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AO Forum :: > AOCAF - The AO Regional Soccer Tournament > AOCAF XXI RP THREAD

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 15 2007, 01:35 PM

Yes, this is the RP thread. You know what to do.

Posted by: Starblaydia Dec 16 2007, 11:45 AM

She's Still Thinking Marrones undecided on squad Starblaydia manager, and former player, Betanii Marrones claims she is still undecided on the final make-up of her squad for the 21st AOCAF, Starblaydia's twentieth appearance and Marrones' second in charge. "I'm still narrowing down from around thirty names," she said in a press conference today, "we have a number of options all over the park, for instance at right-midfield and -back, as well as down the left and quite what is going to happen in the centre of the pitch." Judging from that it seems as if she doesn't have any idea what she's going to play, even player-wise never mind the cruical formation-wise. Her departure from the standard 4-4-2 Diamond in the recent Cup of Harmony for World Cup 38 was hailed by some and criticised by others, but ultimately the results proved in Marrones' favour. Starblaydia, playing the hardest schedule of any of the twenty-two teams in the Swiss-style group stage, came away with two wins and two losses to finish fourteenth out of twenty-two in the final Group reckoning, although had they won their final match, Starblaydia would have made it to the knock-outs. This was said to be the proof that her policy of 'picking the formation around the team', rather than the other way around like usual, was the right decision. Taking Marrones' hints, however, you would think that she needs to play two right-backs, a right-midfielder, three holding mid-fielders and a left winger. Such a formation, unfortunately, does not exist and she must find some way of keeping Ornvidar Bazraltek, Antonio Mora and Jae Chang-hwa all in the squad and happy. Can Leandro Perheira and Kalia Canildo both play in the same side, as in World Cup 38 Qualifiers, while retaining the effective three-man defence at the back? Alfonso Di Angelo is surely the main man in midfield, but where? Both forward- and defensive-minded positions are his forte, but where will he be played, and who will partner him? Joseph Shakirii might work well up front, but Juan Oscar and Kwame Jabir could easily fill in with the defensive duties while Di Angelo bombs on up towards the front. Marrones has stated that she, and her assistant, Under-21 Manager Apollina Iakovakis, have to trim seven names from their shortlist to make the final twenty-three. Quite what starting eleven she then picks is therefore completely beyond any pundit. Stick with 3-5-2 or return to 4-4-2? Perhaps it will depend on whether she's in the mood to stick or twist - her combination of stubbornness counterbalanced with a willingness to change things on the slightest whim means nothing is certain, in fact the starting eleven throughout the group stage in Group One may even change from match to match. Keep an eye on the team sheets, ladies and gentlemen, because you never quite know what she might come up with.

Posted by: Delesa Dec 16 2007, 07:41 PM

Easy Break for United? Today the groups were announced and met with great cheers in the national practice facility from the players. Meanwhile the seasoned coach remained silent and denied and comments to the press. For the relatively successful Head Coach Richard Loew native of Azazia, his career in the Commonwealth has been full of bumps and jars has he tried to put the derailed United team back on tracks. The United Commonwealth team has seen more and more victories in the international scene and slowly climb the ladder. And with the news of the groupings, the Manager had a wide grin but like the coach kept his mouth shut so it was time to find out what the players felt. Players who made the cut from the intense tryouts held all over the Commonwealth have now made their way to the national training center in St. Myhre, leaving their club teams behind to fend for themselves. Familiar faces that return are #1 Javier Topper (Keeper), #5 Norbert Tison (Midfield), #6 Jason Clare (Sweeper), #11 Fernando Kellett (Midfield), #9 Florian Olivier (Striker), and #14 Silvain Frassin (Midfield). But this year many new faces enter the locker room, names soon to be released upon the official release of the roster. Michael McShane, captain and lead scorer of the United team has been the head figure of the team since its birth into the international scene. But age has begun to show a slow, very slow decline in his fitness and hence performance. Although high by player standards, for his he has felt the felling all greats feel sooner or later. He had this to say about this competition; "Well it's great that I'm back as captain, the coach believes in me, and I think he expects me to teach the new players a few things before I'm finished for good. Um I'm glad that it's being held in Lamoni, should be a good time. Uh I'm happy with the group we have landed in. There are some old faces and new ones. I think we have a great squad this year, a nice mix of vets and greens, I think it's the best chance the Commonwealth has had to get past the initial stage and knock out. I think if the team really puts forward their best effort we can go far. The cup is a nice dream, not necessarily out of our reach just it's a long haul for a young team like ours." Players are now leading a life of full work no play as time shortens to the drop of the first game ball.

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 17 2007, 12:55 AM

The Free Republic prepares for AOCAF XXI With the first matches of AOCAF XXI only days away, the authorities and people of Lamoni have been busy preparing for the regional football tournament. The stadiums are open, hotel reservations have been made, and travel visas are being issued. Local businesses are also looking forward to the profit potential of the second AOCAF to be held on Lamonian soil. In the meantime, the Lamonian national team is still at their training field, readying itself for the closest thing to a 'group of death' in AOCAF XXI. With three teams who have each won the AOCAF cup at least twice in the same group (Lamoni, Starblaydia, Hypocria); the top spot will be hotly contended for. Regarding Hypocria, they defeated the Hawks in the AOCAF XX finals; and that is something that the Hawks would like to avenge in AOCAF XXI. Besides, doesn't everyone want a third AOCAF cup in their trophy cabinet?

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Dec 17 2007, 06:46 AM

Excerpt from the Manhattan Herald - 17th December 2007 Manhattanite Football team manager Ian Pierce reports that his side are at peak fitness, and are ready to take the field for AOCAF 21 in Lamoni. Pierce, who resumes the manager's position for his 5th AOCAF stressed the need for pragmatism in the team's expectations: "Of course no AOCAF match is easy, and with a population of 80 million, we have one of the smaller pools of players to choose from. Despite that I'm anticpating an enjoyable tournament, and I think a Last 16 place is not improbable". Manhattan Prime will be facing the unknown, having been drawn in Group 2 with Oliverry, 95 X, Milchama, Bettia, Pacitalia and UCS JASI?YUN. The team has never faced the majority of these opponents before, with only the Blue Foxes providing a familiar face. Manhattan Prime have a bye for the first day of play before their opening match against UCS JASI?YUN. With the national Curling team winning AOCC2 earlier this year, the onus on now on our football stars to uphold Manhattanite pride.

Posted by: Az-cz Dec 17 2007, 11:28 AM

Juxt-Pat was considering what he could send out to represent the squad for the 21st incarnation of the AOCAF. He was pretty confident that he wasn't going to be sending out anyone from the senior side. He thought about calling up the superkids, but thought that they wouldn't be much interested either and since they were playing in the Di Bradini cup he thought that they weren't the best choice either. He wasn't overly excited about using a lower level -League squad either. And he was aware that Az-cz fans wouldn't be too thrilled by tha either. He thought and thought and thought. Then he remembered the team that took part in the competition in St. Samuel. The Ewe-21s. And he thought about it and thought about it and thought about it. Then he came up with a squad that was going to take part. He knew they weren't going to win, but that wasn't a priority at this point. So he called in his assistant and asked for the phone numbers of all the dairys in Az-cz.

Posted by: Az-cz Dec 18 2007, 06:44 AM

Juxt-Pat had assembled most of the squad but there were still a few spots left open. All of the ranches and farms were flat out of the players he was trying to get for his squad. He knew that with the way the team was likely to play that he would need a big squad. He considered his options. He was probably too late to back out know. The Az-cz dairy farmers union would be mighty upset if all the work they had put in went to not. He knew that he couldn't just let regular Az-czzers join in the team. It wouldn't work. He was really troubled. He decided to call it a day and went home to his wife and kids. Over dinner when he asked his son how his day at school went. He told him about PE class and the upcoming kleptoball tryouts and then he told him about science class, where he had to do a report on a species of animal and had chosen the Elephant. And that's when it hit Juxt-Pat how he would fill out the rest of the team. He made a mental note to himself to call the Az-cz zoos tomorrow.

Posted by: Hypocria Dec 18 2007, 05:03 PM

View From The Top There were smiles aplenty on the faces of the Autocracy’s delegation at the AOCAF draw as the three groups become known. A casual observer may have wondered quite way that would be as the reigning champions were drawn with the host nation Lamoni, fallen AOCAF giants Starblaydia and Bazalonia and Az-cz, ranked sixth and seventh in the region respectively. Southern neighbours Vephrall and total unknowns An Blasocad Mor completed the line-up. Tricky was putting it lightly and the far too often used ‘group of death’ tag had already been dusted off for the occasion. So why the happy faces? It wasn't so much who had been drawn with the Hyppos as who hadn’t. The travelling circus of 95X, the cause of much irritation and embarrassment for the Autocracy in previous tournaments, were someone else’s problem. The whole conjoined lot of them. Ain’t life grand. And so to the AOCAF. Sure it’s a tough draw but with only a fifth place finish needed to guarantee advancement to the knockout phases, even sixth could do it, an early exit should be comfortably avoided by the number one seeds. Particularly as coach Javi Chavez has almost his entire AOCAF winning side to call upon once again. So, all being well, it will be on into the lottery of the elimination rounds. But then it gets difficult. Winning this trophy is the easy part, it’s holding onto the bugger that gets a little tricky.

Posted by: Starblaydia Dec 18 2007, 05:49 PM

Back To Black Starblaydia ready for tough group "Randomised groups, my arse," was the general feeling among Starblaydi fans as Starblaydia found themselves in with Lamoni and Hypocria, as well as Az-cz and Bazalonia. The teams are ranked 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th and 8th, with Starblaydia bottom of that particular heap. Thank the gods, at least, that Vephrall and An Blasocad Mor are also in the group and also, thankfully, completely unranked. These two should be fairly easily cut away by the other five teams, and there should be no problems for any of the seeded teams in the group. Oh for a Starblaydia side placed into either Group Two or, particularly, Three, where the going would be far, far easier, where Starblaydia would in fact be the top team in Group Three, rather than the fifth-best. Even third-best in Group Two wouldn't have been bad, but the simple, seemingly alphabetical group splitting, has not been kind to the nation with a record number of regional championships. All the As in Group One and a B, a B in Group Two and the C and two Ds in Group Three. The Ms, O and P in Group Two, too, makes the randomisation process look like it was drawn out of someone's backside rather than the proverbial hat. GROUP 1 Vephrall (-) Bazalonia (6) An Blasocad Mor Hypocria (1) Az-cz (7) Lamoni (2) Starblaydia (8) GROUP 2 Manhattan Prime (17) Oliverry (23) 95X (22) Milchama (4) Bettia (9) Pacitalia (3) Jasi'yun (23) GROUP 3 Scottfire (-) Capitalizt SLANI (23) Demot (14) Delesa (11) Krytenia (26) Northern Bettia (27) Ulzaxid (12) But never mind, Starblaydia have had worse draws before and prevailed. Just a year ago they had the statistically hardest schedule of anyone in the Cup of Harmony and they recorded their best-ever set of tournament results. Should something similar happen here, an unlikely sixth Championship could be on the cards, and what an upset that would be. Betanii Marrones is targeting the Semi-Final as the point at which a Starblaydi exit would be acceptable, to improve on the Quarter-Final exit at the previous tournament in the Unified Captializt States. Starblaydia, of course, will want to keep up their excellent regional record against Lamoni, while overturning their appalling results against the defending champions Hypocria. Defending two-time World Champions Az-cz have their second team out as well, and they should present a true test for the Starblaydi squad. Don't forget Bazalonia, either, who are finally starting to punch their weight at this level. Don't bet on anything in this tournament, as you're likely to just be giving your money to the bookies.

Posted by: Az-cz Dec 18 2007, 11:44 PM

Juxt-Pat came out to the podium for the unveiling of the Az-cz squad for the 21st edition of the AOCAF. When he walked out onto the stage with a cow draped in a beautiful pink & green kit, if you wanted to call it that, there were murmurs from the Az-czid reporters, who knew something was up, and gasps from the foreign reporters, with the exception of the man from Milchama who was clearly used to this sort of chicanery. Juxt-Pat calmy stepped to the mike and said, "I introduce you to Ow! Calf 21". And indeed the jersey number for the cow out on stage was wearing the #21. Juxt-Pat continued "As you can see we'll be fielding a set of ow! calfs for our squad in this AOCAF. But don't worry they've been training hard and will be more competitive than you might think. Now are there any questions?" Hands shot up from all over the room. He took one from a reporter near the back. "So is the team made up of all cattle?" "No, and if I might say so this is the brilliant part of my plan. There are also elephants and bison on the squad. Because those animals have calfs as well. You in the front." "How is such a team going to compete?" "Well one is that they're going to be a bit physical with the other squads which will help. And we've actually found a bit of a way to motivate them. Sure sometimes they'll just stand on the pitch eating the grass, but they can also score. And I believe that the elephants are well trained enough just to pick the ball up with their trunks and walk the ball into the goal. We don't think that breaks the hands rule. Next question. Miss in the pink?" "Admit it this was all just a plan to make a really bad pun wasn't it?" "I'll admit that the pun was a big part of it, yes, but we needed a squad. With the drive for a third straight championship being priority 1 to about priority 21, I knew that no players who might end up on the World Cup 39 squad could be considered. That left the -League without much excitement for us. It also ruled out the superkids and basically tied my hands. So I figured what the hell, it would be amusing at least." "How have you been training them?" "We've been working on finding ways to anger them that get them to kick the ball in as an accident. After bribing some local college teams we've even played some practice games. And they earned a draw in one of them, at 1-1 even. Considering our group I think we'll only have a chance at earning points against An Blasocad Mor but we've got great marketing lined up and it should be fun whle it lasts. Alright we've got time for one more. You in the red & white shirt." "I'm here representing Milchama. I want to know why you didn't choose horses. We all know of their footballing prowess." "Because than they'd have had to have been the Ow! Foals, and that would've been Ow-ful."

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 19 2007, 12:51 AM

Group predictions and more! GROUP 1 Vephrall - One of the two unranked teams in this group, they should duel with An Blasocad Mor for the dubious honor of not finishing bottom Bazalonia - We predict a third to fifth place group finish for them, depending on how the other high power teams in the group perform An Blasocad Mor - See prediction for Vephrall Hypocria - The match between Lamoni and the Autocracy will be heated; as many Lamonians believe that the Hyppos stole the last AOCAF cup from the Hawks. That said, they could finish anywhere from first to fifth. Az-cz - See prediction for Bazalonia Lamoni - While the match against Hypocria will be heated, this team could place anywhere from first to fifth in this group. The group is too close to call at this point. Starblaydia - See predictions for Lamoni and Hypocria GROUP 2 Manhattan Prime - This scrappy little team will likely finish third or fourth in the group stages, as some of the other teams will likely overpower them. Oliverry - We predict anywhere from fifth to last for them. 95 X - Possibly fourth to last for this squad. Milchama - This squad probably won't win the group, but it could go anywhere from third to fifth. They do have an outside shot at making second place. Bettia - Bettia and Pacitalia are the teams to watch in this group. Their battle for first in the group should be epic. Possibly, the edge would go to Pacitalia, but that margin is razor thin. Pacitalia - See prediction for Bettia UCS JASI?YUN - This squad will likely finish in the basement of this group. GROUP 3 Scottfire - Could finish anywhere from 1st to 4th. UCS SLANI - Likely a 6th or last place finish for them. Demot - One of the three teams most likely to seize a 1st place finish in the group. Delesa - See prediction for Demot Krytenia - See prediction for Demot Northern Bettia - Anywhere from 4th to last. Ulzaxid - See prediction for Northern Bettia --- In other news today, an Az-cz AOCAF press conference on their roster took a strange turn, to say the least. It was officially announced that the Az-cz AOCAF XXI squad would primarily consist of cattle, elephants, and bison. We are not sure if this is strictly legal under Lamonian law, since it seems that no one considered the use of animals other than horses to fill a nation's AOCAF roster. The Lamonian government is said to be rushing through a bill that would allow the use of said animals for this particular AOCAF, but states that the animals will be kept under the strictest quarantine when not 'playing,' out on the pitch. Additional safety fencing will be put in place at the stadiums where the animals will be participating, and other precautions will be taken as well. The bill calls for all of this to be paid for by Az-cz's regulatory body governing AOCAF football.

Posted by: Demot Dec 19 2007, 03:07 AM

"Alright lads, here's the deal. We've made the short trip over here to Lamoni for the AOCAF despite many of you thinking you would get this year off. Well, that went by the wayside when we were eliminated by those dastardly Valanorians in the Round of Sixteen. You just don't finish second in one tournament and then have a flop like that in the next, it is unacceptable. But the fact of the matter is, that this is going to be my last competition as your manager. We've had a good run, but there is nothing more I can do for you. So, my challange to you is for you to show me that you are ready to do that, ready to move on to another manager and a different style of play. I don't know who the DFA has in mind for the job, and I really don't give a hoot. Right now, our task is simple, go out their and do the country proud, and the rest will come in time. Can you do that for me, can you give your old captain one last foray into the dragon's lair?" a very lamenting David Masteron asked of his squad. The squad shook their head in agreement, but the old captain knew that his squad was down over hearing of his imminient departure. "Don't be depressed my friends, it's been a honor to get to manager the lot of you, and we still have this competition to show our glory. The best thing you can do now is to focus on the task at hand. Besides, with those barbaric Northern Bettians on the docket, our work is going to be cut out for us. I hope Lamoni was smart enough to ban their supporters group from entering the country like ours was during last World Cup qualifying. I know we trashed them both times, but they are ever dangerous, espicially with the dirty tactics they use. So be on your guard, and don't be gutted into their traps, and we should do fine. Afterall, the we've got a pretty easy group, and the hosts' media even thinks us to win the group, which is surely a good omen."

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Dec 19 2007, 03:44 AM

pcc.95X - Formerly the website of the Pacific City Courier, now 95X's No. 1 Online News Source Revamped 95X National Soccer Team Looks For Continued Improvement in AOCAF XXI Careful observers have noted half the team is new. Some wonder how the team will function after several years of national turmoil. New head coach Alecia Onesixtysecond, who spent the last three AOCAFs as a player, will listen to none of it as she prepares her team and coaching staff for the latest regional soccer tournament. "We have the strongest team to date," Onesixtysecond says, noting the team held together outside the country during 95X's civil war, and none of the core players defected to other countries or to Scottfire. Back at home, tryouts for the team were more competitive than ever, yielding three new starters and nine new reserves. The most visible changes to the 95X lineup consist of twins Crystal and Misty Oakenshield, who will hold down half the starting defense along with veterans Tai Doe and Tanika Holgate; and new starting goalkeeper Trevor Page, a player who almost looks like he should be playing Gridball. "His presence is very intimidating and is very quick despite his size," Onesixtysecond says of the 300-pound Page. The well-known players are back, including Micah Skokomish, regarded as the team's best player, who played professional soccer elsewhere in the world during the national turmoil, who only said "it's good to be home again" when asked for comment. Probably the biggest surprise is the return of Damien Dairycreek, who tried to commit suicide in a Unified Capitalist States hotel room during AOCAF XX, to escape his gambling and bank debts. When the revolution and subsequent war wiped the books clean, he returned with a clear conscience, clean slate, and a new love of life, also playing the best soccer of his life, according to Onesixtysecond. Melissa and Michelle Mitchell, probably the most famous player on the team, is also back. Scientists and doctors again and again explain that physically, they are the equivalent of one person. Reports also go as far as to explain how being a conjoined twin is actually a disastrous handicap, as most conjoined twins with two legs lack the coordination skills to walk, much less play competitive sports. The reserves, although unlikely to see much playing time, are highlighted by hard-working 14-year old newcomer Dusty Field, who begged and pleaded to be added to the team even with a strong tryout, becoming the youngest player to be added to the team. Another interesting addition is the 6-foot 1-inch Samantha Skyridge, a solid soccer player who would much rather play a game more suited for her height, if only she had arms. The other major change is to a 4-4-2 formation, giving Mitchell and Skokomish more room up front, and adding defensive positions in the backfield. The entire team cheered upon word they would not face their archrivals, top-ranked Hypocira in the first round. "We have more time to focus on the game, not a bunch of sexist close-minded people. I don't much care if I get reprimanded for saying that," commented Onesixtysecond, in part as a response to a news report from Hypocria which was picked up intraregionally, who said she herself felt unwelcome by the team even before 95X's stunning tournament-ending 2-0 win over Hypocria in AOCAF XX. Shortly after AOCAF XX, and shortly before the fall of Pacific City, 95X's soccer slogan became "Atlantian Oceania's favorite soccer-playing circus," immortalizing the comment made by the Hypocrian team following their defeat. The team is optimistic heading into its first game against Pacitalia, whom it has never faced in competition before. Of the other six teams in Group 2, 95X was defeated by Milchama 1-0 in AOCAF XVIII, and tied Bettia 1-1 in AOCAF XX. It has also never faced Manhattan Prime, Oliverry, or Jasiyun from the Unified Capitalist States. All in all, veteran midfielder Claire Pomona summed it up best: "See you in Lamoni."

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Dec 19 2007, 03:59 AM

Upon hearing of the makeup of Az-cz's team, 95X soccer officials at the head office cordially sent a card to Juxt-Pat and Az-cz's organization as a whole to wish them good luck going head-to-head against Hypocria, as an act of international goodwill.

Posted by: Az-cz Dec 19 2007, 04:59 AM

Juxt-Pat was very happy to recieve the letter of encouragement from 95X although he was a bit confused why Hypocria was singled out in particular. But he didn't pay it too much heed and had his assistant send a thank you note back to 95X. When he called up his assistant to send out the note he asked for any word on other AOCAF nations and was told that Lamoni was passing a bill to allow the team to play. That was outrageous enough to him but when he heard Lamoni was going to try to foist the bill for unnecessary precautions on to Az-cz he was livid. So he dictated out a letter to the hosts: To whom it may concern, We in Az-cz are offended and troubled by your seeming hesitance at allowing our team to play in the AOCAF tournament. The implication that our team members are unfit to play or are a health risk are blatantly absurd. We wouldn't ask anyone unhealthy to play on the team. We value the lives of our citizens more than that. But we are willing to allow those measures even though we think it's blatantly unfair and you'd never ask, say, the Bettian team to spend the whole cup in quarantine. However we will not be paying a single cent of the bill for those measures. When you decided to take it upon yourself to host this cup it became your responsiblity to provide the venues and necessary facilities for this cup. If you feel something is necessary, provide it. Otherwise let us decide what is best for our team and let us make our own arrangements. Juxt-Pat President, Az-cz Football Association

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Dec 19 2007, 05:48 AM

Over in Scottfire, the mood quickly changed when most of the men in the nation were too busy working in factories to be bothered by competing in a soccer/football tournament. The staff knew they had to do something, and sitting out wasn't an option. Due to the isolationism of the country brought on by the previous ruling regime, much of which is still prevalent, the citizens of the land were known for being some of the most fit, as there were no outside pressures telling them to eat until they get fat, or sit around all day in front of a TV (which could only receive one channel of government non-entertainment propaganda programming) or a computer (which were banned completely). So, after giving it much thought, Scottfire will field an all-female team in this current AOCAF installment.

Posted by: Starblaydia Dec 19 2007, 06:03 AM

Who'll Finish Where in the Three Groups? An in-depth Analysis of the AOCAF Group Stage See Predictions by Lamoni

Posted by: An Blascoad Mor Dec 19 2007, 01:04 PM

To the west of Sorthern Northland, roughly two kilometres into the sea, there stool an island. Desolate and isolated and abandoned, again. Although this was not like the last time. The last time it was abandoned the entire population was moved to Sorthern Northland due to fears they wouldn't be able to sustain themselves through the harsh cold winters, which leave the island cut off from the mainland for weeks at the time. Those fears now though have died and around twenty years ago, the Islanders moved back home and started up their tiny nation once more. Since then it remained unknown to the outside world. Heard of, known only in Sorthern Northland. But now it was ready to announce itself, to Atlantian Oceania, to the World. For now they had a football team. It's never going to win much with just 143 people to pick a football team from and the people know that and understand it. They don't care. All they care for is people to know who they are. They are An Blascaod Mor. They are competing in the AOCAF and they are finally in Lamoni. The team had based themselves in Lemnos City. The size of Corcaigh airport in Sorthern Northland was something strange to them, but the size of Lemmos City was bewildering. The stadium alone holding 80,000 people, that's the equivilent of around 6,000 An Blascaod Mor's. At least in most games they may have some neutrals supporting them, the underdogs, but not in the opening game. The first game of the tournament, An Blascaod Mor's first ever game was against Lamoni, the hosts. However, win, lose or draw, An Blascaod Mor were here to put themselves on the map, probably not as great footballers but for their great craic, for their grace, for their friendliness and if nothing else then their determination.

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 19 2007, 01:51 PM

TO: Juxt-Pat, President, Az-cz Football Association From: Steven Wilkinson, President, Lamonian Football Association We understand that you value the lives of your citizens. However, while playing an AOCAF on Lamonian soil, you must abide by Lamonian law. At present, Lamonian law mandates the quarantine for animals such as cattle, bison, and elephants. If you wish, I could arrange for you the chance to stand before the Lamonian Senate and Chamber of Deputies to make your case to them. Otherwise, my hands are tied by Lamonian law. Sincerely, Steven Wilkinson President Lamonian Football Association

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 19 2007, 04:50 PM

This is an OOC note done as an IC note, and is requested not to count in RP bonus If anyone has any problems with the contents, contact me directly. IC: There has been some controversy emerging from Starblaydia lately regarding the Lamonian announcement that the groups for AOCAF XXI were not exclusively random; but have one group for good teams, one for middling teams, and one for umm... teams in development? The LFA in a statement said that they would like to assure everyone participating in the AOCAF that the picks were chosen fairly, and that gameplay; as well as AOCAF rules will be applied fairly.

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 19 2007, 08:22 PM

MD1 RP CUTOFF

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Dec 20 2007, 02:24 AM

pcc.95X - Formerly the website of the Pacific City Courier, now 95X's No. 1 Online News Source 95X Defeats Pacitalia in AOCAF 21 Opener Karakan, Lamoni - The team wanted to make a statement, and making a statement is what it did in its tournament-opening 1-0 win over third-ranked Pacitalia. Damien Dairycreek is truly playing the best soccer of his life, scoring the single 95X goal 39 minutes into the match. The entire game was hotly contested and was a test for new 95X goalkeeper Trevor Page, who didn't miss a beat, even for someone his size. Other 95X players, including Melissa/Michelle Mitchell and Micah Skokomish had some very good looks at the goal throughout the match, however the defensive work of veterans Tai Doe and Tanika Holgate at the other end of the field kept Pacitalia's shot attempts infrequent and difficult, yet enough that it was cause for concern for some on the sidelines. Both teams played like true class players, and no misconduct took place during the game. Stating the obvious, coach Alecia Onesixtysecond after the game reminded the team that although they defeated the highest-ranked team in their group, the tournament is not won based on one game alone, and several other important games remain. "We were 2-1-3 in the last AOCAF, good enough for sixth place and an early trip home," she told her upbeat team. The next game for 95X is against fourth-ranked Milchama, and since the team is taking their number twenty-two overall ranking (and thirteen out of participating nations) with a grain of salt, they're preparing with the same sense of importance as they did for Pacitalia. "We've surprised other teams before," Onesixtysecond said, "we have to be ready for who could surprise us." 95X 1 - Pacitalia 0 (Dairycreek, 39:)

Posted by: Az-cz Dec 20 2007, 07:50 AM

Az-cz Scroll Pnz-Arus Ow Calfs make a moo-ckery of Hypocria Both herds came out on to the range for the opening game of the 21st edition of the AOCAF. The Ow Calfs looked moo-tivated and the Hypocria team looked ready to defend their title. But no one in the stadium really had any idea what to expect. Hypocria came out and played a very impressive brand of football. They bulled the cows over with their fine moves and scored just three minutes into the match. However they managed to incense the buffalo and that was all she wrote for the Hypocrians. They spent the next 87 minutes of the match running for their lives to avoid getting stampeded by the angry buffalo. Thankfully for the Hypocrians most of the cows didn't have the buffalo's cow-abunga spirit. They just sat around and chewed their cud, literally as it were. They were actually just standing right out on the field eating the pitch un-moo-ving despite the bi-sonic disturbances around them. That was at least until midway through the second half. One of the elephants went to pick up the ball and made a good bit of trunk to trunk contact with one of the hypocrian players. The ref showed him the red card, which unsuprisingly made the ow calfs see red. They proceeded to stampede around the pitch which allowed the remaining elephant to easily walk the ball into the goal twice. From there the calfs just milked the clock and Az-cz had bulled their way past the defending champs. And fortunately for Hypocria the team mostly failed to live up to its name with no players really being injured by the ow calfs.

Posted by: Demot Dec 20 2007, 03:35 PM

Demot Daily ~ Stomping The Ants The Dynamo have began to build another dominance over an oppenent, this time with the victims being the Fire Ants of Northern Bettia. Much like their rivalry with the Frenchies of Oliverry, the Dynamo have yet to lost to the rowdy bunch from Northern Bettia, and coupled with the results from last World Cup's qualifying, have began to thrash the Fire Ants around each time they meet. Using the same squad that they used for World Cup 38, with the only addition being young striker Insaki Roma, the squad was able to bush aside their oppenents with relative ease. Unlike the previous three times these two countries have met, there were no allterications involving the supporter groups, which I thank Lamoni's security immencely for. With their rough and hooligan history, the Northern Bettia supporters are not ones you would want to get in a scruffle with, and the precence of the Lamoni security and police forces likely deterred this scoundrels from doing anything ... foolish. The diamond formation that the squad went to during the Qualifiers paid dividends again as the defence was only broken down twice, with only one of those times turning into a scoring oppurtunity. Unfortunately, that one oppurutnity the Bettians had they capitilized on. Yet it would be the offence prowess of the Dynamo that would shine and win the day. Maria Hart snagged two wonderful goals, set up by Frogedawn, and the squad would get a surprise goal from Lea Conner. The flashy winger is usually deliverring assists from the set piece situations, but deliverred a brilliant strike from the left side of the field that bent its way into the far corner. Delsea is up next for the surging Dynamo, and with thier strong and surprising performance against an elite side like Krytenia, it likely will be a showdown to detirimine the top or second spot in the group. Both squads will be wanting these three points early, as it would likely put both just a single point away from making the last sixteen. With both federations looking for some momentum in the regional competition, espicially with the success the Dynamo have had at the World Cup, you can very well be epexcting a hard fought affair. I will be looking to see how Orien will standup, given the bad note on which he finished the World Cup with. If he is strong between the pipes, and the midfield maintiains possesssion, it is very likely that you Dynamo will be singing the praises of another well constructed victory by their soon to be former manager of Masteron. Article by Rich Baker

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 21 2007, 03:23 AM

MD 2 RP CUTOFF

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Dec 21 2007, 07:44 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 21st December 2007 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21 Group 2 – Manhattan Prime 2:1 UCS JASI?YUN Katakana 15mins, Dreygo 32mins 21mins Manhattan Prime have achieved the best possible start to their AOCAF 21 campaign, after having a bye on the first day of play by defeating UCS JASI?YUN 2-1 at the Karakan Box, Lamoni. Fresh from a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Oliverry, UCS JASI?YUN came out looking eager to take out their frustrations on the Manhattanite team, and the game started brightly with both teams playing very adventurously. Chippers midfielder Felix DeSilva blazed his volley just over the bar after an insightful pass from Smith, and their opponents came back almost immediately. Just a few minutes later Manhattan Prime conceded a freekick just outside their penalty area after an overenthusiastic tackle from Lucas Thompson, which a UCS JASI?YUN was unlucky to miss, hitting the bar with goalkeeper Hilton well beaten. The shock seemed to hit home for the Chippers, leading them to tighten up their defense considerably, and begin to make more attacking forays. Their tactics bore fruit in the 15 minute of the match, as another ball from the commanding Ethan Smith found Katakana unmarked at the front post, making it simplicity itself for the Japan Province striker to flick the ball into the back of the net. Katakana celebrated his 20th cap for his country in today’s game, and is sure to be delighted with a goal to make the event even more memorable. Manhattan Prime weren’t to enjoy their lead for long though, as their opponents came straight back at them, grabbing an equaliser in the 21st minute with a powerful from a corner. Again stung into action, the Manhattanites regrouped, relying on Smith and Donavan’s linkup play to supply Dreygo and Katakana up front. Manhattan Prime were to get their reward for their determined play as the former of the two scored his 8th goal for his country with a half-volley from a Takamura cross just after the half hour mark. The young wonderkid is reportedly on the verges of breaking into the first team at CF Mandragora, his Pacitalian club side, and with several club coaches in attendance, this goal can only help his case. The half ended 2-1, and Manhattan Prime kept a tight defense for a dull second half, epitomised by tough tackling from the Manhattanites resulting in Takamura and Clarke both being shown yellow cards for high tackles. Their opponents made numerous attempts on goal, but none really tested Clive Hilton, and the Chippers' superior organisation in defence was enough to secure them the win. Elsewhere in Group 2 Milchama defeated 95X 1-0, and our neighbours Pacitalia came from behind to beat Bettia 2-1. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Dec 22 2007, 12:55 AM

(OOC: I'm assuming the same Milchama roster as usual, since no new one was posted) pcc.95X - Formerly the website of the Pacific City Courier, now 95X's No. 1 Online News Source 95X Lets One Slip Away Karakan, Lamoni - It appeared that the match would end in a scoreless tie. However, soccer matches aren't 75 minutes long. With players on the sideline getting bored and coaching staff watching with the same gaze as a driving text messenger would have on the road, the Milchaman horse sneaked one in on the far left side, 78 minutes in. 95X, with only a dozen minutes left, tried to at least tie the game, with all attempts failing miserably. 95X heads into a day 3 bye at 1-1, and with plenty of time to talk strategy for their next game against Oliverry. Their standing is a familiar position they've been in before, however the previous version involved losing their first game and winning the next. This is the other way around. 95X 0 - Milchama 1

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 22 2007, 05:09 AM

MD 3 RP CUTOFF, MD 3 scorination will be delayed until 12/22 due to early work shift coming after LATER work shift. /me needs to sleep sometime.

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Dec 24 2007, 07:42 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 24th December 2007 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Matchday 3 Group 2 – Manhattan Prime 3-1 Milchama Takamura 26mins, Dreygo 28mins, Katakana 79mins 82mins Despite being tipped by many to be eliminated at the group stages, an on form Manhattan Prime side have handed manager Ian Pierce an early Christmas present in the form of all 3 points against the horsemen of Milchama. Manhattan Prime started brightly as is usual with them, and were definitely buoyed by their win in the previous game. Their boundless confidence brought quick results as Mashashi Takamura scored his first international goal with an audacious bicycle kick from an Ethan Smith ball in the 26th minute. Vykk Dreygo added a second 2 minutes later and the Milchamans seemed to be struggling to contain the Manhattanite strike force. Only some deep defending, and some aggressive tackling from the four legged member stopped the white and black hurricane from scoring further. The Milchaman manager seemed to give his side a stern talking to, and perhaps promised a few nosebags of oats and apple cores for a win bonus, as Milchama came up looking refreshed and renewed. It was their turn to dominate proceedings but it was the Chippers who were next to score when Katakana continued his recent prolific form with another goal. Milchama’s sole consolation from the match will be a goal in the 82nd minute to make the score 3-1, but in truth Manhattan Prime dominated the match and well deserved their victory. Elsewhere in Group 2 95X defeated Bettia 2-1, and Pacitalia continued their terrible run with a draw with UCS JASI?YUN. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 27 2007, 05:24 AM

MD 4 RP CUTOFF

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Dec 29 2007, 08:07 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 27th December 2007 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Matchday 4 Group 2 – Manhattan Prime 3-1 Pacitalia Smith 24mins, Dreygo 61, 87mins 12mins Manhattan Prime have pulled off a sensational 3-1 win against the Blue Foxes in Lamoni to gain revenge for their 5-2 defeat to Pacitalia at AOCAF 18. Street parties are being held in the team’s honour after defeating one of AO’s highest seeded teams, and Pacitalians working in the Imperial Republic are sure to be in for a tough day tomorrow. First blood went to the Pacitalians as Ambrosino Giurimano scored in the 12 minute with a superb move from open play. It was looking like the Pacitalian team would run riot once more, but the Chippers have grown as players since then and didn’t give up. If anything, conceding an early goal only served to steel their resolve for the match to come. Holding Midfielder Ethan Smith, who has been the main architect of Manhattan Prime fine form in this tournament, was again playing at the peak of his game. The young 22 year old from Cambridge, England Province was to be rewarded for his form by a well taken goal from a freekick, after Takamura was brought down just outside the penalty area. Both teams searched for a winner without success, but you got the impression that the Manhattanite team was competing on a more level playing field than previously, as they tend to struggle against top opposition. The second half was decidedly less cagey, with both teams chasing those precious 3 points. Against the run of the play it was to be Manhattan Prime who pulled ahead, with a spectacular solo effort from striker Vykk Dreygo in the 61st minute. Dreygo struck again 3 minutes from full time to finally kill of the Blue Foxes, who had been aggressively pushing for an equalizer ever since, hitting the post on at least 3 occasions. The young Dreygo was outstanding in the second half, and it’s hard to believe he’s still only 19. Manhattan Prime held on for a truly historic win that can only increase their changes of progressing to the next round. With 3 wins on the trot, all eyes will be on the team’s next game with 95X. Elsewhere in Group 2 Oliverry defeated 95X 1-0, and Bettia were held 1-1 by UCS JASI?YUN. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 30 2007, 03:53 AM

MD 5/6 RP CUTOFF

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Dec 30 2007, 05:44 AM

(95X's belated MD 3 RP) pcc.95X - Formerly the website of the Pacific City Courier, now 95X's No. 1 Online News Source Surprise Game Leads to 95X Win Karakan, Lamoni - Alecia Onesixtysecond was in for quite a surprise when she checked the recently updated match information and schedule for day three, thinking her team would have a day off before its next game. Instead, it stated they were to play Bettia in a few hours. Frantic wake-up calls begun. The team would not lose a game due to forfeit, she insisted. Losing a game due to fatigue seemed more likely, especially with the poor performance of the 95X starting lineup, which gave up on a couple easy looks, allowed effortless ball movement by Bettia, and the huge Trevor Page found himself overwhelmed in front of the goalbox, with the defenders slowly creeping towards midfield. With Page on his right side looking forward and slightly to the right, the ball was passed to one of three Bettian players with an uncontested view of the goal, scoring the first goal of the game. 95X's coaching staff looked at the clock - only nine minutes and thirty-four seconds had passed. Major adjustments would be needed to keep the match from becoming an onslaught. Onesixtysecond looked towards her bench, to find some awake, alert faces who looked ready for action. Three substitutions and some position changes later, 95X was again ready for action, with former starter Rae Day, second year player Sammy Jessie, and newcomer Samantha Skyridge all on the field; replacing Aisha Saida, Tai Doe, and Tanika Holgate. "I expected much more from you," Onesixtysecond scolded her veterans, who would sit on the sideline for the rest of the game. In a rare move, Micah Skokomish moved all the way to the backfield, moving Claire Pomona upfront. It was enough to even things out, as Skokomish's strength and skill re-fortified the field in front of the 95X goal, with the other reinforcements forcing Bettia to work harder to move the ball up the field. 95X would still trail 1-0 at halftime, leading to a counseling-style talk from the coaching staff. The break in the action was enough to turn things around, with Pomona finding the back of the goal shortly after halftime. Bettia had obviously made some adjustments, but 95X kicked it up a cylinder, aggressively contesting passes and other movements. It reached a high point with the armless Samantha Skyridge not only scoring her first goal, but also the first goal for a 95X bench player in the team's history, and putting 95X up for good. "I had to accept hugs instead of high-fives, even though it's a bit strange," Skyridge joked with the 95X media after the game, "it's all good though." 95X improves to 2-1. 95X 2, Bettia 1 (Pomona 53:, Skyridge 67:)

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Dec 30 2007, 05:46 AM

(OOC: 95X's belated MD 4 RP) pcc.95X - Formerly the website of the Pacific City Courier, now 95X's No. 1 Online News Source Ejected Karakan, Lamoni - Damien Dairycreek, Micah Skokomish, and Coach Alecia Onesixtysecond all found themselves in their locker rooms a bit early from the game with Oliverry, with a stern message from the refs - don't try to mess with the other team. Dairycreek tried to make a point to the lead referree that some Oliverry fans in the stands were taunting him for his past, leading to a yellow card early in the game. Trying to play through it, and hearing boos and taunts throughout the match, he lost it, giving the bird to the Oliverrian bench. The referree, who had already had enough, immediately issued a red card against Dairycreek. Skokomish, in a rare outburst, yelled from several yards away "what the (bleep) was that for?" The ref blew his whistle again, and issued Skokomish an immediate red card. "Both of you are done," the referree said to the players as they were escorted off the field by security. With the ref continuing to appear to ignore any questions from 95X, the game continued, albiet briefly. Five minutes later, as the ref was watching action near the 95X bench, Onesixtysecond started asking "why?" to the ref. "I'm the ref, I don't have to tolerate this, that's why," he says, and immediately issued a red card to Onesixtysecond, leaving the reins of the team to Assistant Coach Greg Voss. Trevor Page, after defending two other penalty kicks, couldn't keep the one for Onesixtysecond's oust from getting past him, putting Oliverry up 1-0. It would become the winning goal. According to someone associated with the 95X team, speaking to us after the game on the contidion of anonyimity, stated the ref then pointed to his shirt pocket containing his red card and asked, "are there any more questions as to how I'm running things?" Onesixtysecond refused to talk about the game, fearing further sanctions. "We'll press forward and focus on the schedule ahead," she said. The loss drops 95X to 2-2, putting it somewhere in the middle of the standings in group play. Official standings were unavailable at the time of the writing of this article. Oliverry 1, 95X 0

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Dec 30 2007, 01:08 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 29th December 2007 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Matchday 5 Group 2 – Manhattan Prime 1-3 95X Katakana 46mins 23mins, 50mins, 74mins Manhattan Prime’s run of 3 wins on the trot at AOCAF 21 has come to a grinding halt at the hands of 95X, who defeated the Manhattanites 3-1 in a deceptively close game. The Chippers were bullish going into the game on such great form, and perhaps their confidence let them to underestimate their opponents. In the first 15 minutes the Manhattanite defence was clearly struggling to handle the 95X strikeforce, and only managed to keep with out with a lot of last-ditch tackling. Their frustration only led to Karl Heinze pulling down a 95X striker in the penalty area in the 23rd minute which was promptly converted to make the score 1-0. The Chippers continued to struggle to get their game together for the rest of the half, and were fortunate not to concede again. However they came out after half time looking refreshed, and with manager Ian Pierce’s words obviously ringing in their ears. The mercurial Ethan Smith soon found Felix DeSilva on the left wing, and a superb cross found striker Yo-explicitive removed-o Katakana for him to equalize in the 46th minute. Things didn’t go Manhattan Prime’s way for long though, as 95X hit back quickly, with a freekick in the 50th minute that soared into the top left hand corner, leaving goalkeeper Clive Hilton with no chance. 95X put the result beyond doubt in the 74th minute as the striker being marked by Akita pulled slightly away from the left back, giving him enough room to slot home and make the score 3-1. Manhattan Prime are still in good standing in the group though, and will look forward to facing the Bettians in their next match. Elsewhere in Group 2 Oliverry and Pacitalia drew 2-2, and UCS JASI?YUN beat the horsemen of Milchama 2-1. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Dec 30 2007, 04:54 PM

(OOC: No, I was not asked by Lamoni or anyone else to do this. Some of the numbers might be wrong; but I tried the best I could. I'm mostly sure that at the very least the W-L-D and Pts. portions are mostly correct. Everyone else probably knows how well their own teams are doing much better than I would - and I probably know how well 95X and Scottfire are doing much more than anyone else would. If this is unacceptable and/or official grids are posted, feel free to delete this post. I just wanted to get an idea of where things stood, and figured others probably did, too.) The staff of the news website pcc.95X, while writing articles about the team's latest victories, stood puzzled at the lack of official standings grids. Several of its writers sat down with the scores, and posted the following unofficial grids on their website: CODE *UNOFFICIAL!*UNOFFICIAL!*UNOFFICIAL!* Group 1          W  L  D  GF  GA  Pt Az-cz            4  0  1  11   7  13 Lamoni           3  2  0   7   4   9 Hypocria         2  2  1  11   8   7 An Blasocad Mor  2  2  1   9   8   7 Bazalonia        2  2  1   6   8   7 Starblaydia      1  3  2   7  12   5 Vephrall         1  4  0   5  11   3 Group 2          W  L  D  GF  GA  Pt Manhattan Prime  4  1  0  13   6  12 95X              4  2  0  10   5  12 Milchama         3  2  0   9   7   9 Oliverry         2  1  1   6   7   7 Pacitalia        1  2  2   7   9   5 UCS Jasiyun      1  2  2   7  10   5 Bettia           0  4  1   4  11   1 Group 3          W  L  D  GF  GA  Pt Demot            4  1  0  15   8  12 Scottfire        2  0  3   9   6   9 Delsea           2  1  2   9   8   8 UCS Slani        2  2  1  13  12   7 Northern Bettia  2  3  0   6   8   6 Krytenia         1  3  1   6   9   4 Ulzaxid          1  4  1   6  13   4 *UNOFFICIAL!*UNOFFICIAL!*UNOFFICIAL!*

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 31 2007, 03:46 AM

MD 7 RP CUTOFF

Posted by: Starblaydia Dec 31 2007, 04:58 AM

Inevitable "The scum would do it eventually" Starblaydia are, by hasty calculations, out in a total travesty of a tournament from top to bottom. The players, staff, fans and indeed people of Starblaydia will neither forget, nor forgive this.

Posted by: Lamoni Jan 1 2008, 11:40 PM

Ro16 RP CUTOFF

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Jan 2 2008, 11:26 AM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 30th December 2007 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Matchday 6 Group 2 – Manhattan Prime 4-0 Bettia Dreygo 17, 28, 44mins, DeSilva 53mins In an excitingly high scoring day in Group 2 Manhattan Prime joined 95X and Milchama in putting 4 goals past their unlucky victims, as an on form Manhattanite side thrashed Bettia 4-0. The Chippers dominated the Bettians from start to finish, with Ethan Smith firing on all cylinders in midfield, winger Felix DeSilva grabbing a goal in the 53rd minute, and Vykk Dreygo scored a magnificent hattrick in the 1st half, his first for the team. Katakana had an unselfish game being used as a playmaker for his strike partner, and the Manhattanite defence performed admirably, but had little to do. Manager Ian Pierce had yet to make a change to his first side in this tournament, and results have so born him out. However with Manhattan Prime in fantastic standing in Group 2, Pierce is expected to rest several players for the final group game against Oliverry tomorrow. Elsewhere in Group 2 95X defeated UCS JASI?YUN in a thrilling 4-1 march, and Milchama beat Oliverry by the same margin. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Jan 2 2008, 12:03 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 31st December 2007 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Matchday 7 Group 2 – Manhattan Prime 1-1 Oliverry R. Jackson 78mins 63rd Manhattan Prime have cemented their place as winners of Group 2 with a 1-1 draw with Oliverry, who also progress to the next round in 5th place. As expected Manhattan Prime manager Ian Pierce made several changes to his squad for the match, resting Katakana and Dreygo in favour of Jackson and Brandt. Kevin Cooper ably filled in for Hilton in goal, and Enrique Costa earned his 3rd cap in Donavan’s midfield slot. With both sides already through, the game was a rather dull one and spectators got the sense that both were more than happy with a draw. There was little to get the crowd excited in the first half, and the Chippers side walked off to sarcastic whistles from a fickle minority of their fans. Things livened up in the 2nd half, when Oliverry struck in the 63rd minute to take the lead. Manhattan Prime responded by curling a Takamura freekick just over the bar, and proceeded to put pressure on the Oliverrian defence until Ross Jackson equalized in the 78 minute. Against all expectations, Manhattan Prime have won a very difficult group, and seem to be in good form – those of us watching at home can only wonder: Just how far can this team go? Manhattan Prime Team: Kevin Cooper (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Enrique Costa (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Ross Jackson (S) Karl Brandt (S)

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Jan 2 2008, 01:22 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 2nd January 2008 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Last 16 Manhattan Prime 1-0 Oliverry Katakana 79mins Manhattan Prime progress to the Quarter Finals of AOCAF 21, defeating an Oliverrian side that due to an odd draw coincidence, they had played just 2 days ago. The Manhattanites had clearly benefited from the experience of playing the Oliverrians again, and were back to a full strength side with the return of their rested players. Despite that, their opponents were fired up for the game, and it was very close and cagey, with neither willing to play too imaginatively and risk making a mistake. Donavan won a penalty in the 40th minute when he was pulled down in the box, but his effort was saved by Oliverry’s goalkeeper. Their opponent’s best effort was a header from a corner that Clive Hilton just managed to tip over the bar, but shots on target were few and far between. The game was finally settled 11 minutes from time by a Katakana freekick, and Manhattan Prime held on determinedly to seal their victory and surpass everyone’s pre-tournament expectations of the team. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Jan 3 2008, 05:28 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 3rd January 2008 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Quarter Finals Manhattan Prime 3-1 Northern Bettia Katakana 25mins, 39mins, Dreygo 82mins 45mins Manhattan Prime have defeated Northern Bettia 3-1 to set up a difficult Semi Final tie with Pacitalia at Kazatlan Greene, against a Blue Foxes side out for revenge for their defeat to the Chippers in the Group Stages. The Manhattanites were competing for the first time at the Quarter Final stages, but at no time seemed out of their depth against the Northern Bettians. After several probing attacks, Michael Donovan found Katakana with a cross, with the striker duly struck home on the 25 minute mark. The Chippers kept up the pressure, trying to put the result beyond doubt, and Katakana struck again in the 39th minute, this time with a header, in the bottom left corner. With the Manhattanites cruising, their back line got arrogant, allowing the men from Northern Bettia to claw a goal back just before half time. However Manhattan Prime were not to be deprived, and their men of the tournament, Smith and Dreygo combined sublimely in the 82nd minute to kill off their opponents. Dreygo’s fantastic foam continues with his 15th goal for his country, and Manhattan Prime’s hopes will rest mainly on his shoulder going into their first ever AOCAF Semi Final, against Dreygo’s adoptive homeland. Elsewhere in the Quarter Finals, hosts Lamoni defeated Hypocria 3-2, Delesa lost 2-0 to Bazalonia and Pacitalia beat Starblaydia 2-1. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

Posted by: Lamoni Jan 4 2008, 12:24 AM

Hawks knock off Hypocria in QuarterFinal grudge match This was the match that Lamonian fans had been waiting for since the end of the finals match of AOCAF XX. That was the match where Hypocria had defeated Lamoni in order to take the AOCAF cup by an embarrassing scoreline. In this rematch, the Hawks came out strong. Not only was this the knockouts, but they felt that they had something to prove. That is not to say that this match would be easy; far from it. Did you ever want to know what happens when an enraged herd of Deer storms a football field? We didn't either, but more on that later. The first Lamonian goal of the match came at 4:30, with Forward James Julii doing the honors. Hypocria would later answer the goal at 10 minutes, and the game would seesaw back and forth until just five minutes into the second half. That was when a miscreant let loose an enraged herd of Deer onto the pitch; and the deer attacked players on both sides. Some of the players were taken to area hospitals with serious injuries, and doctors told the players on both sides to get a Rabies booster shot as soon as possible. The Deer were eventually herded into one corner of the pitch, and tranquilized once the required guns and darts had arrived from the local Zoo. And the miscreant who started all this? His name is Jonas Glisson, and he is currently under arrest by Lamonian Law enforcement. He is being held in an undisclosed location while awaiting trial. Our legal expert has suggested that Jonas might be tried for Reckless Endangerment, Assault, and other charges. If one of the injured players were to die, Jonas could then be charged with Murder in the Second Degree. This charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; and the judge could well apply it, given the international nature of the offense. We are also reasonably certain that the Hypocrian legal system might request the extradition of Mr. Glisson; and no statement has yet been made as to whether such a request will be granted. The staff of this paper would be remiss not to ask how something like this would be possible, given the high security surrounding the AOCAF. The only theory at this point is that Mr. Glission disguised the deer as members of the Az-cz national team, which includes many animals. It is known that Lamonian players Han Calrissian and Samuel Brighton were severely injured in the deer attack, and several other Lamonian players sustained less severe injuries. The list of the injured Hypocrian players has been withheld, citing reasons of international diplomacy. The Hawks won the match 3-2, as the game was called after the deer attack. They will face Bazalonia in the Semi-Finals. This should be a good match for the Hawks as both nations have friendly relations with the other. In fact, the Hawks have sent an offer to go to a bar after the match, no matter what the result is.

Posted by: Lamoni Jan 4 2008, 12:26 AM

SF RP CUTOFF

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Jan 4 2008, 08:52 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 4th January 2008 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Semi Finals Manhattan Prime 2-1 Pacitalia Dreygo 12mins, Katakana 60mins 25mins Manhattan Prime fans will be pinching themselves today, as their side edged past old allies and rivals Pacitalia to book their place in their first ever AOCAF final. From the word go, everything seemed to go right for the Chippers today, and their players were all playing out of their skins. Pierce has developed the team into a side willing to sweat and bleed for their country, and has made a mockery of those less reputable papers who called for his resignation after several disastrous tournaments of Manhattan Prime dropping out at the group stages. DeSilva and Smith covered every inch of grass, and really looked world class out there – it took only 12 minutes for DeSilva to feed the ball to Vykk Dreygo, and the young striker duly slotted home to put the Chippers ahead. There was hardly any applause from the crowd to start with; most of them were too stunned that it was actually happening. Pacitalia are a very strong side though, and far more used to the big matches such as this. It didn’t take them long to equalize, finally breaking the Manhattanite defence in the 25th minute to pull level. The Chippers didn’t lose heart though, and defended bravely to prevent the score becoming any worse. When they saw their opportunities to strike back, they made them count, absorbing the power of the Pacitalian attacks and counter-attacking quickly. This approach bore fruit with half an hour to go, as Katakana put the Manhattanites ahead after some superb midfield play from Smith and DeSilva. As fans watched with nails bitten down the quick, the Blue Foxes put Clive Hilton’s goal under siege, and it was only with some brave and determined defending, led by centreback John Clarke, that let the Chippers hold on for an historic victory. In the other Semi Final Lamoni defeated Bazalonia 3-2 in extra time to book their place in the final. Manhattan Prime have never been further than the Quarter Finals in their history, and critics will say that surely such a young and relatively inexperienced side can’t beat the hosts on their own ground. However if this tournament has shown us anything, it is that anything is possible, and here at the Manhattan Herald we’re behind our boys 100 percent. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

Posted by: Lamoni Jan 5 2008, 01:32 AM

Hawks go for AOCAF cup number three! With a thrilling 3-2 extra time victory against friends Bazalonia, the Hawks have advanced to the AOCAF XXI cup match against Manhattan Prime. This is the first time that the Chippers have been to the finals, so this has been a 'Cinderella' AOCAF for them. After their post match celebration with their Bazalonian friends, the Hawks slept for the night, and returned the next day to start their training for the finals match against the Chippers. Knowing your opponent is half the battle, so film study of the Chipper's performance in the AOCAF was poured over. It was decided to use the standard Lamonian 3-5-2 formation, and to clog up the midfield as much as possible. This tactic had been used effectively against other nations, and it should serve them here as well. There was also the abnormal step of having the two teams meet each other in person before the match. The Lamonians thought that the Manhattanites were a decent sort, and they reminded them of the Lamonian team that had won the first AOCAF cup for the Free Republic. They would do their best to get Lamoni's third cup of course, but they wouldn't feel so bad if the Manhattanites won their first AOCAF.

Posted by: Lamoni Jan 5 2008, 01:33 AM

FINALS RP CUTOFF

Posted by: Manhattan Prime Jan 8 2008, 03:07 PM

Excerpt from Manhattan Herald – 5th January 2008 Lloyd Hunter reports from AOCAF 21, Final Manhattan Prime 2-1 Lamoni Smith 27mins, Dreygo 55mins Julii 8mins After a fairytale match, Manhattan Prime are AOCAF champions for the first time in their history, as this nation of only 80 million people came from behind to defeat the might of Lamoni 2-1. The hosts had arranged a pre-match meet up for both teams, and Manhattanite players and fans were quick to praise the generosity of the Lamonian people as one of the key factors in the tournament’s success. Fortune did not seem to be smiling on the 11 men from Manhattan Prime to start with, as Lamoni went 1-0 up within just 8 minutes, as a skillfully took goal from James Julii was easily flicked past Clive Hilton in the Manhattanite net. However the Manhattanites drew on that gritty determination, and refusal to be beaten that has exemplified their performances this tournament, and staged a heroic fightback. On numerous occasions Clarke and Heinze proved the heroes of the moment with a goaline clearance, or a shot headed over the bar, and the entire Chippers midfield (indeed their entire team) put in an exemplary performance. Ethan Smith, ever the playmaker at this tournament, struck back in the 27th minute to make the score level, and the teams walked off at half time with the scoreline the same. We may never know what Ian Pierce said to his team at half time, but nobody should ever have doubted his managerial attributes, as Manhattan Prime exploded out of the block in the second half, playing with raw pace and oozing skill. A black and white tide beset the Lamonian half, and the Chippers went 2-1 up in the 55th minute through striker Vykk Dreygo. Who else indeed has risen to these massive occasion as well as he, and the young 19 year old has done everything his country has asked of him this tournament. Manhattanites watched the rest of the game with crossed fingers, wondering if their team could really hold on to win. The team moved to defending in depth, and somehow, somehow managed to hold on for a historic win. Tears flowed freely as the winner’s medals and AOCAF trophy were awarded, and the Lamonian side was sportingly the first to congratulate the new champions. This seemed to strike a chord with the crowd, as the Manhattanite fans to a man stood up to applaud the hosts off the field. The team has exceeded everyone’s expectations and larger clubs from the region will surely be buzzing around as the embryonic Manhattanite Premiership surely cannot keep hold of regional champions for long. As for the manager, it has been announced that the President is to knight him Sir Ian Pierce in recognition of his services. In other news, Pacitalia won the 3rd place playoff 6-5 on penalties after a tight 4-4 draw with Bazalonia. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S)

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