Osarius national football team


 * Note: This page refers to the team representing Osarius at "Senior" level, which has no age restriction.


 * For other age groups, see Osarius national football development program and Osarius national football team (disambiguation)

The Osarius national football team represents Osarius and the Crown Dependencies of Kyoshiku and Kholanaras at football and is controlled by the Osarian Football Association, the governing body for football in Osarius. The current team manager is former captain Ayanna Barca-Carthy, who is contracted through to the end of World Cup Cycle 78. 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, on the outskirts of the capital city, Burningham.

Osarius primarily 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 have also won the AOCAF Cup on three occasions, defeating a combined team from Vilita & Turori in the final twice, and most recently, Ko-oren.

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.

Osarius would not emerge as a major football nation until their surprise run to the semi finals of World Cup 64 under Amandeep Sahota, where they were beaten by an all-conquering Audioslavia side on course for their second back-to-back world title. Entering that cycle, the Firebirds had been ranked thirty-first in the world; by the start of the next World Cup cycle, they were ranked third. Osarius would not drop out of the top ten nations in world football for two decades from this point, frequently appearing in the latter stages of prestigious tournaments such as the World Cup and AOCAF Cup.

Under Sahota's successor, Jermain Lewis, Osarius would finally win their first international football tournament, after earning an invite to the inaugural Cup of Champions, as finalists of AOCAF Cup 42. Lewis' team featured several young players from the under 25s that had reached the AOCAF Cup final the previous summer, and they would become the cornerstones of his eventual world champion squad a few years later. Many of the younger members of the squad would also feature in another deep AOCAF run four years later, at AOCAF Cup 44, where Osarius finished third. A year later, at World Cup 69, Osarius were dealt another heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Audioslavia in the semi finals, ultimately returning home with yet another set of bronze medals, though they were now ranked second in the world; to Audioslavia [of course - Ed.].

The following summer, Osarius would finally make good on their promise, and claimed their first major international championship, beating a combined team from Vilita & Turori to capture the AOCAF Cup. This triumph would prove to be the springboard needed, as Lewis combined this fresh set of talented under 25s with the now-veteran members of the AOCAF 42 finalist squad. Osarius swept through World Cup 70, losing just once in the entire cycle – a shock 1-3 defeat away at Zips Nation; which earned Jermain Lewis a touchline ban after his furious outbursts in the dugout, and post-match criticism of Sanctii referee Lucius Caeparius – en route to the nation's first World Cup win. That much of the progress at the finals was done without star striker Ezio Grassi – who returned to play an instrumental role in the semi-final win over Polar Islandstates, before scoring the winner in the final – added to the achievement in the eyes of many.

World Cup 71 would see Osarius yet again progress through the cycle suffering just one defeat – again, a shock away defeat; this time 0-2 in Gloriax – before overcoming a remarkably strong Pasarga side in the final in what would prove to be the last international appearance for several of Osarius' so-called "Second Golden Generation". This would be the end of Jermain Lewis' era of success, also. The following cycle was a painful one, the reigning world champions crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage, winless, and Jermain Lewis retired from football management as a result.

Former Osarius international Azarai Robinson would take charge in the wake of Lewis' departure, and restored some pride by leading the Firebirds to the final of AOCAF Cup 48 in his first tournament in charge. He could not replicate this success in the World Cup, however, and the Firebirds returned home after a crushing second round defeat at the hands of Farfadillis – who had also beaten them in the AOCAF final the previous summer. Another first round defeat would follow in World Cup 74, despite Osarius claiming the regional championship at AOCAF Cup 49. As a result of their struggles in the World Cup during this period, the start of World Cup cycle 75 marked the first time in twenty years that Osarius had fallen out of the top ten nations in the world according to the KPB ranking system. This would be further compounded by the Firebirds' failure to qualify for the World Cup 75 finals, and lack of an invite to the Cup of Harmony. In the face of what press termed a "footballing crisis", despite having led Osarius to three consecutive regional championship finals – the latter two of which they won – Azarai Robinson resigned his position as senior national team manager.

In the wake of Robinson's resignation, and the OFA's receipt of an invitation to partake in Eagle's Cup VI, Serenity Lewis stepped up to take charge of the national team as head coach temporarily. The Firebirds reached the final of the tournament, and Lewis was offered a one cycle contract, which she accepted. Her time in charge was perhaps most notable for the squad protests against the oppression of the Cobre nation, rather than the results the team earned. Lewis stepped down at the end of Cycle 76, making way for another former Osarius captain in Ayanna Barca-Carthy.

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.

Due to the sociopolitical changes in Osarius in the 2220s, a movement began in the separatist state of Cobrio to establish a separate national team. In 2228, the leader of Cobrio, Tukari Kaita, led a representative Cobrio team on an exhibition tour across Osarius, establishing a new rivalry. In 2230, the short-lived Cobre struggle for autonomy came to an end, resulting in an agreement with Osarius and the Rabastorian Union to grant a form of Tribal sovereignty within Cobrio. The two sides met in an international for the first time on 6 August 2230, with Osarius running out 3-1 winners.

Style of Play

 * See also Osarian 4-3-3 and Osarius national football development program

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.

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. It is perhaps worth noting that these five players are all considered to be among the greatest Osarian footballers of all-time. The number nine shirt – again, as in many countries – is typically awarded to the team's best goalscorer, while number five traditionally goes to the best defender, and number one to the best goalkeeper.

Outside the traditional "first eleven" shirt numbers, there are four significant numbers regularly assigned to players. The number fourteen (#14) 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 (#22) and/or twenty-three (#23) 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. Before breaking into the first team, Rene Wilson-Ouaddou frequently bore the number twenty-two shirt. This shirt's designation is believed to be due to the numbers being toward the end of a standard tournament squad designation, meaning managers frequently selected players to fill after having already selected the remainder of the squad (i.e. the players they really wanted to take).

The number thirty-seven (#37) 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 – the first shirt number he was assigned when named to the senior squad at Hastmead Diamante – and kept it when Lewis retired, winning five Golden Phoenix 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. Benni Watson's grandson Ryan Watson wore the number thirty-seven during the first 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 for a long time, the number thirteen (#13) was rarely assigned to a player for superstitious reasons. Eccentric goalkeeper Efrain Suarez requested the number thirteen 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. In the match, Osarius' captain and 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. Corradini 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". Hollybrent goalkeeper Shelly-Ann Pearce is notable for requesting the shirt in recent years, also.

Exhibition Tours
Prior to the start of qualifying for World Cup 70, the national team played seven home friendlies, one in each region. 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 World Cup qualifying. So far, the same seven stadia have been used for each tour. After World Cup 72, these exhibition tours were overshadowed by tournaments entered by the national team, and were thus relegated to B-level international status. It is unclear whether the OFA intends to push for a return of the exhibition tour to the full senior international calendar.

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. The B-team was short-lived, however, and the team was dissolved two years later, with their results retconned as full internationals.

Colours
Osarius' traditional home colours are red shirts, with black and gold featuring in the design, alongside red 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, to celebrate the OFA's centenary. The kit had 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 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.

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, which kicks off on. Player information is all accurate as of this date.

Recent call ups

 * See also: List of Osarius national football team squads

The following players have also been called up to the Osarius squad during Cycle 77

Results and fixtures

 * For a full list of Osarius national football team results, see Osarius national football team results history 



Records

 * Main article: Osarius national football team records

World Cup Hall of Fame
As of World Cup 76, Osarius has entered the following people into the World Cup Hall of Fame:


 * Alain Montblanc (inducted 2188)
 * Oversaw the first successful World Cup qualifying campaign for Osarius. Later became chairman of the Osarian Football Association. Widely seen as the original architect of Osarius' later successes, due to his philosophy on youth development in particular.
 * Amandeep Sahota (inducted 2202)
 * Led Osarius to heart-breaking defeats in the World Cup 64 semi-final and AOCAF Cup 36 final. Generally thought to have built on Montblanc's foundations and paved the way for future successes.
 * Lord William Kenterbury (inducted 2207)
 * Former chairman of the Osarian Football Association, posthumously honoured for his contribution to the development of Osarian football. The training facilities at the national academy are also named for him.
 * Jermain Lewis (inducted 2217)
 * As player: won 120 caps (as captain) and scored 14 goals for the national team.
 * As manager: Won two World Cups back to back (70 & 71) and AOCAF Cup 45. Holds the best winning percentage among all Osarius managers with more than one hundred games in charge of the national team (71.09% wins in 211 games)
 * Ezio Grassi (inducted 2223)
 * All-time leading goal scorer for the national team. Won two World Cup titles (70 & 71), and captained the AOCAF Cup 42 runners-up squad.
 * Roque Acosta (inducted 2223)
 * Captained Osarius to back to back World Cup titles (70 & 71), served as vice-captain during the run to the AOCAF Cup 42 final.
 * Toby Drummond (inducted 2223)
 * The consensus best Osarian player of all-time. Was an instrumental component of the team that won back-to-back World Cups under Jermain Lewis.

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 12 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 group stage defeat (0–3 to Vilita), and exited with their worst finals record, despite entering the tournament as reigning champions. At World Cup 73, Osarius would suffer their worst World Cup finals stage defeat, being eliminated in the round of sixteen by Farfadillis, 1–5. Despite beginning the cycle with a second consecutive regional championship, a disappointing World Cup 75 campaign would see Osarius fail to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since World Cup 62.

Gold  Silver   Bronze

AOCAF Cup
[ summary ]

Gold  Silver   Bronze

Cup of Harmony
[ summary ]

[ table like above ]

Other tournaments
[ one table for all other tournaments ]


 * Results settled on penalties are counted as draws.
 * Qualifying stage results include qualifying playoff games.

Honours

 * World Cup
 * Winners (2): ,
 * Third place (2): ,


 * AOCAF Cup
 * Winners (3):, ,
 * Runners-up (2): ,
 * Third place (2): ,


 * Cup of Champions (Confederations Cup)
 * Winners (1): Confederations Cup I
 * Runners-up (1): Cup of Champions IV


 * Rabastor Unity Trophy
 * Winners (21):, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
 * Runners-up (5):, , , ,


 * Ebyria International Open Cup
 * Third place (1): Edition II


 * Trindl Cup
 * Winners (2): Edition I, Edition II


 * Coupe Pomme d'Or
 * Runners-up: Edition I

Other honours

 * Osarius were admitted to the World Cup Nation Hall of Fame after World Cup 69