Cup of Nations III

[Kaede Alexeivich]

The match between the Isara Alliance and the Empire of France was exciting and intense from the start. France started off the game with two goals in quick succession in the 17th and 28th minute, scored by Firmin Blanchard and Andre Lizot, respectively. After the second goal from Lizot, the Darkstars tightened their defense, and withstood an extended, aggressive assault by the French team that continued throughout the first half. After the second half began, the Isaran team was clearly determined to make up for its dismal performance earlier in the game. Nikolai Petrov fired a shot into the goal in the 52nd minute, followed by Niels Klein in the 65th minute and Adrian Kharkov in the 74th. Just when the Isaran team felt sure they were about to win, Andre Lizot dodged his way past the Isaran defenders and shot the ball past Georgi Konev in the 79th minute. Despite aggressive and furious attempts to score on both teams in the last few minutes of the game, no one was able to get past the goalkeepers and the game ended as a 3-3 tie.

Gregor Eivanov was heard to angrily address the Isaran team. "The performance I have seen thus far has been an embarrasment and a failure. I expected far better performance from the Darkstars, and I continue to expect improvement in the next game."

Edited July 30, 2010 by Kaede Alexeivich

[Amyante]

[quote name='Pravus Ingruo' timestamp='1280504754' post='2395063']
Zargathia v. Minilla Islands 1-1
Goal by Yang (Z), Totti (MI)
Yellow card on Virtanen, McKenna (Z)
[/quote]

After two losses in the earlier games against the USC and defending champion York, the only thing that was at stake for the final match was honor. From the first minute, the Red Dragons gave it their all to achieve two things: To score a goal, and not go home with zero points. The game rocked back and forth a lot, the Minillan defense successful in stopping off any attempts to reach the Zargathian attackers, but it was ultimately midfielder Yang that managed to squeeze a goal past Koenig in the 67th minute.

The Zargathians seemed more shaken by their 1-0 lead than their Minillan opponents, and the remainder of the game would see a number of free kicks and unnecessary fouls, leading to several warnings all around and a yellow card for Virtanen. In the 83rd minute, McKenna made a foul for which he was booked, and from the free kick Totti managed to sneak a goal past reserve goalie Chal of Zargathia. The game slowed down in the final minutes, both teams finding the current score acceptable, and though there were still some chances on both sides, not much came of it.

[Subtleknifewielder]

[quote name='Kaede Alexeivich' timestamp='1280206227' post='2390884']
The Isara Alliance congratulates Australia for a good game and a well-fought tie, and we look forward to our game against France.
[/quote]
Australia admire the tenacity the Darkstars showed, to play our team to a standstill.

[quote name='Shatner' timestamp='1280507695' post='2395114']
The entire Commonwealth is on it's feet tonight as the impossible happened. The NPC will be moving on to the knockout phase, a true cinderella story thus far.

The Commonwealth needed the win tonight and came out aggressively in what would be one of the defining moments of the team's short history. Stecklenburg, who had become the NPC's go-to-guy struck first with a breakaway goal in the 26th minute giving the Commonwealth the lead. Australia answered back quickly, however, making the score 1-1 all the way down to the finish. In a test of wills, no one else scored until Wellington headed in the cross off a corner from van der Kaap in the 89th minute to win the NPC's advance into the knockout round.

OOC: I substituted Wellington for McKinley because McKinley is my keeper.
[/quote]
"A disappointing loss...against a previously-unkown team. Nevertheless, we congratulate our opponents in their success."

[b]***Private***

[/b]The coach, after each game, gave the players a through chewing-out. If the janitors came by later to find a few dents in some of the lockers, they probably wouldn;t be surprised...

[Minilla Island]

OOC: Are we still running this?

[Michael McBride]

OOC: Yeah, I know, epic gravedig. Many of these nations no longer even exist, so the results and world rankings don't really matter. I will post the world rankings as they would have been after this and then clean out anyone who isn't still around in one form or another (ex. Republic of York team would still be around because they changed to Empire of Pravus Ingruo. VDL would change to Germany if Martens wanted to play. Etc.)

IC:

[size="4"][b]Round of Last 16[/b][/size]
Atlantis v. [b]Greater Japanese Empire[/b] 0-3
Goals for Okazaki, Hasebe (2)(GJE)

[b]Transvaal[/b] v. Kingdom of Cochin 3-0
Goals for D. Botha (2), Alcott (T)

[b]Vereinigte Deutsche Länder[/b] v. Southern Sudan 1-0
Goal for Marin (VDL)
Yellow card for Gwandoya (SS)

[b]Republic of York[/b] v. Isara Alliance 2-1
Goals for Kelly (2)(RoY), Richter (IA)
Yellow card of Edling (RoY)

[b]Alaskan Union[/b] v. Republic of Tahoe 1-1 (4-2p)
Goal for Kealey (AU), Salem (RoT)

[b]United States of America[/b] v. Maritime Republic of J Andres 1-0
Goal for Pennock (USA)
Yellow card for Grossberg (USA), Bellinger (MRJA)

[b]Denmark[/b] v. Marscurian Pakistan 2-1
Goal for Lerby, Rommedahl (D), Tevye (MP)

North Pacific Commonwealth v. [b]Minilla Islands[/b] 0-2
Goal for Abrams, Riemann (MI)
Yellow card for Hastings (NPC)

[size="4"][b]Quaterfinals[/b][/size]
Alaskan Union v. Greater Japanese Empire 0-0 (3-0p)
Yellow cards for Nakken, Kealey (AU)

[b]United States of America[/b] v. Transvaal 2-0
Goal for Geaman, Grossberg (USA)

Denmark v. [b]Vereinigte Deutsche Länder[/b] 0-1
Goal for Marin (VDL)

[b]Republic of York[/b] v. Minilla Islands 1-0
Goal for McCarthy (RoY)
Yellow card for Valadão (RoY)

[size="4"][b]Semifinals[/b][/size]
[b]Vereinigte Deutsche Länder[/b] v. Alaskan Union 2-0
Goal for Marin, Müller (VDL)

[b]Republic of York[/b] v. United States of America 2-1
Goals for McCarthy (2)(RoY), Pennock (USA)
Yellow card for Labant (RoY), Geaman (USA)

[size="4"][b]Finals[/b][/size]
Vereinigte Deutsche Länder v. [b]Republic of York[/b] 0-4
Goals for Kelly (4)(RoY)
Yellow card for Labant, Valadão (RoY)
Red card for Müller, Trochowski (VDL)
Ref from Isara Alliance

[size="4"][b]Awards[/b][/size]
[b]Tournament MVP[/b]: Phillip Kelly – Republic of York
[b]
Golden Boot[/b]: Phillip Kelly (9 goals) – Republic of York

[b]Golden Gloves[/b]: Manuel Jansen – 5 clean sheets - Vereinigte Deutsche Länder
2. John Jacobson – 4 clean sheets – Republic of York
3. Thurston Alderton – 4 clean sheets – Transvaal
4. Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi – 4 clean sheets – Greater Japanese Empire