3on3 - Can the Red Gophers’ go top two in this group?
In this segment, editors Harrison Murray and Chelsea Ryker look at the current hot sports talking point from a diametrical point of view
In this segment, editors Harrison Murray and Chelsea Ryker look at the current hot sports talking point from a diametrical point of view
HM - As people had predicted all the way from Bridgehead to Warkus, the Red Gophers seem to be stationed in a difficult and tight group. The sense that anyone can hand out a defeat is strong throughout the tournament: number one Banija came home empty-handed from Nyareth Newydd, current title holders Harea Odolgarria look nowhere near their old form and even powerhouse Sarzonia is still on the lookout for a first triumph. But when it comes to potential chaos, group C flies the flag as all six matches could have gone one way or another. As such, two wins from as many games could be golden points this early in the stage. Will Warner’s team suffer defeats? Yes, of course, but with every win closely contested, it is crucial to be ahead early on. Based on the current form patterns, it is unlikely to see any team pull out a winning streak. Six wins might suffice for the top two and if that is the case, the Gophers are almost halfway there. This mental boost might be that valuable extra puzzle piece.
But that is not to say that the image of the squad is already quite visible: physical, hungry and with Shawn Lavarre front and center. Lacrosse is quite surely a team sport but the impact of the finisher cannot be underestimated. Attacker Shawn Lavarre is on fire and rises above himself when the circumstances demand so. Two points scored against TJUN-ia was a starter but with seven strikes past Devonta’s Sammy Watts, Lavarre truly started his hunt for the topscorer’s trophy. When quizzed about his form, the man himself obviously answered that he always is a danger to the opposition but it are the comments of his fellow Red Gophers which give hope for what is to come. Fellow striker Gaumont underlined the impact Lavarre has beyond scoring while captain Neilson mentioned his boisterous (some would say, lewd) goal celebration. “That’s just Shawn. It’s how he is, straightforward, not mincing his words. You either get annoyed or you embrace it and that’s what the group started doing.” If Lavarre can now not only propel himself but also the squad, he will be hard to stop.
And the enthusiasm from the attacker works in contagious ways as the fans were very eager to support his antics. No less than five thousand had found their way to Finbourne’s Meisters Field for the occasion. Together, they created not just a record-breaking crowd for lacrosse, but more importantly an amazing atmosphere to give Anewkansas a real home advantage. The ALAXA, the national federation, made use of that success to push a broader marketing campaign to get more fans to the next games. The next pair of home games, against the [redacted, probably a cat running over the keyboard] Draconic Territories and TJUN-ia could see another celebration of the sport at Meisters Field.
CR - Did lacrosse have a party in Finbourne last Wednesday? Most certainly so and it was a great day for what remains a minority sport. But a closer look to the audience makes you wonder whether that was a one-off aided by an advantageous run of the score (from 3-5 behind to 8-7 halfway, before running away with it in a glorious fourth quarter). By our approximation, half those present visited their first match and in a way, that’s a positive thing: people getting to know the sport as a spectator. A close review of those present tells that half the people came in for free and most others made use of a 2-for-1 deal or something similar. A clever move to attract interest, but one can wonder if the ALAXA will find more than a thousand people willing to pay full price once the novelty wears off and the Red Gophers suffered their first defeat.
Because there is no doubt that that point will follow once we take off the chauvinistic rose-tinted glasses and assess the level of the team. Anyone not carrying the blue-red-and-white in their heart would call our performance against the Jaguars an abomination. Warner decided to turn the opener into an open battle with as a low the coordinated effort to not just stop but injure key player Shonwahnonkon Sundown. Luckily, the star from the Jags won’t be out long but the Red Gophers crossed the line from physical to brutal play, and beyond. To the dismay of our hosts, Warner and his team got away with it due to a very lax refereeing crew and some questionable calls. That mistake won’t be made twice, not by the officials and not by the opposition: we saw the Devontans cleverly get out of the duels. Warner should know that he can only play this card once and now it is out of his deck.
And that deck looks increasingly shorthanded ahead of two difficult away games. Apalatci comes into the match on a high while the Kytler Peninsulae will be looking for vengeance. Based on the previous edition of the WLC, there is more to them than they showed so far. The Red Gophers will take on these opponents without three vital absentees. Cormac Duddy is not the highest profile player but his finger injury thins out an already flimsy defensive rotation. In midfield, man in form Banks Cantrelle is suffering from pneumonia and is unlikely to join the flight to Apalatci: he might appear the next game but not at full strength. An even bigger gap in the line-up is left by Antoine Gaumont as a calf injury sidelines him for at least two games. Most of the praise after the opening doubleheader befell Lavarre but it was his Panthers teammate who scored three against TJUN-ia to win the game. With his power, he seems more fit for this international style and losing him gives opposing defenders a lot less to worry about. While the wins from the Red Gophers deserve praise, the success feels fragile, both tactically and physically. To Warner and his team to prove me wrong.
hope this will lead to those of y'all participating in Tomerion's team for WLC46 being even more motivated to maintain that top 2 position (and potentially even become top 1 again there)...
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