Games 232, 233 and 234 (Friendly Matches), 12-17-299 and 12-18-299:

Game 232: Namuria - Islandia, 12-17-299:
 
 The Technical Information:

Final score: NAMURIA 4 - ISLANDIA 0
Played in: Holy Imperial Park Stadium, Argaal, Namuria
Attendance: 176,775
Referee: Johnny Whistler (CHR)
Goals: Ebropa (NAM, 17.), Jaar (NAM, 33.), Ebropa (NAM, 61.), Salasarien (NAM,
88.)
Yellow cards: Vabasta (NAM, 8.), Ise (NAM, 34.), Johannsson (ISL, 51.), Nokh (NAM,
61.)
Substitutions: Sigurgeirsson for Petursson (ISL, 8.), Druvolan for Gandarro (NAM,
45.), Hallgrimsson for Andersson (ISL, 63.)

Islandia is steamrolled, overwhelmed by huge stadium, crowds!

Everyone would agree that Islandia is one of the better sides of Vexillium, but
they were simply not prepared for the incredible spectacle that soccer is in
Namuria... and a stadium that is so enourmous, it seats over 170,000 people, each
of them screaming at the top of their lungs!! <TECH>I toned it down from 270,000 -
that seems a little to Rio-esque ;-)</TECH>

Soccer is religion in Namuria, and the nation was literally devastated after their
shocking loss to Djeriga in the Smalik Shootout, but today all that was forgotten,
as the Golden Eagles went to work on their own sacred home soil.  Thiings did not
go Islandia's way from the beginning, as a yellow foul by Vabasta felled star
Petursson, who had to be helped from the pitch, and was replaced by Sigurgeirsson
in only the 8. minute.  Thus weakened, Islandia received another blow with
ex-Neonesian star Ebropa scoring in the 17. minute after a brilliant solo.  The
Islandians were visibly distracted by the spectacle around them, the noise and
fiercely partisan crowds, the fireworks and drums, it began to affect their
concentration, and Namuria was able to capitalie fully, scoring again before the
break after a nice header by Jaar.

The Penguins looked still a little befuddled as they returned after the break to
the same boisterous atmosphere.  They never quite seemed to be able to play their
game, and the Namurians also employed aggressive forechecking, seemingly driven on
by the energy of their home crowds.  When Ebropa scored again in the 61. minute,
bunting a rebound off the crossbar into the goal past Fabiansson, Islandia's fate
was more or less sealed.  The late goal by Salasarien was just icing on the cake,
and Islandia was surely eager to get off the pitch and find some place quiet to
collect their thoughts, and figure out what the heck just happened to them.  They
did not play badly, but they were mentally not ready for the unusual and
distracting environment in this gigantic stadium!

Namuria, needless to say, broke out into a nationwide frenzy, as their beloved,
holy Golden Eagles had redeemed themselves in the most endearing fashion, with a
high win over an internationally respected team!  Their next opponents, Eastern
Islands and Lendosa, will need to solve the challenges posed by the home field
conditions to have any chance.  Namuria is looking good... but remember, the
VexCup is NOT played in Namuria, but overseas.  Nevertheless, obviously they are a
force to be reckoned with!

Final score: AROS 0 - RAS LANARCH 0
Played in: Aros National Arena, Dreesbach, Aros
Attendance: 42,200
Referee: Peter Claris (Morania)
Goals: none
Yellow cards: Gerthz (RAS, 12.), Petreson (ARO, 38.), Jenkins (ARO, 72.)
Substitutions: Leixnithz for Falterberg (RAS, 77.)

Another ho-hum match for Aros ends in a unspectacular scoreless draw!

Aros had entered their series of friendlies, with matches against teams like NK,
Deucoland, Woo, and Djeriga still upcoming, with good hopes of improving their
team play and preparing for the upcoming Vexillium Cup, but they will have to show
more than they did today against probably the easiest of their opponents, and that
also playing at home!

While Aros was marginally stronger on the pitch, and also had the better overall
ball possession, they were nevertheless unable to gain the assertiveness needed to
defeat their mediocre opponents who were obviously playing towards a 0-0 outcome.
While Aros showed some good individual talent, in players like Ariaztegui,
Vzaxogram, and Osmanli, they also fielded a couple guys who didnt seem to know
quite what to do with the ball at times, such as Jenkins, Ellis, and Petreson,
whose performance must be considered a disappointment.  As a team, Aros still
lacked coherence, something which the technically and physically inferior Ras
Lanarchians had, from their close-knit amateur league play, and good comradery -
this ultimately allowed them to steal away an after all deserved draw against an
opponent who should really have won at home.

Aros next plays Woo in Daskelion (Alta Addisi Prefecture, Westria), on Dec. 20.

The Technical Information:

Final score: NIOKOLO KOBA 4 - DEUCOLAND 0
Played in: Stade Etoiles, Dianamalary, Niokolo Koba
Attendance: 56,800
Referee: Wilfried Astnehmer (WES)
Goals: Saar (NK, 49.), Diallo (NK, 56.), Bachir (NK, 67.), Dourane (NK, 74.)
Yellow cards: Harawi (NK, 32.)
Substitutions: none

Niokolo Koba scored an impressive 4-0 win on home soil against their neighbors and
regional rivals Deucoland.  The Gargoyles were again struggling to get their game
going, as they did in the 0-2 loss in Deucoland in the first match of the series.
Again, the Deuco talent was obviously there, but the lack of experience really let
them spiral downward in the seconf half after having managed to keep the match
scoreless all first half.  Since participating in the WSL, the Niokolo Koban team
players have obviously improved tremendously from the exposure and experience, as
have of course the Deucos.  But the physical prowess of the NK players is simply
magnificent.  It will be interesting to see how they will do in the Vexillium
Cup.  For Deucoland, meanwhile, it's back to the drawing boards.  A planned
friendly against Westria has been cancelled.  Until they figure it out, they would
probably just run straight into a steamtrain against the Copa Vexanova Champions!