Goyanes 2019 CEFA World Cup | Results + News

Highton (5-2-3): Checker-6; Brown-8 (A-84), Elsner-7, Galeta-6, Küpfer-6 (Mertz-87), Júnior-5; Rossi-8, Müller-7 (Havenstein-87); Cornes-6, Weißkopf-5 (Alexís-50), Vard-6 (Wenzel-114). Ersatzstoffe: Alexís-10 (G-63, 84, 118), Mertz-7, Havenstein-6, Wenzel-8 (A-118). Unbenutzte Ersatzstoffe: Heath, Vogt, Männ, Lettman, Thiel, Chase, Schußer, Zagovic.

Spoiler: aleman translations

Spielerbewertungen = Player Ratings
Highton : Ascalonien = Highton vs Ascalon
Ersatzstoffe = Substitutes
Unbenutzte Ersatzstoffe = Unused Substitutes

Cooking breakfast at the counter, a man looks at a little TV set up on top of a hutch in a corner.

"In about 30 minutes Marsilius Bordeleau will be making an announcement at a press conference in Goyanes. We'll be there live with that coverage so be sure not to miss it!"

The man turns his attention from the screen and continues to cook some pancakes and beaumons.

Sitting in front of the living room TV, picking at his breakfast on the coffee table, the man pauses and puts his cutlery down as the commercials end and the SSL intro plays. He watches as Marsilius Bordeleau and general manager Roland Leclair sit down at a conference table infront of the press. The camera focuses of Bordeleau as he begins to speak.

"It was a great honor to be selected for this national team. To represent my country is a privilege I do not take lightly. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Roland for his decision to include me as part of this stellar roster. Getting to know this squad with eager players full of potential, skill, ability, and the chemistry to win it all is something I will surely never forget. There is no better way to see this sport than to be near and dear to this team and see them bring their all to the field on a daily basis, at practice and games.

It is with a heavy heart that I haven't been able to be as big a part to this team as I had hoped. It is with reluctance that I announce that, after a great deal of examination and evaluation, my injury will prevent me from participating in this year's World Cup entirely. I worked closely with team doctors and expert Lancerian physiotherapists that were flown in to assist, but ultimately the conclusion was drawn that I would not be prepared to participate, even at the later stages. I'd like to take a second to thank those doctors for their efforts as well, they truly did everything they could attempt to involve me and allow me to seize this great opportunity.

I remain positive tbat I will be able to perform ahead of a next club season and take my place on the next national team, hoping for the potential chance to repeat as World Champions as I know this squad could very well become. I wish all of them the best of luck.

I will remain with the team for the duration of the tournament, cheering them on from the sidelines louder than anyone else and I issue that as a challenge to all of our fans

Thank you very much."

The show transitions back to the studio where a man begins to speak.

"Well that ends the Bordeleau saga of this year's World Cup! Looks like the team will be sticking with Grenier going forward as the team tries to take on the Pryda-"

The man hit the mute button, reached into his housecoat pocket, and grabbed his cell phone. He looked through it for a moment, and called a contact. After a few rings someone picked up on the other end.

"You owe me 50 meten, Georges, he's officially out, you lost the bet."

The man on the other end of the phone said "For fuck's sake, I know. I'll pay at work tomorrow." And promptly hung up.

The man on the couch chuckled to himself and returned to eating his breakfast with a smug grin on his face.

Final preparations and chants

The Ulstome team may have won 3 - 0 against Lanceria but as the days have passed one by one, bringing us closer to Ulstome's match against Essalanea, the team hasn't gotten over confident and let up on their training. Not allowing the over confidence of victory to take over them after their day of relaxation, which was the day after their last match of their group, where the team met with supporters who had travelled the long distance from Ulstome to see their nations team play. They signed shirts, they casually played football and they got into the atmosphere with the fans. One live-stream on the teams official page went widely popular back in Ulstome of the team with a large crowd chanting and singing well known Ulstome chants such as "Vimid fíorscoths na soheas". The energy shown on their day of relaxation in relation to hyping up the fans is expected to carry through the rest of their matches and it is expected that the fans will be extremely energetic in their support of the team.

Since the team had their fun on that day they have been hard at work, practising and training to improve and excel against their opponents. From what we can report on without giving away all the teams preparations, there has been a continual large emphasis, as there was before their previous matches, on practising penalties and set piece plays to use their tall midfielders and strikers potential to its full ability and maximise the teams offensive options and to quickly recover and go back on the offence when a set piece play is stopped. The team has improved much since their first match of the group with each match they played they seemed to have learned what their mistakes where in these plays and have worked hard to overcome them. Players such as Kaas, Varson and Monkin who are noticeably taller than the average person have seemed to work well in setting up themselves, each other and the rest of the team to score or have the opportunity to score from what was seen of previous games and practices. Ulstome hasn't been neglecting its defence however, with the return to its traditional 3-4-3 formation the team has switched to an offensive formation that could leave weakness in the defence. The Ulstome team has aswell as practising its set pieces been working on its defence, the team had been practising pulling back to quickly assist the defenders whilst the defenders practised delaying and quickly clearing the ball back to the midfield to allow for a quick counter attack. The team had been practising its positions to prevent leaving gaps between the midfield and defence that would leave an opening that their opponents could exploit. The midfielders have been practising their positions for covering and assisting the defence with the wing backs Opsal and Ojlan having the most endurance testing roles on the entire team, moving up and down the pitch to assist both attack and defence to give the team the flexibility that it needs if it wants to progress furthur.

The team dosen't seem concerned about their next match against Essalanea but they don't appear over confident either. Only when that final whistle blows will we see which team will go through.

by Daniel Damme in Saintes
26 July 2019 - 1444h
SAINTES – The Santonian national football team is playing the Syrixian football team at Jårnbrau Stadium tomorrow. “Doughnut Thief” has been selected to start against Saintonge’s neighbours.

“Doughnut thief”
“Doughnut Thief” is the new nickname forward Matthieu-Donatien Kerbriant gained last week after the Red Devils won their first game. On his usual nickname “Doughnut” (and “Kerby”), internet commenters added: “Le Larron” – “the Thief”, in reference to his repeated attempts at stealing of the ball from the opposing team:

Jacques-Clément Plantard #ViveLesDiablesRouges
@JacclePlantard

DOUGHNUT, LE LARRON!

#coupedumonde2019

REFLUTTS ~ FAVORITES
235,669 ~ 751,256

07:48 PM - 20 July 2019

Click to expand...

Anne-Katrine Oppsberg-Fromentières
@AKOppsberg

“Doughnut Thief.” Mmmmm.

#coupedumonde2019

REFLUTTS ~ FAVORITES
122,025 ~ 441,512

08:00 PM - 20 July 2019

Click to expand...

Ingrid Birgitta Brunkløft
@lovelove2000

This Saintonge player’s stealing skills are so great. Whoever you are, you can steal my heart anytime, mon cher <3 <3 <3

#coupedumonde2019

REFLUTTS ~ FAVORITES
30,215 ~ 130,225

06:15 PM - 20 July 2019

Click to expand...

“Menace Across the Water”
Saintonge is going to play Syrixia tomorrow at Jårnbrau Stadium, site of the Red Devils’ disaster against Prydania last 12 July. Saintonge is going to enter the game an underdog against the Syrixians, who emerged undefeated at the top of Group E. Of course, some people did not fail to notice the historical resemblance.

Charles-Kieran Froidevaux-Hurley
@CKFHurley

This is going to be more than football. It is going to put the Syrixians back in their place. Drive The Menace back across the Water!

#coupedumonde2019

REFLUTTS ~ FAVORITES
18,555 ~ 75,484

09:12AM - 26 July 2019

Click to expand...

Saintonge and Syrixia are on the opposite sides of the North Meterran Sea, and the expansionist, imperialist historical policy of Syrixia is largely viewed with suspicion in Saintonge, Syrixia’s nearest neighbour in Meterra. In Saintonge, “the Menace across the Water” is a common metaphor for Syrixia, coined and popularised by anti-imperialist poet Lambert-Frédéric Tardereau in 1866.

Energetic start
Coach Frédéric Janvion is most likely to put in an energetic team, with midfielder trio of Jonathan Jeandupeux (who had now been allowed to play), Jérôme-Thibault Jasseron, and Daniel-Florent Pajot being a potential formidable combination; they will be complemented by Alan-Childéric Goff.

At the front will be the same power forwards of Tristan-Lambert Saint-Huile, Kévin-Ardouin Cremillieux, and Matthieu-Donatien “Doughnut Thief” Kerbriant. All three may menace the menace across the water.

At the back will be Charles-Adam Witz, Albéric Barreau, and Joël-Gilbert Duranton, to try to stymie any chance of the Syrixians menacing the goal guarded by Bruno-Patrice Cuisance. It will be an exciting match.

translation by Hunter Kidlington de Collobrières
26 July 2019 - 2032h

Delete pls

SPORTSNET-Big Blue beats Skanda 4-1 at Vannington Field in first match of Ro16
Thor Andreasson -- July 26, 2019
HOSEN SÆG, HYSENDE- Hosen Sæg's Vannington Field was bustling with excitement as Big Blue took on Skanda in the first elimination match of the 2019 World Cup. Taking down Skanda by a margin of three points, Big Blue managed to show another impressive victory in the tournament, as it works its way forwards.

Team Captain Admusson, who scored goal number 4, commented to GRK Sportsnet that the team is "one rung higher on the ladder of victory" after today's match, and that they were going to "keep practicing as the next match approaches."

The team will be returning to the practice fields in Grønmark, Gojannesstad, NY, as they await their challenger for the next match. Every game from here on out matters, as it is sudden death elimination.

As always, you can stay updated on www.grk.gj/sportsnet, and games will be streaming live on GåGRK, GRK1 and GRKSport. The complete schedule of all games, as well as real-time results, can be found here at this official link to the CEFA website.

Lessons Learned, Prydania Defeated
Ashlynn Hillaire
July 27th, 2019

After a three nothing loss to Ulstome in a show of care-free, overconfident play, the Lancerian national team needed to learn a lesson. With Group D winner Prydania set up as their first do-or-die opponent, they needed to take this tournament seriously, or face elimination.

And they did.

It wasn't an easy game, either. Any moment of the carelessness they showed vs. Ulstome would have been enough to tip the scales against them early and quickly but instead the team came out ready to play serious football from the first minute. They played calm and cool, taking calculated risks and responding to Prydanian offence with solid shut down plays. Each team made good plays and better shots. Séurier FC star defender Fabrice Laurent was especially effective, making it difficult for the Prydanian squad to get to the spots they wanted, taking away valuable space. In the 2nd half, he also got to a ball that had barely beaten goaltender Alfred Grenier, set to trickle into the net had it not been for Laurent's effort to beat an opposing forward to the ball and kick it wide.

And so, after regulation time the score still read 0:0. Into overtime they went, trading close chances at either end in rapid succession. Fast-paced, hearts beating hard for every fan watching some of the greatest football of 2019. Forward Guerin Gaudreau would eventually go on to score the goal that would put Lancerian over the top.

The team was ecstatic after their win, defeating the Prydanian powerhouse, setting them up for a match vs Predice on July 31st at Admiral Fannin Arena. Predice finished 2nd in Group A behind Goyanes and defeated Ceretis 1-0 in their first knockout game.

Quote of the game: "We weren't going to make the same mistake again, and we didn't." - Lancerian Midfielder Antoine Lecavilleur

In the otherwise empty stands of the field set aside for the Lancerian practice that day a boy, son of defender Lothair Royer, watches the team eagerly with a little notebook. He tries memorizing and writing down all the drills, all the ways Mac Rebenac and Troy Goulet approach and kick the ball. How Alfred Grenier, surely destined for the Lancerian Football Hall Of Fame in his own right, stops the shots, where he's lost a step. How his own dad counters the star forwards and takes away their plays.

The team regroups near the bench, the boy flips a page and begins scribbling as fast as he can as coach Royden Dupéré makes a speech.

"We've defeated Prydania. They were a good team. That's an accomplishment we should all be proud of, but it's a drop in the bucket. It's just one step on the journey it takes to win this tournament. Today's practice is another such step, as will tomorrow's. We've improved, we've learned our lesson."

The coach pauses and makes a few pointed looks, but makes no comment.

"Predice is our next match and they won't be an easy opponent either. No team will be from here on out. Every goal will be necessary to winning, whether it gives us the edge or the comfortable lead. At any time any team can come back from the brink, from a serious hole, to show us up. We need to remember that."

He kneels in front of the team.

"We have the potential here, gentlemen. We have what it takes, I can feel it. It's time to seize the opportunity, to do the folks back home proud. We must keep our focus. We must keep our composure. How we played against Prydania? That's how we do this. Calm and collected. Calculated. Let's keep playing the thinking man's game."

He stands up again.

"Be ready gentlemen! Same time tomorrow! Go home, get some rest. I'll see you then."

The boy finishes scribbling the last sentence and throws his notebook in his backpack. He sprints along his most efficient route to the player's exit and watches each member pass with awe.

"Yves!" The boy chases after his dad.

RAP.pe

Predice to face Lanceria. Coach says "A very hard game is ahead of us"

GOJANESSTAD, NY, GOYANES - After Predice's victory over Ceretis 1-0, Predice must face a football giant; Lanceria. Despite this, many believe that Predice can knock Lanceria out of the cup. The Golden Eagles' coach has reassured the people, that Predice can in fact beat Lanceria but that the game ahead will be very tough. Should Predice knock Lanceria out, then Predice would have a great shot at winning the cup. The stakes are high, and Predice prepares to face this opponent in the Admiral Fanin Arena. This all or nothing game could end Predice's journey right here. Many experts expect a Predicean defeat, despite that, however Predice knows that it has to win. It shall be a tough game for both sides.

NUEVO ANTOFAGOSTA TIMES

Predice now prepares to face Lanceria. How did Predice get here?

GOJANNESTAD, NY, GOYANES - As Predice prepares to face Lanceria, let's recap Predice's arrival to this point.
Predice's first game against Goyanes was a surprising 3-3 upset. Following that was a 3-1 victory for Predice over Xentherida. Then a surprising 2-0 loss to Ascalon. That however mattered little. Predice came second in its group and faced Ceretis. After a hard game Predice won 1-0. So what now? Predice faces a knockout with Lanceria. Should this be a Predicean victory, then Predice would get into the half final. An incredebly hard road faces Predice, yet hope remains. With both sides knowing that they will face a knockout, both sides will play ferociously.

SPORTSNET-Big Blue gets ready to face off against Essalanea in Naderfjord
Markus Jaktstein -- July 30, 2019
NADERFJORD, NYHETT- Big Blue arrived today in Naderfjord to get ready for the quarterfinal game against Essalanea tomorrow at Rynoven-Radisson Stadium. They were seen practicing at the facilities at Nyhett College, working on various drills and their offensive and defensive formations.

Coach Hannan commented to GRK Sportsnet that he was "very excited to have come this far," and that they need to "keep on chopping" if they want to make it to the finals. He gave his press conference at the gallery room inside RR Stadium, the venue for tomorrow's game.

RR Stadium is one of the biggest in Goyanes, but slightly smaller than the Vannington Stadium, which is also located in Naderfjord. The city authorities have been planning for the game, and are releasing additional traffic control officers and railway police officers to help manage the flow of fans through the city's thoroughfares. The U-Baner is allotting several more trains per hour on the routes that are expected to be most crowded, allowing for 90 second headways between trains to ease congestion as quickly as possible.

The Warden (Mayor) of Naderfjord stated to GRK that the city is ready to handle the influx of people for the big game, and that he is "ready to cheer on Big Blue with the rest of Naderfjord."

As always, you can stay updated on www.grk.gj/sportsnet, and games will be streaming live on GåGRK, GRK1 and GRKSport. The complete schedule of all games, as well as real-time results, can be found here at this official link to the CEFA website.

---

by Prakash Patel in Pataliputra
July 27, 2000

---

---

With only 8 teams remaining in the 2000 World Cup, the Lions continued to impress both audiences and analysts alike. As predicted, the Empire smoked Callise 6-1 on the 19th. After the first half, the game was tied, but thanks to rising star Sasalak, the Lions came back strong, scoring 5 goals on the fatigued Callisean team. Sasalak, who joined the Lions two years ago, has widely been considered a rising star in Imperial soccer.

The Lions' unprecedented luck held against Saintonge, as, alongside team captain Rohan Sharma, Sasalak led the team to a close victory against the Red Devils. With Saintonge up by two points in the first half, the Lions performed another strong comeback, scoring three goals while Saintonge scored only one. With the game tied, the game went into extra time, where nothing changed; leading to the commencement of penalty kicks.

Initially, Sharma was chosen by coach Suresh Reddy to kick for the Empire, but he declined, nominating Sasalak to kick instead. What followed was nothing short of a blowout, with Sasalak scoring 5 goals to the Red Devils' 3. During the post-game press conference, Reddy surprised everyone in attendance- as well as everyone watching- by naming Sasalak the new team captain. Reception was universally positive for the decision.

"I'm part of a long line of Lions captains who've been passing the torch, so to say. I'm proud of what I've been able to do, but we've all been waiting for the 'chosen one', so to speak; a true successor to Balwant Singh's legacy. Sasalak's that guy." Sharma responded when asked for comment. "He can rev up and unite the team like no other- I think he's a born leader, on and off the field. And his skill? It makes everyone else in that locker room blink twice."

As the Empire advances to the quarterfinals, the Lions are now faced with possibly their toughest challenge yet: the Roaring Ibis, the national team of Naizerre. The homeland of soccer itself, Naizerre has always been a titan in the sport. The Empire's game against Naizerre will be played on Thursday, August 1st, and will be available on IBC and GBK; as well as all associated networks, along with VidCast.

Translation by Vijay Dongre
July 27, 2000

---

Biro Addo doesn't return to his childhood neighbourhood often. Like most of Wangen, his neighbourhood was part of the deku, slum districts that many grew up in. In abject poverty and with school still costing money to attend at the time, education wasn't an option for the majority of Wangen's children and so most days were spent playing football in the streets or making a little money picking up rubbish and helping maintain the makeshift structures that passed for housing.

The youngest in a family of nine, Biro was short for his age and that's something that he never grew out of, so he developed other traits and became useful around the neighbourhood. He could squeeze in between buildings and walls with ease, getting to hard to reach places and scavenging whatever was useful. Biro's father was abusive and he refuses to discuss it, but it was bad enough that much of Biro's early life was spent outside, playing soccer and doing odd jobs.

There are, Biro tells me, three ways to get out of the deku - sport, crime or the military. Too small for the military and out right refusing to get involved in crime, largely due to values his mother instilled in him, sport was the only way. He played soccer for hours on end, honing his skills without actual boots, on dirt pitches and hard concrete, as many others who now play for Naizerre's top teams. The skilful, mobile style that Biro Addo's team Invicta play was born on these pitches, honed by street footballers across Naizerre. it's a style far removed from the crash ball of traditional Naizerri soccer, but one that's increasingly popular.

Soccer scouts for all teams watch the deku games. It was recently revealed that some scouts, working for a number of prominent youth academies, kept a database of players as young as 5, highlighting potential stars of the future. The government is looking at reforms to the process, with activists accusing clubs and academies of predatory behaviour, pressuring parents into release their children into the custody of these organisations.

Biro was one of those children. He tells a story of how, at age 9, he was 'signed' by the now defunct Pro Soccer Academy in Babâko. Hundreds of kilometres from Wangen, the last time he saw either of his parents before their deaths was on the day he left. His father received 700 metens for the image and sponsorship rights to his son - a deal that led to the scout receiving a large portion of the proceeds from most of Biro's early career. A court case brought by the fledgling players union eventually resulted in all pre-adulthood revenue sharing deals being abolished.

Once at PSA, Biro quickly became aware of how competitive sports academies were. Being unable to read or write he initially struggled with the academic work, but eventually caught up. Physically he was smaller than most in his age group, and this continued well into his teens. Team photos from his spell in the Under-17s side at the academy feature a 14 year old Biro, standing barely 5 foot tall, lining up alongside another child prodigy - 15 year old Kuma Kwame, who was 6 ft 2 at the time. Kuma now stands at around 6 ft 10, and plays in the centre of Naizerre's midfield, feeding his former academy mate.

"Kwame is a good friend, probably the only one I had at PSA. He took a liking to the short, skinny kid who lit up defenders in training and didn't know how to spell his own name. I got through some stuff thanks to him, and I'm glad to play with him for the Roaring Ibis."

Biro's height eventually became a problem for the PSA, and he was cut prior to his 16th birthday, being told he was too short to be attractive to the majority of crash ball playing Naizerri teams.

Enter Femi Edu.

Femi Edu was a professional footballer who never achieved much as a player in Naizerre, but a brief sojourn to perennial league challengers Rotslo in Ulstome exposed him to something that was alien to Naizerri football - a style of play that was much more technical and passing based than crashball. Under Henric Paverson, Rotslo won four league titles in a row, playing a style influenced by Ulstome coaching legend Ericson Noville.

Eric-ball, as some have coined it, focuses much more on good ball movement and exploiting the half spaces that superior passing and off the ball play create than the wing play focused crash ball. Edu finished his career at Invicta and in 2007 became their youth development director - his first act was to revamp the entire style of play the youth teams played.

Creating a new playing identity based on Eric-ball that was adhered to up and down the entire system. Teams as young as the U10s were playing the kind of football considered largely alien to Naizerre. Edu's scouts searched far and wide across Naizerre for players cast aside by teams and academies for not being suitable for crash ball. One of these players was Biro Addo.

"I remember my first meeting with Femi. Kwame gave my name to his cousin Afe who worked as a scout for Invicta and I got invited to a trial game. I was still the shortest guy there, a foot shorter than the defenders I was going up against. We tried playing the typical Naizerre style and I got to maybe one cross, before Femi had a word with the coach. We switched to something really unfamiliar to many of the players, but I and a few others recognised it - it's very similar to the ball we played in the deku, but smarter, more team orientated. We switched, I played well and he pulled me aside after the game and offered me a contract. I was 16 and had signed for one of the most storied teams in the nation."

And storied Invicta was - the first and only team to go undefeated in a season, hence the name, Invicta had fallen on hard times and was a second tier side. But bit by bit, with promising players like Kader Kita and Kofi Obe, they were improving at the youth level and when coach Tigre left to manage SuperSport United, Femi Edu was promoted to team manager.

A new, community based board had just taken over the club, and aided by its membership and some shrewd business - academy graduate Olujimi Udo was sold to SuperSport for a then record fee of 33 million meten - he achieved promotion at the first time of asking, with Biro becoming a rotation player with excellent returns, 13 goals in 23 appearances, 17 of those from the bench. SuperSport tried to sign him that summer, with the intent to convert him into a winger or attacking midfielder, but the deal was never likely. Biro had become a cult favourite at Invicta and bêdono (small hammer) as he was known became a started the season.

He rewarded the faith Invicta and Edu paid in him in kind - 30 goals in his first full season as Invicta announced themselves back at the top of the game. Eric-ball - or deku ball as some Invicta fans termed it - brought a 3rd placed finish and a cup final, they lost that but cup glory would come the next season and a league title the one after.

Biro might not visit his home neighbourhood often, but he still recognises his roots, and now approaching the prime of his career he has started his own foundation to help the dekus, both in Wangen and Babâko. The Biro Addo Foundation provides free education and training in trades, as well as boasting it's own sports program, headquartered in the old campus of the Professional Soccer Academy, and is partnered with Invicta itself. Femi Edu moved upwards to become Technical Director after 10 glory laden seasons at Invicta, but his ideology is still present in the club, from the youth teams all the way to the first team.

Influenced by foreign concepts but born out of the football they played in the deku, Biro Addo brings everything Invicta - and national team manager Jardel - wants out of a leading striker - and he even learnt how to get on the end of those crosses. As Naizerre heads into a quarter final clash with Syrixia, Biro Addo is at the top of his game.

It had been less than a day since the Goyanes game, despite being knocked out the clan's mood was celebratory. De Goldi had taken a ragtag team from a third world nation and carried them to the semi-finals, they had only lost on a point deficit. However he would not be joining his team for the parties in Neuanfang just yet, he had something to do first.

Enrico struck a match and lit his cigar before doing the same for his passenger, Azanah Kadash took a long drag before exhaling. The former Astragonese coach appeared a far cry from his normal self, he was unshaven and the bags under his eyes were visible after many sleepless nights. Kadash was a young man in his early 30's but he looked more like a shellshocked old war veteran.

'Was I a bad coach?' Kadash asked after a long silence

De Goldi tapped his cigar into the ashtray and then replied wearily 'No Azanah, you just had the shit luck of being born in a fucked-up country' Enrico said tapping the man on the shoulder

'What now then?' Azanah asked

'Now I drive you to the Predicean embassy, hope you like greatest hits of the Basaglieri band because I'm not changing the disk' Enrico said cigar perched between his lips

At 75 Enrico De Goldi was in the golden years of his life, he had captained countless teams, raised four girls and two sons and married the love of his life, he had by any measure succeeded in the game of existence. Would he have driven a wanted man to safe harbor years before? probably, De Goldi wasn't one to shirk away from doing the right thing, the difference was now in his dotage he could probably get away with it.

'What about your family?' Enrico asked as he stubbed out his cigar

'In Iraelia, safe, told them to leave the country after the second game went south' Azanah said in a relived voice

De Goldi nodded and started the car, the old Predicean four-seater purred into life with only the slightest rattle, he had enough money for a top of the line sports car but De Goldi always preferred the family vehicle to anything extravagant. He touched the Messianist cross hanging from the mirror and said a quick prayer, something to the effect of ' God forgive a stupid old man for doing something entirely in character' and then pressed his foot down on the pedal.

'arent you worried about angering the empire!?' Azanah said trying to make himself heard over the loud noise of the engine

'Im 75 and a proud son of Predice, the empire can kiss my arse!' De Goldi replied as he weaved through traffic

Behind them several black sedans began to follow far too closely to be anything other than a tail, De Goldi raced across the bridge, the Predicean embassy was close, just a few blocks from the apartment De Goldi was renting. He just had to get Azanah there and the diplomatic service would do the rest.

'Do me a favor Azanah, keep your head down! They shoot me its a diplomatic incident! they shoot you tragic accident!' he yelled as he floored the gas on the old four-seater

He chuckled as the family car raced over the bridge, he had bought it for school runs and now he was using it to aid and abet fugitive coaches, as the Basiglieri trumpets thumped on the old Stereo De Goldi couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

'You okay Enrico?!' Azanah asked in a worried tone

'Just enjoying the humor of life Az!' he said with a rare grin

The Astragonese were stuck a few meters back, traffic was heavy in the capital of Goyanes, De Goldi had been counting on it. The Embassy loomed ahead, an old block of classical buildings with the Predicean flag hanging from the balcony 'Home Free!'

De Goldi pulled into the vacant parking spot and put the car into neutral before opening his door and running to Azanah's side, he opened the Astragonese coaches door and held out a hand.

'The last step now Kadash, keep behind me and head for the door, don't look back, I wouldn't be surprised if they were looking for a clean shot' he said helping Kadash out of the car

The two men moved slowly towards the embassy doors, eventually, after what seemed like an eternity Kadash moved through the rotating glass door and towards freedom.

'THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!' Azanah said tears streaming

De Goldi placed a comforting hand on the sobbing man's shoulders 'You are safe now, least I could do for a fellow coach, come see us in Modesto when you get chance, the kids would love the meet my old friend' he said as a smile spread across his wrinkled face

Kadash nodded emphatically 'I will, I owe you my life and my families! I can never repay you!' He said shaking De Goldi's hand

'Go on now, the Ambassador is waiting, I pulled some strings and you should be in Predice in a few hours' De Goldi said

Kadash nodded and headed for the elevator, De Goldi waved and then turned to head outside, the open air was cool and De Goldi immediately felt the chill, he put a cigar to his lips and lit it with a match, the smoke felt good in the morning cold. Two cars, black and unmarked pulled up and several men in equally dark suits jumped out and approached him.

'The Traitor is indoors! You will regret this! The Exalt Empire will ensure it!' a short man in shades and a business suit yelled as they piled back into their cars

'Your empire can kiss my Predicean ass! Sei uno stronzo!' he said putting emphasis on the last word and flicking his hand across his chin towards the fleeing spies in traditional insult

The black sedans sped off almost as quickly as they had arrived, once they were gone De Goldi grinned and took a locked celebratory drag on his cigar.

'Sir, you can't smoke here' A Goyanean policeman said tapping Enrico on the shoulder

'Im on Predicean soil!' he said pointing to the embassy steps 'So you can fuck off too!'

De Goldi chuckled as the bemused officer walked away

'Maybe the clans are rubbing off on me' he thought mischievously


Nothing egregious, but I'd like to be notified before you just have a car chase through my nation, roleplay my police officers, and worldbuild the architecture and infrastructure of my capital without my permission. It doesn't matter if the World Cup is in Goyanes, I did not grant permission for everyone to do anything they want. I'll let it slide for now though.

This goes for everyone, and is a general PSA on permission/godmodding.

~Goy

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Supervised by Smita Patel
July 27, 2000

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Pranav Sharma
@PranavSharma

The Lions' luck has held against Saintonge with an incredibly close game decided in penalties; but coming up next, our Lions are up against the infamous Roaring Ibis of Naizerre! What are the odds, guys? #IBCWorldCup

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12:25 AM - July 27, 2019

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Anand Narasimhan
@ANarasimhan

I'm gonna be real- if we can pull this off it'll be a damn miracle. Naizerre is FEARED in this sport. #IBCWorldCup

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81,583 ~ 102,693

12:25 AM - July 27, 2019

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Ravish Kumar
@RavKumar

This is true. Not only is Naizerre consistently one of the best teams on the world stage, but it is the homeland of the game itself; and on top of all that, they have Biro Addo. #IBCWorldCup

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78,285 ~ 117,524

12:26 AM - July 27, 2019

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Anand Narasimhan
@ANarasimhan

Biro Addo is the Naizerri Sasalak. He'll be a tough nut to crack for sure. Came from nothing, scored like a maniac with the Naizerri club Invicta, and is now Jardel's star player. #IBCWorldCup

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77,361 ~ 109,258

12:26 AM - July 27, 2019

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Ravish Kumar
@RavKumar

When it comes to the odds, analysts have put them about neck and neck, and I myself fully agree with that statement. The Lions have Sasalak. The Roaring Ibis has Addo. Both teams won their groups. This is anyone's game, and it's going to be dirty. #IBCWorldCup

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78,245 ~ 107,548

12:27 AM - July 27, 2019

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Pranav Sharma
@PranavSharma

This is true. I'm sure we're all excited to see how it goes! The game will be played on Thursday, August 1. #IBCWorldCup

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79,284 ~ 119,356

12:27 AM - July 27, 2019

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SPORTSNET-Goyanes barely scrapes past Essalanea; prepares for match against Lanceria August 6th;
Gottfreid Norberg -- August 1, 2019
NADERFJORD, NYHETT- Goyanes is preparing for a full blown offensive on Tuesday at Kønør Field in Gojannesstad, after barely scraping by on penalties against Essalanea. Now Big Blue will have to face off against Lanceria, which has made a strong performance thus far in the 2019 Cup.

After the match, the Essalanean coach De Goldi was seen making haste for Gojannesstad, separate from his players, who had departed for Neuanfang from Naderfjord's Kristian Heidelberg Airport. He was chased by various unmarked cars belonging to the Astragonese government to the Predicean Embassy where he took the Astragonese soccer coach to claim asylum. The drivers of the cars, who were Astragonese government operatives, were arrested by the Gojannesstad detachment of the GNP on charges of reckless driving.

Coach Hannan refused to comment regarding coach De Goldi's journey to the embassy, but he did mention that he "wishes him the best." He did comment on the teams performance, saying that "we must continue to practice if we want to make it to the final."

Team Captain Admusson declined to comment after the game, but striker Harald Nyberg said that the team would "be working very hard to ensure a good game on Tuesday."

As always, you can stay updated on www.grk.gj/sportsnet, and games will be streaming live on GåGRK, GRK1 and GRKSport. The complete schedule of all games, as well as real-time results, can be found here at this official link to the CEFA website.

Vincent Küpfer –– 1 August 2019

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GOJANNESSTAD, NY, GOYANES –– Highton has been eliminated from the 2019 CEFA World Cup following a shootout loss against a very good Andrennian team. The national team had a very good start as expected, winning all three group matches without conceding a goal, setting up a second-round tie against Ascalon. Despite falling behind 2-0 early on, Alexís led a second-half rally to level it at two apiece. In a game which eventually went to penalties, 16-year-old prodigy Arne Havenstein put away the winning shot to send Highton to the quarterfinal with Andrenne.

The Vikings dominated the opening half. Highton was without key players such as Joseph Vard and Fernando Rossi due to injuries picked up against Ascalon, who was replaced by Samy Chase and Arne Havenstein. The opening goal came in the 33rd minute when Sven Konyrsson took advantage of a mistake by Francis Júnior to make it 1-0. It was Highton’s biggest tactical weakness. It had been exposed by Valamo in a pre-tournament friendly, by Ascalon in the previous match, and now by Andrenne.

Highton was knocking on the door for most of the second half but could not get the final touch away. The Blue Cocos had a chance in the 80th minute to find an equalizer when Alexís’ cross was headed goal bound by Havenstein, but it was pushed wide by Giorgij Vaaldernyn. The captain set up the corner kick, which remarkably curled into the back post for an olympico. The ninety minutes ended with a 1-1 score, as did the end of extra time following the thirty-minute additional period.

After advancing to this stage in a penalty shootout, Highton had reason to be confident. Alexís, as captain, volunteered to take the first penalty. Widely considered the world’s best, he was expected to make the shot but it skied over the bar. Andrenne responded by scoring their first penalty. After Emil Galeta converted, Checker responded by tying the shootout when he saved the Andrennian kick. After Jordaan Brown and Franz Müller both scored, it was 3-3 going into the final kick. The young Havenstein took the fifth kick, and after a short run-up hit the ball right and off the woodwork. Ilja Yyrdisjov stepped up to win the game for Andrenne and duly delivered tucking the penalty out of Checker’s reach. The Blue Cocos were out.

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by Prakash Patel in Pataliputra
August 1, 2000

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In what many analysts have described as one of the biggest upsets in the history of professional sports, the Empire has bested the homeland of soccer- Naizerre- widely considered one of the best countries at the sport- in a hard-fought and close 4-3 game. The game, which was tied in the first half, was a true battle of titans- on one side, Naizerre's star striker Biro Addo, and on the other, Sasalak, the Lions' star midfielder. The game was hailed by many as a clash between "the unstoppable force and the immovable object", though as it turned out, the unstoppable force was indeed stoppable.

What followed in the second half was nothing short of a proverbial bloodbath. Goals were scored back and forth, with Gurpreet Singh and former captain Rohan Sharma scoring two for the Empire while Sasalak did his best to put up a strong wall against Addo's onslaught. By the 84th minute, the game was still deadlocked at 3-3, until what can only be described as a miracle occurred. Sasalak, thinking quickly, jumped into the air to block a shot by Addo; the ball found its way to the ground and before Addo's teammates could get to it, Sasalak had kicked it to Sharma, who scored the game-winning goal.

Only four teams remain in what is shaping up to be one of the most shocking World Cups in soccer history: the hosts, Goyanes; as well as Lanceria, Andrenne, and the Empire itself. Though Lanceria is widely known as a prolific soccer country, as well as Goyanes to a similar degree, both Andrenne and the Empire are dark horses to make it this far. Perhaps, then, as many have rumored, it is fate that they will be next up to face off in the semifinals. With a strong Andrennian defense and a strong Imperial offense, only time will tell whether the Lions will be able to achieve the unthinkable and make it to the finals.

The Empire's game against Andrenne will be played on Tuesday, August 6th, and will be available on IBC and GBK; as well as all associated networks, along with VidCast.

Translation by Vijay Dongre
August 1, 2000

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Supervised by Smita Patel
August 1, 2000

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Pranav Sharma
@PranavSharma

I'm here in Naderfjord at Rokfjord Stadium; the Lions fans in the crowd are electric at what just happened! What an amazing jump by Sasalak we just witnessed! #IBCWorldCup

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80,284 ~ 112,592

5:48 PM - August 1, 2019

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Anand Narasimhan
@ANarasimhan

The best part is Suresh Reddy's face. He's absolutely fucking dumbfounded. I mean, we all are. I love it. #IBCWorldCup

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79,285 ~ 108,257

5:48 PM - August 1, 2019

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Pranav Sharma
@PranavSharma

This is true! The game was hard-fought: a strong deadlock persisted between the two teams until minutes before the end! Biro Addo was at the top of his game, but so was Sasalak, and he made the right moves today! #IBCWorldCup

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77,395 ~ 119,952

5:49 PM - August 1, 2019

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Ravish Kumar
@RavKumar

The question now, though, gentlemen, is what lies ahead. Much of this World Cup has been defined by groundbreaking innovation in play technique from various teams. 2000 will be a year to remember in the history of soccer, all things considered. #IBCWorldCup

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82,496 ~ 111,525

5:49 PM - August 1, 2019

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Anand Narasimhan
@ANarasimhan

Next you'll say, "and one of those dark horse teams is Andrenne." #IBCWorldCup

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84,247 ~ 108,226

5:50 PM - August 1, 2019

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Ravish Kumar
@RavKumar

Well played. Andrenne has had the same impeccable luck we've had, and they've been working on their technique too. By the admission of Joakim Aarnveldiir, the head coach of the Vikings, Andrenne's national team, not only do they have a strong defense and prolific goalkeeping skills, but they're working on improving their offense; a department they're less prolific in than the others. #IBCWorldCup

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79,196 ~ 123,285

5:50 PM - August 1, 2019

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Anand Narasimhan
@ANarasimhan

We'll have to hope that Andhere Prabhu has done a good enough job of ensuring that the Lions are at the top of their game, then; so our offense can break through the wall they're going to be putting up. #IBCWorldCup

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84,285 ~ 127,386

5:51 PM - August 1, 2019

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Pranav Sharma
@PranavSharma

I'm sure he has, but we'll have to tune in to find out! The game will be played on Tuesday, August 6th. #IBCWorldCup

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78,385 ~ 120,273

5:51 PM - August 1, 2019

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SPORTSNET-Kønør Field preparing for massive turnout to semifinal game
Elias Sjoll -- August 4, 2019
GOJANNESSTAD, NYHETT- Goyanes' largest stadium is getting ready for one of the largest-turnout games of the entire world cup. Goyanes will be taking on Lanceria for a spot in the final match of the tournament. The stadium, which is owned by Imperial College, one of Goyanes' most prestigious universities, is quite far from campus, but it's its home field nonetheless. Made to handle the toughest of crowds, this concrete and metal beast will become one of the loudest places in Goyanes as fans cheer on Big Blue.

The station on the Gojannesstad U-Baner for the stadium will be patrolled by more than 100 staff, working various positions such as managing the flow of people and ensuring safety near the tracks and around the trains. SVKGojannesstad, the city's public transit agency, says that tickets to the stadium bought from agents and vending machines between now and the day of the game will be half price, allowing more people to take the train to the game.

Fans have been arriving from all over Goyanes, some camping out in the parking facilities outside the stadium, others at hotel rooms in Gojannesstad, but one thing is clear, Gojannesstad's railway termini have been full of people moving around for the games. Gojan Jårnbaner, the national railway company, stated that this year's World Cup is the "busiest travel season ever in the history of GJ, with people moving from city to city en masse." They say all transportation infrastructure has functioned perfectly so far.

Sports analysts say that Goyanes has a fighting chance against Lanceria, so we'll all see how the game turns out Tuesday. Until then, you can stay updated on www.grk.gj/sportsnet, and games will be streaming live on GåGRK, GRK1 and GRKSport. The complete schedule of all games, as well as real-time results, can be found here at this official link to the CEFA website.

Aachen SV
@AachenerSV

Willkommen in Aachen, Großer Bär!

Der essalaner nationalspieler Atta Hureg hat einen wechsel zum Aachen SV vollzogen!

#WillkommenAtta

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2,622 ~ 9,589

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Gojannesstad- The Prydanian National Team may have been eliminated via a hard-fought 1-0 loss in the Round of Sixteen to Lanceria, but interest in the World Cup is still high. Why? Well, history. Syrixia plays Andrenne in the Semi-finals in a match-up deemed "The Third Nordic-Imperial War."
The Syrixian Empire fought the UKAG in the First Nordic-Imperial War, winning. The combined Nordic powers- no longer unified- later defeated the Syrixian Empire in the Second Nordic-Imperial War in the 19th century.
These days relations between Andrenne and Syrixia are far more benevolent, but that hasn't stopped some around Prydania from referring to this match-up as the third instalment in the Nordic-Imperial rivalry.

"I think, even though we lost, a lot of us are still rooting for Andrenne because they're family" Jannik Lange, owner of the Stag's Cask bar- a popular destination of football fans in Beaconsviði-, said.
"And of course, against the Syrixians it's easy to make that comparison to those wars."

Even Prydanian team captain Peter Bach got in on it.
"You know, we lost. That stings, it really does. Because we think we're better than that...but you know what? The Syrixians won one, and the Nords won the other war. It's up to Andrenne to win the rubber match. Come on Andrensk!"

Whatever the result, the winner will face Goyanes in the final game of the tournament.

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by Prakash Patel in Pataliputra
August 5, 2000

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Rumors have been swirling for the past few weeks as the "Empire that couldn't play soccer" stunned the world again and again during this year's CEFA World Cup. The Lions continue to ride on an undefeated streak unprecedented in the history of Imperial sports- a streak that's been causing an equally unprecedented revolution in the Imperial sports industry as, for the first time since the era of Imperial treasure Balwant Singh decades ago, sales for Lions merchandise have surpassed those of the ISL.

The aforementioned rumors all have one focus: Alef, the Empire's largest tech company. As one of the major companies sponsoring the entire Cup, Alef has had a vested interest in its happenings; and it just so happened this year that those happenings include the Lions blasting up the brackets. Rumors have abounded that as the Lions have advanced more and more, Alef has entered into talks with Lions management concerning a team-specific sponsorship, which would take effect after the tournament if CEFA agreed and would be a huge financial boost to the team.

When asked for comment today at a press conference convened to address the rumors, Petropoulos stated, "I can say that talks have been initiated, but no deal has been reached, contrary to what many have said. A deal is not guaranteed, nor is CEFA's approval if one is reached. This is an extraordinarily odd situation, both for our company and for Imperial sports. But, we are absolutely happy that our team is doing so well." When asked for comment, neither Suresh Reddy nor any of the Lions players gave any.

"I'm not surprised by the premise of such a deal, nor am I that it came to this, where Akash Petropoulos all but confirmed that it may be more than just a rumor." notes IBC Sports soccer analyst Ravish Kumar. "His hand was essentially forced to make this press statement, but he would have gone forward anyway if he hadn't needed to come out early. There is what can only be called a crazed hypefest in the world of Imperial soccer. We've always had a strong domestic league, but on the world stage, we've never had that same success since decades ago when Balwant Singh led us to the title."

"What we could very well be seeing is the beginning of a new era in Imperial sports." Kumar theorizes. "Many think the ISL is more bloated now than ever, and some disgruntled fans are looking for something fresh to get excited about- and behold- not only was the Empire's second most popular sport there for them, but it was nigh-inexplicably booming. The Lions were in the right place at the right time; and with luck? They will continue to be so and snatch a once-in-a-lifetime achievement."

The Empire's game against Andrenne will be played on Tuesday, August 6th, and will be available on IBC and GBK; as well as all associated networks, along with VidCast.

Translation by Vijay Dongre
August 5, 2000

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by Prakash Patel in Pataliputra
August 5, 2000

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With our Lions continuing to practice hard for the upcoming game tomorrow against Andrenne in Gojannesstad, IBC correspondent Vijay Dongre sat down with soccer legend and former Lions captain Balwant Singh, perhaps the most famous soccer player in Imperial history, to get his perspective on where things are going for the team and what the Lions' odds are shaping up to be.

Vijay: Hello, Mr. Singh. Thank you for coming on.

Mr. Singh: You're very welcome. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's game.

Vijay: Mr. Singh, many people have been calling new team captain Sasalak the "next Balwant Singh". How does that make you feel?

Mr. Singh: I'm sure you've heard this enough, but there's no reason why I should ever not be grateful, so I will say it anyway; and that is that it's a true honor to hear things like that. You know, I played my very best out there all those years ago, and I loved every second. I think Sasalak has that same fire I did in my youth. He is a genius.

Vijay: How do you think he and the rest of the team will do against Andrenne's Vikings tomorrow?

Mr. Singh: It's been said a lot, but Andrenne's defense is robust. We have the offense to counter, though, and our defense is, I would argue, just as strong, both on the side of the defense itself as well as when it comes to midfielders like Sasalak. The guy's at the top of his game. All in all I think we'll do fine, but I don't think it will be a blowout.

Vijay: Do you think there are any Andrennian players in specific that the team ought to watch out for?

Mr. Singh: Definitely the goalkeeper, Johann Vestarsson. If the Andrennian defense is a wall, Vestarsson is the cornerstone. The Lions' attack has to be vicious and swift, like the wind. They have to wear him down and cross his eyes.

Vijay: That's true; and I think we all hope they can do that. Thank you, Mr. Singh.

Mr. Singh: My pleasure. It's going gold, as they say! *laughs*

The Empire's game against Andrenne will be played on Tuesday, August 6th, and will be available on IBC and GBK; as well as all associated networks, along with VidCast.

Translation by Sucheta Sharma
August 5, 2000

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by Prakash Patel in Pataliputra
August 5, 2000

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With the Empire now moving on to the semifinals in the 2019 CEFA World Cup, what started out as pure hype quickly turned into a tsunami of memes, with one in particular sweeping not only the Empire but the globe- the concept of the "Third Nordic-Imperial War". This appellation, given to the upcoming contest between the Lions and Andrenne's national team- the Vikings- comes straight from the history books.

In the early 1700s, the Empire fought the United Kingdoms of Andrenne and Goyanes- a personal union between the two Nordic states- in a bloody but consequential war. The Empire, through superior technology and leadership, won an unlikely victory against a numerically superior force, allowing it to establish itself as the foremost colonial power on the planet in a reign of nearly a century. This era- the apex of the Sarvasheta- would end, however, with more blood.

In 1820, adhering to its general 400-year cycle, Mt. Meru erupted. The 1820 eruption- the most recent to date- was one of the largest of the mountain's eruptions in its long history, and dealt a crippling blow to the Empire's stability, which Andrenne and Goyanes- no longer unified but certainly vengeful- exploited. By 1825, the Empire's gains during the First Nordic-Imperial War had been mostly reversed, and though it was still a world power, it was no longer a superpower.

Many Imperial historians credit the Second Nordic-Imperial War with establishing the international system of "Great Powers" that still exists today. But what does this have to do with soccer? That answer lies less in serious international rivalry and more in jest. In the modern day, the Empire and the two Nordic brothers are strong allies- with some calling their friendly relationship an unofficial tripartite pact- however, the old scores remain, in spirit, in the form of rivalries of sport.

In the history of the CEFA World Cup, the Empire has never played neither Goyanes nor Andrenne in a match ranked higher than the Round of 16. Seemingly, audiences across the globe are drawing comparisons between the historical wars and the upcoming matches as a way of adding the perfect flair to cap off what has already been a tournament of historical proportions for the World's Game; and if the Lions make it to the finals? The Third Nordic-Imperial War will continue on as the Empire fights the other half of the UKAG.

Either way, win or lose, it seems that the score will be settled one last time, and Lions fans are as excited as ever. "I feel like, in a way, it's the perfect way to culminate the World Cup. Audiences love these kinds of things." says Deepak Ambasana, restaurant manager of the famous Uchchatar Sports Bar and Grille in Pataliputra- one of many sports bars with World Cup coverage across the Empire. "It's all in good fun, of course, though I can say with confidence that we'll cream them on the field. It's going gold!"

Though it is indeed all in good fun, that hype-fuelled spirit of determination has without a doubt pervaded Imperial society from the lowest levels to the highest. Reportedly, printers have been hacked to print out "it's going gold" flyers, influencers have bought billboards and Vatsa Square jumbotron air time in order to air messages in support of the Lions, and posters telling when and on what television networks to watch the game have been put up en masse by fans.

Even celebrities from Jaywant Pandya to Abhishek Roshan have enthusiastically joined the fray, with Pandya releasing his own cover of "Gold Lion", the song that has spread like wildfire as an unofficial-official anthem for the Lions. Roshan even went so far as to have his entire set painted gold and walk onto the stage in a lion costume- an action that in it of itself spawned even more Internet memes.

When asked for comment on all the hubbub, head coach Suresh Reddy responded with a chuckle, "Both myself and the team are immensely grateful for the dedication of the fans. We couldn't have done this without them; and to them I say this: no volcanoes or viking hordes will stop us this time. The Lions will roar on to victory, first against Andrenne and then against Goyanes. The World Cup will be ours!"

The Empire's game against Andrenne will be played on Tuesday, August 6th, and will be available on IBC and GBK; as well as all associated networks, along with VidCast.

Translation by Vijay Dongre
August 5, 2000

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The "Third Nordic-Imperial War" Spirit - August 3rd, 2019
With what many Andrennians are considering their best run in decades, it's undeniable that they're not hyped up for what has been dubbed the "Third Nordic-Imperial War". Though the real rivalry between the UKAG and the Syrixian Empire is long dead the football rivalry has remained, according to interviews with the national team after their practice the other day.

The renowned Ilja Yyrdisjov, who scored the beautiful winning goal against Highton, had this to say, "The Syrixians... Are a very strong team, it's an honor to be able to play them win or lose but, of course, we're looking to beat them. We've been likened to the Royal Andrennian Army in the Second Nordic-Imperial War recently, and a lot of us have embraced the whole Third Nordic-Imperial War joke... Well it started a joke perhaps but it's really been a morale boosting spirit for tomorrow's games, honestly. We hope to make Andrenne proud tomorrow..."

Next we spoke to goalie Johann Vestarsson who's been considered the keystone of the Andrennian defense, which has been called one of the strongest defenses in the World Cup this year. "Oh, yeah, the Third-Nordic Imperial War stuff is great. Lots of pictures, lots of autographs with the 'war heroes', it's kinda funny honestly. But yeah we've totally welcomed it, we may have even gotten in a bit of trouble for playing patriotic music just a bit too loud during a post-game interview. We do apologize for that, we didn't expect the audience to bring bluetooth speakers that powerful."

So it's true that the Third Nordic-Imperial War spirit is alive and well on either side and around the world, but can the hype possibly live up to the game? We sure hope so, as does everyone else. It'll be a tough game for both teams, but whoever wins goes on to play the host themselves; Goyanes, and potentially could go on to win the World Cup. Stakes are high, hype is high, and ANN will be here to cover it all. Make sure to tune in on August 6th for one of the biggest games of the Cup.

Article by Johann Yyldirsson
Translated by Arno Kjosstira

The Prime Minister of Andrenne, Artijom van Spaarva, had attended every single Andrennian game so far in merchandise you wouldn't think of when you think of a Prime Minister. He even had his face painted on occasion, and while he was offered the more luxurious seats of the stadium he always refused. He wanted to sit next to other Andrennians, and so he actually blended in with the crowd very well. He joined in with every single chant, every single song.

Oh and of course he was now in the full Third Nordic-Imperial War spirit as well. The Syrixian game was a big one. The biggest one Andrenne had played in a long time. He'd actually been at their last game of this importance too way back in the day but that was a different story for a different time.

There was a rather large security risk of the Prime Minister sitting out in the open of course, but actually blending in with the crowd really quite helped mitigate that. It was hard to tell which fan was the Prime Minister when the Prime Minister looked like every other fan. It also helped that the security for the Prime Minister was planted in the crowd next to the Prime Minister as well. They looked like fans too, but they were ready to protect van Spaarva at any moment.

The Prime Minister made his way to the latest game with his security detail, but really they just looked like a bunch of football hooligans. They made their way to the seats they'd been given the tickets for. Not much longer until one of the largest games in recent Andrennian history started, only a few hours. This was it. The Prime Minister had only coordinated one special thing. In the case that Andrenne won? A metal version of the anthem would be played. Patriotism was important to everyone during the world cup, in the mind of most Andrennians.

Artijom van Spaarva had his face painted, and his jersey and scarf on. He was already joining in with the pregame chants and songs. He was ready to watch the Third Nordic-Imperial War.

"Våvå! Våvå, come quick, we just beat Highton!" The young man was ecstatic, Ilja Yyrdisjov had just won the winning goal via penalty kick against Highton, considered probably the best team in the world.

An old man hobbled to the television, a wrinkled hand being held to his head. "What did you just say, Artijom?"

"Våvå they did it, they won the game, they're moving onto the semi-finals against Syrixia!"

"The... The semi-finals? It's been a long time since we've gotten this far. I never thought that they would get this far again... Artijom, stay put, ja?"

"Okay, whatever you say Våvå. Just hurry back quick, they're showing the post-game interviews soon."

The old man grabbed a football scarf that looked like it was hanging on by a thread, left their quiet cabin in the middle of the Ensa woods and slowly managed to get into his quaint jalopy. It puttered off down the road, to the nearest town about 15 minutes from their cabin. When he arrived at his destination he very quietly got out with the tattered football scarf.

His surroundings were oddly peaceful despite their macabre implications. Old Aleksij didn't mind though, he'd been here many times before. He set the football scarf over the grave of Rudi van Adriansson, took a kneel with a grunt, and spoke.

"It's been awhile, Rudi. I'm sorry about that, your great nephew was a handful for some years. But I told you I'd be back if they ever got to even the semi-finals again, didn't I, brother? I guess I owe you another 50 rilva, in any case. But I'll honor it, you bastard." Despite calling him a bastard he was clearly sentimental over this man.

"They're calling the next game against the Syrixians the Third-Nordic Imperial War. It's funny, really, that they call something seemingly so small a war."

He put a hand on the grave solemnly.

"You know, I still wish it had been me instead of you. Sigrid grew up to be a great woman. She has three kids now. Even a few grandchildren. You'd be a great grandfather to them, now. I still miss you. I'll be back with your other 50 rilva soon, I promise."

He took his wallet out, and set a fresh 50 rilva bill on his grave beneath a rock so no one would steal it, before slowly pushing himself back up and back into his old jalopy. He set off back down the road to his cabin, went back inside, and donned his vintage jersey.

"Hey, Våvå, where's you scarf?"

"Oh, Artijom, I gave it to an older man that needed it more then me."

"...Whatever you say, Våvå, come on let's watch the interview! Dad should be home soon too, we can watch all of the practices and highlights together."

"Sure, Artijom, sure. So, Third Nordic-Imperial War, eh?"

"Oh yeah! It's gonna be great! It's Andrenne vs Syrixia..." The young man rambled on and Aleksij listened happily, as he always did.

Lanceria Knocked Out, Rebenac No-Shows
Juliette Harleau
August 6th, 2019

The Lancerian National team was eliminated in a hard-fought 1-0 loss to host nation Goyanes on Monday, eliminating them from the CEFA World Cup. Neck-and-neck through the first half of the game, Goyanes would go on to score a second half goal that would eventually seem them win the game.

The biggest story of the night, however, isn't want happened on the field, but what didn't happen during the game. Star forward Mac Rebenac was nowhere to be seen, much to the confusion of fans throughout Lanceria. Some speculation surrounded rumors flying on social media, but no solid answers were provided by the team or in efforts to contact Rebenac Monday night.

L'Informateur is now the first outlet to break the news of why Rebenac didn't play in Monday's game. GRK, a Goyanes' news outlet ran the headline "Goyanes barely scrapes past Essalanea; prepares for match against Lanceria August 6th" Rebenac planned for this erroneous headline and blocked away Monday as an isolated, disconnection day to clear his head before the game on the 6th. Except, of course, the game was on the 5th, and Rebenac spent the entire evening alone in a cabin with all his electronics off in a destination unknown to his teammates. While he is known to take these days, the timing of this particular 'disconnect day' was particularly unfortunate.

"He mentioned he needed a disconnect day, something he takes every so often, I just wasn't expecting it to be game day." said teammate Marc-Andre Drouin. "It was a little disappointing."

Disappointing is what many people are calling the Lancerian loss in this year's World Cup, but the attention of the nation will no doubt be recaptured ahead of the 2020 World Cup next year.

https://www.cefa.hi/vote

SPORTSNET-Misprint GRK headline causes Lancerian team star to miss game; Goyanes to face Andrenne in final
Newsdesk -- August 6, 2019
GOJANNESSTAD, NYHETT- A misprint in the last Sportsnet update resulted in star of the Lancerian team, Mac Rebenac, staying home, believing the game was today instead of yesterday. GRK has issued a full apology, and reported Elias Sjoll was let go due to this incident.

Regardless, Goyanes still put on a good show for the tens of thousands of people in attendance at Kønør Field on Monday. A tense first half resulted in no goals, but the second half was much better, with Jorgen Admusson scoring the only goal of the match, making the crowd erupt in yelling and cheering.

Admusson commented in his post-game interview that Goyanes going to the final was "unreal" and that he was "counting [his] lucky stars every day." Coach Hannan also told GRK that they expect a "good outcome" leading into the game on the tenth.

After Andrenne beat Syrixia today 3-0 in a surprise upset, the finalists for the Golden Boot were named, and Jorgen Admusson made the shortlist. He says he is "honored" to have received a spot in the finals for the award.

Kønør Field is preparing for possible the biggest event it will ever have to host, and preparations similar to those earlier last week are well underway. The stadium is expected to reach maximum capacity, and visitors are on their way from Goyanes and the world to come watch the game.

Until then, you can stay updated on www.grk.gj/sportsnet, and games will be streaming live on GåGRK, GRK1 and GRKSport. The complete schedule of all games, as well as real-time results, can be found here at this official link to the CEFA website.

Highton Fußball-bund
@highton

Der Kapitän wurde für den Golden Ball nominiert! #VoteAlexís sie über den unten stehenden link ab.

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