Altador Cup Kick-off! Exclusive Interviews and More!!

[husker]

Good evening Neopia! It is BACK! The Altador Cup is officially on tonight, as we'll see Neopia's best once again compete for the Cup.

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Austin here, reporting to you live from an undisclosed location in Altador, awaiting the kickoff of the games. After being stuck in the jail cell for a long two days, I am excited to bring you the latest information about the Cup. Let's get started before I get busted for "trespassing" again.

First off, let's take a look at the teams that were heralded on the podium last season. We were at team Kreludor's practice this morning to see how the crew from the moon has handled the pressure to repeat. The team looked good after long offseason of hard work and conditioning. It appeared that they wanted to be extra ready to play in this year's Cup, but there was concern over star forward Qlydae Wegg's ankle.

The aging Grundo hurt it this offseason while traveling Terror Mountain on a month long expedition, but he says he should be ready to go as the games begin. We can only hope that such an iconic player returns to full capacity, especially in such abnormal conditions from what he is used to.

Team Mystery Island spent much of their offseason training inside of Techo Mountain. While we weren't able to get a reporter in the field at the time, because of the potential danger of the situation, we received insider details that the former runner-ups spent much of their time doing a hardcore training regime. It was said to be a test of wit and pure strength, where the Natives slaved for months and used their best survival skills to make their way through and back out of the mountain.

When asked about the experience, last year's newcomer, Selmon Woulf, was caught saying "Yeah, braaahhh, it was some gnarrrrrly stuff in there. I wasn't sure if we were even gonna like... even make it. I just told err'one to just chillax and go with it ya know brah? It was definitely sketch at times but we like... totally got through it brah." Will this training help Mystery Island out, or will it have a reverse effect and hurt them? We'll find out soon enough.

Last year's bronze medalists, Meridell, had a very interesting offseason, as they signed the oldest rookie ever to play in the Altador Cup. Ethel Boortz should be an interesting player to watch this year. Though her age may scare some of Meridell supporters, you should know that she is no ordinary player. Boortz, from a very young age, dreamed of playing for team Meridell. She worked hard through her younger years and became one of Meridell's most impressive players, but a string of injuries set her back. She eventually gave up on her dream and began selling foods at a local market. Years later, when she heard the team had sent former forward Gregorio Malle packing because of a number of offseason incidents, she knew it may be her last shot to play Yooyuball at a professional level. Boortz showed up at open tryouts and, despite her age, wowed scouts and fans alike. Just days later, Meridell had signed her to be the team's starting Left Forward. A truly inspirational story about a woman chasing her dream, and through all adversity, persevering and capturing that dream. We'll see what the rookie has in store for us this year.

Quite possibly the biggest news we received this offseason was the blockbuster trade between Tyrannia and Moltara. The two teams swapped goalies, as Tyrannia received Mor Gollog. Gollog seems to make up for his lack of Yooyu skills with his strong instincts and size. The Grarrl could very well improve an already potent Tyrannian squad. Meanwhile, Moltara looks to be a big winner in this trade, as they receive Harlis Neyhbol from the Dinos. Neyhbol, known primarily for his size and terrific hands, has been very inconsistent in his career, but he brings experience to a young Moltaran squad. With Neyhbol's expertise, Moltara could be a possible dark horse this year. Watch for both teams to stir up some drama in the Cup this year.

Though much of this Cup's attention is going to be focused on last year's champ, Kreludor, eyes will also be focused on previous champions. Darigan Citadel, after years of subpar performances, finally broke back into the top 4 last year. Could this be the year that we have a team win for the second time in the modern era of the Cup? Quite possibly, actually. Darigan Citadel is poised to be a strong contender this year. Last year they showed the ability to play with the best. Even though they played Kreludor four times, we saw them play them very tough the whole time. Things are looking positive for Darigan CItadel in this year's Cup.

Other previous champs, Krawk Island and Lost Desert, are also looking to be solid competitors this year, as both teams broke the top 7 last year. Many skeptics believe the reason for Lost Desert's rise to prominence again was because of an "easy schedule," but fifth place isn't granted, it is earned. Lost Desert could once again contend for the top spot. Krawk Island, on the other hand, fell from near glory to the middle of the pack last season. Though there is some cause for concern for the Pirates, Krawk Island has continued to be one of the most consistent teams in Cup history. Out of all the champs, Krawk Island may be the most resilient, as they fought right back after dropping out of the top tier for the first time ever. Look for both squads to fight for a chance at gold once again this year.

The Cup's hosts have gone through dark times as of late, but team captain "Trapper" Remis believes those times could be coming to an end very soon. After Team Altador's final practice before the start of the Cup, I was able to get a few words with him.

Trapper, Altador has gone for seven straight seasons without any positive results. Your team has gone through one roster change in those seven years, and last year it proved ineffective. Do you think Altador is doomed to be a perennial basement-dweller? Do you think it may be time for a change?

Trapper: "Well, Austin, I understand the fan frustration here in Altador. For years we dominated, but that was then, and this is now. The culture of the game isn't what it once was. We work hard each year to get a positive result, and even though it hasn't happened yet, I do truly believe things are about to make a major turn. I feel that we are the most ready we have ever been for the Cup. We're going to go out and surprise teams this year. I think the changes we have made are going to finally pan out and Altador will no longer be a shadow of what it once was."

Trapper seems really confident that the hosts can turn the tides this Cup. It will be a true test of resilience for the once great team, but we know it can be done. As we saw, Virtupets went all the way from last to first in just a few short years. We all may have our doubts, but keep your eye on Altador this year to potentially make some noise. This message was sponsored by the Make Some Noise Techo.

Last but not least we mustn't forget how absolutely terrifyi- errrr... I mean terrific the security is here at the Colosseum. The guards work relentlessly to make sure all players, personnel, and fans alike are safe and taken care of. My crew and I thank the guards and the whole Altador security team for working as hard as they do every year to make sure no one is harmed or breaks out of prison... heh heh...

Guards: Where could he be!? Check EVERY bit of this place until we find him. And I mean EVERY BIT.

Aaaaaaaand that is officially my cue to sign off and uhh... interview some more players.

Reporting to you live from the depths of the Altador Colosseum, I am Austin, and have a magnificent Cup everyone!

A special announcement from the newsroom to the fans of the The Daily Neopets Altador Cup Songs: Some Kadoaties got into the transmission satellite and they will be released in the next day or two once we can arrange transport back to Neopia.
 

Obligatory disclaimer: This news report was written to inform you all of the latest Altador Cup developments in as entertaining a manner as possible. The rest of its content is largely fictional, composed from various fan comments and the whims of our imagination in an attempt to inspire a sense of realism through our reporting. While we do our best to keep things reasonably neutral, this report is in no way intended to be a completely bias-free listing of the day's matches, nor does it claim to provide critical analysis of past and potential outcomes from qualified Altador Cup experts. Please note that the opinions formulated in this report are from a full team of different reporters, and in no way represent the views of only a single faction. If you're looking for 100% unbiased performance data, take a look at our standings page. If professional analysis tickles your fancy, you want our predictions.

[Clumsy rockyroad1]

You're still under arrest? You haven't gotten your badge yet?

[husker]

I broke out of jail. :P Apparently that's a "crime."

[voteforpedro333]

I almost forgot about the theme songs you guys release every year! I always enjoy those.

 

And now that the crowd's in town, I'm sure it'll be easier to blend in while the guards are, uh, doing their jobs. :snitch: