Difference between revisions of "Altador Cup 2007"

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==Plot summary==
==Plot summary==
[[Image:Shenkuu team.gif|left|frame|Team Shenkuu were new comers to the competition, Shenkuu having been discovered between the [[Altador Cup 2006|first]] and the second Altador Cups. ]]
[[Image:Shenkuu team.gif|right|frame|Team Shenkuu were new comers to the competition, Shenkuu having been discovered between the [[Altador Cup 2006|first]] and the second Altador Cups. ]]


Once again the time has come for that most beloved of Neopian sporting activities - the Altador Cup! When we last checked in with the world's greatest Yooyuballers, the Haunted Woods had just pulled off a thrilling victory over the Darigan Citadel. Instead of resting on their laurels, however, both teams have made key roster changes, which they feel will vault them into being odds-on favourites to take home the Cup. The Citadel has elected to bench last year's goalie Mungo Lifler and start brilliant new netminder Reshar Collifey, while the Haunted Woods has plugged in bone-crunching defender Autry Fulse. Could either of these moves provide the edge that these teams need to reach the top, or could such adjustments have the opposite effect and backfire in their faces?
Once again the time has come for that most beloved of Neopian sporting activities - the Altador Cup! When we last checked in with the world's greatest Yooyuballers, the Haunted Woods had just pulled off a thrilling victory over the Darigan Citadel. Instead of resting on their laurels, however, both teams have made key roster changes, which they feel will vault them into being odds-on favourites to take home the Cup. The Citadel has elected to bench last year's goalie Mungo Lifler and start brilliant new netminder Reshar Collifey, while the Haunted Woods has plugged in bone-crunching defender Autry Fulse. Could either of these moves provide the edge that these teams need to reach the top, or could such adjustments have the opposite effect and backfire in their faces?
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[[Kreludor]]'s team, conspicuous by its absence, sent out a press release on the 8 June justifying why they could not compete this year. [[Derlyn Fonnet]] dispelled the rumours surrounding their mysterious non-involvement, citing an incorrectly set gravity control of their training ground. The insufficient bone and muscle density would have proved a health and safety problem were the team to play on Neopia's greater gravity, although whether this was an innocent fault or an act of vandalism to sabotage the team's chances could not be determined. The full press release reads as follows:   
[[Kreludor]]'s team, conspicuous by its absence, sent out a press release on the 8 June justifying why they could not compete this year. [[Derlyn Fonnet]] dispelled the rumours surrounding their mysterious non-involvement, citing an incorrectly set gravity control of their training ground. The insufficient bone and muscle density would have proved a health and safety problem were the team to play on Neopia's greater gravity, although whether this was an innocent fault or an act of vandalism to sabotage the team's chances could not be determined. The full press release reads as follows:   


[[Image:AC Plot 2007 02.gif|right|frame|Derlyn Fonnet hoped to return the following year.]]
[[Image:AC Plot 2007 02.gif|left|frame|Derlyn Fonnet hoped to return the following year.]]


<blockquote>''"As you may have noticed by now, Team Kreludor is not one of the participants in this year's Altador Cup. This is due to a malfunction with our training centre's gravity control that went unnoticed; it seems that we have spent the better part of this past year training in gravity that is weaker than that of Neopia. For this reason, it would not be safe for us to compete, due to insufficient bone and muscle density. Rest assured that the problem has been fixed. It is not known, however, whether the incident was a case of simple mechanical failure or the result of sabotage by disgruntled factions here on Kreludor.<br /><br />We will continue our training in hopes of returning to form next year, but I'm afraid it would be impossible for us to participate in this year's tournament. We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us in the past and all of our fans both on Kreludor and in Neopia. Thank you."''</blockquote>
<blockquote>''"As you may have noticed by now, Team Kreludor is not one of the participants in this year's Altador Cup. This is due to a malfunction with our training centre's gravity control that went unnoticed; it seems that we have spent the better part of this past year training in gravity that is weaker than that of Neopia. For this reason, it would not be safe for us to compete, due to insufficient bone and muscle density. Rest assured that the problem has been fixed. It is not known, however, whether the incident was a case of simple mechanical failure or the result of sabotage by disgruntled factions here on Kreludor.<br /><br />We will continue our training in hopes of returning to form next year, but I'm afraid it would be impossible for us to participate in this year's tournament. We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us in the past and all of our fans both on Kreludor and in Neopia. Thank you."''</blockquote>
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Whether or not they will be able to return for the next tournament is unclear, as, with Shenkuu competing, there would be an uneven number of teams.
Whether or not they will be able to return for the next tournament is unclear, as, with Shenkuu competing, there would be an uneven number of teams.


[[Image:AC Plot 2007 03.gif|left|frame|[[Garven Hale]], considered to be one of the best Goalkeepers, couldn't keep up with Darigan Citadel.]]
[[Image:AC Plot 2007 03.gif|right|frame|[[Garven Hale]], considered to be one of the best Goalkeepers, couldn't keep up with Darigan Citadel.]]


On June 11, in what was considered the most anticipated match-up of the Double Round Robin phase occurred. Krawk Island. undefeated in Yooyuball and the overall leaders, faced the Darigan Citadel, last year's runner-up and the odds-on favourite to win the tournament. The Citadel came out with a blistering offensive attack, sending a flurry of shots at Krawk Island goaltender Garven Hale, who bravely turned away nearly all of Darigan's volleys, but the onslaught was too much, and as a result a handful of shots managed to slip through. On the opposite end of the field, Krawk Island's creative use of passing and offensive created enough scoring opportunities for them to even the score. However, they didn't to come up with the energy needed to make a final push and take the lead. In the closing moments of the match, Darigan added a few late scores to pull away and secure the victory.
On June 11, in what was considered the most anticipated match-up of the Double Round Robin phase occurred. Krawk Island. undefeated in Yooyuball and the overall leaders, faced the Darigan Citadel, last year's runner-up and the odds-on favourite to win the tournament. The Citadel came out with a blistering offensive attack, sending a flurry of shots at Krawk Island goaltender Garven Hale, who bravely turned away nearly all of Darigan's volleys, but the onslaught was too much, and as a result a handful of shots managed to slip through. On the opposite end of the field, Krawk Island's creative use of passing and offensive created enough scoring opportunities for them to even the score. However, they didn't to come up with the energy needed to make a final push and take the lead. In the closing moments of the match, Darigan added a few late scores to pull away and secure the victory.
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As impressive as the Citadel has been on the playing field (winning six of their seven match-ups), they've been far less formidable in the tournament's other two aspects. Today was no different, as Krawk Island slung more slushies than Darigan, and raised enough of a racket to come away with a draw in the noise-making competition. In the end, it wasn't a total loss for Krawk Island and their fans, because they not only managed to come away with a few points and keep their place atop the leaderboard, but they could also take heart in knowing another chance to avenge their loss to the Citadel lies in their future.
As impressive as the Citadel has been on the playing field (winning six of their seven match-ups), they've been far less formidable in the tournament's other two aspects. Today was no different, as Krawk Island slung more slushies than Darigan, and raised enough of a racket to come away with a draw in the noise-making competition. In the end, it wasn't a total loss for Krawk Island and their fans, because they not only managed to come away with a few points and keep their place atop the leaderboard, but they could also take heart in knowing another chance to avenge their loss to the Citadel lies in their future.


[[Image:AC Plot 2007 04.gif|right|frame|Brightvale vs. Virtupets was a fierce game.]]
[[Image:AC Plot 2007 04.gif|left|frame|Brightvale vs. Virtupets was a fierce game.]]


Despite the anticipation for the coming week's high profile matches, the match between Brightvale and the Virtupets Space Station on June 14 held everyone's attention, pitting evenly-matched teams against each other. Early on, the game was a stalemate, with neither side giving an inch. Brightvale's aggressive (and not surprisingly clean) style made gradual progress in wearing down the Space Station, while Virtupets' arsenal of elaborate offensive sets occasionally flustered Brightvale and created quality scoring chances. Goals were few, with the score dead even at the middle of the game.
Despite the anticipation for the coming week's high profile matches, the match between Brightvale and the Virtupets Space Station on June 14 held everyone's attention, pitting evenly-matched teams against each other. Early on, the game was a stalemate, with neither side giving an inch. Brightvale's aggressive (and not surprisingly clean) style made gradual progress in wearing down the Space Station, while Virtupets' arsenal of elaborate offensive sets occasionally flustered Brightvale and created quality scoring chances. Goals were few, with the score dead even at the middle of the game.
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From then on, however, the fatigue of the Space Station's players became more noticeable. Mental mistakes increased in frequency, with defenders losing a step or two in their rotations, allowing Brightvale to score more points. Rather than mounting a comeback, Virtupets struggled just to keep the match close. Despite a valiant effort by Keetra Deile and her Space Station teammates, Brightvale gained an impressive victory on the field. Their auxiliary competitions were far less competitive, with Brightvale's followers holding a decided advantage in slushie serving and noise making throughout the day giving them an across-the-board win.
From then on, however, the fatigue of the Space Station's players became more noticeable. Mental mistakes increased in frequency, with defenders losing a step or two in their rotations, allowing Brightvale to score more points. Rather than mounting a comeback, Virtupets struggled just to keep the match close. Despite a valiant effort by Keetra Deile and her Space Station teammates, Brightvale gained an impressive victory on the field. Their auxiliary competitions were far less competitive, with Brightvale's followers holding a decided advantage in slushie serving and noise making throughout the day giving them an across-the-board win.


[[Image:AC Plot 2007 05.gif|left|frame|Mystery Island gets a new player.]]
[[Image:AC Plot 2007 05.gif|right|frame|Mystery Island gets a new player.]]


As one would expect, Tuesday's match-up wasn't much of a contest, with Mystery Island's forwards riddling Meridell netminder Sir Pollonaire Friedl with a flurry of shots on goal that could not be denied. Faster than a Mystery Island fan could say Bubbling Kraku Thickshake, the islanders had posted a lead that even a diehard Meridell fan like King Skarl would've considered insurmountable.
As one would expect, Tuesday's match-up wasn't much of a contest, with Mystery Island's forwards riddling Meridell netminder Sir Pollonaire Friedl with a flurry of shots on goal that could not be denied. Faster than a Mystery Island fan could say Bubbling Kraku Thickshake, the islanders had posted a lead that even a diehard Meridell fan like King Skarl would've considered insurmountable.
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So now, as Mystery Island fights for a spot in this year's final matches, it appears as though they'll have to rely on the talented yet untested Binal to keep shooters off of goaltender Yaniq Avaan. Will Koric's injury ruin Mystery Island's chances of winning the Altador Cup, or could Binal's addition to the lineup be a blessing in disguise that propels the young Lenny to stardom?
So now, as Mystery Island fights for a spot in this year's final matches, it appears as though they'll have to rely on the talented yet untested Binal to keep shooters off of goaltender Yaniq Avaan. Will Koric's injury ruin Mystery Island's chances of winning the Altador Cup, or could Binal's addition to the lineup be a blessing in disguise that propels the young Lenny to stardom?


[[Image:AC Plot 2007 06.gif|right|frame|By the second part of the round-robin, four teams currently seem to be able to make it to the finals.]]
[[Image:AC Plot 2007 06.gif|left|frame|By the second part of the round-robin, four teams currently seem to be able to make it to the finals.]]


As the Altador Cup tournament reaches the midway point of the Round Robin, four teams have pulled ahead to the top of the standings. Roo Island players Lilo Blumario and Jair Tollet have lived up to expectations and helped their scrappy team solidify their position as the tournament heads into the second half of the Round Robin. These hardy island players have not lost a single Yooyuball match yet, winning fifteen of their seventeen games and coming to a draw in the other two. In the meantime, the tough team from Darigan Citadel steadily maintains their position as the favourite, while the nearly-impenetrable defense of Krawk Island continues to help the buccaneers pull ahead of their competition.
As the Altador Cup tournament reaches the midway point of the Round Robin, four teams have pulled ahead to the top of the standings. Roo Island players Lilo Blumario and Jair Tollet have lived up to expectations and helped their scrappy team solidify their position as the tournament heads into the second half of the Round Robin. These hardy island players have not lost a single Yooyuball match yet, winning fifteen of their seventeen games and coming to a draw in the other two. In the meantime, the tough team from Darigan Citadel steadily maintains their position as the favourite, while the nearly-impenetrable defense of Krawk Island continues to help the buccaneers pull ahead of their competition.
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In fact, no team is out of contention yet. The battle for the coveted Cup is still open to anyone, though the struggling teams of Kiko Lake, Virtupets, and Faerieland will have to redouble their efforts if they want a chance of staying in the running. As the second half of the Round Robin kicks off, fans wait in anticipation. Which teams will succeed in their bid for those desired spots in the finals?
In fact, no team is out of contention yet. The battle for the coveted Cup is still open to anyone, though the struggling teams of Kiko Lake, Virtupets, and Faerieland will have to redouble their efforts if they want a chance of staying in the running. As the second half of the Round Robin kicks off, fans wait in anticipation. Which teams will succeed in their bid for those desired spots in the finals?


[[Image:Kiko-maraqua.gif|left|frame|Despite their great efforts, Kiko Lake lost greatly to Maraqua.]]
[[Image:Kiko-maraqua.gif|right|frame|Despite their great efforts, Kiko Lake lost greatly to Maraqua.]]


Monday's match-up with the aquatic teams of Kiko Lake and Maraqua was bound to make a splash, as the scrappy underdogs of Kiko Lake attempted to pull themselves out of the bottom of the standings with renewed energy on the field. Having only won one of their twenty Yooyuball match-ups, these lake-dwellers had something to prove.
Monday's match-up with the aquatic teams of Kiko Lake and Maraqua was bound to make a splash, as the scrappy underdogs of Kiko Lake attempted to pull themselves out of the bottom of the standings with renewed energy on the field. Having only won one of their twenty Yooyuball match-ups, these lake-dwellers had something to prove.
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Those few goals weren't enough to faze Elon Hughlis, either. Taking advantage of the opposing team's frustration, the Maraquan forward sent a relentless tidal wave of shots towards the Kiko Lake goal all throughout the game, giving the Maraquans a hefty lead as the match drew to a close. Somewhat dampened by their team's struggling performance, fan enthusiasm for Kiko Lake was not enough to come close to the Maraquans' cheering in Make Some Noise, and the Kiko Lake supporters were unable to serve more slushies than their Maraquan counterparts. In the end, it was a resounding victory for King Kelpbeard's favourite team, both on the field and in the side competitions.
Those few goals weren't enough to faze Elon Hughlis, either. Taking advantage of the opposing team's frustration, the Maraquan forward sent a relentless tidal wave of shots towards the Kiko Lake goal all throughout the game, giving the Maraquans a hefty lead as the match drew to a close. Somewhat dampened by their team's struggling performance, fan enthusiasm for Kiko Lake was not enough to come close to the Maraquans' cheering in Make Some Noise, and the Kiko Lake supporters were unable to serve more slushies than their Maraquan counterparts. In the end, it was a resounding victory for King Kelpbeard's favourite team, both on the field and in the side competitions.


[[Image:Tyrannia-hauntedwoods.gif|right|frame|Although they started great, Tyrannia lost to the Haunted Woods in an amzing game.]]
[[Image:Tyrannia-hauntedwoods.gif|left|frame|Although they started great, Tyrannia lost to the Haunted Woods in an amzing game.]]


It was a rumble to be remembered when Tyrannia's "Forsaken Five" met up with the foreboding Haunted Woods team. The reigning defending champs have been solid so far, but the tight-knit Tyrannian team has only shown improvement since last year. Though the players from Haunted Woods were heavily favoured to win this match, no one doubted the cave dwellers could always pull off an upset.
It was a rumble to be remembered when Tyrannia's "Forsaken Five" met up with the foreboding Haunted Woods team. The reigning defending champs have been solid so far, but the tight-knit Tyrannian team has only shown improvement since last year. Though the players from Haunted Woods were heavily favoured to win this match, no one doubted the cave dwellers could always pull off an upset.
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The Haunted Woods crowd went wild, with their noise-making efforts ultimately earning them a victory in the Make Some Noise competition, as well. Though the Tyrannian supporters made more of an effort serving slushies, they again fell short in the end, leaving the Haunted Woods to carry off an impressive triple victory and remain in contention for the finals.
The Haunted Woods crowd went wild, with their noise-making efforts ultimately earning them a victory in the Make Some Noise competition, as well. Though the Tyrannian supporters made more of an effort serving slushies, they again fell short in the end, leaving the Haunted Woods to carry off an impressive triple victory and remain in contention for the finals.


[[Image:Rea.gif|left|frame|Faerieland finally got their first Yooyuball win in the Altador Cup.]]
[[Image:Rea.gif|right|frame|Faerieland finally got their first Yooyuball win in the Altador Cup.]]


Heretofore, Faerieland's fans had proven themselves to be surprisingly good at slinging slushies, managing to keep from losing more than half of their matches. To a far lesser extent, they'd even shown an occasional willingness to give a few cheers for their team, racking up points from the tournament's other secondary activity. It was on the field of play, however, where Faerieland's Yooyuball team had completely failed them.
Heretofore, Faerieland's fans had proven themselves to be surprisingly good at slinging slushies, managing to keep from losing more than half of their matches. To a far lesser extent, they'd even shown an occasional willingness to give a few cheers for their team, racking up points from the tournament's other secondary activity. It was on the field of play, however, where Faerieland's Yooyuball team had completely failed them.

Revision as of 13:31, 3 July 2007

This article documents a current event.
Information may update rapidly as the event progresses.
The coveted Altador Cup.
This article is about the plot details of the Altador Cup in 2007. For information about Yooyuball, see Altador Cup. For the plot details of 2006, see Altador Cup 2006.

Altador Cup 2007 was a gaming plot which began on June 1, 2007, and was the second installation of the Altador Cup.

Plot summary

Team Shenkuu were new comers to the competition, Shenkuu having been discovered between the first and the second Altador Cups.

Once again the time has come for that most beloved of Neopian sporting activities - the Altador Cup! When we last checked in with the world's greatest Yooyuballers, the Haunted Woods had just pulled off a thrilling victory over the Darigan Citadel. Instead of resting on their laurels, however, both teams have made key roster changes, which they feel will vault them into being odds-on favourites to take home the Cup. The Citadel has elected to bench last year's goalie Mungo Lifler and start brilliant new netminder Reshar Collifey, while the Haunted Woods has plugged in bone-crunching defender Autry Fulse. Could either of these moves provide the edge that these teams need to reach the top, or could such adjustments have the opposite effect and backfire in their faces? Those aren't the only changes you'll notice out on the playing field, though. In addition to a few free-agent signings and the arrival of some promising rookies, an entirely new team has come down from the mountains of Shenkuu to participate in the tournament. The sport itself has even undergone a bit of an alteration, with three new kinds of Yooyuball (Normal, Clockwork, and Darigan) coming into play for the very first time. Off the field, you'll find two new ways of lending support to your favourite Yooyuball squad, so sideline sitters no longer have any excuse for not participating.

What are you waiting for, then? Pick a side and get in on the action!


Kreludor's team, conspicuous by its absence, sent out a press release on the 8 June justifying why they could not compete this year. Derlyn Fonnet dispelled the rumours surrounding their mysterious non-involvement, citing an incorrectly set gravity control of their training ground. The insufficient bone and muscle density would have proved a health and safety problem were the team to play on Neopia's greater gravity, although whether this was an innocent fault or an act of vandalism to sabotage the team's chances could not be determined. The full press release reads as follows:

Derlyn Fonnet hoped to return the following year.

"As you may have noticed by now, Team Kreludor is not one of the participants in this year's Altador Cup. This is due to a malfunction with our training centre's gravity control that went unnoticed; it seems that we have spent the better part of this past year training in gravity that is weaker than that of Neopia. For this reason, it would not be safe for us to compete, due to insufficient bone and muscle density. Rest assured that the problem has been fixed. It is not known, however, whether the incident was a case of simple mechanical failure or the result of sabotage by disgruntled factions here on Kreludor.

We will continue our training in hopes of returning to form next year, but I'm afraid it would be impossible for us to participate in this year's tournament. We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us in the past and all of our fans both on Kreludor and in Neopia. Thank you."

Whether or not they will be able to return for the next tournament is unclear, as, with Shenkuu competing, there would be an uneven number of teams.

Garven Hale, considered to be one of the best Goalkeepers, couldn't keep up with Darigan Citadel.

On June 11, in what was considered the most anticipated match-up of the Double Round Robin phase occurred. Krawk Island. undefeated in Yooyuball and the overall leaders, faced the Darigan Citadel, last year's runner-up and the odds-on favourite to win the tournament. The Citadel came out with a blistering offensive attack, sending a flurry of shots at Krawk Island goaltender Garven Hale, who bravely turned away nearly all of Darigan's volleys, but the onslaught was too much, and as a result a handful of shots managed to slip through. On the opposite end of the field, Krawk Island's creative use of passing and offensive created enough scoring opportunities for them to even the score. However, they didn't to come up with the energy needed to make a final push and take the lead. In the closing moments of the match, Darigan added a few late scores to pull away and secure the victory.

As impressive as the Citadel has been on the playing field (winning six of their seven match-ups), they've been far less formidable in the tournament's other two aspects. Today was no different, as Krawk Island slung more slushies than Darigan, and raised enough of a racket to come away with a draw in the noise-making competition. In the end, it wasn't a total loss for Krawk Island and their fans, because they not only managed to come away with a few points and keep their place atop the leaderboard, but they could also take heart in knowing another chance to avenge their loss to the Citadel lies in their future.

Brightvale vs. Virtupets was a fierce game.

Despite the anticipation for the coming week's high profile matches, the match between Brightvale and the Virtupets Space Station on June 14 held everyone's attention, pitting evenly-matched teams against each other. Early on, the game was a stalemate, with neither side giving an inch. Brightvale's aggressive (and not surprisingly clean) style made gradual progress in wearing down the Space Station, while Virtupets' arsenal of elaborate offensive sets occasionally flustered Brightvale and created quality scoring chances. Goals were few, with the score dead even at the middle of the game.

From then on, however, the fatigue of the Space Station's players became more noticeable. Mental mistakes increased in frequency, with defenders losing a step or two in their rotations, allowing Brightvale to score more points. Rather than mounting a comeback, Virtupets struggled just to keep the match close. Despite a valiant effort by Keetra Deile and her Space Station teammates, Brightvale gained an impressive victory on the field. Their auxiliary competitions were far less competitive, with Brightvale's followers holding a decided advantage in slushie serving and noise making throughout the day giving them an across-the-board win.

Mystery Island gets a new player.

As one would expect, Tuesday's match-up wasn't much of a contest, with Mystery Island's forwards riddling Meridell netminder Sir Pollonaire Friedl with a flurry of shots on goal that could not be denied. Faster than a Mystery Island fan could say Bubbling Kraku Thickshake, the islanders had posted a lead that even a diehard Meridell fan like King Skarl would've considered insurmountable. The fact that Mystery Island had such a huge lead made what happened next even more remarkable. Rather than pulling the team's lone starting defender and putting in a substitute, the islanders elected to leave Maital Koric in the game (despite Koric's recent requests to skip practice so he could rest a nagging injury).

As a result, just as the game was reaching its midway point, Koric crumpled to the ground, clutching his leg. The defender was helped off the field and immediately whisked away to the nearest medical facility. Vela Binal, a promising yet inexperienced young defender, was called in to finish out the match, which Mystery Island went on to win handily. After some preliminary testing, the worst fears of Mystery Island's fans were realized: Koric's injury was announced to be so severe that he'd miss the rest of the tournament.

So now, as Mystery Island fights for a spot in this year's final matches, it appears as though they'll have to rely on the talented yet untested Binal to keep shooters off of goaltender Yaniq Avaan. Will Koric's injury ruin Mystery Island's chances of winning the Altador Cup, or could Binal's addition to the lineup be a blessing in disguise that propels the young Lenny to stardom?

By the second part of the round-robin, four teams currently seem to be able to make it to the finals.

As the Altador Cup tournament reaches the midway point of the Round Robin, four teams have pulled ahead to the top of the standings. Roo Island players Lilo Blumario and Jair Tollet have lived up to expectations and helped their scrappy team solidify their position as the tournament heads into the second half of the Round Robin. These hardy island players have not lost a single Yooyuball match yet, winning fifteen of their seventeen games and coming to a draw in the other two. In the meantime, the tough team from Darigan Citadel steadily maintains their position as the favourite, while the nearly-impenetrable defense of Krawk Island continues to help the buccaneers pull ahead of their competition. The solid playing of the Lost Desert squad, as well as the amazing support they've received in the tournament's two side competitions, has helped these desert wanderers find a place on the leader board. However, it's hardly a time for anyone to let their guard down on the field. Despite losing one of their teammates to injury, the Mystery Island team is close behind, hungering for one of the top spots.

In fact, no team is out of contention yet. The battle for the coveted Cup is still open to anyone, though the struggling teams of Kiko Lake, Virtupets, and Faerieland will have to redouble their efforts if they want a chance of staying in the running. As the second half of the Round Robin kicks off, fans wait in anticipation. Which teams will succeed in their bid for those desired spots in the finals?

Despite their great efforts, Kiko Lake lost greatly to Maraqua.

Monday's match-up with the aquatic teams of Kiko Lake and Maraqua was bound to make a splash, as the scrappy underdogs of Kiko Lake attempted to pull themselves out of the bottom of the standings with renewed energy on the field. Having only won one of their twenty Yooyuball match-ups, these lake-dwellers had something to prove. Unfortunately, their enthusiasm had difficulty holding up against the tough defensive line-up of Maraqua. Again and again, the Kiko Lake forwards attempted to sneak a shot into the goal, but the three Maraquan defenders rebuffed them at nearly every turn. Any shots that managed to get past the defensive line were almost immediately blocked by goalkeeper Tonie Plessix. Though he wasn't quick enough to get all of them, the defensive wall was still enough to make things extremely frustrating for the Kiko Lake team.

Those few goals weren't enough to faze Elon Hughlis, either. Taking advantage of the opposing team's frustration, the Maraquan forward sent a relentless tidal wave of shots towards the Kiko Lake goal all throughout the game, giving the Maraquans a hefty lead as the match drew to a close. Somewhat dampened by their team's struggling performance, fan enthusiasm for Kiko Lake was not enough to come close to the Maraquans' cheering in Make Some Noise, and the Kiko Lake supporters were unable to serve more slushies than their Maraquan counterparts. In the end, it was a resounding victory for King Kelpbeard's favourite team, both on the field and in the side competitions.

Although they started great, Tyrannia lost to the Haunted Woods in an amzing game.

It was a rumble to be remembered when Tyrannia's "Forsaken Five" met up with the foreboding Haunted Woods team. The reigning defending champs have been solid so far, but the tight-knit Tyrannian team has only shown improvement since last year. Though the players from Haunted Woods were heavily favoured to win this match, no one doubted the cave dwellers could always pull off an upset. Forward Wila Benne got things off to a hopeful start for Tyrannia, slipping a couple of quick goals past goalkeeper Fanetti. From there, however, the woodland team gathered up their concentration and pulled together their legendary defense. As the rest of his team guarded their goal viciously, forward Zo Junior zipped through the Tyrannian lines with amazing speed and managed to give the Haunted Woods a slight lead at the halfway point in the game.

During the second half, the sporty spooks only continued to build on their momentum, scoring one goal after another to the delight of their screaming fans. The five Tyrannians made the most of their legendary teamwork, working together to keep the score close. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough. As the seconds ticked away towards the end, newcomer Autrey Fulse executed a sneaky steal of the Yooyuball and swiftly passed it to Zo Junior, who slammed it in for a final resounding goal as the whistle drew the match to a close.

The Haunted Woods crowd went wild, with their noise-making efforts ultimately earning them a victory in the Make Some Noise competition, as well. Though the Tyrannian supporters made more of an effort serving slushies, they again fell short in the end, leaving the Haunted Woods to carry off an impressive triple victory and remain in contention for the finals.

Faerieland finally got their first Yooyuball win in the Altador Cup.

Heretofore, Faerieland's fans had proven themselves to be surprisingly good at slinging slushies, managing to keep from losing more than half of their matches. To a far lesser extent, they'd even shown an occasional willingness to give a few cheers for their team, racking up points from the tournament's other secondary activity. It was on the field of play, however, where Faerieland's Yooyuball team had completely failed them. After nearly four weeks of play, though, fate finally smiled upon the Faerieland squad and they broke through to earn their first victory. It came against Kiko Lake, who'd soundly defeated them nearly two weeks ago. After a few strong rallies in the early going led by Kiko Lake's Helmo Timm, the match's turning point came when young defender Elbin Towse ran down forward Moni Vyshan on a breakaway scoring opportunity and blocked Vyshan's shot at the last moment.

From that point on, Faerieland's players seemed as though they'd been infused with a renewed sense of energy, eventually overtaking Kiko Lake with a go-ahead goal by Babolino. A frantic rush at the end by Kiko Lake nearly resulted in a tie but, fortunately for Faerieland, time ran out on their opponents and the victory was theirs. To make the win even sweeter, Faerieland even managed to serve up enough slushies to tack on a few points in that category, too. Huzzah!

Plot participation

Unlike many plots, where the course of the story is written and dictated by The Neopets Team, the Altador Cup is directed by the participation of collective users on Neopets - in particular, of their performance against rival teams.

Users could select their team on their own, but also had the option to be placed on a team via a quiz which tested what their personality was like. Unlike the previous year, users could not change teams once gaming began. The sign up time occurred between June 1 - 4, with matches began on the 5th. The score users contributed was calculated by their win/loss/tie record, the number of goals scored each game, and a average based on team membership (so a team with more users participating wouldn't have an advantage over a team with fewer players).

It a common misconception having a loss counted for a users score would give negative points towards a user's score, when in truth every completed game raised the users score higher, although this did not stop some users who wanted a certain team to win took advantage of the system as well, by signing up for an opposing team and purposefully lose in order to try and lower the chance of them winning. Supposedly, new scoring mechanisms in place in this cup stopped the practice that occurred during the first Altador Cup, where someone would sign up for a team on their side accounts and not play so as to reduce their overall score.

One is not allowed to sign up for the Altador Cup on a side account.

Besides playing Yooyuball, users also had the option of playing Slushie Slinger and Make Some Noise to contribute to their score. While these games did give the user points, the most points to be given were those for playing a Yooyuball match.

Tournament play was double round robin, which meant teams played every other team twice. During the round robin phase, each team was given a chance to prove itself by scoring the most overall. At the conclusion of the double round robin phase, the four best-performing teams will advance to the final matches that will determine who will reign supreme in this year's Altador Cup. The top two teams will meet in a final showdown for first place, and the teams that ranked third and fourth in the double round robin phase will battle for third place.

This differs from the previous years elimination method which justifies why users cannot change teams.

Match Schedule/Results

Schedule

An italicised and bolded team name means that team won the coupling. If both teams in a coupling are italicised and bolded, the match was a draw. The wining team is calutaed by wins and draws in that coupling. A win in Yooyuball is worth 4 points. A draw in Yooyuball is 2 points. A win in Slushie Slinger and Make Some Noise is worth 2 points. A draw in Slushie Slinger and Make Some Noise is worth 1 point. The team with the most points in that coupling won. If both teams have the same number of points, then it is a draw.

June 5

June 6

  • Krawk Island vs. Meridell
  • Haunted Woods vs. Altador
  • Shenkuu vs. Faerieland
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Lost Desert
  • Brightvale vs. Roo Island
  • Mystery Island vs. Maraqua
  • Kiko Lake vs. Tyrannia
  • Terror Mountain vs. Virtupets

June 7

  • Haunted Woods vs. Faerieland
  • Maraqua vs. Tyrannia
  • Kiko Lake vs. Krawk Island
  • Altador vs. Meridell
  • Brightvale vs. Terror Mountain
  • Virtupets vs. Mystery Island
  • Shenkuu vs. Lost Desert
  • Roo Island vs. Darigan Citadel

June 8

  • Faerieland vs. Altador
  • Virtupets vs. Tyrannia
  • Terror Mountain vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Meridell vs. Kiko Lake
  • Brightvale vs. Mystery Island
  • Lost Desert vs. Haunted Woods
  • Roo Island vs. Shenkuu
  • Krawk Island vs. Maraqua

June 9

  • Kiko Lake vs. Altador
  • Brightvale vs. Tyrannia
  • Haunted Woods vs. Roo Island
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Mystery Island
  • Lost Desert vs. Faerieland
  • Shenkuu vs. Terror Mountain
  • Meridell vs. Maraqua
  • Krawk Island vs. Virtupets

June 10

  • Meridell vs. Virtupets
  • Altador vs. Lost Desert
  • Mystery Island vs. Shenkuu
  • Brightvale vs. Krawk Island
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Tyrannia
  • Roo Island vs. Faerieland
  • Haunted Woods vs. Terror Mountain
  • Kiko Lake vs. Maraqua

June 11

  • Faerieland vs. Terror Mountain
  • Meridell vs. Brightvale
  • Roo Island vs. Lost Desert
  • Kiko Lake vs. Virtupets
  • Mystery Island vs. Haunted Woods
  • Shenkuu vs. Tyrannia
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Krawk Island
  • Maraqua vs. Altador

June 12

  • Terror Mountain vs. Lost Desert
  • Brightvale vs. Kiko Lake
  • Meridell vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Altador vs. Roo Island
  • Virtupets vs. Maraqua
  • Faerieland vs. Mystery Island
  • Haunted Woods vs. Tyrannia
  • Shenkuu vs. Krawk Island

June 13

  • Altador vs. Virtupets
  • Tyrannia vs. Faerieland
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Kiko Lake
  • Meridell vs. Shenkuu
  • Maraqua vs. Brightvale
  • Terror Mountain vs. Roo Island
  • Haunted Woods vs. Krawk Island
  • Mystery Island vs. Lost Desert

June 14

  • Tyrannia vs. Lost Desert
  • Altador vs. Terror Mountain
  • Brightvale vs. Virtupets
  • Krawk Island vs. Faerieland
  • Meridell vs. Haunted Woods
  • Kiko Lake vs. Shenkuu
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Maraqua
  • Roo Island vs. Mystery Island

June 15

  • Lost Desert vs. Krawk Island
  • Brightvale vs. Altador
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Virtupets
  • Roo Island vs. Tyrannia
  • Mystery Island vs. Terror Mountain
  • Faerieland vs. Meridell
  • Maraqua vs. Shenkuu
  • Haunted Woods vs. Kiko Lake

June 16

  • Brightvale vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Maraqua vs. Haunted Woods
  • Altador vs. Mystery Island
  • Shenkuu vs. Virtupets
  • Kiko Lake vs. Faerieland
  • Terror Mountain vs. Tyrannia
  • Lost Desert vs. Meridell
  • Roo Island vs. Krawk Island

June 17

  • Haunted Woods vs. Virtupets
  • Shenkuu vs. Brightvale
  • Lost Desert vs. Kiko Lake
  • Maraqua vs. Faerieland
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Altador
  • Tyrannia vs. Mystery Island
  • Krawk Island vs. Terror Mountain
  • Roo Island vs. Meridell

June 18

  • Terror Mountain vs. Meridell
  • Altador vs. Tyrannia
  • Faerieland vs. Virtupets
  • Shenkuu vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Maraqua vs. Lost Desert
  • Mystery Island vs. Krawk Island
  • Roo Island vs. Kiko Lake
  • Brightvale vs. Haunted Woods

June 19

  • Maraqua vs. Roo Island
  • Meridell vs. Mystery Island
  • Krawk Island vs. Tyrannia
  • Faerieland vs. Brightvale
  • Haunted Woods vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Terror Mountain vs. Kiko Lake
  • Altador vs. Shenkuu
  • Virtupets vs. Lost Desert

June 20

  • Meridell vs. Tyrannia
  • Terror Mountain vs. Maraqua
  • Haunted Woods vs. Shenkuu
  • Brightvale vs. Lost Desert
  • Altador vs. Krawk Island
  • Mystery Island vs. Kiko Lake
  • Roo Island vs. Virtupets
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Faerieland

June 21

  • Krawk Island vs. Meridell
  • Haunted Woods vs. Altador
  • Shenkuu vs. Faerieland
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Lost Desert
  • Brightvale vs. Roo Island
  • Mystery Island vs. Maraqua
  • Kiko Lake vs. Tyrannia
  • Terror Mountain vs. Virtupets

June 22

  • Haunted Woods vs. Faerieland
  • Maraqua vs. Tyrannia
  • Kiko Lake vs. Krawk Island
  • Altador vs. Meridell
  • Brightvale vs. Terror Mountain
  • Virtupets vs. Mystery Island
  • Shenkuu vs. Lost Desert
  • Roo Island vs. Darigan Citadel

June 23

  • Faerieland vs. Altador
  • Virtupets vs. Tyrannia
  • Terror Mountain vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Meridell vs. Kiko Lake
  • Brightvale vs. Mystery Island
  • Lost Desert vs. Haunted Woods
  • Roo Island vs. Shenkuu
  • Krawk Island vs. Maraqua

June 24

  • Kiko Lake vs. Altador
  • Brightvale vs. Tyrannia
  • Haunted Woods vs. Roo Island
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Mystery Island
  • Lost Desert vs. Faerieland
  • Shenkuu vs. Terror Mountain
  • Meridell vs. Maraqua
  • Krawk Island vs. Virtupets

June 25

  • Meridell vs. Virtupets
  • Altador vs. Lost Desert
  • Mystery Island vs. Shenkuu
  • Brightvale vs. Krawk Island
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Tyrannia
  • Roo Island' vs. Faerieland
  • Haunted Woods vs. Terror Mountain
  • Kiko Lake vs. Maraqua

June 26

  • Faerieland vs. Terror Mountain
  • Meridell vs. Brightvale
  • Roo Island vs. Lost Desert
  • Kiko Lake vs. Virtupets
  • Mystery Island vs. Haunted Woods
  • Shenkuu vs. Tyrannia
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Krawk Island
  • Maraqua vs. Altador

June 27

  • Terror Mountain vs. Lost Desert
  • Brightvale vs. Kiko Lake
  • Meridell vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Altador vs. Roo Island
  • Virtupets vs. Maraqua
  • Faerieland vs. Mystery Island
  • Haunted Woods vs. Tyrannia
  • Shenkuu vs. Krawk Island

June 28

  • Altador vs. Virtupets
  • Tyrannia vs. Faerieland
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Kiko Lake
  • Meridell vs. Shenkuu
  • Maraqua vs. Brightvale
  • Terror Mountain vs. Roo Island
  • Haunted Woods vs. Krawk Island
  • Mystery Island vs. Lost Desert

June 29

  • Tyrannia vs. Lost Desert
  • Altador vs. Terror Mountain
  • Brightvale vs. Virtupets
  • Krawk Island vs. Faerieland
  • Meridell vs. Haunted Woods
  • Kiko Lake vs. Shenkuu
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Maraqua
  • Roo Island vs. Mystery Island

June 30

  • Lost Desert vs. Krawk Island
  • Brightvale vs. Altador
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Virtupets
  • Roo Island vs. Tyrannia
  • Mystery Island vs. Terror Mountain
  • Faerieland vs. Meridell
  • Maraqua vs. Shenkuu
  • Haunted Woods vs. Kiko Lake

July 1

  • Brightvale vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Maraqua vs. Haunted Woods
  • Altador vs. Mystery Island
  • Shenkuu vs. Virtupets
  • Kiko Lake vs. Faerieland
  • Terror Mountain vs. Tyrannia
  • Lost Desert vs. Meridell
  • Roo Island vs. Krawk Island

July 2

  • Haunted Woods vs. Virtupets
  • Shenkuu vs. Brightvale
  • Lost Desert vs. Kiko Lake
  • Maraqua vs. Faerieland
  • Darigan Citadel vs. Altador
  • Tyrannia vs. Mystery Island
  • Krawk Island vs. Terror Mountain
  • Roo Island vs. Meridell

July 3

  • Terror Mountain vs. Meridell
  • Altador vs. Tyrannia
  • Faerieland vs. Virtupets
  • Shenkuu vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Maraqua vs. Lost Desert
  • Mystery Island vs. Krawk Island
  • Roo Island vs. Kiko Lake
  • Brightvale vs. Haunted Woods

July 4

  • Maraqua vs. Roo Island
  • Meridell vs. Mystery Island
  • Krawk Island vs. Tyrannia
  • Faerieland vs. Brightvale
  • Haunted Woods vs. Darigan Citadel
  • Terror Mountain vs. Kiko Lake
  • Altador vs. Shenkuu
  • Virtupets vs. Lost Desert

Results by day

The winners are surrounded in green, losers in red, and if the match is a draw, both teams will be yellow.

June 5
Yooyuball Slushie Slinger Make Some Noise
tyrannia_50.gif meridell_50.gif tyrannia_50.gif meridell_50.gif tyrannia_50.gif meridell_50.gif
maraqua_50.gif terrormountain_50.gif maraqua_50.gif terrormountain_50.gif maraqua_50.gif terrormountain_50.gif
shenkuu_50.gif hauntedwoods_50.gif shenkuu_50.gif hauntedwoods_50.gif shenkuu_50.gif hauntedwoods_50.gif
lostdesert_50.gif brightvale_50.gif lostdesert_50.gif brightvale_50.gif lostdesert_50.gif brightvale_50.gif
krawkisland_50.gif altador_50.gif krawkisland_50.gif altador_50.gif krawkisland_50.gif altador_50.gif
mysteryisland_50.gif kikolake_50.gif mysteryisland_50.gif kikolake_50.gif mysteryisland_50.gif kikolake_50.gif
rooisland_50.gif virtupets_50.gif rooisland_50.gif virtupets_50.gif rooisland_50.gif virtupets_50.gif
darigancitadel_50.gif faerieland_50.gif darigancitadel_50.gif faerieland_50.gif darigancitadel_50.gif faerieland_50.gif
June 6
Yooyuball Slushie Slinger Make Some Noise
meridell_50.gif krawkisland_50.gif meridell_50.gif krawkisland_50.gif meridell_50.gif krawkisland_50.gif
hauntedwoods_50.gif altador_50.gif hauntedwoods_50.gif altador_50.gif hauntedwoods_50.gif altador_50.gif
shenkuu_50.gif faerieland_50.gif shenkuu_50.gif faerieland_50.gif shenkuu_50.gif faerieland_50.gif
lostdesert_50.gif darigancitadel_50.gif lostdesert_50.gif darigancitadel_50.gif lostdesert_50.gif darigancitadel_50.gif
brightvale_50.gif rooisland_50.gif brightvale_50.gif rooisland_50.gif brightvale_50.gif rooisland_50.gif
maraqua_50.gif mysteryisland_50.gif maraqua_50.gif mysteryisland_50.gif maraqua_50.gif mysteryisland_50.gif
tyrannia_50.gif kikolake_50.gif tyrannia_50.gif kikolake_50.gif tyrannia_50.gif kikolake_50.gif
terrormountain_50.gif virtupets_50.gif terrormountain_50.gif virtupets_50.gif terrormountain_50.gif virtupets_50.gif

Overall results

The following table will change with each days updates until the tournament is finished...

Team Yooyuball Slushie Slinger Make Some Noise
W D L W D L W D L

altador_50.gif
Altador

7 1 19 3 1 23 5 3 19

brightvale_50.gif
Brightvale

7 1 19 6 2 19 9 1 17

darigancitadel_50.gif
Darigan Citadel

23 3 1 17 8 2 21 3 3

faerieland_50.gif
Faerieland

1 0 26 8 6 13 2 3 22

hauntedwoods_50.gif
Haunted Woods

17 3 7 10 7 10 18 4 5

kikolake_50.gif
Kiko Lake

2 0 25 8 5 14 4 4 19

krawkisland_50.gif
Krawk Island

21 2 4 18 6 3 19 4 4

lostdesert_50.gif
Lost Desert

17 5 5 17 10 0 22 3 2

maraqua_50.gif
Maraqua

11 2 14 12 6 9 16 0 11

meridell_50.gif
Meridell

14 1 12 10 7 10 11 1 15

mysteryisland_50.gif
Mystery Island

18 4 5 16 5 6 18 4 5

rooisland_50.gif
Roo Island

22 3 2 20 5 2 18 5 4

shenkuu_50.gif
Shenkuu

22 0 5 20 6 1 18 5 4

terrormountain_50.gif
Terror Mountain

9 1 17 10 4 13 5 4 18

tyrannia_50.gif
Tyrannia

9 2 16 2 0 25 6 2 19

virtupets_50.gif
Virtupets

2 0 25 0 0 27 0 2 25

Prizes

Upon signing up for one of the participating teams, the user automatically received an Altador Cup Team Background of the team they joined, which they could use for Neopet Customisation.

It is speculated that users will receive an Altador Cup Site Theme as well as an avatar for participating, but whether these will be the same from last year is unknown.

Trivia

  • Users were able to see their game achievements on the June 13 update.
  • This Cup was the first to use the double round robin, where a team faced every other team twice. After that, the top four teams compete for the Cup.
  • The results for the matches on June 26th were not posted until the night of June 28th.

External links