Lyrali

Hello soccer fans of Lyrali! Ron Aldo here to bring you the first of the 2120 World Cup action! We've got an interesting matchup here folks between Korussa, making their first World Cup appearance, and Actavii, a talented team that is yet to attain a win here at the Lyrali World Cup. The winner of this match takes on the hosts and potentially favoited Kimoa, which will be a hard task indeed. That being said, both teams will look to put in a confident and smooth performance in this opening match and potentially upset the heavy favorites. Here come the teams out of the tunnel now and their expressions show a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

Would everyone please stand for the national anthems!

*National anthems play*

Moments away is the start of the 3rd quadrennial World Cup! But first, a preview of the two teams as they get into position.

This Korussa team was preparing heavily for this World Cup, even reaching out to Oceania to play a friendly. However, these plans fell through and this will be the Korussian national team's first ever game. Can they handle the pressure of their entire nation watching them, or will they fold under it?

Actavii on the other hand has a troubled history here at the World Cup. They played in the FIRST EVER World Cup match all the way back in 2112 (oh my seems so long ago now, doesn't it?), where they ultimately fell to the hosts 2-1. In their next appearance in 2116, Actavii got the upper hand early but fell once again, this time to eventual runners-up in The vimia. Can two World Cup's worth of experience propel these Actaviians to victory, or will their disappointing history continue?

1st Half

Kick-Off: Here we go! The Korussans are dressed in yellow, while the Actaviians are equipped with their white kits with red shoulders and trim.

'4 The Actaviians have possession here, working their way up but the attack is broken up by the Korussian defense. One defender passes to a midfielder, who's escape down field is cut off by multiple Actaviians. He passes backwards towards his teammate who gifted him the ball BUT IT'S A WEAK PASS! The Actaviian striker gets to it before the Korussans do. The defender gets physical with him but is out muscled and falls to the grass! The striker continues on and nutmegs the ball through another defender's legs into the penalty box. HE GETS TO THE BALL AGAIN AND SHOOTS but is blocked by the knee of a Korussan. The ball lands on the left side of the box where the LEFT WINGER IS WAITING! HE SPRINGS ONTO THE CHANCE LIKE AN ANIMAL POUNCING ONTO WOUNDED PREY AND SHOOTS TOWARDS THE FAR POST! Ohhhh, not quite on target and you can hear the collective groan of the Actaviian supporters as it dribbles dangerously close to the post but in the end is out for a goal kick. Would have been a brilliant way to start their World Cup campaign, but it was not to be.

'20 The Acaviian right winger lines up for the corner kick, raises his hands above his head and swings the ball into the box. It finds the head of an Actaviian player on the left who heads it into the crowd of players in the middle of the box and THE BALL ENDS UP IN THE BACK OF THE NET! And Actavii's attacking playstyle has been rewarded here, it's a goal for them and they look very pleased with themselves! It appears the left winger is the center of the celebrations, making up for his miss earlier. A replay here shows the ball being headed towards the far post, where the left winger stuck his head out and scores. 1-0 here in favor of Actavii.

'35 The Korussans have launched their first real threatening attack off of a cross from midfield towards their striker but he is sandwiched between two defenders, one of which kicks the ball up into the air. While it's still coming down, players from both sides move into the box to battle for it. The ball lands and bounces into the hand of an Actaviian defender! Appeals for a handball are ignored by the referee. The ball is swiped from the defender by a Korussan who's moving towards the right post. The ball is in turn taken from him and cleared away by a defender. The Korussan fans are disappointed a penalty was not awarded but another looks shows us the defender's arms were not outstretched and were instead held to his side, meaning it was not a handball.

'42 The Korussans again launch a cross from midfield, this time with more targets available in the box. The ball lands on the head of a Korussan player before sailing towards the middle where a KORUSSAN PLAYER HAS BROKEN FREE OF HIS MARK! HE DIVES AND HEADS THE BALL BUT THE ACTAVIIAN KEEPER MAKES A MAGNIFICANT SAVE TO TURN THE BALL AWAY! He sprints towards the ball and falls on it before anyone else can make a shot. Terrific save by the Actaviian keeper to keep his side in the lead.

'45+1 One last move on goal for the Korussans as the right winger sends a ball right outside the box to the Korussan striker. He makes a move around his defender and shoots. Much to his despair the ball is blocked but FALLS TO HIS FEET ONCE AGAIN! He again moves around a defender and SHOOTS but the ball flies up into the air and comes back down into the crowd. Horrid miss, really.

'45+3 The referee sends a shrill scream omitted from his whistle into the atmospheric air and the game is halted for halftime. For halftime, I'll send you over to our halftime analyst and my commentating apprentice, Ray Dio. I'll see you in the 2nd half for more World Cup action!

Hello everyone, Ray Dio speaking. A rather exciting start to this World Cup I'd say. Plenty of highlights to break down and analyze, as well as my personal predictions for the 2nd half. Let's get to it.

Early in the game in the forth minute Actavii was granted a chance to grab the lead. An attack that lacked the potency to result in a goal was expectedly stopped by an inexperienced but competent Korussan defense. Now, if these Korussans were a little bit more comfortable on the ball and had actually faced another national team prior to this game perhaps they would have gotten rid of the ball and avoided this early heart attack. The ball is passed from the intercepting defender here to a midfielder there, so the latter could progress the ball up the field and potentially start a counter attack. Now, a counter attack seems unlikely due to the fact he had really no where to go with the ball but backwards thanks to this wall of Actaviian players here. He makes the right call by passing backwards to the defender who could have sent the ball upfield via a cross but the pass itself could have been better. As a result, the Actaviian striker surges forward, knocks the nearest defender to the ground while claiming the ball in the process and makes easy work of the defenders on him. The defense did do well to get back in time to block his shot but in doing so allowed the left side of the box to open up. Because of that, the left winger was able to get to the rebounded ball unguarded. He shoots his shot but misses. He just doesn't get a crisp hold of the ball on his cleat and sends the ball out of bounds.

The goal once again highlights the Korussan defense's inability to defend the whole box. The corner kick comes in through the box to the foot of an Actaviian defender. This defender was presumed less of a threat than the midfielders and attackers in the middle of the box, so was left unguarded. As soon as the pass leaves the defender's foot, the Korussans realize their mistake and can only jump helplessly as the left winger delivers the ball to it's destination at the back of the net. In this day and age of football, defenders are becoming more versatile and well rounded than ever before. The Korussans failed to realize this because in their domestic league they play not necessarily an inferior method of football but certainly and older one. if you look at their highlights later in the game, especially the chances they had from crosses, you'll realize the Korussan defenders don't push up very far up the field. They usually stop around midfield and watch from afar. This is a classic tactic called the 'Offside Trap'. As they sit behind the midfield line, they are preparing to potentially cut off a counter attack, either by simply stealing the ball or catching the opponent offsides. Though this tactic CAN work, it prohibits the Korussans from utilizing wingbacks and seriously limits their offensive capabilities.

The Actaviian tactic on the other hand revolves around defending and attacking as a team. That's why they've dominated possession up until this point. When they have the ball, everyone moves up and outnumbers the Korussans in their own half. This also helps to explain how the Korussans had significantly less chances than them. The player in the defensive half almost always outnumbered the Korussan offense.

So, all this being addressed, where do both teams go from here? Well, the Korussans will have to come out of their shell a bit if they hope to take this game away from the Actaviians. The defenders will have to push up and aide the offense. For the Actaviians, here is what I would do if I was the head coach. I've noticed the Actaviian defenders have struggled with the long ball offense that the Korussans are using, which is just booting a ball down field towards your attackers. Because the ball is usually being crossed at the midfield line, the Actaviians have no time to fall back on defense, letting the Korussans have increased odds of scoring. At this point, I would make some half time substitutions, putting in taller defenders who can more easily defend the long ball coming in. They SHOULD shift towards a more defensive minded playstyle called the Low Block, which is where a team digs in and has most of their team playing in their own half.

I expect the Korussans will have more possession in the 2nd half because of the low block and in turn have more offensive chances. It may get a bit nerve-wracking, but I will predict that the 1-0 score stands until the end of the match. After this upcoming commercial break, the 2nd half will get underway.

*Camera pans out before turning to commercials*

'52 The Korussan right winger has the ball up near the touchline but has the ball stolen from him by the opposing left back. He dribbles a bit too hard and a Korussan midfielder is there to steal it away. He passes the ball to the Korussan striker, who in turn notches a pass through the Actaviian defensive line where the Korussan left winger races to reach it! HE FIRES AWAY BUT the Actaviian keeper is there once again. The ball hits his leg and bounces away out of harm. Another big save for this keeper who was called upon again to keep his team ahead!

'84 Ever since that chance for Korussa earlier in the half, the Actaviians have not been content to sit back and defend, they are looking for another goal. It's late into the game now, so a goal here would surely be a nail in the coffin. The Actaviian right wnger runs up the wing and sends in a cross for his pals galloping into the box. A defender leaps forward to head the ball away BUT HEADS THE BALL INTO HIS OWN NET INSTEAD! My, oh my the Korussans concede a second in HEARTBREAKING fashion. The goalkeeper looks at his defender with a feeling of some sort of betrayal in his eyes while the Actaviians celebrate what will likely be their first win at the Lyrali World Cup!

'90+3 The full-time whistle blows and THEY. HAVE. DONE IT! After 8 LONG years of heartbreak and disappointments, the Actaviians will not be heading home from the World Cup after the first round for the FIRST TIME in their history. Proud faces out there, all from Actavii. They move on to face the juggernauts of Lyrali football, Kimoa! The knight in shining armor goes forth on his valiant steed to slay the dragon. What a performance and what a game to get us back into the spirit of the WORLD CUP!

I'm Ron Aldo and I'll see you later today for the meeting between the Red Lions and the Canton Coast. Until then, this is the 2120 Lyrali World Cup!

Korussa 0, Actavii 2

Hello again everyone, Ron Aldo here with more World Cup action here in Kimoa! The Red Lions of Frontier Isles look to defend their title while the Cantonese look to stage a massive upset here. The winner will face off either againstThe United Oceanian Isles or Fushcor. One may come to the conclusion that the winner of this match will have an easy road to the final, seeing as they will either have to play against a team that has never really been of the giants of the football world and a team that is making their first appearance. While that may or may not be true, it certainly is looming in the minds of the players down there.

Everyone please stand for the national anthems!
*National Anthems play*

Here is how the Red Lions line up.

Between the sticks is Captain Frank Ionescu. He is the lone member of the 2112 team still on the squad. He has proved very reliable in goal, with 3 clean sheets in 4 starts and only 2 goals given up. His defenders in front of him will be David Aston, Richard Davenport, James Friedman and James Brown, all of which are new to the World Cup scene. Given their inexperiance, it may be left to Ionescu to provide leadership in the back and give them directions.

The midfielders lining up are Arthur Thompson and Howard Johnson, both having played in the 2116 World Cup in the Yi Empire. Also joining them is youngster Joey Chan, who will certainly learn a lot playing alongside two great midfielders.

The front three for today will be Harold Pottinger, Charles Mulligan and Billy Kim.

The team is coached by long time position holder Frederick Williams. Frederick Williams has an undefeated record with the national team at the World Cup with 4 wins and 2 draws (draws include games not decided within 90 minutes). With a 66.7 winning percentage, he is no doubt one of the brilliant minds of the footballing world.

One thing to notice about the Red Lions is the absence of footballing legend James Tsai. A great goal scorer in his career, he led the team to their World Cup triumph in 2116. With him gone and with a large number of youngsters on the roster, how will they fare? Who will be popping in the goals for them but most importantly, who will provide the star power? Can the younglings prove their worth and help bring this team it's 2nd World Cup title? Or will this tournament end without a trophy for them?

Canton Coast have a fair bit of footballing talent themselves. They were bulldozed by Kimoa last time out but showed promise in that game. Given they had 4 years to develop their talent since then, one would expect they will continue to get better. However, they have been handed an unfavorable draw against the defending champions who, despite their weaknesses, are a strong team. Can Canton Coast shock the reigning world champions, or will they unceremoniously be heading home?

Kick-Off: The Red Lions are dressed in, well, Red and the Cantonese are dressed in white and blue.

'16 The Cantonese have been bold thus far today, not being afraid to press and bring pressure to the Red Lions. Ionescu comes forth to receive a pass from his defender. He passes it upfield to Harold Pottinger who is TACKLED AS HE PASSES THE BALL, THAT"S SURELY A FOUL. The referee allows the play to continue but the attack eventually fizzles out. The ball is knocked out of play and the Kimoan responsible, the left midfielder, is given the book. A yellow here, the first in fact of this World Cup. It seems Frontier Isles is a bit scared by their Cantonese opposition and that WAS an aggressive tackle, perhaps sending home the message 'We are here to win and we think we can get the win, we are not afraid."

'21 The Red Lions are looking for blood here, they're on the offensive, hunting for that opening goal. Harold Pottinger is gifted the ball, which bounces behind him. He improvises though and lifts his foot up to pass to David Aston, who's come up behind him on the right side of the box. He sends a cross in but the ball is headed up and away by a Cantonese defender. Good defensive work there from the Cantonese left back and the Cantonese are impressing so far. It seems they know the insecurities of their opposition and are exposing them for all the world to see. Prime stuff.

'33 There's been a bit of a back and fourth in midfield but the Cantonese have come out with the ball and are racing down field. The right winger receives the ball and crosses it towards the left post where the Cantonese striker and James Brown both jump up for the ball but BROWN IS OUTMUSCLED AND THE STRIKER HEADS THE BALL HOME! AN OPENING GOAL HERE FOR THE CANTONESE! They've worked very hard here for this and now they've got the lead! The celebratory Cantonese are jumping for joy here, what a great start here. 1-0, the underdogs are up top for the time being!

'39 A Frontierian attack here finds Arthur Thompson with the ball just outside box. He passes to Pottinger on the right, who strikes the ball first time and HITS THE CORNER OF THE GOALFRAME ON THAT ONE BUT THE BALL SAILS OUT OF BOUNDS! A good shot from Pottinger but it was not good enough. The Cantonese are breathing sighs of relief there and the Frontierians are holding heads in hands.

'45+4 Halftime here and what a first half that was! Twists and turns of all sorts and just really, really good football. The Cantonese want to keep up the momentum going into the second half, while Frederick Williams needs to give his side a pep talk and convince them to play with more confidence. I have to say these Red Lions simply don't look the same, they look shaky. But, the 2116 World Cup winning team was behind twice in the final but still managed to lift the trophy at game's end. They are a team defined by grit, so don't be surprised if they launch a comeback. Off to Ray Dio now for half time analysis and predictions!

Ray Dio here, providing analysis of the 1st half you just watched.

In the sixteenth minute the Cantonese left midfielder fouled Pottinger and you can see that he really made no effort to actually get the ball, the foul was merely to intimidate Pottinger. While the brutality of the tackle may have scared the youngsters as they seemed to be the most nervous on the team, Pottinger was seemingly unaffected. It is worth noting he is more experienced than a lot of his teammates and he is used to getting fouled while playing for his club Westminster Capital F.C. Other than this tackle, the Cantonese have been very disciplined in their defense and have made it tough for the Red Lions to find really any opening in their defense.

The goal was an unfortunate stroke of luck for the Red Lions. The cross from the right winger of Canton Coast was not especially good at all and really should have been headed away by James Brown. However, the Cantonese striker was more aggressive on the ball and therefore earned his goal. It must be admitted that the striker does indeed have a stronger build than Brown, but it is still inexcusable to give up such an unwarranted goal. All Brown had to do was simply head the ball out of play but he held back, and that really has been the story so far in this first half. The Cantonese have acted boldly and their Frontierian counterparts have largely disappointed their large crowds here to support them.

The Red Lions did have a stroke of near genius later in the half though. They worked as a team and Pottinger got off a shot that nailed the upright. The angle was tight but Pottinger did well to get it was close as it was. This moment can go down in one of two ways. It can either be a confidence bringer for them as they finally cracked the enigma of the Cantonese back line and got a decent opportunity, or a morale dropper as they might feel that it only gets tougher from here. The Red Lions are a team renowned for their bounce back ability, so I'll wager it'll be the former.

What coach Williams should be telling his team is they just need to be aggressive, really get into the swing of things. If they match the confidence of the Cantonese the game will open up for them and they'll get more chances. In a way, this could be seen as the perfect start to a title defense. it's giving the youngsters invaluable experience and it's challenging them to do better. As for the Cantonese, they simply need to keep the same tempo. It's obvious they've got the opposition shook and on the ropes, so if they could snatch another goal that might be the end of it. Either way, the 2nd half is shaping up to be spectacular. It'll be on, right after this.

*Commercials play before camera shows football pitch*

'57 A Cantonese cross rocketed towards the box was cleared out by Davenport, who sent the ball back into the direction it came. The ball lands in front of a Cantonese midfielder who traps the ball and sends it out to his right. The Cantonese right winger dribbles into the box and SHOOTS THE BALL ACROSS THE BOX WHERE IT KNOCKS THE POST AND FLIES BACK TOWARDS HIM! Aston sticks out a foot to send it out of bounds for a corner kick, a good defensive play to prevent a follow up attack. Ionescu has come forward to smile at Aston and share a few encouraging words, letting him know he's appreciated the effort.

'64 The Red Lions have shown their true hue as they launch an offensive here. Johnson passes to Chan, who bumps into a Cantonese player but not before sliding a pass to Billy Kim. Kim sends a cross directly to Richard Pitt who just came on. Pitt SHOOTS FROM POINT BLANK AND THE SHOT BLASTS PAST THE KEEPER FOR A GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!! It is even stevens here for the Red Lions courtesy of Richard Pitt! The whole team chases after him and he runs, arms outstretched towards the cameras by the corner flag. A replay shows Pitt scored by hopping over the ball but dragging his right foot behind him, lifting it just in time to nick the ball on towards goal, absolutely brilliant technique. Coach Williams on the touch line gives an impressed smirk and claps his hands. 1-1 here in this match.

'71 The Frontierian back line is passing to each other, slowly mulling over how to break through the middle of the field and launch another attack. Davenport passes to Friedman who moved upwards to get into position to launch an advance. The whole Red Lion pride is getting into motion as Friedman makes a pass towards Chan but the pass is intercepted! The Cantonese are launching a counterattack. Their striker receives the ball and flashes on towards the box. He arrives there with Davenport in hot pursuit, he makes a nice play with his feet and baits Davenport into a tackle. Penalty! The referee calls penalty. Davenport gives a frustrated laugh and wags his finger but the referee simply shakes his head. A massive decision at this point in the game. Davenport and others of his team gather around, pleading with the referee but all he does is hold up a hand, effectively telling them to shut up or get a card. Davenport is given a yellow card, presumably for the challenge. It was CLEAR AND OBVIOUS, no doubt a penalty. Both coaches are pacing up and down the sideline, they both know very well this could be the deciding moment of the game.

'72 As the Cantonese striker walks up, Ionescu is grinning and saying something to him. To my knowledge, both of these players play in the domestic league of Frontier Isles and have in fact faced each other in a penalty before, which ended in Ionescu saving the shot. I can make out slightly what he's saying. It appears he's saying "I know you. I know how you shoot your penalties." The Cantonese striker is visibly nervous about facing this familiar face. He takes a deep breath and strides up. IONESCU TO THE LEFT, BALL TOWARDS THE RIGHT BUT IT IS LASERED OFF TARGET AND INTO THE CROWD! THE PENALTY HAS BEEN MISSED! Ionescu rises to his feet and earns some pats on the backs from his teammates. The Cantonese coach sits on the bench, hands held up to his face, covering it. This was exactly what the Red Lions needed to shift the game in their favor, an equalizing goal followed up by a missed penalty. The Red Lions have their eyes on their prey.

'81 Late in the game and the TENSIONS. ARE. RISING. The Cantonese are trying to hold off until extra time, making some late substitutions. They've swapped out some defenders and one midfielder, moving their strategy to be more defensive minded. The Red Lions are on the hunt here, with substitute Chase Ford leading the charge. He puts a cross up for his teammates Pitt (who's been playing in a forward position today) and Kim. Pitt heads it down for Kim TO TUCK IT AWAY!!! LATE LATE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLL HERE FOR THE RED LIONS! What a promising duo, that Pitt and Kim. Both have an assist and goal in this game, good performance by the experienced midfielder and the prodigal forward. That could be the winner here! The Frontierian bench is jubilant as Kim and the on field players make a visit to celebrate. The Cantonese coach is looking on, this game has fully slipped away from his side.

'90+5 The whistle has been blown and the game is over! A mighty roar from the Red Lion supporters, quite amazed by their teams fighting spirit to steal this win away from their potential rivals over at Canton Coast. The Cantonese coach is consoling his players, who look heartbroken over the result. You have to admire both teams, really. The Cantonese punched above their weight for the entire first half and were not afraid of the reigning champions of the world. On the other hand, the Frontier Isles squad has become famous for never giving up. As the old saying goes, when the going gets tough the tough get going. Truly inspiring. If you're faced with adversity, keep on moving along and you'll climb whatever mountain it is you're tasked with climbing. I'm Ron Aldo and I'll see you when Oceania takes on Fushcor. Until then, this is the 2120 Lyrali World Cup.

Frontier Isles 2, Canton Coast 1