The Finals Have Begun! (17 Jul 2008)
Excitement was at fever pitch as the Double Round Robin phase drew to a close. Among the heartbreaks and celebrations, some interesting stories have emerged. The first story is the stunning fall of the defending champions from the Darigan Citadel. Despite the scoring prowess of Left Forward and Team Captain Layton Vickles, he and his team failed to maintain the competitive edge down the stretch. Maybe it was their early loss to Roo Island in the first half of the Double Round Robin, or their subpar slushie slinging, but something just wasn't working for this once unstoppable crew. Then there is the central story of who made the top group of four finalists. The top two spots were fairly predictable. Krawk Island and Roo Island secured a firm foothold in the finals early on, and never looked back. The scrappy Lost Desert team, while making a decent showing in their Yooyuball games, thanks mostly to Left Forward Vonde Cayle, was ultimately carried to the third spot on the shoulders of their faithful fans, who helped rack up a whopping 23 victories in Make Some Noise, and 18 victories in Slushie Slinger. But the real story was the intense battle for the fourth spot, which went all the way down to the last day of competition. The surprisingly strong Kreludor, absent from last year's tournament, against Shenkuu, pegged as odds-on favourites following their impressive showing last year, became this year's rivalry to watch. Both teams were deserving of a slot in the finals, but a last-minute spurt of offensive prowess from Shenkuu's Mirsha Grelinek was just enough to elevate Shenkuu into the finals. No time to rest, though, as they now face Krawk Island in the play-off round. The remaining 12 teams still have something to prove, too, as they square off in the finals against their nearest rivals for one last chance at pushing to the top of their groups. Best of luck to all the competitors!