Michael McBride

[quote name='HK47' timestamp='1313435306' post='2781461'] Meatbags, be afraid. [/quote] Holy !@#$, HK is back.

[center][font="Palatino Linotype"][size="5"][u][b]Quarterfinals Results[/b][/u][/size][/font][/center] Serene Republic of Vaule v. [b]England[/b] 0-3 Goals: E: Bolton 32’ (2), Hamil 12’, 19’ (2) Yellows: E: Catteroll (1) Clean Sheets: E: Henshaw (4) Injuries: Z: Zhuravlev (1 match) le Royaume de la Lumière v. [b]Athenian Federation[/b] 0-4 Goals: AF: Xenos 54’ (4), Idraulico 15’ (2), Tocci 23’ (2), Moros 78’ (1) Yellows: AF: Moros (1) Clean Sheets: AF: Dellis (2) Commonwealth of Africa v. [b]Austrian Empire[/b] 0-1 Goals: AE: Brauer 41’ (2) Clean Sheets: AE: Mateta (2) [b]Empire of Pravus Ingruo[/b] v. Corporate Republic of Ceylon 1-0 Goals: EPI: Dun Laoghaire 71’ (3) Clean Sheets: EPI: Marchionni (2) [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/That_Bum/CoN6S.png[/img]

[quote name='Triyun' timestamp='1313248791' post='2779636'] This whole thing shows extreme incompetence. [/quote] This sentiment is echoed throughout the Empire. The Empire's military forces in the region remain on high alert.

Publicly, the Empire said nothing. However, the entirety of the 4th Fleet and her equipment, sans half of her helicopter force (50 helicopters, various types) to compliment the 30,000 troops and their equipment stationed at IMB: Ireland, weighed anchor and moved through the Irish Channel to the North Sea for their own protection. The 1st Fleet (19 ships, varying types) launched from Norfolk, as did the 6th Fleet (12 ships, all submarines) from Norfolk. [b]***Private to the Athenian Federation***[/b] We see this move by England as a direct threat to the security of our 30,000 troops at IMB: Ireland along with the 4th Fleet and her nine ships that are stationed there. The ships of the 4th have already weighed anchor and are moving to the North Sea for their own protection. However, given our considerable assets at IMB: Ireland, which is located at the eastern shore of Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, we believe we can be of assistance in this matter. Once all naval assets are in place, we will be able to provide 13 squadrons of air support, plus missile support and helicopter support from our ships. In addition, we have 4,000 Imperial Marines ready to land where needed on England's northern shores. Please consider us while coordinating attack plans. We have no doubt English troops will turn on everyone when they see their downfall coming, and it is not often such considerable assets are already in enemy territory.

OOC: ....really? V for Vendetta? It's not even November. Be more creative. IC: ***Classified*** The 30,000 Imperial troops at IMB: Ireland were put on high alert.

The heat was blasting and his iPod was blaring as Thomas drove through Austria. The bottle of wine sat on the passenger seat, unopened. The fact that he was lost, and knew he was lost, really didn't matter. He figured he'd find his way back eventually. The car had a lowjack system on it so that if he was needed, Professor Solo knew how to find him. With his bomber jacket, still with Captain's insignia, and aviator sunglasses on, driving a vintage sports car, Thomas fancied himself something out of a cheesy 80s military film. He was right, of course. And that's when he saw the car on the side of the road. It was an old jalopy, a Yugo if his memory served. Smirking a little, Thomas muttered to himself, "What a piece of junk." As he pulled in slowly behind the car, Thomas reached over to the glove box, pressing his thumb against a keyhole, and pulling out a pistol. Others were in there, along with some more weaponry concealed in the trunk, but he didn't want to alarm those in the car. He was just looking out for his own safety. Leaving his car on, the low rumble providing a fitting backdrop to the driving rock music from his sound system, Thomas opened the car door and stepped out into the cold Austrian winter air. He shut the door with a dull thud. The pistol was slipped into the back of his pants, covered by his jacket but easily accessible. The hood of the Yugo was lifted, but as Thomas approached, he could see the two men, one who was dressed in religious garb. He put out both hands, palms forward, to show he was no threat. [i]I hope these guys speak English[/i], he thought. "Father... you guys need any help?" Thomas stopped a few feet behind the driver's side door, just slightly out in the street.

"Well where [i]is[/i] she?" The exasperation in Thomas' voice was clear. He right fist clenched tighter around the bottle of Finger Lakes Riesling in his hand, a gift he had brought for Anke on a surprise visit. Stopping in Vienna on his way to watch the Crimson Lions play in the Quarterfinals of the Cup of Nations may have seemed like a roundabout way of doing things, but he figured it was the only way to get to see her. "As I said, Emperor Atkinson-Asgeirsson, Director Vogel is not here, and she is not taking any visitors." The secretary's calm tone was even more infuriating to Thomas than if she had been screaming at him. "Yes, I get that she is not [i]here[/i]. I am asking where she [i]is[/i]. And when I get there, she can decide if she is taking visitors or not." [i]I will kill you, !@#$@#$ secretary lady[/i]. The thought ran through his head but was quickly banished. This was Europe, not North America. Appearance and decorum were of the utmost importance here, that's what Mother had always told him. And that's why Tom Dobbs had failed here. "I am sorry, Emperor Atkinson-Asgeirsson, but there is simply nothing I can do. I will let her know you called when she returns." "You'll let her know I actually showed up, or we'll exchange some unpleasantries." Thomas turned on his heel and walked out of the building. A light drizzle, barely noticeable, began falling as he stepped outside. [i]Perfect[/i], he thought, [i]at least I didn't bring flowers. This would really seem like a bad romantic comedy then[/i]. Leaning against a vintage dull orange sports car with two Pravus Ingruo flags on the front corners, Thomas placed the bottle of wine on top of the roof and pulled out a cigar. He cut the end, lit it slowly, and took a long drag on it. [i]Great, now what?[/i]

[center][font="Palatino Linotype"][size="5"][u][b]Day 3 Results[/b][/u][/size][/font][/center] [b]Zargathia[/b] v. People's Republic of Selenarctos 2-0 Goals: Z: Zaralyn 32’ (1), Virtanen 70’ (1) Clean Sheets: Z: Van Vliet (1) Commonwealth of Africa v. [b]England[/b] 0-1 Goals: E: Cunliff 54’ (2) Yellows: E: Dewhurst (1) Red: E: Cunliff (2 matches) Clean Sheets: E: Henshaw (3) [b]Empire of Pravus Ingruo[/b] v. Slavorussian Empire 2-1 Goals: SE: Bukharov 31’ (1); EPI: Dun Laoghaire 35’ (2), Damon 90’+1 (1) Yellows: SE: Petrov (1); EPI: Bramwell (2) [b]Athenian Federation[/b] v. Grand Papua 1-0 Goals: AF: Idraulico 76’ (1) Yellows: GP: Daniel (1) Clean Sheets: AF: Dellis (1) Germanic Union v. [b]Serene Republic of Vaule[/b] 0-3 (forfeit) [b]Principality of Monaco[/b] v. Austrian Empire 2-1 Goals: AE: Brauer 63’ (1); PoM: Brun 6’, 72’ (2) Yellows: AE: Vukašinović (1), Milanesi (1) [b]le Royaume de la Lumière[/b] v. Marscurian Siberia 1-0 Goals: RdL: Bond 88’ (2) Clean Sheets: RdL: Greene (2) West African Republic v. [b]Corporate Republic of Ceylon[/b] 1-2 Goals: WAR: Carent 41’ (1); CRC: Tharaka Silva 8’ (2), Izzadeen 44’ (1) Yellows: CRC: Tharaka Silva (1), Dinesh Hettiarachchi (1) As group play has been concluded, the Quaterfinal matchups are as follows: [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/That_Bum/CoN6Q.png[/img] Serene Republic of Vaule v. England --- Estadio El Sardienro ( Santander )/ 60,000 Seats le Royaume de la Lumière v. Athenian Federation --- San Mames ( Bilbao) / 65,000 Seats Commonwealth of Africa v. Austrian Empire --- Estadio El Sardienro ( Santander )/ 60,000 Seats Empire of Pravus Ingruo v. Corporate Republic of Ceylon --- San Mames ( Bilbao) / 65,000 Seats

[center][font="Palatino Linotype"][size="5"][u][b]Day 2 Results[/b][/u][/size][/font][/center] [b]England[/b] v. Zargathia 2-0 Goals: E: Bolton 59’ (1), Cunliff 38’ (1) Clean Sheets: E: Henshaw (2) Injuries: E: Hamil (1 match) [b]Commonwealth of Africa[/b] v. People's Republic of Selenarctos 2-0 Goals: CoA: Chiemenam 41’ (2), Chukwufumnanya 73’ (1) Clean Sheets: CoA: Majory (1) Grand Papua v. [b]Empire of Pravus Ingruo[/b] 0-1 Goals: EPI: Dun Laoghaire 56’ (1) Yellows: EPI: Rosslare (1) Clean Sheets: EPI: Marchionni (1) [b]Athenian Federation[/b] v. Slavorussian Empire 3-1 Goals: AF: Xenos 13’ (3), Perro 19’ (1), Amoruso 25’ (1); SE: Rusakova 78’ (1) Yellows: AF: Idraulico (2), Perro (1) Injuries: SE: Tamashevska (1 match) [b]Austrian Empire[/b] v. Germanic Union 3-0 (forfeit) Principality of Monaco v. [b]Serene Republic of Vaule[/b] 0-1 Goals: SRV: Zhuravlev 47’ (1) Yellows: PoM: Rotterbauer (1), Rousseau (1) Clean Sheets: SRV: Nasenko (1) Corporate Republic of Ceylon v. le Royaume de la Lumière 1-1 Goals: CRC: Tharaka Silva 35’ (1); RdL: Bond 89’ (1) West African Republic v. [b]Marscurian Siberia[/b] 0-2 Goals: MS: L. Kigel 13’ (1), Proshumenshikov 67’ (1) Yellows: WAR: Carent (1) Clean Sheets: MS: Simoltech (1)

[size="4"][font="Garamond"][u][b]The Crimson Roar[/b][/u][/font][/size] [i]Your Source for All Things Pravus Ingruo Football[/i] AFIS Correspondent: Matt Irwin Well, that didn't go well. Jean-Claude Lightfoot's tenure as manager of the Pravus Ingruo National Team fell flat as the number five team in the world, the Athenian Federation, roughed up the current world number ones 3-1 in a game that wasn't even as close as the final scoreline indicated. It was almost a bad situation from the start for the Crimson Lions. Playing in front of a massive stadium, filled to the brim with mostly Athenian supporters, in their first match with a new system. There was a nervousness about the young team, and it showed early on when Xenos went on a run through the Crimson Lion defense to score in the 13th minute to make the match 1-0. The Athenian side continued to dominate throughout the rest of the first half, and Xenos notched another goal just before the half ended to make it 2-0. The Crimson Lions seemed to come out calmer and more focused in the second half, controlling play more before a tic-tac-toe series of passes from Damon to Clark to McDonald left the young striker alone in front of the net for an easy score. But Athens didn't let it get any further. They turned up the pressure and never let the Crimson Lions get another good look at goal. Tocci even added an 88th minute marker to truly seal the win. The loss puts the Crimson Lions in trouble now. They face two must-win games from here on out, or risk missing the knockout round for the first time in history. For the good of Jean-Claude Lightfoot's tenure, pray that does not happen.

[center][font="Palatino Linotype"][size="5"][u][b]Day 1 Results[/b][/u][/size][/font][/center] Zargathia v. Commonwealth of Africa 1-1 Goals: CoA: Chiemenam 55’ (1); Z: Xiao 34’ (1) Yellows: CoA: Auger (1) England v. People's Republic of Selenarctos 0-0 Cleans Sheets: PRS: Fierro (1), E: Henshaw (1) Empire of Pravus Ingruo v. [b]Athenian Federation[/b] 1-3 Goals: AF: Xenos 13’, 44’ (2), Tocci 88’ (1); EPI: McDonald 63’ (1) Yellows: AF: Idraulico (1); EPI: Bramwell (1) Grand Papua v. Slavorussian Empire 0-0 Yellows: SE: Boricov (1); GP: Fred (1) Clean Sheets: SE: Anisim (1); GP: Posman (1) Germanic Union v. [b]Principality of Monaco[/b] 0-1 Goals: PoM: Vela 76’ (1) (penalty) Yellows: PoM: Louis-David (1), Vela (1) Reds: GU: de Vries (2 match suspension) Clean Sheets: PoM: Rousseau III (1) [b]Austrian Empire[/b] v. Serene Republic of Vaule 1-0 Goals: AE: Vince 32’ (1) Yellows: AE: Feierabend (1) Clean Sheets: AE: Mateta (1) [b]le Royaume de la Lumière[/b] v. West African Republic 1-0 Goals: RdL: Hunt 57’ (1) Yellows: WAR: Ktoga (1) Clean Sheets: RdL: Greene (1) [b]Corporate Republic of Ceylon[/b] v. Marscurian Sibera 3-1 Goals: MS: Weiss 7’ (1); CRC: Kroos 11’, 75’ (2), Thuwan 49’ (1) Yellows: MS: Aaronivich (1); CRC: Mishu (1)

Professor Solo leaned back in the his chair. He was sitting in a city with a nigh unpronounceable name, across from a foreign affairs minister with an almost equally unpronounceable name. And here was a nation with their treaty bloc, relatively new, at least to the Empire, who was seeking to throw their weight around in Canada. The Professor knew what course of action Thomas would take if he was here. The Professor chose a different route. "Minister Vilhjálmsson, the fact that a lack of an Imperial response disturbs you is not a by product of a error in judgement by the Empire. Rather, it comes from a lack of understanding on your behalf regarding the way an Imperial Protectorate is run and handled. The Empire very much believes in self-sovereignty. And we have simply no interest of seeing our armies flung hither and yon across our great continent pacifying every minor brushfire that pops up when, as you so astutely put it, nations collapse as they happen to with alarming rate. So with Imperial Protectorates, the people of that protectorate govern themselves. Obviously some Imperial oversight is required, at least at first, along with Imperial protection. But in Ontario, things simply seemed... how shall I put this? Normal. When the central government fell, the people took over. They were providing their own security, their own government. We were there if they needed anything, but they never called, so we did not do anything. We figured we would let the people sort out their own futures." Solo leaned forward towards the table at the conclusion of his statement, pulling a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and beginning to clean his glasses with them. "You are indeed correct that tensions ran very high in the Empire during our little public war of diplomats. And I'll explain to you why. When the Republic of York was founded, North America was a continent in chaos. Tahoe was destroyed, reborn, destroyed again, Viniland fell, whatever number incarnation of the United States was failing again but too blind to realize it. And the Republic of York was content to sit in our little corner of the northeast and maintain our stability. And then Atlantis fell. And everything became... clear." The Professor finished cleaning his glasses, looked through them for a moment, and then put them back on the emphasize his point. "With Florida, the traditional lands of the old Federation of Pravus Ingruo, back in Ingruian hands, we heard the cries of our brothers to the south, cries for freedom, for a better life. And so we expanded. We expanded down the east coast, liberating our brothers and uniting our land. And as many other nations rose and fell around us, we did our best to our part of the continent stable. We did our part to keep everything around us from falling into anarchy and disarray. The Harland Haiku and the Dobbs Doctrine are our guiding principles. And with them, we have kept stability on this continent, from one coast to another. And now, another nation comes in, a younger nation. One that does not have our history, our way of life, that claims they are more connected to a land simply by region, where our people are connected by blood. How did you want us to react? With a fruit cake?" Solo chuckled as he leaned back again. "So you see, it was, and still is, our belief that Ontario and Harrowshire never needed to be secured. They never needed to be "pacified", as it were. They were already quite peaceful. In the Empire, your moves were and are seen as unnecessary and heavy handed, which is saying something with our Emperor." Another chuckle followed from the Professor before he cut off his own laughter with a snap of his fingers. One of the other diplomats, who remained silent, brought up a briefcase. Solo opened it and spun it around so it faced Vilhjálmsson. A computer screen showing a demarcation line through Ontario was shown. "This, Minister, is our proposal. Greenlandic forces are allowed to stay in Ontario, provided they move no further south than the 49th Parallel. South of there, Ontario will be under an Imperial Protectorate... which basically means nothing will change at the current time."

Yes, apparently by holding land for new nations only and not letting existing nations expand into it, I'm "suffocating North America". Keep crying about New Mexico, and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[size="4"][font="Garamond"][u][b]The Crimson Roar[/b][/u][/font][/size] [i]Your Source for All Things Pravus Ingruo Football[/i] AFIS Correspondent: Matt Irwin Ah yes, it's that most wonderful time of the year. The time when, once again, the Crimson Lions head out into the harsh, cruel world to reclaim what is rightfully theirs: The Cup of Nations. But, we're getting ahead of ourselves. There's another group to look at first. [b]Group A[/b] A delightful assortment greets us with Group A. Headlining the group is last tournament's champion and current world number four, [b]Zargathia[/b]. The defending champs were the surprise of the last tournament, and are out to prove their success wasn't a flop. Their biggest challenge will come from [b]England[/b], currently number nine in the world. Still, I'm picking a dark horse to make the Quarterfinals from this group. I predict the [b]Commonwealth of Africa[/b], currently ranked 20th, will triumph over England is their Day 3 matchup in Gijon, and advance. Expect Zargathia to win the group, England to finish 3rd, and the [b]People's Republic of Selenarctos[/b] to finish dead last. [b]Group B[/b] Oh good, I can actually talk about what I wish to talk about now. The [b]Empire of Pravus Ingruo[/b], and current world number one, headline this group, but will face a relatively stiff challenge. The [b]Athenian Federation[/b], currently number five in the world, is also in the group, and is bound to get a lot of support from the fans in Monaco, being a regional neighbor and all. Those two teams are the obvious favorites, and their Day 1 matchup should be an absolute spectacle of amazing football to watch. AFIS recognized this as well, placing it in the biggest stadium for the group stage, in Zaragoza. Whoever wins that match, wins the group. Book it. A challenge to these two behemoths could come in the form of [b]Grand Papua[/b], who played exceptionally well in the play-ins. I don't expect any upsets, just some hard fought matches, but you never know on the international level. The [b]Slavorussian Empire[/b] will, once again, be left behind sadly in the dust. [b]Group C[/b] It would be tough to overshadow excitement for the hosts in a group, but somehow it's managed to happen. Though the [b]Principality of Monaco[/b] is being talked about incessantly in their home nation, as well they should being 12th in the world, the buzz has been all about the Day 2 matchup between the [b]Austrian Empire[/b] and the [b]Germanic Union[/b]. We've had regional rivalries before (see: Republic of Tahoe v. United States of America), but never two neighbors at war with each other meet on the pitch. AFIS recognized this as well, placing the Austria/Germany match in the largest stadium for the group stages on Day 2. By far the weakest group, with Monaco ranked 12th, the [b]Serene Republic of Vaule[/b] ranked 13th, the Germanic Union 19th and the Austrian Empire 27th, it's pretty safe money that the hosts will advance. However, don't count out the Austrian Empire. Their players will be playing on emotion more than skill, but sometimes that can make even the most inexperienced team better than they really are. If they pull an upset over Vaule on Day 1, I expect them to win the match against Germany and cruise into the Quarterfinals. Their run will probably end there, but it should be an uplifting story for a war torn nation. [b]Group D[/b] Easily the toughest group in the entire tournament, Group D earns the rather un-coveted "Group of Death" moniker. With number two [b]Marscurian Siberia[/b] and number three [b]Corporate Republic of Ceylon[/b] both occupying the group, it seems like death for the [b]West African Republic[/b] and [b]le Royaume de la Lumière[/b]. However, I wouldn't count out one of those two teams trying to steal a spot from the powerhouses, especially RdlL. The Day 1 matchup between Ceylon and Siberia should prove to be simply spectacular, but the loser will be in real trouble. Still, I don't see a dark horse coming out of this group... the top two teams are simply too good to fail. [b]Quarterfinal Predictions[/b] Zargathia v. Austrian Empire Principality of Monaco v. Commonwealth of Africa Empire of Pravus Ingruo v. Marscurian Siberia Corporate Republic of Ceylon v. Athenian Federation Zargathia, unfortunately, will end the Austrian Empire's dream run into the Quarterfinals, destroying the dreams of a nation for a "Miracle on Grass", but the Austrian players will have already lifted the hearts and spirits of their embattled countrymen. The hosts, in a shocker, will be upset by the Commonwealth of Africa, sending the 20th ranked team in the world to the semi-finals. The Empire of Pravus Ingruo will avenge a Quarterfinal defeat in the last Cup of Nations tournament and handle Marscurian Siberia in their matchup, and the Corporate Republic of Ceylon will advance over the Athenian Federation. [b]Semifinal Predictions[/b] Zargathia v. Commonwealth of Africa Empire of Pravus Ingruo v. Corporate Republic of Ceylon Zargathia will end another dream run, putting down the Commonwealth of Africa to restore order to the football universe and make their second consecutive finals. And the Corporate Republic of Ceylon will send the Empire of Pravus Ingruo packing once again, and quite possibly end the Crimson Lions' run as the number one team in the world. [b]Finals Predictions[/b] Zargathia v. Corporate Republic of Ceylon Zargathia will be attempting back to back championships, something not seen since the Republic of York (now the Empire of Pravus Ingruo) did it in Cup of Nations II and III. However, they will be stopped short in their quest by the Corporate Republic of Ceylon, continuing the keep the Cup on Asian soil and adding a new name to the trophy. OOC: All predictions done before any game is simmed out. Nothing should be taken from these except these are what I think will happen based on team rankings and personal biases. Toodles.

OOC: Schedule and group analysis will be posted tomorrow at the earliest.

[center][size="5"][font="Palatino Linotype"][u][b]Play-in Day 3 Results[/b][/u][/font][/size][/center] [b]le Royaume de la Lumière[/b] v. MoG[Corp] 1-0 Goals: RL: Bond (1) 74’ Yellows: MoG: Fayiz (1); RL: Hunt (1) Clean Sheets: RL: Greene (1) New Spain v. [b]Grand Papua[/b] 1-2 Goals: NS: Carranza (1) 75’; GP: Davani (1) 54’, Komboi 68’ Yellows: NS: Chavez (1) Reds: NS: Swanson (2 matches) West African Republic v. The People’s Republic of Africa 2-2 Goals: WAR: Ndamne (1) 63’, Gdambe (1) 42’; PRA: D’amaja (2) 47’, Rakata (1) 86’ Yellows: PRA: Makema (1), Rakata (1) [b]People's Republic of Selenarctos[/b] v. New Republic of Ireland 1-0 Goals: PRS: Almonte (1) 77’ Yellows: PRS: Vasquez (1) Clean Sheets: PRS: Fierro (3) le Royaume de la Lumière, Grand Papua, People's Republic of Selenarctos, and West African Republic advance to group stage. New Spain, MoG[Corp], The People's Republic of Africa, and New Republic of Ireland are eliminated.

[b]Official Imperial Statement[/b] The Empire recognizes the legitimacy of the government of Ms. Vogel and reaffirms our commitment to our allies in Austria. If you need anything, all you need do is call. [b]**Private Message to Ms. Vogel**[/b] Anke, I know how busy a time it is pulling a nation back on its feet after a crisis, but I hope that when you find the time you will once again visit the Empire. Hopefully we can continue our conversations then. -Thomas

Emperor Thomas Atkinson-Asgeirsson looked over the note in his hand. With the crisis to the south and Cuba now resolved, his attentions would turn to the north. Making a few phone calls, he sent Professor Henry Solo and a team of diplomats north to the Greenland capital. A fresh voice would be needed to harbor in a fresh future, and Solo could provide that voice. The Professor knew what the Emperor wanted... it was now just a matter of getting it.

The team will be accepted at Newark International Airport. That will provide the easiest access to MediaCorp's headquarters. Please let us know what materials and documents you will need as soon as possible so we can have them ready when you arrive.

[quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1311692131' post='2764165'] Considering the depths of depravity that Pravus Ingruo has sunk down to, we consider ourselves justified in not maintaining any relations with the said nation. - Ministry of External Affairs, Kingdom of Cochin [/quote] Right. Because you have not a single shred of evidence to back your claims. Our invitation to an international, unbiased, investigation, stands.

The following bolded sections are our own input into the Kingdom's ludicrous statement. [quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1311562613' post='2763104'] [u][b]Statement from Ministry of External Affairs, Kingdom of Cochin[/b][/u] The Kingdom of Cochin considers it prudent not to respond to counter claims made by a corporation which through controlling an entire nation does not permit free speech. [b]And yet ignores fully the statement made by the Emperor concerning your claims. Further, what evidence do you have that MediaCorp controls the Empire of Pravus Ingruo? Because, the last we checked, the Emperor and the Legislature control the nation, not a media conglomerate.[/b] There shall be no retraction nor any apology from Cochin. As regards evidence, we are sure evidences would be forthcoming if an international team conducted a thorough enquiry in Pravus Ingruo. [b]Translation: We have no evidence and are now grabbing at straws to try and prevent ourselves from looking completely foolish by proposing theories and straw man arguments.[/b] The Kingdom considers itself to have no obligation to be the protector of freedom of people across the globe so we have not started any offensive activity against an organization that quite openly imposes a regime of censor behind which one wonders what sorts of atrocities are happening. [b]Yes, we quite openly impose a regime of censor. Which is why criticism of the Emperor and his policies are allowed, there is political dissent, multiple political parties, and citizens and the media enjoy free speech. Yes, we commit atrocities all the the time. Which is why our tourism business is thriving and there have been no reports, from local media or any other media or person, of atrocities being committed.[/b] But surely valiant defenders of human rights across the world should enquire into that? Or is it the policy that some organizations are worth erasing and some to be supported? Considering MoG[Corp]'s quite public policy of quasi slavery using stocks by which personal freedoms of a human being can be subverted, the Kingdom feels it cannot support MoG[Corp]. [/quote] We welcome an international inquiry into both our nation and MediaCorp's business practices and polices. I'm sure the international community will find your claims to be worth less than the excrement from your holy cows.

[quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1311488763' post='2762608'] [center][u][b]Statement from the Kingdom of Cochin[/b][/u][/center] ...Or is the entire raison d'etre for this war just that MoG[Corp] is a corporate entity that controls Mogatopia? If so the first swords must be raised at another trans national entity which has been subverting freedoms of its people for longer periods, Pravus Ingruo and its MediaCorp... Sd, His Highness Kerala Varma, The King of Cochin [/quote] [b]Official Imperial Statement[/b] The Empire demands that the Kindom of Cochin immediately retract this slanderous statement and that the King of Cochin offer a personal apology to both the Emperor of Pravus Ingruo and the CEO of MediaCorp. There is no evidence that the Empire has subverted the freedoms of its people, or that MediaCorp has subverted the freedoms of the people of Pravus Ingruo or any other nation that it is based in. Should the Kingdom have any evidence for its slanderous comments, we demand this evidence be presented for world review. Failure to do merely shows your claims are baseless and you are a cowardly nation that chooses to take potshots at other nations without evidence to back up your claims, hoping they will not notice. [b]Statement from MediaCorp[/b] The statement from the Kingdom of Cochin is troublesome, at best. There is no evidence that MediaCorp has ever subverted the freedom of the people of Pravus Ingruo or any other nation. During times of war we have allowed our facilities to be used for government broadcasts and followed national laws to protect national infrastructure from cyber attacks. We fail to see how this is subverting people's freedoms. If anything, MediaCorp has enhanced freedom in the Empire. MediaCorp has ambitiously undertaken the project of providing every citizen with high-speed, wireless internet. We are the single biggest private contributor of student scholarship monies. And the charitable giving of MediaCorp last year alone surpassed one billion dollars. Any evidence that the Kingdom of Cochin has as to how these, or any other MediaCorp venture, subvert the freedom of the people in Pravus Ingruo, we ask them to kindly provide it.

[quote name='LBT88' timestamp='1311041719' post='2758899'] [b]Official Statement from the Government of the Dixie Confederacy[/b] The Dixie Confederacy is appalled by the heightened tensions over this dispute and, like Naboo and the UFE have stated previously, we urge both sides to calm down and negotiate an end to this matter. Has the North American continent not seen enough destruction already? If a conflict does break out, we will be remaining neutral in this matter though anxious over the fact that two of the participants would be next door neighbors to us. [/quote] You seem a little behind on things, do try and keep up.

[center][size="5"][font="Palatino Linotype"][u][b]Play-in Day 2 Results[/b][/u][/font][/size][/center] Grand Papua v. [b]le Royaume de la Lumière[/b] 1-3 Goals: RL: Flavum (1) 13’, Hunt (3) 55’, 86’; GP: Moyap (1) 67’ Yellows: GP: Fred (1), Lepani (1), Tuhiana (1) New Spain v. [b]MoG[Corp][/b] 0-2 Goals: MoG: Yamauchi (1) 26’, Fayiz (1) 31’ Yellows: NS: Swanson (1); MoG: El-Mofty (1) Clean Sheets: MoG: Yamamoto (1) New Republic of Ireland v. [b]West African Republic[/b] 0-1 Goals: WAR: Carent (1) 87’ Clean Sheets: WAR: Straiange (2) [b]People's Republic of Selenarctos[/b] v. The People's Republic of Africa 1-0 Goals: PRS: Cavazos (1) 58’ Yellows: PRA: Miatoke (1); PRS: Romo (1) Clean Sheets: PRS: Fierro (2)

[center][font="Palatino Linotype"][size="5"][u][b]Play-in Day 1 Results[/b][/u][/size][/font][/center] le Royaume de la Lumière v. New Spain 1-1 Goals: NS: Kirkpatrick (1) 43’; RL: Hunt (1) 35’ Yellows: RL: Bond (1) [b]Grand Papua[/b] v. MoG[Corp] 1-0 Goals: GP: Elizah (1) 32’ Clean Sheets: GP: Posman (1) Injuries: MoG: Chan (1 match) West African Republic v. People's Republic of Selenarctos 0-0 Yellows: WAR: Gratiane (1) Clean Sheets: WAR: Straiange (1); PRS: Fierro (1) New Republic of Ireland v. The People's Republic of Africa 1-1 Goals: NRI: M. Guinness (1) 75’; PRA: D’amaja (1) 44’ OOC: For those of you new to the Cup, unlike the past, you now RP what happened during the matches. I merely post the scores, who scored, yellows, injuries, etc. Everything else is up to you.