Lions WC 24 Campaign

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The Squad

The Gaffer:

One of Nedalia’s most recognizable and outspoken individuals also happens to be the first and only manager of the national squad in the history of the nation. Randy Gamman originally earned the job after leading the U21 Lions to the Finals of U21 World Cup 14, where they eventually succumbed to Starblaydia. It was Nedalia’s very first participation in a sporting event, and since then, Gamman has taken the national squad from the lowest of lows to the realms of the respectability. The most recent accomplishment, ofcourse, came in Cup of Harmony 15, where Nedalia defeated a resilient Hockey Canada side to win the tournament. The hope is 56 year old Gamman will be able to lead the Lions into the actual World Cup this time around.


The Defense:

Since Nedalia’s first match, there has only been one name when it came to the Goalkeeper position: 32 year old Derrell Lynch. The Captera FC captain is also the reigning NPL Goalkeeper of the Year and, despite is age, shows no signs of straying too far from the current form he is on. With 38 caps under his belt, experience is not a problem you will get from Lynch, along with reliability and consistency.

Captaining the squad, again, will be Central Defender Cole Zenith, who also just turned 32 recently. The experienced defender can still shut down any striker on a given day, and despite talk that he maybe getting a bit too old to continue playing at such a high level, the Bronkstone player has yet to show it. What he may lack in pace is made up by his younger counterpart, 23 year old Mohammed Khadra. The former U21 captain has solidified his position in the back four and has earned himself 10 caps already. On the left, Joshua Vastu continues to get the job done, despite the fact that he is no longer the automatic choice in his club of Honsfield Athletic. The 33 year old has started showing signs of slowing down, but remains Nedalia’s best bet on the troublesome Left Back position. The Right Back position, however, is nearly the exact opposite story. The man occupies the spot is another Honsfield player, 26 year old Hans Lamm, who seems to be going from strength to strength. Physically gifted and mentally focused, the agile Right Back rounds up what is an aging but capable defensive unit.


The Midfield:

All conversations about Nedalia’s national squad begin and end with one player, Left Winger, and Vilita-based Nene. The 22 year old already has 39 caps and 12 senior squad goals under his belt, but his importance to the team is so much more than just statistics. He is the heart of the Lions, and usually, as he goes, so goes the team. Marine Coast United acquired his services from Shoreland United for a record of $30 million, but he has repeatedly pointed out his intentions to return and play in the NPL before his career is over. Nene isn’t the only one playing overseas in the Nedalian squad, though, with Akani Sands Defensive Midfielder Trent Hardman and Starblaydi-based Innit Point also very important to the team. The 24 year old Hardman certainly lives up to his name, but it also his phenomenal skill which won recently won him the Bettian Apex League Player of the Year award after his performances this year. The 23 year old Innit Point also managed to secure more than one award in the highly competitive Liga Starblaydia. In Season Three, he managed to win the Young Player of the Year award, but most recently, in Season Five, he made the prestigious Midfielder of the Year award his own. The attacking midfielder’s performances have been so good that he has relegated the talented 28 year old Kenneth to the bench. On the Right Wing, it is young Constantine, originally an attacking midfielder but just as comfortable on the right wing. The 20 year old Darpor midfielder has put in some sensational performances for the Lions so far and looks to make himself a permenant fixture on the squad list. That rounds up a midfield packed with stars that have yet to reach their full potential, despite their vast experience. The team rides on its flamboyant midfield, and from the looks of it, they wont be letting anyone down.


The Frontline:

A name that used to be called Nedalia’s most prolific striker will not see his name on the squad list this qualifying campaign. Instead, it will be the name of 20 year old Tim James who will be lining up alongside the seemingly always injured Chris Yamtech, and not Mattan. Despite his young age, James has already earned 16 caps, and has scored 3 goals, although most of his appearances have come as a substitute. Now, the sensational Dorpar striker will attempt to prove his manager’s instincts right by hopefully reaching 10 international goals by the competition’s end. Backing Yamtech and James up is the equally talented Lumiere, who just turned 19 years old. Both youngsters, however, will have a lot to learn before they reach the level of their counterpart, 28 year old Shoreland United striker Chris Yamtech. The man is the ultimate goalpoacher, and although it seems like he has lost a step due to his nagging injuries, he is still a threat to score a goal or two every game. Rounding up the frontline force are Andrew Blod and Bader Tayarra, both based overseas and having exceptional careers.


The Qualifying Campaign

The campaign started off well for the Nedalia Lions in terms of points, but their first game against Paxilia was far from impressive. They managed to defeat their opponents at the Kafra International Stadium, with the scoreline being 1 - 0, only because of the solid play of Nene and Tim James. The critics immediately showed their faces after the match, claiming that the Lions wouldnt have enough in them, based on their performance against Paxilia, to be able to survive the group stage. The 2nd game, however, showed more promise from the squad, as they progressively got better. They defeated Groba 2 - 1 away from home, dominating the match in the middle, with the consolation goal for the opponents coming via a controversial penalty kick. The 3rd game, however, would see the Lions come together in grand fashion, degeating Tonissia 5 - 0 infront of the home fans in an absolutely brilliant match. By this time, the doubters had been silenced as the Lions took the maximum of 9 points in 3 games to go on top of their group.

This is when the going started to get a little tough for the Lions. Against El Cid the Hero, they would only manage to get 1 point for both matches, having to deal with a 3 - 0 defeat that had them brought right down to earth. Fellow AO counterpart Oliverry took the first game 3 - 1, but the return leg proved successful for Nedalia, defeating the squad 2 - 0 in a convincing victory.

After it was all said and done, Nedalia found itself 3rd in Group 9, and in position for a playoff place. Their opponents in the playoffs would be none other than The Archregimancy, a team that nearly became the first unranked squad to qualify to the World Cup in 48 years. What would transpire against them would be one of the most controversial matches in the history of the qualifications. The away leg went well for the Lions, who held the hosts to a 0 - 0 draw as they headed back home to seal the deal. The home leg for the Lions was the one where all the incidents took place. Controversial calls on both sides, 2 own goals by The Archregimancy, and a last second wonder strike by Nene later, the Lions found themselves headed to Druida/Krytenia for the World Cup.

The World Cup, Group C

The reward after a gruelling qualifying campaign was being grouped with Nova Britannicus, Audioslavia, and Starblaydia. Three extremely tough teams resulted in three extremely tough defeats. No one could question the heart of the Lions and the effort they gave, but the experience was simply lacking. They took Nova Britannicus to a 3 - 2, and fought Starblaydia all the way in their 2 - 1 defeat to them, but they were facing seasoned vets. Audioslavia illustrated the point perfectly, defeating the Lions 3 - 0 to end their hopes of World Cup glory.