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AO Forum :: > AOCAF - The AO Regional Soccer Tournament > AOCAF Cup 28 roleplay thread

Posted by: unreal229 Oct 30 2009, 11:40 AM

Teams: Krytenia Sorthern Northland Unreal229 Unreal Stereotypes Nojika 95X Antarctistan & The Yorozuya Starblaydia Sarzonia Kosovoe Nanwe Jesselton Pacitalia New Texxas Cafundéu Teletropis GarfieldtheFat The Bear Islands Septentrionia Scandonia* Oddly enough, this is where it is suggested to post your roleplays. Draw will commence sometime after I have the new rankings.

Posted by: Selzaria Oct 30 2009, 09:17 PM

The MacMurdo Half-Sun AOCAF Cup XXVIII Pre-Preview We all thought that Cup of Harmony was going to be the one final hurrah for this Antarctistani squad. We all thought that after that there would be no more cups. And even then they'd be with the new squad. However today we were proven wrong. In secret Antarctistan and The Yorozuya were able to wiggle their way in to the AOCAF Cup. What's even odder is that it's the cup of a regional football confederation. What is even stranger is Antarctistan + The Yorozuya aren't even part of the aforementioned region politically or geographically. Only in sport. As most eyes are concerned Antarctistan and The Yorozuya isn't even part of AO. They have no pull on WA decisions (not that they affect them as Antarctistan and The Yorozuya is only an observing member in the assembly). So many are left scratching their heads as to why Antarctistan and The Yorozuya are competing. None the less they are, and it's not like the AOCAF is some small regional cup. It's quite the opposite, it is instead one of the biggest regional cups in the world. Spanning 27 editions before this one, the cup has had it's fair share of memorable moments. Some that Antarctistan will hope to create in the near future. As for expectations, they are quite low. while Antarctistan carries the 58th WCC ranking they are unranked in the AOCAF. Also many of the nations that compete in this cup are experienced nations at football. All of which can walk all over a nation like Antarctistan and The Yorozuya, which doesn't have a lot of international experience. Nor do they have a huge player pool to choose from. It will be up to fate to see how far this small nation of 3.5 million can go in this cup. We will all be watching. (For a more in depth preview about their chances please read after the draw!)

Posted by: Sarzonia Nov 5 2009, 12:39 PM

Sarzonia's first choice national team manager Franz Braddock usually pays very little attention to the second choice national team under manager Kevin Wilson. But Sarzonia's shock run to the World Cup 48 semifinals revealed a team that was short on depth. Even when Braddock started as many depth players as he had, he still had to play some of his starters. The fatigue came to a head during the semifinal fixture against eventual World Cup runners up Candelaria And Marquez. After the Stars played extra time in both their quarterfinal match against Jeru FC and against the Big Blues, Braddock noticed several players needing help to reach the locker room. "We have to do something," Braddock said. "It starts now." That means he'll be scouting the second choice national team for additional players he can promote to the senior side. It also means some Under 21 players could very well get a direct promotion to the World Cup squad. It means other players who just missed the cut might be in line for promotions. "A lot is going to depend on the group draw," said Wilson. "We don't know what kind of team we're going to have and how we're going to fare until we know whom we're up against." Fixtures against Starblaydia, whom the World Cup squad defeated twice in the space of three matchdays, or Pacitalia could severely test this squad. Wilson acknowledged the challenge when asked about a potential meeting with the Blue Foxes. "Since they don't compete in the World Cup, the side we would face here is their top national team," Wilson said. "Unless Franz wants to send his veterans in to face them, we're going to have our work cut out for us if we face Pacitalia. Of course, any discussion of a possible Paci-Sarzonian derby would have to include discussions of the complex political relationship between the nations. Wilson characterised the relationship as "a roller coaster," noting that the two countries had moments when they seemed close, but then others when they felt unremitting hostility toward one another. "That nation has played a vital role in our nation's development," he said. "The same goes for Isselmere-Nieland and Praetonia." As for Isselmere-Nieland, the Stars and Ernes have faced each other in pre-World Cup qualifying friendlies with Sarzonia winning the first and drawing the second. The Incorporated Football Federation took to naming that derby "The Friendly War." "It is an acknowledgment of the fact that both nations are competitors on the pitch, but are extremely close off it," said IFF chairman Brian Wilson, Kevin's brother. Brian Wilson noted that no such name was conceived for a match with Pacitalia. "We haven't gotten that far yet. This talk may be premature," he said.

Posted by: Bazalonia Dec 31 2009, 10:33 PM

Group A: Krytenia 95X Septentrionia New Texxas Nanwe Group B: Pacitalia Cafundéu Kosovoe Teletropis Unreal Stereotypes Group C: Sorthern Northland Nojika Sarzonia Garfield the Fat Antarctistan & The Yorozuya Group D: Starblaydia Unreal229 The Bear Islands Jesselton Scandonia Fixtures will be standard fixtures automatically generated by NFSF Scorination results will include the next match to occur.

Posted by: Sorthern Northland Jan 2 2010, 08:46 PM

Beningrad Morning Star Ní hÓgáin set to create history in AOCAF Cup defence Siobhan Ní hÓgáin has over the course of the first half of World Cup qualifying (OOC: AOCAF Cup IC'ly takes place half way through World Cup qualifying in the Sorthern calender) become a household name in Sorthern Northland. Whilst limited to appearances from the bench, usually when the team have already got a win sown up, her name has already gone down in history as that of the first woman to play to international football for Sorthern Northland and the first woman to score an international goal for Sorthern Northland. It is not for those deeds however that her name is known but more for the stir that manager Eoin Ó Raghhallaigh caused at SNFA Towers by calling her up in the first. The association has long banned women from playing top level football with men, a ban that though still in existence it appears that it's days are numbered. The six-one victory over Antartistan and the Yorozuya could be one of the final nails in that coffin. For whilst Ní hÓgáin has already earned a handful of caps with SNFA suits seemingly unable to enforce their ban, they had all been from the substitutes bench. Something that allowed those still against women playing top level football to sneer that this was due to women being unable to last the ninety minutes of a full international match. That Ní hÓgáin started, and played the entire match, providing the fulcrum of the Sorthern attack for much of the match and picking up the ma...player of the match award would seem to pretty keenly dispute that argument. An assist and a hat-trick will have done her cause little harm either. It is just one match though. One match in the AOCAF Cup against low level opposition. Opponents of women playing football will surely claim it proves little and could just be flash in the pan. There is still the rest of the tournament for her to prove her worth in the team though. There will be stronger opposition to come as well, Sarzonia in the group stage, and then the possibility of the likes of Starblaydia, Krytenia, Cafundéu and Pacitalia in the knock-outs, should Sorthern Northland get to them, as they surely should. So, what does Siobhan herself actually think of being the flag-bearer for women in top level Sorthern football? “It's not something I really take notice of when I'm playing to be honest.” she admits, “As far as I'm concerned I'm just another player wearing the shirt. I've listened to the commentary of my first goal for the team in the World Cup qualifier against Mount Kip and they were going on about I must've been delighted to become the first woman to score for Sorthern Northland, but honestly it didn't occur to me until people mentioned. I was more bothered that it was the goal that put us in the lead. I suppose if I sit down and think about then, yeah it's pretty special and hopefully in years to come people will remember me as the first of many, rather than an exception, at the moment though I'm just want to play well and show I deserve to be in the team purely based on how good a footballer I am and how much use I can be to the team.” Thus far she has proved herself to be an adept winger with an accurate cross, a good amount of pace and the skill to beat defenders. Does she not think though that she'd be a better footballer if she were not playing in the relative footballing backwater of Quintessence of Dust with Highmark City Blues? “It's perhaps overall a less skilled league than Sorthern Northland's. But at least there your gender doesn't play any part in whether you can play or not. I think in a few years time things will change and we'll see Sorthern clubs playing men alongside women, but until then surely you could argue that the Sorthern League is a footballing backwater? I'd love to play in it given the chance, but I didn't have that chance. I did have that chance in Quintessence of Dust though and I'm glad I made the move though. It might not get much attention, and it has gone awol to the outside world recently, but there's worse places I could be.” And finally, what of the remainder of the AOCAF Cup, does she feel she can stake a claim for a starting role? “It's a great competition, and the major first tournament I've been involved in so it's very exciting. As we saw earlier though there's still a big gulf in class between the teams at times so it's a lower standard of football, but that also means players, particularly those on the fringes can be less scared of making mistakes and being crucified for them and so they can be freer to show what they are capable of. I feel I did enough against Antarctistan to deserve to keep my place for the match against Garfield the Fat and hopefully I will and I'll be able to show I should be in the team after that match as well and so on throughout the cup. It's certainly a big tournament for me."

Posted by: Sarzonia Jan 3 2010, 12:54 PM

Kevin Wilson knew the assignment was going to be markedly different this time. After all, Sarzonia's first choice national team manager Franz Braddock was going to pay closer attention to the exploits of Sarzonia's second national side in AOCAF. He was doing so with the goal of trying to increase the depth available to the full national side. Thus, a quick elimination from AOCAF would not bode well for Wilson. On top of it, he saw his chances of gaining the national team managerial role he wanted dashed when his brother, Incorporated Football Federation chairman Brian Wilson quickly tapped former Isselmere-Nieland manager James Potherington as manager in waiting and as associate manager. Now, if Kevin Wilson wanted the national team job, he'd have two people to compete with, including current assistant manager Diogo Avarel. He knew he'd likely have to consider his options, including managing elsewhere. Still, he had a job to do, and he was going to have to do it. The group including Sarzonia's would feature the likes of their first opponents, familiar regional rivals Nojika. Also on the docket was Sorthern Northland, a team that Sarzonia were set to meet in the Round of 16 in the World Cup proper. Antarcticstan and the Yorozuya were a name that was vaguely familiar in itself, except for the fact that Sarzonia competed against them as Antarcticstan in World Cup 48 qualifying. That left only Garfield the Fat as an unfamiliar team to these Stars. "We have a tough group ahead of us," Kevin Wilson said. "It's going to be a challenge for us to get through to the next round, but we're going to have to figure out a way to get there." He knows what's at stake. Any chance for him to eventually become national team manager would be riding on his team's performance here. And that's just the way he wanted it to be.

Posted by: Cafundéu Jan 3 2010, 11:56 PM

ALL IS WELL FOR CAFUNDÉU Monopolists do their part with two wins After many confusions involving the organization of the competition, as the major sponsor of the event went bankrupt one month before the start of the AOCAF and couldn't fund such a bit cup anymore, the AOCAF finally could start. The whole problem begun when the computers that had recent records of all the National Teams involved fried, for someone who wanted to eat fries, and couldn't be used to update the teams' situations regarding rankings. With this situation solved, the sponsor announced that it didn't have money, and asked for another sponsor or organization to fund the even in their place. BazaBurger appeared as the saviour of the AOCAF, releasing the necessary amount of money for the competition to happen, under the condition that the games would be played in Bazalonia instead of Unreal229. With all set, the Cafundelenses went to their neighbour country. Travelling considerably less than what they would have done if the games were in Unreal229, everything seemed promising for the Monopolists. With an interesting team, mixing known stars of world football with players looking to follow their steps, Anatoliy Titov had the responsibility to do a good job in the AOCAF, as the Cafundelenses finished the last edition with the second place. The group draw was mostly good for Cafundéu, with the exception of the presence of Pacitalia. And, in the first games, the Cafundelenses proved their strength, by defeating opponents Teletropis and Kosovoe, and jumping to the second position of the group with 100% of the points won. so far, everything is going well for the team, which is winning the games it was supposed to win... which means that also nothing spetacular was done.

Posted by: Pacitalia Jan 5 2010, 02:51 PM

AOCAF28 Match Report Tuesday 5th January 2010 Foxes begin cup quest with pair of wins Pacitalians beat Unreal Stereotypes and double up Teletropis to maintain share of group lead Alberto Vicente Marro Fauxhan, Bazalonia Pacitalia began its quest to reclaim the AOCAF Cup trophy with two victories in the group stage over Unreal Stereotypes and Teletropis. The Foxes beat Unreal Stereotypes 4-1 on a Michelangelo Mascagnano hat-trick, and followed that up with a 4-2 victory over Teletropis. Scoring in the second match was led by Adrian Manoliu with two goals. Andolfabio Vunghiasso and Mascagnano had the other pair of scores for the Blue Foxes (2-0-0). Manoliu also had Pacitalia's fourth and final goal in the opening match against the Stereotypes. Pacitalia now moves on to face their first major challenge of the tournament against the Monopolists. The Cafundelenses were runners-up in AOCAF27 and the team that eliminated the Pacitalians in that Cup's semifinals, putting a bitter and sudden end to the Foxes' quest to keep their firm hold on the tournament following two straight championships. Ambrosino Giurimano — who has sat out both games because of physio and reconditioning following a high ankle sprain he suffered in October — will finally start for the Foxes in that match. Manager Marco van Basten says he is pleased with Manoliu's performance in the interim, saying filling Giurimano's shoes is always "a big task". "He has led a balanced attack and he has set up plays for our midfielders when he can't score," van Basten said. "It's a difficult task to fulfill when your coach tells you to step in and perform at the same level as your squad's normal striker, but Adrian is developing into a very fine footballer and he's delivered the results he's been called upon to deliver." Assistant manager Veranace d'Amantano also noted Manoliu's three goals so far amounted to the 24-year-old's best offensive production to date in the AOCAF tournament, and said Manoliu would see more relief action before the end of the tournament. van Basten reported the squad would spend Monday evening's light practice completing a short cardio workout and shoring up their defence, which inexplicably allowed two goals against unranked Teletropis, including a blooper in the 64th minute that was nothing special but still appeared to confuse all four fullbacks. "That's unusual for us," starting keeper and team captain Abro Zolà conceded. "I have to be better, we as a defensive unit have to be better, and we will. I don't make excuses for it [...] we're just fortunate to have such talented contributors up at the front that have carried the load for us so far." "We definitely weren't playing like the region's top-ranked side," he added, referring to new rankings released just before the new year and the start of AOCAF28 that put the Blue Foxes firmly in first (53 points), well ahead of second-ranked defending champions Sorthern Northland (37.9) and third-ranked Starblaydia (27.83).

Posted by: Pacitalia Jan 7 2010, 07:18 PM

AOCAF28 Match Report Thursday 7th January 2010 Zolà, back four turn in stellar performance Blue Foxes double up Monopolists to take sole possession of group lead Alberto Vicente Marro Fauxhan, Bazalonia A pair of goals from returning star Ambrosino Giurimano, coupled with an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Abro Zolà and Pacitalia's four-man defence, propelled the Blue Foxes to a 2-1 victory over Cafundéu in a group stage rematch of last year's championship semifinal. It wasn't a perfect performance by Pacitalia's defence but arguably much improved over an inexplicable last match against Teletropis, who managed to convert a pair of scores on star keeper Zolà and the normally resilient back four. The Blue Foxes suffered an early scare, as the Cafundelense star striker, Alves, broke through double coverage, evading tackling attempts from Antonio Linguera de Sà and Sergio San Cristobál just outside the 22-yard box. Alves made no mistake once inside the box line, firing off a rocket that narrowly escaped the desperate fingertips of Zolà and rippled the top-left corner of the twine. However, while the Foxes found themselves down a goal just six minutes into the match, the deficit seemed to spark Pacitalia's offence to brazen exploits, creating ten (ultimately unsuccessful) chances to score before the half hour mark. At the very least, despite the Cafundelense striker's fortunate but well-deserved early goal, the match momentum had shifted firmly back to the Pacitalians. More chances on goal would ensue, including a spectacular corner from Andolfabio Vunghiasso that missed the reliable head of Massimo da Scupeta by just a hair. Determined to equalise before halftime, Giurimano pushed forward into the box as the clock shifted to injury time, hounded by fullbacks Radicci and Batoré. The Pacitalian striker clinically snuck a goal past a sliding Garrido to even the score at 1-1. Zolà was unbelievably perfect in the second half, but he, unusually, faced little in the way of attack from the Cafundelense front pair, who were stymied by Pacitalia's back four on nearly every foray they attempted to make to the 22-yard box. Zolà's most notable second-half contribution was a diving highlight-reel punch to keep Alves' careening shot away from goal and redirect it out for a corner, which the Foxes subsequently smothered. The pace of the match, however, was notably slowing, and it did still appear the two squads were heading for a well-earned stalemate. Giurimano, with the freshest legs on the pitch following physiotherapy, reconditioning and two matches on the injury reserve, added the winning goal ten minutes from full time. The striker gathered up a Michelangelo Mascagnano cross to the left corner, outflanking Radicci by the goal line and tucking the ball neatly under the arm of Garrido to give the Foxes the lead. The two squads were, as of the conclusion of this match, the only ones to have played on all three match days. The Blue Foxes (3-0-0) get the next match day off as a bye; meanwhile, the Monopolists (2-0-1) play once more against Unreal Stereotypes (0-0-2) and then get their turn to rest in advance of the knockouts. Marco van Basten told Extra Thursday he plans to hold a light practice Saturday morning in advance of the Foxes' final group stage match versus Kosovoe. From AOCAF28 in Bazalonia Cafundéu 1 : 2 Pacitalia CAF — Alves 6' PAC — Giurimano 45+1', 79' Next up — CAF v URS, PAC off (bye) Copyright © 2010 Extra, the Pacitalian sports network | a division of News Media Group ƒSpA http://www.extra.pc/aocaf/aocaf28/nr.gspx?sd=617033&ad=p

Posted by: Nanwe Jan 8 2010, 05:06 AM

NANWE FOOTBALL Bazalonia - This year, the national team from Nanwe, which is ours, has been playing really good, when compared to the last AOCAF where we didn't even play, for example on this new championship, our team has won again the team from the country of Septentrionia, which ahs make our team to be third on it's group, just behind of Krytenia and 95X. In the match against Septentrionia, which ended with a 2-1, the actuation of our goalkeeper, Carlo Vilni, made possible our victory, because the actuation of our defenders was very poor. The match didn't start well for our team, with the first goal being scored by septentrionian striker, François Lafontaine, in minute 12 of the first time of the match. Later in the second part, asd if our team woke up, our captain, Cristino Armandfillo socred a great goal in minute 10 of the second part gainst the until that moment unbreakable wall of the defenders and the goalkeeper of Septentrionia, Martin Vachon . Later and thanks to the example of our captain, another striker scored the second goal which lead us to victory, Adriano Ulpo scored his first goal in the championship in minute 24 of the second part of the match. Tomorrow, our team will play against 95X, the team that is currently the first one of the group, and so, it promises to be a very hard match

Posted by: Pacitalia Jan 14 2010, 05:53 AM

AOCAF28 Match Report Wednesday 13th January 2010 Foxes crush Kosovoe en route to group stage perfection Group winners Pacitalia now face longtime friendly rivals Sarzonia in Round of 16 Alberto Vicente Marro Fauxhan, Bazalonia The Foxes showed the region precisely why they are the tournament's most dangerous and balanced attack — spreading their scoring around, with every member of the front four potting at least one goal, to lead Pacitalia to a 5-1 victory over Kosovoe in the final match of the group stage at AOCAF28. Determined to get off to the right start, the Foxes pummelled the Kosovoe goal early on, with several near-misses, including an Ambrosino Giurimano shot that glanced off the outside edge of the crossbar nine minutes in. Three minutes later, a Pacitalian corner attempt was almost successfully converted, as Massimo da Scupeta chipped the ball to Michelangelo Mascagnano at centre; the midfielder nearly converted with a redirection off the knee. The Foxes' first score would come shortly thereafter. Andolfabio Vunghiasso streaked in on the left side, virtually unchallenged, and, approaching goal, fired off a low, steady ball that evaded the Kosovoe keeper's outstretched hands and found the back of the net. Pacitalia would double its lead ten minutes later, with Giurimano, ever the workhorse, outduelling the Kosovoe sweeper and peeling off a wicked shot that hit the twine so hard it looked as though the threads might snap. The second half proved to be much of the same, with Mascagnano converting a Vunghiasso corner and da Scupeta collecting a cheeky side chip from Giurimano and burying the ball for a seemingly insurmountable 4-0 lead with under a half-hour to play. After 70 minutes, Giurimano was pulled off in favour of Adrian Manoliu at striker, and a fatigued da Scupeta replaced with Manel Bernát i Lem at right mid. Marco van Basten's final substitution came in the 74th minute, as Tiberiu Manescu came on to replace Antonio Linguera de Sà in the back four. Pacitalia's fifth and final goal would then come two minutes later, as Manoliu collected an arcing forward pass from Hermès Adiarche and raced up-pitch to neatly flip a routine scorcher past the Kosovoe goalkeeper. Abro Zolà seemed headed for the clean sheet, but fate had other ideas. With three minutes remaining, Manescu's desperate tackle on the Kosovoe striker inside the box was a little too clumsy, and the official awarded a penalty shot which was successfully converted. Despite the blemish, the Foxes ended up walking away with the decisive 5-1 win to close out the group stage. It seems either fortuitous, serendipitous, or both, that Pacitalia (4-0-0) should now face arguably one of its biggest (friendly) sporting rivals to open the knockout stage. Sarzonia (1-0-3), ranked 15th in the region, backed up into the elimination round and are licking their wounds following a disastrous 3-0 defeat at the hands of defending champions Sorthern Northland. On paper, it looks like it should be a cakewalk right through to the quarterfinals; the Foxes themselves will be the first to disagree. Though pleased with his squad's efforts, captain Zolà still had some issues he says he'd like to iron out and "make sure we take seriously" before the upcoming match against Sarzonia. "We didn't have the most difficult group this tournament, that is for sure," Zolà said post-match. "We only encountered a few challenges, and that's unusual. That being said, we're definitely not getting cocky. I know all the guys on this team realise that overconfidence never pays off." "We still need to tighten up on defence," the captain added. "I think five goals in four matches is too many for my liking and I take responsibility for that. Especially playing against a team like the Stars, with good talent up front, I know we'll need to be more than prepared." From AOCAF28 in Bazalonia Pacitalia 5 : 1 Kosovoe PAC — Vunghiasso 15' / Giurimano 25' / Mascagnano 48' / da Scupeta 61' / Manoliu 76' KOS — 87' (p) Next up — PAC v SRZ (R16), KRY v KOS (R16) Copyright © 2010 Extra, the Pacitalian sports network | a division of News Media Group ƒSpA http://www.extra.pc/aocaf/aocaf28/nr.gspx?sd=618631&ad=en

Posted by: Bazalonia Jan 14 2010, 04:36 PM

.f.

Posted by: Sarzonia Jan 14 2010, 10:43 PM

STARS LEAVE FOXES SINGING THE BLUES Every once in a while, a team hits upon one match in which everything goes right. Crosses that might have been an inch too far or runs that might have been a hair offside were on the mark. A defence that looked shaky against a quality opponent suddenly looks dominant against an elite side. But today's 5-0 victory for Sarzonia over traditional AOCAF powerhouse Pacitalia was almost too crazy to believe. "It just came out of nowhere," Stars forward Joel Jones said after scoring three goals in 57 minutes off the bench. "They're an outstanding side over there." Perhaps, but just as well as Sarzonia played, Pacitalia played just as poorly. Blue Foxes forward Ambrosino Giurimano did not fire a single shot on goal, and sent three of his shots well wide of goalkeeper Will Brantley. It was true that defender Tom Thomas was on Giurimano like white on rice, but the Blue Foxes main goalscoring threat proved to be not much of a threat on one night. A non-descript group stage that included Sarzonia losing in embarrassing fashion to Sorthern Northland had Stars supporters doing the unthinkable. They started calling for manager Kevin Wilson's head. The sports talk programmes rang with angry callers demanding the Incorporated Football Federation take the "un-Sarzonian" step of firing Wilson after the team lost 3-0 to the Sortherners. They certainly didn't look the part of a team that would make a dent in the Round of 16 after sneaking into the knockout round through the back way. They looked for all the world like a snot-nosed, scrawny little fraternity pledge getting paddled repeatedly and being forced to croak "thank you, sir. May I please have another?" through sniffles and tears. Facing two-time AOCAF champions and longtime regional powers Pacitalia in the Round of 16, the recipe was certainly there for an early exit for the Stars. Then the match happened. It was a result that might have left some wondering if the teams switched kits at the very beginning as the region's 15th ranked Stars took the Blue Foxes to the woodshed, dominating every facet of the match. It was a result that was stunning not just because the Stars won, but because they made the Blue Foxes look so awful. "I don't know what it was," a stunned Wilson said after the match. "I'm paid to figure out things like this, but I can't." The match will go down as the first victory for Sarzonia against Pacitalia in a friendly rivalry that began when Sarzonia was at the peak of its world footballing form. The rivalry has seen ups and downs, from matches where pre-game ceremonies celebrated two friendships bordering on kinships to fixtures where an observer might think the Stars were facing a team of Doomies. Sarzonia (2-0-3) will face Nojika in the quarterfinals of AOCAF, but for one night, at least, Wilson's job was safe. All of a sudden, that un-Sarzonian of activities, the firing of someone for anything other than extreme cause, was off the table.

Posted by: Sorthern Northland Jan 15 2010, 07:11 PM

Beningrad Morning Star AOCAF Cup defence over as minnows win Book shops across Sorthern Northland are reported to be experiencing record sales of atlases as football fans attempt to locate Scandonia following their shock 2-1 Round of 16 victory over Sorthern Northland. The unranked outsiders have never previously competed in the AOCAF Cup and their precise location remains a mystery to even respected cartographers with their location being unmarked on the latest most recent official map of Atlantian Oceania. Having scraped through the group stage in fourth place taking advantage of only one team per group of five teams being knocked out compared to Sorthern Northland's perfect record in Group C the Scandonian team faced long odds to progress any further in the competition. Their chances though were boosted by an inept Sorthern performance. Whilst Scandonia played very much like a team of unheard of minnows, rarely threatening to attack the Sorthern team seemed determined to make life for themselves as difficult as possible. The Scandonian keepers task for most of the much was kept to collecting the ball for goal-kicks due to the Sorthern players restricting themselves almost entirely wayward shots from long range. On the one occasion when Sorthern Northland did look to get the ball into the box though it paid off with Shawn Hill bundling home a Timm Holtz cross for the lead in the sixty-eighth minute. With Scandonia needing to score and becoming more adventurous to try to do so a nervous display of defending saw Sorthern Northland shoot themselves in the foot with own goals Brian Andrews and Callum Parker just minutes apart handing the win to the underdogs. Eoin Ó Raghallaigh, who will now surely need a good run at the upcoming World Cup 49 finals if he is to manage Sorthern Northland in the next AOCAF Cup, admitted that the performance had been the worst during his reign, claiming, “The least you expect if you're going to go out to do it with at least a bit of pride. There's nothing in that match that we'll be able to look back on with pride. For a team that were the defending champions it was a limp and frankly embarrassing performance. During my time as manager I've never had a side play that badly and I certainly expect them to never repeat that level of performance. I can only apologise to the Sorthern fans for it, particularly the many that travelled to Bazalonia to support the team and were repaid with it.”

Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Jan 15 2010, 09:05 PM

95X Success No Accident Soccer is no longer the number one sport in 95X, but die-hard soccer fans and others are reveling in the accomplishments of the 95X team in AOCAF Cup 28. After surprising performance in AOCAF Cup 27, where "the big three," Melissa/Michelle Mitchell, Micah Skokomish, and Damien Darycreek all came out of retirement to lead the otherwise young, inexperienced squad required when most 95X professional soccer players striked over league pay and additional compensation for AOCAF competition. "We were pleasantly surprised," AOCAF Cup Soccer Head Coach Chris Tucker recalls, "they played their hearts out, made the quarterfinals, and lost only to the team that won the cup." This AOCAF, 95X built around their still youthful core lineup, and steamrolled over the group A competition in the opening round, including a 2-0 shutout of favored Krytenia. New household name Micaela Collina scored both goals, in a game where she played much larger than her 4-foot-2 stature. "She has an amazing kick," Tucker says. "Everyone said I was crazy for making her a starting forward and I shoud've used a replacement four years ago." Nobody is calling him crazy now. 95X also won 5-4 on penalty kicks in AOCAF Cup 28 Round of 16 against Teletropis, in a match where fans worried second-year goalkeeper Mary Christina Mackay would tire too quickly. Coach Tucker: "Yes, she's a true 95Xer, meaning she fits the joke that a '95Xer is as wide as she is tall.' And she is not 6 feet wide. Besides, she's an international athlete, she gets the best prep and after game care 95X can offer." When 95X meets Antarctistan & The Yorozuya in the quarterfinals, 95X fans have one thing to say: If they don't want to melt, stay out of 95X's fire.

Posted by: Bazalonia Jan 16 2010, 05:40 PM

OOC: I've just found out what happened in the previous matchday; apologies but the settings were set to sequential rather than point-based. Which explains why teams like Scandonia won and teams like Pacitalia lost so dramatically. I will be re-scorinating the Round of 16. And my deepest apologies to all *cuts his own heart with a spoon as punishment*

Posted by: Pacitalia Jan 18 2010, 02:07 AM

[ OOC: This seems the most respectful and realistic way to translate what happened OOCly to IC. ] AOCAF28 Match Report Sunday 17th January 2010 Calls of "biased refs" force universal redo of Round of 16 Blue Foxes can thank their lucky Stars for the second opportunity, squeaking through to QFs Alberto Vicente Marro Fauxhan, Bazalonia It took widespread calls from outraged fans and "suspicious" coaching staff on defeated teams to force a universal redo on all eight round-of-sixteen matches at AOCAF28. Officials were roundly accused of bias and for making calls that affected the overall outcome of the matches, the Blue Foxes' 5-0 spanking notwithstanding. But, ironically, the consensus among both players and fans is that the Pacitalia-Sarzonia rematch will go down, like previous meetings between the Blue Foxes and Stars, as one of the best matches of the tournament, even if, for at least one day, it appeared the Sarzonians had soundly embarrassed the top-ranked footballing squad in the region. While the Foxes did not appear to show up to their original match against the Stars, there is general agreement that something was rotten. "We aren't going to point the finger anywhere or place the blame on any particular individuals, of course," a sullen Marco van Basten said following the original result, a 5-0 defeat. "There was no excuse for the way we played in the match. But, in general, we are suspicious of the officiating in this match and this round, specifically because we had no problem with it during the group stage." Team captain Abro Zolà agreed. "It seems highly unlikely that the four best teams in the region, our match aside, would all crash out of the tournament in the same round." It appears, he added, that there was "a coordinated effort to give an advantage" to lower-ranked teams. It is unclear whether Zolà will face discipline for those comments. Fast-forward to Sunday. Following official complaints to the Bazalonian hosts from no fewer than six participating football federations, and the appeals of millions upon millions of upset or questioning fans, the hosts agreed, in unprecedented fashion, to re-run the round of sixteen with new officials, in an attempt to guarantee parity and allay any suspicions that they were involved in any potential biases or conspiracies. Having been blown out by a rabid Stars squad in the first match, it was quite clear the game plan would have to change for the Blue Foxes to be successful. The Foxes (4-0-0 at that point) had clearly walked into their matchup with Sarzonia with too much confidence and the Stars made them pay. In the redo of the match, the story was quite different, the two teams playing as near-evenly matched rivals do — a chance for the Foxes here, another for the Stars there. A superb save from Zolà was almost immediately followed by an equally spectacular block by Will Brantley in the Sarzonian goal. And in keeping with the trend of the match, Ambrosino Giurimano's beautiful cross-pitch scorcher, thirty-five minutes in, was matched just one minute later by an outstanding corner-kick conversion by Sarzonian forward Mike Lohman. The teams headed for the tunnel at halftime with Sarzonia displaying, quite clearly, that they were a threat, and that their initial destruction of the Blue Foxes was no accident. Nick Barrett would appear to be the hero for the Stars with two-thirds of regulation time gone. Gathering up an arcing feed from a streaking Andrew David on the right wing, the 24-year-old timed his collection of the ball to evade the aggressive charge of Sergio San Cristobál and then deked Antonio Linguera de Sà. With Zolà the only obstacle left, Barrett convincingly feigned a pass to Lohman, pulling the Pacitalian keeper forward enough for Barrett to tuck the ball neatly into the Foxes' net for a 2-1 advantage. It was pandemonium among the delirious thousands of Stars supporters, Sarzonians sure their team was destined for the quarterfinals (reffing controversy or not). After that, the Stars shifted into shutdown mode to maintain their well-earned lead down the stretch. Pulling into a tighter defensive formation with both inside midfielders held back, the six of them huddling around Brantley, it was surely a frustrating experience for the Foxes over the next quarter-hour. Sarzonia cleanly defeated three consecutive Pacitalian corner attempts, sometimes triple-teaming Giurimano in the six-yard box to keep him out of the action. Following the third straight failed corner, Andolfabio Vunghiasso's free kick with 16 minutes to play glanced off Giurimano's collarbone and out for a goal kick. Trudging back down-pitch, the Pacitalian star looked close to giving up. The Blue Foxes' supporters were the mirror image of their Sarzonian counterparts, with nails bitten down to the quick and nervous huddles of tense fans hoping and praying for a late equaliser. Their calls would be answered by an unlikely hero just three minutes later. The late stage, highlight-reel equaliser normally the domain of Giurimano or Vunghiasso, it was Massimo da Scupeta who would even up the score for Pacitalia in the 77th minute. He gobbled up a seemingly harmless side pass from Michelangelo Mascagnano and took advantage of a rare gap in the Sarzonian defence, sprinting into the 22-yard box — between the athletic Elijah Aston and the intimidating Carletta Ryan — and firing off a firm, scorching shot that was so hard it knocked Brantley off his feet as the ball ricocheted off his shoulder and into the twine. The stadium erupted in an even mixture of ecstatic cheers and disbelieving groans as Pacitalia and Sarzonia headed into the final ten minutes of play all square at 2-2. Pacitalia's right midfielder would put the Foxes on top for good in the rematch, sealing the victory with a wicked left-footed arc off a late corner that sailed through the crowd in front of goal and bounced down onto the pitch through Brantley's poised legs. The ball hit the left side of the twine and settled at the rear of the net as a roar exploded from the Blue Foxes' supporters. da Scupeta didn't have to run to the corner flag to celebrate, for he was already there, joined moments later by his three fellow attackers, Hermès Adiarche and Semih Mansur. The surreal chain of events leading to eventual Pacitalian victory in the round of sixteen won't soon be forgotten, and neither will the historic and exciting result in the rematch. After the initial on-pitch catastrophe, and after all of the off-pitch drama, Pacitalia still has a chance to try and capture its third cup in four tournaments. Either way, biased officials or not, the Foxes move on and the Stars go home, after writing another thrilling chapter in the two nations' storied sporting rivalry. From AOCAF28 in Bazalonia Pacitalia 3 : 2 Sarzonia PAC — Giurimano 35' / da Scupeta 77', 87' SRZ — Lohman 36' / Barrett 61' Next up — PAC v UNR (QF), SRZ v n/a (eliminated) Copyright © 2010 Extra, the Pacitalian sports network | a division of News Media Group ƒSpA http://www.extra.pc/aocaf/aocaf28/nr.gspx?sd=619212&ad=en

Posted by: Sorthern Northland Jan 18 2010, 04:52 PM

Beningrad Morning Star AOCAF reprieve grasped with both hands Sorthern Northland's footballers are to have a second bite at retaining their AOCAF Cup title, following the decision by organisers to the entire Round of Sixteen programme following a number of controversial refereeing performances. The original clash between Sorthern Northland and Scandonia which had ended with the minnows winning two-one saw a number of questionable decisions made by the referee, though not any particularly controversial ones, prompting surprise from Sorthern manager Eoin Ó Raghallaigh over it being replayed. “It came out of the blue really, we were preparing to fly back home and then we got a call from the organisers that the match was being replayed. There had certainly been a number of controversial incidents in the other matches, and the ref in our match did make some odd decisions and I've heard whispers of the referees colluding with betting syndicates and so if the organisers believe beyond reasonable doubt that the matches were fixed then all credit to them for insisting they be replayed.” Considering the reason for the match being replayed it is perhaps ironic then that the scoring was opened by Scandonia from a questionably awarded penalty after thirty-three minutes. Brian Andrews was the guilty offender, having already scored an own-goal in the original match the referee adjudged him to have handled a Scandonia cross in the box. Replays however suggested the ball had hit Andrews' midriff rather than his arm. That was to be one of the few sightings of the Sorthern goal that the team from Scandonia had all match however. Having played complacently and poorly in the first match the Sorthern team had started the replay in the same vein. The goal seemed to only awaken the Sorthern players as they looked for a reply. Something they had only a short wait for as under pressure the Scandonia goalkeeper cleared poorly from a backpass. That clearance fell to Jon Andrews and though the scrambling keeper had left him an open goal to aim for, the Ranca Toco man still had to keep his nerve to coolly finish from range and level the scoring. The Sorthern team didn't have long to wait to take the lead. Almost strait from the kick-off Martijn Barentstochter of Bergkamp of Drotske of Groethuysen of Hackenbroch of Struycken won the ball with an excellent tackle. Looking to run towards the Scandonian goal he was quickly felled by a rash challenge, leaving Marek Krofcky to place the resulting free-kick into the top left-hand corner of the goal from the best part of thirty-five metres out. With the Scandonian players left shocked at the speed of the turnaround in the scoreline Sorthern Northland took full advantage with Jon Andrews scoring twice more to put the score at 4-1 and the result in little doubt going into half-time. The second-half saw Sorthern Northland continuing score goals with Iñaki Arrigorriagakoa and Alan Cooper adding their names to the scoresheet in the early part of the half. Scandonia offered some resistance at six-one down with Piran Hean being forced into a fine double save in the Sorthern goal around the hour mark. A goal from substitute Shawn Hill shortly followed by another goal for Arrigorriagakoa though saw Scandonian heads finally drop and the match peter out into a lifeless remaining quarter of an hour or so leaving Ó Raghallaigh to look forward to a quarter-final clash against Nanwe whilst aware that they could consider themselves slightly fortunate to still be in the competition. Commenting after the match he noted, “That was the type of performance we should've put on in the first match and whilst the right decision was made to replay the round we very lucky that the problem was found and that we were given a reprieve and able to take full advantage of it. Any problems should be sorted now so there'll be no chances at another reprieve so we'll need to be aware that if we are as complacent as we were in the original match again then we'll definitely be going home.” Sorthern Northland - 8 Andrews - 35' 41' 45+2' Krofcky - 36' Arrigorriagakoa - 49' 77' Cooper - 56' Hill - 65' Scandonia - 1 Some bloke or other, the centre forward perhaps - 34' (pen)

Posted by: Krytenia Jan 19 2010, 07:08 PM

TEN REASONS TO LOVE AOCAF CUP XXVIII 10 All the Bazalopes you can eat. 9 Ousevale...errr, Sorthern Northland doing well. 8 A competition we actually have a chance in. 7 Sarzonia out in Round Two. Don't let the door hit your a**e on the way out, guys. 6 Mark Olic, coming out of a bar at 1am blind drunk after the Septentrionia game. 5 7-0 in a quarter-final. DAMN. 4 Replaying the entire second round after shocking refereeing decisions. Blinky McGee would be proud. 3 Sub Terry Corazzin telling the ref to "buy some f***ing contacts" after his disallowed goal against the Men In Mauve. Well worth the sending-off. 2 Krytenian fans in the cities chanting "You're Going Home In A Lilac Aeroplane" at any Starblaydi fans they happen to meet. Don't let the door hit your a**e on the way out, guys. AND REASON NUMBER ONE: David Usher, Penalty-Saving God.

Posted by: Pacitalia Jan 21 2010, 12:33 AM

AOCAF28 Match Report Wednesday 20th January 2010 Giurimano pots pair, Zolà earns clean sheet as Foxes make final four Amidst excellent performance, "healthy, happy" Pacitalian striker denies rumours he is retiring Alberto Vicente Marro Fauxhan, Bazalonia Pacitalian striker Ambrosino Giurimano used a Tuesday morning press conference to try to kill off rumours he planned to retire from international competition. Then he let his play do the talking, leading Pacitalia to a 4-0 win over Unreal229 at AOCAF28's quarterfinal round. Giurimano's two second-half goals helped propel the Blue Foxes to their fifth consecutive semifinal birth. For Pacitalia, it's a chance to go for a third title and erase the bitter disappointment left when the Foxes lost on penalty kicks to Cafundéu in the AOCAF27 semifinal. Pacitalia relied on an early goal from Hermès Adiarche to set the tone for the match. Collecting a Massimo da Scupeta corner high in the penalty area, the 22-year-old settled the ball and lined up for a wicked shot that curved high over the crowd and straight into the net past the Unreal229 keeper. Andolfabio Vunghiasso doubled Pacitalia's lead five minutes before halftime, scooping up a lateral pass from Giurimano and burying his third of the tournament. The left-midfielder would return the favour a quarter-hour into the second frame, cleanly feeding Giurimano, who was unstoppable from fifteen feet out. The striker firmly launched the ball into the twine for his fifth goal in four matches at AOCAF28. Giurimano would add his second of the match on a free kick, redirecting Adiarche's lob with a clinical header. The goal puts the Pacitalian striker in the lead for team scoring. Centre-midfielder Michelangelo Mascagnano and substitute striker Adrian Manoliu — the latter starting up front in place of Giurimano in the first two round-robin matches — are not far behind and have both scored five times. Vunghiasso and da Scupeta both have three. At the back end of the pitch, goalkeeper and captain Abro Zolà played to a clean sheet, thanks in part to Pacitalia's back four, which supported Zolà through a full ninety minutes. Zolà faced eight shots on goal, three of which were on target. It was the Pacitalian keeper's first clean sheet so far at AOCAF28. Pacitalia's star striker was the focus of the pre- and post-match news conferences. Giurimano denied rumours he was retiring from international competition following AOCAF28, and said he had no plans to do so. "I feel healthy and I'm happy," the 30-year-old said. "I had a few rough patches with some bad injuries, but the recovery process has been very short each time." Giurimano had yet another injury setback following AOCAF27, as a high ankle sprain suffered at a scrimmage back in October kept him out of both league and international action until Pacitalia's round-robin match against Cafundéu. "I think that I've shown resilience in these instances where I have been tested by an injury," he added. "Right now, I feel like I could play international for another 10 years." Pacitalian manager Marco van Basten agreed that Giurimano was cementing his legacy as one of the best strikers in Blue Foxes history. "We are lucky to have had Adrian [Manoliu] step up when we don't have [Giurimano]'s services available to us [...] obviously that's always a concern when he's not in the match. But when he has been out and returned, he has consistently made a bold statement in coming back to the starting eleven." van Basten pointed to the fact that Giurimano had put up six goals in the four matches in which he had played so far, as well as assists and set-ups on at least four other Pacitalian scores during the round-robin and knockouts. "He has performed with distinction, and always does," van Basten added, "especially considering he has had to adjust to coming into the tournament late. That's the mark of a top-class footballer [...] you can flip a switch and it all comes right back, like they were never gone." The Foxes are now 6-0-0 on 22 goals and seven against. Overall, the Foxes have been 29-1-1 since van Basten took over from Sergei Saganyarov prior to AOCAF25. Pacitalia's next opponent will be the Aces, who knocked out perennial contenders and six-time champions Starblaydia in a nail-biting penalty shootout. From AOCAF28 in Bazalonia Pacitalia 4 : 0 Unreal229 PAC — Adiarche 16' / Vunghiasso 40' / Giurimano 61', 81' UNR — None Next up — PAC v KRY (SF), UNR v n/a (eliminated) Copyright © 2010 Extra, the Pacitalian sports network | a division of News Media Group ƒSpA http://www.extra.pc/aocaf/aocaf28/nr.gspx?sd=619997&ad=en

Posted by: Pacitalia Jan 23 2010, 04:15 PM

AOCAF28 Match Report Saturday 23rd January 2010 Pacitalia to final on Sorcère's hat-trick Region's top two sides and two most recent champions to meet in title match Alberto Vicente Marro Fauxhan, Bazalonia It will be two-time AOCAF champions versus the tournament's defending title-holders in the final — and a Cup battle between the top two teams in the region — after Pacitalia and Sorthern Northland both won their semifinal contests Thursday to reach the championship match. Both matches were hallmarks of the level of competition and skill expected in the knockout stage of the AOCAF Cup, as Sorthern Northland, in a rematch of AOCAF27's title game, finally emerged victorious following a gruelling match that went all the way to penalty kicks. The Sortherners put four past Cafundelense keeper Garrido in the penalty shootout to, once again, walk away with victory. In the second semifinal, the Blue Foxes put four of their own past normally unbeatable Krytenian keeper David Usher, and, in a battle of offensive powerhouses, came away the winners, downing the Aces 4-2. It was Ambrosino Giurimano's sixth straight tournament with at least one three-goal performance and the Blue Foxes' fourth consecutive win over Krytenia in the knockout stage in as many tournaments. The last time Krytenia beat Pacitalia in the knockouts, they were under their brief spell as West Starblaydia, eliminating the Blue Foxes in an epic penalty-kick round during the quarterfinals of AOCAF23. Giurimano opened the scoring 23 minutes in, finding the lower left corner of the net on a low saucer pass from Massimo da Scupeta. The Aces would equalise not even ten minutes later, with Ricky Smeaton tucking a wicked shot past Abro Zolà in pretty much the same spot as Giurimano's opening tally. The Pacitalian striker would restore the Blue Foxes' lead with two minutes left before the half, heading in an Andolfabio Vunghiasso corner. In the second half, Michelangelo Mascagnano scored on a free kick at the hour mark to give the Foxes their first two-goal lead of the match. Giurimano would finish off the hat-trick at 74 minutes, deking Martin Sheldon and Shaun Cansdell before sliding the ball past Usher on the outside of his right foot for the 4-1 lead. The Aces cut the Pacitalian lead to 4-2 five minutes later but it would be little consolation. Krytenia now faces AOCAF27 runners-up Cafundéu in the third-place playoff; it's the Foxes and the Náisiúnta that will play for all the marbles in the championship match. From AOCAF28 in Bazalonia Pacitalia 4 : 2 Krytenia PAC — Giurimano 23', 43', 74' / Mascagnano 60' KRY — Smeaton 32' / Tudor 79' Next up — PAC v SNR (F), CAF v KRY (3P) Copyright © 2010 Extra, the Pacitalian sports network | a division of News Media Group ƒSpA http://www.extra.pc/aocaf/aocaf28/nr.gspx?sd=620145&ad=en

Posted by: Pacitalia Feb 2 2010, 02:29 AM

AOCAF28 Match Report Sunday 24th January 2010 Best, three out of four Blue Foxes back on top after thrilling final Alberto Vicente Marro Fauxhan, Bazalonia Pacitalia captured its third AOCAF Cup title Saturday evening with a tight but thrilling 2-1 victory over defending champions Sorthern Northland. The victory reclaimed the Cup trophy for Pacitalia, who had won it in AOCAF25 and AOCAF26 but stumbled out of the tournament in the semifinals at AOCAF27 and finished third. With three titles, Pacitalia is now tied with Lamoni for fourth place on the all-time championship list, behind Starblaydia (six titles), NEWI Cefn Druids (four titles) and Vilita & Turori (four titles). After a scoreless first half, the Blue Foxes (8-0-0) broke the deadlock with an Andolfabio Vunghiasso goal. The free-kick tally at the 50-minute mark put Pacitalia up for a mere four minutes, as reliable Sortherner forward Iñaki Arrigorriagakoa nailed a strike that beat Abro Zolà to equalise. Pacitalians of Basque descent in the crowd politely cheered Arrigorriagakoa after his goal, despite it helping the defending champs. Ambrosino Giurimano would restore Pacitalia's lead in the 79th minute off a Massimo da Scupeta corner, sending Blue Foxes fans into a frenzy. The title is Pacitalia's third in four tournaments and its third overall at the AOCAF championship tournament, leaving sports pundits back home to wonder whether the Blue Foxes are, as the Mandragora Guardian put it, "the new regional football dynasty". The Timiocato Post-Chronicle appeared to agree, saying in their report on the title match that the Foxes were "unbeatable" and "unstoppable". But what do the players think after capturing a third title? Most of them were, in fact, tight-lipped when asked about the idea. "We aren't going to subscribe to that sort of notion," Zolà, the squad's captain, said after the victory. "Our job is to come out and win matches and championships, not to try and become a dynasty." "Obviously, we're pleased with what we've accomplished over the last few years," he added, "but we are more concerned with playing football and delivering the results we're called upon to produce rather than let silly things like that get into our heads." Blue Foxes manager Marco van Basten, who has been integral to the success of the squad in recent tournaments where other managers have failed, said in response to Zolà's comments that he "couldn't have been any more proud" of his captain. He said Zolà's leadership during his time wearing the captain's armband has been "exceptional". "Accepting responsibility for both his mistakes and the team's, and working harder and harder in response, is a big reason we have had so much success," van Basten said. The FFP announced Saturday afternoon, prior to the match, that they had reached a deal on a four-tournament contract extension with van Basten, keeping him in his job as Pacitalian manager until after AOCAF32. From AOCAF28 in Bazalonia Sorthern Northland 1 : 2 Pacitalia SNO — Arrigorriagakoa 54' PAC — Vunghiasso 50' / Giurimano 79' Copyright © 2010 Extra, the Pacitalian sports network | a division of News Media Group ƒSpA http://www.extra.pc/aocaf/aocaf28/nr.gspx?sd=620604&ad=en

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