Tellia at the 2019 FMF World Cup

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Out-of-form Tellia announce changes
Following a set of disappointing results, including being unable to beat three national teams which didn't even exist last month, holders Tellia have chosen to make a number of changes upon confirmed their final 23. Out go reliable faces from the successful 2017 tournament in the shape of goalkeeper Simone Di Maggio, centre-back Marco Schiavvi, and midfielders Júlio Romána and Massimo Santoni, who opened the team's account in Senya with a thumping free-kick. In their place are some familiar names; Michele Di Tommaso, Marco Agliardi and Anthony Denoix-Moreau, who all have multiple previous World Cup call-ups, while Luigi Piazza receives a surprise inclusion after a mediocre season in Mercury after being allowed to leave Fiorecittà last summer.

Goalkeepers
1 GK Thibault Guillermety 29 Vecchiacittà Calcio
12 GK Aleksandr Terzić 32 AC Scoglitto
23 GK Marco Agliardi 30 Inter Vecchiavo

Defenders
2 DF Valérien Hertz 31 Vecchiacittà Calcio
3 DF Alessandro De Laurentiis 28 FC Fiorecittà
4 DF Pasquale di Montezemolo 30 Cherry Trees FC [Craitland]
5 DF Michele Di Tommaso 25 FC Fiorecittà
6 DF René Sgarbini 31 Vecchiacittà Calcio
13 DF Niccolò Pedrazzini 31 Vecchiacittà Calcio
15 DF Haskel Bernstein 26 Romero Sport

Midfielders
8 MF Sezer Özker 28 Dynamo Deacon [Mercury]
10 MF Isaac Mahler 28 Svorgas Scitenhima FK [Senya]
11 MF Marko Zajc 30 Cherry Trees FC [Craitland]
14 MF Mirko Giordano 26 Romero Sport
16 MF Riccardo Ganau 25 FC Fiorecittà
17 MF Antonio Navarro 32 Les Verts Gaianiano
20 MF Luigi Piazza 25 Taylor Sporting Club[Mercury]
22 MF Daniele Moizini 24 Romero Sport

Forwards
7 FW Gianluca Salmoiraghi 28 Biulya äqi Jedu FC [Craitland]
9 FW Armando Uggè 29 Kateki Blavisen FK [Senya]
18 FW Andrea Luca Peruzzi 29 Northcliff United [Florian Republic]
19 FW Luigi Donatello 24 FC Fiorecittà
21 FW Anthony Denoix-Moreau 27 AC Scoglitto

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Team Profiles - Group B
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Tellia

How they qualified: Received automatic qualification for this tournament as reigning champions, having seen off Senya 2-1 in the Snakepit in 2017's final.

Star man: Sezer Özker. The Dynamo Deacon man was instrumental in their 2017 triumph in Senya.

One to watch: Marko Zajc. The Cherry Trees playmaker is always a treat to watch.

What you need to know: Having not played in qualifying, Tellia have been on the wrong end of scorelines more often than not, including a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Senya, their form seems to have gone out of the window. Like many others in this group, they have an ageing squad, and it seems as if their golden era is drying up without the talent to replace them.

Prediction: Tellia may be the reigning champions, but all signs point to a flop. As ever with Tellia they are impossible to predict, but this could quite as easily be a semi-final run as it could be a group stage exit, depending on which Tellia side shows up.

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*Played 17th July*

Group B
Tellia vs. North Antarctica

Having suffered a humiliation at the hands of Passas on the opening day, North Antarctica were seeking some reprieve against a Tellia side that had been out of shape in the warm up friendly.

Although this game may have promised to be a low key affair, that didn't really happen, with the Tellians seemingly smelling blood from the off, hitting the post inside five minutes when Sezer Özker played in Gianluca Salmoiraghi, who saw his effort strike the upright and go out. The North Antarcticans meanwhile still didn't look like they'd gotten over Saturday's result, and the Tellians were piling on the pressure. But whilst the Tellians were finding lots of the ball around 30 yards from goal, they were struggling to penetrate the North Antarctican back line, When they did however manage to get a shot away, Quentin Markhams was looking unconvincing, and was eventually found out just before the break, when Isaac Mahler beat two defenders before squaring the ball for Salmoiraghi to tap home.

The goal before half time seemed to kill the Napian spirit, and when they came out for the second half they once again found themselves on the wrong end of an onslaught. But whilst the Napians were able to ride out the initial moments of the second half with relative success, they were eventually undone when Riccardo Ganau was brought on as a substitute, as he was able to find the gap moments after coming on that let Armando Uggè get in behind, squaring the ball back for yet another Craitish-based player to tap home, this time in the form of Marko Zajc. With the Napians growing tired, more gaps began to appear, and it became almost a training game for the Tellians, who grabbed a third ten minutes later when Isaac Mahler hammered a loose ball into the top corner from the edge of the penalty box. The rout was complete with five minutes to go, with Sezer Özker rising up to head home a free-kick past the keeper to cap a resounding victory.

The result meant that North Antarctica's chances of progressing are all but mathematically over, whilst Tellia at last have a good performance under that belt which could instil confidence in their key players.

SPOILER: Click to show

Tellia 4-0 North Antarctica
43' - G. Salmoiraghi
61' - M. Zajc
71' - I. Mahler
85' - S. Özker

Cards
N/A

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*Played 21st July*

Group B
Kingdom of Coria vs. Tellia

Watch this match in full here!

SPOILER: Click to show

Kingdom of Coria 1-1 Tellia
35' - A. Uggè
36' - N. Ahčev

Cards
85' - YELLOW - S. Özker [TEL]

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*Played 25th July*

Group B
Shireroth vs. Tellia

Watch this match in full here!

SPOILER: Click to show

Shireroth 6-2 Tellia
10' - J. Akwá
26' - K. Lamberti
36' - J. Akwá
38' - A. Uggè
50' - T. Llwrran
54' - K. Lamberti
79' - A. Uggè
88' - J. Akwá

Cards
N/A

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*Played 29th July*

Group B
Tellia vs. Passas

With Shireroth already confirmed as the group's third placed team, and with Coria on course to win the group, Tellia and Passas faced off for the final knock-out spot in the group, which would set up a play-off round tie against Talenore. Passas would be through with a win or a draw, but the Tellians knew that if they could bounce back from their thrashing at the hands of Shireroth, they would make it to the knock-out phase for the 7th straight World Cup.

However, when the game kicked off, it still looked as if the Tellians had not gotten over their 6-2 defeat to Shireroth. Despite the absence of Tom Arans through suspension, his replacement in midfield, Jesse Lee, seemed more than up to the task of handling the Benacians. Passas had the first real chance of the game, with Sa Pazi finding Danijel Đorđević, who spun past Pasquale di Montezemolo to play in Łukasz Dąbrowski, but the Eĵars Town striker, put his shot wide. Moments later Dąbrowski was in again one-on-one, but this time Thibault Guillermety thwarted his effort on goal. It had taken the Tellians a while to get going in the match, but eventually they found their mojo. Armando Uggè forced Adam Shawnessy into a great save from a head that came from a Marko Zajc cross, before Zajc himself cut inside and beat Ron Michelson, but again found Shawnessy in great from to deny him.

In the second half, Tellia really began to apply the pressure, but they found Shwanessy to be in inspired form, tipping over from a long distance Gianluca Salmoiraghi effort, but pulling off an acrobatic save to deny Uggè again. This time it was Passas's turn to grow into the half, but they were looking solid defensively. They eventually mustered up a chance of their own, with Alex Danelon scooping the ball over a defender before squaring to Sa Pazi, but the Dragonmoor midfielder put his guilt edge chance the wrong side of the post from 10 yards out. But with time running out and Tellia looking frustrated, Passas were just able to see the game out calmly. Tellia's long balls into the box were being cleared away by the defence every time, much to the frustration of the Tellian fans.

Eventually the full time whilst blew and called time on Tellia's World Cup title defence, as they bow out in the group stage. Meanwhile, the draw ensures Passas will march on to the next round, where they will face Talenore.

SPOILER: Click to show

Tellia 0-0 Passas

Cards
73' - YELLOW - I. Mahler [TEL]