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Post by Lewis on Dec 20, 2019 23:20:43 GMT 1
DAY 15
The first games of the knockouts for the 2019 were about to begin! This would see one team from each of the 8 matches advance to the quarterfinals. Hosts Wedse challenged against runner up of Group B, Moly-Boronia in a highly competitive match , as both knew that this could be their last match of the tournament. The match started off as expected, with both teams bringing their full effort as there was no going back. However, none of the attempts were proving successful . This left the first half in Polushay at 0-0. There was a lot of tension at the 15 minutes of half time, with speculation of who would really advance. Both sides proved they have what it takes, it was just a matter of time before a goal. The second half came and it felt like a repeat of the first. It was clear that both teams desired their first quarter final placing. Then, a mistake from Moly-Boronia allowed Wedse to attack with force and managed to curve the ball with power into the back of the net. In the 78th minute it was finally there was hope for the hosts of advancing. All that was left for the hosts was to make sure their opponents did not score. Finally, the full time whistle blew and a roar of joy filled the stadium: Wedse had qualified for their first ever quarter final! The journey for Moly-Boronia came to an end after a successful attempt this year, but for Wedse history was made, and surely the celebrations will continue into the night...
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The second match tonight was Corzazjan competing for a quarter final spot against Sincuerello. Sincuerello shocked the world with a goal from a corner in the 2nd minute of the game. Fans of the country could not believe their luck, as there were calls from the Corzazjan player/fans to check to goal as offside. However, this didn’t phase the referee so the game continued as 1-0 to sincuerello. Then, Sincuerello’s lead stretched further as a strike from their captain allowed them to almost guarantee their advancing to the quarter final. Corzazjan instantly seemed to loose effort and became very sloppy , so it’s a surprise that sincuerello did not take advantage of this and score more. Regardless, full time whistle blew, and Sincuerello qualified for their first ever quarterfinal! Sadly for Corzazjan their journey came to an end, the pressure of winning the group must’ve got the better of them, as they seemed to play their worst in this match than any of their others. Sincuerello will face hosts Wedse in their quarterfinals, this means we are guaranteed to see a new country enter the top 4 of the competition!
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Aquia faced Dyria next, in what seemed to be a very tight game. However, these predictions were put to aside as soon as they both took to the pitch in the capital tonight. Realistically, the game was overall one sided, with Aquia securing a 2-0 lead in the first half - with one goal from a penalty and the other from a counter attack in the 44th minute. Dyria still perused in the second half, which showed how desperate they wanted to qualify. This was not the case, as Aquia extended their lead again by a counter attack. They were unstoppable in this tactic as the majority of the players were the fastest in the whole tournament. The match ended as 3-0 to Aquia. Without a doubt, the 2018 runner ups deserve their place in the quarter finals, and will compete against either Fordia or Niolskiaj next in the capital. Dyria failed to do enough to advance, and will travel home tonight. However they must be commemorated for their excellent effort in this competition , and will hopefully make it back to the 2020 tournament to try again ...
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The last, and certainly most intense, match of day 15 came from Polushay, where Fordia took on 2018 winners Niolskiaj. There were very high expectations for both teams tonight, especially Niolskiaj as they are the title holders. Both teams played with amazing quality all through the whole 90 minutes. The quality was so good , that they had to advance to extra time due to the full time score ending 0-0. The extra 30 minutes were pointless, as they still Managed to hold on to the draw. The tension was rising as it was time for the penalties - this would decide on what team makes it to the quarter finals, and would face Aquia. The first three penalties from both sides were immaculate - The fans were so fearful , as the next few penalties would decide their fate. Niolskiaj were the first to make the mistake, the pressure must of got to the young striker, as it completely diverted the goal. Of course, cheers were heard from the crowd , as well as shrieks of pain. Fordia yet again scored the next goals, and the second mistake came from Niolskiaj, which decided the result: Fordia would qualify to the quarter finals. The 2018 World Cup winners were eliminated which means the title was now up for grabs ! Fordia will now challenge Aquia in the quarter finals - as for Niolskiaj, their World Cup journey is over for another year...
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KNOCKOUTS
FIXTURES FOR DAY 16 :
Comment your predictions below!
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Dylan
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Free Palestine💚💗🤍🖤 and join yoshi's new DIVA
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Post by Dylan on Dec 20, 2019 23:32:15 GMT 1
 not like I expected much anyway 💋 |
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Post by Lewis on Dec 21, 2019 21:03:08 GMT 1
DAY 16
The second day of knockouts have arrived, the first match being Namimori v Hwaesonna. The game began as competitive as ever, which is expected in this type of match, as both sides knew that this could be their last match of the year. Namimori conceived the first goal from a header by their mid-fielder. The game looked set for a Namimori win during the first half, as online betting odds instantly favoured them. The second half came and shocked everyone, with Hwaesonna coming back from behind, scoring in the 82nd minute, momentarily saving them from elimination. Alerted Namimori began to make errors which made Hwaesonna push, and ended up with a second goal from a counter attack in the 89th minute. The Hwaesonna fans chanted their teams name all around and outside the stadium- they could not believe their luck: Hwaesonna are in the quarter-finals ! Namimori are no longer in the competition, and have nothing left to do so they will be travelling home tonight. A great campaign for Hwaesonna so far and will either face Lidonia or Levalle next in their quarter-final match tomorrow!
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The next knockout match was from Group G winners Lidonia, competing for a quarter-final match against last years hosts Levalle. The match seemed all in favour of Lidonia right from the start, the opening goal was in the eighth minute from Lidonia’s Captain - curving the ball into the back of the net in a well planned attack. The stadium was jumping with glee during the rest of the match, as Levalle seemed quite stressed and contained in the first half. It was clear what team was the best. The second half came and Lidonia yet again pounded the ball into the opposite net this time, making the score 2-0 even more in favour of Lidonia. Fans were preparing to party into the night as the closing minutes were getting closer - it did not seem like Levalle was going to score any time soon. Full time came, 2-0 to Lidonia and they will challenge Hwaesonna tomorrow for a spot in the semi-finals! Can last years 4th place come through and make it all the way to the finals?! As for Levalle, they didn’t manage to beat last years results, but still got a decent overall rank , however this doesn’t change the fact that they have no more matches to play and therefore are eliminated from the 2019 FANA World Cup...
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Group winners Llort faced runners up Scandavia next: a match the whole of Fantasia was anticipating. This match seemed to be a very high quality game as neither viewers of betting odds could specify who would advance. The match started with an eerie mood - fans from either side seemed fearful for their teams, they didn’t seem enthusiastic at the beginning. The match continued and little attempts were accurate enough to push for a goal, with the possession at half time only favouring Llort by 51%. Second half began and the rain was pouring down onto the pitch, making things a little more difficult for the players. In the 83rd minute, the Scandavian defender slipped from trying to do an almost impressive trick. The ball then diverted into the feet of a Llort striker who took this moment to sprint into the hail and create the only good attempt that Llort was going to get, and managed to send it to the second striker who slid the ball underneath the goal keeper and finally, there was hope for the Llort players. The arena was at its loudest , full of cheers and boos. Full time came and the final score was Llort 1-0 to Scandavia. Llort will now go on to compete against either Prunia or UL Jarea in the quarter-finals! Scandavia sadly has been eliminated and will have to wait until next year to try and win the contest.
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The last game of the round of 16 was Prunia v UL Jarea. The first half was truly in Prunia’s favour as they managed to score in the 3rd, 8th and 30th minutes. Several UL Jarea fans had already left the stadium in shame of their country - but didn’t stay for what was to come. The second half was as intense as it could possibly get. UL Jarea seemed to be 100x better than the first half, as they scored in the 50th and 56th minutes. The manager of UL Jarea could be heard screaming at the players very harshly, as he knew that their team has a chance again of advancing. Then, as the score was 3-2, a Prunian player kicked a UL Jarea player over some words that were said between them during a corner kick. This then gave UL Jarea a penalty which could’ve put them back in the game. The captain of UL Jarea was the one to take the penalty , he could be seen on TV to smirk at the goal keeper, he must’ve felt confident that he would score. Embarrassingly, he missed by a mile and therefore their only chance to get back in the game was blown. Boos filled the arena , and the atmosphere was worsened when Prunia sealed their quarter-final placing by scoring a 4th goal in the 70th minute. Nothing much happened after this as UL Jarea was damaged by the penalty failure. The match ended 4-2, Prunia will take to the pitch against Llort in the quarter-finals in Zaxat Akhena, which will be another very exciting match...
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FIXTURES FOR DAY 17 :
Comment your predictions below!
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Syr
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𝙄𝙢 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙨
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Post by Syr on Dec 21, 2019 21:38:18 GMT 1
i'm sorry  Namimori, my Koran sister, but it had to happen. |
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Blandine
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Si tout ça a un sens
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Post by Blandine on Dec 21, 2019 22:04:12 GMT 1
Reaction of Prunian coach  Noah Sierras« The team showed an excellent mentality and great character, my players gave their all in this match and I took great pride in noticing it. [...] We did not missed our chance. [...] Now, we must continue to give eveything. We will need a lot of mastery and patience to face the strong team of  Llort. We will have to not let anything go through from beginning to end. » |
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Post by Lewis on Dec 22, 2019 20:34:02 GMT 1
DAY 17
The quarter-finals have arrived! Tonight in Stadözh Giina, Wedse Capital, the first semi-finalist will be known. 8 countries will be narrowed down to just 4 by the end of tomorrow night, when we will find out what countries will be battling it out to go to the 2019 FANA World Cup Final. Hosts Wedse were among the top 8, competing against Sincuerello. The arena was buzzing, with spectators from all over the world. Tonight , the citizens of Wedse were parading around downtown, in celebration of their countries success - and would wonder how long it will last?
The match commenced with a roar of cheers, to begin the quarter-final stage! Wedse looked quite shook by the crowd at first, probably overwhelming the players. This lead to the first goal coming from Sincuerello in the 26th minute, from a counter attack by their fast striker, who didn’t waste any time from when he got the ball, to booting it into the back of the net. The manager from Sincuerello began to do a lap of honour all the way around the pitch , as if the winners was decided there and then. This backfired by a quick header from the Wedse captain allowed them to stay in contention of advancing. Half time came and the mood in the arena was still in good spirits, the match was still open to much more action and the players from both sides seemed to be confident when entering the changing rooms.
It was time for second half, and fans were slowly becoming more agitated as the score was 1-1. The players still competed with pure quality, and whoever would win the match in no-doubt would deserve it. The match continued to have little thrills until the 76th minute , when a penalty was awarded to Wedse from a handball by the Sincuerello defender - inside the penalty area during a corner kick. Of course , Stadözh Giina was at its loudest as they knew this goal could potentially give Wedse the chance to compete in the semi finals for the first time! Tension filled the stadium , as the ball was fired into the goalies direction , rebounding off of his hand, and was directed by the goal keeper into the left courier of the net . Fans screamed with joy as the hosts were now in the lead 2-1 against Sincuerello . Not much happened afterwards, apart from the chanting of Wedsen fans. Full time came, and Wedse had defied the odds and qualified for the semi-finals of the 2019 FANA World Cup. Fans in the capital could not believe their countries luck. In contrast, Sincuerello fans were very distraught as if the penalty didn’t occur then it could’ve been them partying into the night. Wedse will face either Hwaesonna or Lidonia in the semi-finals!
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The second quarter-final match and last match of the day was in Zaxat Akhena, where Hwaesonna competed against Lidonia for a semi final spot against hosts Wedse. Hwaesonna was threatened right from the opening seconds, as Lidonia monumentally controlled possession, and blocked every chance Hwaesonna seemed to get. Lidonia seemed fit and ready to advance, and it sure seemed like they were in it to win it. It was only a matter of time until a goal occurred, and in the 27th minute Lidonia scored from a planned attack . They then continued this tactic which they noticed worked against the Hwaesonna defence, and in the first half scored two more times: in the 30th and 43rd minutes. The odds were in Lidonia’s favour by half time, and possession also was dominated by them - at 82% to 18%!
The second half came, and fans from Hwaesonna has lost their voices, and became disconnected to the game, as they knew that their team couldn’t compete against the stronger team of Lidonia. Despite this, Hwaesonna managed to gain more possession of then ball , probably due to the fact that Lidonia calmed down a bit as their lead was by 3 goals. This didn’t stop Lidonia from making one last big attempt in the 72nd minute and scored perfectly from an open goal , instantly sealing their qualification to the semi finals! The full time whistle blew and Hwaesonna fans booed very loudly in the stadium, and there were small occurrences of fights breaking out outside the stadium. Regardless, the players from Hwaesonna should feel proud by getting their best result at a World Cup. This meant that yet again, Lidonia have made it to the semi-finals of a World Cup, and will compete against hosts Wedse in Stadözh Giina on the 24th December for a place in the 2019 FANA World Cup Final!
Congratulations to  Wedse and  Lidonia, you are the first semi-finalists!
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FIXTURES FOR DAY 18 :
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Post by Lewis on Dec 23, 2019 20:08:51 GMT 1
DAY 18
The last day of quarterfinal matches has arrived, and this match will probably be the biggest match of the tournament (apart from the final): Aquia took on Fordia. The last time these two teams played each over was back in the 2018 FANA World Cup, in the semi finals where Aquia beat Fordia by penalties. Could they repeat their success tonight and go to the semi finals ?
The match kicked off and all viewers were eager to see how the match would pan out - two very high quality teams , both reached the top 4 last year but one will not make the top 4 this year. Aquia as usual made their mark by countering the majority of Fordia’s attempts at scoring. The score continued to linger at 0-0, with fans in fear of a repeat of last year. However, this turned out not to be the case, when Aquia scored in the 43rd minute by crossing in the ball from a well planned attack against the Fordian defence , and the goal keeper had no chances of catching the ball at such speed of the kick from the Aquian striker. This dampened the match just before half time - then the players went to rest for 15 minutes whilst fans from both sides were confident of their countries qualification.
Second half came, and of course Aquia took advantage of their speed and blocked every attempt that a Fordia could get , this made it difficult for the strikers of Fordia as their chances were always overrun. Aquian fans brought trumpets and drums into the stadium tonight - and could be heard very loudly in the closing minutes as they started to believe that they will , yet again, make it to another semi-final. The full time whistle blew and Aquia will advance to the rest round to face either Llort or Prunia in the semi finals ! Fordia only just missed out the top 4 by one goal, which is a shame considering the quality they brought to the contest. Regardless of the position, they can hold their heads high and be proud of what they have done !
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The last quarter-final match of the 2019 FANA World Cup came from Stadözh Anaxat in Polushay: where Llort competed against Prunia for the last spot in the semi-finals. Llort was certainly eyeing their first top 4 appearance and brought their A-game tonight, the same goes to Prunia who have experienced the semi finals before. Kick off finally arrived and the tensions were very high in Polushay: the fans who couldn’t make it into the arena certainly made themselves known by parading through down-town Polushay, causing massive delays to the bus and metro services. The opening goal was from Llort in such style, their captain sprinted from the opposite end of the pitch towards the Prunian goal keeper: he waster no time and pounded the ball into the back of the net by curling it leftwards which tricked the goalie. This was the fans from Llort’s dream: they have always wanted to win the World Cup , and this goal could potentially give them a stronger chance of taking the trophy! The glory extended further with another goal by the captain from a corner kick made by Llort! The difference between the two countries was now 2 goals: Prunia had some serious work to do if they wanted to advance. It was then half time, and the score stood 2-0 in favour of Llort!
Second half came and instant boos from Prunian fans were heard , the bitter atmosphere caught Llort of guard which lead to the next goal of the game: from Prunia! The game seemed to be back on as Llort was not safe at all, as they still had around 40 minutes of match time left! Despite the goal, Llort managed to focus on defence rather than attack, so that they didn’t have to go to extra time , or even the dreaded penalties. Luckily for them, the captain of Prunia pulled his hamstring and had to be sent of in the 70th minute. This boosted Llort’s confidence as they tried their very best not to be killed by another goal. Finally, it was over: the whistle went and the score was 2-1. Prunia are now eliminated and Llort have qualified for their first ever World Cup semi-finals! They will compete against another fierce team: Aquia on the 26th December, where Llort could potentially make it to the 2019 FANA World Cup Final.
Congratulations to  Aquia and Llort, you are the next semi-finalists!
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KNOCKOUTS
FIXTURE FOR DAY 19 :
Comment your predictions below!
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Blandine
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Post by Blandine on Dec 23, 2019 22:14:09 GMT 1
Reaction of Prunian coach Noah Sierras« Well it's over. This World Cup stops here today for us. Yes, disappointement and frustration are obviously our predominant feelings right now, because we had the desire and the ambition to go further. We lacked of efficiency, of success and of a little bit of luck as well. It's difficult to feel proud right now, but we should not forget what we did in this competition, because I believe we still managed to show good things. We will continue to work, most certainly in a harder way, and we will look forward to the World Cup 2020. » |
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Post by Lewis on Dec 26, 2019 23:05:35 GMT 1
DAY 19
The first and only semi-final match of the day was from Stadözh Giina, Wedse Capital. It was time to find out what team would become the first finalists of the 2019 FANA World Cup: hosts Wedse faced Lidonia. This would be a momentous occasion if either team won, as it would be their first time in the final ! The stadium had no space for extra spectators tonight, as the hill behind Stadözh Giina a was filled with rows of people watching it on a projector outside.
The match commenced with an uproar of fans cheering , and fierce force from the Lidonian side. The hosts seemed as if they’d found their matchmaker as this was the only match that they seemed to not dominate. Of course this made Lidonia only stronger, and this was seen when a well planned counter attack ended with a stunning goal from their captain - which could’ve been the goal to potentially see Lidonia go to the Final. Not much happened after , apart from a few fouls and corners - but these didn’t create any opportunities for either side. Half time came, and the atmosphere was still amazing in the stadium, despite the score being 1-0 to Lidonia.
The second half was basically a repeat of the first, Wedse looks vulnerable and Lidonia was continuing to dominate, which came with yet another goal in the 60th minute from a long ranged kick from the Lidonian Midfielder. Wedse needed to score at least 2 goals if they wanted to stand a chance, but things didn’t look bright for them. Full time came, and the final score was 2-0 to Lidonia: they have advanced to their first ever World Cup final ! Congratulations to Lidonia and they will face either Aquia or Llort on Sataurday! Sadly, this meant that the journey of hosts Wedse has come to an end, fans were not booing tonight - only claps for the achievement of the Wedsen team. They have come from 19th in 2018 , to top 4 in 2019 and their final placing will be determined on Sataurday where they will face the looser from the Aquia v Llort game in Bkhö - to determine who’ll get 3rd place!
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FIXTURE FOR DAY 20 :
Comment your predictions below!
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Post by MaRtIn on Dec 26, 2019 23:34:03 GMT 1
We're coming for that trophy! |
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