Larxia

Jamie Marshall ran frantically through the halls of Windlar Castle to the King's office with a map of Zoran in hand. He had called beforehand to tell the King to stay in the office. He knocked on the door and entered the office to find King Maddy IV sitting on the couch by the fireplace.
"Sir the Corporates have pushed into Gagotigakanvsgi and have managed to defeat the GDC and the Monarchist forces in the province," he said as he pointed to the province on the map.
King Maddy IV replied," That is a matter of concern. This one right? That looks like an important province, considering it's proximity to the Southern island of Zoran, and the huge chunks of contested areas."
"Yes sir. It was a big loss in Gagotigakanvsgi for the monarchists. We need to do something."
"Yes that we do. Send Prince Sergio to Saint Mark to talk with Prince Marcarius about this situation. Talk about this situation with them and come to a mutual agreement on how we can help. Establish contact with Prince Dominic. Make sure that only Dominic hears what you talk about."
"Yes sir."
"Tell him to talk with the General and ask him how he feels about Larxian secret agents in Zoran."
"But sir, why do you need to ask. You can just send them there. Who would find out?"
"Marshall it's not about who would find out. We are supporting the Monarchists because we respect their sovereignty. And right now we need them to trust us. We don't need their distrust, especially when we want to help them."
"Yes Sir. Right away."
"Just contact [-redacted-] and ask him to ready the agents. If the general doesn't mind, tell him to deploy them instantly to the different provinces. I want four agents per province to be ready and awaiting orders."
"Yes sir, your Highness. I'll talk to him immediately. Will that be all?"
"Yes, now hurry. I want a verbal report soon. Just talk to the President and give him the memo. Tell him to be alert about the Zoranian situation."
"Yes Sir."
"God speed Marshall"

So close yet so far
By: Alexei Faulkner
New Larxia- Larxia performed really well in the First World Cup, that took place in the United Adaikes, all the way in Polaris. The World Cup concluded on 2nd March, 1421. Larxia had a dream run in the Football World Cup as we reached the Finals of the the tournament. We beat many powerhouse nations in our run in this World Cup. King Maddy IV has persuaded the Government to invest more in sports infrastructure in the past and this kind of performance is only a vote of confidence in the King and his policies regarding sports. The full fixture list can be seen below.
Larxian National Team fixtures Fixture Score Stage Larxia v/s Dalimbar 3-4 Group
Stage Libterraria v/s Larxia 1-1 Larxia v/s Giovanniland 3-1 Pallandole v/s Larxia 1-2 Larxia v/s Fhaengshia 5-0 Larxia v/s Hertfordshire & Jammbo 1-0 Round of 16 Larxia v/s Fujai 2-1 Quarter Finals Larxia v/s Tara & Cambray 3-2 Semi Finals Nieubasria v/s Larxia 1-0 Finals
 
Larxia lost the final to a footballing powerhouse, Nieubasria, who had previously won the Gold medal in the Olympics in Football. While Larxia may have lost in the finals, and failed to win the Golden trophy, Larxia did establish itself as a powerhouse nation and a force to be reckoned with in the future. 
 

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA
 

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA
 

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA
 
A press conference was conducted by the FFL in United Adaikes itself on 3rd March, 1421. On the table were the chief of FFL, Florentino Levante, the national coach, Ronald Guardiola, and the team captain, Leo Messy. Messy sat in the middle, and Levante and Guardiola sat on either side. The Golden Boot and the Silver Trophy were kept on the table in front of them. The interview went as follows:
Q: This question is mainly for Messy. How do you feel about reaching this far in the competition? Did you expect this?
Messy: I feel great about reaching this far. There is no doubt about that. I enjoyed playing with my team-mates, so much so that we consider ourselves brothers for life. The coach put in a lot of effort in preparing us for the matches and needless to say, it all paid off. For your other question. I was definitely not expecting it. Hell, I didn't know what to expect at the start of the tournament, but as we got into a groove and we got better, hoping to win was a quite realistic target. It was especially fun playing here in the United Adaikes. The United Adaikes government was very hospitable. All the teams were treated amazingly and the opening ceremony was an amazing experience. I won a lot of those beautiful match balls, and I will definitely cherish each one of them. Props to United Adaikes for hosting the World Cup in such a grand way. I wouldn't mind coming here to play again, tournament or friendly.
 
Q: How does it feel to have come this far but just falling short?
Messy: It sucks. I'm gonna be honest with ya. But what we need to focus on is that we came 2nd out of 24 trophy hungry nations. No doubt Nieubasria bested us in the last moment, but reaching the finals is also no easy feat. We beat Cambria, Hertfordia and many other strong nations. It is a matter of pride for us to have represented Larxia on the biggest stage in the World, and making something out of this opportunity given to us. It was definitely a bittersweet feeling, you know. You feel good to have made it to the finals and mount a serious title challenge, but it feels bad to have lost at the last moment.
Guardiola: I wouldn't say we fell short. We were one of the superior teams in the World Cup. The world was not exactly expecting Larxia to qualify, but we not only qualified, we made it all the way to the finals. We might have lost in the finals but we proved that Larxia is a strong nation and that is something to be proud of.
 
At this point King Maddy IV entered the conference room. Everyone stood up immediately to greet the King. The King asked everyone to be seated and asked for a chair to be pulled up for him as well on the table. The conference continued.
 
Q: This question is mainly for Messy and also Ronald. You won the Golden Boot. How do you feel about your own performance?
Messy: I feel good. Scoring goals is always a good feeling, but scoring the most goals in a tournament where there are probably 50 strikers other than myself playing is an amazing feeling. I was in the right place at the right times is all I can say about it. The players supported each other really well and as a result I won the Golden Boot.
Guardiola: He performed really well. He made Larxians proud and I'm sure the kids back in Larxia will be worshipping the players that took Larxia to this level, especially Leo here, he was the one who guided the team to this 2nd place finish. He definitely deserves to be appreciated and worshipped for his achievements.
 
Q: Your Highness, how do you feel about the Larxian teams performance in the World Cup?
King Maddy IV: I feel really proud of the team. I take pride in saying that these players represented Larxia in the World Cup. We may not have won the World Cup, but that is just another reason to train and try harder. I just want to tell everyone listening, You learn more from failures than you can ever learn from success. This does not mean that I believe that this campaign was a failure, in fact this campaign was extremely successful. Losing the finals may feel bad right now, but in the long run, it won't make us complacent. It taught us to take every opposition equally seriously as you would your toughest competitor. Needless to say, I'm sure each and every citizen of Larxia is very proud of what the team has achieved here in United Adaikes and will continue to support them till the ends of the world.
 
Q: So this tournament is over. What is next for Larxian football and FFL?
Levante: This has been a great run for Larxia in the World Cup. We will capitalise on this success and we'll keep our search for the next footballing superstars at the top of our priority list. The new and state of the art facilities that we have been able to build for our players, thanks to the Government and His Royal Highness, will be extremely helpful in training the next generation of Larxian footballers and improve the current players. The construction of the stadium in Nexilia and New Larxia will be completed by April and June respectively. The one being built in New Larxia is not merely a stadium. It will be the headquarters and one of the National Football Centers. There are National Sport Centers in all the states of Larxia, but this will be exclusively for Football, like there is one for Rugby in New Hertha. The FFL will be furthering investments in the Larxian Pro League and will try to attract sponsors and players from all around the world to give the Larxian players some healthy competition and give them an experience of playing with players of the other nations.
King Maddy IV: The government will keep investing, not only in Football, but in improving and creating new state-of-the-art sports infrastructure. While we might have a formidable military force, we believe in peace, and what better way to maintain peace than by sports. We have seen many countries come together to play in these events, forgetting their differences and playing like one. 
 
Q: Will Larxia bid to host the next World Cup?
Levante: We are definitely discussing about hosting the Second Football World Cup. We'll see what happens and we'll let you know on a later date.
King Maddy IV: Sure, we'll see. We can't decide right now if we want to host the World Cup. Hosting is very expensive, and we have our taxpayers to answer to. We will definitely try to host the World Cup. It is definitely very prestigious and will give a boost to the Tourism Industry. We will hold dialogue with the FFL's top officials and of course the President, the Sports Minister. We might also give some thought to co-hosting with a nation, but that is something we can't talk about right now. We will definitely get in contact with the Federation of International Football Associations to indicate our interest in submitting a bid to host the next World Cup in some time. Till then we will be focusing on preparing another generation of amazing footballers who will make their way to the main squads.
That concludes the press conference
 
Larxia is now ranked #2 in World Football Rankings just behind Nieubasria, who won the World Cup and are #1in the rankings. The complete rankings can be seen below:

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA
This concludes the report on the Larxian run in the World Cup. We hope to get back with news on sports events very soon. We will now revert to our normal news reports related to the politics, economics and diplomacy.

So close yet so far
By: Alexei Faulkner
New Larxia- Larxia performed really well in the First World Cup, that took place in the United Adaikes, all the way in Polaris. The World Cup concluded on 2nd March, 1421. Larxia had a dream run in the Football World Cup as we reached the Finals of the the tournament. We beat many powerhouse nations in our run in this World Cup. King Maddy IV has persuaded the Government to invest more in sports infrastructure in the past and this kind of performance is only a vote of confidence in the King and his policies regarding sports. The full fixture list can be seen below.
Larxian National Team fixtures Fixture Score Stage Larxia v/s Dalimbar 3-4 Group
Stage Libterraria v/s Larxia 1-1 Larxia v/s Giovanniland 3-1 Pallandole v/s Larxia 1-2 Larxia v/s Fhaengshia 5-0 Larxia v/s Hertfordshire & Jammbo 1-0 Round of 16 Larxia v/s Fujai 2-1 Quarter Finals Larxia v/s Tara & Cambray 3-2 Semi Finals Nieubasria v/s Larxia 1-0 Finals
 
Larxia lost the final to a footballing powerhouse, Nieubasria, who had previously won the Gold medal in the Olympics in Football. While Larxia may have lost in the finals, and failed to win the Golden trophy, Larxia did establish itself as a powerhouse nation and a force to be reckoned with in the future. 
 

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA
 

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA
 

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA
 
A press conference was conducted by the FFL in United Adaikes itself on 3rd March, 1421. On the table were the chief of FFL, Florentino Levante, the national coach, Ronald Guardiola, and the team captain, Leo Messy. Messy sat in the middle, and Levante and Guardiola sat on either side. The Golden Boot and the Silver Trophy were kept on the table in front of them. The interview went as follows:
Q: This question is mainly for Messy. How do you feel about reaching this far in the competition? Did you expect this?
Messy: I feel great about reaching this far. There is no doubt about that. I enjoyed playing with my team-mates, so much so that we consider ourselves brothers for life. The coach put in a lot of effort in preparing us for the matches and needless to say, it all paid off. For your other question. I was definitely not expecting it. Hell, I didn't know what to expect at the start of the tournament, but as we got into a groove and we got better, hoping to win was a quite realistic target. It was especially fun playing here in the United Adaikes. The United Adaikes government was very hospitable. All the teams were treated amazingly and the opening ceremony was an amazing experience. I won a lot of those beautiful match balls, and I will definitely cherish each one of them. Props to United Adaikes for hosting the World Cup in such a grand way. I wouldn't mind coming here to play again, tournament or friendly.
 
Q: How does it feel to have come this far but just falling short?
Messy: It sucks. I'm gonna be honest with ya. But what we need to focus on is that we came 2nd out of 24 trophy hungry nations. No doubt Nieubasria bested us in the last moment, but reaching the finals is also no easy feat. We beat Cambria, Hertfordia and many other strong nations. It is a matter of pride for us to have represented Larxia on the biggest stage in the World, and making something out of this opportunity given to us. It was definitely a bittersweet feeling, you know. You feel good to have made it to the finals and mount a serious title challenge, but it feels bad to have lost at the last moment.
Guardiola: I wouldn't say we fell short. We were one of the superior teams in the World Cup. The world was not exactly expecting Larxia to qualify, but we not only qualified, we made it all the way to the finals. We might have lost in the finals but we proved that Larxia is a strong nation and that is something to be proud of.
 
At this point King Maddy IV entered the conference room. Everyone stood up immediately to greet the King. The King asked everyone to be seated and asked for a chair to be pulled up for him as well on the table. The conference continued.
 
Q: This question is mainly for Messy and also Ronald. You won the Golden Boot. How do you feel about your own performance?
Messy: I feel good. Scoring goals is always a good feeling, but scoring the most goals in a tournament where there are probably 50 strikers other than myself playing is an amazing feeling. I was in the right place at the right times is all I can say about it. The players supported each other really well and as a result I won the Golden Boot.
Guardiola: He performed really well. He made Larxians proud and I'm sure the kids back in Larxia will be worshipping the players that took Larxia to this level, especially Leo here, he was the one who guided the team to this 2nd place finish. He definitely deserves to be appreciated and worshipped for his achievements.
 
Q: Your Highness, how do you feel about the Larxian teams performance in the World Cup?
King Maddy IV: I feel really proud of the team. I take pride in saying that these players represented Larxia in the World Cup. We may not have won the World Cup, but that is just another reason to train and try harder. I just want to tell everyone listening, You learn more from failures than you can ever learn from success. This does not mean that I believe that this campaign was a failure, in fact this campaign was extremely successful. Losing the finals may feel bad right now, but in the long run, it won't make us complacent. It taught us to take every opposition equally seriously as you would your toughest competitor. Needless to say, I'm sure each and every citizen of Larxia is very proud of what the team has achieved here in United Adaikes and will continue to support them till the ends of the world.
 
Q: So this tournament is over. What is next for Larxian football and FFL?
Levante: This has been a great run for Larxia in the World Cup. We will capitalise on this success and we'll keep our search for the next footballing superstars at the top of our priority list. The new and state of the art facilities that we have been able to build for our players, thanks to the Government and His Royal Highness, will be extremely helpful in training the next generation of Larxian footballers and improve the current players. The construction of the stadium in Nexilia and New Larxia will be completed by April and June respectively. The one being built in New Larxia is not merely a stadium. It will be the headquarters and one of the National Football Centers. There are National Sport Centers in all the states of Larxia, but this will be exclusively for Football, like there is one for Rugby in New Hertha. The FFL will be furthering investments in the Larxian Pro League and will try to attract sponsors and players from all around the world to give the Larxian players some healthy competition and give them an experience of playing with players of the other nations.
King Maddy IV: The government will keep investing, not only in Football, but in improving and creating new state-of-the-art sports infrastructure. While we might have a formidable military force, we believe in peace, and what better way to maintain peace than by sports. We have seen many countries come together to play in these events, forgetting their differences and playing like one. 
 
Q: Will Larxia bid to host the next World Cup?
Levante: We are definitely discussing about hosting the Second Football World Cup. We'll see what happens and we'll let you know on a later date.
King Maddy IV: Sure, we'll see. We can't decide right now if we want to host the World Cup. Hosting is very expensive, and we have our taxpayers to answer to. We will definitely try to host the World Cup. It is definitely very prestigious and will give a boost to the Tourism Industry. We will hold dialogue with the FFL's top officials and of course the President, the Sports Minister. We might also give some thought to co-hosting with a nation, but that is something we can't talk about right now. We will definitely get in contact with the Federation of International Football Associations to indicate our interest in submitting a bid to host the next World Cup in some time. Till then we will be focusing on preparing another generation of amazing footballers who will make their way to the main squads.
That concludes the press conference
 
Larxia is now ranked #2 in World Football Rankings just behind Nieubasria, who won the World Cup and are #1in the rankings. The complete rankings can be seen below:

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA
This concludes the report on the Larxian run in the World Cup. We hope to get back with news on sports events very soon. We will now revert to our normal news reports related to the politics, economics and diplomacy.

March 1, 2021; 9 PM Polaris Eastern Time; New Thraproy Sports Complex Main Stadium
The Nieubasrian national team are running around the pitch, celebrating and hugging, as if not believing that they won the 1st World Cup of Football. The action-filled (and close) match ended in 1-0. The technical and utility units of the United Adaikes World Cup of Football Organizing Committee were busy preparing the podiums and the stage riser in the middle of the pitch for the awarding and closing ceremonies. United Adaikes President Luke Salazar, after congratulating the Nieubasria Ambassador in the VIP box, went down with him and the Larxian Ambassador to the field to congratulate the players.
When everything was in place, the United Adaikes Football Association Head Myron Lillakis started, "Before we continue in congratulating and awarding the champions of the 1st World Cup of Football that is hosted in our very own nation," he turns to Salazar, "Mr. President, I would like to congratulate and give awards to individuals who performed exemplarily during this tournament. First off, the Golden Glove award is given to the best goalkeeper we have seen in this tournament, and after allowing 5 goals only since their first match in the group stage until bagging 3rd Place in this tournament, congratulations to the Tara and Cambray Union Football goalkeeper Stefan Keller!" As Keller climbs the stage riser, he slaps his chest three times, points and looks to the sky before receiving the award from United Adaikes Sports Commission Chief Pouria Barr.
"This next award," Lillakis continued, "is given to the player who scored most in this tournament, and though they lost today, he drove his team on top of Group B and helped his team tie with the most goals scored in the group stage. They have the most scored goals in the tournament with 20, and he scored every goal that mattered in the knockout rounds. Help me in congratulating him, from Federacion de Futbol Larxia, winger Leo Messy!" Though grateful with the award presented to him by the Larxian ambassador and smiled for the cameras, the look on Messy's face can be seen that he thought he should have done more.
"Lastly," Lillakis read from his cue cards, "this next award is given to the best player of the tournament, voted by football fans here and abroad from the start of the knockout rounds up to the semi-finals, selected by the international sports media, and chosen by the United Adaikes Football Association from the pool of players that came from the votes of the fans and selection of the media, who nonetheless, shown great character, sportsmanship and the best of football during this World Cup, help me congratulate Nieubasria forward Camdyn Cartwrighte!" Upon receiving the award from the Nieubasria ambassador, he clenched his fist, kissed it, pointed and looked to the sky and mouthed, "For you, Earc." "Once again", Lillakis said before stepping off from the podium, "congratulations to the winners!"
United Adaikes Sports Commission Chief Pouria Barr then went to the podium and spoke. "Mr. President, esteemed guests, players, and to the fans here and around the world watching, out of the 24 teams that entered this tournament, they won a feat only dreamed by few, help me in congratulating our Runner-ups in this tournament, the Federacion de Futbol Larxia!" Everyone in the stadium clapped hard, with all fans in the stadium shouting in unison "Larxia!" repeatedly before the team went off the stage.
As Barr stepped off from the podium, United Adaikes President Luke Salazar went to the opposite side of the riser to his Executive Podium, "I will not make this long, I know, you want to celebrate with your team and everyone, but I would like to thank all participating nations for the trust in our country to host the 1st World Cup of Football. This won't happen without your earnest cooperation. To the Football Association, a job well done for heading in the organization of this event. To the Sports Commission, our work is not yet done. We need to continue to improve the state of our competitive sports in the country to be at par with our international counterparts. And expect the utmost cooperation and participation of the Federal Republic of the United Adaikes to other international sports tournaments that will happen in the future. I'm sorry if I made that long - so, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, your 1st World Cup of Football champions, the Sovereign Estates of Nieubasria!"

Final Ranking*

*This is based on the positions after the matches in group stage and the knockout rounds. The numerical rankings will be given in the coming days.

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 welcome you to the final day of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous special sponsor today, McBlah-Shill Educational Publishing! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received the results for the grand final match as well as the match for 3rd place! That means...this is truly the last day of WCF1! I'm gonna miss this so much until the next one starts. Anyways, firstly, let's go over the results from the battle for third place! Let's look at this graphic here."

"And the winner of the match is the formidable and strong team from Tara & Cambray! Scoring a 4-1 victory, the biggest nation in Polaris managed to beat the team from Nagaraningrad in northern Andolia in a match that showed just how strong the Cambrians were despite being eliminated from contention for the championship this year. Congratulations to Tara & Cambray for getting 3rd and good job to Nagaraningrad, who still got a pretty respective 4th place in the entire WCF1! Now why don't we go to what everyone's been all waiting for: the results of the grand finals! Let's look at the graphic."

"And after a heated match full of action and competitiveness, the team from NIEUBASRIA has emerged jubilant as the CHAMPION OF THE 1ST WORLD CUP OF FOOTBALL! On behalf of the entire crew here at SDCSN Channel 3, I want to sincerely congratulate the Nieubasrians for pulling through WCF1 and demonstrating such strength and sportsmanship. Nieubasria has once again solidified its reputation as one of the nations with the best football players in the entire world! But let's not forget the footballers from Larxia, whose strong performance made this match captivating and one that wasn't lopsided right from the beginning. They deserve a round of applause for coming this far and winning a brilliant 2nd place in this tournament!"

"And here's the final results, with the final top four teams displayed in this graphic here! Once again, our heartfelt congratulations to these teams for their exceptional performances throughout WCF1! But also, let's have a round of applause for every team that participated this time! Not just the winners and runner-ups, but every team and every player that did their best for their country and strived for success! Let's hear it for all 24 participating teams: Fujai, Nagaraningrad, the Provisional Auran Team, Fuentana, Teralyon, Giovanniland, Pallandole, Larxia, Dalimbar, Libterraria, Fhaengshia, Zoran, Italia, Arifiyyah, Reçueçn, Hertfordshire and Jammbo, Irador, Nieubasria, Dilber, Tara and Cambray, Badgeria, Alchera, our home country of Santos-Dominius, and saving the best for last - our host country United Adaikes!"
"With teams from all four continents playing in WCF1, football has truly united Aura, Andolia, Polaris and Doll Guldur more than ever. It has been a wonderful honour for me to serve as the host. From our division of Channel 3 of the Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network, thank you so, so, so much for watching our coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football coming live from Steskia, United Adaikes! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and see you next time! Goodbye!"

With Special Thanks To Our Sponsors
Dominion Philanthropies, +238flowers, the Santo-Dominian Embassy in United Adaikes, Überschuss Automobiles, AdBlocker, People for the Ethical Treatment of Crustaceans, and McBlah-Shill Educational Publishing.
And Thanks To
YOU, for watching SDCSN Channel 3. See you next time!

"Hello Giovanniland, welcome to our Giovannilandian Football Report presented by myself, Vanessa Desniana! Unfortunately, the tropical storm that hit Giovanniland in the last two days knocked our broadcasting service for quite a lot of time until our technicians could fix it. We're back though, and in this report I will talk about the Round of 16 game in which Giovanniland was eliminated 3-1 by Irador."
"The first half of our match against Irador was quite eventful, just like our previous group stage match against Libterraria. Our striker Gustavo Zapata scored the first and only Giovannilandian goal of the match in the 10th minute, however that would unfortunately be the only moment of joy for the fans watching here in United Adaikes and back home. Irador then tied the match at the 26th minute, and scored a second goal one minute after stoppage time was declared." Vanessa then showed images of all three goals and some other highlights during the first half.
"During the second half," she continued, "Giovanniland increased its scoring attempts in order to try extending the match into extra time and win the game. However, none of these attempts succeeded and, in fact, the only one team to score was Irador, scoring a 3rd goal in the 86th minute. The match soon ended 3-1 for the Iradorians, and the Esquadra Nationale was eliminated."
She concluded the report by saying: "This is all I've got for today. Don't forget to tune in tomorrow as I and my colleague Karlo Nakamura-Edrense will be back in the Giovannia Sports Studio for special coverage of the final and 3rd place matches, as well as a retrospective of Giovanniland in the entire 1st World Cup of Football. See you then!"

Zoranian Civil War Rated #1 TV Drama in Overthinkers

by Jerry Poole, Head Writer
AURUM, Overthinkers — The National University of Aurum’s College of Fine Arts released its annual TV ratings study for 1420, and to no one’s surprise, the hard-hitting international drama Civil War Zoran demolished local productions such as Law and Disorder and Joan of Accounting.
“Political dramas have consistently outperformed other subgenres in Overthinkers by wide margins,” the study stated. “However, Civil War Zoran is the first Auran production to gain this much traction in local markets.”
The study also notes that international governments’ attempts to involve themselves in the plot generated a lot of interest within Overthinkers. Some Civil War fans have even lobbied Aurum to do the same, though as of press time President Auguste has refused to oblige.
Civil War has also drawn its fair share of criticism from both the industry and the public. The show’s unorthodox advertising methods, including frequent spots on nightly news broadcasts across several networks, turned off many viewers. Social media sites have regularly blown up with angry calls for networks to not concern themselves with shows from distant lands.
The producers of Civil War Zoran could not be reached for comment due to ongoing technical difficulties in the area.

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 welcome you back to the second hour of our two-hour special broadcast today covering results from Match Day 5 to the semifinals! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous special sponsor today, PETC, because crustaceans will always be our lovely animal friends, not creatures to be eaten! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1."
"As we went over the results of Match Day 5 and the Round of 16 in the first hour of the broadcast, we shall go over the results of the quarterfinals and the semifinals in the second hour. Now, starting with the four matches in the quarterfinals. Let's look at the graphic here!"

"In the first match, the Nieubasrians managed to score a 3-1 victory against the nation of Zoran, ending the war-torn nation's strong bid to become champion of WCF1 and propelling their team to the semifinals. I would like to take this moment to express my sincerest condolences on behalf of myself and the entire production crew here at SDCSN Channel 3 for the unfortunate passing of Nieubasria's team captain Earc Velding before their match with Zoran. I'd also like to applaud the Nieubasrian team for bonding together and giving such a strong and exceptional performance in the face of such a terrible tragedy. Quite a show of resilience and perseverance, one that exemplifies the strength of sportsmanship."
"In the second match, we have Nagaraningrad winning a 2-1 match against their opponents from Irador, thus advancing to the semifinals. In the third match, Larxia beat Fujai, who beat our home country in the Round of 16, in a 2-1 match that secured their place in the semifinals. Finally, in the fourth match, Tara & Cambray won a 1-0 victory over formidable opponent Arifiyyah, earning the Cambrians their place in the semifinals. To sum up, the teams that advanced to the semifinals include Nieubasria, Nagaraningrad, Larxia and Tara & Cambray. Now let's go over the results of the semifinals!"

"Let's look at this graphic here. In the first match, Nieubasria's team continues to shine bright as it beats Nagaraningrad in a 2-1 match, securing their place in the grand finals. In the second match, Larxia manages to end the nearly impeccable streak of exceptionally strong opponent Tara & Cambray in a 3-2 victory that secures the former their own place in the grand finals. Now, because both Nieubasria and Larxia have advanced to the grand finals, they will either get first or second place. Nagaraningrad and Tara & Cambray, on the other hand, are both eliminated from contention for the championship, and will either get third or fourth place depending on the results of the match for third place."
"And that's our two-hour special broadcast covering the WCF1's results from Match Day 5 to the semifinals! Congratulations to Larxia and especially Nieubasria, and good job to Nagaraningrad as well as Tara & Cambray! I'm your host, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was the two-hour special recap broadcast of the 1st World Cup of Football. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for coverage of the WCF grand finals and match for third place, and see you tomorrow!"

Jamie Marshall ran frantically through the halls of Windlar Castle to the King's office with a map of Zoran in hand. He had called beforehand to tell the King to stay in the office. He knocked on the door and entered the office to find King Maddy IV sitting on the couch by the fireplace.
"Sir the Corporates have pushed into Gagotigakanvsgi and have managed to defeat the GDC and the Monarchist forces in the province," he said as he pointed to the province on the map.
King Maddy IV replied," That is a matter of concern. This one right? That looks like an important province, considering it's proximity to the Southern island of Zoran, and the huge chunks of contested areas."
"Yes sir. It was a big loss in Gagotigakanvsgi for the monarchists. We need to do something."
"Yes that we do. Send Prince Sergio to Saint Mark to talk with Prince Marcarius about this situation. Talk about this situation with them and come to a mutual agreement on how we can help. Establish contact with Prince Dominic. Make sure that only Dominic hears what you talk about."
"Yes sir."
"Tell him to talk with the General and ask him how he feels about Larxian secret agents in Zoran."
"But sir, why do you need to ask. You can just send them there. Who would find out?"
"Marshall it's not about who would find out. We are supporting the Monarchists because we respect their sovereignty. And right now we need them to trust us. We don't need their distrust, especially when we want to help them."
"Yes Sir. Right away."
"Just contact [-redacted-] and ask him to ready the agents. If the general doesn't mind, tell him to deploy them instantly to the different provinces. I want four agents per province to be ready and awaiting orders."
"Yes sir, your Highness. I'll talk to him immediately. Will that be all?"
"Yes, now hurry. I want a verbal report soon. Just talk to the President and give him the memo. Tell him to be alert about the Zoranian situation."
"Yes Sir."
"God speed Marshall"

Larxia opened the first half of the semi-final match against T&C. Messy dribbled past the Cambrian defense and managed to beat the Cambrian keeper, who has been the best goalkeeper of this World Cup. He makes it 1-0 in the 29th minute. The Cambrian attack manages to breach deep into the Larxian defense and they level 1-1 in the 42nd minute.
T&C opened the second half. The possession of the ball was initially controlled by T&C, but it was dominated by Larxia in the later part of the half. T&C quickly managed to pull ahead of Larxia with a deflection off Ferrara. T&C in the lead with 2-1 in the 52nd minute. Larxia took some time to regain composure, but managed to equalise the scores in the 82nd minute, with a well placed shot by Garcia, making it 2-2. The referee indicates full time. The game will be extended to extra time.
The first half of the extra time is underway.Both the team's manage to get some chances, but great work by both keepers as the scoreline remains unchanged at 105 minutes. That's the end of the first half of the extra time.
The second half is underway. Both teams yet again manage some good chances, but great work by the goalkeepers. Larxia manages to breach the Cambrian defense as Aviero runs through with the ball at his feet. He crosses the ball into the penalty area and finds Messy, who manages to head it in for a goal. It 3-2 in the 118th minute. Larxia manage to pull ahead in the dying moments of the game. That's the final whistle. Larxia have won the game and will face Nieubasria in the Finals of the World Cup.
HT: LXA 1-1 TCM
FT: LXA 2-2 TCM
ET: LXA 3-2 TCM

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA 
 
In a post match interview with the coach, he said," I'm very positive about our chances of bringing the Cup home. The team, the staff, everyone is working really hard and their hard-work has paid off. We are now in the finals. We'll be approaching it as any other game. We need to focus on training and being on our best form in the finals. We'll also be studying the Nieubasrian Football Team and we'll try to understand the thought process of the Nieubasrian coach and the team. I have full confidence in my team that we'll pull through this last hurdle between us and the Cup."
 
Larxia will be facing Nieubasria in the Finals of the First World Cup. Nieubasria beat our fellow Andolian nation Nagaraningrad 2-1 in the Semi-Finals. The third place match will be played between Nagaraningrad and Tara & Cambray. Once again both the fixtures are Andolia v/s Polaris. We wish best of luck to our neighbours, Nagaraningrad and we hope for the best for ourselves as well.

Larxia opened the first half of the semi-final match against T&C. Messy dribbled past the Cambrian defense and managed to beat the Cambrian keeper, who has been the best goalkeeper of this World Cup. He makes it 1-0 in the 29th minute. The Cambrian attack manages to breach deep into the Larxian defense and they level 1-1 in the 42nd minute.
T&C opened the second half. The possession of the ball was initially controlled by T&C, but it was dominated by Larxia in the later part of the half. T&C quickly managed to pull ahead of Larxia with a deflection off Ferrara. T&C in the lead with 2-1 in the 52nd minute. Larxia took some time to regain composure, but managed to equalise the scores in the 82nd minute, with a well placed shot by Garcia, making it 2-2. The referee indicates full time. The game will be extended to extra time.
The first half of the extra time is underway.Both the team's manage to get some chances, but great work by both keepers as the scoreline remains unchanged at 105 minutes. That's the end of the first half of the extra time.
The second half is underway. Both teams yet again manage some good chances, but great work by the goalkeepers. Larxia manages to breach the Cambrian defense as Aviero runs through with the ball at his feet. He crosses the ball into the penalty area and finds Messy, who manages to head it in for a goal. It 3-2 in the 118th minute. Larxia manage to pull ahead in the dying moments of the game. That's the final whistle. Larxia have won the game and will face Nieubasria in the Finals of the World Cup.
HT: LXA 1-1 TCM
FT: LXA 2-2 TCM
ET: LXA 3-2 TCM

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA 
 
In a post match interview with the coach, he said," I'm very positive about our chances of bringing the Cup home. The team, the staff, everyone is working really hard and their hard-work has paid off. We are now in the finals. We'll be approaching it as any other game. We need to focus on training and being on our best form in the finals. We'll also be studying the Nieubasrian Football Team and we'll try to understand the thought process of the Nieubasrian coach and the team. I have full confidence in my team that we'll pull through this last hurdle between us and the Cup."
 
Larxia will be facing Nieubasria in the Finals of the First World Cup. Nieubasria beat our fellow Andolian nation Nagaraningrad 2-1 in the Semi-Finals. The third place match will be played between Nagaraningrad and Tara & Cambray. Once again both the fixtures are Andolia v/s Polaris. We wish best of luck to our neighbours, Nagaraningrad and we hope for the best for ourselves as well.

Larxia opened the first half of the semi-final match against T&C. Messy dribbled past the Cambrian defense and managed to beat the Cambrian keeper, who has been the best goalkeeper of this World Cup. He makes it 1-0 in the 29th minute. The Cambrian attack manages to breach deep into the Larxian defense and they level 1-1 in the 42nd minute.
T&C opened the second half. The possession of the ball was initially controlled by T&C, but it was dominated by Larxia in the later part of the half. T&C quickly managed to pull ahead of Larxia with a deflection off Ferrara. T&C in the lead with 2-1 in the 52nd minute. Larxia took some time to regain composure, but managed to equalise the scores in the 82nd minute, with a well placed shot by Garcia, making it 2-2. The referee indicates full time. The game will be extended to extra time.
The first half of the extra time is underway.Both the team's manage to get some chances, but great work by both keepers as the scoreline remains unchanged at 105 minutes. That's the end of the first half of the extra time.
The second half is underway. Both teams yet again manage some good chances, but great work by the goalkeepers. Larxia manages to breach the Cambrian defense as Aviero runs through with the ball at his feet. He crosses the ball into the penalty area and finds Messy, who manages to head it in for a goal. It 3-2 in the 118th minute. Larxia manage to pull ahead in the dying moments of the game. That's the final whistle. Larxia have won the game and will face Nieubasria in the Finals of the World Cup.
HT: LXA 1-1 TCM
FT: LXA 2-2 TCM
ET: LXA 3-2 TCM

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA 
 
In a post match interview with the coach, he said," I'm very positive about our chances of bringing the Cup home. The team, the staff, everyone is working really hard and their hard-work has paid off. We are now in the finals. We'll be approaching it as any other game. We need to focus on training and being on our best form in the finals. We'll also be studying the Nieubasrian Football Team and we'll try to understand the thought process of the Nieubasrian coach and the team. I have full confidence in my team that we'll pull through this last hurdle between us and the Cup."
 
Larxia will be facing Nieubasria in the Finals of the First World Cup. Nieubasria beat our fellow Andolian nation Nagaraningrad 2-1 in the Semi-Finals. The third place match will be played between Nagaraningrad and Tara & Cambray. Once again both the fixtures are Andolia v/s Polaris. We wish best of luck to our neighbours, Nagaraningrad and we hope for the best for ourselves as well.

Larxia opened the first half of the semi-final match against T&C. Messy dribbled past the Cambrian defense and managed to beat the Cambrian keeper, who has been the best goalkeeper of this World Cup. He makes it 1-0 in the 29th minute. The Cambrian attack manages to breach deep into the Larxian defense and they level 1-1 in the 42nd minute.
T&C opened the second half. The possession of the ball was initially controlled by T&C, but it was dominated by Larxia in the later part of the half. T&C quickly managed to pull ahead of Larxia with a deflection off Ferrara. T&C in the lead with 2-1 in the 52nd minute. Larxia took some time to regain composure, but managed to equalise the scores in the 82nd minute, with a well placed shot by Garcia, making it 2-2. The referee indicates full time. The game will be extended to extra time.
The first half of the extra time is underway.Both the team's manage to get some chances, but great work by both keepers as the scoreline remains unchanged at 105 minutes. That's the end of the first half of the extra time.
The second half is underway. Both teams yet again manage some good chances, but great work by the goalkeepers. Larxia manages to breach the Cambrian defense as Aviero runs through with the ball at his feet. He crosses the ball into the penalty area and finds Messy, who manages to head it in for a goal. It 3-2 in the 118th minute. Larxia manage to pull ahead in the dying moments of the game. That's the final whistle. Larxia have won the game and will face Nieubasria in the Finals of the World Cup.
HT: LXA 1-1 TCM
FT: LXA 2-2 TCM
ET: LXA 3-2 TCM

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA 
 
In a post match interview with the coach, he said," I'm very positive about our chances of bringing the Cup home. The team, the staff, everyone is working really hard and their hard-work has paid off. We are now in the finals. We'll be approaching it as any other game. We need to focus on training and being on our best form in the finals. We'll also be studying the Nieubasrian Football Team and we'll try to understand the thought process of the Nieubasrian coach and the team. I have full confidence in my team that we'll pull through this last hurdle between us and the Cup."
 
Larxia will be facing Nieubasria in the Finals of the First World Cup. Nieubasria beat our fellow Andolian nation Nagaraningrad 2-1 in the Semi-Finals. The third place match will be played between Nagaraningrad and Tara & Cambray. Once again both the fixtures are Andolia v/s Polaris. We wish best of luck to our neighbours, Nagaraningrad and we hope for the best for ourselves as well.

Larxia opened the first half of the semi-final match against T&C. Messy dribbled past the Cambrian defense and managed to beat the Cambrian keeper, who has been the best goalkeeper of this World Cup. He makes it 1-0 in the 29th minute. The Cambrian attack manages to breach deep into the Larxian defense and they level 1-1 in the 42nd minute.
T&C opened the second half. The possession of the ball was initially controlled by T&C, but it was dominated by Larxia in the later part of the half. T&C quickly managed to pull ahead of Larxia with a deflection off Ferrara. T&C in the lead with 2-1 in the 52nd minute. Larxia took some time to regain composure, but managed to equalise the scores in the 82nd minute, with a well placed shot by Garcia, making it 2-2. The referee indicates full time. The game will be extended to extra time.
The first half of the extra time is underway.Both the team's manage to get some chances, but great work by both keepers as the scoreline remains unchanged at 105 minutes. That's the end of the first half of the extra time.
The second half is underway. Both teams yet again manage some good chances, but great work by the goalkeepers. Larxia manages to breach the Cambrian defense as Aviero runs through with the ball at his feet. He crosses the ball into the penalty area and finds Messy, who manages to head it in for a goal. It 3-2 in the 118th minute. Larxia manage to pull ahead in the dying moments of the game. That's the final whistle. Larxia have won the game and will face Nieubasria in the Finals of the World Cup.
HT: LXA 1-1 TCM
FT: LXA 2-2 TCM
ET: LXA 3-2 TCM

Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA 
 
In a post match interview with the coach, he said," I'm very positive about our chances of bringing the Cup home. The team, the staff, everyone is working really hard and their hard-work has paid off. We are now in the finals. We'll be approaching it as any other game. We need to focus on training and being on our best form in the finals. We'll also be studying the Nieubasrian Football Team and we'll try to understand the thought process of the Nieubasrian coach and the team. I have full confidence in my team that we'll pull through this last hurdle between us and the Cup."
 
Larxia will be facing Nieubasria in the Finals of the First World Cup. Nieubasria beat our fellow Andolian nation Nagaraningrad 2-1 in the Semi-Finals. The third place match will be played between Nagaraningrad and Tara & Cambray. Once again both the fixtures are Andolia v/s Polaris. We wish best of luck to our neighbours, Nagaraningrad and we hope for the best for ourselves as well.

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous sponsor, AdBlocker, because you should be able to block every ad except theirs! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received news that the semifinals have concluded and the results have been released to everyone! Let's look at the results from MD4 to the semifinals and analyse the general situation of the competition."
"But before we get into the results, I would like to apologise to our viewers on behalf of SDCSN-3 for not covering WCF1 on Match Day 5, the Round of 16 and the Quarterfinals. Unfortunately, funding for the WCF1 coverage division was diverted suddenly to the division covering the Annual Santo-Dominian Crustacean Creatures Race. Now that that amazing - I mean boring - race has concluded, we now have the funding to cover WCF1 again. To fill the gap, this will be a special two-hour broadcast succinctly summing up the results from MD5 to the semifinals! Now, let's first sum up Match Day 5's results, starting with Group A!"

"In Group A's first match, Nagaraningrad won a 1-0 victory against Teralyon, with both of them advancing to the Round of 16. In the second match, the pummelled Provisional Auran Team was again beaten, this time by Fujai in a 0-4 loss. Fujai advanced to the Round of 16, and the PAT obviously did not. In the third match, the square-off between Fuentana and host country United Adaikes ended in a 2-2 draw, with the former being eliminated and the latter advancing to the Round of 16. Now, let's move to Group B's MD5 results!"

"In Group B's first match, Larxia handily defeated Fhaengshia in a 5-0 win, with the former advancing to the Round of 16 and the latter getting shut out. In the second match, Pallandole lost to Dalimbar in a 1-3 loss, thus getting eliminated from the WCF1 and helping the latter advance to the Round of 16. In the third match, Libterraria and Giovanniland were both unable to score more points than the other, resulting in a 1-1 tie. The former was unable to get further in the competition, while the latter was able to advance to the Round of 16. Moving on to Group C!"

"In Group C's first match, Arifiyyah lost to Irador in a 1-2 defeat, but both teams managed to advance to the Round of 16. In the second match, Reçueçn and Italia both couldn't score any points in the match between them, resulting in a 0-0 tie. Neither of them were able to advance to the Round of 16. In the third match, it's another 0-0 draw, this time between Hertfordshire & Jammbo and Zoran! Both the extremely southern nation and the country of civil strife and refugees were able to advance to the Round of 16. Finally, let's get to Group D!"

"In the first match of Group D, Dilber defeats the football players from Alchera and scores a 1-0 victory. Unfortunately, neither of them were able to go to the Round of 16. In the second match, it's a 1-1 tie, with Tara & Cambray and Nieubasria both unable to get more points than the opposing team. Both of them are able to advance to the Round of 16. In the third match match, our home country Santos-Dominius beat initially strong competitor Badgeria in a 2-0 victory, but both are able to advance to the Round of 16. To sum up, the teams able to go to the Round of 16 include: United Adaikes, Nieubasria, Libterraria, Zoran, Irador, Giovanniland, Badgeria, Nagaraningrad, Larxia, Hertfordshire & Jammbo, Fujai, Santos-Dominius, Tara & Cambray, Teralyon, Arifiyyah and Dalimbar."
"Now let's go over the results of the Round of 16, starting with the first four matches! Let's look at the graphic here."

"In the first match of the Round of 16, Nieubasria knocks out host country United Adaikes in a 3-0 match that shows off Nieubasrian prowess in football! In the second match, war-torn Zoran continues its overall strong performance by eliminating Libterraria from WCF1 in a 1-0 victory! In the third match, Irador ends Giovanniland's run in the competition by defeating them in a 3-1 win. In the fourth match, the initially strong Badgeria falls to Nagaraningrad in a 0-2 loss that shuts them out of the Quarterfinals. Now, let's look at the fifth to eighth matches."

"In the fifth match of the Round of 16, the strong footballers from Larxia kick Hertfordshire & Jammbo out in a 1-0 match. In the sixth match, Fujai barely beats our home country of Santos-Dominius in a heated and close 4-3 match, ending the Santo-Dominian dream of winning the WCF1. In the seventh match, Tara & Cambray's strength once again shows as they beat Teralyon in a 2-0 match that solidifies the former as a competitive team to go up against. In the eighth and final match, Arifiyyah gives Dalimbar a 5-2 smackdown, shutting the Dalimbari out of the Quarterfinals so they themselves can advance."
"To sum up, the teams that advance from the Round of 16 to the Quarterfinals are: Nieubasria, Zoran, Irador, Nagaraningrad, Larxia, Fujai, Tara & Cambray and Arifiyyah. Now, let's take a short commercial break with a word from our sponsor AdBlocker before we return to cover the results of the quarterfinals and semifinals in the second hour of today's two-hour WCF1 special broadcast. See you later, and stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3!"

Semi-Finals Results
Nieubasria - Nagaraningrad
Larxia - Tara and Cambray
 
Bracketing
 

Larxia opened the first half of the quarter-finals against Fujai. Aviero makes a run on the left wing with the ball at his feet. He makes short work of the defense. He sees Garcia running into position and crosses the ball into the penalty area. The ball is headed by Garcia and sees the back of the net. 1-0 in the 35th minute. This was the only goal in the first half. There were attempts at goal, but the keepers were doing a great job.
Fujai opened the second half. The possession of the ball went to and fro between the two teams, but mainly controlled by Larxia. Both teams created major chances in the second half, but both the defended withheld the opposition attack. Fujai finnally managed to breach the defense and a well-shot ball sees them level in the 75th minute. This play from Fujai inspired Larxia to work harder. Fernades saw Messy making a run down the right wing. He put a through ball to Messy, who dribbled past the defenders and crossed it to Aviero. Aviero hit a powerful shot at goal and managed to find the back of the net. 2-1 in the 84th minute. Fujai came very close to scoring their second in the 88th minute, but Ferrara worked really well in stopping that ball from going in. The referee indicated the end of the game with the whistle. Larxia won the game against Fujai and are through to the Semi-finals, where they will face off against Tara & Cambray.
HT: LXA 1-0 FJA
FT: LXA 2-1 FJA
 
Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA 
 
We had a chance to talk with man of the match, Cristian Aviero. He said enthusiastically," It was a great win for Larxia. The Fujansk Landslag is a strong team, but we managed to better them today. I'm not saying we're not a strong team. We are one of the contenders of the World Cup, but it is all because of the amazing team work and respect that we have for each other and the coach. The coach is also doing an amazing job in preparing us for the oppositions. Somehow, he know how to train for different opponents. I guess that is his experience." On being asked how he felt about being benched against Hertfordshire and Jammbo, he replied," I'm not mad at all. As a player you want to play as many matches as you want, I agree, but sometimes you need to rest to be even better in the next match. I also said this before and I'll repeat it, coach is very experienced and he knows what he is doing."
 
Larxia will face Tara & Cambray in the semi-finals of the World Cup, while the other fixture will see Nieubasria go up against Nagaraningrad. Both the semi-finals will be Polaris v/s Andolia. Tara & Cambray comes off the back of a 1-0 victory against a well performing Arifiyyah. It will be an interesting fixture and we hope the best for Larxia.

WITH THE WILL OF OUR MAHARADEN
NAGARANINGRAD NATIONAL FOOTBALL
ROAD TO CHAMPION
OF
WORLD CUP OF FOOTBALL
NAGARANINGRAD VS IRADOR
 V
2 - 1
(FROM OUR OWN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
FEBRUARY 27, 1421
Nagaranigrad National Football (NNF) are close to their final destination, to become a World Cup of Football Champion, to make a mark on this world. The match went very interesting in the minutes twenty five. The corner kick in Iradorian side is intercepted by one of the Iradorian which make the ball flying high above Penalty box. Then a Salto Kick from Bagoes Pamoengkas and Goal into Iradorian. The Score is one nil to Nagaraningrad for the rest first half.
For the second half, Iradorian really try to play aggressive in which put NNF to Defensive. However, Iradorian manage to equalize the score by fast pass from left flank and goal with tackle shot which are a nightmare for every goalkeeper as their hands will have to hold against the ball and the ever impending injury from the fast moving tackle. As the NNF Goalkeeper, Aditya Bach Dim cannot hold the ball, he are in real painful shocks as the paramedic are being called to check his hands and to be put aside from the field. The Head Coach, Raden Jaka Batoebara are called for substitution for a first time to change a Goalkeeper with Jakananda Yoeda. After a kick-off start, NNF are having a full control of ball and make sure Iradorian never make an aggressive stance.
With time is almost running out, the captain Bambang Karajan manage to bring the ball to the back as Iradorian changing their stance into aggressive. soon the Iradorian Forward are near NNF Penalty box, Tegoeh "Tonjang" Tanjoeng put a fast mid-air pass to Zaki Adhyakarta and he's brought the ball fast into Iradorian Back and pass through their defense while Iradorian back are near middle of the field. Then, Zaki make a Long pass to Bimo Adhyakarta when Iradorian trying to overcrowd Zaki. With empty space around Bimo, he's moving to near the goal and pass it behind him to Raden Sinaga for a fake shoot the Iradorian Goalkeeper as it turn out, Raden Sinaga will shoot and goal. One two for Nagaraningrad and long whistle mark the end of the match.
With the winning against Iradorian National Football Team, NNF are now in Semi-Finals against Nieubasria. The NNF Head Coach, Raden Jaka Batoebara are asked on how the teams will prepared and with Goalkeeper, Aditya Bach Dim now are injured "Our Nagaraningrad National Football will prepared a more counter tactics against Nieubasria and with the same formation we will do today. With Our finest Goalkeeper is need to heal his hands injury, we gonna put Raden Irawan, another finest Goalkeeper for now". The greatest hope and will from all Nagaranites back home shall carry NNF to Champion of World Cup of Football and speedy recovery for Aditya Bach Dim which also soon to be a Ningrad when he is back to Nagaraningrad

Larxia opened the first half of the quarter-finals against Fujai. Aviero makes a run on the left wing with the ball at his feet. He makes short work of the defense. He sees Garcia running into position and crosses the ball into the penalty area. The ball is headed by Garcia and sees the back of the net. 1-0 in the 35th minute. This was the only goal in the first half. There were attempts at goal, but the keepers were doing a great job.
Fujai opened the second half. The possession of the ball went to and fro between the two teams, but mainly controlled by Larxia. Both teams created major chances in the second half, but both the defended withheld the opposition attack. Fujai finnally managed to breach the defense and a well-shot ball sees them level in the 75th minute. This play from Fujai inspired Larxia to work harder. Fernades saw Messy making a run down the right wing. He put a through ball to Messy, who dribbled past the defenders and crossed it to Aviero. Aviero hit a powerful shot at goal and managed to find the back of the net. 2-1 in the 84th minute. Fujai came very close to scoring their second in the 88th minute, but Ferrara worked really well in stopping that ball from going in. The referee indicated the end of the game with the whistle. Larxia won the game against Fujai and are through to the Semi-finals, where they will face off against Tara & Cambray.
HT: LXA 1-0 FJA
FT: LXA 2-1 FJA
 
Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA 
 
We had a chance to talk with man of the match, Cristian Aviero. He said enthusiastically," It was a great win for Larxia. The Fujansk Landslag is a strong team, but we managed to better them today. I'm not saying we're not a strong team. We are one of the contenders of the World Cup, but it is all because of the amazing team work and respect that we have for each other and the coach. The coach is also doing an amazing job in preparing us for the oppositions. Somehow, he know how to train for different opponents. I guess that is his experience." On being asked how he felt about being benched against Hertfordshire and Jammbo, he replied," I'm not mad at all. As a player you want to play as many matches as you want, I agree, but sometimes you need to rest to be even better in the next match. I also said this before and I'll repeat it, coach is very experienced and he knows what he is doing."
 
Larxia will face Tara & Cambray in the semi-finals of the World Cup, while the other fixture will see Nieubasria go up against Nagaraningrad. Both the semi-finals will be Polaris v/s Andolia. Tara & Cambray comes off the back of a 1-0 victory against a well performing Arifiyyah. It will be an interesting fixture and we hope the best for Larxia.

President Goldberg announces new passport designs to be rolled out with new citizenship policies
Today, President Paul Goldberg(DCB-FE) announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had completed designing new passports for Santo-Dominians. The endeavour, which cost around 675,000 SD Dollars, was completed by the MFA with the help of design and marketing firm DesignSD, famous for employing top students from the University of Friberne's Elaine Ip School of Arts and Design. Senator Diane Hutchison(DCB-YC), Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the passports would be rolled out by 1422, though she added that expedited production may make widespread distribution possible this year.
Sen. Hutchison explained to reporters that the old passports, adopted after the foundation of the Federal Republic, had become outdated and inconvenient, especially for government officials and diplomats, as their passports were identical with the normal civilian version in terms of appearance and only identifiable by checking the first page. She stated to avoid inconveniences and misunderstandings, there would be three new passports, with one for civilians, a diplomatic passport for diplomats and a service passport for government officials.
The new passports were revealed to be in different colours. The civilian passport would be in a splendid shade of deep purple with gold letters, while the diplomatic passport would be in a much lighter shade of purple with white letters. The service passport was in a shade of burgundy(though some say maroon), Santos-Dominius' unofficial national colour besides the classic dark grey, with letters also in white. The 10-Star Partitioned Shield, the Federal Republic's most recognisable symbol and unofficial coat of arms, is displayed prominently on all three passports.
She also stated that accompanying the new designs would be a new citizenship policy. The Overseas Citizens' Rights Act of 1421, passed the day before yesterday in the National Senate, would introduce a new kind of citizen: the Santo-Dominian Overseas National(SDON). Whereas Santo-Dominians living overseas were traditionally required to completely abandon their citizenship if they stay for over 5 years with less than 10 visits to Santos-Dominius, expats abroad can now apply for SDON and stay indefinitely in foreign countries while still retaining the full rights and privileges afforded to a regular Santo-Dominian citizen living back home. Sen. Hutchison stated that SDON citizens would have to renew their status every five years, with the condition that they must at least stay in Santos-Dominius for an accumulated total time of at least one week every five years.
The new passports, as well as the Overseas Citizens' Rights Act, were generally well-received by most people. Sen. Jeremy Maxson(CLP-WS), former presidential contender, praised the designs of the new passports, calling them "an improvement over the previous, outdated version". Political commentator James Lindsey agreed, saying that the new passports "are miles better in appearance and design". However, Sen. Art Bernstein(CLP-LM) was more critical overall, calling the MFA out for "excessive spending on designing passports while the Santo-Dominian people yearn for better lives". Sen. Bernstein remarked that the cost to have DesignSD create these passports, 675,000 SD Dollars, was an "exorbitant amount of money wasted".
President Goldberg himself stayed notably silent on the matter following the announcement, with the press conference mostly dominated by Sen. Hutchison's explanations. Lindsey noted that this may be a result of his narrow re-election and weakened political standing, stating that since the President was elected on such a tiny margin, he would therefore attempt to avoid partisanship and controversy at all costs in order to solidify popular support for a possible fourth term. Now in the early days of his third term and nearing his later 90s, President Goldberg is known for his political strength and perseverance, which has allowed him to obtain victories, albeit with the thinnest of margins.

(From left to right above: the new civilian passport, the new diplomatic passport, the new service passport)

The Work Is Done
Good day to all Arifiyyah FA football fans. A sad news for us after the Arifiyyah FA team was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Yet that is one of the best achievements that has proven that the Arifiyyah national league has produced international-class players. "I really do not feel disappointed in the recent match, because they have done their best throughout the tournament. Whatever through this tournament we have observed the performance of our players to prepare if after this there will be another international tournament like this," said the head coach after the end of the match.


CREDIT:TWP WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA BY UNITED ADAIKES 
The Arifiyyah National Football Team has received praise from His Majesty Sultan Arif Nazhim for their achievements. The government has also sponsored the flight of all fans and players as appreciation for them. The Head of State and the Arifiyyah Football Association would like to thank the hosts United Adaikes for providing the best facilities to our team throughout the tournament and wish good luck to the teams that will play in the semi-finals tomorrow.
 

Larxia opened the first half of the quarter-finals against Fujai. Aviero makes a run on the left wing with the ball at his feet. He makes short work of the defense. He sees Garcia running into position and crosses the ball into the penalty area. The ball is headed by Garcia and sees the back of the net. 1-0 in the 35th minute. This was the only goal in the first half. There were attempts at goal, but the keepers were doing a great job.
Fujai opened the second half. The possession of the ball went to and fro between the two teams, but mainly controlled by Larxia. Both teams created major chances in the second half, but both the defended withheld the opposition attack. Fujai finnally managed to breach the defense and a well-shot ball sees them level in the 75th minute. This play from Fujai inspired Larxia to work harder. Fernades saw Messy making a run down the right wing. He put a through ball to Messy, who dribbled past the defenders and crossed it to Aviero. Aviero hit a powerful shot at goal and managed to find the back of the net. 2-1 in the 84th minute. Fujai came very close to scoring their second in the 88th minute, but Ferrara worked really well in stopping that ball from going in. The referee indicated the end of the game with the whistle. Larxia won the game against Fujai and are through to the Semi-finals, where they will face off against Tara & Cambray.
HT: LXA 1-0 FJA
FT: LXA 2-1 FJA
 
Credit: WORLD CUP OFFICIAL MEDIA 
 
We had a chance to talk with man of the match, Cristian Aviero. He said enthusiastically," It was a great win for Larxia. The Fujansk Landslag is a strong team, but we managed to better them today. I'm not saying we're not a strong team. We are one of the contenders of the World Cup, but it is all because of the amazing team work and respect that we have for each other and the coach. The coach is also doing an amazing job in preparing us for the oppositions. Somehow, he know how to train for different opponents. I guess that is his experience." On being asked how he felt about being benched against Hertfordshire and Jammbo, he replied," I'm not mad at all. As a player you want to play as many matches as you want, I agree, but sometimes you need to rest to be even better in the next match. I also said this before and I'll repeat it, coach is very experienced and he knows what he is doing."
 
Larxia will face Tara & Cambray in the semi-finals of the World Cup, while the other fixture will see Nieubasria go up against Nagaraningrad. Both the semi-finals will be Polaris v/s Andolia. Tara & Cambray comes off the back of a 1-0 victory against a well performing Arifiyyah. It will be an interesting fixture and we hope the best for Larxia.

Quarterfinals Results
 
 

July 18, 1420
5:00 AM Over Time
Unknown location
 
Where You Wish To Go, I Cannot Follow
Adsila sits at the table where she has been spending a lot of her time for the past two months. She has been taking her time to read and learn the skills taught in the SIC training manual, everything from being forgettable, pulling quick changes, how to use certain gadgets, how to resist torture, etc. She has also been practicing how to use the techniques she learned with CGZ, she was surprised how willing he was to help her and how hospitable he has been towards her. He has been willing to teach her some basic martial arts and how to use a firearm. He explained to her that he never uses guns or lethal force like his ancestors before him, but he learned how to know how they work, how to best avoid getting shot, and so he knows what they are capable of. While Adsila did not like the idea of killing, she knew that in her situation it is going to be unavoidable.
After two long months of learning and basic training she is almost ready to leave the thief’s sanctum and join the war. She turns the page of the training manual and read the title of the new chapter she was on and she heard a voice behind her say,
“‘Sexpionage - The Art of Seduction,’ that sounds like a fun chapter. I wonder which one of your ancestors developed this one?”
Atils yelped in surprise when she heard CGZ and quickly slammed the book shut. Adsila’s face was a bright red out of embarrassment and CGZ began laughing at her reaction. She growled in annoyance before getting back to her reading. CGZ’s laughter stopped and he sat at the opposite side of the table from her, still wearing a ski mask and sunglasses to conceal his identity.
“So, do you think you’re ready to go out there yet?” asked CGZ,
“Almost, I just have to read this slightly controversial chapter and I should be ready to...to go out there.” she answered without looking up from the book. CGZ nodded before saying,
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do once you go out there and join the monarchists?”
“I have a bit, based on some of the news I have been reading things seem to be going in their favor as they are receiving a lot of international support. If they manage to focus on pushing the corporates out the northern island they will be able to have more resources freed up to focus on attacking the south. It’s simple, I know, but it’s a start.” CGZ chuckled,
“Understandable, I have to ask, do you even know who is leading the Corporates?” Adsila shakes her head as she turns a page in the manual.
“Do you remember a certain Kunagadoga Quasena from your years in secondary school?” Adsila paused at that name and looked up from the manual to look at the lenses of CGZ’s sunglasses,
“I do...are you saying tha-”
“Yes, Kunagadoga is the leader of the Corporates.” Adsila stops for a second and recalls a dream she had two weeks ago. One where a lady spoke to her and said that the son of the basket weaver sought to kill the heir to Ani’-Wah’. She conveys this to CGZ who shrugs in response,
“I am not one to put stock in dreams but I would be lying if I said he didn’t want to kill you.” There was silence between them for a while before she broke it,
“I can read this chapter later when I have time, I need to go there now.” CGZ seemed to have blinked a few times behind his sunglasses before nodding with understanding.
“Ok, I will take you to the monarchists today. Gather up what you need and we will depart.” CGZ got up and made his way to leave the room when Adsila stopped him by asking,
“Why have you really been helping me? I know you said that it was because you felt bad for my situation in all of this but I don’t think that’s your true motive.” CGZ stopped at the open door leading to his library before looking back at her. He let out a sigh,
“Because Kuna should never be allowed to take power, it is no secret that he is a cruel cold hearted bastard but I have a personal vendetta against him for what he did to my sister. Not too long ago, before the mess I made in Saint Jocelyn during the Olympics, my sister met Kunagadonga and for a few months they were friends. However, I knew better and tried to warn her but she didn’t believe me when I said he was a scumbag. Then one day she went to see him and she didn’t come home. That’s when I knew something was wrong and I went out to find Kunagadoga and confront him about my sister. When I found him we got into a fist fight where I ended up coming out on top and demanded to know where my sister was. All he said was that she was ‘anywhere but here.’ I pressed him to tell me what he meant by that only to find out he sold her to human traffickers…” CGZ’s head hung low with defeat, “She’s only a year older than me, nineteen. I have been trying to find her since but to no avail, and when I saw that you became a potential threat to Kuna I didn’t even hesitate to find you. So my actions weren’t entirely selfless, they were primarily driven by a selfish desire for revenge.” Adsila didn’t know what to say, she empathized with him and felt his pain, sorrow, and hate. Her voice was only a whisper when she spoke,
“The room I’m staying in...that was her room wasn’t it?” CGZ nodded,
“Adsila...when you leave here you will not get any aid from me...for where you wish to go I cannot follow. After the stunt I pulled in Cambria they are probably planning on a way of killing me and I don’t think I will be able to survive that when it comes. So I ask this of you, unify the country, avenge its people, and let nothing stand in your way. Build a better Zoran, a better place for the torchbearers of tomorrow.” CGZ’s voice began to crack as he spoke and when he finished he walked through the doorway and left Adsila alone with the weight of the conversation weighing down upon her thoughts.
I didn’t think CGZ was about my age, I guess part of his persona is to appear older than he is. But the pain he must have experienced makes me think of the pain of the Zoranian people. Many are probably seeing me of some sort of savior...but I am just one woman.
She held her head in her hands as she realized the weight of her role she plays in all this. But the words of CGZ echo in her head,
Unify the country, avenge its people, and let nothing stand in your way.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try.” She said to herself before getting up to gather her things as she prepares to leave.