Logical Exception

Our final day of competition in Perth and we were facing the prospect of facing some familiar competition. First up was 7Express from New York, a team that beat us on Day One to spoil our chances at jumping 10 seeds. As I mentioned in the recap from Day One, we felt we should have won the game, and now we had a chance to prove it.

Playing on the same pitch where we lost to PULA the day before, we felt we were due some redemption on two counts: one for losing to 7Express on Day One, and one for blowing the lead against PULA. What traspired was a good old-fashioned a**-kicking, with apologies to 7Express. It wasn’t that we didn’t respect them (far from it…they were a worthy opponent). We just took our frustrations from the previous day and combined them with the lessons learned to put together a near-flawless game.

Our offense clicked both up-wind and down. Unlike the game against PULA, we moved the disc quickly against zone defense and gave our top receivers a chance to score on our down-wind hucks. On defense, we put pressure on the 7Express handlers and just shut down their receivers. It seemed that every Discuit at some point did something awesome during the game, either on defense or offense.

Even with our dominance, 7Express made one final push at the end, forcing us to work for the final point. And what a point it was. Starting up-wind, we put on perhaps our strongest line of the game against the zone (and I’m not saying it was our strongest set of players…just that the combination worked best). Paul and Rachel Kett handled with Andi Hall, which Rich Turner and myself worked the mid-field (popping, in Ultimate parlance). I believe Helen Turner was playing deep, but I can’t recall the other lady…sorry! In any event, we put on a clinic of patient zone offense, eventually scoring on an easy 5-yard pass to yours truly!

Next-up was another rematch, Zhong. This was a bit of a let-down since we had beaten them already. However, the other choice was Sheffield Steel, a fellow UK team, and one we’d beaten handily a few times in tune-ups. Nothing to prove there, so we were happy to face Zhong.

it was, not surprisingly, an easier victory for us this time around than last. A lot of credit goes to all of the Discuits for playing as strong in our 10th game as we had in our first. This is a testament to our commitment to training and conditioning in the months before Worlds, and it payed off in our final day. Even in the game against 7Express, it seemed we were a step quicker than our opponents at most positions.

There’s not much more to say about the Zhong game. It was a happy ending, and yet a bittersweet one, as it meant no more games at Worlds. On to the parties!

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Today is a good day to die. I say that because, after seven tough games over four days, we have reached the point where our next game is effectively our championship. Win, and we play for promotion into the second division (21-30). Lose, and we can finish no better than 33. So if ever there was a day to put it all on the line, Day Five was it.
Our opponent was PULA, a team from the Phillippines which presented our most exotic opponent of the tournament. Unlike Zhong, PULA was actually a team composed mostly of Filipinos.

Weather was going to prove a factor for the first time in the tournament, as there was a strong, gusty wind blowing from end-zone to end-zone. We saw this as a clear advantage: Ultimate in the UK is played predominantly in wind and rain. The Phillippines, on the other hand, maintains a humid, rainy climate. Wind is just not something with which PULA had had much experience.

In addition to the weather, we looked to be the more experienced and skilled team, and we were certainly a head taller in many of the match-ups. However, PULA had tons of speed and energy, and they would use every last bit of it in this match.

Things stared very well for us, as we claimed an early upwind point with some great disc movement. (For those unfamiliar with Ultimate, on a windy day, score one or two upwind points can lead to an easy victory IF you also play stifling down-wind defense. It’s very similar to tennis, where you try and win a set by “breaking serve”, or winning a game that your opponent serves).

Our strategy was paying dividends, and we took the half 9-6, I believe, trading points after our early upwinder. What was really working for us was defense. We would huck down-wind, set-up our zone D, and then force a turnover near the goal line and get the easy score.

The second half would prove to be our worst of the tournament. PULA, seeing that they couldn’t break our zone owing to some weak handling on their part, changed things up on their upwind points. They began to take chances with long throws into the wind, and a few of them started connecting. They eventually evened things up with an upwind score, so it was up to our offense to return the favor.

Here again, we struggled. Whereas PULA made adjustments at the half, Discuits didn’t. We continued to try and move the disc around the zone, and occassionally take chances with overhead throws to a tall receiver in the middle of the field. This strategy led to numerous turnovers near our goal line, and hence easy scores for PULA.

In the end, PULA pulled ahead by just plain wanting it more. They seemed to get faster on defense and jump higher on offense as the game went on, and in the end they took the game. Despite being shocked by the loss, I found myself applauding PULA at the end, as they really showed what World’s was all about: they were the underdog and could have easily folded and accepted defeat, but instead they decided it was a good day for us to die, not them.

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It’s worth noting that I was unable to continue blogging from the World’s site due to failure of the WUCC internet service. However, I still remember events fairly well, and would like to report them for posterity.

Day Four was probably the most grueling of the tournament. We had played five games over three days, two the day before. We had accumulated a few injuries, all of them minor, fortunately. We had an 8:30am start-time, and we had two games to play. Despite the adversity, the team was confident that we could pick-up two more victories and claim the top spot in our second-round pool.

The early game saw us face off against the Honey Badgers from Melbourne, Australia. We had seen them play a close game with Thundering Herd the day before, so signs pointed to a Discuits rout. Well, it wasn’t exactly a blow-out, but we never really sweated about this one either, as we prevailed 17-11.

Through no planning on the part of the tournament organizers, the day’s second game would be a show-down for top spot in our pool. Zhong, a Shanghai/Korea conglomeration of Ultimate expats, had posted a similar 3-0 performance against the other three pool teams. The ensuing match lived up to its billing (and it helped to be playing next to the show-pitch in the time-slot immediately before the day’s feature match).

The teams were evenly matched, with equal parts athleticism, experience, and exectution. Discuits took the half, however, 9-6, and we felt like we had the upper hand resulting from a “disgusting amount of handling” on our team, according to Gemma Taylor, our all-star on the women’s roster.

The second say us build on our lead, taking things to 16-11 before Zhong started to make life a little uncomfortable. 16-12. 16-13. 16-14. 16-15. All of a sudden, the game didn’t seem like such a done deal (and indeed we would see a similar comeback pulled off in the Masters final). However, Discuits were not to be denied victory, as we pulled out the win, 17-15. I can’t recall how it went down, but I do remember that Gemma had a phenomenal game, and could very well have scored the final goal.

So after 4 days, we had suffered through early disappointment before regrouping to prove what we felt along: We didn’t belong in the bottom of the standings (definitely not 38). The next day would be our chance to prove it, as we’d have a shot at getting promoted to the Second Division (21-30).

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Apologies for the delay, but it’s been a hectic last few days. Following our tough opeing three matches, we began Tuesday in one of two 5-team pools in Division 3. Needless to say, the team was fired-up to prove that we did not deserve to be playing amongst the lowest-seeded teams in the tournament.

Our first match against Eureka Goldigaz of Eastern Australia was a great start to the second round. We wasted no time in putting points on the board and applying intense pressure on defense, resulting in a 9-5 half-time advantage. My highlight of the game was an up-wind backhand huck up the line to our all-star cutter, Rich Turner. Despite the prevailing breeze, the disc sailed straight and true up the line, and Rich hauled it in within 5 yards of the goal. He easily converted the score, and there was much rejoicing.

The second half proved to be a walkover as we rolled to a 17-7 victory, our first of the tournament.

Next up was Thundering Herd, a London team, and one which we don’t particularly like. We actually beat the Herd 15-4 in a tune-up tournament in Bristol at the end of September, and we felt slighted to have them above us in the seedings. Needless to say, we showed no mercy as we went on to thump the Herd 17-8. We didn’t travel to Western Australia to play teams from the UK, but it was a satisfying win none-the-less. So Day Three ended with us going 2-0, and were feeling much more confident about our play overall.

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It’s been a tough day for us. We had a 1:30pm game vs. Team Fisher Price (Vancouver). After yesterday, we knew we’d finish last in our pool, but wanted to have a strong game against the top seed. However, TFP proved to be up for the challenge. Despite some great play on offense, we couldn’t convert goals early on, and they used their height to score the other way.

It went that way all game, with the score at the end 17-2. Our team plays great at times, but we stuggle with consistency against better teams, and we don’t make in-game adjustments to counter the things that are working against us. Tomorrow is a new day, however, and we’re now in Division 3, where we expect to play a lot of competitive games in the hopes of improving our seeding. Expect better results from Discuits!

Also, I uploaded a few photos to flickr, so click on the link at the top of the page. The computers here are super slow, so I couldn’t upload more. More tomorrow (hopeful some positive results). I believe we play Gold Diggaz from Australia and Thundering Herd from London. The match vs. Herd will be a grudge match, as we feel we’re not the worst team out of the UK.

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Hey there everyone! It’s the end of the first day of competition at Perth, and I just thought I’d check in. I made it here on a flight from Singapore at 6:15am. The line at immigration was massive, but fortunately, there were some quick-thinking frisbee players on the flight. They asked a security guard if they could get to the front because they had an 8:30am game.

I assumed the answer would be no, but to my surprise, they were led through to the front and given VIP treatment. Needless to say, I joined them. It was a few guys from Canada who were playing in Korea.

The games today didn’t go as well as we hoped. We had a tough match-up with Sublime, who are from Perth and took Team Fisher Price to 16-14 the day before. Sublime beat us 17-6 after a 9-5 halftime advantage for them. I didn’t play in the game, as we tend to rest a few players each game and I had just gotten off of a plane.

Our second game, vs. 7Express of NYC, was the one we knew we could win. It was an intense, hard-fought game, with neither team able to build a big lead. 7Express took the half at 9-8. In the second half, we scored to bring our deficit to 13-12 when the soft cap was reached. This meant it was a game to 15, and we were down 1. Rather than rising to the occassion, however, we choked away the last two points and had to settle for a bittersweet 15-12 loss. It was sweet because it was a game we played well, and we knew we could have won.

Anyhow, it’s off to the apartments now to catch up on some sleep, and then we have a 1:30pm game against Team Fisher Price tomorrow. We’re a long-shot, but after our play in the second game today, I think we’ll give Team FP a run for their money.

I’ll try and update pics tomorrow!

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This will be brief. I had a great, though brief visit to Singapore, but it’s on the main event. I’m in the Singapore airport with an hour to flight time. I land in Perth at 6:15am, and we’re on the pitch for a 10:30 opening game. The team we play, Sublime, is from Perth, and lost to Team Fisher Price (Vancouver) 16-14 in the opening match. We’ve got a tough pool, to say the least! Our second game is around 3pm against 7Express of New York City. I think this is a team we can beat, so wish us luck, and check out live score updates at score-o-matic.

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Singapore is a nation of varying influences, ranging from China to India to Southeast Asia to the Middle East. I learned about this at the Asian Civilsations Museum here in Singapore, which focused on the history of these groups in Singapore.

Following the museum visit, I headed back to the hostel for some much needed rest, as I had weathered the storm of jet-lag long enough into the afternoon. Instead of heading to my bed in the dorm here, I decided to watch Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring with some UK travellers who were also getting in a nice catnap. I’ve fallen aspleep to LOTR many times before…it’s the perfect sleeping pill.

After my fitful rest (G-A-N-D-O-L-F!!!!) and a healthy dose of hobbitt affection, I found myself with no real plans for the evening. After posting my photos (see last post), I surveyed the situation: a group of Brits was planning the nights imbibing (what booze to buy at the off-license, what time to go to the bars, etc.). A couple of Finnish guys were busy checking email and reminiscing about Lappland (I have to assume that’s what they were talking about, seeing as I don’t understand Finnish).

Heading outside to brave the Singapore evening alone, I saw two young ladies chatting outside the Hostel and sipping on a few drinks from the cafe. After listening to their intense conversation in a foreign tongue for a few minutes, I had them all figured out. They were Finnish, travelling with the Lapp-loving boys, and were hashing out the details of their further travels.

I was all set to head off when the Finnish contingent left the hostel, backpacks in tow, and said nothing to the ladies. Hmmmm…perhaps I was wrong? Perhaps I should stop eavesdropping and just ask them where they’re from?

It turns out they were Swiss, they lived in Singapore, and they didn’t even know that this cafe was also a hostel. They had stopped by to practice their English on this balmy Friday evening.

They were kind enough to invite me to dinner, and we headed around the corner to a Saudi restaurant on Arab Street (did I mention I am staying near a huge mosque?) This place turned out to be a real treat.

The floors were covered with persian rugs and dotted with square, black coffee tables. Around each table were ample cushions (I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saudi national sport was pillow-fighting). The walls were painted white and featured sparse relief features. The building being two storefronts on a city block, the roof was a side-by-side A-frame (and upside-down W, if you will). Khaki sheets hung between the rafters whipped violently in the high-powered fans keeping the place cool. I got the feeling this place would sail away in flood conditions.

There was no alcohal served, but there was a dizzying array of Arabian fruit drinks, teas, and milk-based potables. The menu had your standard kebabs, roast meats, and curries. I went for a lamb curry which was delicious, if not a bit small.

What set this evening apart, however, was the live Arabian music. It was a traditional group, dressed in white robes (or whatever you call those one-piece white frocks that go from neck to ankles).

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I dragged my (jet)-lagged arse into Singapore today and managed to capture some decent snaps of this truly odd city. The weather was gorgeous, save for a the occassional downpour. The architecture is a combination of modern sky-scrapers (thing Hong Kong), British colonial (think India), and low-lying tiled roofs (think Hawaii). 

Having never been to HK or India, I do admit that Singapore has the feel of Honolulu: a bustling city in a tropical climate with a heavy dose of shopping and Asian culture. It’s also ridiculously clean here, and just completely…ummm…orderly.

Don’t get me wrong, I like it here. I think the people are friendly and outgoing, and living here would probably be a great experience. I just get the feeling that there’s something deeper that’s keeping everyone in line here. Perhaps it has something to do with the spirit of the words “Death to drug traffickers in Singapore” on the landing card you hand in at immigration. These guys mean business.

Anyhow, check out the piccies.

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13 hours in a 747. Sounds dreadful, but it wasn’t the agony I expected. And at the end of the flight, I walked out of the airport to the warm air of the tropics.

Flying to Asia for the first time in my life, I found it somewhat thrilling to watch the flight map as we passed over countries which seem so foreign to me: Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Malaysia, en route to Singapore. Had it not been for the rotation of the earth, I might have glimpsed the Black Sea, the Khyber Pass, and the Indian sub-continent from 30,000 feet.

However, leaving at 11am from London meant flying away from the sun and into night. It wasn’t until we were over Malaysia that the sun rose again, giving me some pretty uninspiring views of the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

I’m staying at a great little hostel in Singapore called Sleepy Sam’s. It’s a stone’s throw from the gorgeous Sultan’s Mosque, and walking distance to all parts of the city. Apparently, Singapore is food and shopping paradise, and given my short stay here (2 days, 1 night), I’ll be doing my best to put a dent in the Christmas list while fueling up for Perth.

I’m off to see the sites now, but I hope to update with some pics and text later today. Unless of course I collapse from lack of sleep while haggling over the price of flash memory. Hmmm…maybe I can pick up a new MacBook! 

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