Bye Day (18 Jun 2013)
The Colosseum was closed for the third bye day of ACVIII, but the city itself was by no means taking the day off. The festivities kicked off with a massive parade, which started at the greens outside of the Colosseum and eventually wound its way through the town until it came to rest once again outside the stadium. Colorful floats celebrating everything from the various Yooyuball teams to the history of Altador to famous characters throughout Neopia were interspersed with brass bands, booster clubs and painted clowns throwing candy to delighted young neopets who scooped up the confections almost as fast as they fell. The parade was followed up with a free community meal held in a large field outside of the city, where visitors to Altador during the Cup could sample the fare offered by the local shops and mingle freely with those who lived there year-round. Many of the locals brought blankets and instruments along with them, and a picnic atmosphere soon pervaded the gathering with impromptu jam sessions springing up among amateur musicians while groups of kids ran back and forth playing their own version of Yooyuball. Back inside the city vendors from all around the globe set up temporary booths for a special one-day bazaar, where visitors could peruse wares running the gamut from beautifully made fans from Shenkuu to exotic ingredients from Maraqua normally only found in the finest dishes of Kelp. The day ended back on the greens outside of the Colosseum, where local luminaries made speeches and visiting bands played their greatest hits while souvenirs from ACVIII were given away in a free drawing open to anyone who cared to enter. Some of the gifts included plush toys, team jerseys and even a poster advertising the Cup that had been signed by all eighteen YYB captains.
The sun was slowly sinking into the sea as the final prize was given away, and after a sufficiently large area of the field had been cleared away the giant blackboard featuring the bracket arrangements for Round Four was once again rolled in front of the crowd. An eerie silence that seemed to stretch on for ages fell as the large cloth covering the blackboard was pulled away and fans got their first glimpse of one of the toughest brackets so far this season. RI and KI were yet again stuck with AD and TY, but this time the two powerhouse teams were placed together, and combined with MD, a team that had taken first place in their bracket twice and KL, a team that was finally begin to recover from a mid-season slump, the Vaeolus bracket looked ripe to produce some of the most explosive matchups of ACVIII. Security had been ramped up in anticipation of the crowd's reaction to the new brackets, but the expected riot never materialized and the assembled fans slowly dispersed amid the low hum of speculation as to what the arrangement would mean to the other teams not currently in the top two.
Round Four (19 Jun 2013)
The start of Round Four kicked off yesterday, and while over half of the matches were sweeps nearly every single battle was close. In the Alabriss bracket, both TM and DC had a surprisingly difficult time with their opponants, as both teams won three out of four games by a single point. KD fared little better, with their attempt at sweeping MQ halted by a wayward shot in SOSD by goalkeeper Jurin T. In the Minitheus bracket, MI suffered yet another sweep, this time at the hands of HW, and their frustration was compounded by the fact that they allowed leads in both YYB and SS to slip out of their grasp. LD, meanwhile, escaped with a very narrow victory in YYB with Vonde Cayle single-handedly scoring two points in the final fifteen seconds, but the Pharoahs were unable to translate that accomplishment to any of the other three games and SK won the overall match thanks to a sidegame sweep. Finally, VP vs BV ended with both taking two games apiece in what was a surprisingly entertaining matchup. It started out with BV captain Montecito throwing a good-natured taunt at VP regarding their robot players. VP's Z-4B Goalinator, equipped with a surprisingly quick wit and large vocabulary, shot back with a crack about nerds, which only served to encourage Montecito to come up with even more outrageous jokes to throw at VP. In no time both teams were shouting out taunts and jokes at each other, with the creative Kayn Hireck even coming up with an entire limerick that he recited after scoring a goal. "It was all in good fun," VP's Weldar Xupenfarb laughed following the match. "Taunts are a part of the game, and I don't think any of us really think they're meant seriously."
In the Vaeolus bracket, TY once again put a stomping on their opponant, though MD did launch a serious attempt at winning SOSD which ultimately fell short of the mark. KL became one of the few teams to prevent AD from logging another sweep, thanks to a near-perfect SS performance that tied for the highest point total in that game so far this year. The most anticipated game of the day was also the last, but despite KI showing improvement from their past few matches they were unable to do well enough in any of the four games to win, and they ended up succumbing to a sweep by the Roos.
Roo Island (20 Jun 2013)
It took nearly three weeks, but the last undefeated team in the AC has finally fallen. TY vs RI produced what was perhaps the most epic battle thus far this season, with TY not only having their undefeated streak broken but also suffering a shocking double loss to the Roos. YYB went as many expected it to, as RI's solid six-point performance wasn't quite enough to outpace TY's ferocious Dino attack. The Roos, however, kicked things up a notch in SS, turning in their best score to date and, thanks to TY's scoring a relatively low 7 points, wound up handing the Dinos their first loss of ACVIII. While for most teams winning one game against TY would have been enough, the Roos weren't willing to let the Dinos off so easily, and they went on to force an unheard-of eight overtimes in SOSD. Both teams had a perfect showing in the regular rounds, and RI matched TY shot-for-shot in each of the first seven overtimes. By the time Wila Benne stepped up to the line in the eighth overtime round, the tension in the stadium had risen to such levels that the only noise to be heard was the massive gasp that went up from the crowd when the normally rock-solid Tonu missed her shot. All eyes were on RI captain Lilo Blumario as he calmly walked forward to make his attempt, and time seemed to slow to a crawl as the Blumaroo placed the Yooyu in his sling, twisted backward, then threw with all his might towards the goal. The Yooyu flew high towards the corner of the net, and the crowd rose as one as his shot sailed through the air and past the jelly Chia's fingertips to score the winning point. The Roos went into a team celebration as the crowd erupted, jumping up and down and cheering loud enough to win nearly any game of MSN. The Dinos, gracious even in their defeat went over to congratulate RI, and both teams spent some time shaking hands and talking about the win before they had to clear off the field for the next match.
The rest of the day's matches, while they didn't quite reach the level of excitement that the RI vs TY battle did, still held plenty of interest for the fans that attended them. Every single Alabriss battle ended with a sweep, though MT very nearly poached a YYB win from KD and FL had the lead in SS up until the final few seconds when the Faeries mis-timed an order and wound up having two cups fall off of the tables simultaneously. The Minitheus bracket wound up being sweep-free, an unusual occurance in ACVIII. The Islanders fared the worst of all of the losing teams, winning only MSN, but it was merely a wayward Darigan Yooyu which prevented them from winning their first YYB match of the season. BV and LD won two games apiece, as did VP and HW, and in each battle three out of the four games were tied up until the last seconds. Finally, in the Vaeolus bracket KL rebounded from their near-sweep by AD to almost sweep the Pirates, and AD continued their domination with a quadruple win against MD.
Day Twenty-One (21 Jun 2013)
After the chaos and upsets surrounding the first few days of Round Four, it came as a welcome relief to fans to see the results of yesterday's matches fall back into predictable patterns. However, while there were no true upsets, there were a few minor surprises, most of which occurred in the Alabriss bracket. KD made a convincing argument about their deserving a shot at a trophy with their sweep of DC, while TM had an unexpected overtime loss in SOSD to prevent them from earning their fifth sweep in a row. FL, meanwhile, finally beat MT in their third pairing of ACVIII, in what was a close defensive battle that stretched across all four games. YYB was filled with plenty of stealing and hard-hitting blocks, and at one point the game got so physical that a time-out had to be called to make sure FL captain Kakoni Worrill was uninjured after being thrown into the stands by a particularly rough block from MT defender Vere Polnicek. All three sidegames were won 3-2, but unlike the first two times they played FL wound up with the edge in MSN, which ultimately awarded the Faeries the overall victory.
In the Minitheus bracket, both LD and VP won three games apiece while BV and HW split the games 2-2, with the win going to HW thanks to a penalty kick in YYB that was awarded when BV forward Reb Weemelott was carded for tripping HW's "Brains" Mortigan. Finally, the Vaeolus bracket had perhaps the most predictable results of the day, with KL earning a game-for-game repeat of their results against MD nearly a week before and TY rebounding from their shocking double loss to the Roos with a sweep of KI. The hoped-for fireworks in the rematch between RI and AD never materialized, as the Roos had apparently exhausted themselves in the fight against TY the day before, and while they put up a valiant effort in all four games it wound up being another AD sweep.
First Place (22 Jun 2013)
A stunned silence fell over the stadium as Mor Gollog's final shot richocheted off of the upright and past the jelly Chia into the net. As the two teams came together to shake hands and congratulate each other on a hard-fought battle, a smattering of applause slowly spread across the crowd and grew into a massive roar, with TY fans doing the Dino Stomp and followers of AD making the Sun symbol with their arms in appreciation for their team, while the disinterested spectators simply stood up as a sign of respect for the players who had put every last bit of effort they had into the four games. As many expected, TY vs AD turned out to be one of the most ferocious battles of the year, with both teams scoring at least 10 points in every game, but unlike what most people predicted it did not produce a split result but rather became a sweep for the Dinos. The matchup between what are likely to be the top two teams this season produced a massive 109 combined points, and things kicked off with an intense YYB fight that saw nearly non-stop scoring. It was a lucky break for both teams that neither a Faerie nor a Darigan Yooyu ever emerged from the depths of the stadium, as the unpredictable Yooyus might have prevented the players from fully showing off their YYB prowess. The unfortunate goalkeepers were completely overwhelmed by the onslaught_ and it was only due to TY's edge in stealing that the final score was in their favor. AD, despite turning in some truly impressive performances in SS and MSN couldn't match the Dinos' near-perfection in those games, and they wound up going into SOSD down 3-0. It was thus with the greatest anticipation that AD fans watched Salayne Ritad step up to the line to make his shot in the fourth overtime round after TY captain Loryche missed on her attempt, but the pressure proved to be too much for the Elephante and his throw sailed right into the hands of the Chia goalie. Several overtimes later Ritad once again went to the line, but redemption was not in the cards and this time his shot flew high over the top of the net. Mor Gollog sealed their fate with a final tie-breaking point, and the rest, as they say, is history. "I can't say we're not disappointed, because we were all expecting to at least win two games today," a winded Winberto Seliz told reporters after the match. "But I hope we made our fans proud of us, and after they've stuck with us through all these seasons of struggle that's the least we can do for them."
While most of the other games yesterday flew under the radar thanks to the mammoth match-up between AD and TY, there were still a few interesting results worth noting. In the Alabriss bracket, KD became the first team to win more than one game against TM since the final day of the second round, thanks in large part to Zenor Kevix's outstanding performance in MSN. DC and MQ both earned sweeps against their opponents, though MQ's sweep was only due to MT putting even less effort into MSN than they did, resulting in a season-low 2-1 victory for the Fishes. In the Minitheus bracket, the Islanders very nearly pulled an upset of BV, losing only thanks to a last-second YYB goal from the Scholars' Gordo Gunnels, while VP yet again won everything but SOSD and HW and SK split their match with two wins apiece. Finally, in the Minitheus bracket MD continued to founder with a drubbing by KI that saw the Knights lose everything but SOSD, and KL had a bit of a stumble against RI, failing to score over four points in any game other than SS.
Sweeps (23 Jun 2013)
The final day of Round Four went out as so many days before it have, with all but three matchups ending in sweeps. KD's and TM's sweeps in the Alabriss bracket were largely expected, given that they were playing the two teams currently at the bottom of the leaderboard, while MQ's sweep of DC was more of a surprise, but not actually a true upset given that both teams had posted similar scores during the fourth round of play. The Vaeolus bracket also featured nothing but sweeps, a circumstance that was all but inevitable since none of the top three teams were playing each other. Only the Minitheus bracket was sweep-free, and things kicked off with a surprisingly close battle between VP and MI. At first, YYB looked like it was going to be a runaway for the Spacemen as they got off to a quick 4-0 lead, but MI made some adjustments to their defence and VP wound up being shut out for the rest of the game. Unfortunately for the Islanders, time ran out before they were able to score the tying point and they wound up losing 4-3. SS turned out to be a comedy of errors, with both teams dropping cups as if they'd been coated with butter and sending the wrong flavor slushies down to nearly every customer, and at one point the game had to be halted thanks to VP's Goltron Mk I accidentally leaving the Zeenanna slushie tap open while he went to fill another order. Once the sticky mess had been cleared away the contest was resumed, and this time it was MI who ended up with the victory. Both MSN and SOSD had expected outcomes, though there was a small amount of celebration from VP after they found out they had lost SOSD by a mere single point.
The other two Minitheus bracket battles were also close, though decidedly less entertaining, with HW winning everything but MSN and BV and SK splitting the match 2-2 thanks to a blocked last-second desperation shot from SK's Larcy Phu in YYB. After the final two teams had cleared off of the field, an official from the ACPC once again appeared to invite the assembled fans to the activities planned for the last bye day of ACVIII, with the main attraction being an all-day amatuer pass, sling and block competition to be held on the Colosseum's main YYB field that was open to anyone who chose to sign up. Flyers promoting the event were distributed throughout the stadium, and a line with waiting times that stretched well into several hours swiftly formed outside of the main offices. "I've always thought I'd make a good YYB player," one person told a reporter while waiting for her chance to sign up, "And now I'll finally get a chance to test my skills on the same field that my idols play on." The announced prizes for the top three finishers included miniature replicas of the Altador Cup and a small amount of neopoints, with a special mystery gift to be awarded to the overall winnner.
Bye Day (24 Jun 2013)
The final bye day of ACVIII dawned under clear skies, with just a smattering of clouds on the horizon as the Colosseum gradually filled up with spectators and participants alike eagerly awaiting the pass, sling and block contest. While the adults were assigned numbers and divided into groups, a children's miniature Slushie Slinging competition was set up in the corner of the field where kids could test their skills against one another on a half-size replica of the Slushie stand. The Yooyuballs had barely started flying when the clouds on the horizon began to grow and merge with each other, and by the halfway point the sky had gone from a clear, sunny blue to a dark, brooding grey. Within no time large raindrops began to pepper the ground, and the spectators quickly scattered for the shelter of the Colosseum's halls while the grounds crew rushed to protect the precious grass of the Yooyuball field. The assembled fans huddled together in the halls to wait out the fury of the storm, and for a while there was a pervading air of disappointment that the competition looked like it would have to be cancelled. However, a group of Shenkuu fans began singing songs about their team to pass the time, which prompted fans of other teams to come over and sing songs of their own, and pretty soon the entire gathering was singing Yooyuball songs and teaching each other the native dances of their homelands. During the impromptu sing-along the storm began to peter out, and within the space of an hour the skies had once again become a brilliant blue. An official interrupted the gathering to announce that the competition was about to be resumed, and the elated fans once again flooded out into the Colosseum's main YYB field to await the conclusion of the contest. The sun had begun to streak the skies with pink by the time a winner finally emerged, and the crowd applauded and cheered while the top three finishers were awarded their prizes. After each had recieved a trophy, the winner, which turned out to be a local fan from Altador, was invited to step forward for the announcement of his mystery prize. The head of the ACPC solemnly placed a laurel wreath on his head, the turned to the crowd and proclaimed that as the champion of the pass, sling and block competition he had earned the right to stand next to King Altador during the closing ceremonies and present each of the winning teams with their trophies. The Krawk, overjoyed at the prospect of being the one to hand his beloved team a trophy, did his best to maintain a dignified demeanor, though he couldn't prevent a huge grin from crossing his face at hearing the news.
After the official shook each of the winners' hands once again, he motioned towards one of the tunnels and the giant blackboard was slowly rolled out onto the field for the final time. The cloth covering the blackboard was pulled away without ceremony, and in the fading light the fans strained forward to see what the new bracket arrangements were going to be. The news that the 'bracket buddy' system had at last been abolished was the first to be passed up to those in the top levels of the stands, which was swiftly followed with the news that the top three teams were all in separate brackets, which meant that the final podium placings were all but set. The fans' reactions were mixed, but despite a few malcontents shouting jeers down at the officials the crowd remained peaceful, and the moon was slowly rising over the Colosseum by the time the final spectator left the stadium.