Orandian Sports News

[Orandia]

ORANDIAN FOOTBALL DOMESTIC LEAGUE

(This page is a work in progress!)

The Orandian Football Federation, or OFF, is the organization in charge of football (soccer) matters on the national and regional level. It oversees the Capital League, the eleven regional leagues, and the Aidnaro Semi League. College and local leagues are instead organized by their respective institutions. 

 

The Capital League is composed of sixteen franchised teams. Most represent a regional capital, with the exception of Crossroads, which bears a team due to its significant size. Orandia’s two largest cities, Nordiaa and Aidnaro, have two and three teams respectively. 

 

Teams play every other team twice for a 30-week regular season, after which playoffs begin. The highest-scoring eight teams from the regular season face off in seeded matches, with the best team facing the eighth best, the second best facing the seventh best, etc. This is followed by semifinal and final matches, making six playoff matches and one championship match. The winning team gains the title of Champion and the right to represent Orandia at international sporting events for the coming year.

 

The fifteen or so weeks between seasons fall within the hottest, rainiest part of the Orandian year, in summer. College leagues avoid these weeks as well, however, many local leagues still play during this time. The Aidnaro Semi League, a collection of semi-professional teams in the Aidnaro area, deliberately plays during this time, attracting Capital League fans who are after a constant football fix, and allowing everyone else to escape the rain for a little while in a covered stadium.

Capital League home uniforms are brightly colored. Away uniforms are muted or patterned with white. It’s easy to tell, from a glance at your TV, who’s on their home turf and who isn’t. 

 

The sixteen Capital League teams are as follows.

 

 

Aidnaro Cosmos

Home Colors: Deep blue, purple, magenta, gold

Away Colors: Paler colors

Stadium: Galaxy Stadium

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: After rebranding as Cosmos, this team is uber-popular with the youth of Aidnaro and just about everywhere else in the country. They’re easily the “it” team for the time being: hip and cool, with plenty of young blood. Always rocking the latest equipment, this self-proclaimed “team of the future” is the lifeblood of modern Orandian professional football. The iconic dark cool tones shot through with magenta and gold have become an instant classic, and seem to be everywhere you look in Aidnaro.

 

Aidnaro Industrial

Home Colors: Grey, bright yellow

Away Colors: White-striped

Stadium: The Warehouse

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: The east of Aidnaro, while being a thriving foreign port, is home to factories galore, and it is from these factories that Industrial came to be. Working-class and down-to-earth, the team is known for its impenetrable defense and imposing figure - literally. Industrial players run both tall and large, maintaining a stoic but not unfriendly atmosphere. Many Industrial players are immigrants or children of immigrants; there’s someone for everyone to relate to.

 

Aidnaro Standard

Home Colors: Deep purple with white trim

Away Colors: White with purple trim

Stadium: West Side Stadium

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: “Standard” is a short version of the old name “Standard Bearers.” That said, Standard is not a particularly stand-out team, apart from its age. As the first professional football team in Aidnaro, it has a long history and thus tends to reflect traditional Orandian values, claiming Aidnaro purple as its color. Standard has a balanced playstyle that some might call boring, but even non-fans can’t deny that their consistency pays.

 

Nordiaa Kingsmen

Home Colors: Deep red and gold

Away Colors: Gold with deep red trim

Stadium: Crystal Palace Stadium

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Nordiaa's proud premier team. Named at a time when Orandia had a king rather than a queen, and originally all-male, the name has been kept even though neither are true anymore. Some argue that the Kingsmen represent an outdated era, while others are in favor of its traditional look and feel. Between its preference for well-known, veteran players and a refined, thinky play style, many teams are reluctant to face the Kingsmen, though all will be forced to twice a year. Out of all the Capital League teams, the Kingmen easily have the largest “hate-dom,” at least in online spaces.

 

Nordiaa Tigers

Home Colors: Black and orange stripe pattern

Away Colors: White-striped instead of black-striped

Stadium:

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: The fierce second team of Nordiaa, full of youth and power. The Kingsmen’s older, more conservative fanbase only adds to the rebellious feel of being a Tigers fan. And Tigers players bring the energy to match, from open support of progressive social movements to a robust, well-followed social media presence. The fans are the reason that Nordiaa derby games have a reputation for becoming violent, though the average young Tigerhead would tell you it’s all in good fun. Even the Kingsmen’s other games have become targets for Tigers lovers, particularly home games, with large groups suddenly revealing orange-and-black jerseys in the stands and booing the Kingsmen.

 

Arondai Arrows

Home Colors: Bright orange and yellow

Away Colors: White-striped

Stadium: 

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Arondai is Orandia’s least populated regional capital. The region of Knapp itself isn’t known for much besides its large rural farming communities. But that’s not to say Arondaians don’t enjoy football. People from all over Knapp come to the city to watch home games, and travel long hours to away ones. It’s a city team with small-town spirit, making everyone feel at home. 

 

Dainroa Stingrays

Home Colors: Bright blue and yellow

Away Colors: Paler colors

Stadium: Eastham Beach Stadium

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: A fun-loving team that works as hard as it plays. The people of Palla, just west of Aidnaro, are a healthy mix of competitive and playful, boasting several famous cultural products and lush beaches that attract tourists. Dainroa has plenty of exciting things going on, but isn't a part of hectic and massive Aidnaro. Stingrays fans strike a miracle balance. They are fervent without being toxic, welcoming everyone to watch their home team play. The players themselves are consistently among the most creative in the league, with the speed and skill to back it up, making every game interesting.

 

Dianaro Diamondbacks

Home Colors: Brown, aqua blue, white

Away Colors: White with brown and blue trim

Stadium: 

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Orandia’s lakeside is home to a thriving pair of twin cities. The Diamondbacks are the speedier, impulsive counterpart to Jade’s thoughtful and deliberate play style. Neither team is too fiercely competitive, especially when it comes to one another, and lakeside “derbies” are actually pretty peaceful occurrences. Because of the difference in styles, it’s not uncommon to transfer an aging Diamondback to Jade for their final few years in professional sport.

 

Narodia Jade

Home Colors: Pale green

Away Colors: Pale purple*

Stadium: 

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Jade is the intelligent, deliberate answer to the quick and excitable Diamondbacks. Located just across the lakeside from Dianaro, there’s a reason these twin cities’ names mirror one another, and it’s not just the capital naming scheme! Some who live in the area don’t even think of the two as separate; the public transit networks are connected, many commute to the other city for work, and the massive bridge connecting them is a popular tourist spot for sightseeing and selfies. Fittingly, the two fanbases act somewhat like a single united front, attending each others’ games, cheering for each other’s teams, and forming lifelong friendships. 

*The away kit is a different color, not only because the home color is already pale, but because the mineral jadeite is commonly thought of as green, but can also be purple!

 

Donaari Wild Boars

Home Colors: Bright red

Away Colors: White-striped

Stadium: The Pigpen

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Masly is a territory that used to be its own country. It was absorbed into Orandia a little over a century ago due to logistical and economic troubles following its conquest by Saint Mark. As such, Maslians tend to differ from Orandians in many ways, but most at least tolerate their non-Maslian neighbors, who are mainly farmers. Donaari functions as a hub town where people come together, be it for festivals or football. The Boars’ fans may be few in number (outside Donaari, that is), but they are passionate, dressing their city up with red banners every season. The team is a bit of an underdog, with an aggressive, offensive play style that doesn’t slack on defenses either. Depending on the year, they can and do become a force of nature to play against.

 

Idonara Hornets

Home Colors: Black and golden yellow stripes

Away Colors: White and golden yellow stripes

Stadium: 

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Where is Idonara again…? Right, in Dess. The city of Idonara is unfortunately overshadowed by the much more populous Crossroads, as well as confused easily with Inardoa in Haute-Claire. Tucked away in a neglected corner of east Orandia, the people living here have convinced themselves that Idonara is actually a cool place to be… which caused enough businesses and attractions to spring up to make Idonara actually worth a stop for travelers wanting to step outside the tourist hotspots. The Hornets haven’t escaped unpopularity, but with sixteen teams in the League, some will naturally take a backseat to others. They’re offensive, but not as much as the Raptors; fast, but not as much as the Diamondbacks; they have underdog charm, but not as much as the Wolves. Will they ever be top dog?

 

Inardoa Iron Roses

Home Colors: Deep pink and grey

Away Colors: Grey with pink trim

Stadium: The Trellis

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Inardoa lays squarely in the middle of a region called Haute-Claire, which is remarkably neither high nor clear. Haute-Claire is in an unfortunate location; it’s not on the coastline where there are beaches, and it’s not further west where Orandia’s famous pink mountainsides lie. Since neither Nordiaan team has capitalized on the color pink, the Iron Roses stepped up to the plate, and did it early, as they are one of the nation’s oldest football clubs. So they say, the name Iron Roses comes from resilient strains of ornamental roses bred by early Nouveauterran immigrants. Nouveauterra’s presence can be felt all around northern Orandia, but the Iron Roses in particular have an affinity for both players and fans from Nouveauterra and the rest of Doll Goldur.

 

Rionada Raptors

Home Colors: Green, blue, and purple

Away Colors: Paler colors

Stadium: 

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: If Industrial has all the tall people, where do the short ones go? They go to the Raptors. It helps that the Raptors are primarily women. They are the only Capital League team to have once been all-female. The South Coast itself has a long history of self-sufficient female leadership, resisting Nouveauterran and Markan influence alike, to what degree it could. But don’t be fooled by the team’s small statures: the Raptors are fierce, and play a punishing offense. Their fans back them with just as much fervor. Young women in Aidnaro, more and more, choose the Raptors over local teams, partly because of the girl-power vibes, partly because Rionada itself is nearby and fun to visit. 

 

Arandio Hawks

Home Colors: Red, orange, and yellow

Away Colors: Paler colors

Stadium: 

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Orandia's northern coast has a lot to offer. Picturesque beaches, culturally significant crafts, daring Nouveauterran-Orandian fusion cuisine. As the original hotbed for Dull Guldur immigrant activity, Arandio maintains a large immigrant population and the highest levels of Nouveauterran language fluency in the country. No matter their origin, the people here are competitive and hardworking, always looking for things to improve. The Hawks know that a straightforward, aggressive show will win over local fans, so that's exactly how the Hawks play. Out of all Orandia's teams, it's them who most often sustain injuries from overextending themselves. Some say the team is cursed. Others know it's all about the unfortunate mindset and social pressures that the players subscribe to. 

 

Naiador Wolves

Home Colors: Emerald green and black

Away Colors: Dull grey and green

Stadium: The Den

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Naiador is a bit of a mystery. It’s a lovely city sitting aside the largest lake in central Orandia, but the constant foggy weather and abundance of religiously charged ruins make it seem haunted and odd. The Wolves carry this vibe with them, being especially quiet on and off the field, but working together in a way that some joke to be telepathic. Wolves plays are known for their excellent execution and teamwork, backed by a genius coach, and yet, they get a fraction of the attention of teams in more populous locations. Is it some sort of curse? And just what are the players eating to work together so well? The truth may never be known. 

 

Crossroads Blades

Home Colors: Green with multicolor trim

Away Colors: White-striped

Stadium: Crossroads Field

Manager:

Notable Players:

Summary: Crossroads is unique among Orandian settlements in that it is not a regional capital of any sort, yet maintains a population higher than over half of them. Crossroads is a midpoint between the nation’s two largest cities, and it became a common stopping point for foot travelers and, later, trains. Now, it is the only other stop on the Orandian high-speed express rail line connecting Aidnaro with Nordiaa, and a pivotal stop for many other rail and car routes. People come and go from Crossroads, and this is no less true for the Blades, who boast the highest player transfer rate consistently. But no matter the year, the Blades bring a powerful all-rounding style to the table that stays fresh each time, to the admiration of their slightly mellow but dedicated fans.