#LongBeachGives #FFXIV
ISML 2021: Mikoto Misaka Continues Prime Form
ISML 2021: Mikoto Misaka Continues Prime Form
By Jo-Ryan Salazar
The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
August 16, 2021
Match Day 2 of the 2021 International Saimoe League Aquamarine Period is history. In the Female Division, Mikoto Misaka thumped Aqua 2372-1423, Shouko Makinohara eased past Krul Tepes 2116-1070, Isla defeated Chitoge Kirisaki 1881-1113, Elaina routed Origami Tobiichi 2473-1131, Yui Yuigahama hammered Yui Hirasawa 2028-1388 and Ichigo took down Saya 2134-1511.
Zero Two crushed Ginko Sora 2391-1471, Kuroko Shirai slaughtered Index Prohibitorum 2087-1227, Hina Amano defeated Nagisa Furukawa 1784-1362, Mai Sakurajima leveled Shinoa Hiiragi 2624-953, Mitsuha Miyamizu prevailed over Schwi Dola 1861-1621 and Ruiko Saten dominated Chiyo Sakura 1907-1272.
Emilia annihilated Saber 2197-1240, Kanade Tachibana flew past Shinka Nibutani 1858-1373, Kaede Azusagawa rolled past Sumi Sakurasawa 2126-1042, Kaguya Shinomiya flattened Taiga Aisaka 2343-1178, Kamui Kanna exploded past Megumin 1787-1618 and Shiro powered past Kaori Miyazono 2006-1261.
Asuna Yuuki slashed past Kazari Uiharu 2174-1305, Chizuru Ichinose defeated Tamako Kitashirakawa 1747-1446, Takagi won a 1672-1566 snoozer over Shinobu Kochou, Rikka Takanashi stonewalled Yoshino 2300-1177, Tsukasa Yuzaki soared past Kei Shirogane in the 1904-1497 Upset of the Round and Rin Tohsaka bounced back with a 1710-1351 statement win over Kurisu Makise.
Kurumi Tokisaki shot down Azusa Nakano 2243-1225, Ai Hayasaka burned Suzune Horikita 2111-1226, Rio Futaba defeated Shino Asada 1810-1319, Nao Tomori destryoed Meiko Honma 2118-1086, Tooru roared past Umaru Doma 1911-1415 and Misaki Shokuhou dismantled Mirai Kuriyama 2112-1271.
Wrapping up Female Division action, Shouko Nishimiya defeated Beatrice 2081-1336, Sagiri Izumi slammed Sora Kasugano 1845-1377, Iroha Isshiki battered Tohka Yatogami 1714-1319, Mashiro Shiina smashed Eriri Spencer Sawamura 2248-1020, Chika Fujiwara boomed past Mio Akiyama 2113-1349 and Utaka Kasumigaoka got past Nanami Aoyama 1631-1398.
In the Male Division, Sakuta Azusagawa made it a Aobuta sweep with a 2510-773 rout of Hodaka Morishima, Sorata Kanda defeated Kusuo Saiki 1768-1176, Shouya Ishida droved past Naofumi Iwatani 1834-1132, Yuuta Togashi thundered past Osamu Dazai 2092-995, Saika Totsuka toated Madara Uchiha 1837-1101 and Ken Kaneki suplexed Joseph Joestar 1538-1182.
Hiro crushed Isaac Foster 2191-1152, Yuuji Itadori defeated Dio Brando 1554-1149, Shidou Itsuka pummeled Mochizou Ouji 1652-1129, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji burned Masamune Izumi 1894-1082, Goro made it a Darlifra sweep with a 1756-1485 pasting of Shinnosuke Nohara and Rintarou Okabe won a 1541-1411 barnburner over Haruka Kasugano.
Yuu Ishigami impaled Gilgamesh 2058-1076, Shiro Emiya defeated Lelouch Lamperouge 1440-1299, Tomoya Okazaki eased past Sesshoumaru 1501-1135, Subaru Natsuki drove past Fuutarou Uesugi 2119-939, Kazuma Satou crushed Ainz Ooal Gown 1943-918 and Yuzuru Otonashi throttled Tomoya Aki 1582-1185
Kaito Kuroba flew past Yato 1604-1298, Kiritsugu Emiya defeated Joutarou Kuujou 1479-1258, Nasa Yuzaki made it a husband and wife sweep with a 1634-1404 victory over Eren Yeager, Nagisa Shiota shot past Edward Elric 1350-1283, Touma Kamijou broke Toge Inumaki 2029-1233 and Giyuu Tomioka tomahawked Megumi Fushiguro 1705-1052.
Mikaela Hyakuya slashed past Tatsuya Shiba 1324-1173, Kazuto Kirigaya blasted Eugeo 2130-669, Yuu Otosaka dominated Archer 1631-1218, Inosuke Hashibara dusted off Yuuichirou Hyakuya 1599-1108, Levi leveled L Lawliet 1846-1058 and Taki Tachibana took down Karma Akabane 2098-1009.
Wrapping up Male Division play, Saitama punched Satoshi 2016-986, Kyoujurou Rengoku stormed past Rudeus Greyrat 1664-1279, Kousei Arima defeated Ryuunosuke Akasaka 1495-1331, Itachi Uchiha defeated Gintoki Sakata 1454-1262, Riku Dola docked Ryuuji Takasu 1736-1240 and Satoshi Fukube dismissed Obito Uchiha 1632-1209.
Match Day 3 of the 2021 Internationla Saimoe League Aquamarine Period is scheduled for 18 August 2021. Vote for your favorite characters at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.
Panic at Kabul Airport as Afghans Rush to Flee Taliban After U.S. Evacuates Staff
Panic at Kabul Airport as Afghans Rush to Flee Taliban After U.S. Evacuates Staff
BY AHMAD SEIR, RAHIM FAIEZ, TAMEEM AKHGAR AND JON GAMBRELL/AP UPDATED: AUGUST 16, 2021 4:20 AM EDT | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: AUGUST 15, 2021 9:33 PM EDT
(KABUL, Afghanistan) — The U.S. military struggled to manage a chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan on Monday as the Taliban patrolled the capital and tried to project calm after toppling the Western-backed government.
The Taliban swept into Kabul on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing a stunning end to a two-decade campaign in which the U.S. and its allies had tried to transform Afghanistan. The country’s Western-trained security forces collapsed in a matter of days, even before the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops.
Thousands of Afghans fearing a return to Taliban rule are trying to flee the country through Kabul’s international airport. Videos circulating on social media showed hundreds of people racing across the tarmac as U.S. soldiers fired warning shots in the air. Another showed a crowd pushing and shoving its way up a staircase, trying to board a plane, with some people hanging off the railings.
Massouma Tajik, a 22-year-old data analyst, described scenes of panic at the airport, where she was among hundreds of Afghans hoping to board an evacuation flight.
After waiting six hours, she heard shots from outside, where a crowd of men and women were trying to climb aboard a plane. She said U.S. troops sprayed gas and fired into the air to disperse them. Gunfire could be heard in the voice notes she sent to The Associated Press.
The U.S. Embassy has been evacuated and the American flag lowered, with diplomats relocating to the airport to aid with the evacuation. Other Western countries have also closed their missions and are flying out staff and civilians.
By morning, Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority issued an advisory saying the “civilian side” of the airport had been “closed until further notice” and that the military controlled the airspace.
Afghanistan’s airspace is often used by long-haul carriers moving between the Far East and the West. Early Monday morning, flight-tracking data showed no immediate commercial flights over the country.
In the capital itself a tense calm set in, with most people hiding in their homes. There were scattered reports of looting and armed men knocking on doors and gates. The Taliban freed thousands of prisoners as they swept across the country and the police melted away.
The Taliban deployed fighters at major intersections and sought to project calm, circulating videos showing quiet city streets.
“There were a few Taliban fighters on each and every road and intersection in the city,” Shah Mohammad, a 55-year-old gardener, said after coming to work in the diplomatic quarter. He said there was less traffic than usual and fewer people out on the streets.
Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, tweeted that fighters had been instructed not to enter any home without permission and to protect “life, property and honor.” The Taliban have also said they will stay out of the upscale diplomatic quarter housing the U.S. Embassy complex “so as not to create any confusion or problems.” The neighborhood also includes the posh villas of U.S.-allied former warlords who have fled the country or gone into hiding.
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 with a harsh form of Islamic law. Women were largely confined to their homes and suspected criminals faced amputation or public execution. The Taliban have sought to project greater moderation in recent years, but many Afghans remain skeptical and fear a rollback of individual rights.
The Taliban had also harbored Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida in the years before they carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. That sparked a U.S.-led invasion that rapidly scattered al-Qaida and drove the Taliban from power.
But the U.S. lost focus during the Iraq war and the Taliban eventually regrouped. The militants captured much of the Afghan countryside in recent years and then swept into cities as U.S. forces prepared to withdraw ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline.
When the Taliban last seized Kabul in 1996 it had been heavily damaged in the civil war that broke out among rival warlords after the Soviet withdrawal seven years earlier. The city was then home to around a million people, most traveling on dusty roads by bicycle or aging taxi.
Today Kabul is a built-up city home to 5 million people where luxury vehicles and SUVs struggle to push through endemic traffic jams. Many of the younger Taliban fighters hail from rural areas without electricity or running water, and are getting their first glimpse of a modern city they had only previously heard stories about.
___
Faiez reported from Istanbul, Krauss from Jerusalem and Gannon from Guelph, Canada. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Samya Kullab in Baghdad contributed.
BoBA ISML 2021 Predictions: Aquamarine Match Day 2
ARENA 1 Aqua [[Misaka Mikoto]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 2 [[Makinohara Shōko]] Krul Tepes
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 3 Kirisaki Chitoge [[Isla]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 4 Tobiichi Origami [[Elaina]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 5 [[Yuigahama Yui]] Hirasawa Yui
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 6 Saya [[Ichigo]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 7 Sora Ginko [[Zero Two]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 8 Index L. Prohibitorum [[Shirai Kuroko]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 9 [[Amano Hina]] Furukawa Nagisa
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 10 [[Sakurajima Mai]] Hiiragi Shinoa
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 11 Miyamizu Mitsuha [[Schwi Dola]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 12 [[Saten Ruiko]] Sakura Chiyo
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 13 Saber [[Emilia]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 14 Nibutani Shinka [[Tachibana Kanade]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 15 Sakurasawa Sumi [[Azusagawa Kaede]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 16 [[Shinomiya Kaguya]] Aisaka Taiga
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 17 Megumin [[Kanna Kamui]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 18 Miyazono Kaori [[Shiro]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 19 [[Yūki Asuna]] Uiharu Kazari
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 20 Kitashirakawa Tamako [[Ichinose Chizuru (Mizuhara Chizuru)]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 21 [[Takagi]] Kochō Shinobu
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 22 [[Takanashi Rikka]] Yoshino
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 23 Yuzaki Tsukasa [[Shirogane Kei]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 24 Tōsaka Rin [[Makise Kurisu]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 25 [[Tokisaki Kurumi]] Nakano Azusa
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 26 Horikita Suzune [[Hayasaka Ai]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 27 Asada Shino [[Futaba Rio]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 28 Honma Meiko [[Tomori Nao]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 29 Doma Umaru [[Tōru]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 30 [[Shokuhō Misaki]] Kuriyama Mirai
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 31 Beatrice [[Nishimiya Shōko]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 32 [[Izumi Sagiri]] Kasugano Sora
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 33 [[Isshiki Iroha]] Yatogami Tōka
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 34 Sawamura Spencer Eriri [[Shiina Mashiro]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 35 [[Fujiwara Chika]] Akiyama Mio
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 36 Aoyama Nanami [[Kasumigaoka Utaha]]
by >=300
Over/Under: 3000
Over
ARENA 37 [[Azusagawa Sakuta]] Morishima Hodaka
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 38 [[Kanda Sorata]] Saiki Kusuo
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 39 Iwatani Naofumi [[Ishida Shōya]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 40 [[Togashi Yūta]] Dazai Osamu
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 41 Uchiha Madara [[Totsuka Saika]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 42 [[Kaneki Ken]] Joseph Joestar
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 43 [[Hiro]] Isaac Foster
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 44 [[Itadori Yūji]] Dio Brando
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 45 Ōji Mochizō [[Itsuka Shidō]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 46 Izumi Masamune [[Ayanokōji Kiyotaka]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 47 Nohara Shinnosuke [[Goro]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 48 [[Okabe Rintarō]] Kasugano Haruka
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 49 [[Ishigami Yū]] Gilgamesh
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 50 [[Emiya Shirō]] Lelouch Lamperouge
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 51 Sesshōmaru [[Okazaki Tomoya]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 52 Uesugi Fūtarō [[Natsuki Subaru]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 53 Ainz Ooal Gown [[Satō Kazuma]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 54 Aki Tomoya [[Otonashi Yuzuru]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 55 [[Tachibana Taki]] Akabane Karma
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 56 Yato [[Kuroba Kaito]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 57 Kūjō Jōtarō [[Emiya Kiritsugu]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 58 [[Levi]] L Lawliet
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 59 [[Yuzaki Nasa]] Eren Yeager
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 60 Edward Elric [[Shiota Nagisa]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 61 [[Kamijō Tōma]] Inumaki Toge
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 62 [[Tomioka Giyū]] Fushiguro Megumi
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 63 Shiba Tatsuya [[Hyakuya Mikaela]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 64 Eugeo [[Kirigaya Kazuto]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 65 Otosaka Yū [[Archer]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 66 Hyakuya Yūichirō [[Hashibira Inosuke]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 67 Satoshi [[Saitama]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 68 Rudeus Greyrat [[Rengoku Kyōjurō]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 69 Arima Kōsei [[Akasaka Ryūnosuke]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 70 [[Uchiha Itachi]] Sakata Gintoki
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 71 Takasu Ryūji [[Riku Dola]]
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
ARENA 72 [[Fukube Satoshi]] Uchiha Obito
by <=600
Over/Under: 3500
Under
Voter Id: 6d1ff4bf-f83b-5144-b5fb-f810897ed38c
ISML 2021: Aquamarine Is Underway!
ISML 2021: Aquamarine Is Underway!
By Jo-Ryan Salazar
The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
August 14, 2021
Typically, the Aquamarine Period of the International Saimoe League is the longest of the periods due to the number of competitors in both the male and female divisions. The 2021 edition is no different with Match Day 1 in the books. In the Female Division, Mikoto Misaka routed Chitoge Kirisaki 2307-1026, Shouko Makinohara defeated Aqua 1724-1247, Isla grounded Krul Tepes 1779-884, Elaina thumped Saya 2621-394, Yui Yuigahama hammered Origami Tobiichi 1716-1247 and Ichigo won a 1686-1672 thriller over Yui Hirasawa.
Zero Two delivered a 2175-1411 belting of Nagisa Furukawa, Kuroko Shirai slammed Ginko Sora 1816-1273, Hina Amano stormed past Index Prohibitorum 1684-1468, Mai Sakurajima romped past Chiyo Sakura 2341-1051, Mitsuha Miyamizu roasted Shinoa Hiiragi 1890-1043 and Schwi Dola prevailed over Ruiko Saten 1548-1517.
Emilia torched Sumi Sakurasawa 2084-929, Kanade Tachibana flew past Saber 1709-1184, Kaede Azusagawa mowed down Shinka Nibutani 1690-1356, Kaguya Shinomiya eased past Kaori Miyazono 2054-1061, Kamui Kanna defeated Taiga Aisaka 1637-1455 and Shiro exploded past Megumin 1521-1364.
Asuna Yuuki slashed past Takagi 1796-1271, Chizuru Ichinose drove past Kazari Uiharu 1608-1420, Tamako Kitashirakawa overcame Shinobu Kochou 1612-1296, Rikka Takanashi demolished Kurisu Makise 2065-1018, Tsukasa Yuzaki soared past Yoshino 1766-1309 and Kei Shirogane delivered the Upset of the Round, a 1543-1399 scalp of Rin Tohsaka.
Kurumi Tokisaki shot past Shino Asada 2121-935, Ai Hayasaka defeated Azusa Nakano 1689-1232, Rio Futaba overpowered Suzune Horikita 1557-1253, Nao Tomori pummeled Mirai Kuriyama 1907-937, Tooru roared past Meiko Honma 1703-1145 and Misaki Shokuhou eased past Umaru Doma 1738-1358.
Wrapping up Female DFivision play, Shouko Nishimiya tore down Tohka Yatogami 1818-1256, Sagiri Izumi slammed Beatrice 1825-1151, Iroha Isshiki prevailed over Sora Kasugano 1542-1477, Mashiro Shiina smashed Nanami Aoyama 2071-785, Chika Fujiwara leveled Eriri Spencer Sawamura 1940-1127 and Mio Akiyama won a 1454-1429 barnburner over Utaha Kasumigaoka.
In the Male Division, Sakuta Azusagawa routed Naofumi Iwatani 2188-689, Sorata Kanda defeated Hodaka Morishima 1424-978, Shouya Ishida stormed past Kusuo Saiki 1444-940, Yuuta Togashi belted Joseph Joestar 1920-843, Saika Totsuka toasted Osamu Dazai 1537-895 and Ken Kaneki defeated Madara Uchiha 1271-1056.
Hiro roared past Mochizou Ouji 1727-1142, Yuuji Itadori defeated Isaac Foster 1157-1079, Shidou Itsuka flattened Dio Brando 1459-993, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji eased past Rintarou Okabe 1683-993, Masamune Izumi got past Shinnosuke Nohara 1445-1122 and Haruka Kasugano mowed down Goro 1475-1252.
Yuu Ishigami demolished Sesshoumaru 1752-877, Shirou Emiya impaled Gilgamesh 1265-980, Lelouch Lamperouge won the closest race of the round, a 1143-1135 snoozer over Tomoya Okazaki, Subaru Natsuki drove past Tomoya Aki 1771-809, Kazuma Satou drubbed Fuutarou Uesugi 1578-856 and Yuzuru Otonashi shot down Ainz Ooal Gown 1415-1033.
Taki Tachibana took down Kiritsugu Emiya 1832-982, Kaito Kuruba throttled Karma Akabane 1464-1096, Yato flew past Joutarou Kuujou 1351-948, Levi leveled Edward Elric 1471-954, Nasa Yuzaki punished L Lawliet 1471-954 and Nagisa Shiota shot past Eren Yeager 1321-952.
Touma Kamijou broke Tatsuya Shiba 1719-1029, Giyuu Tomioka took down toge Inumaki 1530-808, Mikaela Hyakuya eased past Megumi Fushiguro 1193-965, Kazuto Kirigaya sliced and diced Yuuichirou Hyakuya 1865-668, Yuu Otosaka rolled past Eugeo 1491-954 and Archer dominated Inosuke Hashibara 1368-1190.
Wrapping up Male Division play, Saitama punched Ryuunosuke Akasaka 1450-1244, Kyoujurou Rengoku roared past Satoshi 1435-1037, Kousei Arima defeated Rudeus Greyrat 1317-1138, Itachi Uchiha crushed Satoshi Fukube 1389-1148, Riku Dola rocked Gintoki Sakata 1457-997 and Ryuuji Takasu roared past Obito Uchiha 1551-893.
Match Day 2 of the 2021 International Saimoe League Aquamarine Period is scheduled for 15 August, 2021. Vote for your favorite characters at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.
FFXIV: Moonfire Faire with Miku Argentea. 13 August 2021 at 0030 UTC-7!
#FFXIV #moonfirefaire #darli_fra
BoBA ISML 2021 Predictions: Aquamarine Match Day 1
ARENA 1 Kirisaki Chitoge [[Misaka Mikoto]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 2 [[Makinohara Shōko]] Aqua
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 3 Krul Tepes [[Isla]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 4 Saya [[Elaina]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 5 Tobiichi Origami [[Yuigahama Yui]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 6 Ichigo [[Hirasawa Yui]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 7 Furukawa Nagisa [[Zero Two]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 8 [[Shirai Kuroko]] Sora Ginko
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 9 [[Index L. Prohibitorum]] Amano Hina
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 10 [[Sakurajima Mai]] Sakura Chiyo
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 11 Hiiragi Shinoa [[Miyamizu Mitsuha]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 12 Saten Ruiko [[Schwi Dola]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 13 Sakurasawa Sumi [[Emilia]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 14 Saber [[Tachibana Kanade]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 15 Nibutani Shinka [[Azusagawa Kaede]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 16 Miyazono Kaori [[Shinomiya Kaguya]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 17 Aisaka Taiga [[Kanna Kamui]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 18 Shiro [[Megumin]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 19 [[Yūki Asuna]] Takagi
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 20 [[Ichinose Chizuru (Mizuhara Chizuru)]] Uiharu Kazari
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 21 Kitashirakawa Tamako [[Kochō Shinobu]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 22 [[Takanashi Rikka]] Makise Kurisu
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 23 Yoshino [[Yuzaki Tsukasa]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 24 [[Tōsaka Rin]] Shirogane Kei
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 25 [[Tokisaki Kurumi]] Asada Shino
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 26 [[Hayasaka Ai]] Nakano Azusa
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 27 Horikita Suzune [[Futaba Rio]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 28 [[Tomori Nao]] Kuriyama Mirai
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 29 [[Tōru]] Honma Meiko
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 30 [[Shokuhō Misaki]] Doma Umaru
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 31 [[Nishimiya Shōko]] Yatogami Tōka
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 32 [[Izumi Sagiri]] Beatrice
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 33 [[Isshiki Iroha]] Kasugano Sora
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 34 Aoyama Nanami [[Shiina Mashiro]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 35 Sawamura Spencer Eriri [[Fujiwara Chika]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 36 Akiyama Mio [[Kasumigaoka Utaha]]
by <=1000
Over/Under: 5000
Over
ARENA 37 [[Azusagawa Sakuta]] Iwatani Naofumi
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 38 [[Kanda Sorata]] Morishima Hodaka
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 39 Saiki Kusuo [[Ishida Shōya]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 40 [[Togashi Yūta]] Joseph Joestar
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 41 [[Totsuka Saika]] Dazai Osamu
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 42 Uchiha Madara [[Kaneki Ken]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 43 Ōji Mochizō [[Hiro]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 44 [[Isaac Foster]] Itadori Yūji
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 45 [[Itsuka Shidō]] Dio Brando
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 46 Okabe Rintarō [[Ayanokōji Kiyotaka]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 47 [[Izumi Masamune]] Nohara Shinnosuke
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 48 [[Goro]] Kasugano Haruka
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 49 [[Ishigami Yū]] Sesshōmaru
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 50 [[Emiya Shirō]] Gilgamesh
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 51 [[Lelouch Lamperouge]] Okazaki Tomoya
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 52 Aki Tomoya [[Natsuki Subaru]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 53 [[Satō Kazuma]] Uesugi Fūtarō
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 54 Ainz Ooal Gown [[Otonashi Yuzuru]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 55 [[Emiya Kiritsugu]] Tachibana Taki
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 56 Kuroba Kaito [[Akabane Karma]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 57 Kūjō Jōtarō [[Yato]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 58 [[Levi]] Edward Elric
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 59 [[Yuzaki Nasa]] L Lawliet
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 60 [[Shiota Nagisa]] Eren Yeager
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 61 [[Kamijō Tōma]] Shiba Tatsuya
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 62 Inumaki Toge [[Tomioka Giyū]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 63 [[Hyakuya Mikaela]] Fushiguro Megumi
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 64 [[Kirigaya Kazuto]] Hyakuya Yūichirō
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 65 [[Eugeo]] Otosaka Yū
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 66 Hashibira Inosuke [[Archer]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 67 [[Saitama]] Akasaka Ryūnosuke
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 68 Satoshi [[Rengoku Kyōjurō]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 69 [[Arima Kōsei]] Rudeus Greyrat
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 70 Fukube Satoshi [[Uchiha Itachi]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 71 Sakata Gintoki [[Riku Dola]]
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
ARENA 72 [[Takasu Ryūji]] Uchiha Obito
by >=400
Over/Under: 6000
Under
Voter Id: 5fad7033-d00e-55cd-aafc-5e3e64825c19
In Lionel Messi’s Move, a Dim Portrait of Modern Soccer
In Lionel Messi’s Move, a Dim Portrait of Modern Soccer
He could not stay where he wanted; few teams could afford him. Even one of the best players of all time was not able to resist the economic forces that carry the game along.
By Rory Smith
Aug. 10, 2021
In those frantic, final hours in April, before a cabal of owners of Europe’s grandest clubs unveiled their plan for a breakaway superleague to an unsuspecting and unwelcoming world, a schism emerged in their ranks.
One faction, driven by Andrea Agnelli, chairman of Juventus, and Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, wanted to go public as quickly as possible. Agnelli, in particular, was feeling the personal pressure of acting, in effect, as a double agent. Everything, they said, was ready; or at least as ready as it needed to be.
Another group, centered on the American ownership groups that control England’s traditional giants, counseled caution. The plans still had to be finessed. There was still debate, for example, on how many spots might be handed over to teams that had qualified for the competition. They felt it better to wait until summer.
If the first group had not won the day — if the whole project had not exploded into existence and collapsed in ignominy in 48 tumultuous hours — this would have been the week, after the Olympics but before the new season began, when they presented their self-serving, elitist vision of soccer’s future.
That the Super League fell apart, of course, was a blessed relief. That this week has, instead, been given over to a dystopian illustration of where, exactly, soccer stands suggests that no great solace should be found in its failure.
On Thursday, Manchester City broke the British transfer record — paying Aston Villa $138 million for Jack Grealish — for what may not be the last time this summer. The club remains hopeful of adding Harry Kane, talisman of Tottenham and captain of England, for a fee that could rise as high as $200 million.
And then, of course, dwarfing everything else, it emerged that Lionel Messi would be leaving — would have to leave — F.C. Barcelona. Under La Liga’s rules, the club’s finances are such that it could not physically, fiscally, register the greatest player of all time for the coming season. It had no choice but to let him go. He had no choice but to leave.
Everything that has played out since has felt so shocking as to be surreal, but so predictable as to be inevitable.
There was the tear-stained news conference, in which Messi revealed he had volunteered to accept a 50 percent pay cut to stay at the club he has called home since he was 13, where he scored 672 goals in 778 games, where he broke every record there was to break, won everything there was to win and forged a legend that may never be matched.
As soon as that was over, there came the first wisps of smoke from Paris, suggesting the identity of Messi’s new home. Paris St.-Germain was, apparently, crunching the numbers. Messi had been in touch with Neymar, his old compadre, to talk things through. He had called Mauricio Pochettino, the manager, to get an idea of how it might work. P.S.G. was in touch with Jorge, his agent and father.
Then, on Tuesday, it happened. Everything was agreed upon: a salary worth $41 million a year, basic, over two years, with an option for a third. As his image was stripped from Camp Nou, a hole appearing between the vast posters of Gerard Piqué and Antoine Griezmann, Messi and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, boarded a plane in Barcelona, all packed and ready to go.
Jorge Messi assured reporters at the airport that the deal was done. P.S.G. teased it with a tweet. Messi landed at Le Bourget airport, near Paris, wearing that shy smile and a T-shirt reading: “Ici, C’est Paris.”
This was not a journey many had ever envisaged him making. But he had no other choice; or, rather, the player for whom anything has always been possible, for once, had only a narrow suite of options.
There is a portrait of modern soccer in that restricted choice, and it is a stark one. Lionel Messi, the best of all time, does not have true agency over where he plays his final few years. Even he was not able to resist the economic forces that carry the game along.
He could not stay where he wanted to stay, at Barcelona, because the club has walked, headlong, into financial ruin. A mixture of the incompetence of its executives and the hubris of the institution is largely responsible for that, but not wholly.
The club has spent vastly and poorly in recent years, of course. It has squandered the legacy that Messi had done so much to construct. But it has done so in a context in which it was asked and expected to compete with clubs backed not just by oligarchs and billionaires but by whole nation states, their ambitions unchecked and their spending unrestricted.
The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the onset of calamity, and so Barcelona was no longer in a position where it could keep even a player who wanted to stay. When it came time for him to leave, he found a landscape in which only a handful of clubs — nine at most — could offer the prospect of allowing him to compete for another Champions League trophy. They had long since left everybody else behind, relegated them to second-class status.
And of those, only three could even come close to taking on a salary as deservedly gargantuan as his. He should not be begrudged a desire to be paid his worth. He is the finest exponent of his art in history. It would be churlish to demand that he should do it on the cheap, as though it is his duty to entertain us. It could only have been Chelsea or Manchester City or Paris.
To some — and not just those who hold P.S.G. close to their hearts — that will be an appetizing prospect: a chance to see Messi not just reunited with Neymar, but aligned for the first time with Kylian Mbappé, who many assume will eventually take his crown as the best, and with his old enemy Sergio Ramos, too.
That it will be captivating is not in doubt. And doubtless profitable: The jerseys will fly off the shelves; the sponsorships will roll in; the TV ratings will rise, too, perhaps lifting all of French soccer with it. It may well be successful, on the field; it will doubtless be good to watch. But that is no measure. So, too, is the sinking of a ship.
That the architects of the Super League arrived, in April, at the wrong answer is not in doubt. The vision of soccer’s future that they put forward was one that benefited them and left everyone else, in effect, to burn.
But the question that prompted it was the right one. The vast majority of those dozen teams knew that the game in its current form was not sustainable. The costs were too high, the risks too great. The arms race that they were locked into led only to destruction. They recognized the need for change, even if their desperation and self-interest meant they could not identify what form that change should take.
They worried that they could not compete with the power and the wealth of the two or three clubs that are not subject to the same rules as everybody else. They felt that the playing field was no longer level. They believed that, sooner or later, first the players and then the trophies would coalesce around P.S.G., Chelsea and Manchester City.
It was sooner, as it turns out. P.S.G. has signed Messi. City may commit more than $300 million on just two players in a matter of weeks, as the rest of the game comes to terms with the impact of the pandemic. Chelsea has spent $140 million on a striker, too. This is the week when all their fears, all their dire predictions, have come to pass.
There should be no sympathy, of course. Those same clubs did not care at all about competitive balance while the imbalances suited them. Nothing has damaged the chances of meaningful change more than their abortive attempt to corral as much of the game’s wealth as possible to their own ends.
But they are not the only ones to lose in this situation. In April, in those whirlwind 48 hours, it felt like soccer avoided a grim vision of its future. As Messi touched down on the ground near Paris on Tuesday, as the surreal and the inevitable collided, it was hard to ignore the feeling that it had merely traded it for another.
Rory Smith is the chief soccer correspondent, based in Manchester, England. He covers all aspects of European soccer and has reported from three World Cups, the Olympics, and numerous European tournaments. @RorySmith
ISML 2021: Preliminaries Wrap Up!
ISML 2021: Preliminaries Wrap Up!
By Jo-Ryan Salazar
The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
9 August 2021
Match Day 6 of the 2021 International Saimoe League Preliminaries is in the books. In the first female division pool, in the green were Zero Two (2471), Isla (1434), Kuroko Shirai (1654), Origami Tobiichi (1070), Kaori Miyazono (1012) and Azusa Nakano (1071). In the second female division pool, the top six were Emilia (1997), Chizuru Ichinose (1577), Shinobu Kochou (1319), Megumin (1252), Shinoa Hiiragi (1140) and Kurisu Makise (971).
In the third female division pool, the top six were Rikka Takanashi (2135), Tsukasa Yuzaki (1726), Rin Tohsaka (1224), Tamako Kitashirakawa (1205), Saber (1114) and Shino Asada (996), And in the fourth, making top six were Sagiri Izumi (1703), Shouko Nishimiya (1749), Misaki Shokuhou (1507), Suzune Horikita (1259), Nanami Aoyama (1054) and Beatrice (1079).
In the first male division pool, making top six were Sakuta Azusagawa (2542), Shinnosuke Nohara (1420), Ken Kaneki (1183), Isaac Foster (947), Lelouch Lamperouge (1121) and Nishikata (810). Making top six in the second were Yuu Ishigami (1754), Shouya Ishida (1206), Saika Totsuka (1280), Megumi Fushiguro (963), Fuutarou Uesugi (917) and Mochizou Ouji (808).
In the third male division pool, making top six were Levi (1829), Nasa Yuzaki (1433), Archer (965), Mikaela Hyakuya (1094), Gilgamesh (978) and Kyon (894). And in the fourth, reaching top six were Kyoujurou Rengoku (1534), Saitama (1761), Obito Uchiha (963), Joutarou Kuujou (1026), Tatsuya Shiba (908) and Seiya Kanie (936).
In Winter Seasonal action, Ram rammed Nino Nakano 2261-1721, Itsuki Nakano eased past Milim Nava 2351-1284, Eris Boreas Greyrat routed Rin Shima 2105-1177, Miku Nakano belted Roxy Migurdia 2244-1636, Echidna prevailed over Setsuna 1910-1531, Renge Miyauchi roasted Shiraori 2271-1089, Kyouko Hori won the closesrt race of the round, a 2206-2192 thriller over Ai Haibara, Nobara Kugisaki won a 1957-1926 barnburner over Ran Mouri, and Mikasa Ackerman drilled Ai Outo 2054-1362. Finally, Izumi Miyamura defeated Satoru Gojou 1998-1887, Tanjiro Kamado pounded Monkey D. Luffy 2286-1438 and Conan Edogawa thumped Naruto Uzumaki 2325-1561.
Match Day 1 of the 2021 International Saimoe League Aquamarine Period is scheduled for 12 August 2021. Vote for your favorite characters at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate. And keep it right here on The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue for continuing coverage of the International Saimoe League, the world's premier anime character competition!
Tokyo 2020: Final Medal Tally
| Rank | Team | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | 39 | 41 | 33 | 113 |
| 2 |  China | 38 | 32 | 18 | 88 |
| 3 |  Japan* | 27 | 14 | 17 | 58 |
| 4 |  Great Britain | 22 | 21 | 22 | 65 |
| 5 |  ROC | 20 | 28 | 23 | 71 |
| 6 |  Australia | 17 | 7 | 22 | 46 |
| 7 |  Netherlands | 10 | 12 | 14 | 36 |
| 8 |  France | 10 | 12 | 11 | 33 |
| 9 |  Germany | 10 | 11 | 16 | 37 |
| 10 |  Italy | 10 | 10 | 20 | 40 |
| 11 |  Canada | 7 | 6 | 11 | 24 |
| 12 |  Brazil | 7 | 6 | 8 | 21 |
| 13 |  New Zealand | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| 14 |  Cuba | 7 | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| 15 |  Hungary | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| 16 |  South Korea | 6 | 4 | 10 | 20 |
| 17 |  Poland | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 |
| 18 |  Czech Republic | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 19 |  Kenya | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 20 |  Norway | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 21 |  Jamaica | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| 22 |  Spain | 3 | 8 | 6 | 17 |
| 23 |  Sweden | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| 24 |  Switzerland | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 |
| 25 |  Denmark | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| 26 |  Croatia | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 27 |  Iran | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 28 |  Serbia | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| 29 |  Belgium | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 30 |  Bulgaria | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 31 |  Slovenia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 32 |  Uzbekistan | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 33 |  Georgia | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| 34 |  Chinese Taipei | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| 35 |  Turkey | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13 |
| 36 |  Greece | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
 Uganda | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 38 |  Ecuador | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 |  Ireland | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
 Israel | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| 41 |  Qatar | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 42 |  Bahamas | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
 Kosovo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 44 |  Ukraine | 1 | 6 | 12 | 19 |
| 45 |  Belarus | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 46 |  Romania | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
 Venezuela | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 48 |  India | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 49 |  Hong Kong | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 50 |  Philippines | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
 Slovakia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 52 |  South Africa | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 53 |  Austria | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| 54 |  Egypt | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 55 |  Indonesia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 56 |  Ethiopia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
 Portugal | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 58 |  Tunisia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 59 |  Estonia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 Fiji | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
 Latvia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
 Thailand | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 63 |  Bermuda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Morocco | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
 Puerto Rico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 66 |  Colombia | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 67 |  Azerbaijan | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 68 |  Dominican Republic | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 69 |  Armenia | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 70 |  Kyrgyzstan | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 71 |  Mongolia | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 72 |  Argentina | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
 San Marino | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 74 |  Jordan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Malaysia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
 Nigeria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 77 |  Bahrain | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Lithuania | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Namibia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 North Macedonia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Saudi Arabia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Turkmenistan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 83 |  Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| 84 |  Mexico | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 85 |  Finland | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 86 |  Botswana | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Burkina Faso | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Ghana | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Grenada | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Ivory Coast | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Kuwait | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Moldova | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Syria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (93 teams) | 340 | 338 | 402 | 1080 | |
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