#italy vs belgium

[permertesacker]

[postmariannizm]

I'm drinking limoncello with prosecco and watching Italy play yaaay

[pretty-inred]

2-2 final score for Italy vs Belgium

That red card for Pellegrini really changed the game :(

[astrobiscuits]

Astro obs part 9

🐌 The planets in your 12th house indicate your sleeping style:

Sun in 12th house - their sleep schedule is extremely messed up; for them, daylight hours = nighttime hours and vice versa, so they have trouble being themselves during the day; their true self comes out at night

Moon in 12th house - goes to sleep very late; full moons have a special effect on these people; their intuition is more clear at night; as kids, they probably slept a lot with their mother

Mercury in 12th house - loves texting/calling people late at night; they might journal their thoughts before sleep because they overthink a lot and it helps to clear their mind or maybe they just like to relax by reading a book at night

Venus in 12th house - cares a lot about getting their "beauty sleep"; sleeps with sleep masks on, buys expensive bed lingerie, skincare night routine might be very important; loves sleeping in general lmao

Mars in 12th house - enjoys working out before going to sleep, can go to sleep angry because they tend to get into conflict more at night than during the day

I have Uranus in 12th house and i can be both a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper, depending on where i am. For example, when i'm traveling, during the first night i wake up several times, but from the second night on i sleep like a baby lmao. Another thing would be that i can't sleep in a quiet car but i don't have any problem sleeping during a thunderstorm

🐌 Mars in fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sag) and Mars in 3rd house individuals love riding motorbikess

🐌 While Mars in 9th house peeps would probably love to go on a world tour on their motorbike. The sign ruling their 9th house represents the countries they would love to visit (i'm aware that some of these can only be visited by plane, take it with a grain of salt): 

♈ in 9th house: Ireland, Poland, Japan, Zimbabwe

♉ in 9th house: Cuba, Paraguay, South Africa, East Timor

♊ in 9th house: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Montenegro

♋ in 9th house: Canada, USA, Bahamas, Argentina, Slovenia, Madagascar

♌ in 9th house: Hawaii, France, Italy, The Netherlands, India, South Korea, Peru, Bolivia

♍ in 9th house: Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Vietnam

♎ in 9th house: Belgium, Portugal, China, Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho

♏ in 9th house: Panama, Spain, Turkey, Arab countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE), Palestine, Lebanon

♐ in 9th house: Finland, Lithuania, Romania, Tanzania, Thailand

♑ in 9th house: UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Australia, Camerun

♒ in 9th house: Greece, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka

♓ in 9th house: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritius, Saint Lucia

🐌 I have a feeling Pisces Suns like to spend their time in a garage lmao. Mostly because their opposing sign, Virgo, would hate to spend time in a garage due to how dirty it can get.

🐌As a 7th house Sun who's been in love for almost a year now (haha, are we surprised, ofcours not; i'm not even in a relationship with him but ugh we're so perfect for each other), i realised that Sun in 7th house people tend to behave differently with their partner when they're in a healthy relationship vs when they're in a toxic one

Sun in 7th house in:

♈ Aries in a healthy relationship: empowers their partner, knows how to balance me time vs us time in a healthy manner, encourages their partner to take safe risks

♈ Aries in an unhealthy relationship: impulsive, impatient, selfish, dismisses their partner's feelings, often controlled by rage, prone to abusing their partner

♉ Taurus in a healthy relationship: veryyy generous (their love language is gift giving), accommodating to their partner's wants and needs, cooks for their partner

♉ Taurus in an unhealthy relationship: stubborn af, hard to please, focused more on the material gain from their partner rather than the love they share

♊ Gemini in a healthy relationship: curious, always lightens the mood of their partner by cracking up tons of jokes or telling them funny stories, knows that communication is key to everything so they're not afraid to discuss serious topics, teaches their partner a lot of random stuff

♊ Gemini in an unhealthy relationship: superficial, doesn't have a problem moving on from their partner to another person in a matter of seconds, if they're still in school/college, then they prioritize studying over their partner

♋ Cancer in a healthy relationship: nurturing, knows how to balance babying their partner vs being babied by their partner, emotionally vulnerable, feels safe enough to present their partner to their family early on in the relationship

♋ Cancer in a unhealthy relationship: if they don't trust their partner, they tend to become emotionally closed off to hide their deep sadness; defensive, but if their partner attackes them, then they'll hide, worries excessively, avoids presenting their partner to their family

♌ Leo in a healthy relationship: treats their partner like the king/queen they are, keeps their ego in check so it doesn't interfere with the relationship, if they've got artistic talents (music, acting, art etc.), they'll show their love for their partner by performing in front of them

♌ Leo in an unhealthy relationship: egocentric, shows off their partner/relationship too much out of pride, often feels entitled in the relationship and wants to be put on a pedestal by their partner

♍ Virgo in a healthy relationship: selfless to a healthy degree, remembers every lil detail from every casual conversations with their partner just to please them, remembers every important date and plans ahead for it, takes care of their partner when they're sick

♍ Virgo in a unhealthy relationship: critical, overfixates on past hurts and mistakes that their partner made in the relationship (often times their partner doesn't even remember those things because they're usually not that serious), loves their pets more than their partner

♎ Libra in a healthy relationship: romantic, charismatic, truly values their partner and the relationship with them, acts fair in the relationship, teaches their partner lovingly about the importance of honesty, truth and a healthy give and take dynamic in a relationship

♎ Libra in an unhealthy relationship: doesn't prioritize the relationship; instead, they flirt with others despite being in a relationship, emotionally detached, cold and calculated in their current relationship

♏ Scorpio in a healthy relationship: loyal, loves their partner deeply and intensely, but without suffocating them, keeps their partner's secrets like they're a locked safe box with no public access

♏ Scorpio in an unhealthy relationship: obsessive, manipulative, seeks to dominate their partner, displays stalkish behaviour in the relationship, liar

♐ Sagittarius in a healthy relationship: exposes their partner to various cultures, belief systems and philosophies to expand their mind and form their own opinion on certain topics, loves freely but is still able to maintain a long-term relationship, improves their partner's mood, usually brings an element of surprise and excitement to the relationship

♐ Sagittarius in an unhealthy relationship: travels in order to avoid dealing with their partner, parties a bit too much, doesn't take the relationship seriously

♑ Capricorn in a healthy relationship: loves their partner in a mature, serious and secure manner, doesn't shy away from improving their partner's social status and/or career if they can, discusses plans for the future (getting married, having kids, adopting pets, buying a house) with their partner early on in the relationship, they make time for their partner, despite the fact that they're busy most of the time

♑ Capricorn in an unhealthy relationship: displays no emotions or physical affection in the relationship, has a hard time communicating their thoughts with their partner, settles in a relationship for the wrong reasons (money/kids/safety/"i'm getting old and i need to have my life established"), prioritizes work/career over their partner

♒ Aquarius in a healthy relationship: flexible, makes their partner's dreams and aspirations come true (whether they're related to the relationship or not), has got a very open-minded attitude towards their partner's opinions, lifestyle and identity, takes the time to become friends firsts with their future partner because they value a relationship built on solid foundation (often times their partner is also their best friend), knows how to balance couple time vs time with friends

♒ Aquarius in an unhealthy relationship: displays wishy-washy behaviour, emotionally detached, prioritizes their friends over their partner, seeks online validation from strangers and acquaintances to fulfill their needs

♓ Pisces in a healthy relationship: sensitive to their partner's emotions, knows how to balance wearing their heart on their sleeve vs hiding their emotions in unfavourable circumstances, always honest with their partner

♓ Pisces in an unhealthy relationship: prone to drown their relationship problems and sorrows in alcohol, drugs and meds for mental health issues, runs away from problems instead of dealing with them with their partner, displays dishonesty to a fault, prone to self-sabotage

[austerlitzborodinoleipzig]

SPOTS FOR THE OLYMPICS

3 spots

USA (after tonight no way Alysa isn't going and for the rest... bloodbath baby)

Japan (unless major injury one of this spots is going to Kaori there's no other way, for the rest... bloodbath baby)

(Japan goes 2-3 so 5 points, USA go 1-4, also 5 points)

2 spots (and no way to qualify a third spot)

Korea (9+10 makes 19 pts).... sigh....

Switzerland (12 + 16 makes 28, Kimmy saved the second spot by the skin of her teeth)

2 spots but the second must be confirmed at the qualifying event

Estonia (tho given the current Estonian field seems unlikely, and Elina Goidina is age uneligible)

Belgium (Loena get your bags, you're going to Milano!)

1 spot

Canada (sorry Maddie but again, besides you there's really noone to send)

Italy (Lara vs Anna battle next season)

Kazakhstan (safe to say Samo is going to Milano)

France (Lorine or Léa, since Stefania Gladki is age uneligible)

Israel

Austria (very likely Olga Mikutina is going)

Finland (bloodbath as Linnea, Nella, Janna can have a valid claim + Iida turns senior)

Romania (Julia Sauter you did it you wonderful skater)

Poland (Katya Kurakova please get Olympic-worthy programs

Bulgaria (will be Alexandra Feigin)

Great Britain

Lithuania

[wileys-russo]

once again sharing the streaming for todays international matches (the ones I can find anyway)

England vs Scotland

Spain vs Sweden

Republic of Ireland vs Northern Ireland

Portugal vs France

Italy vs Switzerland

USA vs China

Austria vs Norway

Wales vs Germany

Netherlands vs Belgium

[conformi]

Carlo Mollino, Lago Nero Sled Station, Sauze d'Oulx, Italy, 1946-1947 VS Zaha Hadid, Port House, Antwerp, Belgium, 2009-2016

[flagwars]

Olympic Flag Wars: Round 1

To celebrate the ongoing Olympic Games, this tournament will focus on the flags of Olympic host cities, including both summer and winter Olympics. For simplicity’s sake, I will be using the modern flags of these cities rather than the flag and country names from the time of the city’s Olympics. Not every host city has a flag, so not all of them will be included. I hope everyone enjoys this tournament!

Round 1:

1. Athens, Greece vs. Seoul, South Korea vs. Montreal, Canada vs. Stockholm, Sweden

2. Munich, Germany vs. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil vs. Sochi, Russia vs. Tokyo, Japan

3. Barcelona, Spain vs. Berlin, Germany vs. Antwerp, Belgium vs. Moscow, Russia

4. Atlanta, Georgia vs. Melbourne, Australia vs. Nagano, Japan vs. Calgary, Alberta

5. Turin, Italy vs. Helsinki, Finland vs. Paris, France vs. Sydney, Australia

6. Innsbruck, Austria vs. St. Louis, Missouri vs. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Grenoble, France

7. St. Moritz, Switzerland vs. Vancouver, British Columbia vs. Los Angeles, California vs. Salt Lake City, Utah

8. Rome, Italy vs. Amsterdam, Netherlands vs. London, England vs. Sapporo, Japan vs. Oslo, Norway

[vinsmoke-lover]

I was thinking about America with eagle wings and it turned into an entire AU where the nations have features of their national animals. Animals and headcanons under the cut

Animals (a lot of them have multiple, so I just picked one):

America: Bald Eagle

Britain: Lion

France: Gallic rooster

Russia: Eurasian brown bear

China: Chinese dragon

Canada: North American beaver

Germany: Bundesadler eagle

Prussia: Black eagle

Italy: Italian wolf

Japan: Green pheasant

Lithuania: White stork

Latvia: White wagtail

Estonia: Wolf

Iceland: Gyrfalcon

Norway: White-throated dipper

Denmark: Mute swan

Sweden: Eurasian elk/moose

Finland: Whooper swan

Scotland: Unicorn

Wales: Dragon

Ireland: Red deer

Liechtenstein: Common kestrel

Spain: Bull

Portugal: Iberian wolf

Seychelles: Striped dolphin

Austria: Barn swallow

Hungary: Turul

Turkey: Gray wolf

Greece: Phoenix

Poland: White-tailed eagle

Romania: Lynx

Czechia: Double-tailed lion

Slovakia: Brown bear

Ukraine: Common nightingale

Belarus: European bison

Netherlands: Lion

Belgium: Lion

Luxembourg: Lion

I couldn't find a national animal for Switzerland.

Headcanons:

All of the bird nations have walked straight into a glass door/window at least once.

Wales can breathe fire.

China can control rain and water.

France calls Britain Chaton.

Britain calls France Cock.

Two of the scars on Lithuania's back are where his wings used to be.

Latvia has gotten in trouble with Russia a few times for forgetting that he's the only one who can fly and putting things up where no one else can reach them.

Most of the nations know how to sew so they can alter their clothes to accommodate their animal features.

Britain has, on occasion, locked eyes with France while eating chicken.

There is at least one video on YouTube titled Nations VS Glass that's just the consequences of the bird nations not being able to see glass.

Romano can say he doesn't care when you say something nice about him, but he can't hide his tail wagging.

It's a good idea to be careful around Veneziano when he's happy/excited unless you want to accidentally be beaten half to death with his tail. Something Germany and Japan found out the hard way.

Just like house cats, the lions will occasionally often knock things off tables/countertops.

Poland likes to call Lithuania Pretty Bird. Lithuania blushes bright red every time.

Spain is a bull. Of course he has a septum piercing.

France owns a laser pointer specifically for messing with Britain.

Romano used to pull Spain's tail whenever he wanted attention.

Britain's brothers pull his tail a lot just to get on his nerves.

[charles-leclerizz]

The 2025 F1 Challenges & interviews

Masterlist · 🪷 Aisha · 🪷 Porsche F1 Team · 🪷

BAHRAIN

⸺ Rapid Fire Challenge: Aisha vs. Max

CHALLENGE. Rapid fire questions where Aisha and Max have to answer as many questions as possible within a set time limit.

DESC. Aisha and Max go head-to-head in a rapid-fire question challenge. With only seconds to answer each question, they'll reveal fun facts, preferences, and more. Who will come out on top?

⸺ Guess the Tweet: Aisha vs. Carlos

CHALLENGE. Guessing tweets from fellow drivers based on a selected phrase or theme.

DESC. Aisha and Carlos take on the challenge of guessing tweets from their fellow drivers. With only a snippet of the tweet provided, they'll try to guess who said what. Will they be able to crack the code of Formula One Twitter?

⸺ Guess the Track: Aisha vs. Pierre

CHALLENGE. Identifying Formula One tracks based on a series of clues.

DESC. Aisha and Pierre face off in a challenge to guess Formula One tracks. With clues provided one by one, they'll try to name the circuits correctly. Who will showcase their track knowledge and emerge victorious?

SAUDI ARABIA

⸺ Teammate Trivia: Aisha and Charles

CHALLENGE. Testing each other's knowledge about their respective teammates.

DESC. Aisha and Charles team up to see how well they know their teammates. From personal quirks to on-track stats, they'll quiz each other to uncover hidden facts. Will they prove to be the ultimate teammate duo?

⸺ Team Trivia: Aisha and Sergio

IN LIGHT OF CURRENT EVENTS IN FORMULA ONE THIS CHALLENGE HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF OF THE ROSTER

⸺ Ultimate Formula One Challenge: Aisha vs. Daniel

IN LIGHT OF CURRENT EVENTS IN FORMULA ONE THIS CHALLENGE HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF OF THE ROSTER

AUSTRALIA.

⸺ Outback Obstacle Course : Aisha vs. Esteban

CHALLENGE. Aisha teams up with Esteban Ocon to tackle an outback-themed obstacle course. They'll race against the clock to navigate through rugged terrain, leap over inflatable kangaroos, and balance on log bridges.

DESC. In this adrenaline-packed challenge, Aisha and Esteban must rely on teamwork and quick thinking to conquer the rugged Australian outback. With surprises around every corner, can they outmaneuver the competition and claim victory?

⸺ Aussie Slang Showdown: Aisha vs. Fernando

CHALLENGE. Aisha pairs up with Fernando Alonso for a hilarious Aussie slang showdown. They'll take turns trying to decipher and use popular Australian slang terms in casual conversation.

DESC. Get ready for laughs as Aisha and Fernando dive headfirst into the world of Aussie slang. From "fair dinkum" to "strewth," they'll attempt to master the lingo and impress the locals. Will they crack the code or end up lost in translation?

⸺ Didgeridoo Duel: : Aisha vs. ! mystery guest !

CHALLENGE. Aisha joins forces with [redacted] for a musical showdown in the "Didgeridoo Duel." They'll each be given a didgeridoo and must compete to create the most impressive rhythms and sounds.

DESC. It's a battle of the beats as Aisha and [redacted] face off in a didgeridoo duel like no other. With their unique styles and unwavering determination, who will blow away the competition and be crowned the didgeridoo champion?

JAPAN

CHINA

MIAMI

EMILIA ROMAGNIA

MOONACO

CANADA

SPAIN

AUSTRIA

UNITED KINGDOM

HUNGARY

BELGIUM

NETHERLANDS

ITALY

AZERBAIJAN

SINGAPORE

USA

MEXICO

BRAZIL

LAZ VEGAS

QATAR

ABU DHABI

MUTUALS GET INSTANT TAGS [@vroomvroomcircuit, @disneyprincemuke, @verstappen-cult, @starkwlkr, @sailing-with-100-ships, @foreveralbon, @lorarri], OTHERS [@weekendlusting, @woozarts, @mellowarcadefun, @paintedbypoetry, @33-81, @kazuha-pista-badam, @inejghafawifesblog,d3kstar, @itsjustkhaos, @tremendousstarlighttragedy, @xoscar03], IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED, PLEASE SEND IN AN ASK !

[NOTE ! i'm not too good at staying on top of tagging, so if you notice that I haven't tagged you, please let me know since i can add you to my list, which is ever growing]

[midnightlee25]

Yandere Hetalia Masterlist

Main Masterlist

NONE YET  

2P France

NONE YET

Belarus (NYO)

Canada (Matthew Williams)

France (Francis Bonnefoy) & Prussia (Gilbert Beilschmidt) & Spain (Antonio Fernandez Carriedo)

North Italy (Feliciano Vargas) & Germany (Ludwig)

Their darling confronting them about what they've done - France, England, America, Canada

Finding out their darling has an identical twin - North Italy/Feliciano Vargas

having a darling that’s having more than one baby - Spain/Antonio Fernandez Carriedo

England finding out his darling is also a yandere for him

Character headcanons: Nyo England

Having a virgin darling - France/Francis Bonnefoy

Who is the easiest and hardest yanderes to deal with - Axis Powers & Allied Forces

Most dangerous to least dangerous to deal with - Axis Powers & Allied Forces

Platonic vs Romantic: Belgium

Most delusional to least delusional - Central Europe

Yanderes and their love languages - Axis Powers & Allied Forces

NONE YET

NONE YET

Yandere Reactions: England with a willing darling

Random Yandere Headcanons: What makes yandere Germany so dangerous?

Yandere Reactions: Hetalia Girls with a small Island nation darling who feels insignificant and useless

Random Yandere Headcanons: 1P & 2P Italy with a shy darling

Yandere Reaction: England finding out his darling is also a yandere for him

Yandere Reactions: Allies & Axis With a darling who had a cryptic pregnancy

[pretty-inred]

NOOOO

2-1

But there’s still time

LETSS GOO ITALY !! 🇮🇹

[xpuigc-bloc]

COUNTRIESCharted: Hours Worked vs. Salaries in OECD Countries

Rank Country Avg. Weekly Wage (USD) Avg. Weekly Work (Hours) Avg. Hourly Rate (USD)

1 🇮🇸 Iceland $1,528.33 27.87 $54.84

2 🇱🇺 Luxembourg $1,505.96 28.33 $53.15

3 🇺🇸 United States $1,489.68 34.83 $42.78

4 🇨🇭 Switzerland $1,403.71 29.40 $47.75

5 🇧🇪 Belgium $1,247.07 29.35 $42.50

6 🇩🇰 Denmark $1,233.20 26.38 $46.75

7 🇦🇹 Austria $1,226.95 27.76 $44.19

8 🇳🇱 Netherlands $1,215.87 27.44 $44.31

9 🇦🇺 Australia $1,142.46 32.83 $34.80

10 🇨🇦 Canada $1,135.58 32.42 $35.02

11 🇩🇪 Germany $1,133.47 25.79 $43.96

12 🇬🇧 United Kingdom $1,038.17 29.46 $35.24

13 🇳🇴 Norway $1,033.77 27.40 $37.73

14 🇫🇷 France $1,014.68 29.07 $34.91

15 🇮🇪 Ireland $1,004.67 31.87 $31

16 🇫🇮 Finland $996.84 28.81 $34.60

17 🇳🇿 New Zealand $975.43 33.62 $29.02

18 🇸🇪 Sweden $969.36 27.70 $34.99

19 🇰🇷 South Korea $940.81 36.56 $25.73

20 🇸🇮 Slovenia $907.76 31.13 $29.16

21 🇮🇹 Italy $863.33 32.59 $26.49

22 🇮🇱 Israel $849.15 36.38 $23.34

23 🇱🇹 Lithuania $843.74 31.23 $27.01

24 🇪🇸 Spain $824.22 31.61 $26.08

25 🇯🇵 Japan $798.25 30.90 $25.83

26 🇵🇱 Poland $709.55 34.90 $20.33

27 🇪🇪 Estonia $667.40 34.05 $19.60

28 🇱🇻 Latvia $656.46 29.87 $21.98

29 🇨🇿 Czech Republic $643.76 33.73 $19.08

30 🇨🇱 Chile $635.42 37.75 $16.83

31 🇵🇹 Portugal $613.88 31.44 $19.52

32 🇭🇺 Hungary $547.59 32.68 $16.75

33 🇸🇰 Slovak Republic $505.05 31.19 $16.19

34 🇬🇷 Greece $499.60 36.27 $13.77

35 🇲🇽 Mexico $320.87 42.81 $7.49

Visual

#visual capitalist #economy

#finance #xpuigc #pucex

#salaries in OECD countries

[autisticbokutoenthusiast]

Reacting to VNL 2025 Anouncement

(yes im a few days late i was processing irl for a bit)

im gonna go week by week and look at the pools and what im excited for! (lowkey confused by the pools cause on the one hand some teams are in the same pool several times which is normal but also poland/italy and japan/turkiye dont match once??? neither do s. korea/thailand and thats a rematch im looking forward to? but wtv we have world champs coming up in the fall so well hopefully see those matchups then)

Week 1

GABI!!!!

POOL A:

japan, netherlands, serbia, canada, dominican republic and bulgaria

Im most looking forward to:

JPN v DOM because they are such different teams its always interesting to see how they match against eachother

CAN v NED because they were pretty evenly matched this year so i think that game will be interesting and hard fought

DOM v CAN because i also feel they are evenly matched but different teams and i think they could challenge eachother in a way that brings out the best play in eachother

JPN v CAN this was a 5 setter last vnl with canada winning so lets see what goes down next year

POOL B

italy, brazil, usa, germany, czech republic, south korea

im most looking forward to:

ITA v BRA cause we all know that will be an intense match (brazil will be coming in without some of their veterans but most of their core team is the same as far as im understanding) i mean brazil won their match this last vnl but italy is the team to beat rn and brazil will be hungry to get back on top- not to mention a lot of their big players (im thinking gabi and carol rn) are playing in the italian league

USA v BRA both of these teams are strong and will play a hell of a match i can feel it, usa will want that remtch cause they went down in 4 last time, i know this has 5-set potential (same goes for USA v ITA)

im also curious about CZE v KOR because czech team got in from the challenger cup and south korea is (i say this with love and respect) the bottom of the vnl teams (to be the worst of the top 18 teams is still an accomplishment but they just havent been winning these past years) so i think they may be evenly matched and play an interesting game

POOL C

turkiye, poland, china, thailand, belgium, france

what im most looking forward to:

TUR v POL these are just two vicious teams and its always fun seeing them rile eachother up then get riled up against the refs then the crowd then the coach then the net then the ball etc both teams will also be without their captains (wołosz and erdem retired from nat team afaik) so i wonder who will be holding them down (my bets are korneluk and örgey)

TUR v CHN something about china always gets under turkeys skin and i want to see them come up with an answer or it also li ying ying v vargas should be interesting

POL v CHN two blocking powerhouses i cant wait

THAI v CHN thailand beat china once im waiting to see them do it again

THAI v FRA/BEL i think these may be evenly matched teams and yall know i love level skill matches

THAI v TUR fun fact but i was a passive vball watcher until the 5 setter between these two teams in world champs 22. it was just such a fun match i immidiately started following all the players and really getting invested in volleyball. thailand actually won if im not mistaken (this was pre vargas) so i know that a shake up can happen

WEEK 2

YUAN XIN YUE

POOL A

brazil, turkiye, canada, dominican republic, belgium, south korea

what im most looking forward to

BRA v TUR yall..... yall know when these two teams match EVERYONE ACTS UP like the fans, the teams, the commentators it gets CRAZY but in a more serious sense their matches are very fun and brazils experience vs turkiyes youngblood is always interesting

CAN v DOM i love when these two teams meet cause you never know who will win till they do ya know just fun games to watch, last time can won 3-0 but i know las reinas have it in them

CAN v TUR hear me out yall!!! i think van ryck and gray are gonna be trouble for turkiye this year idk why but i can feel it

POOL B

italy, china, japan, thailand, czech republic, bulgaria

what im most looking forward to

ITA v CHN highly competent teams with italy being on top i want to see how china approaches them especiall looking at the li ying ying/egonu and yuan xin yue/denesi matchup. china didnt take a single set off them last vnl but i know they could

JPN v CHN china is usually seen as the top asian team but japan beat them in 4 and got silver at last vnl so i think itll be interesting to see what happens

ITA v JPN listen this was the gold medal match last year but japan is now without their ace koga but still!! i think it could be interesting

THAI v everyone yall should know by now they are lowkey my ult team but listen against italy itll be a challenge but theres something about watching thailand fight till the last point thats always interesting- then we have them against japan which both teams have similar play styles (tho i would say thailand is a bit more scrappy <3) so its fun seeing them battle it out too- then for the other teams its just not something we see a lot so ill look forward to how they play out, thailand came away with a win last time they faced bulgaria but can they do it again

POOL C

poland, usa, netherlands, serbia, germany, france

what im most looking forward to

POL v USA the block battle about to go down oooo also 6'8 stysiak v 6'8 and 6'6 retke and plummer.... coaches play them against eachother im tryna see something...

POL v GER and POL v SER just becuse the polish fans wont be at home but they're gonna turn up and boo like no tomorrow.....

USA v SER if usa really is trying to swipe guidetti then should be interesting👀

WEEK 3

SKINNER

POOL A

italy, turkiye, netherlands, serbia, belgium, czech republic

what im most looking forward to

ITA v TUR italy took it 4 sets last time, can they do it again? i think this match should be really fun

SER v TUR because if we still have santerelli and guidetti then its the teams playing their coaches from 2022 so these are coaches that know the other team well and should be interesting

POOL B

usa, china, canada, dominican republic, germany, thailand

what im most looking forward to

USA v CHN china came out the winner of the 4 set battle in 24 but it was usa's non regulars. will they be able to do the same against usa at home 👀 (also need 6'8 middles yuan and retke to meet in the middle also li ying ying nd plummer)

USA v CAN these teams have very similar play styles (to my untrained eyes) and van ryck was causing lots of trouble last vnl so this match should be interest

CHN v CAN yall remember when canada won this in vnl 2024 cause i do and i cant wait for the rematch

DOM v THAI listen yall this one of my fav matches im still not over the post game interactions between martinez and achjarpon and piyannut in 2024 i need to see it again IN PERSON like im booking a flight THIS WEEK IDGAF

POOL C

japan, poland, brazil, france, bulgaria, south korea

what im most looking forward to

JPN v POL very different but both skilled teams i want to see how they match up given polands offensive power and japans strong floor defense

POL v BRA last vnl it was only a 4 setter but i think these teams are pretty evenly matched. theres a fieriness to poland thats different from brazils athleticism. i just love watching these two meet

JPN v BRA NOW YALL KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE THE REMATCH OF ALL TIMEEEEEEE like kogas gone (miss you queen) but wada and airi came outta nowhere that match and stunned so i will be tuned the fuck in

general points

italy team to beat after winning last vnl AND olympics i wonder how the other teams will handle them and if they can be beaten, especially if they play egonu/sylla/fahr from the beginning

Im really curious about this USA team, they lost their head coach and still havent anounced whose replcing kiraly, its the first time the us has its own pro league meaning we're gonna see these players play club with their nat teammates and while i doubt itll happen in only one season i wonder if well see the us develop its own playstyle

also for usa i want to see their deep bench again. while i think it may have hurt them a bit going into finals week/olympics that they didnt have an established starting squad that worked well off of eachother i loved seeing the variety of players they brought out in weeks 1 and 2 last year

the expanded format is interesting i mean i was surprised seeing france belgium and czech republic on here since they havent been part of like the core vnl teams the past few years (excl frances inclusion cause of olympics)

arlington being home of usa vball continuing to piss me off wdym the men get to play in chicago thats one of my bucket list cities ive spent ENOUGH time in dallas ENOUGH. but i will try to be there to see wipawee play in my home country <3

i noticed a lot of players growing their hair on the chinese and japanese teams last year i wonder what if shoulder length ponytails will still be the stile or we'll go back to bobs and short cuts

its gonna be sad seeing these times without a lot of the legends that played (and some cases came back) for the 24 season but theres so much young talent i dont think well have time to miss them too badly

anyway what are yalls thoughts??!?!?!?

(i know theres like 2 ppl on this webbed site that watch vball and you probably didnt scroll all the way down but if you did what are you looking forward to seeing)

[nationsoftheworldtournament]

Nations Of The World Retro: 1914

Round One Matches

1. Colombia vs British Honduras

2. Nicaragua vs South Orkney Islands

3. Amoy vs Togoland

4. Italian Somaliland vs Luxembourg

5. Chongqing vs French Indochina

6. Emirate of Afghanistan vs Persia

7. Uruguay vs South Shetland Islands

8. Khiva vs Union Islands

9. Federated Malay Islands vs Réunion

10. Bahama Islands vs New Zealand

11. Ottoman Empire vs Spain

12. Suzhou vs Monaco

13. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland vs Straits Settlements

14. Kingdom of Italy vs French Madagascar

15. Portuguese East Africa vs Panama Canal Territory

16. Saint Barthélemy vs Netherlands

17. Guernsey vs Alaska

18. Bechuanaland vs Barbados

19. Ethiopia vs Curaçao and Dependencies

20. Midway Atoll vs Brunei

21. Saint Martin vs German East Africa

22. Amoy vs Sverdrup Islands

23. Sulu vs Northern Rhodesia

24. Serbia vs Panama

25. German Kiautschou vs Norway

26. British Guiana vs Sikkim

27. Falkland Islands vs Argentina

28. Ha'il vs Mexico

29. French Guiana vs British East Africa

30. Switzerland vs Seychelles

31. Italian Tripolitania vs Quita Sueño Bank

32. Italian Cyrenaica vs American Samoa

33. North Borneo vs Portuguese Guinea

34. Portuguese India vs British Jamaica

35. Portuguese Sao Tomé and Principe vs Kwantung

36. Jiujiang vs Zanzibar

37. Karafuto vs Costa Rica

38. France vs Hawaii

39. Jarvis Island vs British Winward Islands

40. Terengganu vs Surinam

41. British Trinidad and Tobago vs Belgium

42. Newfoundland vs Ubangi-Shari

43. Palmyra Atoll vs Romania

44. Fernando Poo vs Portuguese Macau

45. Sierra Leone vs Wallis and Futuna

46. British Mauritius vs French Tunisia

47. India vs Spanish Sahara

48. Tristan da Cunha vs Navassa Island

49. Siam vs Tientsin

50. Guadaloupe vs Bulgaria 51. Wake Island vs Maldive Islands

52. Johor vs Isla de la Pasión

53. Sarawak vs French Morocco

54. Norfolk Island vs Hankou

55. Swan Islands vs German Empire

56. Johnston Atoll vs Saint Pierre and Miquelon

57. Egypt vs Baker Island

58. Trucial States vs Paraguay

59. Hangzhou vs Isle of Man

60. Victoria Land vs Emirate of Nejd and Hasa

61. French Oceania vs French India

62. Territory of New Guinea vs Mbundaland 63. Spanish North Africa vs Nigeria

64. Uganda vs Phillipine Islands

65. Basutoland vs Tibet

66. Elobey, Annobón, and Corsico vs Nepal

67. San Marino vs Andorra

68. Kongo vs Howland Island

69. Canada vs Muscat and Oman

70. Martinique vs Rhodesia

71. Bolivia vs Russian Empire

72. Ascension Island vs Dutch East Indies

73. China vs Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá

74. Graham Land vs Serranilla Bank

75. French Equatorial Guinea vs Liechtenstein 76. Portuguese West Africa vs Australia

77. Kingdom of Montenegro vs Weihai

78. Honduras vs Papua

79. Perlis vs Haiti

80. Bhutan vs Iceland

81. Middlebrook Island vs Greenland

82. Guam vs Setul Mambang Segara

83. Denmark vs Bahrain

84. Serrana Bank vs Gold Coast

85. Italian Eritrea vs Taiwan

86. French West Africa vs British Hong Kong 87. Gibraltar vs French Algeria

88. United States vs Bermuda

89. Puerto Rico vs Finland

90. Kamerun vs Kelantan

91. Anglo-Egyptian Sudan vs French Somaliland

92. Shanghai vs Suez Canal Zone

93. Shasi vs Sultanate of Aussa

94. Bouvet Island vs Empire of Japan

95. Portuguese Cape Verde vs Zhenjiang

96. Spanish Morocco vs Kingman Reef

97. Venezuela vs Principality of Albania

98. Aden vs Portugal

99. Darfur vs German Samoa

100. Belgian Congo vs Malta

101. Heard Island and McDonald Islands vs Ecuador

102. Swaziland vs Kuwait

103. Bukhara vs Gambia

104. Cuba vs Corn Islands

105. British Somaliland vs German South-West Africa

106. Kedah vs Portuguese Timor

107. Liberia vs New Caledonia

108. Danish West Indies vs Peru

109. Northern Nigeria vs Saint Helena

110. South Africa vs Bajo Nuevo Bank

111. British Leeward Islands vs Roncador Bank 112. Sweden vs British Western Pacific Territories

113. Kingdom of Greece vs Mongolia

114. Brazil vs Chile

115. Austria-Hungary vs British Hong Kong

116. Uryankhay vs Rio Muni vs British Cyprus

[aijamisespava]

Eurovision Superlatives!

While this kind of post would be more better suited for the end of a year, I think doing it at the beginning may also work. Plus, I came up with this idea, so I am going to write it (harmless plug to give me requests!). In the years I ranked (beware big recency bias), I will be giving out my own superlatives...well, maybe some aren't original, but you get my gist!

Best Solo Act: Switzerland 2021 Best Duo: Austria 2023 Best Group: Latvia 2023 Best Performance (from those I saw): Ireland 2024 Favorite NQ: Latvia 2023/Belgium 2024 Favorite Winner: Italy 2021 Favorite GF Last Place: Norway 2024 Favorite Dead Last Place: Romania 2023 (not sorry) Best Consecutive Entries: Serbia (2023/2024) Favorite Artist I Discovered Through ESC: Belgium 2015, Switzerland 2021, Latvia 2023 ESC Song Most Personal To Me: United Kingdom 2023 Best Split Screen: 2024 (Croatia vs. Switzerland)

Here are 12 of my superlatives. If there's more that I get asked about, I may make a part 2 for this!