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2014 Blitzball World Cup kicks off in Midgar
The long-awaited Blitzball World Cup kicked off in Midgar earlier today, with characters from every Final Fantasy game forming teams with their fellow party members and competing with heroes from other games. It wasn’t long for one of the shocks of the tournament to emerge. Reigning champions Final Fantasy X, widely tipped to retain their crown, suffered an unlikely 5-1 defeat at the hands of Final Fantasy IX. The favourites took an early lead thanks to an early Jecht Shot from Tidus, and it appeared to be business as usual with Rikku blazing just wide. However, a superb headed goal by Zidane before the break was followed with a second, and more goals followed from Amarant and Freya to lead the rout. Many pundits were questioning whether we had witnessed the end of an era, with Final Fantasy X’s much-vaunted “Tiki-Wakka” style no longer being as dominant.
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Lady Yuna singing to fans at the 2014 Blitzball World Cup opening ceremony
Elsewhere in the tournament, following a colourful opening ceremony where Lady Yuna burst forth from a chocobo egg to perform her hit single “Real Emotion”, hosts Final Fantasy VII managed a 3-1 win in their opening game thanks to two goals from poster boy Cloud Strife, but controversy clouded the game against Final Fantasy V when several dubious refereeing decisions went the way of the Meteors. Final Fantasy V Captain Galuf was suitably angry, taking to Twitter to claim that Shinra have too much influence.
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Galuf suspected that the FFVII team were receiving preferential treatment
In other games, Final Fantasy I’s attempts to end 27 years of hurt got off to bad start against their NES rivals Final Fantasy II, who eliminated them from the Nintendo Championships two years ago. Expectations were low amongst the fans of the Knights in the crowd and although they ran out 2-1 losers, the fans were pleasantly surprised at their team’s attacking intent in difficult warm conditions at the Cosmo Canyon stadium. Meanwhile, another shock occurred when Final Fantasy IV, led by the best Blitzball player on the planet Cecil Harvey, suffered a humiliating defeat to Final Fantasy III. The Onion Knights crushed the Red Wings 4-0, and Cecil could only look on in horror as his team mate’s ill-discipline cost them the match with Kain being dismissed after a Jump attack on Ingus.
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Riots at the monument to commemorate meteor, as unrest spilled into the streets
Shinra themselves have come in for heavy criticism from the people of Midgar, amid claims that this tournament is an extravagance costing billions of gil that can be ill afforded while the residents of the slums suffer squalid living conditions. Several uprisings spearheaded by AVALANCHE agitators have taken place in Sectors 7 and 8, while the Shinra forces are pleading for calm. An un-named AVALANCHE spokesperson said “It’s cuz of those @!$%&# Shinra led by King VERMIN that the people of Midgar live like this!!”. President Shinra meanwhile announced his intentions to stand for re-election again, much to the chagrin of his son Rufus.
