Excerpts taken from the SBN broadcast of Squidroidia vs Woryand, IAC 10 Quarter-Final, live from Stade Olympique, Syracuse
...And when you're talking about these 2 teams, it really is an immovable object up against an unstoppable force.
Here's Shiko, Loz steals it from Shiko. Loz on the ball... Crosses over to Malyōr, it's Malyōr, pacing through the Squidroidian defense, one on one, Malyōr! Woryand take the lead in the 14th minute! Shambolic defending from the Inklings, it might be them who will go packing!
I mean just look at the space they gave Malyōr. Nobody was there to guard him, and he sprinted through that defense like he did against Indusse. If I were Mito I'd probably try to get an equalizer.
The game isn't over yet, Woryand can't park the bus now. Hideo gets the ball from the kickoff, 1-0 to Woryand.
...And it looks like a penalty! A penalty to Squidroidia! Nariaki brought down by Saul!
But here's the big problem. Grēnwā has been unstoppable throughout this tournament, no goals conceded, had that famous save against Kriegiersien off a penalty. He's probably going to save it again, watch.
Itoh Hoshi to step up. Ball on the spot, Grēnwā is trying to tempt him into messing up... AND IT'S IN! HE MIGHT BE HUMAN AFTER ALL! SQUIDROIDIA TIE IT UP IN THE 42ND!
This is what happens when you tempt fate and especially Itoh. He knew what happened during the Sylestone friendly so he didn't tempt the keeper at all. Grēnwā dives left, the ball goes right, all of a sudden it's a tie game.
...Halftime from Syracuse, Squidroidia and Woryand tied 1 all. Robbie, what are your thoughts about this first half?
Both defenses have been cracked for the most part. For Squidroidia it's about trying to force penalties, free kicks and corners against the strong defense Woryand has, and as for Woryand themselves, they have to make sure the Inklings don't tighten their defense. Malyōr's goal shows us how good he, and the rest of this team basically, can be.
...We are on the 62nd minute and we will have a substitute come on for Squidroidia. Meeuwessen is up, the Inkling girl gets onto the field and replaces Yoichi Shigeko.
They're doing it this early? I was expecting a 75th minute change, but no surprise. It's time for the Inkling to show what she's made of.
...Minute 73 of this game, scores still 1 apiece. Free kick for Squidroidia. The man on the ball... Jo Jun. Crowded area, looking for the head of RYU! SQUIDROIDIA ARE IN THE LEAD! I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE CROWD GO THIS WILD BEFORE, NOT SINCE POAFMERSIA!
What a free kick from Jun. Pinpoint ball, it looked like he was aiming it towards Hideo, but Ryu just steps up, jumps above the Woryand defense, and rockets it past Grēnwā. He officially now has more goals conceded than assists.
But still, 5 straight clean sheets in this tournament is worthy of a Golden Glove shoutout from the man. Woryand have to wake up now.
...Here's Arinori, now Shiko, crosses the ball, Hideo tries to get the ball, HE USES HIS HAND! THE REF ISN'T BLOWING HIS WHISTLE! HIDEO GETS IT TO HOSHI, GOOOOAL SQUIDROIDIA! THE WORYAND PLAYERS ARE ANGRY, THEY WANT VAR! THEY WANT VAR, THEY'RE SHOUTING AT THE REF FOR IT!
...Oh dear.
The referee does call for VAR in the 85th, he observes the footage... It doesn't seem like the ball doesn't touch the hand of Hideo! This might be divine intervention... AND THE GOAL STANDS! SQUIDROIDIA IS HAPPY, BUT WORYAND, THEY ARE PISSED BEYOND BELIEF! YELLOW CARDS ALL OVER THE PLACE FROM THE REFEREE, but what is Crōdaru doing? HE PUNCHES THE REF, AND HIS TOURNAMENT MIGHT BE OVER! RED CARD! WORYAND DOWN TO 10 MEN LATE!
This is probably the biggest controversy I have ever seen since I first watched this sport. The National Derby incidents are nothing compared to this. That was so razor thin that it could have honestly been a handball and I wouldn't have noticed.
...Full time from Syracuse, and I think nobody is going to be talking about this without the controversy that unfolded on the pitch late in this game of football. 3-1 for Squidroidia, but Woryand are still going to be bitter even during the Baptism of Fire.
I kinda feel bad for Woryand more than I love Squidroidia here. That incident was their death nail, and they had an incredible run just to get here. I wish all of the best for these players in the Baptism, and who knows, a rematch might be on the cards.
But now, the Semis are right there for the Inklings to take, and HUElavia will be their opponents, runners-up the previous edition, they beat the defending champions 3-2 in Brétolles.
Who would have thought we could have faced them? It shows how great Mito has been when managing this team for the competition. Handball incident aside, I think we are going home against a team like HUE. We don't have 3rd place, right?
3rd place still exists, Robbie.
...Oh. But hey, this has been an amazing run so far, and I can't wait for the next game against HUElavia.
Wednesday night on SBN 1, the Squidroidians will have a chance to make their first ever final as they take on Cristiano Aviero-Lima and HUElavia in Saint-Christophe. Kickoff is at 8:00 PM, pregame is at 7:30. You can catch the Inkling-language coverage on SBN Squid, and a no commentary telecast will be provided on SBN 2. If you're not into football, you can change the channel to SBN 3, as over there we will air reruns of the classic sitcom "That Squidroidian Show".
But for now this is Takanaki Osa signing off from Syracuse, the National Newswire will be live from Inkopolis in just a bit, have a good night.
...From Inkopolis, this is the National Newswire.
The Squidroidian national team has booked their place in the semi-finals of the Independent Associations Championship after a 3-1 win against Woryand, but all of that is overshadowed by what some are calling the incident of the tournament.
Inklingcraft, Squidroidia's premier automobile maker, is rumored to build a new factory in Spartansburg, ruling out Factoria for the time being as rumors are circulating regarding a team in NSSCRA.
And unpaved roads in Squidroidia? It's much more common than you think.
Today is the 22nd of August, and this is the National Newswire.
