WFDF 2008 World Ultimate Championships: Who will win the Open division?

[Col.Mustard]

Who's got it this year???

~Mustard

[Seppo]

No votes for Japan yet!!??  I got a feeling they may just be the Cinderella team this year. 

Buzz Bullets - Death by a thousand paper cuts.

[Jangles]

frisbee bible

the book of seppo verse 3 line 16

Thou shalt play frisbee, thou shall play it on the sand, in the snow and anywhere thou can throw a disc. Thou shall layout on both O and D. Thou shalt worship no other god than the god of frisbee (except maybe the gods of wind, rain, booze and sex). Above all thou shalt heckle!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am bored at work
Jangles

[Chris]

No votes for Japan yet!!??  I got a feeling they may just be the Cinderella team this year. 

Buzz Bullets - Death by a thousand paper cuts.

Not that I have ever been to Worlds before, but from all the banter around the Aussie training squad this will be the best team Australia has ever sent to Worlds, and that applies to all devisions, Open, Mixed, Masters, Womens and Juniors. I wonder how Canada, Sock Eye and Japan are looking in comparison their teams of 2004?

[Tiger]

this will be the best team Australia has ever sent to Worlds, and that applies to all devisions, Open, Mixed, Masters, Womens and Juniors.

Are you sure, Chris? Your brother is on the squad... as is Robbie.

T.

[kevpak]

I know there are a lot of Aussies on this site, so this may be heretic, but I see the Americans and Japanese taking the top two spots followed by Canada and Australia. 

[sat]

I agree with kevpak.

Buzz Bullets and Japanese women's National team already started thier training for Worlds.
Also, Buzz Bullets will play against Sockeye at Deam Cup (in March, Japan).
It will be a prelude for Worlds this year.
Japanese women's National team will play against Fury, as well.

*2008 Dream Cup
http://www.clubjr.jp/2008dreamcup/?page_id=11

It will help both teams to improve thier level before Worlds.
Then, Japan and the U.S. will take top 2.
At the end, Japan will bring the trophies to our country, I hope...

Actually, Sockeye and Fury were very well at UPA Nationals last October,
so I don't know. Who knows?

[JdR]

Yep - expect Japan and Australia to be the teams challenging the traditional US/Canadian hegemony and making up the top four.

It seems the Europeans will be a few steps behind this year.  It doesn't help them that Vancouver is relatively long way for them (even though its just as far for everyone except the North Americans). Expect New Zealand and the South Americans to be rolling over the lower end of the European group and into the top eight.

[gref]

Results are in from the Dream Cup.

Open: Buzz Bullets over Sockeye, 14 - 13
Women's: Team Japan over Fury, 15 - 9 or 10

Needless to say... Japan is looking pretty hot for Vancouver.

Source: http://www.nnseek.com/e/rec.sport.disc/

[littletom]

interesting news. Sounds like its going to be a grand rumble

-Tom

[ulty_arnie]

Not to rain on Kevpak or anyone else's parade who supports Japan being in the final with Sockeye, but Buzz Bullets/Japan have never beaten Furious or the Canadian rep team for worlds.  They have always lost to Furious at ECC, at Worlds '04, and lost to Canada at World Games.  So those who think Sockeye vs. Japan is almost a certainty, might think again about how Japan will deal with beating a team that has historically deafeted them by a handy margin:
'04 Worlds:
CAN 17 - JPN 11
2007 ECC:
15-11 (I believe, but can't seem to confirm)

[Seppo]

This is true arnie, however I hear the rumors to this post might be true:

http://www.ultitalk.com/index.php/topic,370.0.html

FG is not the powerhouse it once was.  Yes, they'll be on their own turf and of course have home field advantage, but Buzz Bullets seem to perform just fine on the road.  Furthermore, BB beat Sockeye in the finals of the recent Dream Cup held over in Japan.  I understand the game came down to double game point (13-13), and BB marched down easily to win the game.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.disc/browse_thread/thread/dc5a798b50a14a51/5de1f1368f52d97b

So, it might be a long shot, but I believe the Japanese have a real chance at taking the Open division.  There style of play (blazingly fast with very few turnovers) is tough to defend.  Death, by a thousand paper clips! 

We shall see though.  Personally, I'll be cheering for the Green 'n Gold.  Carn the Aussies!!!!!

[ulty_arnie]

I agree with you, that they are definitely a favorite, but if you go to youtube and watch the ECC 2007 final between Sockeye and Buzz, you will see they both did turn it more than people lead you to believe.  In fact, both teams had 2 dump turnovers, so I do think the hype is a little exaggerated.  Are they the best two teams at the moment, I would say highly likely.  Will they be come August, I am not sure...but hoping not (as I am also cheering on the Aussies, lol)  .

[The Last B*stard]

Sockeye's top dog (says the Canadian)

Japan 2

FG unlikely to finish better than 3rd

[adriano]

the schedule is out: http://www.wugc2008.com/files/WUGC_2008_Games_2.00.pdf

Some interesting matchups in the pool games: GB v Sweden (replay of Euros final) and Australia v Japan!