Astograth national football team

The Astograth national football team represents Astograth in international association football competitions since the cycle of World Cup 55, which began in the year 638 of the Astograthian calendar. It is governed by the Futbol Astograthiko Federazioa (FAF), the governing body for football in Astograth. The Astograthian side is commonly referred to as Olibondeka, translated into English as "The Olives". Astograth has won one regional title and one edition of the Cup of Harmony, and has taken part in more than twenty World Cup qualifying campaigns. Its period of most success was in the cycles from World Cup 57 to World Cup 62, during which the team played five times in the World Cup proper (once as hosts) and won the Cup of Harmony.

Early Years
Football has been a popular sport in Astograth for many years, arriving when the country's present-day territory was split among various independent states. The national team, first coached by respected manager Gartzen Treko, was established in the year 637, several decades after national unification and after the formation of the Astograthian Football League.

The début came against Eastfield Lodge in the group stage of the farcical Soccer International Cup, held in Chunnan. The match ended in a 1-2 loss, Dei Ormache scoring their first international goal. Further losses to Mangolana and The FSSO quickly eliminated Atsograth, though not before earning their first point by drawing with Erathore, who would be the organisers of their next international tournament. Erathore's 1st International Football Tournament saw a further run of losses that put Treko and the FAF under pressure from a public with a proud footballing tradition, until Edorta Urrustoy and Soter Sarlange led the team to a 4-2 victory against Mossulia in their first match on Astograthian soil, at Grand Duke's Stadium in Rumiatzi; ultimately, though, they would not go past the group stage.

Their next outings were for a friendly which would be Polar Islandstates' first international, and Burchadinger Cup II. The former ended in a 2-2 draw and would spark both an enduring rivalry and the formation of the Ides of March Cup, while the latter was the Astograthians' first taste of success as they reached the semifinals of a tournament won by the very same Polarians.

Their Baptism of Fire, edition 42 in Legalese and Erathore, was a bitter disappointment. Astograth failed to go past the first round after a string of three losses, the last of which could've been turned into a draw if not for a famous missed penalty from Dei Ormache. Two 5-0 wins followed, against Czechzenia and Dandakia, but the damage was done and Olibondeka quickly said goodbye to the Baptism of Fire.

Taking five-time World Cup champions Starblaydia to extra-time at the Stadii Di Bradini, for the Mike Sarzo Memorial Trophy, was considered a great success, even if it ended in a loss. The World Cup 55 qualifiers that followed were largely disappointing, a 3-0 loss in The Holy Empire triggering a nine-match winless streak that only came to an end with Edorta Urrustoy's much-remembered strike against Leyte Islands. Results would turn up towards the second half of qualifying, including a scoreless draw with The Holy Empire in Rumiatzi, and Astograth would crawl out of the bottom to finish eighth among eleven.

Cup of Harmony 47, Edorta Urrustoy's last international tournament before retirement, was similarly bleak, and Astograth failed to make its home condition count at the friendly Brotherhood Cup organised by the FAF. Market Cup 3 in Saugeais ended badly as well.

Group 7 of the World Cup 56 qualifiers was notoriously hard-fought, Astograth joining the likes of The Archregimancy, Kagdazka and Pazhujebu, Polar Islandstates, Baptism of Fire 43 runners-up Bleak Rock and World Cup 7 winners Errinundera. The national team's run was marred by the Khuril Seaplane Disaster, which involved former team members Bayardo Morriyas and Laurgain Erlis, as well as Polarian footballers Tomas Aer, Finn Henriksen and FPIFA president Magnus Ragnorak; they were safely recovered, though the seaplane crew was never found. In the qualifiers themselves, Astograth performed close to expectations and went undefeated in their last eight matches, which included the entire second half of qualifying, finishing fourth among eight. Nonetheless, Gartzen Treko decided to not renew his contract and the FAF quickly set upon finding a replacement.

Under Powell Pieran
Treko's successor was soon revealed to be the controversial Powell Pieran from Civil Citizenry. His début tournament was Cup of Harmony 48, held in Astograth and the neighbouring Civil Citizenry; Olibondeka went no further than the Round of 16 as Cafundéu ran out the winners. Copa Rushmori 6, Astograth's first appearance in the regional tournament, was classified a preparation tournament by Pieran and the results are considered amongst the national team's most embarassing, failing to register a win and including a loss to the minute Princess Béatrice Island.

Astograth started off its third World Cup qualifying campaign in good form, though a draw with Euskirribakondara set them back on the second matchday and they then failed to secure a win against the second-seeded Pays de Horreur at Grand Duke's Stadium. A loss to Nethertopia further complicated things, as did a draw against the powerful Starblaydia in Rumiatzi to complete the first round of qualifiers. Olibondeka would storm to victory in the second half, putting together seven wins in a row. They comprehensively defeated both Nethertopia and Euskirribakondara, and earned a crucial three points at Pays de Horreur. With their bye on the final matchday - which would feature Starblaydia visiting Pays de Horreur - and already guaranteed a playoff spot, Astograth travelled to Jhanna, Starblaydia, and managed a 1-1 draw via a memorable play from Dei Ormache and Soter Sarlange, the former capping it off in front of Dacil Taniquentar. The point was enough to automatically qualify Astograth, Starblaydia going on to lose their next match and fail to qualify for the first time since World Cup 38, which was immediately after their first hiatus.

Astograth's first World Cup experience started off on the wrong foot, falling to hosts Sarzonia by one goal to nil, though a 3-0 win over Cosumar rekindled hopes; ultimately they lost against Bostopia and did not progress from the group stages. The third group match becamse particularly famous in Astograth not just for its 2-1 drama, but because it was captain Estebe Bularte's final match at the top level, having already retired from club football with Iturributa United; the occasion was extensively registered by documentalist Eleder Palakio and released under the title A Portrait of Genius. Bularte's frustrated ripping off of the captain's armband and his nonchalant discarding of it on the pitch has become iconic in Astograth, and been homaged by every subsequent national team captain at the time of their retirement.

Kits and crest
Astograth's kit is traditionally all olive-green with white trim, and has been issued in differing patterns and shades. The away kit is likewise all white with olive-green trim. The team's third kit, when issued, is usually a shade of blue, a reference to the Grand Duchy's ruling House of Rumiatzi; the other kits sometimes incorporate blue details as well. The national team uses the logo of the Futbol Astograthiko Federazioa, which features a football between olive branches, as its crest. Since the team's formation its kits have been provided by Rumiatzi-based manufacturer Barrengeka.

Home Stadium
Since the national team's inception, their home ground has been Grand Duke's Stadium in the capital city of Rumiatzi. The stadium, inaugurated in 634, was built on the site of the old Olympic Stadium of Rumiatzi as a multi-use venue, and is administered by the Astograthian Ministry of Sport. In its football configuration, which includes retractable seating over the athletic track, the ground accommodates 90,000 people. The only association football hosted regularly at Grand Duke's Stadium are the national team's matches, the Royal Cup final, the promotion play-off finals of the Second Division, and the championship final of the Second Division B. In addition, Grand Duke's Stadium has positioned itself as a major ground for hosting international football events. Among other events, it has hosted the final of World Cup 62, the finals of the UICA Champions’ Cup, the eighth Copa Rushmori, the Cup Winners' Cup, two finals of the Rushmore Copa de Campeones, the first edition of the Ides of March Cup, and the second edition of the Polarian Vennskap Shield.

During World Cup qualifying, it has become common for Astograth to host the first and last home qualifiers, as well as matches against the group's top seed, at Grand Duke's Stadium, with the national team touring other grounds across the country for other matches. Common venues for these qualifiers are the Ituraitz Sporting Ground in Ituraitz, Old City Stadium in Iturributa, Silanes Park in Echegoyan, and New Beltzura Stadium in Basabe, which are the four most populous cities in the country after Rumiatzi.

Rivalries
Astograth has three main rivalries with other top footballing nations.
 * Their rivalry with Polar Islandstates, which began during Polar Islandstates' first international match. The encounter, held on the Ides of March, would inspire a club competition between the two countries and a recurring series of friendlies, played once every World Cup qualifying season. The rivalry would be intensified by the strong performance of their representative clubs in Rushmori and UICA competition, as two of the leading associations in their time. Though Astograth's overall record is poor against Polar Islandstates, they have won two of the three competitive knockout ties between the two teams: at the quarterfinals of World Cup 61 and the semifinals of Copa Rushmori 12, the latter hosted in Polar Islandstates.
 * Their rivalry with Sargossa, which echoes Astograth's regard of Sargossa as a geopolitical rival in Rushmore. The first meeting between the two teams was at Cup of Harmony 48, hosted in Astograth; the sides have since met a total of 9 times, all competitive. This includes the final of Copa Rushmori 12, held in Polar Islandstates, a third footballing rival to both teams. During World Cup 79 qualifying, their latest meeting, Sargossa won their first match of the rivalry following a 1–0 triumph in Rumiatzi.
 * Their rivalry with Eura. Eura are a major geopolitical and footballing power in Rushmore, with whom Astograth have often had an ambivalent relationship. The two sides have frequently met in the Copa Rushmori, with an overall record that favours Eura. In recent years the rivalry has intensified on the Astograthian side due to suffering two record-setting friendly defeats (0–5 in Rumiatzi, 0–7 in Bastion), facing Eura in knockout ties at Copas Rushmori 38 and 39, and playing Euran Oceania Territories, a former Euran colony, in four different qualifying campaigns from World Cups 85 to 89.

Other less notable rivalries include Civil Citizenry and Mytanija, both geographical neighbours, and Eastfield Lodge, whom Astograth faced in their first match.

Most capped players
Below is a list of the ten players with the most caps for Astograth, as of the start of the World Cup 90 qualifying cycle.
 * Players in bold are still active with Astograth.

Top goalscorers
Below is a list of the top ten goalscorers for Astograth, as of the start of the World Cup 90 qualifying cycle.

Captains
List of captaincy periods of the various captains throughout the years.


 * 637 Edorta Sakona (Goalkeeper)
 * 637–42 Estebe Bularte (Midfielder)
 * 643–46 Dei Ormache (Forward)
 * 647–48 Urgutz Belarte (Midfielder)
 * 648–49 Ubelteso Adin (Defender)
 * 650 Cheru Larretape (Goalkeeper)
 * 651–56 Urtzi Galard (Defender)
 * 657–59 Ikatz Alberro (Midfielder)
 * 660–74 Yokin Arizmande (Defender)
 * 674–80 Luar Dardan (Midfielder)
 * 680–84 Baleren Narke (Defender)
 * 684–86 Indartsu Lekea (Midfielder)
 * 687–89 Mogel Doyenard (Defender)
 * 690–present Marko Martel (Defender)

World Cup

 * *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
 * **Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Copa Rushmori

 * *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
 * **Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Cup of Harmony

 * *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
 * **Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Major honours

 * World Cup
 * Fourth place: World Cup 61


 * Cup of Harmony Star*.svg
 * Winners: Cup of Harmony 50
 * Runners-up: Cup of Harmony 78
 * Fourth place: Cup of Harmony 77


 * Copa Rushmori Star*.svg
 * Winners: Copa Rushmori 12
 * Runners-up: Copa Rushmori 17
 * Fourth place: Copa Rushmori 34, Copa Rushmori 39

Minor honours

 * Brevity Challenge Cup
 * Winners: Brevity Challenge Cup 1
 * Glass Bowl: Brevity Challenge Cup 2, 3