1st Eosan Cup

The 1524 Eosan Cup, commonly known as the 1st Eosan Cup, was the inaugural competition of the Eosan Cup, a football tournament held by Eosan countries every 21 years. Co-hosted by Dromcabalea and Varnamia, it was the first regional cup held in Orbis, as only two OIFF World Cup competitions had been hosted before.
After the 1532 OIFF World Cup, plans advanced for Eosan nations to host their own regional competition. Dromcabalea and Ovre Ardal were the first two nations to agree to the tournament, with Varnamia later agreeing. A fourth volunteer team, the Ballers, was added to raise the team count to four. Semifinal matches were held with two legs, while the third-place match and the final were only one match each.
Dromcabalea won its first regional trophy by defeating the Ballers in the final. Ovre Ardal secured third place after its victory over Varnamia.
== Background ==
Football had long been present in Orbis, such as in Villarreal, but the sport reached widespread appeal in the mid-16th century BCS. This popularity peaked with the 1553 World Cup, which saw Anthropia defeat Pjemić to become world champions. Following Ovre Ardal’s third-place finish in the tournament, there was increased interest for an Eosan competition to be held, but no agreement was finalized. After the conclusion of the Eosan Wars, the region became far more peaceful (with a few exceptions), giving time for football to be played.
Planning resumed after the hosting of the 1532 World Cup, where Ovre Ardal and Dromcabalea agreed to play the first Eosan Cup in 1524. Varnamia was also invited, and while there was originally a concern they would not be able to field a team due to a lack of players, they were eventually able to participate. The Ballers, a volunteer team made up of international players, was formed to make the competition a proper four-team tournament.
Dromcabalea and Varnamia co-hosted the tournament. Two stadiums were selected to play in: Ridbilliyah Stadium and Ticonderoga Stadium.
== Format ==
The cup consisted of four teams: Dromcabalea, Ovre Ardal, Varnamia, and the Ballers. A two-leg tie semifinal was first held, where the team with the highest score on aggregate would advance. The losers would play in the third-place match, while the winners would play in the final. The winner of the final would then be crowned champions and automatically qualify for the next Eosan Cup. Each half would be five minutes long, more similar to the group stages of the World Cup instead of the knockout stages.
The format was notable as the first to include a two-leg tie in Orbis. However, this was only present in the semifinals and not any of the remaining matches.
== Matches ==
=== Semifinal: Ballers vs. Ovre Ardal ===
Ovre Ardal, third-place finishers in the 1553 World Cup, faced the Ballers in the semifinal. Forwards Connor and Matteo threatened goal, while Stank played at goalie. For the Ballers, Mixed and Rusty led the attack with H1p0 playing defense.
The first leg was hotly contested. Bean substituted for Mixed the entire match, while Matteo was forced to leave mid-match, substituted by Nixxy. Connor and Rusty scored in the first half, resulting in a score of 2-2 at halftime. During the second half, the Ballers took a two-goal lead, but a strong effort by Connor led to a late equalizer. In the final seconds, the Ballers took the lead, giving them a score of 5-4 heading into the second leg.
With the return of Matteo, Ovre Ardal was determined to mount a come-from-behind victory, while the arrival of Mixed gave the Ballers increased confidence. Early in the second leg, Ovre Ardal leveled the aggregate at 5-5. In the next couple of minutes, both sides traded goals. Controversially, a goal from the Ballers was called back due to kickoff being a direct hit to goal, even though the goal itself did not come from the direct hit. The Ballers ended up taking a 7-6 lead on aggregate into halftime.
As the clock was ticking, desperation resulted in very intense football. Fast-paced play led to Ovre Ardal taking a 9-8 lead on aggregate after seven minutes, but Mixed equalized late in the match. A late goal by Ovre Ardal seemed to all but end the game for the Ballers, but they managed to level it in the fading moments, ending in a 10-10 score on aggregate after ten minutes.
The match was the first of its kind to go into extra-time. Three minutes of play were allocated for a winner to be decided. Matteo and Rusty traded goals early before the Ballers put in the final goal, which Ovre Ardal were unable to respond to. They stood triumphant, winning 12-11 after 23 minutes of play.
=== Semifinal: Dromcabalea vs. Varnamia ===
Allies Varnamia and Dromcabalea faced off in the semifinal. For Dromcabalea, Deathin led the attack with Names at goal. Due to the lack of availability of their attacker 64, various players filled in the third player spot, such as Matteo, Connor, and Nick. For Varnamia, leaders Nixxy and Buckeria played with Mista.
The first leg was a one-sided affair. Varnamia’s attack proved to be faulty and did not apply enough pressure forward. For Dromcabalea, Connor filled in the third player spot. They would instantly apply intense pressure on Varnamia's defense. It would end 9-2 in favor of Dromcabalea.
The second leg saw more success for Varnamia, but not enough to advance. Mista was not available, so Connor filled in their spot, even though he had just played against them. Filling in for Dromcabalea was Connor's co-leader Matteo. The Varnamian attack was much stronger in the second leg, scoring an impressive seven goals. However, Dromcabalea's five scores silenced any hopes of a Varnamian comeback, ending in Dromcabalea advancing to the final 14-9 on aggregate.
=== Third place match: Ovre Ardal vs. Varnamia ===
Ovre Ardal and Varnamia both coveted the bronze medal, but only one was going to be awarded it. The former put up their traditional lineup, while the latter substituted Mista with a player from former Pindorama.
Similar to the first leg of Varnamia’s semifinal, they lacked quality attacking and never mounted a serious challenge. The combined attacking prowess of Matteo and Connor was too much for the Varnamian defense as Ovre Ardal would be granted the bronze medal, just like the first World Cup.
=== Final: Dromcabalea vs. Ballers ===
The 1524 Eosan Cup final was held in Ridbilliyah Stadium and played between host country Dromcabalea and the volunteer team Ballers. Names, Connor and Deathin played for Dromcabalea, while H1p0, Bean, and Rusty played for the Ballers. With a combined 17 goals scored, the match was the highest-scoring in the competition, even beating out the second leg of Ovre Ardal vs Ballers, which was held in extra time.
The difference between the two sides proved to be the attacking prowess of Connor, who had a great presence on the field. While the two sides traded goals at first, Dromcabalea pulled away around halftime, and the Ballers were never able to mount a significant comeback. The hosts would end up lifting the trophy after an 11-6 victory.
== Controversies ==
Play was halted during a diplomatic crisis, where Varnamia contested parts of former Occidentalian territory with the nations of Baller players. The territories considered were abandoned after the collapse of the Solomon Empire. This standoff lasted several months during the year 1524 before the crisis ended and play resumed. Despite the territorial disputes, Varnamia and the Ballers would never meet in the cup.
The called-back goal scored by the Ballers in the second leg against Ovre Ardal as well as the extra-time play in the same game led to greater support for the OIFF to make official regulations on football matches and how they are held.
== Awards and Aftermath ==
Connor received both the Golden Boot as the top goalscorer in the tournament as well as the Golden Ball, being voted the best player. Stank was awarded the Golden Glove, voted the best goalkeeper. The Fair Play award was granted to Ovre Ardal.
The founding of the Eosan Cup would spark inspiration for further regional competitions to be held. Ballers player Rusty would suggest founding an Afontovan competition, and after the events of the Rapture, many more countries would be eligible to play in regional competitions.
The next Eosan Cup is scheduled to be held in 1503 BCS, hosts not yet selected.