FIFFSA 5-a-side World Cup Qualifying – Week 1

captain of the Egypt team here...
we are not impressed.

20/11/2015

Update from the Polish camp:

With one day ahead of the start of the first qualifying round Poland annoncues its preparedness to kick some Portuguese butt. All training sessions went as planned, and all of our players had their shooting boots on in a closed-door friendly.

Since Monday it has been a really good week and the lads feel confident. We think it's not an issue that we didn't play any friendlies in Rio in the previous gameweeks - we can assure you that the group is as strong as never before and we can start the qualifying round with a convincing win.

We believe it's going to be the beginning of the Polish road to the World Cup Finals in 2016!

Polish brothers, raise your hands
Let's now show them our plans
We will crush them with no fear
Watching TV, drinking beer
Watch carefully - you will see
How we dominate Group B
Courage and determination
That's the power of our nation

Pierogi, vodka, we are Poles
Bigos, Lewy, lots of goals

It is impossible to express
Our hunger for success
Germans, Scottish, Finns and Greek
Will surrender week by week
Portugal and Bosnia, too
Will get beaten by our crew
We defend, attack and rhyme
This is surely our time!

Pierogi, vodka, we are Poles
Bigos, Lewy, lots of goals

#MocniRazem #NaZawszePolska

Well, that's a tournament and a half!

Ben Dinnery ‏@BenDinnery 2m
Seychellean Captain reportedly missing from the training sessions.

Lets do this Columbia!!

I keep meaning to ask... and maybe I've missed an earlier explanation.... but what ever happened to Switzerland!? How come the FIFFSA ExCo are now representing The Seychelles

The Jamaica teamsheet is sorted.

Due to the inevitable humiliating defeat at the hands of the Mexicans, Team USA will be reduced from this:

http://i.imgur.com/wkmzjiA.jpg

to this:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/64/d8/02/64d8029dc5f6cc0554b4af55f1d12939.jpg

Bring it on lads 😎

Just want to double check we just need to submit which squad members are starting and the one who is benched, i.e. we don't need to submit each squad member's individual FPL team set up for the week?

***** Live from Mexico City *****

The US national team has just arrived in Mexico for their opening FIFFSA qualifier.

We just heard from one of the American players who asked "Is it possible to see the Panama Canal from Mexico?"

I said, "No."

He said "But they look so close on the map."

****** ******
Stay tuned for more.

Each member of team Chile is taking a -16 to give the Brazil boys a fair chance at a draw at least.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/39c710a6224730bf10db4febaa37a130/tumblr_meunrabcyc1r43l79o1_400.jpg

#FairPlay
#RespectTheGame

Did FIFFSA get my mail regarding the team sheet?

Captains. Don't forget to let us know who your benched player is by 2300 GMT tonight. If we do not know your 6th squad member will be benched.

FIFFSA, you've got an email from Italy 🙂

Really busy lads, the email will probably be around 10:45 but I'll get it done I promise

Vive le underdogs 🙂

The decision has been made, and the team sheet is sent.

Winning this first match is incredibly crucial given the quality of the CONMEBOL teams in this tournament. VAMOS!

Really want to thanks Balders and the organising gang for getting this going.

Have not been active on the boards for the last couple of months. Lots going on with work, kids, and a few people in and out of hospital (all recovering thanks) throughout this time, so been a bit distant.....but really looking forward to locking horns and catching up with some old adversaries.

Cant wait to read the pressers, and get back into the banter.

Good luck to everyone.

Now.....just off to decide which one of my 14 cars to thrash round the local streets. Might even pop down to Maranello for a spin round the track.
"We've got more cars than people.....we've got more cars than you....."
196th in the FIFA rankings - but be afraid of us......very afraid 😀

Thanks again lads,
Colonel Wasabi

Good luck all, really enjoy these,p. Has the Welsh line up been received yet?

We are looking forward for this tournament! On behalf of Team Greece I would like to thank the guys who organize it!
As for our team, we are ready to teach our ''philosophee'' to our opponents!
Team Greece for the win

The Portugal teamsheet was submitted several hours ago. We cannot confirm or deny that the following team talk was given ahead of the 11pm deadline...

"The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second."

"On this team, we fight for that inch.
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
'Cause we know, when we add up all those inches, that's going to make the f*****g difference between WINNING and LOSING, between LIVING and DYING."

"I'll tell you this,
In any fight,
it is the guy who is willing to die,
who is going to win that inch.
And I know,
if I am going to have any life anymore,
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch,
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face."

"Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team,
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him."

"That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
That's football guys.
That's all it is.
Now, what are you gonna do?"

Força Portugal!

Better late than never, sent 🙂

Pens down people. You snooze you lose.

Team submitted.....

Germany HQ, Munich, Germany:

As the matchday is upon us, the German team were to report at the HQ at 9:00 A.M. Meghan Kahn and DmHomag Lahm were the first one's to arrive. They looked fairly confident. They were pretty sure, the months of work on the defending would pay dividends. Moreover, they didn't rate the Bosnian attack. As they were chatting away, with beer in one hand, in comes a Merc. Zombieeaten Ballack steps out looking a bit groggy. "What's the matter?" enquired Meghan. "Was out partying with Skipdipper Müller. Things got a bit out of hand." said Zombie as he took a seat at the headquarter main table. Now concerned, Meghan asked the question which was on DmHomag's mind too, "What about Skipdipper? Is he alright?". "I don't know", replied Zombie. DmHomag and Meghan weren't feeling as confident as they were in the morning. It's 9:30 now and there's no sign of Skipdipper, Rukawa and team captain Kingozil. Meghan, DmHomag and Zombieeaten are staring out of the window. Zombie is sipping on chilled beer to get over the hangover coz that's what Germans do. They see Skipdipper's Merc and breathe a sigh of relief. Skip enters the conference room looking rather confident. "How ze hell are you so fresh" asked Zombie. "Well if this much beer knocks you out, maybe you should reconsider your decision to play with us." replied Skip. The banter between those two was always a refreshing sight. Meghan and DmHomag seemed to be confident again as things looked to be getting back to normal. Rukawa Reus enters shortly. It's 10:00 A.M. now. Rukawa notices there is no Kingozil. This was really rare as the captain would generally be half an hour before time. There was sense of tension in the air. At 10:30 A.M. they see Kingozil's car arrive. There's a sense of relief in the room. All the members take their seats in the room. The doors open. Everyone expects to see Kingozil and they do. However he's been bought in on a wheelchair by his driver. They observe that his right leg is heavily plastered. The other five members look at each other and seem to be ina state of shock. Kingozil heads to the captain's chair. He appears to be in pain but somehow manages to speak, "You could say I had some Bosnian visitors at my place." There were nervous smiles on the faces of the members. Kingozil knew that he couldn't let his state affect the team. "Clearly I'm in no position to play today..." Kingozil said. "This isn't right. We should report the Bosnian team to FIFFSA. You have been manhandled and we should report this". "Well they arrived in Balders car, so I see no point in reporting them. You know to what extent FIFFSA can go to." Rukawa realised they were helpless in this situation. "Today, is your day. Show the world what you are. You can try anything and everything you want, but we will never give up. Today, you won't have a captain. I want each one of y'all to be a captain. Lead this team to glory. Show the world what you're made of." DmHomag had tears in his eyes. Meghan and Zombieeaten were seething with anger. Kingozil knew he had done enough. Rukawa stood up and shouted, "I am ready." Meghan, Zombie, Dm, Skip also stood up and shouted "I am ready." Kingozil was moved by this response. Kingozil, holding back his tears, responded, "LET'S DO THIS BOYS".

Seem to have been a few late submissions! Look forward to submissiongate tomorrow! #failtoprepare #preparetofail

9 brave captains are leading from the subs bench this week, cowards or man enough to acknowledge their own weaknesses?

Hang on a minute. Is there a game on. I hope my wife has cleaned the grass stains off of my lucky shorts.

I am on my way.

Now where is my private jet to get off my island?

"Man Tuesday, get me my plane"

"We need to get to Thailand, we have a game to win!"

"I will drink my half coconut cocktail on the way. We can leave the parrots at home"

Good morning Dead Zone, how drunk are we all? 0-10? I'm about 4 and tempted te Tekkers>Kun for a 4. Anyone else thinking similar?

Mouktar put his hands on the railing of the balcony of the hotel room. The streets of the city flowed out below him. The setting of the sun had not down much to stifle the heat and humidity that hung over the city. The five other members were gone, out to explore the local scene. But not Mouktar. He preferred the silence. A sigh escaped his lips and he yawned, a sign of the lingering jet lag. Training had gone well. The six of them were finally beginning to click. The so-called media had come, probing him with questions. For that Mouktar wore a mask. He tried to imagine what he sounded and looked like, dealing out “smack talk” and talking down the competition. He grimaced. It wasn’t in his nature, but sometimes if you wanted to leave your footprint, you had to walk and talk big. And the Republic of Djibouti was no big fish. The name had been met with derision, laughter, jokes. Even Sri Lanka, their pre-tournament friendly opponents, had questioned the existence of such a funny sounding country. Mouktar doubted whether the Sri Lankan players themselves could pinpoint their own country on a global map. He chuckled. But it was true. No one took them seriously. And who would? The proud city of Djibouti simply served as a harbor, a gateway to the Red Sea. They were just a means to an end, a rest stop on the highway of trade. Not even their own countrymen expected much, and perhaps well they shouldn’t, the national team only boasting of one FIFA sanctioned win. He gripped the railing tight. This was there last chance to put the country on the map. All they needed was a long tournament run, the quarters maybe. Then people would know. The press coverage would raise awareness about his country and the problems many faced to feed themselves and their children. Mouktar vividly remembered the exuberant joy and hope on the faces of a group of children who had escorted the team to their plane. President Ismail had spoken a few words to Mouktar, but he had other worries, bigger more important ones, and the words had been few and not full of expectation. He knew that the country could ill afford to send a team to any tournaments; Mouktar had had to practically beg the president to hear him out. The governmental party had barely furnished them with enough funds. It was win or go home as they had left, largely unnoticed, and return to the daily grind, knowing that the chance of bringing themselves, their families and their nation better lives. Mouktar turned and re-entered the hotel room. Music was sounding in his ears, and he couldn’t help but feel his spirit lift. There was hope yet. The world had yet to see just what the Republic of Djibouti had up their sleeves.

Arise with strength! For we have raised our flag,
The flag which has cost us dear
With extremes of thirst and pain.
Our flag, whose colours are the everlasting green of the earth,
The blue of the sky, and white, the colour of peace;
And in the centre the red star of blood.
Oh flag of ours, what a glorious sight!

Unite! Egalite! Paix!