Saintonge 2021 World Cup | News + Results

Saintes- The 2021 World Cup is upon us, and for a few scant weeks football is set to eclipse hockey as the sports obsession of the country.

Excitement is high for the Prydanian team. A disappointing showing at the 2019 World Cup was answered with a gold medal in men's football at the 2020 Odinspyl. That success has many Prydanians excited for the national team's prospects going into Saintonge.

It has also influenced the makeup of the Prydanian team. The roster is a mix of the 2019 and 2020 rosters, with an edge going to the younger 2020 team.

"We have a lot of talented and young players. Many who proved they can win at an international level," Coach Jakob Höj remarked.
"This is a program building towards the future. The [Prydanian Football] Federation has a lot of talented young players, and we feel they give us the best chance to win and the best chance to represent what makes football in this country so great."

The national team will be based out of Valence, in Saintonge's northeast. It's in close proximity to Coire, a city of Saintonge with Prydanian roots going back centuries and with a significant population of Santonians with Prydanian heritage.

"It's exciting," Tjörvi Hagtvedt said of the team's base in Valence.
"I got to know how wonderful Coire is, and the region is, playing for AJSTC. The people are all so friendly, Santonian, Prydanian, Predician, it doesn't matter. So I'm excited that my buddies on the national team can experience it for themselves."

Game One vs Mansani

Prydania will kick off their 2021 World Cup campaign against Mansani on 7 September in the first matchup of Group A.

"Mansani is a tough team. You need to be to qualify," Coach Höj remarked.
"We've already begun looking at film, and getting guys to commit to their assignments. We can win if we commit to our game plan."

There might be something beyond football in the works though. Mansani contains a Szlavic population that many classify as being economically and socially disadvantaged and discriminated against. Prydania is not a Szlavic nation but some have remarked that a white nation beating Mansani could send certain messages.

"I don't think about that stuff," team captain Peter Bach remarked.
"We're all here to play football. They have a good team and I'm excited to match up against them on the pitch. The rest of that stuff is just...look. It's not what this is about. Believe me, politics and sports aren't a good combo."

And when it comes to football?

"I think we can win," Bach said with a smile.
"Anyone who goes onto that pitch needs to think they can win. We've got a good team. We're going to play hard, and I feel good about that."

Kickoff

Kickoff for the first game is 7 September at Stade de Bâle.

RAP Sport

The Golden Eagles head to Saintonge

By: Roberto Bernardeschi
03.09.21

SAINTES -- The Golden Eagles head to Saintonge on a backdrop of war and destruction back home, but despite that, the Golden Eagles are committed to showing the world, that despite the current situation, Predice can still play.

The 2019 World Cup saw a quarterfinal exit for Predice, one that stung, as Predice lost 1-0 after a defensive mistake. Since then, Predice's squad has seen a shakeup. Marco Ricci, the 33-year old striker retired from international football in 2020, following a disagreement with the FPGC*. The 35-year old Andrea Berandi in midfield had announced, that the 2019 World Cup would be his last tournament with Predice. Following the loss to Lanceria, he announced his international retirement. The 36-year old centre-back Carlo Pauli also retired following the loss to Lanceria.
These were all replaced with new faces, along with some returnees to the national team. The youngest player on the national team roster is just 17, while the oldest is 34. Despite all the new faces, Predice's national team is one of the oldest teams participating in the World Cup on average. Predice is certainly not the youthful team of Prydania or Shengua, but is one of balance, with experience and pace.

First game
Predice's opening match will be against an Gotic side in Vallia. Predice's base camp in Dieppe has remained foxily silent, but you can sense a quiet optimism. Frederico Bastoni, Predice's head coach agreed to give us an interview.

I: Thank you for taking the time out of your day to talk with us.

FB: The pleasure is mine.

I: So Predice has a few days before its opener against Vallia. What are you expecting?

FB: A good game, definitely, we're obviously hoping to pick up three points from our opener, which we failed to do in 2019.

I: So war has eclipsed the sports accomplishments of Predice, but what do you hope to give Predice, in the context of the war?

FB: Hope. We all want to show that despite everything, Predice can still achieve things, and reach for the stars.

I: So since Marco Ricci's retirement was a blow for Predice, do you think Matteo Mancini is a good replacement for him?

FB: Obviously Ricci's disagreement with the Federation was an unfortunate event. Losing your all-time top goalscorer is a tough thing, I think that Matteo Mancini is a very strong replacement for him. The two years he's been on the squad, he has shown class, that last minute winner against Dhahara that got us here in the first place obviously demonstrates this very well. He is a good player without question.

I: Thank you so much.

FB: My pleasure.

Captain announces retirement
Predice's defensive maestro and captain, Michele Frezza, announced that he would be retiring after the 2021 World Cup. The most capped Predicean international currently active, he will earn a minimum of three additional caps to make his total 118.
Michele Frezza is 34, and has worn the captain's armband for 6 years.

Kickoff
Predice-Vallia kicks off on September 8th, at Stade d'Aurigny. The match will be broadcast live on RAP 1, 2, and Sport.

Predice is likely to play a 3-5-2, with Frezza, Cardinale, and Torrentino in the back, Baricello, Gorganzole, De Goldi, Colombo, and Di Giorgis in midfield, and Rossi and Mancini up front.
Gianluca Bianchi is likely to start in goal.

L'Indépendant > Mercanti > Sports


by Gérard-Hugues Barbizet in Saintes
02 September 2021 - 0930h
SAINTES – in a close vote, Saintonge won the opportunity to host the CEFA World Cup, the world’s premier football competition among international teams. The Fédération saintongeaise de football (FSF) lodged a bid to bring the World Cup to Saintonge last year.

FSF’s President Caroline Cercel-Radenne told the assembled CEFA member federations last year that “As a footballing nation, Saintonge has the facilities and the experience to host the World Cup.”

In the voting, Saintonge edged out fellow Meterran nation Naizerre for the privilege to host the competition. “It’s nice to have the competition back to Meterra,” said the chair of the organising committee, Michelle Cuel-Pinelle. “It’s also been a long time since Saintonge hosted a World Cup.”

Saintonge as host
Ms Cuel-Pinelle pointed out during her pitches what Saintonge had to offer. The country has more than two dozen football stadiums with a capacity of more than forty thousand, a testament to how popular the sport is in the country.

“When we won the right to host, cities have already lined up, offering to have a game in their city!” Ms Cuel-Pinelle related. “But we have to select only sixteen.”

The selection committee pored over the bids of the cities, taking into consideration many factors. First was the size of the stadium, which has to seat more than forty thousand people. Hence, cities such Perthus (seating capacity of Stade Thibault-Gaetjens: 39,162) and Tiffauges (seating capacity of Stade de Théiphalie: 34,989) were excluded.

Second was the city’s ability to host, including hotel and accommodation capacity in the city and the surrounding area. Hence Barenton and Mirande were excluded because they lack the adequate hotel and accommodation capacity to handle the influx of spectators, journalists, officials, and people involved in the games. Barenton even tried to implement a “share-a-room” venture to invite people to allow spare rooms in private houses to be rented out to tourists, but this idea was rejected by the FSF.

Third was transportation links. Even though Beaucaire, whose stadium capacity was 41,065, and is located in the touristy Griffonnian Riviera (hence a lot of hotel capacity), Beaucaire was rejected because it does not have adequate transportation links. FSF considered adequate transportation links to either (1) a nearby airport that has extensive international links or (2) good train links with the rest of Saintonge, preferably with Saintonge’s high-speed trains. Beaucaire’s airport has some international links, but it has no rail links to make up for it.

Host Cities
The FSF’s Organising Committee had released a list of sixteen host cities, with sixteen stadiums to be used for the games. Saintes will only use Stade de Saintes, even though Stade des Saints-Brice also meets the capacity requirements. Saintes Saints-Brice Football Club, which owns the stadium, failed to come to an agreement with Saintes’ Organising Committee regarding the use of the stadium.

Other host cities include Aubeterre, Aurigny, Bâle, Beaune, Béthanie, Coire, Côme, Loudun, Novale, Nyon, Plaisance, Provins, Ratisbonne, Torcy-le-Grand, and Vantes. More information can be seen here.

Saintonge’s Football Season Delayed
The FSF also delayed the Première Ligue Season opening to the fourth week of September, to allow players to participate in the World Cup and to free up stadium time. The FSF had callups for Santonian players early in the year, and the team is already practicing in the camp at Blondefontaine (Saintes).

Saintonge Welcomes You
“The FSF, the Ministry of Sport, and the Ministry of Tourism hopes that the World Cup will be enjoyable for everyone involved,” said Ms Cuel-Pinelle. “We hope that the games will go smoothly and will be a memorable experience for all.” The organising committee has made a website available for everyone’s reference WorldCup2021.st.

translation by Kyle MacTaggart-de Flesselles
02 September 2021 - 1252h

2 September 2021
12:07 pm
On a Thursday
Valence, Saintonge

“Alright,” Jakob Höj said to the assembled team before him, most wearing the black team jackets.
“You all know what your assignments and drills are,” the Prydanian coach continued as he flipped through pages of his notebook before setting it aside on a nearby table.

“The hard work begins tomorrow, but we just got here, so we’re going to get to know Valence. Acclimate, and the like. We’re guests here, and we want to be good guests, so we’ll be enjoying ourselves tonight before I run you all into the grass tomorrow at practice.”

The assembled team chuckled before the coach called up the team’s number two striker.
“Tjörvi had a hell of a first season with AJSTC, and he's been living in the area for a bit now. So come on up, Tjörvi, tell ‘em what the plans are for tonight.”

Tjörvi Hagtvedt got up, a bit nervous but smiling. Jakob Höj had been his coach back in Alaterva. He had gotten him on the national team. He owed that man a lot.
“Thank you Coach,” he said softly.

“Ok so…” he began as he searched for words. He was always nervous if he had to address a team.
“We’re going to have dinner with some folks from the local Prydanian community. It's a mutual assistance and community group and they want to welcome us to Valence! So we'll be having a nice dinner with them tonight, but really the whole area is great. We’re meeting with some fellow Prydanians tonight but Santonians are very nice people and they mostly all know their football. So don't be shy, and don't be afraid to mingle! I've been out this way a few times so if you have any questions...well, just ask!”

“Thanks Tjörvi,” Jakob said as Tjörvi took his seat again.
“Now before we get to that we need to go over a few things. First, conduct when out on the town. You're all fine young men so I know we won't have problems but I have to go over…”

Coach Höj’s words faded as Eyjólfur Kolstad, seated near the back, rolled his eyes. He wasn't focused on what his coach was saying. He was thinking of what Tjörvi had just said.
“Santonians are very nice people.”

He didn't know what Tjörvi was smoking. He figured he'd know better than anyone, but maybe that was the problem. Maybe he'd just ignored it for his own comfort.
What Eyjólfur knew though, was the truth. What he saw, read, and heard himself. Twitcher threads of angry Santonians yelling about Prydanian immigrants. Shop owners beating Prydanian kids in the streets. His own country referred to as "piss-poor,” and his people as “violent,” “criminals,” and “rapists.”
He knew what Santonians thought of him, and people like him.

He busted his ass for Midland’s football team in Hadden and then travelled down the coast every single day during the week he didn't have practice to help his family in Osfjoll. Every day he wasn't being run ragged playing football he was driving down in the early morning to get on a fishing boat with his father or to help his sister and her little one. He did it because, well, his family needed him.
His sister was married, to another fisherman in Osfjoll, and had a baby girl now. Another baby was on the way. His father was, well, he was older. He had pains all over from seven years in a Syndicalist labour camp, and painful memories from what happened to his wife. And as much as he insisted he was fine, Eyjólfur knew his body wouldn't let him keep on going out on the water forever. He didn't know when, but when that happened...well he would have to give up football and take over. And that was fine. God willing he could play for five years, maybe six or seven, and he'd take the money he was planning on saving to take care of his pabbi and take over. Be a fisherman so his father wouldn't have to be.

That was a happy thought. As much as he'd hate having to give up football, well...he was happy to help his father. Happy to commit to what his father did, and his grandpabbi before him, and so on. So he busted his ass helping his family when he didn't have football and playing his heart out when he did.
To do all of that, to save towards that, to make peace with all of that for the good of his family, and then to read some privileged, rich Santonian aristocrat call his country a shithole made his blood boil. He was proud to represent his country in the World Cup. He was not happy to be here though. And though he hadn't told any of his teammates that he did tell his sister that…

---

31 August 2021
1:14 pm
On a Tuesday
Osfjoll, Prydania

“I heard Saintonge is nice,” Asta Skatteböl remarked, seeing her brother’s negativity as she returned from setting her baby daughter down for an afternoon nap.
“The Benkows, I don't know if you remember them…”

“I do,” Eyjólfur replied insistently.

“Well they had to flee to Saintonge because Erik’s brother was an anti-Syndicalist journalist. I've reconnected with them, they seem to be doing well.”

“You won't be saying that if it's Erik’s kid getting beaten in the streets next,” Eyjólfur muttered only for his pregnant sister to whack him on the shoulder.

“You need to stop reading that stuff.”

“The news?” Eyjólfur asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Twitcher,” Asta replied. “I see you. All the time when you're here. On Twitcher.”

“Well that's where I get the news,” Eyjólfur replied defensively.

“It's where you go to read loudmouths blabber nonsense.”

“They're there though. They are real. You can't tell me that these Radical Party people in Saintonge aren't real. They are. I see it, with my own two eyes. I read it every day.”

“I know they're real,” Asta said as she went to get up only for Eyjólfur to ease her back.

“You’re pregnant sis, lemme help. What do you need?”

“Just some milk would be wonderful,” Asta said with a smile before Eyjólfur went off to the kitchen to pour a glass of milk.

“Anyway as I was saying,” Asta said as Eyjólfur returned with the milk, “thank you bro,” she said with a smile.
“As I was saying these people exist but they're just a few loudmouths. But because Twitcher gives everyone a platform it makes the loudmouths seem valid.”
She then began to sip her milk as Eyjólfur sank into the well-worn sofa.

“I see too much of that stuff for it to just be a few loudmouths…” he muttered.

“Well you're letting dumb people online affect you, and that's why you shouldn't read Twitcher so much.”

Eyjólfur rolled his eyes but Asta caught that.

“I talk to people- friends- in Saintonge. They have friendly, caring neighbours. They don't see any of this online stuff.”

“Well I do, and what's the expression? Don't piss on me and tell me it's raining?”

“If that's the attitude you want to have…” Asta began but Eyjólfur just sighed.

“It's not an attitude. I just don't like it. I’m allowed to care about things.”

“Já you are, but you have a very important job to do. You have to go represent Osfjoll. And I don't want some inconsequential trolls online to distract you.”

Eyjólfur blushed and scratched his head.
“Thanks, sis.”

---

2 September 2021
7:09 pm
On a Thursday
Valence, Saintonge

They had moved on from that conversation, and Eyjólfur had remained unconvinced. And now here he was. A number of tables were taken up by the Prydanian national team and members of the local Brotherhood of Prydanians in Saintonge chapter.

Eyjólfur wasn't talking much, lost in his own thoughts, when he suddenly heard someone talking to him.

“Osfjoll, já?”

“Pardon?” Eyjólfur asked. It was the older man sitting next to him, with greying chestnut hair and glasses.

“You're from Osfjoll, já? Sorry, I read your profile.”

“Oh,” Eyjólfur replied, showing a subtle smile.
“Já, I’m from Osfjoll.”

“Very nice,” the man replied.
“I’m actually originally from Jörgensbjerg myself. Before I moved to Hadden.”

“Oh, cool,” Eyjólfur replied. That was just up the coast- he passed through it every time he drove to and from Hadden to home. He just wasn't the best with small talk.

“Já, sold computers there until we had to flee here.”

“So…” Eyjólfur replied, trying to think of things to say.
“So do you do that here?” It was a question that just came to him. And it would let him sate his curiosity.

“No, not really. I’m in marketing for a small tech company. It's the same but different,” the man chuckled.

“Eyjólfur Kolstad, nice to meet you,” Eyjólfur said, extending his hand.

“Karl Harbits,” the man replied, shaking his hand.

“So,” Eyjólfur continued, “what do you do with the Brotherhood?

“I’m the local chapter's treasurer. Keeping track of the funds. It's very boring stuff, but someone has to do it.”

“Já, já,” Eyjólfur replied.
“So you help Prydanians who come to Saintonge?”

“Já, with whatever we’re able to. It depends. Some people need help navigating the process of getting permanent residency or citizenship. Some need Santonian lessons so we help those that do get in touch with the government agency that provides them. One of your teammates took advantage of that, in Coire.”

“Tjörvi, já,” Eyjólfur nodded.
“But like...you help Prydanians when they face discrimination?”

Karl looked a bit puzzled and ponderous for a moment.
“I know we would...I mean já we would, but I don't think our chapter has had to do too much of that. Most people here are very welcoming. The national office of the Brotherhood rebukes the idiots in the Radical Party whenever they have to but I don't think we’ve seen much, if any, of that around ourselves.”

Eyjólfur just nodded, even if he didn't know what to make of it all. His first thought was “this guy must be a puppet of some sort.” And then he thought “or maybe he's just managed to carve something out for himself and he's just not paying attention to the bigger problems.”

He didn't say either of those things though. He wasn't going to cause a scene.

---

2 September 2021
9:32 pm
On a Thursday
Valence, Saintonge

Eyjólfur didn't speak much for the rest of the dinner, which seemed to have ended pleasantly for all involved.

“Hey, Eyjólfur!”

He looked up. It was Röskvi Svane and Fed Holst.

“Já, what's up?”

“We’re going to hit up a local bar. We hear it has karaoke!” Röskvi happily announced.

“Is it a Prydanian bar?” Eyjólfur asked.

“No,” Fred answered.

“Neither of you two speak Santonian,” Eyjólfur replied, quizzically.

“We’re going with one of our new Brotherhood friends,” Fred explained and Eyjólfur signed.

“That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Maybe, but a fun one,” Röskvi said, grinning ear to ear.
“You in?”

“Nah. I'm going to...look around? I don't know. Just explore I guess.”

“Suit yourself,” Fred said with a shrug.
“Hey, Röskvi, grab Ole, and let's go!”

Eyjólfur tucked his hands into the pockets of his black team jacket, emblazoned with the Prydanian national team badge on the left breast and the Prydanian flag on the right sleeve. That was part of his plan. Part of a social experiment of sorts.
He walked down the streets of Valence outside of the restaurant and just began to look around. Part of it was him trying to prove a point he supposed, but another part was genuine curiosity. He was a descendant of vikings after all. Why not explore?

He came across a small store that looked like a general store. He read the signage. Or, to be more accurate, he didn't because he couldn't read a word of Santonian. And the idea that this place would be perfect dawned on him.

He entered the store, the fluorescent lights a nice contrast to the nighttime outside. He still had his hands in his pockets. He was, admittedly, nervous. What if someone tried to beat him up? Like those Prydanian kids in Côme? Well he wasn't a kid. So they could try and…

...and his thoughts of having to defend himself were dashed as he saw who was behind the counter. It was a sweet looking girl, about his age. He didn't want to sound sexist in his own head- he knew some female FRE vets who could kill him with their thumb- but he wasn't afraid of this girl trying to beat him up. So he decided to plan his experiment.

The labels and cans of everything were different. He didn't understand any of the Santonian, but the pictures and art were clear enough. He was able to find something he'd like- a simple chocolate bar- and brought it to the girl at the counter.

“Bonjour,” she said with a smile. “Why'd she have to be cute?” Eyjólfur thought. He just put the bar down and pushed it to her.

“Six trente-six,” she said pleasantly. Eyjólfur could actually make out some of that. The Santonian and Prydanian words for “six” weren't too far off.

“Um, Prydanian only,” he said, tapping the flag on his sleeve. He didn't look angry. He just wanted to see her reaction.

And her reaction was pleasant. She pointed to the cash register where the “£6.36” was displayed.

Eyjólfur slowly opened his wallet. He had enough Santonian cash, but that too was strange looking. He fumbled through the notes and looked at her in glances. She seemed patient. Eventually he produced two orange £5 bills.

“Is this ok?” he asked in Prydanian before realizing she probably couldn't understand him.
“Sorry,” he said, realizing that and then laughing at himself for apologizing in a language she still couldn't understand. She got the humour and laughed too, nodding.

“Oui ça suffit,” she said with a nod and got Eyjólfur change.

“Um…” Eyjólfur said, trying to think of the word.
“Mercy?” he said, trying to remember the Santonian word for “thank you” as he pocketed his change and candy bar.

“De rien,” the girl replied with a grin. Eyjólfur had no idea what that meant but it sounded pleasant. And he felt a sense of pride that he managed that transaction despite the language barrier. Even if it wasn't remotely why he came in.

Why he came in...had he come in looking for rudeness? Xenophobia? He certainly didn't find it.

“Mercy,” he said again. Probably best to go back to where the team was staying. He gave the cute counter girl a wave and turned to leave, only to hear her call “Bonne chance!” after him.

He looked back at her. He didn't know what that meant, but like “de rien” it sounded nice.

“Þakka þér fyrir,” he said as he waved back at her before leaving.
He was sure she didn't know what it meant, but he hoped she could pick up that it sounded nice.

OOC Note: Post approved by @Kyle

L'Indépendant > Mercanti > Sports


by Gérard-Hugues Barbizet in Saintes
04 September 2021 - 1052h
SAIINTES – the Santonian National Football Team, known by its nickname les Diables Rouges (“the Red Devils”), announced its team to compete for the 2021 World Cup to be held in home soil. Coach Frédéric Janvion had unveiled a radically different roster, intended for a surprise.

Youthful Team
The youthful team is probably intended to surprise opponents, with their agility and unpredictability. All but four members of the team are younger than 25. This comes at the risk of having more inexperienced players on the field, but many of them had already been capped for the national team. Saintes-Saints-Brice teammates midfielder Jonathan Jeandupeaux (the team’s assistant captain) and striker Kévin Ardouin Cremillieux, had already played in the last iteration of the World Cup. Stade de Saintes striker Druron Dangereaux was in last year’s Odinspyl. In front, the only uncapped player is Odinspylique de Ratisbonne’s Benajmin-Timothée Röthlisberger, who will likely serve as a backup. The three likely starters, Tristan-Lambert Saint-Huile, Dangereaux, and Cremillieux, are the last season’s Première Ligue top scorers.

The midfield was revamped massively. Thorbjörn Kjellander and Hugberg Steenstrup, the two dynamos of AJ St-Tobie de Coire and part of the “Vicious Vikings”, will be playing together in the national team together for the first time. As versatile midfielders, they are expected to be a serious threat, along with their friend, Odinspyl veteran Brice-Baudouin Schaerlaekens of Olympique Nyonnais. Schaerlaekens and Jeandupeaux are also known to be box-to-box midfielders, and can cover the midfield despite their possible starting positions as wingers.

The gambles in front and centre will be complemented by a still-solid back, with veterans Albéric Barreau, Charles-Adam Witz, and Florian Blaquart providing a tried-and-tested wall against opponents. The only newcomer on the back are Côme FC’s Timothée Chiarisoli and Odinspylique de Ratisbonne’s Brice-Maximin Grimont, who will probably be kept in reserve.

If that defence fails, seasoned les Diables Rouges goalkeeper Bruno-Patrice Cuisance will try to make up for it, with AJ St-Tobie de Coire’s revelation Thibault-Ragnar Guttormsen and Stade Beaunais’ Folc Thauvin as backup.

Possible starting lineup
Mr Janvion likes to play in the classic 3-4-3 setup, although with the versatility and fluidity of a Kjellander/Steenstrup/Schaerlaekens/Jeandupeaux combination (all attacking/defending midfielders), the Santonian team will probably not stick to a single setup through a game. Cremillieux/Dangereaux/Saint-Huile are also versatile as all three can play all forward positions, which adds more to the unpredictability of the Santonians.


translation by Kyle MacTaggart-de Flesselles
04 September 2021 - 1625h

#CopaMondiale
MOST LIKELY TO... PREDICE GOALKEEPERS | BIANCHI, IMMOBILE & PORTELLINI
158,398 views • 04 September 2021

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Predice Goalkeepers Gianluca Bianchi, Gianleone Immobile, and Gianluigi Portellini play the Most Likely to game.

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L'Indépendant > Mercanti > Sports


by Adrienne-Marie d'Orves in Saintes
04 September 2021 - 1102h
Name: Thorbjörn Kjellander
Birthdate and birthplace: 22 July 2000, Coire (Haine)
Team: AJ St-Tobie de Coire
Position: Midfielder

Kjellander is a rising star within the rising AJ St-Tobie de Coire team. As part of the “Vicious Vikings” group that had helped propel the northeastern city’s team to the top of the Première Ligue, his name indicates that he is of immigrant descent.

Kjellander was born in the city of Coire to Prydanian immigrant parents, who fled the Social Commonwealth regime. “My parents were both academics,” he said once in an interview with the local paper la Dépêche du Coire. “The Social Commonwealth persecuted anyone holding slightly left-wing views, and so they had to flee to Saintonge.” His parents Kjalvör Kjellander and Hrafney Vasgaard met in Coire and had to start a new life from scratch. Thorbjörn is the third of four children. The Kjellanders lived a middle-class lifestyle in Coire: “We weren’t poor, but we weren’t rich either. But my parents made it a point to help the community when they can.”

Association de la Jeunesse de Saint-Tobie de Coire, the multisport team associated with the Cathedral of Coire, took Kjellander on as part of their outreach to the city’s Prydanian community. Kjellander was recognised for his football skills, and had already brought recognition to the junior football team. He was promoted to the senior team in 2017, at the age of seventeen. AJ St-Tobie de Coire’s manager Thibault-Tobie Brassart put Kjellander under the tutelage of its midfielder Marc-Boleslaus Champalaune, who had intended to retire a few years later and was looking for someone to train and fill his shoes. In 2019, when Champalaune retired, Kjellander took Champalaune’s place in the team and shone. As an attacking midfielder, he became a formidable threat to opponents, able to bear pressure on the weak points of the opponent’s defence. As a box-to-box midfielder, Kjellander can cover any midfield position. As a two-footed player, he can also be very unpredictable, which is an asset for his position.

His star quickly rose as he became AJ St-Tobie de Coire’s vice-captain, able to coordinate between the Vicious Vikings and the rest of the team. “Kjellander is known to holler commands in Prydanian to his Vicious Vikings, and then rapidly switch to his perfect Santonian to us,” commented his teammate Brice-Maximilian Parenthoine, “it confuses opponents.” “I presume that’s indicative of how quick-thinking Thorbjörn is,” said his friend and teammate Hyltir Hyldegaard, “and that makes him even more dangerous.”

translation by Jérôme-Caden Barceloux Colcolough
04 September 2021 - 1652h

The Camera’s showed a well-lit sports studio as 4 men sat round a glass oval table lit up by light blue lighting.

The camera focused on the man sitting in the middle of the group round the table. “Good evening to all those watching. My name is Matthew Ganson and I will be here hosting the coverage of the 2021 World Cup, that is taking place in Saintonge, here on UNN1.” The camera pans out again to show the other people sitting round the table before he continued. “I am joined by former Starvo Captain and Ulstome International player William Onas” he gestures to his left and the camera shows a man well into his early 70’s wearing an Ulstome 1979 World Cup Shirt who politely waves at the camera with a wide but friendly smile. Ganson then gestures to his right and continues after a brief pause “We are also joined by former Rotslo Player and Ulstome International Captain Liam Fasarii, who’s sitting on the left on your screens, and next to him is former Sost Krincaster and Ulstome International Player Harold Toma.” Both men were dressed in suits and polity nodded in acknowledgement when they were introduced. Liam was the younger of the two having retired from football only 5 years ago.

“The Group stage draw has been done and we have seen quite an exciting.” He said in an excited manner. An image of Group E was shown on the screen. “Here we have the group draw for Group E. It looks like it will be an exciting group stage for those of us supporting Ulstome on their World Cup journey. They have been drawn against Lorbank who will prove a tough group contender, the match up against Essalanea will be an entertaining game to watch! Will this Ulstome team avenge their defeat in Goyanes that saw them to an early exit to the last tournament, or will Essalanea once again prove to be the better of the two sides? Last in Group E is Lanceria. Lanceria and Ulstome we both placed in the same group in the last world cup where a dramatic last day of the group stages saw Ulstome edge to the top of the group as they beat Lanceria 3 – 0. Those are the teams of Group E, Lorbank, Essalanea, Ulstome, Lanceria. There will certainly be a lot of energy in these games due to the recent history between these team!” he eagerly continued.

“Today we are going to be talking about the players who have been named on the 23-man roster and what we would do with this team if we were this team’s manager! So, Liam we will start with you, tell us about your starting 11 from this team?” The camera cuts to Liam who is now standing infront of a board displaying a top-down view of the pitch.

“So with this team I would personally go with a 3-4-1-2 formation as you can see here on the screen. You all know I have a love for this formation back from when I was approaching the end of my career and we saw a lot of success with it a club level. So, starting with the Keeper I would select Koverin, he is young so doesn’t have as much international experience as maybe we would like but he has been starting for Haslantestone and is only 20 so I think it would be good to give him with his talent the experience and trust as the starting keeper. Now doing the opposite of what I said before, with my 3 at the back I would choose experienced defenders to form a solid defence. I would put Kon who is the oldest player of those who were called up in the middle and then put Iskan and Toston either side of him. All 3 have shown to be confident in possession and by using a back 3 this team would have that extra insurance if something was to go wrong. Isone has only selected 4 centre-backs which I think will be a big mistake and could cost this team greatly if they suffer any injuries but if they stay fit then it would be a good gamble. I then chose to go with the same midfield 4 that we had on the pitch in Goyanes, Opsal on the left with Monkin and Varson in the middle whilst Ojlan is on the right. With Monkin and Varson in the middle it would help screen the defence whilst Opsal and Ojlan can run in the wide areas to wherever they are needed. Behind the front 2 I would have Vaas, it goes without question who any of us would put in that position. Highest scoring midfielder in the Seapion Ligithe last season, a strong ariel threat to be a danger on set pieces, he would work well in this team to link the midfeild to the attack but would also be a threat if the team choses to play down either wing. Now my front 2 is going to divide opinions as in this team from what we saw last season there are main 3 players who are competing for these places. I chose to go with Frederickson, highest scorer in the league and has excellent chemistry with Vaas whos behind him, and Monlerin, the 3rd highest goal scorer in the league and he can drop of well to help out the midfeild or go out wide, but on this team we have Opsal, Ojlan and Monkin supporting this front line who are all from Rotslo and have been feeding him goals in a formation that would play similar to this all season. So that’s who I would go with to bring out the most in this team.”

“Thank you, Liam, now let’s look at Harold’s” said Matthew


“Mine isn’t to different from Liam’s in terms of the players that I chose for my side but I have gone slightly different. I went with a 4-2-3-1 opposed to Liams 3-4-1-2 since with the depth available on the wings it would be quite wasteful and risky. So in goal I went with Koverin for similar reasons, in defense I decided on Salsen as left back since although he isn’t the greatest going forward he is fast and is very good in defence, he can provide that extra cover to the centre-backs if players run in behind or there is a quick change over so that’s why I picked him. Centre-back with I had to go with Iskan and Kon, they took Sost Krincaster through an invincible season and have a lot of international experience, so I trust them to make the defence secure. As right back I went with Possmon, he can give this team overlaps down the right side and send in some quick dangerous crosses but will stay back when needed so that’s why I picked him at left back since he has shown to be quite reliable at club level. In midefeild we again have Varson, Monkin in front of the defence as a screen and Vaas in the number 10 position to add danger to the attack. Either side of Vaas I decided to go with Zickmer and Ivasno, now they might both be young, but they have shown they can compete with the best at club level, I chose them over the others because these 2 are very fast so can make those runs for Vaas to find or lead the team on a counter. Lastly up front, it had to be Frederickson after the season he had, and with the 3 behind him being those from his club I doubt he would struggle to find any service. So that’s my starting 11, not a lot different but at the same time quite different.”

“Thank you, Harold, those are both formations weve seen the team use in recent years. Now lastly onto William who I feel will have an interesting lineup for us.” Said Matthew


As William showed his starting 11, he got a laugh from the others round the table “Keep on laughing, you’re all concerned about how many this team will be scoring but I’d rather be concerned about how this team will concede. It is a strong defensive formation that wins you tournaments like this! Not throwing people forward to make the game who can score more. Ive gone with a 3-3-2-1-1 formation to give the opposition as little ability to score as possible. Like the rest of you Koverin goes in goal and have a back 3 of Iskan, Kon and Toston, but ive decided to have the 2 wing backs be the more defensively minded of those available, I move Monkin back into a defensive midfielder position so he can just focus on defending that back line and have Varson and Riston infront of them to control the midfield. Vaas goes without saying that I would have him play infront of them and Frederickson as the sole striker. I would set the team up like this despite its many attacking talents to deny the opposition, defence is what will win this tournament.”

“That’s quite a different formation from the others and not one I we would expect to see” said Matthew

“Well this is what we would do, not what we expect to see. The 4-2-3-1 looks the most likely of them all from what we saw when the team’s player international friendlies and qualifiers.”

“That brings us well onto the next part of the discussion” Matthew continued “We have seen quite a few new call ups this year. The most notable being Molerin, Frederickon and Hollerford. All who had previously refused Ulstome call-ups but recently decided to join. Liam, in the friendlies and qualifiers we saw them all playing together on the pitch when at club level last season, they all played quite similar positions. Do you think this could pose a problem?”

“No I don’t think it will pose a problem for this side to have them all on the pitch together. We have seen them numerous times in the managers preferred lineup in various formations. Many of those watching may not remember them to well a few seasons ago but Monlerin and Hollerford started their careers as wingers, they won their first titles as wingers not strikers, but recently they were moved to more central roles as their teams either changed formations or new players for their position were attracted to their clubs. It may pose a problem defensively if they don’t track back, especially when there are players who were called up who also play in those positions. However, on attack it seems to be working very well, they are all linking up and are all a serious threat to the defence so there isn’t an easy counter to them, especially on the break.”

“Alright, that’s all we have time for on the program today, but we will be here everyday giving you coverage of the World Cup!”

Saintes- Coach Jakob Höj announced the starting eleven for Prydania's first game against Mansani. In keeping with the general theme of the roster it's a young lineup anchored by some veterans.

Starting in goal is Tom Höyer. Höyer's first roster on an international team came during the 2017 World Cup in Alemriche, where he was the backup goaltender to veteran Þorgeir Trædal. He first saw action in the 2018 Odinspyl and landed the starting job on the national team for the 2019 World Cup.

"I'm blessed to be in this position," the Hundsted native remarked.
"I'm thankful to coach and my teammates for the confidence."

When asked how he deals with the most stressful position on the field he laughs.
"Ask my mamma and pabbi, they tell me all the time that they're sitting on nerves watching me. My pabbi says that the toughest position on any football team is the goalie's mamma. But I just don't let it get to me. I stay focused. I stay level. I have a job and I do it as best as I can."

Höyer's defence is anchored by the twenty-eight year old Storm Bendixen, the team's oldest player and vice captain. Hailing from Lundarbrekka, Storm is the last starter around from the 2017 team that made a miracle run to the Finals.

"Defence is about communication and buying in. I need my guys on the same page," the Vice Captain said.
"I don't feel old, but I guess I've already got one foot in the grave compared to most on this team," he laughed.
"But that helps because my defenders trust me. I've been at this level before and so they know they can trust me when I start giving out assignments and adjustments as the game goes on."

Bendixen will be joined by Stig Kallesen, who he first teamed with in the 2019 World Cup. They're joined by Eskild Dörum and Eyjólfur Kolstad, nineteen and twenty respectfully. Both played on the Gold Medal winning team at the 2020 Odinspyl. It's Bendixen's first time with his younger compatriots.

"They're talented and ready to go. But what I like is that they listen," Bendixen joked.
"But no, seriously, they're young but they understand the game. It makes my job easier to know I don't need to watch their backs ALL the time."

The Midfield continues the youth movement trend. Kurt Möch is only twenty-three. Ernst Berner is twenty-four, as is Mark Seip. Kristoffer Krog is twenty-one. All four return from Odinspyl.

Möch, the intense star of the midfield, is exited.
"It's a whole other level. We have experience in the back, we have guys who knows what it takes to win up front. This is the World Cup and I'm excited to see where we stack up. And I'm not stopping. Not until my legs fall off. Those Mansani bastards will have to put a bullet in me," the Býkonsviði native said.

The strikers are also both returning from Odinspyl. Möch's friend and team captain Peter Bach, 24, returns to lead the attack. He's joined by nineteen year old Tjörvi Hagtvedt. Both players signed with foreign clubs after the 2020 Odinspyl raised their stock. Bach signed with Mecklenburg City FC in Alemriche, shattering records for the largest transfer payment for a Prydanian player. Hagtvedt accepted an offer from AJSTC in Saintonge, citing his ability to be close to his sister (a refugee from the Civil War) and her family as the main reason for his choice.
Will Hagtvedt's familiarity with Saintonge be a benefit?

"Football is football, and it's not like we're playing the Santonian premier teams," Hagtvedt chuckled.
"But it's nice to be able to help my teammates get acclimated in an area I know."

Peter Bach, always willing to be animated, has seen his game change. He was far less aggressive in the Odinspyl tournament compared to the 2019 World Cup, and the calmer, more focused game allowed his talents- and his team's- to shine through. Since then he's adopted a more disciplined and steadfast game playing for MCFC. Don't let that fool you though. The Prydanian captain is still himself.

"When I look at our opponents, I wonder if they can swim in the deep water?" he mused when asked how he feels Prydania stacks up to the rest of Group A.
"The harder you play, the more intense the game, you start to ask yourself if you can keep going. That's the deep water. Players like us, we know how to keep swimming. Some players don't."

Youth Movement?

It's clear that Prydania's gold medal at the 2020 Odinspyl gave the national Federation a slate of future stars who could represent the country for years to come, but there are questions about Jakob Höj's choice to go with primarily younger players with only a few veteran anchors for the World Cup.

"The Odinspyl was an Under-25 competition," Höj said.
"So people are asking if a team this young can play at a World Cup caliber level. What I like about this team is that most of them are too young to know they should feel scared. They're all ready to prove themselves for their country."

Prydania isn't the only team betting its success on youth though. Saintonge has fielded a young team as well, with all but four of their players under twenty-five.

"Frédéric and I get along," Coach Höj remarked, referring to Santonian coach Frédéric Janvion.
"I can talk to him about football for hours. I'm not shocked he and I had the same general idea."

And what idea was that?

"That you can never go wrong building to the future, and that old guys like us help it best by staying out of the way," he laughed.

L'Indépendant > Mercanti > Sports


by Gérard-Hugues Barbizet in Saintes
07 September 2021 - 0102h
SAINTES – in a home-crowd pleaser, les Diables Rouges won the opening game of the 2021 CEFA World Cup.

Opening Ceremony
The World Cup opened with fireworks display and a parade of flags in the Stade de Saintes. The chair of the organising committee, Michelle Cuel-Pinelle, opened the games last night, along with the CEFA President, the Santonian Minister of Culture and Sport Alexandre-Stachys Beaucroissant, and Saintes Mayor Marie-Angélique Koenig-Thoumyre, in the presence of representatives from CEFA member federations.

Game
Kickoff started at 7:00 PM, with the home team going against Skanda. The record between Saintonge and Skanda is about even, with the last World Cup game between the Red Devils and the Wayfinders ending in a draw.

Veterans of the 2019 game started for Saintonge, with many of the younger players on the bench. But the game seemed to be destined to a similar ending, with a goalless first half, brought about by the tenacious Skandan midfield and a tight Skandan defence. Santonian goalkeeper Bruno-Patrice Cuisance even had to make three saves after the aggressive Skandan forwards broke through the Santonian defenders. There was a close call for Saintonge as a third attempted Skandan goal in the 39th minute was deflected away, off the tip of Cuisance’s gloves.

Santonian Coach Frédéric Janvion then radically revamped the Santonian midfield in the first ten minutes of the second half. He started by replacing captain T.J. Descoteaux, who got a yellow card at the 42nd minute, with Thorbjörn Kjellander. Hugberg Steenstrup and B.B. Schaerlaekens then substituted for Jérôme-Thibault Jasseron and Alan-Childéric Goff.

Steenstrup and Kjellander shored up the Santonian defence that Cuisance only had to make only one more save in the second half. The fluid Santonian middle muddled through the Skandan defences, and vice-captain Jonathan Jeandupeux, true to his mercurial style of play, made a feint towards Kévin-Ardouin Cremillieux on the 63rd minute. But instead of passing to Cremillieux, Jeandupeux curled the ball into the net, scoring the first goal of the World Cup.

The second Santonian goal came when Tristan-Lambert Saint-Huile played a manoeuvring centre-forward (“False 9” in other parlance) and linked up with Steenstrup and Kjellander, passing the ball between themselves. When the front was cleared, Kjellander lobbed the ball to Matthieu-Donatien Kerbriant, who headed the ball into the net at the 81st minute.

The game ended 2-0 in Saintonge’s favour, amidst rapturous cheers from the home crowd.

Santonian Team
Starters
GK 1 Bruno-Patrice Cuisance
RB 2 Albéric Barreau
CB 3 Charles-Adam Witz
LB 4 Florian Blaquart
RM 16 Jérôme-Thibault Jasseron ↓53’
CM 17 Alan-Childéric Goff ↓47’
CM 19 Timothée-Justin "T.J." Descoteaux ↓43’
LM 5 Jonathan Jeandupeux
RW 18 Matthieu-Donatien Kerbriant
CF 9 Tristan-Lambert Saint-Huile
LW 7 Kévin-Ardouin Cremillieux
Substitutions
CM 6 Thorbjörn Kjellander ↑43’
CM 8 Hugberg Steenstrup ↑47’
RM 10 Brice-Baudouin Schaerlaekens ↑53’


translation by Hunter Kidlington de Collobrières
07 September 2021 - 0823h

OOC Note: Post approved by Andy.

L'Indépendant > Mercanti > Sports


by Adrienne-Marie d'Orves in Saintes
07 September 2021 - 0965h
Name: Jonathan Jeandupeux
Birthdate and birthplace: 29 February 2000, Darbonnay (Durance)
Team: Saintes-Saints-Brice FC
Position: Midfielder

“I’m just a small-town boy,” the new vice-captain of les Diables Rouges commented. “A small-town boy living his big dreams.”

Jonathan Jeandupeux is twenty-one years old and is already the vice-captain of the Santonian National Team. “I did not think I would get here so quickly.”

Jeandupeux was born in the small town of Darbonnay, halfway between Valence and Payerne in the middle Durance valley. His parents owned Darbonnay’s sole charcuterie and fromagerie – cheese and meat shop. “I grew up with cheese and sausages,” he joked. “On my free time, I’m either playing football or cutting hams.”

“I dreamed of being a footballer. Even though cheese and sausages are tasty, I didn’t see myself doing that for my entire life.” Fortunately for Jeandupeux, his parents were supportive of his dream. “My dad was my biggest booster, my biggest fan. He would even get upset at referees who made calls against me. You wouldn’t want an angry sausage man come after you – he can stick it to you real hard where it hurts.”

Jeandupeux’ father enrolled him at the youth football training camp of the nearby local team AS Valence when he was nine. “My father drove me to practice and to games, while my mum tended to the shop.”

After three years in AS Valence, Jeandupeux was snapped up by the nearby Première Ligue team, Bâle SC. He was on the youth squad of Bâle SC, and his father continued to drive him to practice and to games. But when he was fifteen, Jeandupeux was cut from Bâle SC’s squad because of his relatively small height. “I thought to myself… ‘this can’t be the end, right?’”

And what about his father? “Oh, my father was fuming mad. I was crying on the drive home to Darbonnay. The next day, my father went up to me and said, ‘Jonathan, pack up your gear and your clothes. We’re going to Coire tomorrow.’”

His father was piqued so much, that he made Jonathan Jeandupeux to try out for Bâle SC’s fierce rival, AJ St-Tobie de Coire, even though the city was farther away than Bâle. Jeandupeux was accepted by AJ St-Tobie de Coire, even though he was not from the city. He was part of the ‘golden generation’ of AJ St-Tobie de Coire youth players that propelled the northeastern city’s football club into a powerhouse. Other members of that generation included Thorbjörn Kjellander, Hugberg Steenstrup, Joël-Gilbert Duranton, Hyltir Hyldegaard, Marco Aurelio Baldrighi, Claude-Timothée Grivotet, Thibault-Ragnar Guttormsen, and Paul-Corentin Plaisantin, all of whom are now playing for senior teams.

At seventeen, Jeandupeux was signed by Saintes-Saints-Brice FC, the poshest club in the Ligue. Jeandupeux was crucial in Saintes-Saints-Brice FC’s reclamation of the Coupe des Ligues for the 2017-2018 season, and its three-peat all the way to the 2019-2020 season. Jeandupeux, nicknamed “the Dupes” by analysts who also can't pronounce his surname properly, also fits his nickname because his style of play is very unpredictable. His unpredictability was crucial in his goal during yesterday’s game, the opening goal of the 2021 World Cup.

Jeandupeux’ abilities were recognised that he was called up for the 2019 World Cup, where he got injured in a physical group stage match against Prydania. He was also called up for the 2020 Odinspyl, where he was the captain of the young team. For this year’s World Cup, he was made the Vice-Captain of the Team. And since T.J. Descoteaux is not likely to start for most games, Jeandupeux and his AJ St-Tobie de Coire classmates are likely to control the Santonian midfield.

“I’m happy to see Jonathan and me in the same team,” said Thorbjörn Kjellander. “It’s like the old times again!”

translation by Jérôme-Caden Barceloux Colcolough
07 September 2021 - 1319h

OOC Music: Queen- Don't stop me now

The Santonian Estate of the Sultan of Aydin
The Griffonian Riviera, Saintonge
September 8th, 2021
10:23 AM

Osman sat quietly, reclined in his deer hide armchair, legs crossed as he patiently waited for the arrival of Coach Duggan. He sat thinking about the events of the week so far, first was the schedule for the games which pitted Aydin up against Saintonge first. A formidable match-up for sure, particularly after their defeat of the Skandans yesterday night 2-0. But hopefully, Coach Duggan and his team will be able to handle the Santonians while he meets with some of his Santonian friends later this week.

From across the room, a small man in a suit and fez pushed through the door to the room. Adjusting his hat, he stood with his back to the door, and from the outside hallway, a tall man emerged. Osman had met the man before at various events but every time they met he always seemed different in some way. The first time they had met his nose was quite long and his wrinkles quite pronounced. But the next time they met as if like magic his nose seemingly got shorter. That time his wrinkles remained, but the next time.. they were gone. Osman had always assumed the man had work done. After all, he had always been somewhat obsessed with appearances whether that be the appearances of players, venues, or himself.

The coach quickly made his way from the door to Osman, the man bowed deeply and then moved to sit in the chair across from him.

"How are you today, Mr. Duggan?' Osman said leaning forward to pick up his cup of tea.

"I am well your Majesty, I just got done with an overnight training session and have been preparing the team for Friday." He said, his somewhat ironically ugly and thick Kadili accent making every word sound oddly foreign.

"That's wonderful, what do you think our chances are against the Santonians?" Osman said taking a sip of his tea, he winced a moment his tongue burnt by the hot tea. Duggan noticing the wince stopped speaking.

"So we are- Are you alright your Majesty?" Duggan said quickly, Osman waved it off.

"I'm alright, just burnt my tongue a little." He said quickly putting the cup back onto the table. "Continue," Osman said, rubbing his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"So as I was about to say, our predictions for the game are optimistic. The Santonian team plays a good game as was shown yesterday but we think we have a good enough mix of vitality and skill to make the game into a win."

"That is absolutely wonderful, now what do you-" Osman trailed off for a moment distracted by Duggan's face, something was off. The man he had seen not too long ago possessed a small mole on his cheek. Now, it seemed to be gone, zapped out of thin air. "Interesting," He thought to himself alongside a small internal laugh.

"Is something wrong your majesty?" Duggan asked puzzled by the young Sultan's sudden distraction.

"No, no, no." He said shaking his head quickly. "I just realized, did you cut your hair?" A wide smile appeared on Duggan's face.

"I did your Majesty, I'm glad you noticed." He said beaming with pride.

"It looks nice, but I am afraid we are out of time for today. I've got some philandering to do with some of the locals, maybe even go meet the King of Saintonge if I have time. But it has been good speaking with you." He said standing up out of his armchair. Duggan quickly followed outstretching his hand towards the Sultan. Osman took his hand shaking it firmly and quickly.

Osman began to walk to the door, still being held open by the small man from earlier. As he exited the room to the lobby and out the front door Duggan closely followed. As they reached the front driveway, Osman retrieved a car key from his pocket, and after the click of a button, he had entered his vintage Skandan Hayuma 700V one of his many Skandan cars.

A real beauty of a car painted in the maroon color of the Aydini flag. A custom-designed majesty, armored, bulletproof glass, tinted to the border of illegality, cream-colored leather seats, and a license plate with Osman engraved in gold. The car was one of his favorites, he had so many fond memories of the car. Like the time he went for a joyride in Caunes with those two Santonian models or the time he almost crashed into a tree after too many drinks after a night on the town. The Riviera had been his playground for a few years now and he loved it all.

From outside the car, Duggan shouted to him. "Where are you going, your Majesty?"

"For a ride," Osman said taking out his sunglasses and cleaning them.

"Shouldn't you have some kind of security detail with you?" He said concerned and confused.

"Where's the fun in that?" He said laughing putting the sunglasses on his face. "See you later this week Coach." He laughed to himself and pushed his foot onto the gas speeding away, the radio cranked to the max.

Lorbank's appearance on the CEFA Cup held by Saintonge.

Head coach Antoine Becren had a press conference before the first game against Essalanea in Nyon.


"It's not only for Lorbank, but for every nation a big contest to attend a intercontinental cup. We have to present our knowledge in one of the most beautiful stadium in Eras. I expect that we gave our everything into the matches, and with some luck as well, we can finish in a moving-forward-place in group E.

Preparation didn't succeed as well as we wanted to be. We loss against Makopa and Saintonge away and won only against Aydin at home, and this is a negative story. But we improved a lot in game situations; according to InStat we were more organised and ran more compared to other games we played. Obviously this week which is before us will be a very tough contest, because we will face our abilities with very good teams.

In the dressing room we were talking about what we can refit forward. We can not affect the referee's decisions, but we can be more strict to ourselves about not complaining at dubious situations, this is an important part in our mental preparation.

There is a lot of things we can improve of course, mainly the exploitation of the situations. So we focused during the preparation period, that we have to appear the quality on the pitch. The formation will be 4-1-4-1 with the tactics of heavy possession and patience game"

Aydini National Spotlight: Taylan Tansel

Name: Taylan Tansel
Birthdate and birthplace: August 10th, 1998, Karasova, Caglarca
Team: Karasova South FC
Position: Goalkeeper

Bio: Taylan Tansel was born August 10th,1998 in the city of Karasova, to two loving parents Nazar Tansel and Şenay Tansel. As a child, Taylan was pushed by his father into the life of a footballer. From the young age of three, his father had already enrolled him in football and continued to push him until his death in 2019 in a tragic car accident that killed both his father and mother. Leaving him and his sister Esila to fend for themselves. After earning a football scholarship Taylan was able to fulfill his father's dreams of him becoming a professional footballer after being recruited by Karasova South FC after his college team won the Caglarca Provincial championship for his college team. After a streak of wins under Karasova South, Taylan quickly became a household name with his skills as a young goalkeeper catching the attention of national team Coach Er Duggan.

Standing at large 6'3, Taylan has proven his ability to quickly block oncoming kicks and has been an excellent goalie for penalties. With most games ending in penalty shots being won by Karasova south. Alongside that his consistent excellent performance has proven him to be one of the most talented players currently on the National team. His philanthropy is also something that should be duly noted, as he has invested greatly into the poorer communities of Karasova where he grew up. Setting up several junior leagues for kids along with investing money in equipment for local teams and in local small businesses.

His performance in the games to come is anticipated to be well and as said by his Coach, Mr. Duggan. "I expect great things for and from Tay, he is a great player and I think we can do great things together."

Written by: Fidan Sentürk 9/5/21

The 2019 World Cup in Goyanes saw the exclusion of numerous talented young players from the Ulstome roster, since that time many of them have been able to give strong performances for their teams and the temptation presented to them with the opportunity to play in the 2021 Saintonge World Cup seems to have been good enough for them to answer the call up.

The interviewer, Hannah Imasaii (H), was standing on the training pitch at Brive in South-West Saintonge where the Ulstome team was located for their training. With her was several players from the team all sitting on a bench that was placed on the edge of one of the pitches. “Thank you Tim, as we are in the lead up to the first game of Ulstome’s World Cup journey I am here as the players are doing their final stages of training. I have been joined by some of the players… starting with you Monlerin (M). You had an excellent season, although not as good as perhaps you would have liked, do you feel that you will be able to perform for the national team like you do for Rotslo?”

M: “Thank you, I did not think that the season was that good a season after seeing a worse performance than the year before but yes I do think that I can perform here for this team. That is without a doubt.”

H: “Your playing a role we haven’t seen you commonly play for a couple of seasons, your playing on the wing which is not quite what we were expecting when we heard that you had been called up. How do you feel not being played in your preferred position up front?”

M: “I don’t know what you’re on about to be honest. I am perfectly happy to be on the wing, I play as a striker for my club despite my enjoyment of playing out wide. I’m perfectly capable of playing that role and I did for many seasons successfully, in our friendlies I played there, and I think I played well so I see no reason for you to doubt me or any of us!”

H: “Alright, so one last question before I move on. Your Rotslo teammate Skozen has also been called up to this team as well. How do you feel he will do on the international stage at this level?”

M: “Skozen work very hard, he trains harder than most players ive seen. He is only young so he has much to show so that people can really understand what he is capable of. I cannot say for how much he will play, that is for the manager, but I would be happy for him to play.”

H: “Thank you Monlerin. I am also joined by Frederickson (F). Frederickson, I think you are quite happy to now have a national call up?”

F: “Yes I am, I put it off for long enough, but I decided that now was the time to accept after rejecting it for several years.”

H: “Its good that you mentioned that since I was going to bring it up, you were part of the 4 under 1 movement. Would you like to explain for those who aren’t aware of what it is?”

F: “So the 4 under 1 movement in short is to allow all the Kingdoms under Ulstome to be allowed to have their own team to represent them internationally. Im from Koiledra and that would mean a lot to me. However, I understand that I cannot see it happening within my career, so I have chosen to represent my country and start my international career. I hope that answer is satisfactory.”

H: “That will be good enough I think for those at home. So, this one is for you both. How do you feel about your upcoming game against Lanceria?”

M: “They certainly will be a tough opponent to beat, they wouldn’t be here in the World Cup if they were not. I still feel confident in our chances, I wasn’t here for the last World Cup but we have an experienced team with many players that were there. We beat them 3 – 0 I believe, and I hope to put my name on the sheet against them this time.”

F: “I have no worries, I have complete trust in myself and the rest of the team to control the game and win. The 4-2-3-1 we used in the friendlies I felt brought the most out of the team and allowed us to play how we wanted to throughout those games. We have a wide group of players will a whole range of styles so if what we do doesn’t work then we will simply change it and then we will win.”

H: “Thank you both for that short interview. I wish you both the best of luck in your upcoming games.”

Saintes- Prydania won their first game in the 2021 World Cup with a strong 4-1 victory over Mansani in Bâle, Saintonge. The three point differential win, combined with fellow Group A teams Zhen and Tardine tying 0-0 in their first game gives Prydania a strong start to the group stage.

The Prydania/Mansani game was itself tied 0-0 after the first half, with both teams putting forth strong defensive efforts. The second half started with more of the same, but the flood gates opened when Peter Bach connected with Tjörvi Hagtvedt with a cross field pass, leading to a goal by the nineteen year old striker in the 51st minute. This was followed shortly by another goal by Hagtvedt in the 56th minute, making it 2-0.

Mansani clamped down at this point, seemingly having fixed their defensive collapse. The problem is that while they kept Prydania at bay their offence never managed to get going. This wasn't immediately apparent earlier in the game when Prydania's own offence was kept in check. Hagtvedt's two goals, however, exposed a need for Mansani to press an attack, but none came.

The Prydanian Captain Peter Bach scored a goal of his own in the 72nd minute, to put Prydania up 3-0 and all but seal the victory. Mansani brought it back two a two goal deficit with a goal in the 84th minute, but Bach's co-star midfielder Kurt Möch answered with a long goal in the 87th minute after a feed from defender Eyjólfur Kolstad.

Kolstad had quite the game himself, locking down the right side of the field. He played aggressively, yet never seemed to cross the line into dirty play.

"Eyjólfur was all over their attackers," team Vice Captain and defensive leader Storm Bendixen remarked.
"He never let up. We could all play better knowing Eyjólfur had shut down a forth of the field to them."

"I was just hungry, I didn't want them to get one on me. I hustled so it wouldn't happen. They weren't going to get past me, or get a foul off of me," Kolstad said when asked about his performance.

Halftime Changes

Prydania went into the half unable to get much offence. They scored four times in the second half despite no lineup changes. Peter Bach attributed the offensive explosion to Coach Jakob Höj.
"He told us winners want the ball on their foot when the game's on the line. It gave us a degree of focus. Enough to get through them and get a few quick goals in the second half. I think we may have gotten into their heads after that," he chuckled.

Going Forward

Prydania's second game is in three days. They will play Tardine in St. Tobias Stadium, in Coire. It's a stadium Tjörvi Hagtvedt knows well, playing his club football there for AJSTC. He isn't the only Prydanian player excited to play in the stadium though.

"We're here to represent our country," Kurt Möch remarked.
"It's special to be able to do that and play in a stadium named after a Prydanian King and Saint...and named after our current King too!"

Will that motivate Prydania in their game against Tardine?

"Já," Peter Bach remarked.
"But we don't need that to prove we're a good team."

Kickoff is on 10 September, at 10:00 pm Saintes time.

OOC Note: Post approved by @Yalkan

RAP Sports

Vallia v Predice Today!

By: Roberto Bernardeschi
08.09.21

Aurigny -- The Golden Eagles are preparing for its first game at the Stade d'Aurigny. With hours until kickoff, here is what we can expect.


The Golden Eagles preparing for a tough game

The Golden Eagles are readily admitting that a tough game is ahead of them, but they won't let it distract them.
Matteo Mancini, one of the strikers said: "We are going to have a tough game, without doubt. Vallia is a big country, and a strong footballing country, but we are going to do our best to take those three points." Vallia is expected to be about as hard as Goyanes was two years ago.


The Golden Eagles to bring full lineup

Predice's Head Coach, Frederico Bastoni has confirmed that Predice would bring its star studded starting lineup to the match.
Our previous prediction has proven right, as Predice is starting in a 3-5-2, with Rossi and Mancini as the main goalscoring threats. A stacked midfield means that Predice will hopefully be able to win the midfield duels, with an unpredictable three man back line to thwart attackers.
The prematch press conference will take place at 6:30PM, and will be livestreamed on Viedéo.


Predicean fans despite the travel ban?

The large Predicean diaspora in Saintonge is expected to turn out in swathes for the game. The Stade d'Aurigny is sold out, with many of the crowd expected to be from the Predicean diaspora.
For our Predicean fans at home, the game will be broadcast live on RAP channels.

OOC Music: Soft Cell- Tainted Love

La Perversion
Caunes, Saintonge
Wednesday, September 8th, 2021
9:46 PM

The dark halls of the club were illuminated by a dim red light, Osman walked quickly as he made his way to the club lobby. He was a few drinks deep and had received a text from one of his Santonian friends that he was in the area and he wanted to see him. It had been a while since he visited Saintonge with his last trip being only a year or two ago, and while he was there he'd decided it would be a good idea to meet some of the locals to find out where he could really get down like he did back home and make a few connections. He continued down the hall and into the lobby area, greeting him there sat his long-time friend François-André Conté de Caunes.

Confined to a wheelchair after a car accident André, looked small, weak, and sad. Once a proud and tall man whose aura radiated strength and power now sat quietly in his chair with a face that looked as if his spirit had been ripped from him. Osman looked at the man inwardly frowning, he was expecting a bit more pep from the usually spry and rambunctious nobleman's son who he had so often spent time with when in Saintonge. Raising his hand in the air, Osman greeted the man.

"André! How are you!" He said walking towards him. André raised his hand in response, a small smile formed on his lips.

"I'm doing ok, not in peak condition as you can see but I'm doing well. How are you?" He responded in his usual light Santonian accent, tilting his head back to look at Osman.

"I am doing absolutely fantastic!" Osman grinned.

"That's good, how has your time in Saintonge been so far?" He said tilting his head to the side a bit.

"It's been great! There is so much here to do and see, and not to mention the people. Like just the other night I was clubing in Saintes and I met this one girl from Prydania who was drop-dead gorgeous. And let me just tell you, it was fantastic we danced all night. I wrote her name and number down somewhere but I completely forget where I put it. But yeah, you Santonians really know how to get down." Osman was elated, he has had a great time so far in Saintonge, whether they won the World Cup or not he would still make every night worth it.

"oh that's.. nice" André said slightly uncomfortable. "But you do know she isn't really Santonian, right?" Osman looked at him for a second confused his eyebrow raised.

"What do you have against those Prydanian's anyway?" Osman rested his hand in his pocket.

"Well.." André sighed. "Ever since the Prydanian's fled their proper homes in Craviter, they flooded the cities here. And now crime, poverty and a whole sort of other issues have arisen from their being here. It is exactly why I fight so hard for the Radical party, I want a Santonian Saintonge." He said with all the trappings of a politician.

"You're an odd man, André," Osman said chuckling, taking his hand out of his pocket he pat André on his shoulder. "Why hate them all, when you can love them all and enjoy the rewards." Osman gave him a shit-eating grin. "I bet that if you spent one night with a Prydanian, you'd immediately and I mean immediately change your mind."

André shook his head. "I don't think so.. but in other news did you see the Red Devils beat the Skandans?"

"Oh yeah, I saw that, we face up against them on Friday." He said turning to one of the tvs in the lobby. The Prediceans were crushing the Vallians 3:1.

"What are your prospects?" André asked also turning to the TV.

"Well after the game against the Imperium we are hoping to take them at least by one point. Our defense is good so I think we'll be able to hold them down." He said crossing his arms.

"That's all well and good but the Devil's do have their home advantage and.." André dragged out the and. "We are going to kick your asses."

Osman laughed. "Alright well if you're so confident you'll win how bout we put in a little bet."

André raised an eyebrow. "What kind of bet?"

Turning from the TV to André, Osman put his hand on his shoulder. "If Saintonge wins I will let you choose one of my cars from my garage for you to keep." André perked up. "But... if Saintonge loses, I get to set you up on a date with a Prydanian..."

OOC: This Post has been approved by @Kyle

Gare de Saintes – Rive Droite
Saintes
08 September 2021
0530h

“Going home after watching the game?” A cheerful thirtysomething passenger, clad in a red Saintonge football shirt, commented to them as they passed each other by at the train’s corridor. He must’ve thought they were going back to Coire, thanks to Jonathan, who was wearing an old AJ Saint-Tobie de Coire football shirt. Thankfully they weren’t recognized, but Jonathan, the instigator of the trip, almost blew off their cover with his get-up.

“Yeah,” Jonathan replied, smiling.

“Not going to Torcy for the game against Aydin?”

“No, we’re going to watch it at his house,” Jonathan said, pointing to Thorbjörn, who nodded.

Of course, it was another ruse so they could sneak into the TGV Transchartreuse train unnoticed. Jonathan Jeandupeux, Thorbjörn Kjellander, and Hugberg Steenstrup were on their way to Valence, the high-speed train stop nearest to Jonathan’s hometown. They had been granted September 8 as a day of rest. Jonathan wanted to visit his family back in his hometown of Darbonnay. He took his two friends, former teammates from AJ Saint-Tobie de Coire, along. The perks of having the World Cup in your own country.

They wanted to travel incognito, so they dressed up as discreetly as they could. All three wore shades, even though it was 5:30 in the morning. They all wore nondescript outfits. Thorbjörn had this outfit of brown cargo pants, a yellow-and-black plaid long-sleeved button-down shirt, and a black baseball cap. Hugberg’s getup was dark blue jeans, a long-sleeved red-and-grey raglan-sleeved hooded shirt, and a grey baseball cap. Jonathan was sporting jeans, an unzipped gray zip-up hoodie over an AJ Saint-Tobie de Coire football shirt, and an AJ Saint-Tobie de Coire beanie. Because no way will anybody think that Jonathan Jeandupeux, Saintes-Saints-Brice player, would be wearing a rival team’s gear, wouldn’t they?

They reached their private cabin in the first class-section of the train. They wouldn’t have booked this expensive thing anyway. But despite all their efforts to dress inconspicuously, they were recognised and so they got this cabin.

Jonathan reserved three tickets under his name online. When they came to the Right-Bank Section of the Saintes Central Train Station to claim the tickets, the teller at the ticket booth recognised them. Of course. Jonathan Jeandupeux put his real name there.

“Congratulations!” The teller said. “Nice game!”

Jonathan had to gesture nicely to the teller to keep quiet. “Thank you,” he replied as he looked to see if there was anybody in the queue behind them. There was nobody else. “But we’re travelling discreetly.”

“Oh, okay,” the teller replied sheepishly. “My manager and I have a small gift for you, as a thank-you.” She then gave her the tickets. “SSCF has upgraded your ticket to a first-class cabin free of charge!”

Being recognised does have perks after all. Hugberg closed the door of the cabin behind them as they settled on the soft cushioned seats.

“How long to Valence?” Thorbjörn asked.

“Two hours and fifteen minutes,” Jonathan answered. This was a trip he took so many times.


Gare de Valence
Valence
08 September 2021
0800h

The trio had disembarked at the Valence train station. Jonathan’s father will fetch them before lunch at Valence so they can have lunch at Darbonnay. But for now, breakfast is on their mind.

“How about some fancy breakfast?” Jonathan asked.

“Don’t tell me it’s just sausages,” Thorbjörn joked.

“Nah, I will stuff y’all with sausages when we come home.” Jonathan countered as he adjusted the gym bag slung over his shoulder. And then an idea came to him. “Isn’t the Prydanian team nearby? Why don’t we surprise them with a visit?”

“Hell yeah!” Thorbjörn agreed. Hugberg nodded.

“I know the hotel where they are staying. We can eat breakfast there too.”

The three took a cab to Hotel Quantum – Valence, a four-star hotel at the outskirts of town, half a block away from the football field that the Prydanians were using. They went straight to the hotel’s restaurant and they indeed saw that one area of the restaurant, near the sunroom and the gardens, was cordoned off with a sign: “Reserved for 2021 Prydanian World Cup Team”. There was a security man stationed near the sign. From the language of the chatter in that reserved section, they knew the team was there.

“Bingo.” Jonathan muttered.

“Table for three?” The table attendant asked as she approached, clearly not recognising them.

“Yes,” Jonathan said, “and we want to sit there.” He pointed to the Prydanian section.

“I’m sorry, monsieurs, but those seats are reserved. Shall I seat you here?” she then gestured to the interior of the restaurant.

“No, we want to sit nearby there,” Jonathan insisted.

The attendant sighed. “Okay, follow me, monsieurs.”

The three chose a table just outside the cordon and they could identify some of the voices. After putting their order in, Thorbjörn whispered, “I wanna pay my bros a visit.”

‘That’s what we’re here for,” Jonathan grinned. “Come, let’s say hello to them.”

The three stood up and approached the cordon. The security guy stopped them from proceeding. “I’m sorry, monsieurs, but this is a restricted area.”

Jonathan pondered whether it was prudent to drop their covers then. Instead, he decided to name-drop instead. “I know Peter Bach, he’s my friend,” Jonathan told the security guy. He showed him the back of his World Cup badge, which did not show his name, just the fact that… “We’re from the World Cup.”

“I’m Tjörvi Hagtvedt’s friend too,” Hugberg told the guard. “Tell him huggiez is here.”

The security man clearly did not connect the dots yet. He sighed and went inside the restricted area to look for Bach and Hagtvedt.

Peter Bach and Tjörvi Hagtvedt went out of the reserved area to meet with the people who said were their friends. Even though their breakfast was interrupted, the two did not seem annoyed, which confused the security guy. Peter Bach was still chewing when he met up with the trio.

Tjörvi clearly had connected the dots – he knew who ‘huggiez’ was - which was confirmed when Thorbjörn and Hugberg took off their shades and caps. The security guy was flabbergasted.

“Tjörvi! Great game last night!” Thorbjörn said in Prydanian as they gave each other a brotherly hug. The security guy got even more flabbergasted.

“Huggiez! Thor! What are you doing here?” Tjörvi greeted them. “You came all the way from Saintes just to see us?”

“Heh,” Thorbjörn muttered. “Jonathan lives nearby. We got a one-day break. He invited us to stay today with his family before we get back to Saintes tomorrow.”

“We figured we drop by for a visit,” Hugberg said.

“It’s as if we don’t see each other a lot in Coire,” Tjörvi chuckled. “What really brings you here?” He raised an eyebrow in mock scepticism. His eyes widened. “SPYING on the Prydanian team, aren’t you?”

The three laughed.

Jonathan, for his part, removed his shades and greeted Bach. “Hey Peter! Great to see you here in Saintonge! Nice game last night!”

---

OOC Note: post approved by @Prydania .

A locker slammed shut— The locker of Skandan team captain Kei Ishiguro to be specific. “We lost one game. So what?”

Matsabura was taken aback. They blinked a few times. The reporter stopped a moment, then put their microphone back up to their mouth. “So you don’t care that you lost your opening game?”

“It’s not that I don’t care. It’s that to me; to us, one loss doesn’t define us. Especially against the host nation in their capital city." The thin man chuckled, putting his hands on his hips. "It’s just part of the game. You don’t get upset and pout about losing one game. You get knocked down, then you get back up and try again, and you keep trying again, and you do a little better each time. We learn from our mistakes, we strategize to minimize our weaknesses and play to our strengths. That’s what the Skandan team has always done. That’s what Skandans everywhere have always done. We’re nothing if not persistent. It's- It's part of our national attitude. Our national identity.”

To Matsubura, it was a weird attitude. A lot of sports players he’d interviewed in the past had the complete opposite attitude. “So how do you feel about Sai-“

The football captain took hold of the mic before Matsubura could finish, “Before you ask… I have nothing but respect for the teams we’re playing against. I hold no malice towards them even if they win. It would be an insult to our home nation if I didn’t respect them. The same goes to their citizens. They are very supportive fans, just like ours are.”

The reporter nodded, pulling the microphone back with a frown. He could’ve at least asked to take it…

“That’s a very unique perspective. Do you have anything to say to all the Skandans watching?”

Kei paused for a second, looked to the camera, and nodded, beckoning the mic over to his mouth. “…To all of our fans. Please be respectful. Keep cleaning up after yourselves, and never start a fight in our name. If you do you’re nothing but a hooligan, and not a real fan of us. Other then that, and this one goes out to all Skandans, and anyone else watching for that matter— Never give up!” The captain struck a pose as he said that loudly, which was accompanied by cheering teammates in support of the message.

THE EMPERANI-SU LEONNEN HAD STARTED THE CEFA WORLD CUP WITH THE WRONG FOOT?​

Comment Section:

In a luxury booth at the stadium in Mirande, a few career businessmen were happy to enjoy the perks of a record year. The drinks had flowed, the food was good, and as the second half of a Lanceria vs. Ulstome 2021 World Cup ticked away the mood was particularly pleasant. The mood in the booth next to them was not.

Defender Fabrice Laurent and Midfielder Jules Roy sat in relative silence, occasionally shooting an annoyed glance at the wall where they could sometimes hear the sounds of jovial laughter. To say the two core players of the Lancerian National squad were disappointed was to put it lightly. Travelling to the arena together, the two had been involved in a minor car accident the morning before the game, and the team's doctor had ordered they sit it out pending the results of one test or another. They had since watched with cautious optimism and then became increasingly concerned when, in the first half alone, Ulstome went up 1-0, 2-0, and then 3-0.

Of the two, Jules Roy was a veteran presence, having played on previous Lancerian squads at regional events, as well as the last World Cup. He understood the pulse of the team better than Laurent did, and when they came out to begin the second half, he could tell the change in energy on their team. It wasn't enough to make him feel confident they were going to win, nor was it enough to make up for the fact that he was sat here instead of below on the pitch, but he watched with anticipation as the second half of the game was played much tighter. Lanceria was reputed for their strong defensive play and it was then that it came together. Ulstome's aggressive style started to bounce off the smarter plays the Lancerian defensive corps was making. Finally, in the 82nd minute, midfielder Pryor Duval noticed an opportunity, a chance when the other team had overcommitted, and seized it. He scored for the Lancerian side to make it 3-1 and at least, thought Roy, they hadn't been shut out.

It would be easy, he thought, for the media, bloggers, and armchair general managers to chalk the loss up to the fact that himself & Laurent hadn't been there, but if they had any hope of winning this thing, they had to be ready to adapt like that. Better to learn the lesson right away than in an elimination match farther down the line.

As they got into the locker room, Captain Florent Harland was finishing his speech to the team. Noticing the two scratched players walk into the room with their suits Harland cracked a joke to break the tension. The team laughed and relaxed a bit and Roy went about the room sharing a few notes and praising a few of the less experience members of the team who had stepped up.

As they exited the stadium about a half an hour later, Laurent mentioned he'd call a ride service to get them back to the hotel. Roy put his hand over the other's phone. "Perhaps the train is a safer bet, hmm?" The two chuckled. Both had been cleared by the team doctor after the game. If he could help it, their next match against Essalanea would show a different story.

Coach Duggan expects "Big Things" from the Saintonge-Aydin game



In his press conference today Coach of the Aydini national team. The team's new Coach Er Duggan spoke to the press about his thoughts on the upcoming game against Saintonge saying.

"This upcoming game against Saintonge I expect to be challenging, but I have big hopes for the team. I think the team will be able to redeem itself from the last game and preform well enough to beat the Santonians."

This comes right after the release of the teams lineup displaying a 4-2-3-1 formation which has historically worked quite well for the national team in the past. But some worry that the national team's offensive capabilities are lacking, particularly after the no goal match against the Imperium Suavidici. Although Coach Duggan reassured the press saying later in the press conference.

"The team is aware of their failures during the previous game and are working very hard to make sure that next time, they take home the win.

One can only guess the results of the Aydin-Saintonge game but what we can say is that this upcoming game is looking to be quite the showdown.


Written by: Fidan Sentürk 9/9/21

Expectations were high for the first matchday of Group E for Ulstome as they went against Lanceria. Ulstome had a strong performance when these two teams last met in Goyanes with Ulstome securing a 3 – 0 win on the last matchday. Now Ulstome has gone to Saintonge with a stronger squad than it had in 2019 so was looking to make an impression on the tournament. This Ulstome team was well regarded for its attacking potential and how the with depth it had on its bench you could not predict how this team would play until the match had begun. As the team lineups were shown before the match it showed that Ulstome would be using the 4-2-3-1 formation that it had used in its friendlies before the tournament. The selection of Monlerin and Hollerford on the wings being clear indicators that Ulstome was confident that it didn’t need to worry when it went forward.

Throughout the first half of the game Ulstome was in control. Dangerous runs from Monlerin and Hollerford out wide were stretching the Lanceria defence and allowing Ulstome opportunities to score. Just before the ten-minute mark Hollerford was able to time his run to get in behind the Lanceria line to get onto the end of a throughball from Vaas, then striking the ball with power he forced an excellent save by the Lanceria keeper to turn it over the goal to go out for a corner. This was the dangerous plays that Ulstome had been able to do at the start of the game. That corner would soon deliver as Monlerin would get his head to the ball to turn it in at the near post to open the scoresheet and put Ulstome 1 – 0 up just after ten minutes. Ulstome would keep up the pressure around Lanceria’s box, Vaas would extend his team’s lead at the twenty-eighth minute as a strike from the edge of the box would beat the keeper to the top right-hand corner to make it 2 – 0. With the momentum from their goals, they kept going as they looked to further extend their lead. Their keeper Koverin would send a long ball up the field where Monlerin was waiting, controlling the ball he gave it to Vaas who immediately passed it into the open space behind where Monlerin ran onto it and headed towards the by-line. At the by-line he cut back the ball across the box to Frederickson who immediately shot to extend their lead to three goals in the 43rd minute of the first half. As the first half ended 3 – 0 it looked to be Ulstome’s day, they had put pressure on Lanceria and it had paid off.

After the first half ended with the Ulstome side 3 – 0 up on their Lanceria opponents, manager Lance Isone decided to make several half-time substitutions. As the team returned to the pitch for the start of the second half it was clear what the game plan would be. Monlerin and Hollerford had been taken off after their strong first half performance and were substituted for Ojlan and Opsal making the midfield four be the same four players that were fielded in the team’s last world cup. The decision to make the substitutions of the more attack minded Monlerin and Hollerford for Ojlan and Opsal showed that Isone was planning to have his side play much more defensively to maintain his teams three goal lead. His team had transitioned from its starting 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-1-1 formation with the defence and midfield looking to gain and then maintain possession rather than immediately go forward on the counterattack. This change in how the team was playing showed to work well for much of the first half as Lanceria came at them with a renewed intensity and determination. The midfield was having to work hard to support the defence to cut out Lanceria attempts, an on the line clearance from Varson would make it look as if the team could hold onto to a clean sheet in their opening game. Towards the end of the second half however as the team had committed forward, they were hit with a strong counterattack that would see Lanceria claw back a goal to deny Ulstome their clean sheet after an impressive performnace.

Despite their late goal Ulstome would see the rest of the game out to take a 3 – 1 win in their first game of Group E which would place them at the top of the group. Now the team looked towards their next game against Lorbank who had secured themselves a 1 - 0 win over Essalanea and were currently challenging Ulstome for their position at the top of the group. A win against them would put Ulstome one step closer to qualification and the team was determined to achieve it.

OOC Note: This follows on immediately from this post.

IC:
A bad friend lives far away though his house lies on your road, but it's no distance to one who is dear though you travel many miles.

A true friend whom you trust well and wish for his good will; go to him often, exchange gifts, and keep him company.

-Prydanian proverbs from The Saga of Hróarr Loðbrók and the Eastern Voyages

8 September 2021
8:00 AM
On a Wednesday
Valence, Saintonge

Peter Bach had been eating breakfast sausage and eggs, feeling good. He contemplated that as he ate. The love for the game, the friendship (he had an active aversion to the term "comradery") of his teammates...but man, it did feel good to win.

"Pete, the bread?"

"Huh?"

"The bread?"

It was his friend, Kurt. Kurt Möch.

"Oh yeah," he passed the basket of bread down.

"You ok?" Kurt asked as he looked into the basket curiously.

"Já," Peter said with a smile.
"But what about you? You look a bit confused," he chuckled. He didn't want to get into his deeper thoughts and he was just happy to deflect that his contemplations had been noticed. And Kurt looking curiously at a croissant was just the trick.

"What's this?" Kurt asked.

"It's Santonian," Tjörvi interjected.
"Try it, you'll like it. It goes great with butter."

"Everything goes good with butter," Kurt replied before he began to break the warm croissant in half to spread the butter around.

Jakob just watched. The coach often didn't interject himself into his team's social time unless his presence was needed. So he kept it to himself that before the Civil War you could find Santonian style croissants in any decent restaurant's complimentary bread basket in Býkonsviði. But these kids grew up amidst food shortages, rations, and the War. It was new to them. And that was kind of nice in a way, for a new generation of Prydanians to rediscover the world.

Tjörvi watched with a smile as Kurt tried the croissant.
"How do you like it?"

"It's like...somewhere between an Austurlander* and a piece of bread. It's nice."

"Já they're really good," Tjörvi said with a nod. If Jakob Höj was happy to see a new generation of Prydanians rediscovering the world then Tjörvi Hagtvedt was excited to be one of those doing it.

Kurt dipped his croissant in some eggs as Tjörvi happily clanged his fork against his plate absent mindedly. His coach noticed.

"Excited?" he asked.

"Já," Tjörvi said. "It's my first World Cup." He had won gold at the Odinspyl, but this was the World Cup. It was a whole other level. He dreamt of representing his country on this stage, but he never thought he would. And here he was. Not only that but...

"You should be! You're the tournament's leading scorer," Jakob Höj announced.
Indeed he was. The first game had come two days earlier. Saintonge had bested Skanda 2-0, with Jonathan Jeandupeux and Tristan-Lambert Saint-Huile scoring. Then a few other games. Prydania had beaten Mansani 4-1, with Tjörvi scoring two. Tardine and Zhen went to a 2-2 draw, with no player there getting two goals. Aydin and the Imperium had tied 0-0. So...on this morning of 8 September Tjörvi was the World Cup's leading scorer.

Tjörvi knew this and blushed deep but smiled.
"Please Coach," he said.
"It's been like four games. It won't last."

"Maybe not," Jakob shrugged.
"But enjoy it. No one can take the moment away from you."

Tjörvi grinned but otherwise just looked down and nodded. He was, for at least a few hours, a World Cup score leader.
"Thanks Coach."

Jakob nodded, before he willingly vanished back into the background.

It was soon afterwards that a security guard entered the team's breakfast area and came over to talk to Tjörvi, who had become the team's designated translator.

"Peter," he said, "he says you have a friend here."

"Huh?" Peter asked. He supposed someone he knew from home or Alemriche could be here but then...

Tjörvi lit up as the guard continued to relay a message.
"Huggiez is here?" he asked excitedly in Prydanian before asking again in Santonian. The guard was confused but confirmed and Tjörvi eagerly got up.

Peter clued in, following, but not before he grabbed one more breakfast sausage.
He know "Huggiez" was Hugberg Steenstrup. He was a Prydanian refugee-turned-Santonian footballer who was Tjörvi's AJSTC teammate. And Peter had a history with him too, from the Odinspyl the previous year.

Peter was still chewing on the last bit sausage when he and Tjörvi saw that it wasn't just Hugberg! He was with Jonathan Jeandupeux and Thorbjörn Kjellander.

The five exchanged pleasantries, with Peter letting Tjörvi catch up with his club teammates when Johnathan, smiling, spoke up.

"Hey Peter! Great to see you here in Saintonge! Nice game last night!”

Peter smiled back. Jonathan was a good guy.
"Thank you!" he said, before looking at Tjörvi.
"This guy's going to steal my spot if I don't do better through."
Tjörvi chuckled but blushes, and Peter sensed that and shifted topics.
"But thank you," he said to Peter. One reason he liked Jonathan was because he didn't seem to have any hangups about speaking to them in Prydanian. It wasn't a very easy language for foreigners- especially non-Nords- to learn, so he was told. And while Jonathan's accent was heavy he was still adequately passable.

"I'm very happy to be in Saintonge," Peter added.
"I've heard a lot of wonderful things about this country, and so far it's been great to see they're all true. Hey! Do you three wanna join us for breakfast?"

The three Santonian players hardly needed convincing as the flummoxed security guard stepped aside, allowing everyone through.

"I read the article about you," Peter said to Jonathan.
"Your father is a sausage and cheese maker? That's pretty cool."

Jonathan needed a moment, because the Prydanian terms for "sausage maker" and "cheese maker" were a bit cumbersome, but Hugberg happily helped him through it.

"Yes," Jonathan said proudly.

"And your hometown is nearby," Peter added.
"Maybe he made the sausages we're having with breakfast?"

"Maybe," Jonathan replied with a smile.
"It depends. Are they any good?"

"Delicious," Tjörvi answered.

"Then yes, I'll take credit for them for my father," Jonathan laughed.

The five got back to where the team was having breakfast as Peter and Tjörvi introduced everyone. Coach Höj, though a bit surprised to see the three Santonian players, joyfully welcomed them and had room made for them at the table.

"Thank you, for your hospitality," Jonathan said as Jakob chuckled.

"It's never a bad thing to meet with friends. Mingle, have fun, and don't mind me!" he said, before waiting a polite length of time before returning to his newspaper. Only speaking again to ask Röskvi how his uncle was holding up as election day drew closer.

"So, you're reading up on the competition," Jonathan asked Peter, only for the Prydanian captain to chuckle.

"Heh, no. It was a nice write up is all."

"I'm just teasing," Jonathan replied with a smile, "but thank you."

"You're welcome," Peter said and he continued to eat again before sharing some eggs with his friend.
"That'll do it until they bring your food out," he added. Jonathan almost insisted it wasn't necessary util he remembered his manners and accepted it happily.

"I read the RÚV article on the Prydanian lineup myself," Jonathan said.
"It said your game's changed a bit since you went to MCFC in Alemriche. I gotta ask...Alexis. What's the scoop?"

Peter went from slightly nervous to relieved when that ended up being Jonathan's question.

"Um..." Peter chuckled, "that's a big question and so many places to start. Let's say...MCFC's offence will likely be opening up soon with him gone."

"Ball hog then," Jonathan affirmed. It had matched what he'd seen.

"Já," Peter nodded.
"And if you're not on board with that he whines to management."

Jonathan nodded. He wanted to broach a subject with Peter but he knew it could be tricky to word without seeming critical. And he didn't want to be! It was a complimentary thing, just hard to word. He and Peter had spoken about Peter's tendency towards aggressive play back in Pataliputra for the Odinspyl.
"Well...um...I'm happy to hear things will be opening up with a less restrictive offence at MCFC but...you seem to have evolved your game since you started there." There. That should do it...Jonathan hoped.

Peter just smiled though.
"You mean I've calmed the fuck down?" he asked with a grin.

Jonathan, previously a bit nervous, chuckled and nodded.
"Something like that."

"It's less to do with MCFC and more to do with..." he blushed. Should he be open about this? But then he remembered telling Tjörvi that it was nothing to be ashamed of.

"I've been seeing a therapist," he said, just a bit quieter than usual.
"For some personal stuff, but it's leaked into how I play, I guess. I'm finding myself and getting more focused and calm."

"That's great," Jonathan replied happily. Peter was relieved, that there didn't seem to be any judgement on his friend's end. And so they began to talk about less heavy things...

Tjörvi, Thorbjörn, and Hugberg reconnected, first over the location of Prydania's next game.

"Your next game's in Coire, so that's cool," Hugberg said as he took some bread.
"You excited to be playing in our home stadium?"

"Já!" Tjörvi said.
"The RÚV keeps asking me 'you're used to playing here is that and advantage?' and I keep telling them 'no,' but I don't think that's true. There's something about it, I can't really explain to reporters. Like a comfort level I guess."

"I know what you're talking about," Thorbjörn said with a nod.
"It feels cozy."

"Já," Tjörvi replied with a nod.
"Very! But what about you guys? Are you excited for Aydin?"

"They're a sneaky tough team," Hugberg said.
"But that makes it a more exciting game."

Tjörvi nodded as Thorbjörn shifted things from football.
"How are things with you and Matthea?"

"They're really good. She sends me care packages," Tjörvi said with a grin.

"Awww," Hugberg said happily. "And Hyltir...I can't believe he didn't know!"

Thorbjörn couldn't stop laughing at that, because it was so obvious. Made even more funny because, whether Hyltir intended to or not, he'd set Tjörvi and Matthea up himself.

"She's going to be at our next game against Tardine," Tjörvi added.
"So I'm kinda nervous."

"Don't be," Hugberg said with a smile.
"You two love each other. Feel the love of her being there."

Tjörvi smiled, about to say something when Thorbjörn wrapped an arm around him.
"And don't forget to kick lots of butt to impress her."

They chuckled together before Tjörvi turned to Storm Bendixen, the team's Vice Captain and leading defender.

"Storm, this is Hugberg and Thorbjörn. They're friends of mine from the Santonian national team and AJSTC."

"A pleasure to meet you both," Storm said happily. And soon the three Santonians were fully integrated into the friendly breakfast conversation.

---

*Austurlander- a Prydanian pastry, equivalent to an IRL Danish

OOC Note: Post has been approved by @Kyle

7 September 2021
9:52 pm
On a Tuesday
Osfjoll, Prydania

Asta Skatteböl clapped.
"That's your uncle," she said to her daughter Runa, as the RÚV interviewed her brother Eyjólfur Kolstad after Prydania's 4-1 win over Mansani. Runa, not even one, just laughed happily.

"Good game, Eyjólfur!" Asta's husband Holmfast said as the interview of his brother-in-law wrapped up. He yawned, but quickly moved to get his wife to sit back down.
"No, no love, I'll put her to bed."

"Are you sure?" Asta asked only for Holmfast to insist. He wanted to be a good husband, and his wife was already pregnant again. He wanted her to take it easy. And to make the most of the time she had with her father, who had watched the game with them.

"Ok then," Asta said, kissing Runa's forehead.
"You go with pabbi, ok? I'll be in soon." The baby laughed happily again as her father picked her up.

"Say goodnight to grandpabbi," Holmfast said, bringing the little one to his father-in-law.

"Goodnight princess," Asketill Kolstad said to his granddaughter, giving her a kiss on the forehead himself. Both he and his daughter watched as Holmfast brought Asta down the hall into her bedroom.
"He's a keeper," Askertill remarked as Asta chuckled.

"You're just saying that because he's one of your buddy's kids."

"I knew," Askertill remarked, "as soon he he joined us out on the water that he was a good guy. Just didn't think he'd be my son-in-law. But you can admit that your father was right now and then," he said with a smirk and wink.

Asta rolled her eyes in as lovingly a way as possible before changing subjects.
"Eyjólfur played a good game."

"Já," Askertill said as he beamed.
"He did. But since when do you know football?"

"I'm home all day with the princess back there, and this one," Asta said, patting her pregnant belly.
"Sports shows are remarkably captivating once you get into them. I think I like the people who call in the most."

"Heh," Askertill chuckled.
"Eyjólfur though, he played very hard. He always does, you know. I watch some of his games, and then I think he's crazy when he shows up at my place in the morning."

"He does it because he cares. He's a good boy," Asta remarked, regarding her younger brother.

"I know," Askertill laughed.
"But I'm not as frail as he thinks I am."

Asta smiled. Her father's time in a Syndicalist "re-education camp" had left him with certain...pains that he tried to hide. If you knew to look when he moved though...
She didn't bring that up. Her father worked hard and was proud. Eyjólfur was a lot like him in that respect.

"I hope he's enjoying himself though," Askertill added.
"I hear Santonian food is very good. I hope he's having a good time."

Asta blushed a bit at that, remembering the conversation she had with her brother just before he left for the World Cup.
"I do too."

"Ok," Holmfast said, emerging from Runa's room.
"She's mostly down for the night."

"Well," Askertill replied, standing. Asta could see her father wincing ever so slightly as he did.
"I won't be keeping you up. I'll head home."

Holmfast helped his wife up as they escorted him to the door, exchanged hugs and kisses, and watched for a moment as Askertill made his way home, just a few houses down. Their retreat back inside was met by the crying of their daughter.

"I thought you said you put her down?"

"I did!" Holmfast insisted as Asta chuckled, leading him back into their daughter's room.

"Ah, what's the matter?" Asta said sweetly as she turned on the soft lighting of the nightstand lamp. Runa looked up, crying, but calmed seeing her mamma.

"There there," Asta said softly, picking her up.

"Sleep my young loved one," she began to sing in a soft melody of an old Prydanian lullaby.
"Outside the rain is weeping, mother looks after your treasures, old and new. Let's not stay awake through dark nights..." she said softly as her husband wrapped an arm around her. Singing softly to calm the baby...

8 September 2021
8:23 pm
On a Wednesday
Valence, Saintonge

Eyjólfur checked his phone. It was Röskvi.
"You should be here bro!" the text said, followed by a grinning emoji and a picture of him, Fred, and bunch of other smiling people with drinks. It wasn't from a bar, it looked too nice. More like a restaurant.

"Don't get too wasted," he texted back before slipping his phone into his jacket pocket. His heart was racing, actually. He'd been on various levels of tense since getting here. It was strange though. It had begun as a certain level of angst, but now...well...his heart was racing a bit and he felt unable to stay still, but he wasn't stressed.

It had been six days since arriving in Valence and the local Prydanian community had taken to them, showing up even at practices to cheer them on. That was fun, and encouraging. Though he was unsure about the Santonians who came out to be supportive. Of course they were pulling for their own team first and foremost, but they were very kind hosts. Some, the more football savvy among them, were even nervous and excited to meet them. Eyjólfur was from a fishing down, and he fished with his father or did odd jobs for his pregnant sister on the days he wasn't playing or practising. Yet Santonians who knew their football, who could tell you who played where in almost every country, treated him like a star. It was something he never expected. And on top of what he thought Santonians were like thanks to Twitcher... it threw him through a loop.

A loop perhaps. but he wasn't ready to be proven wrong, really. It pushed him into a deep thought. And that's why the jacket that he slipped his phone into wasn't his team jacket. It was just an old khaki one. He wanted to see how people acted towards him if they didn't immediately see he was a footballer.
So he walked into a pub. No one paid him any mind as he entered, but he still felt very nervous. He quietly observed the place, with a few tvs focused on STV's sports coverage, and found a table to sit down at. He watched the tv a bit. He couldn't understand Santonian, but they were covering the World Cup.

"Goyanes lost?" he thought to himself before shrugging.
"They better not get their asses eliminated before we have a chance to do it," he said to himself as he smiled. Did he think they could beat the defending world champions? Well...why would you be here if you didn't?

"Bonjour, puis-je prendre votre commande?"

Eyjólfur looked up at the waitress who had approached him. He paused a moment to see if she'd recognize him, but she didn't seem to. He pulled his phone out and pulled up a translator app. He typed in "bjór." It gave him "bière." It was a tricky one. Similar enough that he felt he had it, but he stumbled with the pronunciation a bit.

"Bière?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes please," he said in Prydanian, nodding so she'd get it. She nodded and pointed to a plastic stand on the table that had the types of beer. The selection seemed to pale compared to the selection of wine. He didn't recognize any of them, but picked a light lager looking one, if the bottle was any indication. She nodded and headed off.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he thought to himself.
"You're going to get into a fight in a bar? And prove what?" but he shook his head just a bit.
"Just to get in the face of a fucking bigot," he said to himself.

The waitress returned with his beer.
"Trois cinquante," she said, as he stumbled for his change, helped along by the waitress. Eventually it was sorted though.

No one bothered him, really, but eventually a man made his way over.

"Prydanienne?"

Eyjólfur looked up. He was older, looked to be in his early forties. His heart began to race.

"Já..." he said.

"Je ne veux pas déranger, mais puis-je vous présenter quelqu'un qui pourrait vous aider?"

"I don't speak Santonian," he said firmly, feeling his jaw clenched. The man, though, turned, calling to someone at the bar. Something was definitely happening and all Eyjólfur could think was "you're a fucking idiot," to himself.

"Karl?" the man called out.
"Je pense qu'il y a une âme ici qui a besoin de toi."

And that's when Eyjólfur saw...Karl Harbits. The same man from the Prydanian Brotherhood he'd met at dinner six days ago.

"Oh? Eh bien, laissez-moi..." Karl began as he got up, wearing an AJSTC jersey, before recognizing who it was.
"Eyjólfur?"
"Merci, Marc," he said to the man who obviously knew him.

"J'ai ça."

The first man took his seat again as Karl approached Eyjólfur's table and sat down at it.
"How are you, man?" he asked, switching to Prydanian.

"Um, ok," Eyjólfur replied.
"I..who was that?"

"That's Marc-Thibaut, I work with him. He must have thought you were new, when he heard you struggling with the waitress. He knows I'm in the Brotherhood and probably thought I could help some new immigrant," he said with a smile.

"Ah," Eyjólfur said with a nod.
"Well...sorry to disappoint I guess. I just wanted a beer."

"Nah, no disappointment," Karl insisted.
"I'm glad to see ya. You were amazing in that first game."

"Thank you," Eyjólfur replied, taking a sip of his beer. He was feeling...partially defensive, partially embarrassed by what had happened, and what he'd assumed was going to happen before being proven wrong.

"My wife and I, we're both into the designs of uniforms. I wasn't sold on the redesign for the national team because I thought it would be bad luck after you all won the Odinspyl, but you got off to a good start in the new threads!"

"I like the diamonds," Eyjólfur said, referring to the new Prydanian football shirt designs.

"They're nice," Karl replied.
"So what brings you here? Surely your teammates are out on the town in more exciting places than this?"

"Oh..." Eyjólfur said softly.
"I..um..." he drank more beer and looked around.
"Can you keep a secret?"

"No one here would understand us even if they overheard us," Karl chuckled.

"I guess that's the point. I'm shocked to see you here," Eyjólfur said with a shrug.
"Why?" Karl asked.

"It's not a Prydanian bar."

"Ha!" Karl chuckled, adjusting his glasses.
"You know there's one that Prydanians like to visit, but you'll find plenty of Santonians there too. Things are nice here, everyone mingles."

"Is that true?" Eyjólfur asked raising an eyebrow.

"Já," Karl said with a nod, before he noticed Eyjólfur's expression. He wasn't just asking a question. He was expressing doubt.
"You look shocked."

"I guess I am," Eyjólfur replied.
"I was expecting someone to give me crap when I opened my mouth here."

"Why would anyone do that?" Karl asked.

"You tell me," Eyjólfur said back.

"I really have no idea," Karl answered. Eyjólfur raised an eyebrow.

"All the shit the Radical Party says?"

Karl began to laugh, before he noticed Eyjólfur wasn't laughing with him.
"You're serious?"

"I...don't know," Eyjólfur said.
"I see all of the shit on Twitcher and I was sure that would be waiting for us here."

"Has it?" Karl asked.

Eyjólfur sipped his beer some more.
"No," he said with a shrug.

"Wait," Karl asked.
"Did...were...you in here looking for something like that?" It was a possibility that had dawned on him as he pieced the odd bits of Eyjólfur's behaviour together.

Eyjólfur blushed.
"Maybe..." he said, taking a gulp of beer. Before finally shrugging.
"Já."

"Why would you want to talk to those people?" Karl asked. Eyjólfur just looked at his beer bottle and began to scratch away the label. The condensation made it easy.

"Do you know what I do?" he asked.

"You play football, for Midland in Hadden."

Eyjólfur shrugged again. "That's part of what I do. When I don't have a game or practice I pull myself awake early at the morning and drive back to Osfjoll. Most of the time it's to get out on the water with my pabbi. Other times it's to help my sister because she's got a kid and is pregnant with another, and her husband is a fisherman too." So every day I'm not playing football I'm driving between Hadden and Osfjoll to help my family because my pabbi needs my help, or my sister needs my help, or both do."
He spoke very...angrily. Not angry at Karl, but...he clearly had a chip on his shoulder.

"That's very noble of you," Karl said.
"But I don't..."

"My pabbi works hard," Eyjólfur continued.
"He resisted the Syndicalist takeover of the fishing industry in Osfjoll, and he spent seven years in a Syndicalist labour camp. I didn't really meet him until I was seven. But he loved my sister and I, and even though they hurt him and beat him, he loved us and kept his head down and obeyed because he couldn't risk being taken away from us. Not after Mamma was killed. He worked hard then, and he still does."

Eyjólfur looked down at his beer. He felt his heart racing. The tenseness in his body was probably the only thing holding back tears. Karl though...he'd seen this before. The Brotherhood of Prydanians in Saintonge reached out to Prydanian refugees and immigrants. And many had stories like this. Eyjólfur was not a refugee or an immigrant, but he was here with him. He needed someone to talk to.

"I'm sure your father does work hard," he said as he sipped his own beer again.
"I'm also sure he's very proud to have you driving back home all the time to help."

Eyjólfur just nodded, and continued looking at his beer.

"But I'm just not sure what this has to do..." Karl began before Eyjólfur spoke again, answering the question Karl hadn't even fully asked.

"I bust my ass for my family. My brother-in-law busts his ass for my sister and their kid. I see my pabbi get up every morning even though his bones still hurt from what happened to him, but he does it because he's proud, and he does it for us. People say my pabbi is proud of me. Maybe he is, but I'm proud of him. I'm proud of my family, and my town. And I don't like hearing some privliged fucks from Saintonge saying my country's a shithole, and my people are terrible." He gripped his beer bottle so his hands wouldn't tremble, even as his heart raced.

Karl nodded, and pat his back.
"You know Marc, the guy who pointed you out to me?"

"Já," Eyjólfur nodded.

"Well," Karl said.
"Marc is my friend. But he's not just my friend. I'm technically his team manager at work. Or to be blunt about it, I'm his boss. Think he cares his boss is a refugee from Prydania? Nah." Eyjólfur just kept looking at his beer bottle, so Karl continued.

"When I started with the company I'm at, no one cared if I was Prydanian. Or if they did, it was in a good way. My whole department wanted to hug me when the War ended," he smiled.

"So no one descriminated against you at work?"

"No one has ever descriminated against me, period," Karl said with a smile. "I've lived here since I came to this country. I've been involved in the local Brotherhood chapter in some way for most of that time. I'm not lying to you when I say no one's ever mocked me, or said a bad word to me because of where I came from."

"They're everywhere though, online..." Eyjólfur said softly.
"They're constantly talking, constantly mocking people like you. And me!"

"Look," Karl said.
"I'm proud of being a Prydanian, and I'm proud of Prydania. In a lot of ways because of people like your brother-in-law and father, because they're what makes it a great country."

Eyjólfur looked up at Karl, with wide eyes. He was...genuinely touched to hear that. Karl sensed it too and smiled.

"I'm from Jörgensbjerg, remember. I know a lot of people like that. You get knocked down, and you get up. I'm proud that the country I came from has that spirit," he pat Eyjólfur on the back.

"But I'm also proud to be Santonian," Karl added.
"Because it took me in when I had nothing, because it gave me a chance to rebuild my life, and...it made me feel like I was welcome. Saintonge gave me a reason to be proud to be Santonian. And that wouldn't have happened if those Radical drullusokkur* were in any way representative of the people of this country."

"But you have them beating kids..."

"As sad as that was," Karl interjected, "it was one incident and everyone pretty much condemned the people responsible. I mean look around. This place we're in now has more wine than beer by a three to one margin. You won't find a more Santonian bar," he laughed.
"You and I have been talking in Prydanian for a while, and no one cares. I've never come across anyone in my life who's like those Radicals online, but if one of them did come in here and started to give you or I a hard time I know everyone else here would tell them to get lost."

"It's hard to look away," Eyjólfur said softly. It was something that, as he said it, he realized he could have said to his sister when they spoke just before he left. He probably should have but...she was his sister. You don't admit your sibiling might have a point! He'd said it to Karl, though.
"It's hard to look away because I know if I do, then they're still there. Spewing their bullshit."

Kal drank more of his beer before he nodded.
"I lost my family, and I lost my home," he said softly.
"Saintonge gave me a chance to rebuild my life...but I will never forget the life that I had that was taken from me."

"The Syndicalists took from us too," Eyjólfur said.

"Já," Karl replied.
"They did. And you had to suck it up, and just go about your life, while they did what they did."

Eyjólfur nodded.

"They killed my family and drove me from my home," Karl said.
"And they hurt your father, and took your mother. But eventually, you learnt how to deal with it. How to accept that they were there, until God willing, justice was done."

Eyjólfur nodded again, looking at Karl with wide blue eyes.

"So..." Karl contiued, with his voice still soft, before it changed into a more jovial tone, "who the fuck cares about some spoiled pissants?" he laughed.

Eyjólfur was a bit shocked, but Karl just continued.

"You're a strong young man. You managed to survive the Syndicalists. You're better than to let some pompous assholes online bother you. Most Santonians would agree with that desciption of them."

Eyjólfur felt his heart continue to race, but his body was no longer tense. He breathed deep for a moment.

"Thank you, Karl," he said before finishing off his beer.

"You're welcome," Karl said smiling.
"This is a great country, and a great town. I want you to enjoy your time here. Hopefully you make some fond memories."

Eyjólfur nodded, and smiled. He already had some.

8 September 2021
8:58 pm
On a Wednesday
Valence, Saintonge

The girl at the convenience store.... she always seemed happy to see him.

Eyjólfur had gone back since that first night, figuring she worked late shifts. He'd come to learn her name was Anne-Sophie, and though they couldn't say much to each other he came in every night to buy a chocolate bar. She was just pretty, seemed nice, and was patient as he dealt with the Santonian words and money he had to contend with to pay.

And so he headed out of the pub he had spoken to Karl in. He had been nice, walking him to the door and seeing him off. And his talk with Karl had left him feeling lighter and less angsty then he had. For the first time since he first saw Anne-Sophie he could enjoy seeing her without the weight of his own anxieties pushing down on him. Of course the interactions would be limited but...he noticed something he hadn't before.

The store that Anne-Sophie worked in has racks and shelves of chips, crackers, candy, and cerial that obscured your view of the counter as you entered. Usually Eyjólfur was happy to walk in quickly to see her. Over the past six days he failed to notice something. He noticed it now though. It was right to his left as he entered the store, a white and orange machine. His curiosity got the better of him. It had a pannel for dispensing coins...it reminded him of a vending machine. Just not any that he was used to. It was wider, you could see inside, and he didn't see any bottles of pop or candy...but...

"Are those oranges?" he asked himself quietly, as he looked at the space near the top, containing oranges. He looked over the rest of the machine.

"JUS!" was spelled out in orange font, with a tagline in green that read "de l'essence l'orange." Neither the words for "juice" or "orange" in Prydanian were close to their Santonian equivalent, but Eyjólfur was able to piece together that this was a vending machine that turned fresh oranges into freshly squeezed juice! He'd never seen anything like that back home before, and he excitedly began to fish out some coins. The pannel for the money read "£1" and thankfully the one livre coin was marked as such. He slipped it in and watched as a few oranges dopped into the presss, and the fresh orange juice flowed into a cup. Then a plastic seal was applied and the cup before a plastic door in the machine opened to give him a cool plastic cup of orange juice. He poked the straw through the pastic top and sipped. It was good! He smiled, having an idea, and dropped a second coin into the machine. So that when he emerged from behind the sheleves and racks of food by the store's entrance he was holding two cups of orange juice, handing one to Anne-Sophie.

"Bonjour!" she said, before going "oh, merci!" when she was handed a cup of juice. And then she held up a chocolate bar, the kind he'd been buying for five days. Eyjólfur chuckled as she leaned forward on it and smiled. He grinned too.

"You took the fun out of it! Now I can't pretend to look around as an excuse to see you for longer!"
He normally wasn't so forward but the language barrier helped in that regard.

"J'espérais que tu reviennes," she said, before adding "Félicitations pour votre victoire!"

Eyjólfur blushed a bit. As fun as this could be...he really wanted to talk to her. He sighed though, and went to take the chocolate bar, as his hand grazed her's. And he saw that he wasn't the only one blushing. He nodded as she just offered a soft "six trente-six" with a sublte grin. He nodded, producing enough. He slipped the bar into his jacket pocket and she took his other gently in her's to give him his change. He felt his heart racing now...and though he didn't know it, so was her's.

"Mercy," he said with a wide grin. It was the only Santonian word he knew, and he'd finally gotten the prononciation right.

"De rien," she said back.

It pained Eyjólfur to have to leave, but he did. He didn't know enough to start a conversation and he couldn't just stay here staring at her.

"Before we leave," he said, "I'm going to learn how to say 'you're very beautiful,'" he said with a nod. He stroked her hand just a bit with his thumb before he reluctantly pulled his hand away to wave.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, knowing she couldn't understand him.

"Je te verrai demain," she said back. She knew he couldn't understand her, but she didn't care.

Eyjólfur sighed under the street lamps. He had to learn even just a bit of Santonian.

Tjörvi.

He'd ask Tjörvi.

---

*drullusokkur- toilet plungers, means "bastards"

OOC Notes: Post approved by @Kyle and lullaby recommended by @Esplandia

Name: Eric Vaas

Age: 23 Years Old

Height: 6’3

Weight: 82 kg

Club: Sost Krincaster

Previous Teams: Bunsta, Rotslo, Starvo, Meilst, Islaford, AS Nola.



Eric Vaas has seen a long range of change and development to which he has shown incredible adaptability throughout his relatively young professional career.

Eric Vaas was born in the village of Honaii, in the countryside near the capital of Krimielstein, to his parents Martha and Harold Vaas. Vaas stood out as a child for his large size, standing much taller than his classmates. This meant that when he played for his school football team, they would put him in goal purely because of his height so his footballing talents were not shown. It was not until Medomskole that his skill with the ball would be noticed as he helped his school’s team win numerous matches against other local schools with his well-timed passes. He would be scouted and later recruited to the Bunsta youth academy, which was in the Capital, when he was 13 years old. Only one year later his family would move to Rotslo for his father’s work, and he would transfer to the renowned Rotslo youth academy. In the U16 he showed himself to be more than capable for the age range that he was playing with and soon when he was 15, he was promoted to the U23 where he showed that despite being considerably younger than the players, he was playing against that he was still able to have the technical skill to compete. The physical gap was obviously present but as he grew older it showed more and more that he would also be one of the more capable physical players on whichever team he played for. At 16 he would complete Medomskole with high marks showing his dedication to his schooling and to football.

When he turned 16, he would be truly tested as now Rotslo were allowed to send him on loan within the country to get hi first team football. Vaas made his professional debut in the 2014/15 season when he was only 16 years old. There had been an agreement between his club Rotslo and the newly promoted side of Starvo for him to go on a season long loan where he would receive considerable first team gametime. This was to develop him as a player through exposure to a higher level of the game and to test his abilities in the top division to see if he was ready to be integrated into the Rotslo first team at such a young age. His season at Starvo would prove to be very fruitful for him as despite his difficulties at the start of the reason where he was moved between several positions, from being part of the striker pairing in a 4-4-2 to being moved into a wide midfield position. His tendency to drop into the central midfield from these positions had shown to make difficulties for the rest of the team, that was until he was put as one of the two central midfielders after Gorot suffered an injury that would take him out the rest of the season. This central position was where Vaas showed his ability as a playmaker where he would use his vision to pick out players and pockets of space that would result in good progression of the ball. He was not a proficient goal scorer this early on in his career and looked to be much more comfortable as a facilitator for the team. This first season would give him his taste of winning as Starvo would go on to lift the league trophy at the end of the season.

After his excellent loan season at Starvo Vaas would return to Rotslo where he would play mainly as a substitute for the first half of the season making only 1 starting appearance and 4 appearances off the bench. With his discontent from lack of playing time as he struggled to take Sinlason’s starting spot away from him, Vaas would be sent on loan to Meilst who at the time was struggling against relegation. Now with first team playing time practically guaranteed Vaas would help that Meilst side to avoid relegation and finish in 14th position. The 2016/17 season would once again see him sent out on loan where he would play for midtable side Islaford. He would miss much of the season due to a run of almost constant injuries that would see him only make 10 starting appearances and 1 appearance off the bench. Due to his impressive performances Rotslo would send him on loan again to Islaford for the 2017/18 season where he would receive more first team football where he again gave good performances, but the club refused to enter discussions for an extension to his contract. However, in the 2018/19 season he would not be sent out on loan and instead kept at the club for the first half of the season.

During the January transfer window of the 2018/19 season, as Vaas was on the last year of his contract, triggered his contract extension and Vaas would then be sold to Nola for a transfer fee of ₲50 million. His time at Nola was disappointing for all who watched him. Despite his ability still being clear to see, he was played out of position and made to play much more defensively which restrained his playmaking and goal scoring ability. Furthermore, the players around him were not well matched as he struggled to make the plays and control that he had previously had, with this new team. He would make his displeasure with the club extremely clear and would hand in a transfer request during the 2019/20 season.

After a disappointing time at AS Nola, he would return to Ulstome when Sost Krincaster, after winning the Champions Cup would pay a transfer fee of ₲60 million for him. The move would show once again the talent that used to be there as Vaas would play a key role in the team’s title win of the 2020/21 season. He would perform as a number 10 as part of the teams 4-2-3-1 formation where he was given the freedom to roam and play how he wanted to. This freedom would see him drop deep between the double pivot to assist in buildup of the ball but would also allow him to take the ball wide to assist on the wings and even to play as a second striker when the game allowed him. This freedom combined with his ability would see him be the highest scoring midfielder of the season and set a new league record for goals scored in a single season by a midfielder. He was also had one of the most assist for his team showing his important role in the build up of their attacks.

Vaas’s international career is still young, with 2019 Goyanes being the first international tournament where he was a consistent first team player in every game as a number 10 behind a pair of strikers. He would go on to score twice in the tournament, both against Lanceria. In 2021 he would go on to net himself another goal to make it his 3rd against Lanceria in two world cups. Vaas would also participate in the 2020 Odinspyl for Ulstome where he would net himself another goal to add to his international career. Vaas would be made the team captain in 2020.

RAP Sports

Predice smashes Vallia 4-1

08.09.21
By: Federico Bernardeschi

AURIGNY — Despite a slow start, Predice shattered Vallia 4-1, in somewhat of a surprise.

Pre-match
The Golden Eagles were confident of taking three points from their opening match against a strong Vallia side.
Frederico Bastoni, in the pre-match press conference noted: “We are definitely here to win. This doesn’t make the game easy, but we are confident that we will be able to get the three points.”

First half
The Golden Eagles started poorly, and in the eleventh minute, Dominico Torrentino fouled a Vallian attacker in the penalty box, he was yellow carded, and a penalty was awarded to Vallia, which they converted, sending Gigi Bianchi the wrong way. The rest of the half saw Predice largely in control of the ball, but simply unable to get any penetration.
The Golden Eagles’ best chance came in the 29th minute, as a De Goldi cross found its way to Mancini’s foot, but he blasted it over the bar.
No equaliser came in the first half, and it seemed that the Golden Eagles may be forced to concede three points. As the referee blew his whistle for halftime, the score was 0-1 to Vallia.

Second Half
Frederico Bastoni remained confident in his players, and he made no substitutions at halftime, and this paid off. In the 47th minute, Vallia conceded a corner, and Dominico Torrentino, at fault for the Vallian goal would find redemption, as a Colombo corner found his head, and the ball found the back of the net. A crucial early goal in the second half set the stage for a goal shower.
In the 53rd minute, a Baricello pass into the box found Mancini, and this time he did not miss, blasting the ball into the top right corner, giving Predice the lead. Another chance for the Golden Eagles came in the 58th minute, as Di Giorgis won the ball at the edge of the penalty box and took a shot, which was narrowly saved by the Vallian keeper. The situation went from bad to worse for Vallia, however, as in the 63rd minute, Rossi won the ball in the midfield, and using his speed, simply outran the Vallian defence, tapping the ball into the back of the net, making it 3-1.
The Vallians conceded another corner, which turned out to be dangerous at the 70th minute, with the Colombo corner finding Mancini’s head, but the ball went straight into the keeper’s hands.
In the 78th minute, as Vallia attempted to build from the back, they made a terrible error, as the keeper made a weak pass, which found the foot of Mancini. Mancini capitalised, and quickly made it 4-1 for the Golden Eagles.
Rossi had a chance in the 83rd minute, as a pass from Baricello found him. He lost the ball in the penalty box however, and the ball was cleared. Luigi Conte earned his fourth cap, as he was brought in to replace Baricello in the 85th minute. Giorgio Deschamps came out to replace De Goldi also in the 85th minute. In the 88th minute, the Golden Eagles had another chance, as Vallia conceded a free kick just outside the penalty box. Rossi sent the kick over the wall, and into the waiting hands of the keeper.
Vallia too had some chances, the most dangerous of which came in the second minute of stoppage time as a shot from a Vallian striker was palmed away by Bianchi, right into the head of said striker, who put it into the post, Frezza subsequently cleared the ball. As the referee blew the whistle, it became clear, that Predice had pulled off a huge win, equal to the win scored by Prydania against Mansani in their opener, nothing short of a blowout.

Post-match
Spirits were high among the Predicean squad, having won a huge victory over a strong opponent. In the post-match press conference, man of the match Matteo Mancini said: “We were 1-0 down at half time. We showed our perseverance, hunger, and determination, and we came out with three points today.”
Head coach Frederico Bastoni said: “I am extremely pleased with the performance of the team. They showed discipline and came back from 0-1 down to win a victory.”
This, however was not the only surprise result of the day, as previous champions, and tiers with Predice, Goyanes, found themselves losing 4-2 to Mintoria.
The Golden Eagles are now preparing for their next matchup, against Xentherida, which is set to kick off at the Stade Beaunais on September 11th.


OOC: Approved by @Syrixia

Birthplace: Eiselbach, Rabensburg
Age: 22
Team: FC Rabensburg
Position: Striker


Johannes Penzellhofen was born on 14 July 1999, in the city of Eiselbach, to Josef and Viktoria Penzellhofen. His father is a civil-law notary while his mother is a doctor. He has an older brother, Artur, who played for his brother’s current team before moving on to play for FC Hintzenhaven.

From an early age, Penzellhofen wanted to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He first started playing football at age seven at a cultural centre in his home city of Eisenbach. The centre hosted a variety of activities, which included football. He played in various positions at the centre, first as a striker, then as goalkeeper, and then as midfielder. At age 13, he began playing at the Gymnastikzentrum Eisenbach (GZE) club, first starting out as midfielder then switching to second striker. He proved valuable to the club, first in the 2015–16 season, and then in the 2018–19 season. After success in GZE, he then moved on to play for FC Rabensburg, where here he remains today.

Penzellhofen has become a rising has become a rising star within his team. He will no doubt be an important player for the Mintorian football team.

Spoiler: Picture

11 July 2019
10:58 pm
On a Thursday
Dagenfjord, Goyanes

Peter Bach dribbled a football almost absent mindedly. The main lights for Jårnbrau Stadium were off, leaving only a dim glow. Peter breathed in the smell of the freshly cut grass, and tried to relax. He couldn't though. He was a hurricane inside, and he could hardly wait for tomorrow's match with Saintonge to let it out. He was only twenty-two, and he was the team captain. In the World Cup. It was all too much.
So he began to picture the game he would play tomorrow before him. He moved his body subtly as he imagined the moves he'd make to get around defenders.

"Hey Pete!"

Peter was pulled from his concentration, looking over his shoulder to see Jakob Höj. The coach of the Prydanian national team.

"What are ya up to?" Jakob asked. The Prydanian coach was seventy, but he had an energy about him. And a sly sense of humour. He was the sort of guy that a young guy like Peter would initially feel very respectful towards with his dignified, grandfatherly looks. And then you talked football with him, and realized that he was someone far more relatable.
For the longest time Peter thought he was a Syndicalist. Until, two years ago during the 2017 World Cup in the middle of their miracle run, he yanked down the plain banner that had the inoffensive, non-partisan PFS logo in their locker room to hang up the barbed cross. And only muttered "about damn time," leaving as soon as he came.

"Just...uh...watchin' the game," Peter replied with a meek smile as he looked back onto the field.

Jakob nodded, watching his young captain. He was trying to appear calm, even if he wasn't.
"Nervous?" he asked.

Peter felt his heard leap into his throat, but he breathed steadily.
"No, I'm uh...I'm good," he said, lying to his coach. Jakob saw through that and just laughed for a moment, shaking his head at the audacity of youth.

"You're like a duck on a pond," the coach said, still chuckling. Peter gave Jakob a confused look, and Jakob smirked.
"On the surface everything looks calm, but beneath the water? Those feet are churnin' a kilometre a minute."

"Heh," Peter replied, not sure what to say, but only because his coach's analogy was so right. If a bit cheesy.

"You'll be fine," Jakob added, sounding more serious, as he reassured his captain.
"You need to find a way to lead your team. Earn their respect."

"Yeah..." Peter said softly. That was what it came down to, and what he had trouble with.
He was twenty in 2017 for the World Cup, his first time on the national team roster. He wasn't even in the starting lineup. He didn't see much playing time in that tournament, but he remembered being in awe of Henrik Lange.
Henrik Lange was the captain of the Prydanian national team and had been for some time. He was a quiet man, who led by example. He played his hardest every time out, he didn't say much, but when he did, it mattered. And he managed to convey emotion without letting it pour out of him. He was in every way an embodiment of that Vesturmarch stoicism. Peter only ever saw him cry twice. The first was when news of the War was over. The second was when they played Land of God and Forests for Prydanian's 2017 Semifinal match against Maloria.
Peter only played with Henrik once, during that 2017 tournament, but Henrik became the prototypical image of what a captain and leader was supposed to be to him. And then, after the 2017 World Cup, he retired.
Now Peter was the team captain. He had to get people to believe in him like he had believed in Henrik Lange. He knew he wasn't up to it. So he dodged, and asked his coach what he had been asked.

"How're you doin'?" he asked as he kicked the ball gently to Jakob. Jakob handled the ball easily.

"Me?" Jakob chuckled.
"I'm just another duck on the pond," he replied, chuckling with a sly smile.

Peter laughed at that, as Jakob kicked the ball back. He wasn't expecting that. He wasn't expecting his coach to turn his attempt at turning the conversation back around back around again. It put him at ease. Jakob Höj was, after all, deceptively relatable despite his stately grey and thinning hairline and thick moustache.

"Hey coach," Peter said, deciding to ask just a bit of what was worrying him.
"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah," Jakob replied.
"Shoot," he added, as they continued to kick the ball back and forth gently.

"Why me?"

Jakob stopped the ball with his foot and looked down at it for a moment. He knew what he was asking about. Out of everyone...even some holdover starters from that 2017 team...why did he name the twenty-two year old Peter Bach the Captain?
Jakob thought of the best way to answer, and then looked up, pointing at Peter.

"I look at you," he said, "and I see two men. The man you are, and the man you will be. Someday, those two will meet. Should make for a hell of a football player."
He smiled, kicking the ball back to Peter. Who just let it hit his foot. He nodded, feeling his heart pounding despite his calm exterior. A duck on the pond. Unsure if he knew what he was doing, but feeling better knowing someone at least believed he'd figure it out. Sooner or later.

10 September 2021
10:31 pm
On a Friday
Coire, Saintonge

Peter's hair was still wet from showering after the game, and he was wearing a pair of work out shorts and a Spilvel t-shirt with the company's Pride month logo and the text "Allir eru æðislegir!"* He also had a white towel around his neck and patted his hair dry before he smiled and leaned forward into the microphones at the press event.

"So let's get to it!" he exclaimed.

A CEFA official picked one of the reporters out, who asked a question.
"Prydania's win over Tardine makes it the first squad to qualify from the group stage. How do you feel?"
It was in Santonian. The CEFA official translated for Peter, who nodded.

"It feels wonderful. We've played two great games of football, but it's going to take a lot more to win the World Cup. But it does feel great to be the first team to punch that ticket to the tournament round."
A translator finished conveying Peter's answer to the reporter and the questions continued. The next one was a Prydanian reporter.

"You've got Zhen next. You going to go easy on them or what? Anything to say?"

Peter smiled softly. He knew what that guy was trying to do. He was trying to get the Peter Bach who gave colourful answers, who talked trash in the media, to come out. But Peter only did that because...because he felt he had to. He didn't have Henrik Lange's quiet stoicism. And he wanted to prove his country's team could play. And that he was a worthy captain. So lacking what made Lange a model of restraint he overcompensated.

But as he sat there...facing down reporters all over the world, he was smiling comfortably. They didn't just outscore their opponents 7-2 in two games...he played two games of disciplined football at the highest level of the world. No cards, no trash talking on the field, no scrums.
He just played football. As best as he could. And his team...most younger than him...picked up on that. They soaked in his influence.

It was then...listening to this reporter who wanted who wanted the old, brash Peter Bach that he realized...he had a team that looked up to him. Like he'd looked up to Henrik four years ago. He looked down for a moment, just long enough to fight off some tears, before he looked up.

"I hope that when we play Zhen we play at the level our last two games have been played at. The only thing I think I want to say to the Zhen team is that I can't wait to see them on the field."

The Prydanian reporter was a bit shocked but dutifully took notes on the response.

The next reporter was Predician, and Peter once again needed a translator.

"You scored two goals today, Peter. But you're only still tied with Tjörvi Hagtvedt in goals scored. What's up with that?" he laughed.

"Well," Peter chuckled, "Tjörvi's goal today...wow. I mean I'd like to say that's how we drew it up but you guys are smart. You'd know I was lying if I tried that! No," he laughed softly.
"Tom just kicked one as far as he could, Tjörvi got it, and took it home. You just gotta laugh and appreciate it when a play comes out of nowhere like that. But it's funny. Tom's jersey number is one. Tjörvi's is eight. That makes nine. I think Tardine has a superstition about that number. Just makes the whole thing wild. So nah, not too worried about not getting ahead of Tjörvi. How can you when it happens like that?"

Another reporter stood up, asking "what about your shirt? Is it a message?"

Peter waited for the translator to translate the Mintorian for him.

"Only that everyone is, indeed, awesome," Peter said with a grin.

The next reporter asked something in what Peter thought was Santonian again, but it was Silean Santonian. Peter could never tell the difference, but the LodeStar news emblem on their press pass gave it away. Peter nodded along as the translator did his work.

"Prydania is the first country to advance from the group stage with two dominating performances. Does this put pressure on you going forward?"

"There's always pressure in sports," Peter said, with a nod.
"It's about how you deal with it. I can't speak for everyone but..." he took a sip of water and breathed deep. Finding himself exhausted from the game he'd just played but very relaxed.
"I believe in coach. And my teammates. We're going to play the best we can. And hopefully, however it shakes out, we make our country proud."

The next question was certainly Santonian.
"You all qualified for the next stage of the World Cup by winning on a field named after a Prydanian King and Saint. Do you think maybe St. Tobias gave you guys an extra push?" the reporter asked with a cheeky smile.

Peter laughed softly as the translator translated the question.
"I'm not sure St. Tobias is a football fan, but if he is and he was watching, then much love," Peter said with a grin.
"But it was cool to come to a stadium named after someone from our country and play well, já."

Peter drank more water as the press conference continued. It didn't last much longer as there were players from both teams the press wanted to see, but Peter got through it easily. He felt good, yes. Two convincing wins would leave anyone feeling good.

It was more than that though. He felt...calm. Truly calm. His team believed in him. He'd moved beyond aggressive play...he no longer felt he had to "prove" anything to other people. He was just...calm. His feet were no longer going a kilometre a minute under the surface. He wasn't a duck on a pond.

---

*Allir eru æðislegir!- Everyone is awesome!

L'Indépendant > Mercanti > Sports


by Gérard-Hugues Barbizet in Saintes
11 September 2021 - 0025h
TORCY-LE-GRAND – at the Torsades des Pointes Stadium, the Aydini football team drew with the Santonian team despite the latter’s superior possession. With the hosts behind at halftime, the Red Devils had to salvage a draw.

Aydin’s disciplined dogged defence frustrated a Santonian offence that was unable to convert possession into points. Aydini defenders repeatedly denied starting forwards Kévin-Ardouin Cremillieux, Druron Dangereaux, and Cédric-Axel Leblond.

A shock came at the 27th minute when Erkan Pocan headed the ball but bounced off Santonian goalkeeper Bruno-Patrice Cuisance’s palm, sending it right to the path of the Ekber Erdal, who gleefully turned it home. A subsequent attempt by the Erdal on the 37th minute was stymied by a tag-team of Timothée Chiarisoli and Brice-Maximin Grimont.

The visitors had led in the first half, and Saintonge failed to equalise. Leblond missed a penalty on the 40th minute, much to the disappointment of the noisy Santonians in the stadium.

At the start of the second half, Leblond was substituted with Matthieu-Donatien Kerbriant, and the pressure was on the Red Devils to score. With the substitution of the centre midfielders with Hugberg Steenstrup and Thorbjörn Kjellander, Coach Frédéric Janvion switched to an attacking 2-3-2-3 formation, with Steenstrup and Kjellander as the inside forwards and Timothée Chiarisoli moving as a centre halfback. Saintonge could afford this formation, with a depleted back rank, thanks to the superior possession they enjoyed. Côme FC defender Chiarisoli exhibited his flexibility as he tailed, then stole the ball, and then parried Aydini midfielder Ata Erdoğan off.

It did take a while before the pressure of the five forwards chipped away at the resolute Aydini defence. Dangereaux missed a chance on the 66th minute when he tried to convert a Steenstrup header; the ball hit the posts but did not get in.

The last ten minutes were nerve-wracking for the Santonians. In what was probably the best-cheered draw ever, Kerbriant brilliantly controlled Kjellander’s driven cross, and then sped away from his marker before slamming his shot high up in the net on the 86th minute.

The Santonians tried again on the last minute, but Taylan Tansel managed to dive to save an attempted Steenstrup long goal. The game ended in a draw 1-1.

Saintonge remains at the top of Group C with one win and one draw. The Red Devils will be playing next the Suavidici Legionnaires in Stade de Saintes on 13 September.

Santonian Team
Starters
GK 1 Bruno-Patrice Cuisance
RB 13 Joël-Gilbert Duranton
CB 14 Timothée Chiarisoli
LB 15 Brice-Maximin Grimont
RM 5 Brice-Baudouin Schaerlaekens
CM 17 Alan-Childéric Goff ↓54’
CM 19 Timothée-Justin "T.J." Descoteaux ↓50’
LM 5 Jonathan Jeandupeux
RW 20 Cédric-Axel Leblond ↓46’
CF 11 Druron Dangereaux
LW 7 Kévin-Ardouin Cremillieux

Substitutions
RW 18 Matthieu-Donatien Kerbriant ↑46’
CM 8 Hugberg Steenstrup ↑50’
CM 6 Thorbjörn Kjellander ↑54’


translation by Hunter Kidlington de Collobrières
11 September 2021 - 0802h

OOC Note: Post approved by @Greater Ale Permars .

RAP Sport

Predicean Post-match press conference

08.09.21
Translated by: Federico Bernardeschi

AURIGNY — This is the Mercanti translation of the Predicean national team’s press conference after Predice’s 4-1 victory over Vallia.



We will begin with the post-match press conference of the Predicean national team.
We will begin with the captain, Michele Frezza, and man of the match, Matteo Mancini.
Afterwards we will bring in the national team coach.
Please remember, no more than two questions, and one follow up question.


Carlo Fernando, Antofagosta Times,
Michele Frezza, it’s been a mixed bag for the defence today, how do you feel about the game?


Thank you. Of course we had a difficult start. My friend, Dom, made an unfortunate mistake, and we lost our clean sheet pretty quickly. We worked really hard and never gave up though, and Dom scored an equaliser. All in all, we took our three points and quite spectacularly so.


And my second question to Matteo: two goals today, a strong performance, are you satisfied with the team’s performance as well?


Thank you. All of us worked really hard, obviously. We were 0-1 down at halftime. We showed our perseverance, hunger, and determination, and we came out with three points today. We’re all proud of our accomplishment, but we have to keep on keeping on, and we are looking forward to our next game.


Next question.


Paulo Garibaldi, Calcionet.pe, my first question is for Matteo Mancini: obviously our home is at war and there’s been a lot of fighting. How does this affect you, mentally?


It spurs me on, definitely. It makes me want to work harder, to provide the little rays of sunlight into people’s lives in this tough time. We’re going to work as hard as we can.


And my second question to Mike: How do you feel, do you think you’ll be ready for the game against Xentherida?


Thank you. I’m doing about as well as can be expected. Obviously played the full 90 minutes, so I’m pretty tired, but I think I’ll recover in time for the Xentherida game.


Next Question.


Svafar Höllesli, Fréttablaðið. My first question is to Michele Frezza. How do you think the back three has affected the game?


Thank you. I believe the back three has worked very well for us. We obviously qualified with this formation, and then to win like this against a strong team? It has worked very well. Obviously we weren’t able to keep a clean sheet, but we smacked in four, so it seems to work.


My second question is for Matteo Mancini. So close to the match ball, are you satisfied with your personal performance?


Thank you. I would have liked to score more goals of course, but they clearly didn’t want to let more in, try as we might, their defence solidified. All credit to them, they let in four, but they fought all the way.


Are there any other questions? If not, I will return with the manager.


Same rules as we discussed previously. First question please.


Paulo Garibaldi, Calcionet.pe, Frederico Bastoni, you didn’t make substitutions at halftime, a risky strategy that paid off, why did you decide not to make substitutions at halftime?


Thank you. I saw the players in the locker room after the first half, and I saw that none of them had really fallen out of it. They all showed the hunger and the want to win, so I decided to keep all of them on, of course after a talking to, and it paid off.


And my second question is: obviously a strong 4-1 win, how do you feel about the performance of the team.


I am extremely pleased with the performance of the team. They showed discipline and came back from 0-1 down to win a victory. Obviously scoring four goals is a bonus for the goal difference, and it’s why we’ve currently positioned ourselves at the top of the group.


Next question.


Carlo Fernando, Antofagosta Times. There obviously wasn’t a lot of time for the substitutes to play, but how do you feel about their performance?


Thank you. They got into the game extremely well, and did very well, in the short time they were on the field. Luigi Conte is an incredible player at just 19 years of age, and Giorgio Deschamps is a veteran of the game, so he obviously performed well.


And my second question is: will some squad rotation happen?


Thank you. Obviously we had a lot of players that played the full 90 minutes, so we will do some rotation for the Xentherida match.


Next question.


Svafar Höllesli, Fréttablaðið, my first question is: how do you feel about failing to keep a clean sheet?


Thank you. It’s pretty irrelevant to me, we took the three points, and we put four in their net. Of course it was a silly mistake to give them the pen, but it’s not something I’m very concerned about.


And my second question: what are you looking forward to in the next game?


Thank you. I would like to give the younger lads some game time, and hopefully a place in the Starting XI. Xentherida will be a challenge as well, but I think we’ll be able to clear it.


Are there any further questions? If not, then thank you all, and good night.

RAP Sport

Starting lineup for Predice-Xentherida game confirmed

11.09.21
By: Federico Bernardeschi

BEAUNE — Frederico Bastoni, Predice’s head coach has confirmed Predice’s starting XI for the Predice-Xentherida match.

Formation
As before, the formation will be a 3-5-2, with changes in personnel compared to the Vallia v Predice match.
The back line of three does not break up the indomitable partnership of Torrentino and Frezza, Chiellini completes the setup. Deschamps, Ancelotti, Conte, Di Giorgis and Gorganzole make up the midfield, many noticeably young players, including Ancelotti, who is just 17.
The striker pair still has Mancini, but Rossi has been replaced with Zacilano.
Bianchi once again starts in goal.
This is a noticeably younger team, especially in midfield, compared to the Predice-Vallia match, Frederico Bastoni is hoping for the young players to give a good account of themselves today.