Winners and Losers from the Round Robin's First Half (3 Jul 2008)
As the Double Round Robin phase of this year's Altador Cup tournament reaches the midway point, it's time to take a closer look at the winners, losers, surprises, and disappointments thus far in the competition. The biggest winners have been Roo Island and Krawk Island. While that's hardly a surprise, given that both teams were participants in last year's finals, what has been startling is the dominance both these squads have shown, each piling up a whopping thirteen Yooyuball wins in fifteen appearances. Last year's other finalists, however, have not fared as well. The tournament's defending champions from the Darigan Citadel got off to a rocky start, winning only three of their first nine Yooyuball contests. They've since rebounded, winning four straight before a tie against the Lost Desert. Given the stiff competition above them, the Darigan Citadel's chances of returning to the finals appear to be fading. Then there's Shenkuu, the upstarts of last year's Cup. Shenkuu got off to a brutal start, failing to win any of their first six Yooyuball match-ups, but after winning seven of their next eight Yooyuball games, Shenkuu appear to be back on their feet. Shenkuu's critics, however, like to point out that only one win during that streak was against a team with a winning Yooyuball record. Among the surprises of this year's tournament is the fact that the Haunted Woods' return to Yooyuball prominence has been led not by their stifling defence, but rather by the scoring prowess of centre forward Zo Junior, who leads the tournament in goals scored per game. Most disappointing, however, is Faerieland's dreadful play. Although poor performers last year, they at least managed to win or tie more than half their Slushie Slinger contests. So far in Year 10 they've not posted a single win in Slushie Slinger or Make Some Noise, and barely managed one Yooyuball victory over Brightvale. Here's hoping their second go through the Round Robin treats them kinder...