KALIKABUZA

Chapter 40

'Hello to all our listeners! We've finally reached the final, and I'm going to narrate it for you all!'

'And I'll provide some commentary. Are you ready, Amy?'

'Ready, ready! Welcome everybody to the final of the hockey tournament, on Day 5 of the Kalikabuza Tournament. The thirty-two teams have given it their best so far today, but only two teams remain. Those teams are Swag, led by Duke Anderson, and Rainbow Cult, led by Jess Webber. In the next thirty minutes, we're going to see who takes the gold and wins the final day of the first week of the Kalikabuza Tournament.'

'Today we are at a high of 33°C, with not a cloud in the sky. We're seeing a big attendance of park-goers gathering around the rink to watch the match. That's quite a large crowd!'

'Spicysh! That'll put some pressure on both teams. The two finalists have a lot to prove today. The referee is stepping into the rink. She asks if both teams are ready. They are! She blows the whistle, and... game on! Team Swag is playing an all-boy team, with one girl as their goalie. Last game, they played all their girls, with one boy on net.'

'Yes, Amy. That's good sportsmanship—well, in the previous case, sportswomanship!'

'Right, Wer! Swag starts the match with a charge, with three players wide along the wings, and only two players holding the back. They seem to know what they're doing. But Rainbow Cult blocks Swag's attack, and steals the ball from them. Wow! Now they're on the attack—it's a counter! What can they do? Swag pulls back, and forms a defensive line, with four players. Rainbow Cult has difficulty breaking through. They lose possession. Swag has the ball. They counter back, at full speed. Duke has the ball, he dodges a defender, circles around another, shoots, and...'

'Scores! Wow! That guy has class!'

'Duke scores the first goal of the match. But this is still far from over! Rainbow Cult is not going to let that goal drive them back. They counter with a fast-paced attack from the right wing. What a bad move by Swag leaving that whole wing so exposed! Rainbow Cult takes full advantage of it. Jess receives a quick pass, he shoots, and he scores! The game is tied!'

'Bad move there from Swag. You can't leave the wings open like that. A good team covers the entire rink, putting pressure on each side.'

'Well, Wer, Swag is a pretty good team, I know that much. Right now they're keeping possession. That's good! They're passing from side to side, zig-zagging forward. That's smart playing right there.'

'Sure is, Amy. Sometimes it's better to play with your head, than to attack with rage. Find a weakness in the opponent's formation, and exploit it, without spending too much energy on brute aggression.'

'"Swag proceeds with a coordinated attack, sending all of their players forward. They put pressure on Rainbow Cult, continuing with the back and forth passing. Now the Swag player is one-on-one with the keeper! Can Swag score? Yes they can! Spicysh! That breaks the tie, and puts Swag back in the lead!'

'But can they hold on to that lead? Rainbow Cult wastes no time in their counter attack. They charge against Swag like some mad army!'

'They've brought all their players forward! Look at that, Wer, even their goalie is up in the middle of the rink! Oh, and a player takes a shot!'

'But Swag's only girl on the rink stops that ball! Wow, that's what I call reflexes!'

'It's Team Swag's ball now. They play it wide, and pass it quickly through the middle. They're not leaving any open holes this time! Rainbow Cult can't keep up with Swag's speed as they charge through! Swag has two—no, three—players in shooting range. They take a shot! Missed. Now Rainbow Cult have possession. They charge. Fast, aggressive! Brutal! And with a surprise, they overwhelm the goalie, and score a brilliant goal! Spicysh!'

'That's how you pay off your debt: fast! The game is tied once more.'

'There are five minutes till half time. Can they keep the score level, or is someone going to be leading the game before the break? Whoa, what is this? The ref has stopped the game. There's been an infraction. It seems like Duke of Team Swag has knocked down an opponent pretty harshly.'

'He looks mad! He should keep his cool!'

'Duke has been sent to the penalty box! Rainbow Cult will be on a power play for one minute. For those listeners who don't know much about hockey, that's when one team outnumbers the other team monetarily and has the advantage! Rainbow Cult substitutes two players. The ref blows her whistle. Let's see what happens! Rainbow Cult begins with an immediate attack. They show no mercy to their outnumbered opponents. Their substitutes are fast players who take to the wings and put pressure. But the ball is in the center, in the possession of Jess Webber. He shoots! Oh, but Swag's goalie shows her quality once again, deflecting the ball! But Jess quickly recovers the ball! He charges! Catches the defense off guard! Shoots! Scores!'

'That's the best goal so far, Amy!'

'But Swag has something to say about this! Duke is urging his team to attack. His team obeys! They're running fast. Swag's entire team—minus poor Duke—is on the attack. But time is running out! There are twenty seconds left on the timer! Can Swag score? Oh dear me! This looks more like football now! Both teams have collided. I don't know where the ball went, and lots of players are down! The buzzer goes off! And that's the end of the first half.'

'Wait, I saw the ball go in! And yes, the ref confirms it! Swag managed to score, a second before the buzzer!"

'Spicysh! Then the game is tied 3-3, at halftime. I am beyond excited, Wer. This game has been amazing so far. I can't predict who's going to win. Both teams have an edge. We'll see who takes home the glory! But now, we'll leave you with some hit music. This is Kabuza 92.0.'