the Jaguars, turning into real 'ball'n tiefjes' (ball burglars) and showing the Jaguars that a land animal will only drown when trying to get on the same level as our proud privateers.

Rottel Ronnie with comedian, singer and TV personality Big Bobbert in the Vooters Variotan Feestcafe

Me and my personal friend Big Bobbert were discussing it between his bits as the presenter of the entertainment of the evening and we both truly believe that the Gaut'n Freikaapers have a shot at the big V. When you look at the match against the Jaguars, we're hitting three out of four shots that reach the goal. That's a percentage of seventy-five in regards to balls going in, that's an amazing number. And really, there's no reason why we cannot continue that. Stoffsuiger really showed the truth in his nickname, sucking up the balls coming towards him and just bam, bam, bam. Balls out of the danger zone and towards the opponent's goal. WooWoo shot one in but I hadn't expected anything less of him, the boy has the stamina and speed of the horses his people are so fond of. The real surprise is, of course, Balleman. The man is a solid player at Mesijnerkamp Sport Fereinigung but you don't really expect the right back to kick in a goal but when the goalkeeper of the opponent removes himself from the goal, what can you do but put it in?

Now we're looking towards the Derthaler team, as they're presumably hungry from their draw against the hosts. Thing is, I have never heard of any professional football players coming from Derthalen. So, did the hosts mess up or is the threat of execution if they do not win enough to boost the Derthaler team's morale and effort? I don't know. I do know that we in Variota do know how to stimulate our players! Between the festive cheers, the team getting support from fans and the fat paychecks, we're ready to slay! Fierce! Rawr! Time to show the Golden Boys that we're the ones who are the real men!

[Iverica]

 Messy-Sorro Plays Win the Day: Near-stalemate Opening Match

Shoddy Iverican team pulls it off, Iverica takes first win over Selayari "Blue Tigers"

Transcribed Commentary Highlights- by Gio Metré

June 17, 2018

---

 

The Iverican fans certainly weren't expecting this, with star midfielder Nani on reserve recovering from last season's knee injury, Xaví out of play and some deepseated personal rivalries among the FC-Navaerr and Real Manille players, thrown together in what Ivericans are calling a powder-keg lineup--and not in the good way.

First Half

Iverica laboured for large periods but still ran a hotly contested 3-1 win against Selayar's "Blue Tigers" in Perseus City. All the goals came in the second half, with Messy breaking the ice with the first goal, Sorro coming up from the wings to bag one in revenge for an excellent and surprising edge-of-the-box by Blue Tiger forward Culanama before Messy once again steals the show and puts the game to bed with 2 minutes on the clock.

The opening volleys and exchanges could be described by the more critical as frenzied--with both Selayari and Iverican forwards making risky and aggressive plays, bringing up wing players to mob the opposing defence, unfortunately to little effect. Both teams played superb and equally matched offense, though not much could be said for the Iverican defensive plays, evident by how often the Selayari brought their ball into Iverican ground throughout the match.

Towards the closing of the First Half, it became apparent that the Iverican team's initial vigour had been somewhat whittled by the Selayari's rapid plays with excellent pass accuracy and evasion from forwards Matrawan and Culanama. Taking advantage of this, the Tigers went full on the offensive, with FC-Navaerr's prize Keeper Giulius "L'Montagné" Hafþór making all the right saves and appearing increasing frustrated at his full-backs' sloppy attempts.

Iverica managed to attempt a breakout--only twice succeeding through excellent long passes from forward Andreu Insiesta of Real Manille and captain-midder Luis Suaress. While the pair carried the team forward, it was just so by the skin of their teeth--thankfully not literally in Suaress' case--with both star players too winded to make shots on-target.

 

Second Half

If the Tigers owned the game for the most of the first half, their dominance did not last long after the break as Iverica finally whipped their plays, coming in strong with Reserve Nani coming instead of Insiesta (pun not intended)--beat and bruised from his forays in the First Half.

A loose ball dropped to Messy just inside the box, and fresh plays and passes by Nani produced a superb volley to fire a shot into the opposite corner beyond a helpless Nugraha in the Selayari goal.

While it seemed Iverica had a fresh spring in the step, the Tigers were not to go quietly into the jungle night. Shortly after the Iverican goal, they pulled a series of volleys, each coming closer and more accurate than the last. Until finally, a surprising feint with their mids put forward Culanama on the edge of the box, coming almost from thin air and taking "L'Montagné" by the blind side.

 Point to Selayar, Iverica on the ropes again.

Neck and neck, the Ivericans answered with a surprise play of their own, dominating in the middle, embroiling Selayari forwards until Suaress takes control and fires off to Messy, who is surrounded--but not without hope. Messy nicks the ball through Culanama's legs and who is there to receive but full-back Sorro who had been in on the action in the middle, saw his chance and put himself open in just the right time--stars aline for this miracle defender--who puts a shot in from near the edge of the turf, blindsiding Nugraha in almost in reprisal for the Tiger's own tricky play just moments before.

At that moment, it seemed like the Tigers had all the fight blown out of them, resigned to full defence on the last legs of the match. With Messy coming in, still energetic somehow and right in the nick of time like the glory hound he is, stealing a farewell, goodnight, light's out shot over Nugraha's head, bouncing the lintel and putting the game to bed.

---

Nobody had expected strong plays from such a spur of the moment line-up. Perhaps it was just bold old luck looking out for the misfits today. Whether this lasts against the Adapton-Automatons--now we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

[Orioni]

Group D match 1: @Cristina v @Morheim

On June 20 at Andro Arena in Andro with in 68827 attendance.

Match Statistics

Cristina	Team	Morheim
2	Goals	1
4	Shots On Goal	9
9	Shots	14
19	Fouls	22
5	Corners	9
0	Free Kicks	0
2	Offsides	2
0	Own Goals	0
1	Yellow Cards	3
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 1: Morheim takes a shot. That's off target.
• 12: Cristina takes a shot. That's off target.
• 13: Cristina takes a shot. That's off target.
• 15: Morheim takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 16: Morheim takes a shot. That's off target.
• 17: Morheim takes a shot. That's off target.
• 21: Morheim scores! The scorer was (6) ⚽
• 27: Morheim takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 33: Morheim takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 34: Cristina scores! The scorer was (5) ⚽
• 35: Morheim takes a shot. That's off target.
• 37: Morheim takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 38: Morheim takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 42: Morheim is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 43: Morheim is shown a Yellow Card. █

Second half

• 48: Cristina takes a shot. That's off target.
• 51: Cristina takes a shot. That's off target.
• 55: Cristina takes a shot. That's off target.
• 62: Morheim takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 66: Morheim is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 68: Morheim takes a shot. That's off target.
• 73: Morheim takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 76: Cristina takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 79: Cristina scores! The scorer was (11) Rocco Albani ⚽
• 81: Morheim takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 83: Cristina takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 92: Cristina is shown a Yellow Card. █

Added Time: 2 minutes

OOC: The RP bonus modifier was used because Cristina created a team and also announced their game. You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explain in the very first post.

[Mauridiviah]

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SUCH A NATIONAL DISAPPOINTMENT, SOLDIER?! NO! OF COURSE NOT! THIS IS THE MOST DISGRACEFUL LOSS THIS TEAM HAS SEEN IN YEARS, I TELL YOU!

Our soldiers went out into the battlefield today, boys and they have shamed our entire nation. All of us, I tell you. The only one of those soldiers worth a damn is Salcedo, who at least had the BALLS to try and get at the enemy. If you were to ask me, we should FIRE that General Juan Monarca and replace him with someone who shows real INITIATIVE in this fight. Now, before we go on to the summary, now that I've become more calm and composed, remember boys: This battle may be lost, BUT NOT THE WAR! MAURIDIVIAH! MAURIDIVIAH! MAURIDIVIAH! MAURIDIVIAH! MAURIDVIAHMAURIDIAH! MAURIDIVIAHMAUDIAH! MAURIDALJFASD! LAJDSFLKASDJF!!!!!

Ahem-- Sorry, let's keep going. So, the game started relatively well. Our boys went on the offensive and began to take heavy casualties as the Gallambrians broke the Geneva Conventions. About 15 minutes into the game though, it all went to -beautiful roses - when the Gallambrians broke down our defense and inflicted a devastating goal over the heads of our comrades. I personally blame that goalie Vittorio, he couldn't catch a dying soldier if he fell right on top of his very own automatic rifle. Anyway, after that the battle was a giant tug of war between our Patriots and those BULINGTONIAN SEA DOGS, AAHHH- Ahem, as I was saying, our boys fought long and hard, but couldn't overcome the also hard-fightin' soldiers of Gallambria. May all their souls burn. And may all of our souls forever bask in the glory of heaven-- if you believe in such things, of course, I know that's kind of antiquated these days, but hey, I'm almost 45, so call me a relic of a time since passed. Anyways, after what must've been the most inspiring half-time speech in human history, our boys went out into field once more. 

And we know it was effective, because of course, as soon as our boys went out there, THE GALLAMBRIAN MUCUS SCOURGE SCORED ANOTHER AND NEAR-FINAL DEATHBLOW against our most beloved and now fallen comrades. After that, our boys fought long and hard once again, tooth and nail like last time. Both sides, really, once more. Those reffs were really red-faced, I tell you boys, as you probably saw, both sides used all kinds of illegal warfare--- chemical, biological, neutronological, whatever the hell other-cal. Finally, after the struggle of at least TEN ODYSSIES, I TELL YOU--- Ahem, ten odyssies put together, Salcedo, the only soldier worth a damn in our whole army, FINALLY--- and I mean FINALLY--- scored a goal. Oh, such a well deserved victory for us. After that, our boys continued to try to land defeating blows, but no real avail. The battle ended, and we had no follow up success. It was a victory for those damn Marenesians--- At least for now. Don't worry however, my comrades, for I am 25000% certain that I our beloved country shall win this war. EVEN IF IT IS THE LAST THING WE DO, DAMN IT!

Thanks for listening soldiers. I have been Pato Retroguardia, the one and only unbiased source of futbol news in the entirety of the universe.

 

Pato Retroguardia in his famous office.

 

[Orioni]

Group D match 2: @Prymont v @Sunset Sea Islands

On June 21 at MedPharm Dome in Meda with 48288 in attendance.

Match Statistics

Prymont	Team	Sunset Sea Islands
2	Goals	2
6	Shots On Goal	3
9	Shots	6
20	Fouls	21
10	Corners	7
1	Free Kicks	3
4	Offsides	2
0	Own Goals	0
0	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 2: Prymont takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 3: Prymont scores! The scorer was (11) Ollie Sæther ⚽
• 15: Sunset Sea Islands is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 20: Sunset Sea Islands takes a shot. That's off target.
• 31: Prymont takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 32: Prymont takes a shot. That's off target.
• 41: Sunset Sea Islands takes a shot. That's off target.

Second half

• 60: Sunset Sea Islands takes a shot. That's off target.
• 71: Prymont takes a shot. That's off target.
• 72: Sunset Sea Islands scores! The scorer was (4) Paul Buttler ⚽
• 73: Prymont scores! The scorer was (9) Fillip Roth ⚽
• 74: Sunset Sea Islands takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 76: Prymont takes a shot. That's off target.
• 79: Prymont takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 88: Prymont takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 93: Sunset Sea Islands scores! The scorer was (11) Max Neu ⚽

Added Time: 3 minutes

---

OOC: No RP bonus modifier was used because Prymont and Sunset Sea Islands both RP'ed their preparation. You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explain in the very first post. Since I haven't received a full player list from @The Eurofuhrer, I couldn't add the player names.

[Prymont]

Ollie Sæther celebrating his third minute goal.

 

"Thank you for joining us today on PTVO's World Cup Roundup Show for our review of Prymont's first match in the 2018 UENA World Cup, which was played against the valiant @Sunset Sea Islands." Sebastian Welde introduced the show, sporting a happy grin as he introduced his co-hosts. "I'm joined by the lovely Ella Buer, and by Foolish Bandit, who seems very happy with the result." The camera pans to Bandit, who dons a scarf of the national Prymontian colours hanging loosely around his neck. "We have a fantastic game to look over today, ladies and gentlemen, so let's get into it. The game began with an incredible pace from our boys, with Fillip Roth making an early run in the second minute." Highlights of the match play on the screen, with the commentators excitedly discussing the pictures in the background. "Roth really tested Aron Bahir, making him stretch to keep in the powerful shot he sent his way. And after that, Ollie Sæther made history for the United States."

"Yes, that's right," Buer takes over as the images show Bahir taking the goal kick, sending the ball back into the midfield. Sæther wins control, bringing the ball under his control immediately and attempting the impossible. "Brilliant ball control from Ollie, who really fought hard to win the ball against Kevin Thu. And, well, just look at that..." Sæther takes a shot on goal from the halfway line, catching Bahir off guard as the ball flies into the back of the net, marking the United States' quickest goal in their national football history. "If he would've missed that, he would've been the laughing stock of the entire World Cup. Some would call him selfish for risking possession of the ball like that, but it really paid off to give Prymont an early lead in the first half."

"Yeah, it was an amazing goal and I think everyone in the country is really happy for Ollie. He's been so promising in the qualifiers leading up to the Cup, and all his hard work paid off in that moment." Foolish Bandit, who actually watched the match and did some homework to look more professional, cannot wipe the grin from his face as he explains the remainder of the first half. "From then on, the Sunset players knew they had to crowd Ollie and never give him a chance on the ball. Yeah, look there, Hoang Nam with that poor sportsmanship which gives him a yellow card." A replay of the foul is shown, with Nam dragging Sæther down by his shirt when neither player were near the ball. "Ollie kept on playing a hard game, but every time the ball came near him he was swamped by at least two other players. No chance for him to do anything."

"Moving on to the second half, which started off fairly slowly for both sides. Here we go, twenty five minutes into the second half, and Ollie attempts another shot on goal. He was clearly put off by how many players were flanking him, and it goes narrowly wide. Then, watch this, this is where Prymont's game began to struggle." Bahir takes the goal kick, sending the ball deep into Prymont's half, where their players are surging forwards. 

"I think our defence just got a bit too comfortable and let the ball come through. A great pass into miles of space for Buttler, and there's no stopping a shot like that." Sunset Sea Island players go to celebrate their equaliser, while the Prymontians are left scratching their heads and wondering how they blew their lead like that. "I think this is fantastic though, the next minute really shows how determined our boys are to take their campaign far. Great kick there from Henden, sending it straight to Roth's feet, who works wonders with that ball. There's some skill of a man who has perfected his craft back at the training grounds, spends every minute of the day playing good football, and brings it all together when it really matters."

Fillip Roth, clinically making his way through the Sunset Sea Islandian defence to score his first goal of the tournament.

"With the score now 2-1, Prymont turned it up a notch and really brought their game alive. They're so desperate for that third goal, the one that gives them a comfortable margin and lets them really control the game, but it never comes." Three more shots are taken before the 90th minute, two by Roth and one by Bakken, but all either go wide or are saved by the keeper. "Even into extra time, everything was looking great; our strikers were doing wonders to get the ball into space and make shots on goal, the midfield were making some good passes, and our defenders were really earning their keep to keep the Sunset players away from goal."

"Yeah, but then all that hard work was ruined by Ulleberg. He was looking solid all game. I don't know what he was thinking then, but... yeah, terrible decision." The highlights show Prymont's defence breaking down in the 92nd minute, and as a last ditch attempt, Ulleberg makes a risky tackle in the penalty box. "Definitely a penalty, no argue there, but you can see how the Sunsets are wasting time by deciding who takes the penalty, pissing about with the placement of the ball, building up to it... it's all to waste time because they know that, if they score, that's it, there's no more time for us to try again."

Ravn Ulleberg, tackling an opponent in the penalty box in the 92nd minute.

"Max Neu takes the penalty, and Henden does go the right way, but he dives low while the ball goes high. Now, you see everyone rush forwards for a last second attack, but the ref blows the whistle and that's game over. 2-2."

"You know, despite the draw, I think there are a few clear things to take from the game. Prymont were easily the superior side today. More shots on goal, more shots in total, and we're the more aggressive team too, winning more corners. There were a few offsides that could've been avoided, but it just shows that we're eager. Sæther and Roth were playing some awesome football out there today, and were in a league of their own. You can even see Roth running back to help defend against Six and Omar, two players who were really a thorn in our side today. We were able to constantly break down their plays and open up chances for ourselves. That deserves to be applauded."

"Certainly, and while we played a great game today, so did the players from the Sunset Sea Islands. Their World Cup qualifying campaign was up and down, and many were questioning if they deserved to be here, but they played a great game today and silenced their critics. And so, our first game of the 2018 World Cup ends in a draw. We currently sit joint second in the group with the Sunset Sea Islands, and will play @Cristina, who won their first game, on June 28th at the Oris City Stadium. Until then, thank you for watching, and goodbye."

Edited June 21, 2018 by Prymont (see edit history)

[Cristina]

GAZZETTA SPORTIVA

 Cristina won their first match at a World Cup finals by beating Morheim, 2-1

Andro, Orioni - Cristina gained a precious victory in their opening Group D fixture against a dangerous and organised @Morheim. It mattered in terms of perception as well as points. These were the team’s first tournament goals and Cristina starts it up and running in their debut in a World Cup.

There are issues. Defensively Cristina seemed to be far from assured with Valerio Marciano - whose place will be under threat from Luca Segna  who replaced him in the second-half - and Andreas Sabini making some wrong decisions and the 5-4-1 under question while last year debate will re-open over the full effectiveness of Giuseppe Nazzara who appeared shorn of confidence after a woeful early miss and lasted barely an hour before being replaced while there was rich food for thought in the positive contribution of Luigi Sandre who appears to have that bit of subtilty to unpick a packed defence.

There were positives also with Adriano Concetto outstandingly creative down the left flank, Rocco Albani predatory and Savio Ponzio fully justifying his selection as the midfield anchor.

In terms of attacking intent, in terms of chances created the first-half was among Cristina's less impressive 45 minute periods in the current season - eventually let down by defensive frailty and weak finishing. Cristina will rage about the goal they conceded but, even before then, they should have been out of sight.

Morheim missed chance after chance after chance and scored just once, shooting on goal many times with Baldi Grotto making a great save on 15’. They had to be more ruthless and it seemed they would be just that as they scored on 21 minutes as their forward met a corner with a superb leap, an even more superb header and goalkeeper Grotto somehow clawed it out. Unfortunately for him it dropped to Morheimian 6 who side-foot volleyed into the net from close-range.

After that Grotto had kept Cristina in it as he did well to divert two Morheimian deflected shot away for a corner. On 34 minutes Sandre scored for Cristina with a perfect volley right into the Morheimian netting, the first Cristinese goal in World Cup history.

Morheim had to score again on 37’ but they scuffed wide the goal beckoning while after conceding Grotto could not carry on. The goalkeeper had also denied another Morheim shot, clawing away a header.

On the first minutes of he second-half, it seemed focus had been lost by Morheim. But they summoned a response with a header headed out from on the goal-line and onto the bar. The rebound fell to their forward that tried to flicked his shot past goalkeeper Grotto who clawed it out.

Cristina were inexperienced of course, with their players making their World Cup debuts, and maybe it began to show as Morheim attacked ever deeper and were determined to press by any means they could. Time was running out but that was until Albani intervened on 79 minutes. Yesterday he said he fancied vying for 'The Golden Boot' as the World Cup top-scorer. Good for him. Good for Cristina.

That was until injury-time when Adriano Concetto, who was also being regularly man-handled, finally found some space to meet a corner and flick the ball towards the back-post where Albani had drifted free and headed home. Except it was not as simple as that.

The forward could easily have sent the chance over the bar but he twisted his body, strained his neck and whipped it into the net in the tight space between goalkeeper and goal-frame. Albani had another chance to score on 83’ when Concetto cleverly set him through and although Albani flicked his shot past Morheimian goalkeeper it struck the outside of the post.

What a finish and what a finish to this match. In a city where history hangs heavy, Cristina had felt their own footballing history beginning to burden after such a luminous start. Stay calm under pressure. Find a solution. They had been key messages from manager Rafaelle Gardeni. And once more Cristina eventually did just that.

Gardeni had urged Cristina to attack the tournament, attack the World Cup. They did that also until adversity and errors struck. But they overcame them. They, hopefully, removed a mental block in doing so. How wonderful would that be? This result means that, for the first time in a major tournament Cristina have won a game. Next up it is @Prymont and then @Sunset Sea Islands and a last-8 place should now be in their grasp. The 1,000 Cristina fans inside Andro Arena sang and sang at the final whistle. What a game.

Edited June 21, 2018 by Cristina (see edit history)

[Sunset Sea Islands]

"What a game, Ladies and Gentlemen, what a game! And with that, welcome to today's episode of SSI Sports, live from O'Polis! My name is Olimar Wilke and I will be bringing you the newest news and hottest stories from the UENA wurld Cup 2018!

The SSI Blacksuns wrote history today in their breathtaking match against the @Prymont national team. And may I drop dead right now if that wasn't one of the most thrilling, if not the most thrilling, match in Sunset Sea Islandian football history.

It didn't take long for fans on-site in Meda and viewers at home to start losing all hope when Ollie Sæther smashed that pill into the goal in minute three just after REDACTED barely managed to hold the previous shot just a minute earlier. "All right, that's it, we're done, it's over. We can go home now." I'm sure this is what many of you thought. Throughout the first half, the Jötunns dominated us without mercy. Although the Blacksuns tried to fight back they failed to shoot on target. Thankfully, REDACTED managed to hold a few more shots to prevent the blizzard warriors to crush us completely. During the half time analysis, many speculated that these forty-five minutes were already too much for our boys and that the latter half would only become a mostly defenceless struggle. Oh, how they've been wrong.

The second half began with an unusually aggressive and energetic Sunset Sea Islandian team and after a failed attempt in minute sixty, REDACTED managed to score the equaliser thanks to a long-distance shot from REDACTED. Cheering erupted in the stadium and in front of receivers all over the SSI, even though the celebrations were cut short by Fillip Roth scoring the second point for the USP just a minute later. The Jötunns tried to uphold their advance with all might, blocking SSI shots and attacking our goal without rest. However, REDACTED continued to shine and to protect our goal with all his might. The game seemed lost until a new star began to shine on the field: thanks to a penalty REDACTED scored the second equaliser in the very last minute of the game, resulting in a draw. I couldn't stop myself from screaming, I was overjoyed and, so I'd assume, you were as well. The equatorial heat and Argic snowstorm balanced eachother out perfectly. Standing strong against the USP shows that the SSI underdogs do stand a chance of faring well druing this wurld Cup. Even our esteemed leader commented on the results of the game via Wittier and reminded us to congratulate our opponents as well:

Eight days remain until our match against @Morheim, which many predict to result well for us. Furthermore, the SSI closely follow the advancements of current group leader @Cristina in preparation for our duel on July 3rd. This game has had me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait for what the rest of the cup will bring. wurld-class football, that's for sure."

[Orioni]

Group A match 3: Orioni v @Shffahkia

On June 22 at Green Stadium in Gruis with 64994 in attendance.

Match Statistics

Orioni	Team	Shffahkia
1	Goals	0
4	Shots On Goal	7
10	Shots	12
27	Fouls	18
4	Corners	3
1	Free Kicks	0
7	Offsides	1
0	Own Goals	0
1	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 1: Orioni takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 2: Orioni takes a shot. That's off target.
• 3: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 7: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 10: Orioni takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 11: Orioni takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 15: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 33: Orioni is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 38: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 43: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 44: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.

Second half

• 47: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 50: Orioni scores! The scorer was (7) Ratnam Jain ⚽
• 56: Orioni takes a shot. That's off target.
• 61: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 64: Shffahkia takes a shot. That's off target.
• 70: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 75: Orioni takes a shot. That's off target.
• 82: Orioni takes a shot. That's off target.
• 86: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 90: Shffahkia takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 91: Orioni takes a shot. That's off target.
• 93: Orioni takes a shot. That's off target.

Added Time: 3 minutes

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OOC: The RP bonus modifier was used because Orioni (well, that's me) RP'ed the previous match against Derthalen, while Shffahkia didn't for their previous match against Variota. You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explain in the very first post.

[Orioni]

Group A match 4: @Derthalen v @Variota

On June 23 at New National Stadium in O'polis with 68441 in attendance.

Match Statistics

Derthalen	Derthalen	Variota
4	Goals	0
7	Shots On Goal	4
11	Shots	8
23	Fouls	14
2	Corners	6
0	Free Kicks	0
6	Offsides	5
0	Own Goals	0
2	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	0

Match Events (Time: Event)

First half

• 2: Derthalen scores! The scorer was (6) Thurman Aldo av Widuwald ⚽
• 5: Variota takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 14: Derthalen takes a shot. That's off target.
• 17: Variota is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 19: Derthalen scores! The scorer was (11) Adolf Schneider ⚽
• 20: Derthalen scores! The scorer was (6) Thurman Aldo av Widuwald ⚽
• 26: Derthalen is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 27: Derthalen takes a shot. That's off target.
• 29: Derthalen takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 34: Variota takes a shot. That's off target.

Second half

• 45: Variota takes a shot. That's off target.
• 46: Variota takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 48: Derthalen takes a shot. That's off target.
• 54: Derthalen takes a shot. That's off target.
• 59: Variota is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 64: Derthalen is shown a Yellow Card. █
• 71: Derthalen scores! The scorer was (7) Mendel Hendriksen ⚽
• 72: Derthalen takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 80: Variota takes a shot. That's off target.
• 83: Variota takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 85: Variota takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.
• 90: Variota takes a shot. That's off target.
• 91: Derthalen takes a shot. It's on target, but saved.

Added Time: 4 minutes

OOC: No RP bonus modifier was used because Derthalen and Variota both RP'ed their previous match report. You now have 48 hours to post your match RP. This can give you a bonus, as the Game Mechanics explain in the very first post.