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"Welcome to the First World Ultimate Championship in Sel Appa! We hope you enjoy your stay here in our fine nation as sixteen teams from around the world compete for the title of World Ultimate Champion. The winning team also gets to take home a solid gold frisbee as a trophy (as long as they retain their title). Good luck to all teams as we begin the Round 1 Draw!"

"Vanek Drury Brieres will play Bazalonia"

"St Samuel will play Sel Appa"

"Zwangzug will play Mallatarsland"

"95X will play Carey Mulligan"

"Lovisa will play Yafor 2"

"Funknessmaximum will play Scotchpinestan"

"Ariddia will play Ebedron"

"Kura-Pelland will play Kiryu-shi"

"Again, good luck to all teams in this first ever tournament."


Schedule
Round 1 (21 October)
Vanek Drury Brieres 2 - 6 Bazalonia (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)
St Samuel 7 - 2 Sel Appa (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)
Zwangzug 3 - 8 Mallatarsland (United Petrol Park)
95X 5 - 6 Carey Mulligan (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait)
Lovisa 7 - 8 Yafor 2 (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City)
Funknessmaximum 3 - 5 Scotchpinestan (Kari Field, Fizroe)
Ariddia 3 - 7 Ebedron (Wakawaka Park)
Kura-Pelland 5(5) - 5(6) Kiryu-shi (Olomno* Field) (One overtime)

Round 2
1st to 8th Place
Ebedron 5 - 6 Bazalonia (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)
Kiryu-shi 3 - 7 Mallatarsland (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)
St Samuel 5(7) - 5(6) Carey Mulligan (United Petrol Park) (Two overtimes: 1-1, 1-0)
Scotchpinestan 3(4) - 3(3) Yafor 2 (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait) (One overtime)

9th to 16th Place
Funknessmaximum 6 - 9 95X (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City)
Kura-Pelland 7 - 4 Lovisa (Kari Field, Fizroe)
Vanek Drury Brieres 5 - 9 Ariddia (Wakawaka Park)
Sel Appa 6 - 8 Zwangzug (Olomno Field)

Round 3
1st to 4th Place
Scotchpinestan 1 - 6 Mallatarsland (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)
St Samuel 4 - 5 Bazalonia (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)

5th to 8th Place
Kiryu-shi 7 - 6 Ebedron (United Petrol Park)
Yafor 2 1 - 4 Carey Mulligan (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait)

9th to 12th Place
Kura-Pelland 4(7) - 4(6) Ariddia (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City) (Three overtimes: 1-1 1-1 1-0)
Zwangzug 6 - 4 95X (Kari Field, Fizroe)

13th to 16th Place
Sel Appa 8 - 2 Lovisa (Wakawaka Park)
Vanek Drury Brieres 0 - 6 Funknessmaximum (Olomno Field)

Round 4
Final
Mallatarsland 1 - 6 Bazalonia (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)

3rd Place
Scotchpinestan 4 - 5 St Samuel (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)

5th Place
Kiryu-shi 7 - 6 Carey Mulligan (United Petrol Park)

7th Place
Ebedron 1 - 4 Yafor 2 (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait)

9th Place
Kura-Pelland 4(7) - 4(6) Zwangzug (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City) (Three overtimes 1-1 1-1 1-0)

11th Place
Ariddia 6 - 4 95X (Kari Field, Fizroe)

13th Place
Sel Appa 8 - 2 Funknessmaximum (Wakawaka Park)

15th Place
Lovisa 0 - 6 Vanek Drury Brieres (Olomno Field)

Final Rankings:

Bazalonia
Mallatarsland
St Samuel
Scotchpinestan
Kiryu-shi
Carey Mulligan
Yafor 2
Ebedron
Kura-Pelland
Zwangzug
Ariddia
95X
Sel Appa
Funknessmaximum
Vanek Drury Brieres
Lovisa


*pronounced urn-uh (IPA: ɜrnə)
All scores will be posted at approximately 0000UTC, although daylight savings might screw things up a bit. In any case, it should always be around 2000 Eastern Time (New York).
This travel guide (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Travel_in_Sel_Appa) for Sel Appa might help with your RPs and to get a sense of the place.

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/4885/ultimatefrisbeeli6.jpg
The world tournament is about to begin.

Ariddians in Sel Appa ready for Ultimate challenge

The sport is not well known in the football-mad Ariddian Isles. But then, rugby was not all that popular either, until the Ariddian team made the final of the Rugby World Cup. Ultimate enthusiasts are hoping a good performance from the Isles’ delegation in the disc-throwing competition will raise the game’s profile in a similar manner.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9721/ariddiafrisbee6bnz5.jpg
Stock photo of a match between Ariddia (in the national colours, red & black) and West Ariddia.

The Ariddian Isles’ team comprises players from both the Federation and sovereign West Ariddia, making it yet another statement of Ariddian Islander unity through sport. But for the symbolism truly to be effective, the team –entirely composed of amateurs– will no doubt have to deliver a memorable performance in Sel Appa.

Their opening match will be against Ebedron. The multiverse is so vast that you may be excused if you’ve never even heard of this country. It has no notable relations with Ariddia, and in fact if you attempt to find information (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Special:Search?search=Ebedron) about it, you’ll probably draw a blank (http://www.nationstates.net/ebedron).

The Ariddian Isles’ team are reportedly confident. They have, after all, an unusual asset: the tallest person in the entire Isles is on the team. Julie Lane (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Julie_Lane) –a police helpdesk employee in West Ariddia, when she’s not being drafted into a frisbee team– is a staggering 2m27 (7’5’’) tall.

“They say I should be able to jump higher than anyone else, and score lots of points,” Ms. Lane says, apparently amused at the media interest her presence has generated. “I certainly hope so. I’ll do my best.”

It's difficult to say how Kura-Pelland will do in this World Ultimate Championship, but expectations are unusually high. The sport is more popular here than in many other countries, and there is a strongly established league system that has developed some quality players. The team's awareness and strategy - with a non-binding distinction between 'handlers' and 'receivers' at its heart, along with a penchant for player rotation - is largely RL-inspired, but generally seen as effective. 'We hope, anyway,' said coach Marcus Brengholm before the tournament. The strategy is an interesting compromise in this context, because some teams have no concept of formation at all, while others have gone practically basketball-style in assigning specific roles.

Zwangzug's patient lateral-pass approach is seen as a danger, but the relative lack of squad size means pressure will be placed on key players Audrey Cline and Jennifer Rogness, and the concept of playing the same starting seven most of the time on offence and defence may undo them late in the game - although it will help them in turnover situations.

Scotchpinestan have also opted for an orthodox handler-receiver division, though also using 'mids' as is common in RL. They have a dangerous receiving team, with the speed of Mike Enos and Eric Chen and also the size and strength of Rex Gardner to choose from; they also have a great mix of youth and experience, with Simon Grassley an experienced and ice-cool handler who won't make big mistakes.

Kiryu-shi are expected to be defeated in the first round, but a probable second-round clash with Ariddia will be tricky, and with the tournament using a single-elimination variant the pressure is on right from the start.

Mallatarsland look forward to winning the Trophy

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are pleased to announce that the draw has been made and we are pleased to announce that the National team has been drawn to play Zwangzug in the first round of the tournament at United Petrol Park. As we know, Zwangzug are a fairly competant side, but Mallatarsland start the game as favourites, especially as the strong Stottle arm is going to involved from the very start.
Our main worry is Kura-Pelland who have a very strong squad and are likely to be the hardest team to defeat. However, our Coach has a cunning plan which just might work.
We are also pleased to tell you that the Government have sanctioned live coverage of the Tournament on the Government channel and viewing is compulsary. Anybody found not watching the game will be subject to a fine or a short spell of imprisonment.

WORLD ULTIMATE COVERAGE

Carey Mulligan First Seven Profile:

Andrew Morris - Goal Defender - #1 - 21 years old

http://www.abc.net.au/canberra/stories/Ultimate_f_m830003.jpg

The agile defender leads the University League in endzone interceptions, and has also been commended for the distribution of his passes. A very reliable man to have commanding the defensive unit.

Ethan Fowler - Marking Back - #2 - 24 years old

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/ultimate_story1.jpg

Fowler is one of the best markers in the country, and his athleticism is feared by anyone he is assigned to mark. His ability to take the heart of the attacking line out of the game is world-class.

Sean Ingram - Loose Back - #3 - 20 years old

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42980000/jpg/_42980147_george_furber.jpg

A convert from Beach Ultimate, Ingram's speed across the field makes him a menace to all players trying to make a run from deep. His technique has been described as "unorthodox" and is not liked by many of the coaches across the country, but he gets result in the Loose Back position, and his link between the backs and centres is excellent, as well as his long passes to the front two.

Sophie Osbourne - Centre - #4 - 23 years old

http://thedartmouth.com/content/2007/05/22/article-3712-1260.jpg

The player with the most scoring passes in University Ultimate history, Osbourne has made a name for herself as the most reliable centre in the country, and her undieing enthusiasm and pinpoint accurate passing means that she has outshone all the men to take the cherished centre position.

Melissa Talbot - Second Centre - #5 - 20 years old

http://www.chasingplastic.com/graphic-elements/issue-archives/v1-i1/goldsmith.jpg

The young midfield companion to Osbourne, Talbot became only the fifth ever first year student to play in the University Ultimate All-Star game, and the only to play Centre. She will drop into the "hole" or Second Centre for the World Championship, making way for the more experienced Osbourne, but her performance will be crucial to the Carey Mulligan team.

George Pickering - Forward - #6 - 24 years old

http://sussex.edu/studentlife/athletics/news/intramural/2006/images/frisbee048.jpg

One of the best specialist Forwards in the land, Pickering's tactical nous, and love for Ultimate, means that he's the catalyst for the attacking moves. His ability to slow the game to allow the centres to advance into point scoring positions is great, as is his snap pass to the Goal Attack. Not a star player, and isn't known for being flashy, but is key to the Carey Mulligan attacking line.

Freddie Campbell - Goal Attack - #7 - 23 years old

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/UltiClubNationals05Layout.jpg

The ultimate finisher, "Fantastic Freddie" is one of the most athletic players in the land, and his long reach and speed across the ground means that he's highly valued by the country. The highest points scorer in University Ultimate history, Campbell is the star of the Carey Mulligan team, and the most recognisable Ultimate player in the country.

Scotchpinestan's team is known throughout New Liberalia as a blanced team that can beat you just about any way they want. But they seme to have an idea of how they want to attack in this competition.

"We can't get too hammer-happy," said Simon Grassley. "With the high humidity, we should be able to wear the other teams down and force them to make mistakes."

Eric Chen added, "I'd hope we can throw the disc at least a little forward on most of our throws. As long as we keep pushing and forcing the D to go backwards, we can get somebody open for something downfield."

Scotchpinestan opens against Funknessmaximum, a relatively inexperienced team but one that Scotchpinestan will not be looking past.

Round 1
Vanek Drury Brieres 2 - 6 Bazalonia (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)
St Samuel 7 - 2 Sel Appa (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)
Zwangzug 3 - 8 Mallatarsland (United Petrol Park)
95X 5 - 6 Carey Mulligan (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait)
Lovisa 7 - 8 Yafor 2 (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City)
Funknessmaximum 3 - 5 Scotchpinestan (Kari Field, Fizroe)
Ariddia 3 - 7 Ebedron (Wakawaka Park)
Kura-Pelland 5(5) - 5(6) Kiryu-shi (Olomno Field) (One overtime)

Round 2
Main Tournament
Ebedron vs. Bazalonia
Kiryu-shi vs. Mallatarsland
St Samuel vs. Carey Mulligan
Scotchpinestan vs. Yafor 2


Round 1 Losers
Funknessmaximum vs. 95X
Kura-Pelland vs. Lovisa
Vanek Drury Brieres vs. Ariddia
Sel Appa vs. Zwangzug


Notes: I modified the formula a bit to get more scores around 4-6 (the middle). It appears to have worked. The formula is ((RAND(0,1)+RAND(0,1))/2)*10. For each overtime, it's *1.25.

Round 2 will be fully redrawn to even it all up a bit. I'll have schedules up soon.

So much for that, then. Kiryu-shi pulled off what many saw as the upset of the opening round in defeating Kura-Pelland 6-5 in overtime after trailing 4-1 at one point.

Kiryu-shi scored from their opening attack but thereafter Kura-Pelland dominated, scoring seemingly at will with the lateral cuts working superbly to create all kinds of space. But Kiryu-shi scored just before half-time to make it 4-2 and their new defensive strategy worked superbly, leading to plenty of interceptions. They soon levelled at 4-4, both teams then exchanged quick scores from well-executed hucks to their key receivers, and the defences then held out for four minutes until overtime.

With Kura-Pellandi league rules set up for 100-minute games, one would expect them to emerge triumphant. But one great huck from Kiryu-shi late in overtime, along with some great D before then, proved sufficient for a 6-5 victory.

A despondent side now have no way of finishing above ninth, and will play Lovisa next.

Ariddians lose opening match

The Ariddian Islanders were off to a shaky start in the World Ultimate Championship. They faced the little-known nation of Ebedron, so obscure that no international database appears to provide any information about it. The Ebedronites (Ebedronians? Ebedroni?) had not released a list of players, and their playing style was utterly unknown until they actually took to the field.

The Islanders scored the first point, when Tania Sha’o sent the desk hurtling to Julien Katsouranis, who outjumped the anonymous Ebedronite n°4. But the Ariddians soon found their opponents had smooth, efficient playing tactics, which left the Islanders fumbling and appearing clumsy or inexperienced on several occasions.

Julie Lane’s amazing height proved an asset to some extent, as she helped her team keep possession, and scored the Ariddians’ second point, grabbing the disk higher than anyone else could have reached. The third point was logged by Katsouranis, but by that stage the Ariddians had been quite thoroughly outplayed.

“It’s a disappointment,” blocker Richard Bright said afterwards. “But it was only the first match. Of course, it was vital for us to win it, and we didn’t. Now we’ve had practice, and we’re going to do better.” He added that it was particularly frustrating to be eliminated from the main tournament because of a single defeat in the opening match.

Bright said this was his first visit to Sel Appa, and some things reminded him a little of home. “They speak English and French, they’re mostly socialists, they value their culture and history… oh, and they’re crazy about sport!”

The slightly disheartened Ariddian Islanders will now face Vanek Drury Brieres in a competition that, to them, already seems to have lost much of its meaning.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/the_ariddian_isles.png Ariddia 3 - 7 Ebedron http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/ebedron

CAREY'S CHRONICLE
The National Newspaper of Carey Mulligan


Carey Mulligan Ultimate sneak past 95X!

The Ultimate Frisbee team of Carey Mulligan beat the oddly-named 95X to progress to Round Two of the World Ultimate Championship today.

The 95X players got off to a flying start, scoring two quick points against a Carey Mulligan team who had to adapt quickly to a different style of play than they experienced in the motherland, and Andrew Morris and Ethan Fowler were overwhelmed by the rush attack of the 95X, and two cheeky little plays put Carey Mulligan 2-0 down.

That didn't deject our heroes though, and Melissa Talbot recieved the textbook pass from George Pickering to claw the score back to 2-1, and then Freddie Campbell took one of his trademark lay-out recieves in the end-zone to tie the score. A well-rehearsed attack sequence by Osbourne, Pickering and finally Campbell led to Carey Mulligan taking the lead for the first time. 95X scored quickly after, and the game wound down into a series of textbook passing moves. It took almost fifteen minutes for the next point to be scored, with Loose Back Sean Ingram motoring down the field to outnumber the 95X defenders, and re-take the lead at 4-3.

Freddie Campbell scored again, to take the score to 5-3 and make victory for Carey Mulligan look certain, but Nemnenait Ultimate Field wasn't going to make life that easy for the Carey Mulligan team as Andrew Morris slipped in the endzone, and let the Forward of 95X get under the disc to bring it back to 5-4. Another point was scored as Ethan Fowler lost his man while coming back from an attack, and a long pass was snaffled up to level the scores at 5-5 with just four minutes left before overtime.

Replacement Kate Lamb tried a long pass to the forwards, but was intercepted, and the 95X players tried a quick counter-attack, but Fowler picked it off and tried to launch another move, but the disc fell to the floor.

95X tried to work the frisbee back towards the endzone, but returning Loose Back Sean Ingram managed to take the frisbee and pass it to Centre and captain Sophie Osbourne. Osbourne pivoted and threw the looping pass into the endzone. Freddie Campbell lept, and landed with the frisbee raised above his head. The final whistle was blown as the whole of the Carey Mulligan team and coaching staff ran onto the field to celebrate their first ever international win.

Carey Mulligan 6 - 5 95X
Points:
Talbot
Campbell
Campbell
Ingram
Campbell
Campbell

Player Of The Match: Freddie Campbell (#7 Carey Mulligan)

Zwangzug 3 - 8 Mallatarsland

It was an absolutely amazing start to the competition, with Mallatarsland immediately putting Zwanzung on the backfoot with 2 points in the opening minute of the game. Zwanzung, to give them credit, came back strongly to equalise at 2-2 but were unable to capitalise with Mallatarsland then scoring 6unanswered points. Zwanzung scored a consolation point in the dying seconds, but by then it was all over.

Zwanzung were of course one of the tournament favourites and expected to do well, so we were pleased when the famous Stottle arm went into overdrive never giving them a real chance in the game.

The team are now looking forward to the game with Kiryu-shi and are hoping to keep the hot streak going.

Round 2
Main Tournament
Ebedron 5 - 6 Bazalonia (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)
Kiryu-shi 3 - 7 Mallatarsland (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)
St Samuel 5(7) - 5(6) Carey Mulligan (United Petrol Park) (Two overtimes: 1-1, 1-0)
Scotchpinestan 3(4) - 3(3) Yafor 2 (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait) (One overtime)


Round 1 Losers
Funknessmaximum 6 - 9 95X (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City)
Kura-Pelland 7 - 4 Lovisa (Kari Field, Fizroe)
Vanek Drury Brieres 5 - 9 Ariddia (Wakawaka Park)
Sel Appa 6 - 8 Zwangzug (Olomno Field)

Round 3
1st to 4th Place
Scotchpinestan vs. Mallatarsland
St Samuel vs. Bazalonia

5th to 8th Place
Kiryu-shi vs. Ebedron
Yafor 2 vs. Carey Mulligan

9th to 12th Place
Kura-Pelland vs. Ariddia
Zwangzug vs. 95X

13th to 16th Place
Sel Appa vs. Lovisa
Vanek Drury Brieres vs. Funknessmaximum

All-stars rebound from opening loss

The Ultimate all-stars from Zwangzug lost their first match to the Mallatarsland team, but won their second round game against Sel Appa.

The Mallatarsland match began on an ominous note when it was revealed that in their country, watching the televised match would be mandatory. Perhaps buoyed by the enforced support, they got off with a bang: a pass from Harry Stottle immediately met Kevin King in the endzone, and they'd double their lead almost instantaneously when Olive Green relayed Olive Black's pass to Dave Green.

From there, Zwangzug slowly tied the game. A meandering series of passes culminated in Daniel Eschle scoring their first point, and not too long afterwards, Jennifer Rogness made it 2-2. Perhaps realizing that it wouldn't be quite as easy as they though, Mallatarsland went on a scoring spree: Verity, Hatt, Olive Green, Black, Smithers, and King (again) augmented the lead to 8-2.

As the game drew to a close, however, Zwangzug scored again. Calvin Lebowitz dived, deflecting the disk, and Vanessa Schuldt tossed it to Audrey Cline. The final score was 8-3.

"We were overwhelmed," Rogness said bluntly.

"I had no idea how difficult Mallatarsland would be," Corey Weirsma admitted. "But then again, I didn't know how good my teammates would be. I've only played against them before."

The team's fortune would soon shift, however, as they found themselves opposing the hosts, Sel Appa, in the losers' bracket. The second game was much more tightly contested, and it was ultimately Zwangzug who would come out triumphant. Rogness and Cline scored twice each, with Eschle, Sam Jennings, Schuldt, and Lebowitz contributing the other four points. For Sel Appa, coach Luther Martin made many ingenious tactical substitutions, and the host's points came from all over the roster: Freddy Akita, Dana Matthews, Carly Enten, Harry Dome, and George Hope all scored. Zwangzug's seventh goal, putting the game out of reach, was preceded by a long series of laterals: Eschle and Jennings passed the disk between them several times before Hope intercepted. Rogness knocked it clear and Zwangzug took possession again, sending it from Cline to Weirsma to Jennings to Rogness to Weirsma again before Lebowitz scored.

"It's been fun so far," substitute Chelsea Lennon smiled. "We got to ride the monorail out to O-lom-no...no, that's not it! At any rate, that was fun."

"The hotel was great," agreed Nathan Katz. "I want more of those pancakes!"

The schedule for the next round has not yet been released.

After an easy win over Funknessmaximum, Scotchpinestan had a much tougher test against Yafor 2. The game, played in temperatures approaching 30 degrees Celsius, was rife with dropped passes, unfinished cuts, and more than a few cases of the disc slipping out of a sweaty hand.

Scotchpinestan struck first in the third minute, when Perry Sakamoto found Ollie Quick in the back of the end zone. But the team's defense looked lethargic much of the time (no doubt due to the heat), and Yafor 2 looked like they would steal the match as they held a 3-2 lead late.

Scotchpinestan got the equalizer with two minutes left in regulation, as Simon Grassley picked up the disc off a turnover and threw a high hammer that attracted nearly every other player on the field. Rex Gardner leaped to catch the disc in the middle of the crowd. In the resulting confusion, only Gardner realized that Jami Clark-Dennis was staning alone in the end zone. The easy scoring pass tied it.

Then in overtime, Eric Chen zipped a backhand between two Yafor 2 defenders to hit Oleg Karamazov with the game-winner. Yafor 2 had a chance to tie it late, but a long pass was ruled out of bounds.

Scotchpinestan is now 2-0 and in strong position. But the players know there is still work to be done.

"Any of the top four could win it," said Grassley. "Other than us, I'd say Mallatarsland has looked the strongest. But I got a strategy for them."

Scoring Spree Continues

Kiryu-shi 3 - 7 Mallatarsland

It was an absolutely marvellous performance by the Mallatarsland team as they won their second round game in the World Ultimate Championship. Once again the Stottle backhand came into its own with a great pass to Kevin King in the opening minute. A quick one, two between King and Olive Green got the team onto the scoreboard and moments later, exactly the same thing happened again. Kiryu-shi then seemed to tighten their defence and played magnificently for the next ten minutes, scoring twice with excellently executed lateral cuts to tie up the game.

The second half saw Mallatarsland build a lead with some excellent field work as the Kiryu-shi team seemed to tire after their hard game in the previous round. The ever energetic Olive Black scored twice with some deft manoeuvers which left the crowd gasping and then another, somewhat lucky score by Harry stottle took the game to 6-2 in the favour of Mallatarsland.
Kiryu-shi scored again but it was more of a consolation as Kevin King finished the game with a throw from just over the halfway line which dipped at the last second.

So, with the team in the last four of the competition and the favourites no longer in contention, Mallatarsland are hoping to continue with their high scoring game. However, it must be noted that there are some tough teams left in the competition and Scotchpinestan seem to be coming good at the right time.

Avoiding the worst

With no hope at all of winning the competition, the Ariddian team appeared to have lost much of its initial enthusiasm, but the players looked cheerful enough for the most part as they took to the field against Vanek Drury Brieres. The light warm rain did not seem to dampen their spirits, although the team expressed their disappointment at one of their members having had to return home early. N°6 Sei Wal, a factory employee in West Ariddia, was recalled to work by his employer, due to the team now being unable to win the Championship.

As though stung in their pride, the Ariddian Islanders dominated most of the match, playing a swift, energetic, tireless game that enabled them to outpace their opponents and log a total of nine points. Julien Katsouranis scored three of those, while Julie Lane scored four, and Eol Usu two. André Lejeune suffered a mild ankle injury, but is confident he will be fit for the next game.

“Our aim now is to finish ninth,” Katsouranis said. “Not exactly glorious, and we all wish there were some way to make up for losing just that first match, but it gives us something to aim for.”

Meanwhile, Julie Lane (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Julie_Lane) has attracted local media attention in Sel Appa.

“I’m asked to sign autographs for people who didn’t even know I existed a few days ago,” she says, laughing. “I’ve even received one or two marriage proposals, sent to our hotel! People are just curious, I suppose.”

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/vanek_drury_brieres.png Vanek Drury Brieres 5 - 9 Ariddia http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/the_ariddian_isles.png

Championship Hopes Further Weakened

The home team's hopes for anything in the first ever World Ultimate Championship were dashed by Zwangzug in a 6-8 loss at Olomno Field. The game remained tied for most of the time before Zwangzug was able to pull ahead and take victory. Freddy Akita opened with the first conversion, which was quickly matched by Zwangzug. Dana Matthews caught the frisbee just before the final endzone line for a point. She later made another conversion after a "greatest from Kari Fitt. Carly Enten and Harry Dome also scored a point each, both almost lost the disc. George Hope provided the most entertaining catch of the game, landing on his back while clutching the frisbee strongly.

Although the team lost again, there are hopes that they will able to make up and win against Lovisa to at least get 14th place. Despite hosting this tournament, the Turtles were unable to put on a good enough show. However, coach Luther Martin believes "the other teams have superior abilities and we were not prepared adequately". He promised a better game against Lovisa and said the team works well together, but has trouble in defense.

Round 3
1st to 4th Place
Scotchpinestan 1 - 6 Mallatarsland (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)
St Samuel 4 - 5 Bazalonia (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)

5th to 8th Place
Kiryu-shi 7 - 6 Ebedron (United Petrol Park)
Yafor 2 1 - 4 Carey Mulligan (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait)

9th to 12th Place
Kura-Pelland 4(7) - 4(6) Ariddia (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City) (Three overtimes: 1-1 1-1 1-0)
Zwangzug 6 - 4 95X (Kari Field, Fizroe)

13th to 16th Place
Sel Appa 8 - 2 Lovisa (Wakawaka Park)
Vanek Drury Brieres 0 - 6 Funknessmaximum (Olomno Field)

Round 4
Final
Mallatarsland vs. Bazalonia (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)

3rd Place
Scotchpinestan vs. St Samuel (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)

5th Place
Kiryu-shi vs. Carey Mulligan (United Petrol Park)

7th Place
Ebedron vs. Yafor 2 (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait)

9th Place
Kura-Pelland vs. Zwangzug (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City)

11th Place
Ariddia vs. 95X (Kari Field, Fizroe)

13th Place
Sel Appa vs. Funknessmaximum (Wakawaka Park)

15th Place
Lovisa vs. Vanek Drury Brieres (Olomno Field)

Mallatarsland Reach Final of World Ultimate Championship

Scotchpinestan 1 - 6 Mallatarsland

Although the score was 6-1 to Mallatarsland, it was by no means an easy match as Scotchpinestan were a quick and very adept team. Once again, Olive Green got the team off to a fast start with a scoring throw in the first few seconds of the game. Harry Stottle made the score 2-0 with a nice dipping throw which went through the Scotchpinestan defence like a knife through butter. From then on, it was a very hard fought game and Scothpinestan can take a lot of credit from the way they played. The ever tireless Kevin King scored twice more before Scotchpinestan replied and with 2 final scores from Olive Black and Harry Stottle, the game was over.

Fingers, legs and everything else are crossed in the hope that Mallatarsland run of form continues in the final.

Epic fight in losers’ match

It was all for nothing, but you would not have believed it as the Ariddian Islanders took to the field against Kura-Pelland, fighting for a hope to stay in contention to be ranked ninth. Hardly the summits of glory.

Striking back from a position of 0-2 down, the team established a 3-2 lead, then 4-3, before Kura-Pelland equalised in the closing moments. Julien Katsouranis scored once, as did Michel Fermier, while Julie Lane scored twice.

Going into overtime provided the closest outcome in the competition so far. After points logged by Praveen Venkatesh and Julie Lane in the first two overtimes, the Kura-Pellandi finally settled the matter with a 1-0 victory in the third, giving them an overall score of 7-6.

And Ariddia sinks to the bottom six.

With no hope of achieving any kind of triumph from this competition, the players are reportedly enjoying their stay in Sel Appa. When Julie Lane (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Julie_Lane) –instantly recognisible, of course–, Richard Bright, Tania Sha’o, Miranda Khan and Fabien Clocher were spotted walking past a suburban primary school, a local teacher spontaneously invited them in to talk to her class, tell them about Ariddia and give them practice and a demonstration of frisbee-throwing and –catching. The players were all asked to sign autographs for the excited schoolchildren, and had their photo taken with the class. Lane said afterwards that it would probably be her “best memory” of her stay in Sel Appa.

The team’s final match will be a battle for the 11th place against the oddly-named 95X. Viewing figures back home have plummeted, and few are expected to watch Ariddia’s last game.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/kura-pelland.png Kura-Pelland 4(7) - 4(6) Ariddia http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/the_ariddian_isles.png

For many, the best part of Ultimate is the team spirit involved. The ruleset here in Sel Appa may be different to that in Kura-Pelland, but that spirit was still evident in the virtual friendly against Ariddia.

Two early scores from versatile reserve player Alan Johansson - making a rare start-of-game appearance - gave Kura-Pelland a head of steam, but Julie Lane quickly and dramatically struck back for Ariddia, catching a huge huck right on the edge of the endzone; only her height made that play possible. Julien Katsouranis equalised just before half-time, and with the first play of the second half patient lateral cuts from Katsouranis and Eol Usu set up another big huck for Lane to give Ariddia the lead.

That lead barely lasted, as patient play ended abruptly with Keith Moreton delivering a big and unexpected huck which Michel Farelli brilliantly caught in the corner with a great layout. With the big guns now out on the field after being largely rested in the first half, Kura-Pelland expected victory, but were caught out by Lane again, outjumping everyone (predictably enough) to make a catch in a crowded endzone.

Ariddia's defence, particularly Sel Wal, looked impregnable from here, but suddenly an inspired cut by Dennis De Muir from the middle of the field created a chance that Moreton was quick to spot.

Two dramatic overtime periods saw both sides score; Praveen Ventakesh gave Ariddia the lead in the first only for Philip Warbridge to strike back; Oliver Carlton's brilliant defensive interception and rapid huck for Danny Finscher gave Kura-Pelland the lead in the second overtime but Julie Lane completed her hat-trick on the next play; finally, in the last moments of the third overtime, after a sustained period of Ariddian offense ended with an inspired Derek Delcoro layout, Finscher scored his second from defence to seal the game.

Kura-Pelland will now play Zwangzug for the right to the title 'most aggrieved team', as some analysts in Kura-Pelland have put the ninth position in this group. Kura-Pelland have declared an interest in hosting the second championship, almost certainly at the Fariynuff Ultimate Park; a new competition format would be used, though details are yet to be confirmed.

All-stars shine in victory

With momentum from their victory over Sel Appa, the Zwangzug Ultimate team won again against 95X, setting them up for a ninth-place game versus Kura-Pelland.

The 95X game finished 6-4. An early goal by Sam Jennings off an uncharacteristically long pass from Vanessa Schuldt put Zwangzug up 1-0, and they easily increased their lead on Audrey Cline's looping pass to Jennifer Rogness. 95X scored shortly thereafter: a poor pass from Corey Weirsma bounced off a defender's hand, stopping play, and 95X efficiently sent the disk downfield to make it 2-1.

But Zwangzug pulled ahead, with goals from Cline and Schuldt making it 4-1 before 95X scored twice in succession. Wiersma tallied the fifth goal for Zwangzug, and 95X responded in kind, having adapted well to the lateral strategy. During their next possession, Daniel Eschle leaped to deflect a swooping pass, and Rogness scored after the turnover.

Kura-Pelland, which has expressed interest in hosting the next edition of an Ultimate tournament, is expected to be a great challenge in the race for "most aggrieved team". Eschle, half-jokingly, points out that the winner of the ninth-place game will have as good a record as the second-place finisher: if Zwangzug and finalists Mallatarsland both win, the all-stars can claim to have only been beaten by the best.

Round 4
Final
Mallatarsland 1 - 6 Bazalonia (Grand Archduke Kirby I Field, Anila City)

3rd Place
Scotchpinestan 4 - 5 St Samuel (Turtle Park, Nemnenait)

5th Place
Kiryu-shi 7 - 6 Carey Mulligan (United Petrol Park)

7th Place
Ebedron 1 - 4 Yafor 2 (Nemnenait Ultimate Field, Nemnenait)

9th Place
Kura-Pelland 4(7) - 4(6) Zwangzug (Anila City Ultimate Field, Anila City) (Three overtimes 1-1 1-1 1-0)

11th Place
Ariddia 6 - 4 95X (Kari Field, Fizroe)

13th Place
Sel Appa 8 - 2 Funknessmaximum (Wakawaka Park)

15th Place
Lovisa 0 - 6 Vanek Drury Brieres (Olomno Field)

Final Rankings:

Bazalonia
Mallatarsland
St Samuel
Scotchpinestan
Kiryu-shi
Carey Mulligan
Yafor 2
Ebedron
Kura-Pelland
Zwangzug
Ariddia
95X
Sel Appa
Funknessmaximum
Vanek Drury Brieres
Lovisa

(OOC: Are the scores for Rounds 3 and 4 identical simply by coincidence?)

(OOC: Are the scores for Rounds 3 and 4 identical simply by coincidence?)

(OOC: That's... weird. I'm going to wait before RPing, until the scores are confirmed as accurate.)

(OOC: That's... weird. I'm going to wait before RPing, until the scores are confirmed as accurate.)

(OOC: It does seem strange even the overtimes are the same. I too will wait before RPing.)

[OOC: I'm with everyone else, but I'm going to do an IC post playing on it too]

Kura-Pelland's opening defeat in the European Ultimate Championship may have stunned a nation, but the official video game was extremely popular still, as thousands of gamers decided they could do better, at least virtually.

One popular feature of this program was a Tournament Tracker, where you could import the real results via a modest download, and continue the tournament from there. At the time the wooden spoon game was set to be broadcast online (with the Kura-Pelland game and the final actually getting an airing on NTV Sport later in the day), viewers were treated to simulations of the game instead, due to technical problems that some attributed to hacking.

We were told, through a distorted voiceover, these were the real games.

Every score was the same as the previous one, which did make everyone excited as Kura-Pelland won in three overtimes against Zwangzug...

...then came a shock. 'These games did not happen. The real finals are tomorrow. Zylans For Trilan Truth. Goodbye.'

A Zylan group who attribute the Trilan terrorist attacks to the Kura-Pellandi government - and who some believe are in fact the terrorists themselves - had hijacked NTV Sport.

This could be the start of a massive political storm... 'Discgate', they're already calling it. A play on words... flying discs and video game discs...

OOC: That is odd, but I did do it all correctly. The best explanation I can give is that it is because of the normal distribution concentrating scores around 5. Other than that, you have that rubber chicken goddess...

I am willing to resim if we get a 2/3 majority voting for it...that is, of whoever votes. 24 hours from this post.

OOC: I'll go with the majority. I don't mind either way. I'll do my RP tomorrow once the results are confirmed.

This is an OOC post

I'd like a resim... despite winning :p

The probability of this happening by chance is ridiculously small. I'm guessing the scorinator got 'stuck' somehow...

OOC: I don't particularly want a resim. :p

OOC: I don't mind either way. If it is just sheer coincidence, and not a scorinator bug, it's a pretty huge coincidence. (Ranks up there with my bumping into an Australian former student of mine while I was in Shanghai...)

This is an OOC post

I'd like a resim... despite winning :p

The probability of this happening by chance is ridiculously small. I'm guessing the scorinator got 'stuck' somehow...

OOC: It's a EXTREMELY simple spreadsheet with a random number producer. Just modified to produce a normal distribution between 0 and 10.

OOC: Since we didn't get the 2/3 necessary for a resim, the results stand. Congratulations to Baz.

Ariddia finish eleventh

A convincing 6-4 win over the oddly-named nation 95X rounded up the Ariddian Isles’ participation in what had begun as a hugely disappointing campaign. The players, who finished 11th, will soon be splitting up and returning to their respective homes, in different parts of the Isles. Some are leaving tonight, and others tomorrow morning, while a few are staying three or four days more to enjoy a short holiday in Sel Appa.

“We did our best; it’s a shame we couldn’t do better,” André Lejeune said. Reportedly, few people in the Ariddian Isles have been following the competition, many viewers having lost interest after the team were eliminated in their first match. “Now I’m here, at least I can stay a few days and experience Sel Appa a bit more before I go home.”

Julie Lane (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Julie_Lane) will be flying back to West Ariddia tomorrow morning. “I have a job I need to get back to,” she explained. “So my holiday here is just going to be one evening and night, really. I think I’m going to make it a wild night out, and sleep in the plane tomorrow.”

There has been no word yet as to whether the team will ever reunite for further games.

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/the_ariddian_isles.png Ariddia 6 – 4 95X http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/95x.png

Press Release

From: Mallatarsland Ministry of Propaganda
To: All National Newspapers

Mallatarsland came a creditable second in the inaugural World Ultimate Championship. Although they failed to bring home the Trophy, President Mallatar has declared the overseas trip a success and looks forward to the future. All team players will be given a week off work to recover and an extra meat ration coupon will be provided for each family member.

All-stars lose overtime thriller

One of the drawing points of a system such as that in place at the World Ultimate Championship is the promise of playing a team with the same record as you. The Kura-Pelland side had a very close match with Ariddia, only getting the edge in a third overtime, that vaulted them into a ninth-place game against Zwangzug...and what a game it was.

The disk rarely left the middle of the field for the first several minutes, with each side gaining possession but unable to keep it for long. Finally, Keith Moreton threw it high for Kura-Pelland, and Michel Farelli lunged out of the endzone to catch it. Zwangzug would equalize, though, on a pass from Audrey Cline to Jennifer Rogness. And shortly thereafter, Corey Weirsma's toss to Cline would make it 2-1.

After the half, Kura-Pelland came back strong, going up 3-2 on goals from Stephen Maurijk and Tom Atamu, in to provide fresh legs. Zwangzug, catching onto the strategy, brought in some of their reserves, and Seth Duffy scored off a pass from Abhrajeet Mehrotra. After a turnover, Jack Huddlestone scored to give Kura-Pelland the lead once more, but Brenda Keller would tie it at 4-4, a score that held through the end of regulation.

As the teams took a well-deserved break, news began filtering in of results from around Sel Appa: the hosts had decisively beaten Funknessmaximum, 8-2; Lovisa had been shut out, 6-0, to finish last; and the "dummy nation", Bazalonia, had fulfilled a half-joking Ariddian suggestion to win the tournament. The scores were exactly the same as the preceding games', as well as those in the Kura-Pelland "Discgate" scandal, a result summarized by Daniel Eschle as "worryingly improbable".

Perhaps upset by the news-the incident has been linked to a terrorist attack in the Kura-Pellandi capital-the Kura-Pelland team did not seem to be at their best, and Chelsea Lennon scored easily. But whatever coach Marcus Brengholm said to his side must have worked: Kura-Pelland came back to score a beautiful goal. Tom Eakora's pass to Zachary Ekora was precisely on target, and the score was once again tied.

So into a second overtime they went. Kura-Pelland passed with brilliant accuracy, as if they knew victory was guaranteed. Andy Sharpe's pass to Donny Tairko gave them the lead. Danny Finsher looked set to score an insurance goal as a pass from Philip Warbridge came in, but Rogness interfered. On Zwangzug's following possession, Joni Hauenstein whipped the disk to Nathan Katz to tie it.

Kura-Pelland's players were less fatigued in the third overtime, but Zwangzug's tired team pressed on. It was Charlie Elmod's snap pass to Adam Douglas in the endzone that ultimately settled the game: Kura-Pelland would take ninth place.

Spirits remained relatively high among the Zwangzug players, however. "It is always fun to play mogloha-er, Ultimate," Mehrotra smiled. "With our younger students coming back, I hope that we have more good games." It is unlikely that the tournament will have had much of an impact on the game's popularity, but it was an excellent opportunity for the team's talents to be recognized.