Baltimare Varsity's victory in the Bright Sparks Cup semifinal was followed by a two week wait period in the lead up to the final, the first week flying by in no time at all. Training sessions went along as planned as the Baltimare Varsity players were put through their paces, refining their techniques and efficiently putting it into practice in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming final. The latest session was finished after its two hour duration and the players would head back to their respective locker rooms to get changed. Stepping through the doorways, a small beam would ping off the unicorns' horns in order to restore their magic to them, this was the same disabling and enabling spell that was used in stadiums for matches, being utilised at practice fields for all players in all teams. The pegasi and bat ponies would also have to deposit their wing braces in containers that had been placed out for them.
Once inside, the players were able to get themselves cleaned up and get their gear squared away. They all also took the opportunity to shower and wash the sweat off, taking it in turns to do so.
"Clinical as always, ladies." Radiant Shine said as she pulled off her practice jersey and neatly folded it before sitting down in her designated spot.
"Coming from the prodigy, that means a lot." The earth pony opposite her commented with a smile as she adjusted her blonde mane into a ponytail.
"Oh come on, Honeydew, it's a team effort." Radiant Shine replied, smiling back at her.
"Shine's right." Diamond Ace chimed in, drying off her cyan and black mane as she walked over to her locker. "As long as we're all doing our jobs, we have nothing to worry about."
"If you can put the ball in the net as much as you agree with each other, we're going to win every single game we play together." The team's goalkeeper, Hopscotch Palette, said as she pulled her gloves off her two front hooves.
"That is if they're not immediately snapped up on Trial Day." Honeydew commented, the entire locker room then falling silent for a few moments, all eyes on the light green earth pony. "...What?"
"You don't think our star strike force is going to be taken away from us after just one year together, do you?" Hopscotch asked, looking at the others one by one.
"There's no way it would happen. Are they good enough to be picked? Of course, but when have you ever seen a freshmule-sophmule duo getting selected from the same school at the same time?" Another voice sounded, getting the attention of the other mares.
All eyes turned to the far side of the locker room where two bat pony mares, Cinder and Sienna, were sitting. Cinder, the mare to the left with the dark red coat and bright yellow mane, had been the one to speak.
"That doesn't mean it can't happen." Honeydew said.
"Plus you have to actually be invited to the Trial Day. They have to want you to make that next step." Cinder added.
"If I may interject?" Diamond Ace spoke up. "Anyone think to ask us on our opinion? Since our adoring fans are so focused on our futures." A few giggles followed soon after.
The conversation had gotten Radiant Shine thinking about each of their comments. Being the younger of the two BV strikers, she technically had more room to grow but with both her and Diamond Ace being such a pivotal part of the team's attack, it really was only a matter of time before they would be getting swarmed with potential offers, especially considering how well their regular season had gone. Her mind then turned to the upcoming final and how it would play out. The second semi-final had not been played yet, so the Baltimare team would be able to watch the match and find out who they would be playing in the final. She could imagine the venue, her down on the field alongside her team with the trophy in their grasps and raising it high for the crowd to see. She could hear the sound of the fans calling out her name.
"Shine. Shine. Shine. Shine. Shine!!" Her body, however, would soon jolt slightly and she would snap out of her daydream.
"Hello?! Equestria to Radiant Shine." Diamond Ace's voice followed.
"H-Huh? What?" Radiant Shine shook her head, shaking herself back to reality. "What did you say?"
"Sienna asked who you think is going to win the other match. But you wouldn't have known that, being away with the parasprites." Diamond Ace teased.
"Oh shut up." Radiant Shine retorted, playfully shoving Diamond in retaliation.
"So, who do you think is going to win it?" Sienna asked again, this time being heard.
Taking the question on, Radiant Shine began thinking on the two teams that were in the running to be their opponents for the final. Dodge Junction vs San Franciscolt. Both teams had deserved to be in the semi-final and Baltimare would take the game seriously regardless of who their opponent would be, putting in 110% would be a given.
"Well, Dodge Junction are having one heck of a run. A real underdog story. Although, San Fran have always been a strong team, all over the pitch. It'll be a memorable game that's for sure." she said, getting nods of agreement from the majority of the locker room.
"I'm going 3 - 0 San Franciscolt." A voice from the showers said as out stepped another bat pony mare, drying her face with a towel as she walked to her seat.
"Nice of you to join us, Bloom." Cinder said, shuffling over to give the mare room to sit down.
"You really think they'll sweep them like that?" Radiant Shine asked, watching as the mare put her towel into the locker above the seat she had sat down on.
The locker itself had Bloom's full name, Bloom Moonshine, as well as her jersey number, 25, printed on it. All of the others in the locker room had their own matching lockers with their own names and jersey numbers on them. Each player had their own individual space for their hoofball boots, both practice and matchday jerseys and anything else they would need to have at a moments notice. The room itself was mostly purple, the official Baltimare team color, as were the lockers that the players were going in and out of to grab their belongings.
"If you've seen the system that they play, you'd understand why that is my prediction." Bloom Moonshine answered, her attention turned towards Radiant Shine.
"I was thinking it would be closer, maybe more like a 2 - 0." Radiant Shine responded.
"4 - 1 San Fran." Diamond Ace chimed in with a confident nod of her head as she sat down beside her strike partner.
"I actually think that Dodge Junction might surprise a few creatures. I think they'll steal a 1 - 0, y'know, defending all game but then have one chance and they'll score it." Honeydew predicted.
"You think a front three of Caliban, Swift Serenity and Gem Stone aren't going to score against Dodge Junction?!" Cinder exclaimed in shock.
"Stranger things have happened. Don't you remember last year when Canterlot Tech lost 2 - 1 against Appleloosa? Upsets are possible." Honeydew shot back.
"That's true, I'll give you that, but I'm pretty sure the Blazers will do just that and blaze through the Tumbleweeds." Cinder responded.
"I agree with Honeydew on the scoreline but I think it'll be the other way and San Franciscolt will actually find it hard to break through. Dodge have got nothing to lose by going for it but San Fran will win it 1 - 0." Sienna said.
Whilst the discussions and disagreements continued, Radiant Shine turned her attention to the two mares who hadn't contributed anything to the discussion just yet. Looking towards the furthest corner of the locker room, her eyes fell on the only non-ponies in the room, who were minding their own business.
"What about you, Zela? Ximena? Any predictions for the game?" she asked.
Upon hearing their names, Zela and Ximena picked both of their heads up to look at her. Once their eyes met, her striped furred teammates gave her a kind smile.
"I actually agree with Honeydew that Dodge Junction will be victorious. However, I do think that both teams will score goals. My prediction is 3 - 2 to Dodge Junction." Zela answered.
"A five goal thriller, huh?" Diamond Ace said, a smirk on her face. "Now that would be a game I'd like to see."
"I personally that it will be really close. I would say it will be decided by one goal. I think it will be 2 - 1 but I really cannot decide would win." Ximena added.
"Hey, speaking of which, when is the game on?" Radiant Shine asked, turning back to look at the rest of the group.
"In a couple of hours, why?" Diamond Ace answered her.
"Well, Onyx and I were going to go and eat together before watching the game with you guys. I just wanted to check we had time." Radiant Shine replied, getting all of the mares looking her way at once.
"Ooooooooooo~" They all cooed, even Zela and Ximena joined in, resulting in Radiant Shine getting quite red faced.
"Giiiirls!" she whined. "It's not like that!"
Laughter from the mares all followed as they enjoyed the moment of teasing the unicorn before going back to their own things and finishing up packing their lockers away. Once they had all finished up, they would grab their bags and make their way outside and into the hallway.
Radiant Shine would be one of the last to leave grabbing her rucksack, which had her jersey number stitched into the material, and stepping through the locker room door and out into the hallway. The walls of the hallway were the same shade of purple as the locker room interior. On both sides of the walls was the phrase 'One Step Forward, Against All Odds', the motto of the school. Looking down the hall, she could see a few of her teammates at the far end, chatting with a few of the other half of the team. She was able to see both Enenra Typhoon and Lockdown, as well as the other stallions of the team.
Seeing them laughing and joking with one another made her smile. It wasn't often that mares and stallions mixed in terms of sports but in the case of Hoofball, it had been that way since its founding. As well as making friends with both mares and stallions, training with them allowed her to improve her game more, especially her endurance and physicality. The time she'd spent with them, even though she'd only spent a year at the school, was some of the most fun that she'd had in a long time. She continued to watch as the group at the end of the hall would soon disappear around the corner, the sound of their voices getting quieter until she could no longer hear them. That was when a new voice greeted her ears.
"You weren't waiting too long, were ya?"
Quickly spinning around, Radiant Shine was greeted by a dark grey unicorn stallion with a short silver mane and tail and purple eyes.... oh the most stunning purple eyes.
"Onyx Spear, there you are." She said, smiling up at the stallion as he walked over to her. "No no, I haven't been waiting long at all. How are you doing? Good?"
"Yes, Shine, I'm doing well." Onyx Spear chuckled. "Ready for some grub?"
"Boy, am I?! All that shooting works up an appetite." Radiant Shine answered.
"Can't have our prodigy not eating now can we?"
Radiant Shine paused upon hearing him call her that, something about the way he said it just hit differently and gave her a warm tingly feeling that wriggled its way down her spine.
"N-Nope." She stammered. "W-Wonder what's on the menu today."
As the two unicorns walked through the halls, the number of voices and faces grew exponentially as whilst they were at practice the other Baltimare students were going between classes and going about their daily business, whether that was talking to friends, heading to the library to cram in those last minute studies or heading in the same direction as Onyx and Shine, towards the cafeteria.
The two of them would continue to make small talk as they walked together, chatting mostly about that morning's practice session and how it had gone, the highlights of which included a top corner strike from Radiant Shine, Diamond Ace's exceptional chip over Hopscotch Palette and Onyx Spear's goaline clearance.
"We really have got something special this year, Shine." Onyx Spear said, turning to look at her.
"We sure do. The team has really been gelling together well." Radiant Shine agreed with a nod of her head.
"Let's just hope we can get the win in the final."
"Now Onyx, you and I both know that whoever we get in the final we'll beat, or my name isn't Radiant Shine." A flurry of confidence seemed to take her over in an instance as she gave a swish of her tail and a determined smirk made its way onto her face.
Onyx Spear had clearly noticed one of the two actions as a small hint of pink had found its way onto his cheeks.
"W-Well, who do you think will win?" he asked as he composed himself.
"I had this discussion with the girls earlier actually, I'm going for a 2 - 0 San Franciscolt win. What about you?" Radiant Shine answered.
"I'm actually thinking 2 - 1 San Fran. I think that Dodge Junction have got a goal in em. You should've heard some of the predictions from the guys."
"Like what?"
"Enenra thought it would be 5 - 3 San Fran, for a start. Crimson Strike said 4 - 0 San Fran and Iron Bison actually said 3 - 1 Dodge Junction. The rest of the guys were pretty straight foward with theirs."
"Now those are some predictions."
Onyx gave a small chuckle at her response, which Shine happily reciprocated.
◇◇◇◇◇
After finally arriving at the bustling cafeteria, the unicorn pairing immediately made their way towards the counter to see what was on offer. Making her way over to the cool section, Radiant Shine took a look at the different sandwiches that were on display.
"See anything you like?" Onyx Spear asked from beside her.
Hmmmmmmmm.
"I'm not sure, I had the daffodil sandwich last time and it was so good but I'm feeling something different. What about you?" Radiant Shine returned.
"Pastaaaaaa." Onyx answered with a grin on his face.
Well that answers that.
Unable to choose between what sandwiches she wanted, Radiant Shine levitated the daffodil sandwich as well as another one at random. I shall let the sandwich gods decide my fate. Following Onyx towards the line of other students, standing at the counter, Radiant Shine patiently waited with him as the line slowly went down with each waiting student getting their own food and paying the small some of bits.
Soon enough, Radiant Shine and Onyx Spear got to the front of line where the lunchmare was patiently waiting for them. Sporting a warm smile, as she adjusted her hairnet, she looked upon the two Hoofball players and seemed happy to see them both.
"Ah, Onyx, Shine, lovely to see you both! How was practice?" she said to the pair with a wave of a hoof.
"Hey, Mrs Ladle!" Radiant Shine said with a smile in return.
"Nice to see ya, practice was good, thanks for asking." Onyx Spear added.
"Big game next week, huh kids?" Mrs Ladle asked as she rang up the items one by one before then making Onyx's pasta, placing it in a pot so he could eat it on the go. "Looking forward to it?"
"Yes ma'am." Radiant Shine replied as she pulled out her bits to pay for her two sandwiches. "We're working really hard and can't wait to get started. We're gonna watch the other semi-final with the rest of the team to see who our opponent will be."
"Well, all the best kids, you two take care now." Mrs Ladle said as she finished up Onyx's order and both he and Shine paid for their food before turning to walk and find a table. Waving back towards Mrs Ladle as they walked, the brief search for a free table soon followed. Looking around, there wasn't many options to pick from. That was until a voice caught their attention.
"Onyx! Shine! Over here!"
Turning in the direction of the voice, they'd see a light green hoof waving at them. Honeydew's hoof. She was sitting on a table a short distance away with Enenra Typhoon and two other stallions, Vertigo Peak and Side Winder, both pegasi and also members of the Hoofball team. Waving a hoof back, Radiant Shine made her way over with Onyx Spear following just behind. Exchanging pleasantries as they arrived at the table, the group shuffled over so that everyone had a seat each that they could sit on.
"Didn't realise y'all would be in here." Side Winder spoke up, his bright yellow eyes beaming as he spoke. His fur was a similar dark grey to Onyx Spear, but his dark blonde mane contrasted that of his friend.
"Oh, yeah, they're on a lunch date~" Honeydew teased.
"No we aren't, we were just getting something to eat before watching the game." Radiant Shine retorted.
"Well, whatever it is, glad you decided to join us." Vertigo Peak, the red pegasus, said with a smile.
"Thanks for the invitation." Onyx Spear said with a head nod.
"So, what's on the menu for you guys? Better be good." Radiant Shine enquired.
One by one, the four of them lifted up their meals to show the variety of what they had. From Enenra Typhoon's fruit salad with extra....fruit, to Honeydew's daisy salad and hay fries and Side Winder and Vertigo Peak enjoying their own pasta and sandwiches respectively. Showing off their own meals, Radiant Shine opened up the random sandwich that she had picked up earlier for the grand reveal. Now I wonder. Turning the tasty treat over and using her magic to pull off the packaging, she lifted up the bread to look at the contents on the inside. Well, looky here, carrot and cucumber! With the conundrum of the mystery sandwich finally solved, the group happily dug into their food whilst chatting amongst themselves, jokes and banter aplenty.
◇◇◇◇◇
Their conversation went on for the better part of an hour, each of the group having finished their respective meal before standing up one by one. As they made their way out of the cafeteria, Radiant Shine cast her gaze in the direction of a large clock on the wall. 1:15pm.
"What time is the game starting?" she asked, following the others out.
"Around 2." Enenra Typhoon answered her. "Why?"
"We got around 45 minutes until kick-off then, we should probably head to the film room and meet up with the others." Radiant Shine informed the group, quickly getting nods of agreement from each of them in turn.
With their plan set, the group would walk in the direction of the Baltimare film room. The room itself was around a 5 to 10 minute walk from the cafeteria, the walk there taking barely any time at all. Moving through the halls once again, making idol small talk with one another, the group would soon come up on the technology section of the school. At the far end of the hallway was the largest room, behind a set of double doors. On the left hand door, a sign read:
Media/Film Suite 1
Reserved: 1PM - 5PM
"Hopefully the others are here already." Honeydew said.
"Well, let's have a look." Radiant Shine said as she pushed open the door slightly with her hoof.
Poking her head into the room, a smile found its way onto her face as half of the room was taken up by some of the members of the team. Pushing the door open the rest of the way, she walked inside with a wave of her hoof. The rest of the group she was with promptly followed her into the room and greeted those that were sitting in the room. On the wall opposite where they were sitting was a large screen that the game would be viewed on. The seats that the group were sitting on were made of a comfortable fabric that allowed for a pleasant seating experience whatever the seating position. Each seat also had an adjustable desk that they would be able to rest on when writing notes down as they viewed matches in designated film sessions. However, for today, they would just be watching the match as onlookers. Looking around the room, Radiant Shine's gaze fell on each of her teammates in turn. The group they had joined consisted of; Cinder, Bloom Moonshine, Sienna, Hopscotch Palette and Diamond Ace. With several seats free, Radiant Shine took the available one beside Diamond Ace, Onyx Spear sitting in the chair the other side of Radiant Shine. Diamond Ace and Radiant Shine gave each other a hoofbump as the others took their own seats.
"So crew, who we waitin' on?" Enenra Typhoon asked, turning to face the others, as several looks around room followed.
"By the looks of it..... we're seven short." Hopscotch was the one to answer, moving her black mane fringe out of her face.
"So that's.... Zela, Ximena, Iron Bison, Crimson Strike, Lockdown, Mystic Arrow and Desert Storm." Onyx Spear listed before looking up at the clock up on the wall which read 1:25pm.
"They're going to have to hurry, the coverage starts soon." Honeydew said.
"Turn it on, it'll be rolling when they come in." Onyx said.
Being the closest one to the screen and remote, Cinder stood up from her seat and pushed the power button on the remote, the screen buzzing to life as she sat back down. The visuals and sound of the match coverage burst into life, getting everyone's attention. The competition logo flashed up on screen with a wonderous graphic, displaying the Bright Sparks Cup , followed by the two logos of the competing teams, for all those watching at home.
VS 
(Click Boxes To View)
After the logos pulled away, the broadcasting team came into shot, 4 ponies and a zebra sitting around a table. The pony furthest to the left, a unicorn stallion wearing an all blue suit, turned towards the camera.
"Good afternoon Hoofball Fans and welcome to our live coverage of the Bright Sparks Cup Semi-final. My name is Chase Spotlight and with me, as usual, are my three esteemed colleagues; Harmony Wave, Billboard Analogue and Birdseye View." he began, gesturing to the unicorn mare, earth pony stallion and pegasus stallion sitting by him respectively. "We are also privileged to be joined by Zenobia, former Zebrica national team defender and captain. A pleasure to have you with us."
"The pleasure is all mine Mr. Spotlight." Zenobia replied.
"Now, we are here to bring to you the second semi-final of the BSC, the first being decided late on between Baltimare Varsity and the Trottingham Rangers, the Varsity taking the win 2 - 1 with a goal in the 88th minute from their prodigy of a striker, Radiant Shine." Chase continued, the compliment getting Radiant Shine a few nudges and a cheer from her team. "Before we look at our two teams tonight, let's get all of your thoughts on last week's match."
"If I may jump in first here?" Harmony Wave said, tossing her mane over her shoulder. "What a game that was, it really was a match that could've gone either way but Baltimare did just enough to get through. I have got to say, I am loving what this Baltimare team is doing at the moment, they really are going to go far."
"I'm in total agreement with you, Harmony." Billboard Analogue began. "This partnership of Radiant Shine and Diamond Ace is like nothing that we've ever seen in the Brights Sparks Development League before. "I actually have the combined stats of the two of them following their semi-final, remember they both scored in that game. 61 goal contributions between the two players in all competitions, both league and cup. Looking here there are 20 goals and 10 assists for Diamond Ace whereas Radiant Shine is coming in with 17 goals and 14 assists. These are unreal stats for a duo that only started playing together this year."
"A real chemical reaction between these two, huh?" Chase Spotlight chimed in.
"You can say that again." Billboard chuckled.
"It's very true that they are a menace up front for the Varsity." Birdseye View spoke up with a nod of his head, giving his wings a flap. "But at the same time, you have to give their defence some credit too."
"Yeah defence!" Onyx Spear exclaimed, pumping his hoof into the air, Side Winder and Vertigo Peak letting out a cheer too.
"Looking at their results in the league alone, 16 clean sheets is impressive enough but what impresses me most is that when they do concede, their are barely any goals conceded at all. They have only ever let in more than 2 goals twice this season. One of the two teams this happened against? The San Franciscolt Blazers in that 2 - 2 draw right at the beginning of the season.
"Still bucked off about that penalty decision." Sienna huffed.
"Well, let's hope it doesn't happen again then." A voice said from the door, getting the attention of those in the room.
Standing in the doorway, leaned against the door to prop it open, was a dark green earth pony stallion with a short black and bright green mane and tail.
"Lockdown!" Most of the room exclaimed.
"Yes, yes, my adoring public, it is I." Lockdown joked, bowing to them all before moving out of the way to let in the others who were with him. The next to step through the door was a crimson red pegasus stallion with a spiky blue mane and tail.
"Has it started yet?" the stallion asked.
"No Crimson, you're good, they're talking about our game." Enenra Typhoon answered him, hoofbumping him as he came over to sit beside him.
Following Crimson Strike into the room next came another stallion, this time a dark brown earth pony with a short silver mane.
"Time to watch me some Hoofball!" The stallion exclaimed with a chuckle as he sat in the seat beside Crimson Strike.
"Hey, Bison, you missed em talk about our defense." Onyx Spear said, turning around to look at the earth pony behind him.
"What? Aw, come on!" Iron Bison groaned.
Zela and Ximena were the next to enter the room, the two zebras giving small waves to the others before taking a seat on the front row. Many would usually struggle to tell most zebras apart from one another, however, if their different colored manes and tails weren't the biggest giveaway, the fact that Ximena was predominantly black with white markings and Zela was the opposite would be the clear tell. They would quietly talk amongst themselves but promptly stopped to both marvel at and give their full attention to Zenobia, who was on screen, as she talked about the comparisons between the Equestrian Hoofball League and the Zebrica equivalent, the Zebrican Hoofball Division - or ZHD as Zenobia referred.
The final two to enter the room were a sand colored bat pony stallion who was accompanied by a pale blue unicorn mare with a pink and purple mane and tail, the mare was hobbling slightly and keeping weight off of her left foreleg.
"At last, our glorious captain and his fair maiden." Lockdown announced, taking his own seat and getting a few chuckles from the others in the process.
"Shut it, Lock." The stallion smirked, looking towards him.
Seeing the mare hobbling, Radiant Shine looked her way. "Mystic, how's the recovery going?"
The unicorn looked over at Radiant Shine with a soft smile. "Well, the pain isn't constant, it's only when I try and put my hoof down and put weight on it."
"So it's a definite that you won't play the final?" Honeydew asked, leaning over the seat in front of her to look towards Mystic Arrow.
Mystic Arrow quietly sighed as she looked between them all. "I'll be lucky to get on the bench. But I've got faith in you guys."
"That means that when coach comes up with the team for the game we won't have Mystic on the right. It'll be a shift from what we're used to but we'll make it work, or our name isn't Baltimare Varsity." The captain said with a smile on his face, several smiles being returned his way.
"Leave it to Desert Storm to motivate you without even trying." Onyx Spear said.
"Now, if we're all here it seems like we have a game to watch." Desert Storm added, grabbing the remote and turning up the volume so they could hear what was being said. The rest of the team all turned towards the screen in response.
"..... but looking at these two teams, I'm looking forward to seeing a match to remember." Chase Spotlight trailed off. "Before we head down to the pitch and to our commentry team, let's get some predictions from you all. I'm thinking a goal fest. 4 - 2 Blazers."
"I'm going for a solid performance from the Blazers and they'll win 3 - 0." Harmony Wave started off.
"I'm on a similar page to Harmony, that San Franciscolt will win, but I do think that Dodge Junction have got the ability to score a goal." Billboard Analogue continued. "I'm thinking 2 - 1 Blazers."
"As much as I know the quality of the Blazers, I'm going for a shock Dodge Junction win. 2 - 1 Dodge Junction after extra time." Birdseye View said.
"Going the distance?" Harmony Wave asked.
"That's right." Birdseye View nodded.
"What about you, Miss Zenobia?" Chase Spotlight asked her.
"I would like to see an upset if I am completely honest." Zenobia answered with a smile on her face. "My prediction is 3 - 2 to Dodge Junction."
"Just like my prediction!" Zela exclaimed with a smile.
"Great minds think alike, Zel." Radiant Shine said, smiling back at her.
"A wide range of predictions as you can see folks." Chase Spotlight said. "We're just about ready to move down to the pitch, so without further ado, let's move down to our commentary team; Lens Focus and Brace Blush."
The coverage would soon turn to the pitch, looking down at the players taking their positions following the hoofshake. As they ran into position, the crowd in the stadium began to grow in volume as they awaited the teams to get the game underway.
"Good afternoon everyone, Lens Focus here along with my co-commentator Brace Blush and we're here at the Blazers Colosseum for this Bright Sparks Cup semi-final to see who will join the Baltimare Varsity in the final being held a week from now. We're sure to be in for a treat between these two teams." Lens Focus announced, his voice playing out over the broadcast.
"That's right, Lens, it's going to be a memorable semi-final for a variety of reasons. Not only is this the first time that the Tumbleweeds have reached this stage but it's the first time they've gotten past the last sixteen in over ten years." Brace Blush followed up, her voice loud and clear. "The Blazers, however, are in their fourth semi-final in a row but we know that anything is possible in this competition."
"That's right Blush, now before we get under way with the match, let's see how both teams are looking. Taking a look at the visitors first, Dodge Junction have gone for a 3-4-3 formation with a twist. Going for a diamond shape in midfield in order to try and win that battle and overcrowd the middle of the field." Lens Focus began as a graphic with the Dodge Junction Tumbleweeds appeared on the screen, allowing viewers to see the lineup. One by one the name of the player would flash up on the screen.
"Playing a back three against the Blazers?" Radiant Shine asked. "Where's their width in defence going to come from?" That's a bold choice.
"Seems like they're trying to win the ball in midfield before it even gets to their back line." Diamond Ace commented, tapping a hoof on her chin. "Wonder if it'll pay off."
"Paradigm Shift starts in goal for the Tumbleweeds, the unicorn's outstanding performance in her team's last match, a 1 - 0 win versus the Hoofington Stampede, one of the main reasons that they're in this match." Lens Focus announced. "The back three consisting of Curb Stomp, Springboard and Bite Size has versatility to it as the three can be interchanged within this system. The midfield four ahead of them is in that diamond shape, with Tan Shackles sitting at the base of it and he'll look to carry the ball out from defence to get attacks going. The two ahead of him, on either side of the diamond, Caramel Crunch and Solid Dozen will look to give this team the width in midfield but will tuck in when required on defence. Ahead of them in the attacking midfield spot is their main creative outlet, their bat pony star, Buckeye. The Dodge Junction number 7 has been one of their standout players throughout this cup and we'll look to see what he can do throughout this match. Finally we come to the front three who will be looking to score the goals for the Tumbleweeds in this match. Out on the left wing we have Stonethrow Slingshot and out on the right we have the Dodge Junction captain, Chestnut Roundup. She'll be hoping to lead her team to victory. Rounding out the team is the main striker Red Alert. The top goalscorer for the Tumbleweeds this season so far with 11 goals in all competitions, he's going to hope to add some more throughout these 90 minutes."
After a few moments of silence, allowing viewers to look at the lineup, the Dodge Junction lineup would disappear and the lineup for the San Franciscolt Blazers would take its place.
"The Blazers have reverted to their 5-2-3 formation for this match, the same formation they used in their last 16 match against Canterlot Tech, coming out as 4 - 1 winners. Starting out in goal for the Blazers is the ever present goalkeeper, Clean Sweep. Having kept the most clean sheets in the Bright Sparks Development League this season, he'll want to continue that form in the cup too." Brace Blush began. "The Blazers central trio in this defence is their usual zebra-unicorn-bat pony combo, consisting of Zen, Shoreline Seaboard and Kylen respectively. Out in the wingback spots are Ezra and Crescent Blade, a bat pony and pegasus pairing who notched up 16 assists between the two of them in the league this season."
"We better end up getting this kind of brown nosing when our game is being played." Side Winder commented, scrunching his nose.
"Yeah!" Vertigo Peak chimed in.
"Moving ahead of that five and into their midfield pairing, Snakeskin comes in for the injured Shadow Blitz, who was deemed not at full fitness yet. Snakeskin is partnered up with the Blazers captain and influential presence on the field, their changeling workhorse, Juniper." Brace Blush continued on. "Now one of if not the most dangerous front threes in the entire Bright Sparks Development League rounds out this team. A combined 47 goals between the three of them during the regular league season. On the right is Gem Stone, chipping in with 10 goals. On the opposite flank is Swift Serenity, who had a return of 15 goals and it is all rounded out by their talismanic striker Caliban. The bat pony number 9 notched up an incredible 22 goals, pipping Baltimare Varsity's Diamond Ace to the Golden Hoof award for top goalscorer."
"Tell all of Equestria why don't you?!" Diamond Ace groaned from her seat.
"Don't worry Ace, we know you're the superior forward." Radiant Shine told her, getting a smile in response.
"We are the superior forwards." Diamond Ace replied, turning to face her and raising her hoof in order to give her strike partner a hoofbump, which she happily reciprocated.
Soon enough, everything was set in place for the match to begin. The referee gave one final check with both teams in order to make sure that everything was good to go. With everything all set, the referee brought the whistle up to his lips and blew, the whistle sounding out across the stadium. A cheer rung out through the stadium as Dodge Junction got the game under way, Red Alert passing the ball backwards to Buckeye. With the game kicking off and the next 90 minutes deciding their opponents for the final, the Baltimare Varsity team all locked in on the screen.
Radiant Shine had a small smirk on her face as she watched the Dodge Junction players pass the ball around and the San Franciscolt players doing their best to win the ball back. Come on challengers, prove you have the right to come face us for the cup. Game on!
Author's Note
Really sorry for the wait on the first official chapter! I hope you all enjoy it I'll have more chapters and updates coming soon!
Chapter 2: Opposing Sides
The game kicked off and all the Baltimare players focused in on the screen. The Dodge Junction players, adorned in their orange jerseys and black shorts, were passing the ball around within their own half of the field, giving each player a chance to get a touch of the ball. The Blazers, dressed in their striking all red uniforms, were not taking this lightly however, quickly beginning to apply pressure in order to force their opponents into making a mistake whilst passing. Caliban was the focal point of the Blazers' pressing tactic, the bat pony stallion locking his eyes onto the ball as it rolled between the two Dodge Junction central defenders. With him pressuring the two of them, his strike partners, Swift Serenity and Gem Stone, focused in on the right back and left back, respectively.
"A high press from the off?" Radiant Shine asked, leaning forward slightly in her seat. Surely they can't last the entire game doing that. They'll be exhausted!
"Pressing as a trio so that they can hold a different area of the opposing back line... they're definitely looking to make a statement." Diamond Ace said.
"Go for an early goal and hold onto it? That's what I'd expected to be happening the other way around." Honeydew commented.
As the first few minutes of the game ticked by, approaching the five minute mark, the ball would eventually make its way into midfield, landing at the hooves of Buckeye. The Dodge Junction number 7 turned to drive up the field and played the ball along the ground towards Stonethrow Slingshot, the earth pony receiving the ball at his hooves. Turning upfield, he dribbled towards the San Franciscolt goal, but didn't get far as two Blazers defenders came to pressure him. Kylen and Crescent Blade, the Blazers right centre back and right wing back respectively, stepped forward in order to block off his dribbling route, neither mare letting him by. As Stonethrow tried to get around them, a third defender joined the fray. Shoreline Seaboard, the unicorn segment of the Blazers' defensive trio, stepped in and swung a hoof in low towards the ball, managing to kick it away and in the direction of Juniper. Juniper controlled the ball and galloped down the field, her head turning in both directions as she scanned the field for passing options.
"They triple teamed him!" Iron Bison exclaimed, pointing at the screen.
"An effective way to win the ball." Radiant Shine commented. I know I'd hate to get trapped like that.
Three of the midfield diamond of the Tumbleweeds immediately shifted into position in order to dispossess Juniper as she rapidly made her way up the pitch, soon being joined by two of her teammates, Snakeskin to her left and Ezra to the left of him. Even though they were outnumbered, their passage of play would make up for it. Several passes were exchanged between the midfield duo of Juniper and Snakeskin as they nimbly manipulated the space ahead of them, getting past Buckeye and Caramel Crunch with little issue.
Ezra bolted up the left sideline, in turn dragging Solid Dozen away, providing space for Snakeskin to drive into, Snakeskin carrying the ball over the halfway line and picking his head up in order to find a pass. Swinging his hoof, he got fully under the ball and played a lofted but direct ball in the direction of Caliban.
The Baltimare Varsity players watched the screen in awe as the ball soared over the Dodge Junction defenders in the direction of Caliban, who never once took his eyes off the ball. As the ball dropped towards Caliban, the Blazers' number 9 jumped into the air and brought up his hoof in order to control the ball, killing its spin and momentum in order to stop the ball dead in its tracks. Allowing the ball to bounce once, consequently allowing three of the Dodge Junction players to close him down, Tan Shackles and Bite Size the closest to him, whilst Curb Stomp shifted around to cover the space behind the two of them as a form of security for if Caliban were to dribble past his teammates. Without hesitation, Caliban swung his hoof, connecting a powerful volley dominated with side spin. The ball flew in between Rusty Shackles and Bite Size, angling upwards. Curb Stomp jumped sideways, aiming to get part of his body in front of the ball, although the speed of the ball was too great. As the ball flew towards the Dodge Junction goal, Paradigm Shift sidestepped on her goal line. Springing off of her hind hooves, she dove towards the ball in an attempt to save the ball from passing her. But, before she was able to get within the vicinity of the ball, it slammed off the underside of the crossbar before cushioning in the back of the net.
There was a short pause before the entire stadium exploded into an eruption of cheers from the San Franciscolt fans and players, the latter of which rushed over to Caliban in order to celebrate with him. Caliban himself let out a passionate yell as he leapt up into the air with a double hoof pump. The broadcast then switched to the digital scoreboard at the far end of the stadium which made an audible chime as the score was adjusted, although the chime itself was unable to be heard due to the sheer volume of the equally passionate crowd.
7 minutes played
San Fran. Blazers 1 - 0 Dodge Junc. Tumbleweeds
As the team celebrated, making their way back to their own half, the celebrations of the crowd slowly began to die down. The Baltimare Varsity players were all sat in disbelief as replays of Caliban's volley played, showing multiple different angles and different speeds, an occasional slow motion shot being shown.
"Holy sh-" Lockdown began.
"Shooting from there?! With three defenders closing him down?!" Radiant Shine exclaimed, cutting him off.
"This guy is insane!" Honeydew added.
"If he wanted to stamp his authority on this match, he's certainly going about it the right way." Desert Storm said.
Their discussion about the goal continued for a further number of minutes as the Tumbleweeds got the game started again, trying to make something happen with their passage of play, the minutes continuing to tick by as the play developed. The ball was soon played to Chestnut Roundup, out on the right wing. She turned up field and began to move in the direction of the San Franciscolt defence, using her dribbling skills in order to get past Ezra with relative ease, leaving him in her dust.
The next Blazers player to get in her way was Zen, the zebra defender shaping up to close down Roundup's dribbling angle and force her to pass the ball away. Her tactic proved to be efficient as Roundup had to turn back and play a simple backwards pass to Solid Dozen. As he turned to look for a passing option, both Snakeskin and Swift Serenity both moved in to try and swipe the ball away from him. The pressure narrowed his options but he managed to pick out a pass towards Caramel Crunch, who was in an open patch of the field thanks to Tan Shackles keeping Juniper occupied.
Caramel Crunch received the pass and immediately moved up the field, playing a quick give and go pass between herself and Buckeye before the ball came back to her. Picking her head up and looking towards the penalty area, she swung the ball into the box with a well placed cross, the ball spinning in the direction of Red Alert.
The Dodge Junction striker kept his eyes on the ball, similar to how Caliban had done earlier in the match. Leaping into the air to direct a header towards the San Franciscolt goal, he was met in the air by the combined might of Kylen and Shoreline Seaboard, the latter of which successfully outjumping Red Alert and heading the ball away. As the ball fell to the floor, Zen was the first to it and launched a long pass through the air towards Crescent Blade on the right flank, which she controlled with ease.
"There's that long ball up the field again." Onyx Spear commented.
"Seems the best way for them to get out of danger and move up the field." Cinder said. "Their range sure is impressive."
With the ball at her hoof, Crescent Blade galloped down the right side of the pitch, keeping close to the side line. A few of her teammates were rushing in that direction, Caliban of course one of them as he was hunting a second goal. More options came into play, but at the same time, so did more defenders. Having no other option but to play a short pass, Crescent Blade passed the ball to Gem Stone. Gem Stone received the ball and quickly turned to face the closest defender to her, Curb Stomp. He had shuffled over into the left back position for the moment in order to put pressure on Gem Stone, Tan Shackles covering his spot in the centre.
Gem Stone had prepared for this, however, as she knocked the ball sidewards in order to gallop past Curb Stomp and towards the goal. The couple of yards of space she managed to get, gave her an opening to cross the ball into the penalty area, where Caliban, Swift Serenity and Snakeskin were all waiting. As Gem Stone swung her hoof, Curb Stomp lunged for the ball, going into a full slide in order to block the ball. Although, once again, Gem Stone was ready. Stopping her hoof just before making contact with the ball, Curb Stomp slid right by her.
"Olé!!" the crowd exclaimed.
"Ankles!" Lockdown exclaimed with a chuckle, getting a laugh from a few of the team sat around him.
Gem Stone took the chance to pass the ball, aiming for Caliban. The pass was not smooth in transition, however, as Tan Shackles stepped in in order to block the ball from getting to its intended target. Having moved a fraction too late, he didn't block it completely, only knocking it slightly off target. The touch on the ball had caused Caliban to shift his run towards the ball and cut off his shooting angle, however, that didn't stop him from finding a way to goal. Getting in line with the ball, Caliban moved into his shooting approach, as if he would shoot the ball from the gradually tightening angle he found himself in. Although that wasn't the case. Shifting his weight onto his standing left foreleg, he kicked the ball with the outside of his left forehoof, making the ball curve away from the goal and towards the penalty spot. The movement of the ball had taken everyone by surprise, the crowd, the defenders and the watching Baltimare players alike. Although, Swift Serenity had not stopped moving.
Radiant Shine's eyes widened as she watched the pegasus mare rush in between two Dodge Junction defenders, getting to the ball first, and gave one almighty swing of her left foreleg. Her movement making her think back to her own movements in Baltimare's last match. She broke through just like I did. The ball bounced up off of the grass and Swift Serenity's hoof connected with it, following through with a powerful strike that hammered into the back of the Dodge Junction goal, Paradigm Shift unable to reach it in time as she had to dive from the other side of the goal, having been keeping her eyes on Caliban. The San Franciscolt crowd erupted into another passionate cheer, as did the players down on the field.
Swift Serenity galloped towards the corner of the pitch closest to her, sliding on the ground with a equally passionate yell. Spotting a camera pointing at her nearby, she turned around and pointed to the back of her all red Blazers jersey, showing off her name and the number 7 emblazed on the back as her teammates rushed over to celebrate with her. The broadcast switched back to the scoreboard once again as it let out the same chime as before, the score changing again. It was only when the scoreboard came up on screen that all the Baltimare players were able to see how long it had been since the first Blazers goal, further showing just how dominant the side in the lead had been.
20 minutes played
San Fran. Blazers 2 - 0 Dodge Junc. Tumbleweeds
"They're so in sync with one another!" Honeydew exclaimed.
"The way that they just shift over and occupy any open space to exploit, get into the best position to receive the ball and then score is astounding." Sienna added.
"Anyone else think with the way that the Blazers are playing it could be at least five or six goals come the end of this game?" Lockdown commented. The looks around the room that followed showed that everyone was thinking the same thing. Almost everyone. Radiant Shine and Diamond Ace both had their eyes still locked on the screen, their attention on the game unwavering.
Radiant Shine brought a hoof up to her chin as the replays of the most recent goal began to play. The chemistry between them has to be extremely high to move at the right time and apply a finish like that. The look on her face showed just how locked in she was on the match as it eventually got back underway, with the Dodge Junction players exchanging passes between themselves in hopes of getting something out of the first half of the game.
◇◇◇◇◇
The next fifteen minutes of the matched passed by with multiple chances going in both directions, Dodge Junction having grown into the game and occasionally being able to slip in behind the San Franciscolt defenders. The closest that they had gotten to scoring, however, was a pair of strong shots that Clean Sweep had to make an effort to save, one shot from Red Alert and the other from Buckeye. The chances that came from San Franciscolt had gotten closer, with a strike from Caliban hitting the post and Paradigm Shift having to dive at full stretch in order to save a shot from Snakeskin.
As the match clock ticked over to and past the 35 minute mark, the players on both teams had shifted around a great deal and were playing their own type of match, both tactics being viewed by the Baltimare players. Radiant Shine narrowed her eyes slightly as she took in the details of both teams and how they were playing.Dodge Junction's playing on the counter, defending for a bunch and then breaking forward in numbers. It's very erratic. But San Fran are more fluid. They're playing delicate passes together and interchanging between one another with ease.
"You're making that face again, Shine." Onyx Spear's voice came from beside her, snapping her out of her thought process.
"Hm? Face? What face?" Radiant Shine asked.
"Your 'Imagining yourself on the pitch' face." Onyx Spear answered her.
"I do not make a face like that!" Radiant Shine exclaimed.
"Sure you don't, pouty." Onyx Spear smirked.
"It's your focusing face, Shine. It's cute." Diamond Ace playfully teased, nudging the unicorn.
Her comment made Radiant Shine's cheeks turn a bright shade of pink before she playfully shoved Diamond Ace in response.
"Aaaaaaace!" she whined, only then realising she was getting a few looks from the others sat around them.
"Look! The Blazers are starting to build up an attack again!" Ximena exclaimed from her seat, getting everyone's attention back on the screen.
Having all of the attention off of her, Radiant Shine gave a quiet sigh of relief before looking back at the screen with everyone else. Watching as the Blazers exchanged passes with one another and moved up the field, Radiant Shine took each player's position into account, her 'face' coming back once again. Caliban's moving into position at the edge of the box, Gem Stone is on the right, moving towards the side-line, Swift Serenity is moving towards the ball... They're planning something.
The match clock had ticked along as they spoke, approaching the 45th minute and the attacking San Franciscolt players all made their move, bolting up the field at the same time, immediately losing their marking defenders and taking everyone by surprise. As Swift Serenity took possession of the ball, on the left side of the pitch, Snakeskin and Juniper both galloped past her and joined Caliban and Gem Stone inside of the Dodge Junction penalty area.
"Flooding the box when you're already 2 - 0 up?" Honeydew asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Finishing the half strong, maybe?" Enenra Typhoon spoke up from beside her.
"Well they're clearly trying to finish as strong as they started." Desert Storm said, glancing over his shoulder at the pair.
"Show offs." Lockdown muttered before getting jabbed by Desert Storm.
Swift Serenity picked her head up and looked into the penalty area, seeing all four of her teammates in position, being closely marked by the Dodge Junction defenders who had scrambled to intercept their runs. As she pushed the ball further forward to give herself a better approach, Gem Stone made a darting run away from Bite Size and in the direction of the near post. Serenity would notice the run and play a high lofted ball towards her, watching as the ball arced through the air.
"There's no way she'd shoot from that angle." Diamond Ace commented. Her comment was proven right as the ball dropped in the direction of Gem Stone.
As the ball got closer, Gem Stone stood up on her hind legs, positioning herself in order to receive the cross. Jumping up, she used her head to flick the ball behind her and over the defenders that were closest to her. The ball changed momentum and headed towards the other side of the penalty area at speed, everyone turning to look in its direction. The first one to move towards the ball was Snakeskin.
Lunging around Curb Stomp, he kept his eyes on the ball the entire time. Moving to meet the ball as it dropped, Snakeskin threw his hind legs forward, getting a solid connection on the ball as it arrived in front of him. The ball was redirected off of his hooves and ruffled in the back of the Dodge Junction goal, coming to a rolling stop in the bottom corner.
The San Franciscolt crowd burst into their third cheer of the afternoon, no amount of passion or excitement having been lost in this or either of the ones before it. As the players rushed over to both Snakeskin for his goal and Gem Stone for her intelligent pass, the scoreboard at the far side let out another chime as the score-line was updated.
44 minutes played
San Fran. Blazers 3 - 0 Dodge Junc. Tumbleweeds
Once the score had been displayed for a few moments, the fourth official stepped forward off to the side of the pitch, the camera feed switching to him. As the stallion raised a small electronic board above his head, a big red number 2 flashed up, notifying the crowd and all those watching the broadcast the amount of minutes added on for injury time at the end of the half.
"Only two minutes injury time?" Iron Bison asked.
"Well, it has been a pretty straightforward half." Radiant Shine answered, momentarily taking her eyes off the screen to look at him.
"True true." Iron Bison nodded.
With the Dodge Junction players getting the final minutes of the first half started once again, they made the conscious decision to play smart passes amongst themselves and look for any available openings that would come their way. However, this would not come easily as the San Franciscolt team had tightened up their defence in order to keep the score as it was for the remaining period of time.
Dodge Junction did manage to eventually break through as Buckeye nimbly slipped the ball between Shoreline Seaboard's legs when he made the mistake of lunging in for a heavy tackle. Buckeye didn't get too far however as Kylen moved and slid in with a clean tackle, to win the ball and give her team back possession.
As she played the ball to Juniper, who then passed the ball to Crescent Blade, the Blazers only slightly shifted their formation as they were more than happy to sit on their three goal cushion. With several more passes being exchanged between the Blazers, the first half would slowly but surely began coming to an end. With little more action to see in this first half of hoofball, the referee brought her whistle up to her lips and gave a hard blow, the whistle sounding out and giving the signal that the first half of this semi-final had come to an end.
Hearing the whistle, both sets of players stopped and made their way towards the tunnel that they had entered the pitch from. Many of the players were in conversation with one another as they walked, many sets of teammates as well as the odd conversation between opposing players about things that went on during the half. As the players exited the field, several replays of notable moments from the first half were played on screen.
"Well, I don't know about all of you but watching that first half his made me hungry." Iron Bison spoke up, most of the room turning to face him.
"Are you ever not hungry?" Cinder asked with a smirk.
"I shall not disclose my secrets." Iron Bison replied.
"If you're going for snacks or stretching your legs be quick about it, the second half is going to start soon." Desert Storm told everyone, the team all going quiet as he spoke. "If you aren't going anywhere then take it steady for now, we'll just watch the analysis of the first half until it starts up again."
With his instructions clearly received, those who were going for snacks or a leg stretch made their way out of the room. The only ones that were still in the room were Radiant Shine herself, Honeydew, Diamond Ace, Lockdown, Desert Storm and Crimson Strike.
"Then there were six." Lockdown commented as he moved to sit closer to the others, Honeydew coming down from her seat to join them.
"That was a really intense half, huh?" Honeydew said, looking at the others as she sat down.
"No kidding." Crimson Strike agreed. "I wonder what the Tumbleweeds are gonna do to try and mount a comeback."
"Beats me. I'm pretty sure this game is dead and buried." Lockdown commented.
"As much as I want to give them a fighting chance, I've got to go with Lockdown on this one." Radiant Shine said with an almost defeated nod. Buckeye can't do everything on his own and Red Alert is barely getting any service. If they are going to do something, they need to do it quick. They need the next goal.
"We'll just have to see what happens." Desert Storm said, before looking towards the screen, the others doing the same as the camera faded back to the broadcasting team.
"Well, well, well." Chase Spotlight's voice returned. "What a first half of Hoofball that was for the San Franciscolt Blazers. They ticked every box for me."
"I couldn't agree more, Chase." Billboard Analogue said. "I've got to say, Caliban is running the show at the minute and looks unstoppable."
"Don't forget Swift Serenity and Gem Stone, they're the ones making this attack tick." Harmony Wave jumped in.
"If I may interject?" Zenobia spoke up. "I feel as though each one of the San Franciscolt team are doing their job perfectly. Being 3 - 0 up in a semi-final at half time is a testament to how strong of a unit they are."
"It's not like Dodge Junction haven't had their own chances though. They gave Clean Sweep a wake up call in the goal on more than one occasion." Birdseye View added.
"At least the praise isn't completely one sided." Radiant Shine muttered.
"I'm genuinely surprised at that." Lockdown said.
"Well let's have a look at these chances that Dodge Junction had in that first half." Chase Spotlight said.
As they all turned to look towards the camera, the broadcast would switch back to the highlights from the first half. The first highlight that came up on screen was the first play of the game where Buckeye turned up field and played the ball to Stonethrow Slingshot.
"I love the aggressive nature from Buckeye here." Chase continued. "The fact that the Blazers midfielders have to backpedal quickly because how much ground Buckeye covers and how fast he does it. Plus, the pass to Slingshot is a pretty perfect one, although the move does eventually break down."
"Nearly every attack went through him, it's clear to see why they usually backed off him." Radiant Shine commented as the next highlight clip played.
"This give and go pass between Buckeye and Caramel Crunch allows the Tumbleweeds to finally get a ball into the box for Red Alert to attack." Billboard Analogue's voice came in. "The way that get past both Snakeskin and Juniper with those quick passes shows the strong chemistry of this team. Once again, it was just unfortunate that the ball was cleared away."
"It seems that's just been how tonight has gone for them. They really have been unlucky, for San Franciscolt's quality has just been too good." Zenobia said.
"Now, looking at that quality, let's flip over to the Blazers and their unrelenting attacking in that first half of the game, starting with the first goal." Chase spoke up once again as the first goal was shown on screen. "Watch this long pass from Snakeskin. The way he waits until Ezra pulls away the closest defender before playing about as perfect of a pass as you could do shows how strong a passer he is."
"Oh, Snakeskin, you're so special. Teach me your ways oh wise sage." Lockdown said in a half mocking half dramatic tone.
"Lock." Desert Storm said, looking at him.
"What?" Lockdown asked, before seeing the look on his captain's face. "Alright alright."
As they spoke, Radiant Shine and Diamond Ace continued to watch the review of Snakeskin's dime of a pass and in turn Caliban's excellent touch to control the ball before he fired it into the back of the net.. He lets it bounce before shooting. That's why the defence get as close to him as they do. That'll have to be something we watched for when he gets ready to shoot.
"The way he puts side spin on that shot isn't easy. That's real composure." Diamond Ace said, making Radiant Shine glance her way. "Knowing the one spot he had to put the ball is the mark of a striker who knows where the goal is."
"If you're saying that he must be something special." Honeydew said.
"We've seen just how special he is." Crimson Strike said. "There's still another half to go too."
"If that first half is anything to go by, we'll need to mark him closely and not let the ball reach his hooves." Radiant Shine said. "If we can get to him before he takes that first touch, he'll be stuck for options."
"Couldn't have put it better myself, Shine." Desert Storm said, giving her an affirmative smile, which she happily returned.
"I assume that's gonna be easier said than done though." Crimson Strike commented, the room momentarily going silent as if they were all in agreement of that fact but didn't want to say anything.
Radiant Shine turned her attention back towards the screen, watching as the highlight of the second goal was played. She watched closely as each pass was played and the ball found its way to Gem Stone on the right side of the pitch. Her vision is definitely something we'll need to watch for. Especially her dribbling and the way that she just dances past defenders.
"This piece of skill is simply brilliant!" Harmony Wave cooed. "She does this time and time again for the Blazers and she truly doesn't get enough credit." The highlight continued to play as Gem Stone juked past Curb Stomp and played the pass, which Tan Shackles got a touch on.
"Caliban's movement here is what every good striker does on a regular basis. Moving towards the ball and not letting the play break down. This pass he plays and the overall awareness he has of where his teammates are and where they need to be is just brilliant." Chase Spotlight continued.
"Serenity's finish is perfection too." Billboard Analogue added. "Putting it on the other side of the goal made it impossible for the goalkeeper to reach it."
The replays of the goal followed, showing different angles of Swift Serenity's strike and how the ball ended up in the back of the net, then switching to her celebrating the goal with her teammates and the occasional shot of the celebrating crowd.
"This is definitely going to be a stacked film review session." Crimson Strike commented.
"No kidding. Gonna have to get a new notebook for sure." Honeydew added.
As they chatted between themselves, the third San Franciscolt goal was shown on screen, beginning with Swift Serenity on the left side as her teammates galloped past her in order to get into attacking positions.
"Now, with the Blazers' third goal, you would think that they would sit on a two goal cushion. However, that isn't the way that this team works." Chase Spotlight said. "Flooding the box and getting numbers in position for the cross, they overwhelm the Tumbleweeds defenders and put themselves into great positions in order to receive the cross from Swift Serenity. This movement from Gem Stone to get into position sets up the space the the Blazers eventually exploit." The replay continued as he spoke, showing the build up play of the goal once again.
"The way that she pulls away from her defender is a strong element of her game although the defender here, I believe it is Bite Size, should be , much tighter than she was in order to stop Gem Stone getting free." Zenobia commented.
"At the same time this is happening, if you watch Snakeskin the entire time, you can see he purposely checks over his shoulder and the area around him on multiple occasions." Harmony Wave chimed in. "Once the header from Gem Stone catches the defenders by surprise, Snakeskin only then makes his move and scores with a clinical strike."
The footage would show the replay of the Blazers team celebrating the goal before eventually cutting back to the broadcasting quintet.
"A truly dominant first half display from the Blazers. Do you think anymore goals are going to be scored?" Chase Spotlight asked, looking down the table at his fellow broadcasters.
"The way that they pushed up for that third goal makes it pretty clear they've still got energy left, I definitely think they'll score at least one more goal in the second half." Billboard Analogue answered, Birdseye View nodding his head in agreement.
"Hopefully the defence has themselves a good showing too, they've done so so far." Zenobia said.
"Those team talks will need to be good ones." Harmony Wave commented.
"Well, I'm sure that whatever happens, this game will have more twists and turns to it once the second half gets underway after these messages." Chase Spotlight said before the broadcast would cut to an advertisement break.
"Welp, I'm going to go stretch my legs." Lockdown spoke up. "Anyone coming?"
With several looks exchanged between the others and various nods following suit, they would all stand up one by one.
"Where to?" Radiant Shine asked with a curious smile.
◇◇◇◇◇
The walk was only a short one, which resulted in them regrouping with the rest of the team as they were making their way back to the media room. Radiant Shine and Diamond Ace had time to grab a quick snack from one of the vending machines on the way back, both grabbing an energy bar each.
As the team walked together as a cohesive unit, Radiant Shine had her gaze turned towards the ground, her brain working away. If I were playing for the Blazers.... what would our gameplan be for this second half? Keeping their hooves on the gas? With a first half like that, you would most likely want to finish the game strong, wouldn't you? Her thought process was interrupted by a nudge from her left side, bringing her back to reality.
"Making the face whilst not even watching the game? You feeling okay?" Diamond Ace chuckled, getting a playful shove in response.
"Oh hush. Is keeping my mind on the game so bad?" Radiant Shine asked in response.
"Now I never said there was an issue with it." Diamond Ace said.
"Uhuh, sure you weren't." Radiant Shine pouted.
"You two done flirting?" Lockdown's voice came from behind them.
"Oh trust me, if that was flirting, you'd know." Diamond Ace responded, turning to face him. Her statement succeeded in both shutting Lockdown up and making his face turn a bright shade of red. His face wasn't the only one as Radiant Shine's did the same.
"That answer your question, Lock?" Desert Storm chuckled as he walked by, Lockdown quickly nodding his head in response.
"Well, let's get a move on. The second half will be starting soon." Onyx Spear said.
With that, the team would continue back towards the media room, the sound of the broadcast coming from inside. Radiant Shine made her way inside, walking back towards her seat and sitting down, her attention quickly turning back to the screen as the rest of the team took their seats, one by one. Perfect timing.
"Welcome back everyone, to this second half of action in this Bright Sparks Cup Semi-final." Lens Focus spoke up as the field came back into full view on screen once again. "Substitutions on both sides to begin this second half and maybe a change of formation too, Blush?"
"That's right, Lens, it's double subs on both sides for the second half." Brace Blush agreed. "There's two changes being made for Dodge Junction, as Solid Dozen and Bite Size are both making way for Zonal Coverage and Short Stack respectively. With the latter coming in, it looks like they're going to move to a back four in that defence. Maybe looking at damage limitation?"
As she spoke, two graphics appeared on screen, displaying the previously mentioned substitutions. Once those graphics had both been shown, another appeared to show the new formation that Dodge Junction would be playing in for the second half.
"The two substitutes on the side of San Franciscolt, accompanying their own formation change, are Radar coming in for Ezra and Bishop coming in for Zen. It looks as though Radar will step into midfield adding a third member." Lens Focus added. "We'll see what happens in this second half as it gets underway shortly." As he spoke, the substitution graphics returned, but this time in a piercing red compared to the previous bright orange, followed by the Blazers new formation for the second half.
A few minutes would pass by as the final second half preparations were completed, culminated by the blowing of the referee's whistle. With that, the Blazers got the second half underway, passing the ball around amongst themselves in their own half so that each player could get a feeling for the ball once more.
"Any second half predictions?" Enenra Typhoon asked, looking around at everyone else.
"Honestly?" Iron Bison asked, turning to look at him and getting a nod in reply. "I'm going for the final score being 6 - 1." His response got a few varying looks from the others as a result.
"You think they're scoring another three goals?" Honeydew asked.
"Did y'all not see that first half?" Iron Bison asked.
"Bison does have a point." Radiant Shine spoke up, the gazes of everyone coming her way this time. "If you pay attention to the way that San Franciscolt played in the first half, as well as their chances, you see how they nullified the opposition when defending but they exploited the spaces when they were on the attack."
"Meaning what?" Bloom Moonshine asked.
"Meaning that their counters are their strongest weapons." Radiant Shine answered. "The fact that they're winning the ball and then quickly breaking up field shows that."
"You sound just like coach." Onyx Spear smirked.
"I just pay attention during film sessions." Radiant Shine replied, winking at him.
"Speaking of attacks, here they go again." Cinder spoke up, getting everyone's attention whilst pointing at the screen.
Radiant Shine turned to look towards Cinder and then the screen. Her eyes quickly located the ball and Radar, who was quickly dribbling up field with Snakeskin and Juniper alongside him, giving him passing options. His first pass would be to Juniper, who took the ball and swiftly dribbled past Caramel Crunch before playing the ball back to Radar once again. The passes continued to move in the direction of the Dodge Junction goal, each of the Blazers players taking a touch of the ball before looking to move into an attacking position.
Eventually, the ball would find its way to the hooves of Snakeskin, who quickly assessed his options. As he approached the edge of the Dodge Junction penalty area, many of the San Franciscolt fans began to simultaneously stand in anticipation for the chance that was building. He made his choice and played the ball out towards the right wing, where Gem Stone collected it in stride. The unicorn dribbled the ball up the right, picking her head up as she looked for a teammate in the area to pick out. Before she could make her choice, however, Tan Shackles shifted over his position in order to mark her, with Springboard covering behind him.
Gem Stone's window was quickly closing, although she was prepared. Pushing the ball forwards, she would perform stepovers in order to create more of an opening. Feinting left, she would drag Tan Shackles in that direction before flicking the ball back to the right, passing the ball through the gap between his legs in a delightful nutmeg. Her show of flair got a roar of approval from the crowd as she left her opponent in her dust.
"See you later!" Crimson Strike exclaimed, the others sat around him watching the screen looking rather impressed.
"She certainly moves the ball well." Radiant Shine commented. I'd expect nothing less from a winger.
As Gem Stone advanced further down the right, Springboard shifted over with the aim of dispossessing her. Shaping up against the defender, Gem Stone would momentarily look towards the penalty area, seeing her teammates once again flooding in.
"Swing it in!" Mystic Arrow exclaimed at the screen.
As if hearing her through the screen, Gem Stone shaped up to cross the ball into the penalty area. As she pulled back her leg, generating power into her kick, Springboard quickly rushed towards her in order to block the cross. Striving to prevent her from crossing the ball, by any means necessary, he threw himself in front of the ball and earned himself a ball to the gut for his troubles. The ball cannoned off of him and spun over the end line, resulting in a corner kick for the Blazers.
"He took that like a champ." Iron Bison said.
"Body on the line." Onyx Spear added.
"Fellas, you know when his adrenaline wears off that's going to sting a whole bunch." Desert Storm chuckled.
"True, true." Both stallions nodded in agreement.
As both sets of players prepared for the corner, many of them gathering into the penalty area, Gem Stone trotted over to the corner and placed the ball down on the corner mark. Once she had placed the ball down on the mark, she took a couple of steps backwards and raised her right foreleg into the air, a signal to her teammates. With her foreleg raised, her teammates in the area prepared themselves for the ball to be played in. Out of the entire Blazers team, besides Gem Stone who was taking the corner and Clean Sweep who was standing at the edge of his own penalty area at the other end of the pitch, only Swift Serenity, Radar and Crescent Blade were not inside the Dodge Junction penalty area. However, Swift Serenity was standing on the edge of the area whilst Radar and Crescent Blade were back on the half way line, ready to defend should the Tumbleweeds begin to mount a counter attack.
With the sound of the referee's whistle, Gem Stone ran towards the ball and struck, delivering the corner into the penalty area. The ball soared through the air towards the cluster of players as many of them began to leap into the air in order to be the first to make contact with the ball. As the ball reached the cluster, it would change direction upon making contact with an attacker's head. Caliban's head.
Having got to the ball a second before Buckeye, Caliban directed his header towards the goal, looking to score again and put the already one sided scoreline into out of sight territory. What he hadn't accounted for was Paradigm Shift, as she dove across the goal with her foreleg outstretched. Her hoof would make contact with the ball and safely push it away from the goal, the ball bouncing a few times before Short Stack retrieved the ball, closely controlling it then galloping up field along with his teammates as they rushed out of the box. Dodge Junction were countering.
"Go! You've got them outnumbered!" Honeydew exclaimed towards the screen as the Tumbleweeds rushed up field.
"It's five on three!" Hopscotch Palette added.
The advancing Dodge Junction players, consisting of Short Stack, who had the ball, Zonal Coverage, Chestnut Roundup, Buckeye and Red Alert rushed towards the halfway line. As they advanced, Swift Serenity, Radar and Crescent Blade backpedalled in order to try and contain the onrushing opposition. The Dodge Junction players exchanged passes with one another, looking to exploit the open space ahead of them.
"Come on Tumbleweeds!" Diamond Ace called out.
"Find a way through." Zela added.
The San Franciscolt players were rushing back to aid their teammates, although the Dodge Junction advance had been sprung on them out of nothing. The ball eventually found its way to Buckeye, at the edge of the San Franciscolt penalty area, with Crescent Blade between him and the goal. Facing up to her, Buckeye knocked the ball forwards and started performing stepovers in order to throw her off, making her have to focus on the ball instead of his hooves. They proved to be effectively as Crescent Blade had to come to a full stop, making herself flat-footed in order to read his movements, which was the trigger Buckeye waited for. Once Crescent Blade had come to a full stop, Buckeye knocked the ball to the side of her and galloped by, leaving her two or three steps behind as she had further to turn in order to pursue him.
"Shoot!" The on watching Baltimare team all exclaimed together, many of them shuffling to the edge of their seats.
Shifting his weight to open up his body and give himself a better shooting angle, Buckeye took the shot. The ball rushed towards the goal, its flightpath straight and focused, only to be diverted at the last moment by a lunging Clean Sweep as he leapt across the goalmouth and stuck out a foreleg to reach for the ball. His outstretched leg, coming up in the nick of time, knocked the ball off of its intended goal-bound course, resulting in the ball slamming into the post with an audible clatter that everyone in the stadium and watching the broadcast heard, a groan of exasperation coming from both the Dodge Junction supporters in the stadium and the Baltimare Varsity team watching.
The attack wasn't finished, however, as Red Alert bolted towards the ball, getting to it before any of the defenders could. With no hesitation, the Dodge Junction striker chipped the ball into the air, lofting it over Clean Sweep as he was still in the process of getting up. The ball bounced on the other side of him and continued its journey towards the open goal. Many of the onlookers began to stand up once again, feint groans and murmurs of celebration being uttered as the ball closed in on its destination. Said groans and murmurs would be as far as those celebrations would go, however, as Crescent Blade, who had still been chasing after Buckeye, met the ball mid bounce, hooking her leg below it and throwing all her momentum and leg strength upwards, launching the ball up into the sky and away from the goal in the direction of the halfway line, the ball not quite reaching it and instead bouncing over the sideline for a throw in to the Tumbleweeds. Dodge Junction's best chance of not only the second half but the entire game so far had been thwarted, leaving the scoreline as it was at 3 - 0.
"OH COME ON!" Lockdown yelled, throwing up his hooves in disbelief.
"How have they managed to get that away?!" Honeydew exclaimed.
"Can I breathe yet?" Iron Bison asked.
"That counter was incredible." Radiant Shine said. "That's what this game needed."
"Keep on the offensive!" Ximena exclaimed, standing up.
The ball having been cleared out of bounds finally gave everyone a minute or two to catch their breath and compose themselves, players, fans and viewers alike. The Baltimare team were each voicing their opinions on the attack as replays began to show both the San Franciscolt corner, the counter attack, then the two huge chances for Dodge Junction. Radiant Shine, though, was looking intently at the replays as they showed each aspect once again. The way they broke off like that. Did they have that planned from the get go?
Her eyes continued to scan the screen, even after the replays had concluded and the match was back underway, the ball being thrown into play by Short Stack. As the Dodge Junction players played passes amongst themselves, looking for openings, the San Franciscolt players would begin to press them, the openings that they were after being ones for interceptions or well place tackles.
"Well, one thing's for sure, we've got a game on our hooves now." Radiant Shine spoke up, glancing at the others sat around her.
◇◇◇◇◇
As the second half continued, more and more chances came from both teams. The Blazers were taking a overload approach, swarming the defence with numbers, whereas the Tumbleweeds were keeping up their fast build up plays and counter attacks, with the intent to attack before the defence could get set. The game had gotten much more end to end with each team looking to change the course of the game in their favor.
Radiant Shine had kept her eyes on almost every player and how they moved with one another, although her main focus would switch between the attacking players and how their movements would differ compared to one another.
Another chance would soon come, where a shot from distance by Juniper only missed the Dodge Junction goal by a few inches, causing the ball to fly out of the pitch and resulting in a goal kick for Dodge Junction. Before the kick could be taken, however, the referee's whistle sounded. All eyes would turn towards the referee as she pointed a hoof towards the sidelines.
"A brief stoppage in play here as the Dodge Junction Tumbleweeds are going to bring in their third substitution." Lens Focus spoke up. "Making way is Stonethrow Slingshot and taking his place out on the left wing is Sapphire Topaz. Hopefully she can inject some speed and flair into this Tumbleweed attack in these final twenty minutes or so."
After Topaz had jogged onto the pitch, Paradigm Shift took her goal kick, kicking the ball high and long to the centre of the field. Both sets of players quickly shifted their positions in order to reach the rapidly approaching ball first, jostling for possession and moving in order to get one up on their opponents. Once the ball eventually dropped, Snakeskin and Zonal Coverage both jumped into the air, duelling for possession of the ball. Surprisingly, Snakeskin was second best in the duel as Zonal Coverage met the ball with his head, directing the ball towards his teammates.
The closest to the ball was Caramel Crunch, who quickly turned into space and played a grounded pass out to the left wing, towards Sapphire Topaz. The unicorn controlled the ball and turned herself to begin her advance up the field. Galloping into space, Topaz rapidly closed the distance between herself and the San Franciscolt goal, up until the point where Radar and Crescent Blade both stepped in together to block her off. Shaping up against the two of them, she would knock the ball into space, watching their movements closely. Shaping up to cut infield, Topaz assessed her options, only to be quickly cut off by Radar as he stepped in to block her pass. Running up behind Sapphire Topaz, however, was Tan Shackles, who would pass her on the outside and make an overlapping run into the empty space behind the two defenders. Topaz would play the pass at speed to her teammate, allowing him to continue moving at speed and leaving both Radar and Crescent Blade chasing after him.
Tan Shackles took the ball into his stride and with green grass in front of him, galloped towards the Blazers goal. Playing a quick one-two triangle pass with Caramel Crunch, the two of them bypassing Shoreline Seaboard with ease, Tan Shackles received the ball once again on the left side of the penalty area as his teammates joined him inside the area. Finding his target, he played an airborne pass in the direction of Buckeye, who was running towards the penalty spot.
Buckeye slowed his pace, in order to control the ball on his chest, cushioning the ball down to the ground before opening up his body in order to shoot. Once the ball hit the ground, Buckeye swung his leg and made contact with the ball. The ball didn't get far however as Kylen threw herself in the way of the ball, knocking it away from the goal, only as far as the edge of the penalty area and in turn Red Alert.
The Dodge Junction number 10 rushed onto the loose ball, approaching it faster then any of the Blazers defenders nearby. Drawing back his leg, Red Alert swung through and connected with the ball, sending a low driven shot through the crowd of players in the area. For a moment the stadium went silent as the ball zipped towards the goal, Clean Sweep throwing himself into a full dive. However, the sound that greeted the ears of everyone within audible range was not that of a goalie glove making contact with the ball, but the sound of the ball slamming into the goal netting.
The away section of the stadium burst into life as the Dodge Junction fans finally had something to cheer, as did the players down on the field. Taking a brief moment to let out a passionate yell, Red Alert then rushed over to the ball laying in the San Franciscolt goal and grabbed hold of it, throwing it back out towards the centre circle. The Tumbleweeds were back in the game and wanted to get it going again. The scoreboard at the far side of the stadium let out it's fourth chime of the match, the chime being much louder this time thanks to a lower volume of cheers combatting it compared to before.
70 minutes played
San Fran. Blazers 3 - 1 Dodge Junc. Tumbleweeds
"Let's go Tumbleweeds!" Lockdown exclaimed.
"They managed to actually score." Radiant Shine added, a soft smile on her face. That fast counter attacking tactic really came in handy.
As the replays showed Red Alert's goal, Radiant Shine watched intently, taking into account the positions of the players and each of their movements towards the ball and the goal, even taking note of how Red Alert struck the ball. Once the replays had concluded and both sets of players were in position in their respective halves of the field, San Franciscolt would get the game underway once again. The San Franciscolt players began exchanging passes between one another, although they were quickly pressured by the Dodge Junction players, who now that they had scored were in the mood to truly get back into the match. The calm passing nature of the Blazers only lasted a minute or two before Crescent Blade, who had both Red Alert and Chestnut Roundup baring down on her, was hastily forced to make a decision, her decision being to kick the ball high and long up the field hoping one of her teammates would win the aerial duel.
All eyes were on the ball as it dropped towards the middle of the pitch. With the players in midfield jostling to win the ball once again, Caramel Crunch and Zonal Coverage were both touch tight to Snakeskin who, by his body language, was getting agitated by the both of them. When the ball eventually came into range, the three would jump into the air together and much to Snakeskin's frustration, he would lose the aerial duel for a second time as Caramel Crunch got to the ball first, using the additional leverage from her teammate in order to win the ball and play a headed pass towards Short Stack on the right hand side of the field.
Short Stack took the ball in his stride, galloping up the field, the rest of his team moving up with him in the direction of the San Franciscolt goal. Exchanging several passes with his teammates, he continued to move up the field and eventually had the ball returned to him. Moving towards the penalty area, he shifted his body in order to generate the required power to cross the ball into his teammates. Connecting with the ball, Short Stack crossed the ball, giving it a high arc in order for it to be the easiest for his teammates to make contact with.
As the ball soared into the area, players from both teams began to rise as they attacked the ball. This time, a Blazers player did manage to win the ball as Kylen got her head to the ball first, managing to clear the ball out of the area, but not completely out of danger. With the ball falling towards the ground, Sapphire Topaz quickly rushed to the ball and controlled it with her hoof. Quickly finding a passing option, she laid the ball off to the left side, Tan Shackles receiving the ball and pushing forward towards the area once again, looking for a teammate.
Moving forward, Tan Shackles wasted no time in shaping up to cross the ball into the area, everyone within it finding a spot to position themselves in. Many of the defenders had matched up with an attacker, Red Alert in particular having both Kylen and Shoreline Seaboard marking him. Tan Shackles picked out his target and played his pass, disguising the direction as he kept his eyes on Red Alert but cut the ball back towards Buckeye.
Buckeye controlled the ball and shaped to strike the ball, but was momentarily halted as Snakeskin rushed in to tackle his fellow batpony. The former, however, was prepared for his tackle and rolled the ball the opposite direction as Snakeskin slid straight past him, the Dodge Junction fans giving a small appreciative cheer. With his immediate vicinity clear, Buckeye turned toward the goal and sliced through the ball, launching a powerful shot that lodged itself into the top corner and nestled in the netting of the San Franciscolt goal.
The Dodge Junction fans in the stadium erupted into another cheer as the players rushed to grab the ball from inside the goal and place it back on the centre spot. As the Dodge Junction players ran back towards their own half and the Blazers players were resorting to asking one another what was happening and venting their frustrations, the scoreboard chime would once again ring out as the fifth goal of the game was added.
74 minutes played
San Fran. Blazers 3 - 2 Dodge Junc. Tumbleweeds
◇◇◇◇◇
Every member of the Baltimare Varsity team jumped up out of their seats as the second goal was scored and the replays began to play on screen.
"They scored again?!" Honeydew exclaimed in shock.
"This is insane!" Crimson Strike added.
"Talk about a momentum shift." Diamond Ace followed up.
"Wow. Now this is a game." Radiant Shine said.
"Well, whichever one of y'all said 3 - 2, you got your wish." Lockdown said, looking at the rest of the team as they all began sitting down.
"I had it the other way around for who would win but the scoreline appears to be intact." Zela answered.
"There's still time left though, anything could happen." Onyx Spear spoke up.
"The next goal will be the most important." Radiant Shine said.
"Either a winner or a leveller. It's a huge one regardless." Diamond Ace agreed.
"Look, they are making a substitution." Ximena spoke up as she pointed at the screen. Looking at Ximena as she spoke, Radiant Shine followed her to look at the screen, the rest of the team following suit.
On the screen would be the same substitution graphic that they had seen several times already, adorning the red of the San Franciscolt Blazers. Showing the two names of the players that would be trading places on the field, several surprised reactions followed upon seeing who was coming off the field.
"Snakeskin's being taken out?" Radiant Shine muttered in surprise. Although, losing two aerial duels and getting juked like that leading to a goal probably wasn't helping his case.
With the graphic off the screen and the cameras back on the match, the camera focused on the zebra as she entered the field of play, the number 33 on the back of her jersey visible as she galloped to her teammates and gave them their instructions before they promptly switched back into the formation that they had begun the game with.
With both teams ready to kick off once more, Caliban passed the ball back to his teammates and both teams got straight to work. With the additional defender on the field once again, the Blazers were able to exchange passes much easier than before, which resulted in the Tumbleweeds being unable to steal the ball as easily as they had done. As a result of the chunk of possession and several minutes ticking by, the ball was moved up the field gradually by the Blazers, eventually reaching the hooves of Juniper.
Juniper would turn up field and begin dribbling towards the Dodge Junction penalty area, with Radar and Crescent Blade either side of her and Caliban, Gem Stone and Swift Serenity ahead of her. Selecting the easy option, Juniper passed the ball sideways to Crescent Blade, who made her way up the field and began looking for more options.
"What's with the slower build up all of a sudden? There's less than ten minutes left." Iron Bison asked.
"They've just conceded two goals in four minutes, I don't know about you but I wouldn't be in a rush to lose the ball again just after I have it back." Desert Storm said, turning to face him.
"Let's just see what happens, huh?" Onyx Spear said, gesturing back towards the screen.
Hearing his words, they all looked back at the screen as the final stages of the match continued to play out. Radiant Shine cast her gaze to the top left corner of the screen, locking in on the small clock that had been counting up towards the 90 minute mark. 80 minutes down. 10 to go.
Chances would be exchanged between the sides, lessening the time remaining, although Dodge Junction would be on the more aggresive side of things as they were chasing the game. Throwing in more tackles and flooding numbers forward, Dodge Junction still had all the work to do.
82 minutes...
Chestnut roundup controlled the ball on the right side of the penalty area before flicking the ball past a lunging challenge from Bishop, moving a few yards further in field and curling a shot towards the bottom corner. However, it was pushed away thanks to a diving save from Clean Sweep.
84 minutes...
Buckeye played a swift triangle pass between himself, Sapphire Topaz and Red Alert before the ball was returned back to him. Drawing his leg back to take a shot from distance, Radar threw himself in front of the ball, causing it to ricochet off of him and fall to Xetsa. Xetsa would be calm and composed on the ball, avoiding Caramel Crunch's tackle before clearing the ball up the field towards her teammates.
85 minutes...
Swift Serenity controlled the ball near the halfway line and galloped up field, skilfully avoiding Short Stack with a nifty stepover which forced the defender to go the wrong way. Passing the ball in the air, at chest height, towards Caliban, she would continue her run further up the field.
Caliban, however, galloped in a direct line towards the Dodge Junction goal. Picking his head up for a moment, he took a simple set up touch out to his right before swinging a powerful shot high into the air, his target the top right corner of the goal. As the ball flew towards the goal, all eyes locked onto it, including Paradigm Shift's. The goalkeeper threw herself at the ball, reaching her hoof out towards the ball. Try as she might, however, she was a fraction too far away from the ball as it arced over her.
*KLANG*
A groan of exasperation came from approximately 90% of the stadium as both the Blazers fans and players watched the ball slam squarely into the crossbar before dropping to the ground, Paradigm Shift reacting quickest to dive on the ball and keep it in her clutches. With her holding the ball, it gave everyone a chance to take a breath and compose themselves.
88 minutes...
The ball was once more in the possession of the Dodge Junction team as they advanced up the field, moving as a unit. Pushing their defence up to the halfway line, their aim had shifted to pinning in the Blazers and giving them no way out of their half of the field.
"They're running out of time!" Honeydew exclaimed.
"Is it bad I want them to score?" Enenra Typhoon asked with a tilt of his head.
As the Dodge Junction players exchanged passes, they grew closer and closer towards the penalty area. It would only be a matter of time now, but that time was running out and quickly too. Each pass played between them was concise and purposeful, advances made by dribbling only relied on as a last option as any plays too risky wouldn't be brought into consideration.
On the flip side, every one of the San Franciscolt players were all behind the ball on defence, their one and only goal to keep their slender lead as just that, a lead. None of them would even entertain the idea of lunging in, for it would put their team at a numerical disadvantage.
89 minutes...
The Dodge Junction advance was momentarily halted just short of the edge of the penalty area, the players having to play the ball between themselves whilst looking for an opening. As players jostled for any form of an opening, the current ball holder, Zonal Coverage, had to figure out what he would do and how quickly he would do it.
Having found his target, he played a lofted pass, over the players that were in front of him and towards Red Alert, who was sprinting towards goal. As the ball dropped, he would have a decision to make.
His decision would come quicker than almost anyone expected, seeming to have already been planned out, in the eyes of a viewer that is. Red Alert threw himself forward and made contact with the ball in a powerful volley towards the goal. The ball zipped through the air towards the goal, arrowing towards the far corner. The moment of silence came once again in the stadium as Clean Sweep dove across the goal, reaching out towards it.
Like Paradigm Shift before him, however, Clean Sweep was one step to short and with the trajectory of the ball, it would find the far corner of the goal between his hoof and the post. That is, it would have found the corner if a hoof didn't emerge at the last possible second to smash the ball up into the air and over the goal, going out of play and resulting in a corner to Dodge Junction. The hoof in question belonged to Bishop, who picked himself up off of the floor with a passionate yell, his team rushing over to momentarily celebrate his outstanding save before they would quickly shift into defensive positions.
"What kind of block was that?!" Onyx Spear and Iron Bison exclaimed together in shock.
"Talk about a last ditch reflex block." Bloom Moonshine commented.
"What more do they have to do to score?" Sienna asked, half groaning.
As they chatted and the clock onscreen flipped over to the 90 minute mark, the screen would show the fourth official once more. As the stallion held up the electronic board once more, the number 4 flashed up, signalling the amount of additional time that would be played in the final stages of the match.
"Clutch time." Radiant Shine muttered, her eyes fixed on the screen. It's now or never.
With both teams in the penalty area, the final battle of the match began. The Dodge Junction players flooded the box, the only players not in or around the area being Paradigm Shift, back at her goal and Short Stack and Caramel Crunch just short of the halfway line.
The referee blew her whistle and every player braced up at the sound as it graced their ears. Chestnut Roundup would deliver the corner kick into the area, the cross a high one with a curving arch. As it found its way towards her teammates the first to leap into the air and reach the ball was Curb Stomp, connecting his head with the ball and directing it to the goal, only to be deflected away from the goal by Shoreline Seaboard before it could get up to speed.
As the ball bounced away from the goal, those closest to it quickly scrambled towards it. The one to reach the ball first, however, was Tan Shackles, who shifted his bodyweight to knock the ball past Kylen as she rushed out to pressure him. Tan Shackles then played a simple pass to Sapphire Topaz before having the ball returned to him and swinging it into the area once again. Like before, a Dodge Junction player was able to reach the ball, this time being Buckeye. He would flick the ball further along, helping it on its journey towards Springboard, who met the ball with his head.
Driving his header towards the goal, Springboard put all he had into it, despite being pressured by his opponents. The ball spun towards the goal once again, threatening to burst through at the death, but Clean Sweep was equal to the attempt this time. Lunging sideways and pushing the ball away from the goal, his save forced the ball out of play for a second corner to be awarded to Dodge Junction.
The additional time minutes were ticking away, two of the four having vanished into thin air. 92 minutes on the clock. The Dodge Junction team quickly got into the same attacking formation, although with one difference. This time, Caramel Crunch rushed up to join her teammates in the area, leaving only Short Stack left to cover in case the Blazers would get the ball clear and counter at speed.
Sapphire Topaz placed the ball down, the corner now being taken from the opposite side to the one taken minutes prior. With all the players gathered in the area, now accompanied by Caramel Crunch, the Dodge Junction team had the numerical advantage. With the sounding of the referee's whistle, Sapphire Topaz delivered the corner into the penalty area. The ball soared towards the area around the penalty spot as several players leapt into the air for the ball, including Clean Sweep.
It would be Clean Sweep, using his hooves and additional reach, that bucked the ball away from danger and out of the penalty area, landing at the hooves of Caliban.
Then it happened.
As he turned with the ball, the Blazers broke out in unison. Swift Serenity and Gem Stone were the first ones to join Caliban, racing out of the area to follow him in the counter attack. As the trio raced out of the area, they were joined by Kylen and Bishop, who themselves were being chased down by Tan Shackles, Buckeye and Chestnut Roundup. Roundup was the closest to the Blazers members, managing to catch up and making the situation a 5 on 2 for the moment.
On the half way line, Short Stack was rapidly backpedalling as to not be caught out by the speed the counter attack was happening at, trying to keep his eyes on each of them and deduce who would be the one to receive the pass from Caliban.
The rest of the Tumbleweeds were doing their best to scramble back and help out their teammates. The Baltimare Varsity team, were watching intently from their seats.
"That's the same counter attack technique that the Tumbleweeds used against them." Radiant Shine noticed, looking at all the players as they ran.
The advancing Caliban assessed the field around him, scanning his teammates' positions and those of the defender ahead of him. As he passed the ball to Gem Stone on the right, he would move onto the left whilst Swift Serenity took his place in the centre. At the same time, Kylen, Bishop and Chestnut Roundup all managed to catch up, Tan Shackles and Buckeye just behind them.
With Gem Stone taking the ball, Short Stack moved to cut her off. However, he was quickly outnumbered as Kylen ran by on the outside overlap, getting the ball passed to her in the process.
With Short Stack left flat-footed, Kylen shifted her run to collect the ball in stride and bare down on the Dodge Junction goal, the other members of the counter attack moving into the penalty area to receive her cross. They weren't the only ones however as Chestnut Roundup, Buckeye and Tan Shackles were right on their tails now.
Picking her head up, Kylen looked across the penalty at everyone gathering up and quickly made her choice. Playing a curved pass along the ground, instead of an in air cross, most of the defenders were taken by surprise, including Chestnut Roundup, who ended up jumping to try and block the cross, only for the ball to pass right below her.
As the ball entered the penalty area, coming in from the right side and Kylen sneaky pass, Swift Serenity moved in its direction with a swift turn of pace. Tan Shackles rushed in to try and stop her reaching the ball first sticking out his leg and trying to reach around her, but Swift Serenity's movements were clinical to say the least.
Shifting her bodyweight and pushing her back into his chest, Tan Shackles could only watch as the ball passed cleanly through their legs, neither of them touching the ball in a clever fake out by the pegasus.
As the ball passed through them, one player was lurking behind them, waiting for the ball to come to him. With the number 9 embezzled on the back of his San Franciscolt jersey, Caliban raced forward and connected his hoof with the ball at the first time of asking, powerfully slamming the ball into the back of the net, just out of the reach of Paradigm Shift.
For one final time, the Blazers Colosseum exploded into a mosh pit of passion and joy. The Blazers players sprinted over towards Caliban as he raced towards the far corner of the field, sliding on the ground with a passionate yell before his teammates swarmed him in a equally passionate dogpile, Clean Sweep even running the full length of the field to join in with the pile on.
As the Blazers celebrated wildly, the Dodge Junction Tumbleweeds collapsed to the floor in defeat, laying in various positions in disbelief and anguish. All of their hard work in the second half had been in vain as their Bright Sparks Cup journey would end here.
At the far side of the stadium, the scoreboard would give one more chime as it switched over the scores with the last second strike, although no one would hear it over the deafening noise. At the same time, the referee's whistle would blow, signalling the end of the match and confirming that the San Franciscolt Blazers would be playing in the Bright Sparks Cup Final.
94 minutes played
San Fran. Blazers 4 - 2 Dodge Junc. Tumbleweeds
Bright Sparks Cup Final Matchup
San Franciscolt Blazers vs Baltimare Varsity
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Author's Note
Hi everyone!
I'm so so so sorry for the long wait between chapters. Life is just being a pain for me at the moment. Don't worry though as I'm slowly getting things back on track with my upload schedule. I'll have more chapters from this story, chapter 7 of Fallout Equestria - Blowtorch & Corckscrew, as well several brand new stories that I have waiting in the wings.
Stay Tuned!
