Osarius national football team
Lua error: Cannot create process: proc_open(/home4/iltornan/lua/error.log): Failed to open stream: No such file or directory Note: This page refers to the "Senior" level, which has no age restriction. For other age groups, see Osarius national football team (disambiguation)
The Osarius national football team represents Osarius and the Crown Dependencies of Kyoshiku, Kholanaras and Cobrio at football and is controlled by the Osarian Football Association, the governing body for football in Osarius. The national team first played a World Cup Committee sanctioned international football match in the 36th Baptism of Fire in 2175. Osarius' home ground is Mount Crown Stadium, Burningham, and the current team manager is former international Azarai Robinson.
Osarius contest the World Cup and AOCAF Cup, which alternate annually. An under-25 squad is traditionally sent to compete in the AOCAF Cup, though these matches still count as full international level. Osarius won the 70th World Cup, defeating Felix 2–1 in the final. This feat was repeated in World Cup 71 with a thrilling victory over Pasarga in the final. Osarius also won the 45th AOCAF Cup, defeating a combined team from Vilita & Turori on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
History
- Main article: History of the Osarius national football team
The Osarius national football team was originally formed in 2137, at the mid-point of the first professional football season. A representative match between Osarius and Kryosis was played on 10 October 2137, having been organised by the OFA, with Osarius winning 5-4. This match, played at Kriminis Citadel in Kryosis, is viewed as the first Osarian international football match. A return fixture was organised by representatives of Kryosi football teams on 31 May 2138, where the Kryosi were victorious, 3-2. Over the next thirty five years, Osarius played regularly against the other three Rabastorian nations —- Kryosis, Aquillian and Eristicea -— in the Rabastor Trophy, while playing exhibition matches against select XIs made up of players taken from teams across Osarius and Aquillian.
To begin with, Osarius had no permanent home stadium, instead rotating between larger football stadiums and The Benevolence Bowl, in Dynapolis. The OFA proposed that a national football stadium be built, and work got underway on Mount Crown Stadium in 2141. The stadium was opened in 2145 and became the national team's home ground.
In 2170, Osarius' dominance over the other Rabastorian nations had grown stale, and crowds had dwindled. In response, the OFA began taking steps to earn entry into World Cup Committee (WCC) sanctioned events. After five years, Osarius entered the World Cup for the first time. Prior to the World Cup qualifiers, the team was invited to take part in the Baptism of Fire tournament in Krytenia, in which they progressed to the knockout rounds, losing 3-2 to eventual third placed side Oberour Ar Moro in the quarter finals. Osarius, under former national team captain Benedict di Corradi failed to qualify for the World Cup, and did not manage a successful campaign until some twenty years later, when they qualified for the 59th World Cup.
Their first ever defeat on home soil to a foreign team was also their first WCC-sanctioned home game; a 2–6 loss to the then-number-one-ranked team in the world, and previous World Cup finalists, Candelaria And Marquez. In the 59th World Cup two goals by Romario Roberts against Qazox saw him become the first Osarius player to score two goals in a game at the World Cup finals. It would be fourteen more years before an Osarian player managed a hat-trick at the World Cup finals, when Ezio Grassi netted three against New Montreal States in the second round of World Cup 66.
[ ... more summarised history ]
Culture
Rivalries
The primary rivalries – the only true rivalries; in the sense that the fans genuinely despise each other – for most Osarian fans are with Kryosis and Aquillian; teams against which it is absolutely unacceptable to lose. This is primarily down to the nations' shared history, and the rivalry extends well beyond football, and sport in general in fact. The sides face each other frequently, contesting the Rabastor Unity Trophy every two years, though Osarius are by far the strongest of the three nations. Within Aquillian and Kryosis, it is believed that Osarius' decision to send underage squads to compete in the biennial competition is an insult, which only serves to make the rivalry even fiercer.
Like most nations, Osarius also have several "friendly" rivalries with nations of a similar reputation. Most notably, the Firebirds count Audioslavia and Polar Islandstates as their primary rivals on the global stage, while clashes with Pasarga and regional rivals Farfadillis and Valanora are typically highly entertaining. Beyond those, Eastfield Lodge – who debuted in WCC-sanctioned competition at the same time as Osarius – and fellow COCANEFA nations The Royal Kingdom of Quebec, Krytenia and Semarland could be considered rivals of the Firebirds. Ko-oren, Michael VII, and lately Armeia and Omerica – following various incidents occurring during qualifying for World Cup 73 – could also be counted as rival nations.
Style of Play
Osarius have traditionally been known for their high-intensity pressing game, and propensity for crunching tackles. Typically the team will utilise swift attacking movements, transitioning from side to side at pace, to increase the chance of retaining possession. Maintaining possession is typically of paramount importance, except when counterattacking; in which case directness matters more, because it is more likely to yield a goal.
The primary tactical system for Osarius over the past two decades or so has been a 4-3-3 with at least one "traditional" winger and a (usually) balanced triangular midfield three. The idea is that the team operates in three phases when defending and three phases when attacking, always focused on controlling the space, and maintaining close proximity to teammates wherever possible. Lots of short passes when in possession, when defending, the team presses in packs, often creating two lines of defence for an opposition player to break through.
When defending, the first phase is that the front three press as high up the pitch as possible, trying to force a change of possession as close to the final third as possible. The second phase is to have the wingers drop back into midfield, leaving a lone striker and a compact midfield five to crowd out the opposition. The final defensive phase is the defence will step up to squeeze the space in midfield, inviting through balls for the offside trap.
When attacking, the first phase is to build from defence. It's rare that an Osarius defender is not comfortable playing a pass to another defender, or the most defensive of the midfield three. Long balls out of defence are rare, except when counterattacking. The second phase is for the front three to press forward, stretching the defence to create space in the midfield zone for Osarius' three to control play. The final phase is to maintain possession while trying to find an opening in the final third, typically by playing the ball into the channels where either a forward can finish, or cut a pass back across goal for a simple finish at the back post.
Traditions
Shirt Numbers
Within the national team, there are a few shirt numbers which hold considerable importance. Most coveted is, like in many countries, the number ten shirt. The number ten shirt is typically given to the team's consensus best player, or primary playmaker. Notable names to have worn the number ten for Osarius include Benedict di Corradi, Jermain Lewis, Benni Watson, Alessandro di Corradi and Toby Drummond.
Outside the traditional "first eleven" shirt numbers, there are four significant numbers regularly assigned to players. The number fourteen is typically assigned to a promising striker with an eye for goal. The most prolific owners of the number fourteen shirt in memory are Rene Wilson-Ouaddou and Marco Puntoriero, both of whom rank in the top ten all-time goalscorers for Osarius. Both went on to wear the number nine shirt, also.
The number twenty-two and/or twenty-three shirts are typically awarded to players the manager believes can be "difference makers" for the national team. They tend to be younger players, but could also be veterans who have dropped down the pecking order, but still retain the raw ability to change a game. Notably, both Jordan Simpson and his son, Will, have worn the number twenty-three for Osarius.
The number thirty-seven is a strange one that generally only applies during World Cup qualifying, or certain exhibition tournaments. Originally, it was the shirt number of choice for Benni Watson at Firewood City, where his preferred choice of number ten was in the hands of club captain Jermain Lewis. Watson opted for thirty-seven, and kept it when Lewis retired, winning five Player of the Year awards in it, and making it an iconic shirt number in the process. The number thirty-seven is typically awarded to a player considered to have the potential to become a team's "number ten" – that is, the consensus best player or primary playmaker – in the future. Most recently, Benni Watson's grandson Ryan Watson wore the number thirty-seven during the Trindl Cup in Semarland, where he was a controversial selection. He turned out to be a pivotal figure in Osarius' triumph, thus adding to the prestige of the shirt.
It is also notable that the number thirteen is rarely assigned to a player for superstitious reasons. In recent times, Efrain Suarez requested it while acting as backup to Ruby Fletcher, though in a twenty-three man squad, most players who would be assigned the number thirteen will request the number twenty-four instead. It is said that this is due to a curse, dating back to a Rabastor Trophy match against Eristicea. In the match, Osarius' number thirteen, left winger Alberto Corradini, scored a first-half hat-trick. As the teams made their way to the dressing rooms at half-time, Corradini was involved in a verbal altercation with the Eristicean goalkeeper, Malaclypse V, and later collapsed mysteriously in the fifty-fifth minute, and was rushed away for medical attention. Osarius would lose 4-3, and Corradini would never play elite football again. It was later revealed that Malaclypse had cursed the shirt number, as he did not know Corradini's full name. The curse is believed to state that the wearer of the number thirteen shirt will "suffer the weight of his sins in the divine minute".
Exhibition Tours
Since World Cup 70, it has been customary for the national team to play seven home friendlies, one in each region, prior to the start of qualifying. This practice was introduced by then manager, Jermain Lewis, as a method to help him assess the talent pool. The increased support the tour brought the team had a strongly positive effect and Lewis proposed to the OFA that the tour become a regular occurrence.
Typically, the tour begins after the AOCAF Cup concludes, and wraps around the Rabastor Unity Trophy, finishing before the first game of qualifying. So far, the same seven stadia have been used for each tour.
| Stadium Name | Capacity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Elishat Stadium | 72,000 | Burningham, Mount Crown |
| The Cauldron | 54,000 | Firewood, Fourge |
| Green Bowl | 51,000 | Greeningham, Applegrass |
| JNV Arena | 42,000 | Shanak, Dynapolis |
| Turic Thunderdome | 46,000 | Turic, Ikuturso |
| The Ursinopolis | 59,000 | Utica, Tubriss |
| Golden Temple | 32,000 | Callisto, Hearthlands |
Team image
Media coverage
All Osarius matches are broadcast with full commentary on Aurum 7, part of the national radio service. Since 2172, all of Osarius' senior matches have been broadcast live on Channel Gold, the flagship channel of the government owned Osarian Public Broadcasting television network. Osarius Sports Network have since acquired rights to broadcast Osarius matches on their channels, and have done so since 2182, airing B-team and under-21 tournament matches as well as full senior contests.
In 2220, after World Cup 72, the OFA announced a restructure of the national football team setup, which established three under age teams and a B-team to go alongside the "Full International" squad. All levels are covered by the agreement with OSN, and are afforded full matchday coverage for all games.
Colours
Osarius' traditional home colours are red shirts, with black and gold featuring in the design, alongside black shorts and red socks. Corradini Sportswear first agreed to manufacture the kit in 2137 and since then has supplied all of the national team's kits at all levels.
The traditional away colours are black shirts, black shorts and gold socks. In 2184, Osarius released a third, alternate kit with gold shirts, black shorts and gold socks. A fourth, commemorative kit was released in 2205, with white shirts, a black trim, and a red flame motif. This kit was paired with black shorts and white socks. Both the third and fourth kits are seldom used, but both proved popular with fans.
The kits for the senior teams (both full international and B-level) are rarely re-designed, though Corradini Sportswear often release updated versions made from different materials, or with alterations made to the association logo as in the case of the national team's championship victories in the early 2200s. Corradini Sportswear do not have an agreement to manufacture kits for the other three national squads, though they wear the same colours.
Home stadium
- Main article: Mount Crown Stadium
Originally, Osarius played their home games at various venues across the country, predominantly in the north – most frequently in Firewood and Greeningham – before moving all future games from 2140 onward to King George I Stadium, located on the outskirts of Burningham. This stadium – originally built for the Coronation Games, celebrating the ascension of George II to the throne – would serve as the location for all home Osarius games until its demolition in 2165.
While construction took place on the new national stadium – Mount Crown Stadium – Osarius played their home games at various venues across the country once again. The primary venue was Elishat Stadium, owned and occupied by Burningham City, chosen for its proximity to the site of the old King George I Stadium. The Benevolence Bowl in Dynapolis, or The Cauldron in Firewood were used whenever Elishat Stadium was unavailable.
The new national stadium opened in 2169, and has been used as Osarius' primary home game venue ever since. The only exceptions being when the national team embarks on a friendly exhibition tour – a common tradition since the lead-up to World Cup 69 – wherein up to seven games are played at various venues across the nation. Normally, these games are played one per region, though it is disputed whether they count as full internationals, or B-level internationals.
B-level internationals are seldom played at Mount Crown Stadium, normally taking place at Crown Valley Stadium, which has been part of the Osarian National Football Academy grounds since 2188. This is also the "official" home venue for Osarius' Development level internationals. The Youth and Junior teams play their home games at various venues across the country, and have no "official" home stadium.
Fans
Osarian fans are well-known for being extremely vocal – even away from home – and supporters' groups often liaise with the OFA to help produce the best possible home atmosphere for the national team. Seating arrangements in Mount Crown Stadium, for example, are deliberately arranged to aid the home crowd in their attempts to intimidate the visiting team and fans. It is believed that the home crowd is a major factor in Osarius' remarkable home record in the 2200s.
While Osarian fans are often lauded for their ability to generate an atmosphere, they also have a tendency toward violence. Most of the time, this is curbed when hosting an opposing nation, though there are normally a few minor incidents. Away from home, Osarian fans tend to be well behaved, though there have been incidents of note, and the fans' willingness to engage has garnered them a reputation. The entire contingent of Osarian fans traveling to an away game against The Archregimancy in The Dreamed Realm – notably including respected football blogger and future Grasshoppers Turic manager, Roberto Cormega – were immediately transported back home on one occasion, owing to this reputation. Perhaps most notoriously, an incident during qualifying for World Cup 73 in Armeia ultimately left 322 Osarian fans dead, including Andrea Gallardo, the younger brother of national team defender Fabricio Gallardo.
Non-playing staff
- See also: Osarius national football team manager
The backroom staff of the senior level national team work both with the full international squad and the B-level squad.
| Manager | Azarai Robinson |
| Assistant Manager | Reiss Ryerson |
| First Team Coach | Serenity Lewis |
| Jordan Simpson | |
| Attacking Coach | Rene Wilson-Ouaddou (part-time) |
| Roque Urbina | |
| Defending Coach | Harvey Decker |
| Brent Steele | |
| Technique Coach | Benni Watson (part-time) |
| Gilberto Cuellar | |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Gareth Mason |
| Strength & Fitness Coach | Gabriele Esposito |
| Strength Trainer | Tobias Holt |
| Team Doctor | Dr. Chanice Ash |
| Physiotherapist | Dr. Clara Cormega |
| Team Psychologist | Dr. Cerys Francis |
| Chief Scout | Roberto Cormega |
| Scout | Miguel Rios |
| Elene Altieri | |
| Performance Analyst | Dr. Lika Rugatoro |
| Elaine Tyne |
Players
- For all past and present players who have appeared for the national team, see List of Osarius international footballers
Current squad
The following players are in the squad for World Cup 73. Caps and goals updated as of the AOCAF Cup 48 final.
| # | Pos | Player | Date of Birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Ruby Fletcher | 17 November 2187 (age 32) | XXX | 0 | Callisto City |
... list of squad
Recent call ups
(create a page for each squad, for World Cup, split into "Qualifying" and "Finals" where applicable)
The following players have also been called up to the Osarius squad since ______ (either last AOCAF or last World Cup)
| Pos | Player | Date of Birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Susana Grana | 4 January 2186 (age 33) | XXX | 0 | AFC Treason |
... list of reserves/standby/fringe etc
Results and fixtures
- For a full list of Osarius national football team results, see (link to working php page on rabastor.com)
Recent results
(ICly within past World Cup cycle, or from end of last cycle to end of last AOCAF)
[ football box collapsible ]
... list results and details here
Upcoming fixtures
(ICly remainder of cycle that hasn't been played yet, plus scheduled friendlies)
[ football box collapsible ]
... list fixtures and details here
Records
- Main article: Osarius national football team records
Most capped players
(updated to ________ Final) Players in bold are still active
Players with an equal number of caps are ranked in chronological order of reaching the milestone
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benni Watson | 2175-2190 | 199 | 42 | MF |
...and so on
Top goalscorers
Goalscorers with an equal number of goals are ranked with the highest to lowest goals per game ratio
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals | Position | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezio Grassi | ongoing | over 55 | about 100 | FW | 0.6-ish |
...and so on
Competitive Record
- For the all-time record of the national team against opposing nations, see Osarius national football team head-to-head records
World Cup
- Main article: Osarius at the World Cup
Osarius first entered the 49th World Cup and have appeared in 9 World Cup finals stages. The national team is one of thirty-nine national teams to have won at least one World Cup title, one of nineteen to have won more than one and one of ten to have won back-to-back World Cups. Osarius was inducted to the World Cup Nation Hall of Fame after World Cup 69.
The Osarius national team won their first title at World Cup 70. The tournament was played in San Jose Guayabal and the Equestrian States, and Osarius defeated Felix 2–1 in the final. They would successfully defend this championship at World Cup 71, held in Felix and Yttribia, defeating Pasarga in the final by a score of 4–3. Prior to winning the competition, Osarius had managed semi final appearances on two other occasions, finishing in third place at World Cup 64, beating Darmen in the third place play-off game 3–2 after being losing their semi final against Audioslavia in extra time. The team managed third place again at World Cup 69, beating Legalese 3–1 after losing 2–1 to Audioslavia (again) in the semi final. They have also reached the quarter finals on two other occasions, at World Cups World Cup 66 and World Cup 68.
Osarius failed to qualify in any of their first ten attempts, from World Cup 49 through to World Cup 58. The team's earliest exit from the finals was its elimination in the group stage at World Cup 59, where they failed to win a single game, losing to Polar Islandstates and only managing to draw with both Erathore and Qazox. Since then, Osarius has failed just once to progress to the second round, at World Cup 72
At World Cup 72, Osarius suffered its most resounding World Cup finals stage defeat (0–3 to Vilita) in the group stage, and exited with their worst finals record, despite entering the tournament as reigning champions.
Gold Silver Bronze
| World Cup record | World Cup qualification record | Manager(s) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D[a] | L | GF | GA | Pld[b] | W | D | L | GF | GA | |||
| World Cup 49 | Did not qualify | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 27 | 33 | di Corradi | ||||||||
| World Cup 50 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 30 | 27 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 51 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 28 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 52 | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 58 | 24 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 53 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 28 | 22 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 54 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 17 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 55 | 20 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 35 | 18 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 56 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 21 | di Corradi, Montblanc | |||||||||
| World Cup 57 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 29 | 21 | Montblanc | |||||||||
| World Cup 58 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 20 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 59 | Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 11 | Montblanc, Sahota | ||
| World Cup 60 | Did not qualify | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 24 | Sahota | ||||||||
| World Cup 61 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 13 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 62 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 34 | 19 | ||||||||||
| World Cup 63 | Round of 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 41 | 29 | |||
| World Cup 64 | Semi Final | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 20 | |||
| World Cup 65 | Round of 16 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 48 | 21 | |||
| World Cup 66 | Quarter Final | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 12 | Lewis | ||
| World Cup 67 | Round of 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 20 | |||
| World Cup 68 | Quarter Final | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 50 | 19 | |||
| World Cup 69 | Semi Final | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 12 | |||
| World Cup 70 | Champions | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 14 | |||
| World Cup 71 | Champions | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 15 | |||
| World Cup 72 | Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 49 | 17 | |||
| World Cup 73 | To be played | To be played | Robinson | |||||||||||||
AOCAF Cup
[ summary ]
[ table like above ]
Cup of Harmony
[ summary ]
[ table like above ]
Minor tournaments
[ one table for all minor tournaments ]
- a Results settled on penalties are counted as draws.
- b Qualifying stage results include qualifying playoff games.
Honours
- World Cup
- Winners (2): 70, 71
- Third place (2): 64, 69
- AOCAF Cup
- Winners (1): 45
- Runners-up (2): 36, 42
- Third place:
- Fourth place:
- Ebyria International Open Cup
- Third place (1): Edition II
References
- ^ Note that since Rabastor Unity Trophy 2198, Osarius have not sent a senior squad. Results from then onward are counted in the relevant age group's statistics.