Difference between revisions of "Altador Cup II"

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'''Altador Cup II''' was a gaming [[plot]] which began on June 1, 2007, and ended on July 9. It was the second installation of the [[Altador Cup]].
'''Altador Cup II''' was a gaming [[plot]] which began on June 1, 2007, and ended on July 9. It was the second installation of the [[Altador Cup]].


==Plot summary==
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[[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.]]
 
With the return of Altador Cup in 2007, the previous years finalists (the [[Haunted Woods]] and [[Darigan Citadel]]) returned with key changes to their rosters, which they felt would vault them into being odds-on favourites to take the Cup. Darigan benched goalkeeper [[Mungo Lifler]] and brought in [[Reshar Collifey]], while the Haunted Woods hired defender [[Autrey Fulse]]. Whether these changes would give the teams the edge they needed or backfire horribly would remain to be seen.
 
Changes occurred in the line ups of many of the other teams, also, due to free-agent signings and the arrival of new rookies. An entirely new Yooyuball team, from [[Shenkuu]], participated for the first time in 2007. The sport itself underwent some alterations, with three new kinds of Yooyuball to be brought into play for the first time - Normal, Clockwork, and Darigan - to make games more varied.
 
[[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|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>
 
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|right|frame|[[Garven Hale]], considered to be one of the best Goalkeepers, couldn't keep up with Darigan Citadel.]]
 
One of the most widely anticipated matches occurred on the 11th June, where Krawk Island - at the time the overall tournament leader, undefeated in Yooyuball - was pitted against Darigan Citadel. Darigan Citadel - [[Altador Cup 2006|the previous year]]'s runner up - through heavy offensive tactics managed to slip several goals past Krawk Island's [[Garven Hale]]. His team mates managed to level the score thanks to Krawk Island's distinctive, creative use of passing and offence, but Darigan Citadel managed to secure victory in the closing moments of the game.
 
It was not a total victory, however: while their play on the field was certainly formidable, winning all but one of their seven match ups to this point, Darigan Citadel were let down in the tournament's side competitions. Krawk Island supporters slung more slushies and raised a louder racket than their counterparts, and the team reportedly eagerly awaited their next opportunity to avenge their loss against the Citadel.
 
[[Image:AC Plot 2007 04.gif|left|frame|Brightvale vs. Virtupets was a fierce game.]]
 
While not as high-profile a match as some of the more anticipated games, the clash between Brightvale and Virtupets Space Station on June 14 attracted many viewers. Both sides were evenly matched, and the Yooyuball pitch rapidly locked into a stalemate. Brightvale's performance was no longer clean (not a surprise considering their past), and was aggressive enough to wear away at Virtupets' defence, but elaborate offensive plays by the later repeatedly flustered Brightvale into leaving themselves open.
 
The score rarely shifted, goals were few, right up to the middle of the game. Past the middle of the engagement, Brightvale began to ease ahead, with Virtupets' team tiring and making more mistakes - enough to leave themselves open to Brightvale's offence. [[Keetra Deile]] managed to lead Virtupets into keeping the match close, but it was a struggle and the Space Station's own offence faltered. The 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|right|frame|Mystery Island gets a new player.]]
 
In the match between Mystery Island and Meridell on June 19, with [[Sir Pollonaire Freidl]] being rapidly overcome by Mystery Island's forward offence. Right from the very early stages of the game, Mystery Island gained an insurmountable lead. The game was more notable, however, by the injury of [[Maital Koric]], Mystery Island's lone defender. He requested time off from team practices to rest a nagging injury, but this information was ignored as he was kept in the game, and halfway through the match staggered to the ground, gripping his leg in pain.
 
Helped off the field and sent to the nearest medical facility, he was replaced by untested substitute [[Vela Binal]]. After preliminary testing, it was found Maital Koric's injuries were so severe he would miss the rest of the tournament, requiring Vela Binal to carry them through the competition.
 
[[Image:AC Plot 2007 06.gif|left|frame|By the second part of the round-robin, four teams seemed to be able to make it to the finals.]]
 
By the time the tournament reached halfway in the Round Robin, four teams - [[Roo Island]], [[Darigan Citadel]], [[Krawk Island]], and [[Lost Desert]] - seemed to be almost guaranteed their places in the finals. Roo Island laid their success at the feet of [[Lilo Blumario]] and [[Jair Tollet]], who helped rejuvenate their otherwise disorganised team. Having reached the halfway point with not a single loss in Yooyuball - fifteen wins and two draws - they entered the second phase of the championship with high hopes.  
 
The favourite to win remained Darigan Citadel, and Krawk Island's defence - remarked by many as being nearly impenetrable - helped the pirates leave the competition behind and join the top four. The Lost Desert's well-rounded team entered the leader board thanks in large part to the success they had in the tournaments side competitions, but Mystery Island was very close behind, despite the injury of their experienced defender. Kiko Lake, Virtupets, and Faerieland seemed to be trailing at the very end of the score board, but fans hoped that with a redoubling of their efforts they may begin to progress further.
 
[[Image:Kiko-maraqua.gif|right|frame|Despite their great efforts, Kiko Lake lost greatly to Maraqua.]]
 
Urged on by the half-way point's passing, the energy of Kiko Lake in their match against Maraqua on June 25 was evident. Having only won one of the twenty Yooyuball matches until that point, Kiko Lake was determined to try and win. Their enthusiasm could not quite match Maraqua's strong defence, and the trio of defenders managed to hold the majority of their attempts at bay. Most of the few that got past were almost immediately blocked by Maraqua's [[Tonie Plessix]], and while he was not the most perfect goalkeeper in the tournament, Maraqua's defence overall managed to dent Kiko Lake's enthusiasm.
 
As Kiko Lake became more and more frustrated in their offensive efforts, [[Elon Hughlis]], Maraquan forward, managed to beat the Kiko Lake's own defence and pulled Maraqua into a good lead to win the game. Somewhat dampened by their team's performance, fan enthusiasm for Kiko Lake was not enough to come overcome Maraquans' cheering, and the Kiko Lake supporters were unable to serve more slushies than Maraqua, allowing them to win both side competitions, adding another loss to Kiko Lake's tally.
 
[[Image:Tyrannia-hauntedwoods.gif|left|frame|Although they started great, Tyrannia lost to the Haunted Woods in an amazing game.]]
 
The previous year's winners, the Haunted Woods (who had been performing solidly throughout the championship) went up against Tyrannia (whose performance was greater than last year) on June 27, and was considered another well-remembered contest.Tyrannia pulled an early lead thanks to forward [[Wila Benne]]'s early goals, but shortly after the beginning of the match the Haunted Woods, the favourites to triumph, pulled together their memorable defence and viciously defended their goal. Forward [[Zo Junior]] managed to move swiftly through Tyrannian lines and bring his team into the lead.
 
Their performance after the halfway point was as good as before, with Haunted Woods continuing to keep scoring. Tyrannia managed to lessen the lead using their legendary teamwork, but in the final seconds Autrey Fulse executed a sneaky steal of the Yooyuball and passed it to Zo Junior, who scored the final goal as the whistle drew the match to a close.The Haunted Woods team also triumphed over Tyrannia's performance in the side competitions, and their impressive victory left the Woods team in contention for the finals.
 
[[Image:Faerie victory.gif|right|frame|Faerieland finally got their first Yooyuball win in the Altador Cup.]]
 
Four weeks into the competition, Faerieland's performance through the competition was considered lacking: the Yooyuball team had failed to win a single game, and while they had not lost more than half of their slushie slinging engagements, they had failed to really excel in either of the side competitions. Because of this, the match between Kiko Lake and Faerieland on July 1 came as a surprise, having given a strong match in comparison to their match two weeks earlier.
 
After an early lead to Kiko Lake thanks to [[Helmo Timm]], Faerieland's team received something of a renewed vigour after defender [[Elbin Towse]] ran down forward [[Moni Vyshan]] on a breakaway scoring opportunity and stopped the forward's shot at the last moment. [[Babolino]] lead an energetic offence, and time ran out before Kiko Lake could equalise. Faerieland had won their first Yooyuball victory against a team who beat them easily before, and even managed to serve up enough slushies to add to their success.
 
[[Image:Final4.gif|left|frame|The final games were chosen to be Darigan Citadel v. Roo Island and Shenkuu v. Krawk Island.]]
 
The round robin ended on July 4, and all teams took a well deserved rest while the Altador Cup Committee selected to 4 official finalists. The following day, Shenkuu was selected to face against Krawk Island for third place. Considered the year's big story, Shenkuu's stunning late hal performance not only overcame low expectations for their first year, but also won nine of their last ten Yooyuball matches (including victories over Mystery Island and Krawk Island, plus a hard-fought tie against Darigan Citadel). [[Mirsha Grelinek]] and [[Foltaggio]] have been a brilliant scoring tandem, but after their loss to Shenkuu on the June 27, Garven Hale and the rest of Krawk Island would not go down without a fight.
 
For the championship match, Roo Island would face last year's runner-up Darigan Citadel. Having pretty much the same record in Yooyuball matches, they result could go either way. And while Roo Island had better slushie slinging skills, Darigan had superior noisemaking talent, making the imminent match well fought.
 
The finals would stretch over a four day period to ensure all sides had sufficient time to prove they had the endurance and support to prevail, after which the Altador Cup Committee would review the scores and announce the champions on July 9.
 
[[Image:Ac2 winners.gif|right|frame|Darigan Citadel took the Altador Cup, after a month of play.]]
 
The championship game between Roo Island and Darigan Citadel began as a defensive struggle, with Roo Island unveiling a 1-3-1 zone trap which confused the Citadel's offence, forcing them into many long, loping passes which Roo Island was able to pick off and quickly take downfield. These turnovers allowed Roo Island to build a slight lead early on, but it would not last due to a weakness of their trapping zone.
 
Whenever a Darigan player was able to find an open player along the perimeter, the shooter would often have a clear but distant shot at the goal. After becoming familiar with the trap, Darigan's shot opportunities came more frequently and at closer distances, eventually forcing Roo Island back into a standard man-to-man formation. By the time their trap had been beaten, Roo Island was far too fatigued to keep up with the Darigan, allowing them to score the win. Darigan also won the noise making contest and a narrow win in the slushie slinging category, giving the Darigan Citadel a complete win in the finals.
 
In the third place match-up, Shenkuu continued to excel over Krawk Island, winning in all three contests against them. Having exceeded everyone's expectations in their first appearance at the Altador Cup tournament, spectators believed they would be among the odds-on favourites to contend for next year's title.


==Plot participation==
==Plot participation==

Revision as of 09:13, 9 May 2012

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