-WORLD CUP 81 - MATCH DAY 3-
Lightning Strikes Twice in Latroit!
Rainbow Blitz returns off bench, scores Ponies' winner in group-clinching upset of Chromatika
by Steve McNotapony
at MingleDome in Latroit, Free Republics
Attendance: 73,203
Scoring:
Rainbow Blitz '79 (Pristina Shine)
LATROIT, Free Republics - The Equestrian States surprising second day defeat against Saltstead and Chromatika's humiliating 5-2 loss to hosts Free Republics set up a tantalizing showdown between the Ponies and Chromatiks on the final day. Even before the match became a winner-take-all duel, the fixture was already one of the most-anticipated games in the World Cup 81 group stage: a high-stakes clash between two budding rivals with competing title ambitions.
It would be the third meeting for the Equestrians and Chromatiks in as many cycles. At the 55th AOCAF Cup, Chromatika emerged victorious, humbling the Ponies 3-0 in the quarterfinals en route to claiming their first regional title. Then, the Ponies got revenge in the second round at World Cup 80, stunning the Chromatiks in front of a euphoric Elements Stadium crowd to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time ever. And now, the group stage at the 81st World Cup would witness the latest battle between the ascendant Atlantian Oceanian hoofball powers, a match which neither side entered already assured of a spot in the knockouts. The winner - assuming there was one - would advance at the cost of the loser going home. A draw might be enough for the Ponies to move on, but would rely on the result in Wortana's Saltstead-Free Republics match going in their favor.
Either way, both the Equestrian States and Chromatika had every reason to go for all three points at the MingleDome. It was clearly going to be all hooves on deck for the Ponies, with manager Pearly White confirming ahead of kickoff that national team vice-captain Rainbow Blitz would be available as a substitute after missing the first two games of the World Cup with a knee injury the veteran midfielder had suffered in a tune-up friendly against Cosumar. Both teams fielded their best available lineups, knowing that there wouldn't be another match to worry about if they were to lose.
The game kicked off at the same time as the Saltstead-Free Republics match, as is traditional on the final day of the group stage, so nervous supporters at both ends of the stadium were constantly checking on the score from Wortana's MilaneseDome and the Group E live table. Early on, as the Ponies and Chromatiks probed at each other's defenses, there was a small cheer from the Equestrian section as the Free Republics took a 1-0 lead which bumped their team into second place. With a Republican win, a draw would be enough for the Ponies to advance, leading to many Equestrian supporters finding themselves in the unusual position of rooting for their hated rivals.
For the most part, the first half was unexciting for spectators at the MingleDome with neither team taking too many risks. The Chromatiks had the better chances, pressing forward while the Equestrians sat back to defend and wait for a counterattacking opportunity. However, goalkeeper Gentle Breeze wasn't really challenged much, only forced to make a few easy saves when the Chromatiks managed to sneak one through the extremely solid Equestrian defense and midfield. Overall, a dull 45 minutes of hoofball and a let-down for neutrals given the pre-match hype, but the second half wasn't going to be anywhere near as dull.
Chromatik boss Silian Parker had clearly had enough of seeing his team's attacks die in the Ponies' midfield, and urged his players to press forward into the Equestrian half. It was a bold move, one that could backfire as easily as it might succeed. The Equestrians were playing just to advance, seemingly not overly concerned with winning the group, and could afford to sit back and play for the draw as long as the Republican lead in Wortana held. But the Chromatiks had to win or else be eliminated by the Ponies' superior goal differential. Parker's more aggressive and direct tactics would give Chromatika more scoring opportunities at the Equestrian end, but would also leave the Chromatiks exposed at the back to the deadly Equestrian counter.
Over the next 25 minutes, the Chromatiks hammered away at the Ponies' defenses, giving the Equestrian States little time to relax between attacks. Gentle Breeze was a life-saver for the Ponies, stopping every shot directed her way and keeping the Equestrian back line organized to counter every Chromatik push. Manager Pearly White brought on Flitter and Rosie Tyler for a set of fresh defensive legs, but the Ponies were starting to get worn down by Chromatika's sustained attack. One of the main talking points ahead of last World Cup's second round meeting between the Equestrians and Chromatiks was that the latter was one of the few teams in the multiverse which could contend with the Ponies' pace and endurance, and they were proving that point here.
Then, in the 71st minute, as Brix Hamilton cleared the ball out of the Equestrian half, a roar came from the section of Ponies supporters and the Republican locals in attendance. The Free Republics had scored again via Dragutin Perkovic, solidifying their lead against Saltstead, making a comeback that would be devastating for the Ponies' chances much less likely. It was at this time that Pearly White drew on her pocket ace, substituting Rainbow Blitz in for the exhausted Aarón Aiza. The change would provide the spark that the Ponies so desperately needed to rally behind and keep their campaign alive. Minutes later, the Equestrians finally found the chance they'd been waiting for.
Veteran Ponies defender Andrea Molovi started the move in the Equestrian box, passing the ball over to Krysia Bailey along the right sideline. Bailey spotted Cloudchaser at midfield and fired long to the Ponies captain who touched it through to Pristina Shine right as the striker burst through the over-extended Chromatik back line. Pristina Shine was through with nobody between her and goalkeeper Jillian Nier. Equestria held its breath as the Ponies' striker raced towards goal and at the last second as Nier came off her line to close the gap... Pristina Shine tapped the ball back to Rainbow Blitz, following just behind her to the left. The pegasus fired a rocket straight into the back of the net and sent the Ponies fans wild.
It was the kind of return from injury that players dream of, coming back to provide their team with a last-gasp winner that cements their place in legend. Ten minutes remained, but the Ponies were ahead and completely re-energized. The Chromatiks pushed desperately for an equalizer, but would need two goals to win the three points they needed to advance. Against one of the multiverse's best defensive teams, that was never going to happen. Rainbow Blitz nearly netted a brace in stoppage time off a corner kick, rattling the post with a header that was the closest either team came to scoring in the final minutes.
When the whistle finally blew to end the match, the Ponies rushed onto the pitch in euphoric celebration, mobbing Rainbow Blitz at midfield. Pearly White was giddy as a filly in her post-match press conference, layering every praise she could think of on her vice-captain. Meanwhile, the star of the show himself held back tears while trying to maintain a restrained facade, talking more about how "it [was] good to be back" and "the long road ahead" than his game-winning goal. It might not have technically been the goal that sent the Equestrians through to the second round, but for Ponies supporters it almost certainly will be the highlight of the tournament unless the Equestrian States do somehow go all the way and win the World Cup.
WORLD CUP 81 - GROUP E Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Match Day 3 Results:
1 Equestrian States (16) 3 2 0 1 4 3 +1 6 Q Chromatika 0–1 Equestrian States
2 Free Republics (34) 3 2 0 1 8 4 +4 6 Q @ MingleDome in Latroit, FFR
3 Chromatika (8) 3 1 0 2 4 7 −3 3 Saltstead 0–2 Free Republics
4 Saltstead (38) 3 1 0 2 3 5 −2 3 @ MilaneseDome in Wortana, FFR
Equestrian States (3) ahead of Free Republics (0) on H2H points
Chromatika (3) ahead of Saltstead (0) on H2H points
Meanwhile, to the southeast at Wortana's MilaneseDome, hosts Free Republics took care of business against Saltstead to ensure their own spot in the second round of the World Cup. After losing to the Ponies in their opening match, few would have favored the Republicans to advance, but a chaotic second day in Group E opened the door for manager Rule Theriault's team to sneak into the knockouts, keeping the Republican dream of a World Cup 68 repeat alive for at least a few more days. In the end, the Equestrian victory in that opener was enough to clinch them the top spot in the group and a slightly more favorable second round match-up against Group F runners-up Ko-oren while the Free Republics will face group winners Barunia, one of this World Cup's most surprising teams.
Indeed, Group F provided a couple of World Cup 81's surprises, with early favorites Starblaydia and The Holy Empire both eliminated in the group stage, the much-feared Imperial Bunnies receiving an incredibly rare ban from participating in future tournaments from the World Cup Committee after dismembering several officials in their final match. Elsewhere in the Free Republics, Group G finished almost exactly as predicted, top-ranked Eura and second seeds South Covello advancing, albeit with the Covellans winning the group thanks to an incredible 3-0 final day demolition of the Eurans. In Group H, defending champions Brenecia topped the table to nobody's surprise, but few could claim to have foreseen Baker Park as the other side to emerge from the 'group of death'. It's the second consecutive tournament in which the Bees have exceeded expectations despite a seemingly impossible group draw, making their meteoric ascent from low-ranked newcomers to World Cup regulars in the last two cycles all the more impressive.
There were also a few surprises out of Banija on the final day of the group stage, namely in Group C where the Corsairs of Sargossa stunned top-seeded Farfadillis late 3-2 to eliminate the Farves from contention. Ethane, meanwhile, finished off the group stage with a 2-0 win against Eshan, continuing their extremely impressive cycle that has them being talked up as the next big thing in multiversal hoofball. In Group B, another team which was expected to make waves at the World Cup after an incredible qualifying run, Mercedini, ended their extremely disappointing finals campaign with a loss to Nova Anglicana, finishing as one of just two teams without so much as a point at World Cup 81. Predictably, top seeds Nephara and Turori claimed the group's knockout round berths, the former the only remaining team at the World Cup with a perfect record. Elsewhere, Cassadaigua shocked Vilita in Group D with a 3-2 win to see the Dagans through to the second round, just ahead of the favored Vanorians on the goals for tiebreaker, while the Darmenis did barely enough in a draw with Apox to secure their own knockout stage tickets alongside Group A winners and World Cup hosts Banija.
Overall, there has been no shortage of upsets at this World Cup and more could still be on the way in the second round, with many of the remaining favorites set to square off against up-and-comers. The only Round of 16 fixture featuring two teams currently in the top ten is the Brenecia-Eura rematch of their World Cup 80 semifinal. Traditional also-rans like the Equestrian States, Turori, Ethane, Darmen, Sargossa, Ko-oren, and Barunia have a golden opportunity to cement themselves as contenders both in this tournament and at future World Cups, much to the delight of neutrals craving some fresh new faces in the tournament's later rounds. Meanwhile, recent powerhouses like Valanora, Starblaydia, The Holy Empire, Chromatika, Cosumar, Farfadillis, and Pasarga must return home to face questions of how they will rebuild and rebound for future World Cups.