There is going to be questions asked of Zelda Hellström in the Empire if the team is not able to make at least a run into the semifinals of the tournament after playing her bottom two lines for prolonged periods of the game against the unranked Patriotlandia, allowing the team to lose their first game on home ice during the tournament to a side that had come into the competition with no rank at all. While the Calcuttas had already secured the group title through after the first game in the international weekend, when a goal from Aleksander Olsen in the second period secured the road victory against Trolleborg, combined with Abanhfleft failing to find a victory at Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland, the latter continueing to be a team that has hustled the top teams for points throughout this group stage, it is not the sort of form that one would want to take into the knockouts of a tournament where the Calcuttas are among the sides who are expected to be favorites for the title in. While a tie against Patriotlandia would have still be disappointing, it would have kept the home unbeaten run intact and keep the unbeaten run for the team for the second half going as well.
While there is some argument to be made that resting the top two lines for the knockouts could definitely pay dividends for the side, particularly as there was a lot of consternation by fans in the Empire about the age of some of the players on the team, losing definitely is going to ruffle quite a few feathers back at home. It feels like Zelda is going to need to bring home the trophy or she may be out of a job due to the way the fans have responded to some of the decisions that the head coach has made before and during the tournament, even if she managed to turn the team around in the second half of the group stage and ultimately won the group away from some very difficult rivals in the form of Le Choix and Abanhfleft. This feels like one of the rare instances where the fans really have began to turn their back on the head coach of one of the national teams and routinely and very loudly began to question their decision making and position within the team. It is a very uncommon occurrence within the sporting culture of the Empire, as seen by the usual strong fan support and managers routinely surviving relegations in their domestic teams, but something between the fans and Zelda is not clicking anymore.
To be fair to both the Calcuttas and Zelda herself, Patriotlandia came into the game extremely well rested compared to the Calcuttas, having had their bye in the penultimate round of the group stage compared to the halfway point for the Vanorian team. They were well rested and had the time to try and put together a game plan exclusively for the Calcuttas and then practice it to get out all the kinks while the Vanorians were playing in Trolleborg and then having to travel back to the Empire for the last game of the group stage. There is also the point that the team was still in the running for an unlikely but possible spot in the play in game after Le Choix had been defeated in Equestria during the penultimate round, but would find a way to gain victory against out friends of Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland in the last round. Patriotlandia had a reason to lay it all out on the line, to try and do what many would have said would have been impossible for the unranked team before the tournament and after they have been drawn into the group, and they were able to do their part, unfortunate for the Calcuttas that they were able to.
That defeat meant that the team was the worst group champion out of the six groups, despite being the highest ranked team coming into the tournament, which is going to be quite agonizing for many of those same fans who are fuming at Zelda already. Because of this, the Calcuttas will not be getting one of the third placed teams or playoff winners in their Round of Sixteen matchup, but rather will be going against one of the traditional powers in the sport, Savojarna. On paper, these are two very evenly matched sides, having given up the same amount of goals and Savojarna having scored two more en route to their second place finish with sixteen points. It is far from the sort of matchup that the Calcuttas would have liked, although they join fellow struggling top teams of Cassadaigua and regionmates Siovanija and Teusland in having a troubled group stage and getting difficult ties in the first round. Truly only Sarzonia as well as the hosts of Quebec & Shingoryeo can say that they were dominant during the group stages and will be the odds on favorites in their first knockout round matchups.
What to expect when the Calcuttas take on Savojarna in the first knockout round then? Well, if the team that showed up in the second half of the season is the one that shows up for the Vanorian cause, there should be plenty of goals, as the offense really found its stride in the second half, outside of the testy trip to Trolleborg. Yet the defense was a bit easy to be be defeated and that definitely will allow a side that is as talented in the scoring efficiency as Savojarna can be, of how the team could possible fair against several other teams who all were red hot on the offensive end. It seems so simple to say, but if the team is to advance not just against Savojarna but through any number of potential opponents should they get victories in the knockouts, it is going to have to be a case of the offense being good enough to outscore the other team to overcome these defensive frailties. The five to nil game against Le Choix will haunt the team for a long time as it exactly that sort of game that fans will be fearing could show up in the knockouts, like it did in the championship games the last few tournaments. The defeat against Patriotlandia takes a lot of confidence of the side and replaces it with anxiety, the fans can only hope that the team can steel themselves mentally and rise to the occasion now that it is a do or die situation from here on out.
