Feature

Going Global: Spectator's Guide to Global Games

by Andy Marmer and JackThePhan | July 18, 2014

The 2014 Global Games, hosted by US Quidditch in conjunction with the city of Burnaby, British Columbia, will take place at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West on July 19.

Global Games will feature national teams from seven countries, two more teams than the 2012 Quidditch Expo hosted in Oxford, U.K. As newcomers to this year’s competition, Belgium and Mexico will look to prove their worth on an international stage, while returning squads France, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom will aim to unseat defending champion the United States. This spectator’s guide will be your go-to resource for anyone lucky enough to be in Western Canada this Saturday for the round robin tournament.

8:15 a.m.
Make sure to arrive early for the opening ceremonies and playing of the national anthems. We know it’s early, but this is guaranteed to be one of the day’s highlights.

9 a.m.
As one would expect, the hours leading up to the first matches of the 2014 Global Games will be filled with excitement, festivity and joy. A gathering of quidditch players from seven nations and three continents doesn't happen every day. National pride will be on full display with the playing of the anthems during the opening ceremonies. However, feelings of excitement and pride will take a backseat to a palpable determination from quidditch's two biggest powers. In the first game of the day, heavy favorite the United States will be put to the test against a cohesive and talented Canadian squad. With no shortage of competition between the North American foes, both teams have surely had the the first timeslot circled since the schedule was announced.

Look for the Canadians to employ a “Kansas” offense and slow the game to a snail’s pace, trying to keep the score within snitch range. The United States' point defenders and front beaters will be key because Canadian quidditch is known for a physical, rugby-style offense involving handoffs and drives. If Team USA's point defenders and front beaters can force turnovers, the much anticipated USA-Canada game could become a rout. For Team Canada, it will be up to Samy Mousa and Matt McVeigh to hold bludger control, slow the pace of the game, eliminate the United States' point defenders and win beater battles against the likes of Chris Seto, Ashley Calhoun and company.

Regardless of the outcome of this game, both teams are favorites for the winners’ podium with the Americans a consensus pick to finish first and the Canadians a likely second-place team. If Canada can keep the game close, expect the confidence of the United Kingdom, France and Australia, who will all be watching the North American grudge match, to skyrocket. Suddenly, the United States could face one confident and determined squad after another with the looming possibility of a rematch against Canada. A big victory for the United States against Canada could pave the way for a dominant day from the defending world champions.

9:35 a.m.
After watching two fierce North American rivals square off, take this chance to see why Global Games is such a unique spectacle. The only previous meeting between club or national teams based in Australia and France occurred at the 2012 Quidditch Expo, where France defeated Australia 80-40* on its way to a surprise second-place finish. Despite having many inexperienced players, the French roster had raw athleticism that teams like Australia and the United Kingdom struggled to match.

Two years later, Australia will enter the 2014 Global Games with a more athletic roster and tons of momentum after going 4-2 and defeating the eventual champions, Misty and the Grays, at the recent West Fantasy. Chaser Hannah Monty will be key for Australia, as her speed and finishing ability could cause problems for the French defense. Ultimately, this match could come down to the snitch catch, pitting Australian seeker Emmanuel Berkowicz, who caught three game-deciding snitches at West Fantasy, against French seeker Mourad "Tarzan" Ghazi, one of the top seekers in Europe. The winner of this contest will set themselves up for a run at the podium, while the loser may have to work to take a top-three spot.

10:10 a.m.
Field One features Mexico and Canada in a must-win for the Canadians, but the excitement will be over on Field Two where Belgium takes on the United Kingdom. Each country sent two teams to the European Regional Championship, where the Belgian Qwaffles earned the top seed in the bracket after going undefeated in pool play. In the semifinals, the Qwaffles' Cinderella run ended with a swift 100-30* beatdown from the UK-based Oxford Chimeras. With six Oxford Chimeras players competing for Team UK, including captain Ashley Cooper and keeper Luke Twist, the United Kindgom has to be careful not to overlook the Belgians, who will be hungry for redemption.

10:45 a.m.
There’s just one game in the 10:45 a.m. slot, but with defending champions the United States taking on the reigning runner-up France, we won’t complain. While France was no match for the United States two years ago, the sport has evolved considerably in that country, with France sending a tournament-high four teams to the European Regional Championship in February. France also has proven itself against some American teams. Attending World Cup VI in Kissimmee, Fla., the Paris Phénix went 1-3, defeating Oklahoma State University and forcing overtime against the University of Rochester.  While the French may only be sending a fifteen-player roster to Global Games, they will still seek vengeance for 2012 and would love to pick off the favorites. For the United States, it will be important to take care of business against a tactically and technically inferior French team, especially if the Americans stumbled out of the gates against Canada.

11:20 a.m.
On Field One, Belgium takes on Canada, but once again we recommend checking out Field Two. So far you’ve seen six of the seven national teams but have yet to watch newcomer Mexico. They face Australia in this match that spans the Pacific Ocean. A pair of Mexican teams traveled to World Cup VI where they were exposed to top competition, but at that tournament, the country showed just how much growth it still needed. The two teams in attendance went a combined 0-8 and were outscored by a combined total greater than 1000 points in pool play. As previously mentioned, the Australians looked strong competing at West Fantasy and should be able to handle the Mexican team.

11:55 a.m.
Just before noon, the United States will be put to the test again versus the United Kingdom in what should be one of the most intense games of the day. The growth of quidditch in the U.K. has been extraordinary since the 2012 Quidditch Expo and the U.K. National Team is ready to show the world how much they've improved. With a well-organized and rigorous selection process that included assessments of over 120 players, scrimmages, training sessions and strategy sessions, QuidditchUK finally arrived at a 21-player roster for Global Games. For the United Kingdom to shock Team USA, the United Kingdom's trio of keepers, Luke Twist, Alex Greenhalgh and Andrew Hull, must play flawlessly. Defensively, the United States will need to play a tight man defense to shut down the U.K.'s wide array of dangerous off-ball players and isolate its ball carriers. However, if Twist, Greenhalgh and Hull can command the defense and make smart decisions, Team USA could find itself in trouble.

12:30 p.m.
Following the excitement of the 11:55 a.m. timeslot, Field One hosts Australia against Belgium while Field Two features France taking on Mexico. France and Australia are both favorites, but let’s be honest, part of what makes Global Games fun is the novelty of the competition. Club or national teams from Australia and Belgium have never faced one another, nor have teams from France and Mexico. Each game holds the prospect of an upset, so keep an eye on both games!

1:05 p.m.
No games for lunch. Try to find at least one person from every country to talk to, and if you can get them to tell you about food in their native country, even better.

1:40 p.m.
After lunch and socializing, we recommend catching the United Kingdom against Canada on Field One. By 1:40 p.m., both the United Kingdom and Canada will have played the United States and how each team performed against the favorites will determine the atmosphere around this Trans-Atlantic clash. If the United States defeats both Team UK and Team Canada in the morning, both teams will be fighting for a second shot at Team USA in the finals. The loser will likely be sent to the third-place game, viewed as a failure for both teams.

With such high stakes, mistakes will be made on both sides of the ball and we believe the result will come down to bludger control. Team Canada, who will be missing offensive power players Adam Robillard and Jonathan Parent, will need their beaters to be aggressive and assertive, while the United Kingdom beaters can sit back a little further. The ability to stay in the play and avoid knockouts will be vital for beaters because we think neither team's offense is strong enough to wear down the other's defense.

2:15 p.m.
The United States takes on Mexico in this slot’s only match. While we expect Team USA to be a 21-player, well-oiled machine, not every member of the American roster will receive equal playing time in the big games. With a ten-player Mexican roster, the United States will be able to rest its stars and feature its talented role players and backups more prominently.

While we certainly recommend watching this game, if you are more drawn to Global Games by the spectacle, this might be a great time to meet some new people. You’ve watched a lot of quidditch so far; we’ll forgive you for taking a little break. While keeping an eye on the score, walk around and soak in the cavalcade of languages: English, French, Spanish, Dutch and German all spoken around one pitch.

2:50 p.m.
Two great games are going on in this time slot. Canada and France face off on Field One in a game that pits 2012's runners-up against this year’s projected runner-up. On Field Two, Australia faces off against its far-flung fellow Commonwealth member, the United Kingdom, where both teams may have gotten an early scouting opportunity at West Fantasy. During this timeslot, teams will begin frantic jockeying for positioning into the final, third-place game and the dreaded fifth-place game.

We project Australia will be sitting near the top of the standings and with its match against the U.K., the Drop Bears from Down Under will begin an incredibly difficult afternoon schedule that features games against Canada and the United States. Star keeper Raj Kapoor needs to add a couple of goals to his consistently good distribution for Australia to overcome the United Kingdom.

For the winner of the 1:40 p.m. match between the United Kingdom and Canada, caution and focus must be stressed. The winner of the Canada-U.K. showdown will surely feel as if they have clinched a berth into the gold medal game, but both Australia and France have the ability to dash the dreams of an unfocused opponent. For this reason, the loser of Canada-U.K. must also remain focused, so it can sneak into the final if the door opens.

Overall, this timeslot is one of the most unpredictable of the day and it will test each podium contender's mental toughness. We advise you to hold onto your hat because 2:50 p.m. could separate the men from the boys or it could complicate the standings and add a lot of importance to the remainder of the round robin.

3:25 p.m.
Unless Romelu Lukaku comes on as a late sub, the American team should be able to avenge its 2014 FIFA World Cup loss to the Belgians with an easy win over the Belgian national quidditch team. The Belgians are likely no match for the Americans, who, once again, will get to rest their stars in preparation for Team Australia. For fun, count the number of saves and blocks made by each Team USA keeper to see if any keeper can come close to Tim Howard's World Cup record of 15 saves.

This might also be a good time to catch up with your British, French, Australian, Mexican and Canadian pals. Do some sideline reporting and ask each team how they are feeling going into their final round robin game(s).

4 p.m.
Mexico faces the United Kingdom on Field One, but once again we recommend heading over to Field Two. The Drop Bears of Australia face off against the hosts in Canada’s final match of the round robin. As we've said, we expect both teams to be jockeying for slots in the various play-off games, so the atmosphere should be intense. With energy running low for both teams, speedy chasers with elite endurance like Australia's Minh Diep and Canada's Brian Wong and Rithy Min could have a huge impact on the game's result. In addition, Australia will be looking to Monty, its go-to scoring machine, for easy buckets. It will be up to Ottawa's Michelle Ferguson and company to shutdown the Australian standout by playing physical man-to-man defense.

4:35 p.m.
Tea time! Make sure to continue making international friends; we fully expect you to leave this tournament with pen pals from multiple continents.

5:10 p.m.
The final round of scheduled games before dinner and then a fifth place, third place and championship game. On Field Two the United States takes on Australia. The Australians played together at West Fantasy giving many American players and coaches the opportunity to scout and they should be well prepared, but while watching the Americans is always thrilling, we recommend checking out France against the United Kingdom on Field One. With the last round of jockeying for a bracket spot going on, both teams should have a lot to play for. France's lack of depth could be painfully obvious by the late afternoon, but we know the French won't go down without playing an entertaining game. Hoop-jumping, acrobatic French chaser Boris Martin is a likely candidate to provide the Kodak moment of the day, so have your video cameras ready. Otherwise, the United Kingdom will be looking to avoid injuries and end the game quickly so it can focus on bracket play.

Also, it may go without saying, but historically there is no love lost between the French and Brits, which could add to the on-pitch excitement. While national bragging rights are always important, and we recommend cheering for your country, the truly great thing about Global Games is that it will bring together athletes from at least seven countries and three continents, so remember no matter what to make some new friends (after all you’ll need a couch to crash on when you want to visit all these amazing locations).

Dan Hanson and Kevin Oelze contributed to reporting.