Muralos national football team

The Muralosian national football team represents Muralos in association football (or soccer, as it was called in Muralos' former region, Asian Archipelago). It is controlled by the Muralosian Soccer Association, the governing body for soccer in Muralos. Muralos' home ground is the Komcatt Arena in Urbego, and its current coach is Jozefo Koltakov.

History
The Muralosian Soccer Association was established in 1948, shortly after the independence of Muralos. It fielded a men's and women's football team, both of which consisted primarily of amateur footballers. Most of the early players were either of Russian or Japanese descent, but the teams have become far more diverse since. Today, both teams are made up of players with Russian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (including ethnic Chinese from the former nations Li Qing and Fengjie), Ainu, and African ancestry.

Between 1948 and 2016, the national football teams of Muralos played exclusively against other nations in the former Asian Archipelago. The spring of 2016 marked the first time a national team played against non-Asian Archipelago teams, when the Muralosian men's national football team played in the Asian Archipelago Soccer Cup hosted by Fengjie (now Fengjie Autonomous Region, China) and the Asian Archipelago Embassy Cup in Muralos itself. The men's national football team would play more competition in the fall of 2020, beginning with the 2nd International Football Cup in Squidroidia, where it won the tournament after four years without international competition; and continuing with the 11th Independent Associations Cup, where it reached the eighth-finals.

In 2020, the Muralosian Soccer Association announced plans to consolidate the men's and women's national teams into a unified national football team. This team is now competing in the World Cup Committee's Baptism of Fire tournament, and it will compete in qualification for the 87th World Cup as well.

Starting lineup

 * #1 Rodion Markov - Goalkeeper - as part of the U-20 Muralosian squad, he was nicknamed "the Prophet" for his formidable accuracy in guessing the direction of penalty kicks and capability to pass very wide, "seeing beyond" any obstacles.
 * #2 Ryo Takeda - Right back - the only team member with Ainu ancestry and hailed as a symbol of Muralosian diversity and Esperantism. (Of course, he is also a great player in his own right.)
 * #4 Aleksandro Kim - Center back - born in Kurilo of Korean descent, Kim moved to Urbego at the age of 13 to attend Urbego's Zamenhof High School and was part of the team that won the FIS, Muralos' premier high school championship, in 2008.
 * #5 Rikardo Lei - Center back - his grandparents were Fengjieans who were doctors during the Muralosian Civil War. Exceptionally strong defender who played a very large role in the Asian Archipelago Regional Cup, most notably in the match against Elbaron in which the Hawks won 2-1.
 * #3 Koralo Petrov - Left back - another player who rose to fame through an FIS championship. Makes very wide passes and is regarded as a good team player.
 * #6 Mikhail Zheng - Left midfield - part of the same FIS-winning team as Aleksandro Kim. Had a brief stint playing in the Premier League of Li Qing before returning to become a member of the Hawks.
 * #7 Johano Abramovich - Center midfield - Formidable dribbling skills, also the leader in assists during the Asian Archipelago Regional Cup. Jokingly dubbed "the creative type" by coach Koltakov, Abramovich is known for his long-range, curved shots, which proved useful in Muralos' 7-4 victory against Li Qing in early 2016.
 * #8 Nikolaj Granda - Center midfield - No relation to Walter Granda, who represents Muralos in professional tennis. Despite what his last name may suggest, Granda is a rather petite player. At only 5'7", his shorter stature allows him to be more agile and less injury-prone compared to taller opponents.
 * #11 Vilhelmo Lumin - Right midfield - a cum laude graduate of Urbego National University, where he played in the Muralosian University League, Lumin made his first international appearance as a substitute player during the Asian Archipelago Regional Cup. Following the retirement of veteran Klaus Sverov, however, he joined the starting lineup in Muralos' match against New Zhengguo in the Embassy Cup.
 * #9 Rui - Striker - Born Rui Zhang, he changed his name legally to Rui in July 2014. Remarkably fast and shoots penalties with good accuracy. One of the more underrated members of the team.
 * #10 Adamo Brava - Striker - the 29-year-old team captain, widely considered to be the star player of the Muralosian team and an answer to leading players overseas. Despite his status, however, he is also known for his maturity and humility, often representing the Muralosian team in interviews and awards ceremonies.

Reserves

 * #18 Tanya Lubimova - Goalkeeper
 * #28 Rebeka Mori - Left back
 * #30 Daniel "Lerta" Donaldson - Left midfield - played for Zamenhof High School and made major contributions to their semifinal and runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In 2019, he enrolled at the Havenurbo Institute of Technology, where he studies mathematics and plays for the soccer team – reigning University League champions. In the summer of 2020, he was invited to practice with the Muralosian national team, becoming the second African-Muralosian player in the team's history and the youngest player on the current squad.
 * #21 Georgo Zhong - Center midfield - a current teammate of Lerta Donaldson at Havenurbo Tech and an economics major there. While a student at Nord-Urbo High School, he scored a hat-trick against Urbego High School, securing Nord-Urbo's first FIS qualification in 10 years.)
 * #23 Galina Shchedrina - Right midfield - a recent graduate of Urbego National University like starting midfielder Vilhelmo Lumin, Shchedrina will be playing in her first ever national team games. She is known to play well in high-pressure situations, making accurate passes even when surrounded by opposing midfielders and defenders.
 * #20 Valora Lin - Striker - a starter for the former Muralosian woman's national soccer team, Lin's presence on the new co-ed team is a boon for Muralos' efforts in international competition. She is sure to hold her own against starting strikers Adamo Brava and Rui, not to mention any competition she may encounter in the BoF. Coach Jozefo Koltakov has considered playing her as a third striker on the field.

Competitive record
The Muralosians were regarded as relatively unparalleled within the former Asian Archipelago; they were the champions of the Asian Archipelago Regional Championship, a round-robin tournament between AsArch nations (the sole exception being Elbaron). In July 2016, they hosted the Asian Archipelago Embassy Cup and finished at the top of their group, but were eliminated the next round in an upset by Asiana nation Sheng China.

2020
Muralos 3 - 3 Ponyvillian Separatists of Twicetagrien Canterlotine Territories (December 22, East Háttmark, Græntfjall)

Muralos 4 - 1 Sannyamathland (December 21, East Háttmark, Græntfjall

Muralos 3 - 0 The H Corporation (December 20, East Háttmark, Græntfjall)

Muralos 1 - 0 Quemorr Isles (December 19, East Háttmark, Græntfjall)

Muralos 0 - 3 Zeta Reka and Hügeltadom (December 17, Komcatt Arena, Urbego, Muralos)

Muralos 1 - 3 Tikariot (December 5, Komcatt Arena, Urbego, Muralos)

Muralos 1 - 2 New Lusitania and the Algarves (December, Havynwilde)

Muralos 2 - 2 Sajnur (December, Havynwilde)

Muralos 4 - 3 New Lusitania and the Algarves (November, Havynwilde)

Muralos 3 - 2 United Hemand Insiia (November, Havynwilde)

Muralos 3 - 1 Choudal (November, Havynwilde)

Muralos 1 - 1 HUElavia (a.e.t) (4 - 3 pen.) (October, Inkopolis City Stadium, Inkopolis, Squidroidia)

Muralos 2 - 1 Megistos (October, Inkopolis City Stadium, Inkopolis, Squidroidia)

Muralos 1 - 0 ZSeparatists (October, Tractor Stadium, Sawayama, Squidroidia)

Muralos 1 - 1 Squidroidia (October, Inkopolis City Stadium, Inkopolis, Squidroidia)

Muralos 0 - 0 The Jovannic (October, Inkopolis City Stadium, Inkopolis, Squidroidia)

2016
Muralos 1 - 2 Sheng China (July 23, Komcatt Arena, Urebgo)

Muralos 1 - 0 The Evo Trio (July 21, Dynamo Stadium, Nord-Urbo, Muralos)

Muralos 2 - 0 Macau Hong Kong (July 18, Dynamo Stadium, Nord-Urbo, Muralos)

Muralos 2 - 2 New Zhengguo (July 17, Dynamo Stadium, Nord-Urbo, Muralos)

Muralos 2 - 1 ElBaron (March, National Stadium of Fengjie City, Fengjie)

Muralos 0 - 0 Former Asian Archipelago Envoy of Hsintai (March, National Stadium of Fengjie City, Fengjie)

Muralos 7 - 4 Li qing (March, National Stadium of Fengjie City, Fengjie)

Muralos 4 - 1 Former Autonomous Northern Jiadao (February, National Stadium of Fengjie City, Fengjie)

2015
Muralos 1 - 2 Fengjie (December, National Stadium of Fengjie City, Fengjie)

Muralos 5 - 3 Li qing (October 31, Xibeijing)