2014 Quidditch World Cup

Warning! At least some content in this article is derived from information featured inHarry Potter: Magic Awakened. As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

2014 Quidditch World Cup

The2014 Quidditch World Cup was an internationalQuidditch sporting event occurring in2014.^[1] It was the 427th edition of theWorld Cup.^[2][3] The Cup took place inArgentina, in the remotePatagonian Desert.Bulgaria won the Cup againstBrazil.

Group phase[]

The group phase began in2012.^[3]Liechtenstein caused a serious upset in the qualifying stages by winning the group overChina, which had been the runners-up inthe previous World Cup.^[1]

The sixteen countries that qualified are as follows:Brazil,Bulgaria,Chad,Fiji,Germany,Haiti,Ivory Coast,Jamaica,Japan,Liechtenstein,New Zealand,Nigeria,Norway,Poland,USA andWales.^[1]

Nigeria andNorway entered the tournament as the two highest-ranked teams in the group phase.^[1] It was also the first year that theUSA was thought to have a reasonable chance of reaching the final.^[1]Moldova, which had consistently produced excellent Quidditch teams and supporters, and the winners of theprevious World Cup, failed to qualify due to an outbreak ofDragon Pox at their training camp. This left Moldovan players and supporters "heartbroken".^[1]

Much interest was generated by the return ofSeekerViktor Krum to theBulgarian National Quidditch team. Krum had retired following the team's narrow defeat in the final againstEgypt, in the2002 Quidditch World Cup. Krum, aged 38, was considered old for a Seeker, but his return caused quite a buzz, and increased support from those whose own countries have not qualified.^[1]

Pre-Cup controversies[]

The 2014 Quidditch World Cup was marked by several controversies even before opening matches began.

Rumours spread thatHaiti was usingInferi to intimidate opposing teams. The rumours were initially dismissed by theICWQC as "malicious and baseless", though it would be revealed during the opening ceremony that they were in fact true.^[1]

The accusations thatPolishSeekerBonawentura Wójcik was famousItalianSeekerLuciano Volpi Transfigured were only disproven when they attended a press conference together.^[1]

A further incident occured whenBrazilian managerJosé Barboza insulted theWelsh Chasers by calling them "talentless hags" —Welsh managerGwenog Jones promptly threatened to "curse the face off" him, and Barboza issued a statement insisting that his original remark had been taken out of context.^[1]

Opening ceremony[]

For the opening ceremony, theArgentinian Council of Magic planned it to be mascot-themed. Crowds cheered in the stadium on 12 April, 2014 as teams displayed their mascots with pride:

• Ivory Coast:River Genie
• Norway:Selma
• Fiji:Dukuwaqa
• Brazil:Curupira
• Nigeria:Sasabonsam
• Liechtenstein:Augurey
• Haiti:Inferius

Notably, Norway brought aSelma instead of the usualtroll. Norwegian managerArnulf Moe explained this by saying that theSelma represented the "steely determination and ferocity of the Norwegian players".

The ceremony went well until the NorwegianSelma and FijianDukuwaqa clashed in the small space of the lake. Handlers had to plunge into the waters to contain the mascots, but were hampered by the BrazilianCurupiras, who thought the handlers were harming theSelma andDukuwaqa. With panic in the stadium and blood flowing both from humans and creatures, the NigerianSasabonsams grew crazed and joined the fray. The rumours of HaitianInferi were proved true, as they joined in to attack the stampede, devouring those who tripped.

In the end, 300 casualties from shock, broken bones, and bites resulted from the disastrous opening ceremony, one being an infectedSasabonsam bite on Jamaican keeperKquewanda Bailey. TheArgentinian Council of Magic was ashamed by the record number of injuries before the matches even started but also found pride in the 10,000Portkeys transported for the ceremony, another record.

Tournament bracket[]

	First Round					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Finals
		Ivory Coast	100
		Norway	340
							Norway	20
							Bulgaria	170
		Bulgaria	410
		New Zealand	170
												Bulgaria	610
											Japan	460
		Japan	350
		Poland	140
							Japan	270
							Nigeria	100
		Fiji	160
		Nigeria	400
																	Bulgaria	170
																Brazil	60
		Jamaica	230
		USA	240
							USA	450
							Liechtenstein	290
		Chad	330
		Liechtenstein	470
												USA	310
											Brazil	420
		Brazil	100
		Haiti	DQ*
							Brazil	460
							Wales	300
		Germany	100
		Wales	330

*Disqualified (90 points +illegal capture of the Snitch).

NB: There was a play-off between the semifinals losers to determine third place; Japan beat the USA 330 to 120.

First Round[]

Norway vs. Ivory Coast[]

On13 April2014,Norway played againstIvory Coast, winning 340 to 100.Ivory Coast seemed not up to their usual level, and were easily beaten in two hours byNorway. Norwegian ChaserLars Lundekvam was twice the target of jinxes from wizards still angry about the disaster at the opening ceremony in the crowds, and the match had to be halted twice as security wizards tried to find out the source of the jinxes. Ivorian ChaserElodie Dembélé scored 7 of Ivory Coast's 10 goals. In the end, Norwegian SeekerSigrid Kristoffersen beatSylvian Boigny to theSnitch in the 128th minute.^[4]

Nigeria vs. Fiji[]

On14 May2014,Nigeria played againstFiji, winning 400 to 160. The match started badly for the Fijian side, as theBeatersQuintia Qarase andNarinder Singh lacked the ferocity of their Nigerian counterpartsAliko Okoye andMercy Ojukwu — theBludgers inflicted, as a result, serious damage to the FijianChasers, who scored only a single goal while Nigeria scored 40.^[5]

In the 141st minute, FijianSeekerJoseph Snuka — who had previously been dubbed an egoist by teammates — captured theSnitch, when his team was trailing 400 to 10. This move was met with the bewilderment of commentators, the fury of the Fijian supporters and the jeers of the Nigerians, as the game finished with a bruising defeat to Fiji.^[5]

Fijian manager and trainerHector Bolobolo's only comment after the match was "I'm going to kill him".^[5]

Brazil vs. Haiti[]

The third match, betweenBrazil andHaiti, took place on15 May2014. Brazil won the match 100 to 90, following Haiti's disqualification for illegal capture of theSnitch.^[6]

During the early hours of the game, the Brazilian sideChasersDiaz,Alonso andFlores made as many as thirty assaults on thegoal hoops; that they scored only ten goals is testimony to HaitianKeeperLenelle Paraison's agility and courage. Paraison's nose was twice broken during the first sixty minutes, one of them by aBludger mis-hit by her own teammate,BeaterJean-Baptiste Bloncourt. At the other end of the pitch, star Haitian ChaserClairvius Hyppolite was responsible for eight of his side's nine goals.^[6]

In spite of Brazil's narrow lead in the fourth hour, many felt that the Haitian side was outplaying the Brazilians when Bloncourt hit Haitian SeekerSylvian Jolicoeur (who was within inches of capturing theSnitch) with one of his poorly-aimedBludgers, and knocked him out cold. The Snitch thenflew up Bloncourt's sleeve — the Beater wrestled the Snitch out of his undergarments and held it up triumphantly,in clear violation of the rules of the game. Haiti was instantly disqualified.^[6]

Following the match, Haitian SeekerJolicoeur was reported to have been making a good recovery, and BeaterBloncourt to be in hiding at an undisclosed location.^[6]

USA vs. Jamaica[]

The fourth match of the tournament was on16 May2014, between theUnited States andJamaica. The final score of USA 240 to Jamaica 230 was not immediately ruled valid by theICWQC since there was suspicion of magical interference from someone in the crowd which, according to an amendment to the rules of Quidditch in1849, would result in their team forfeiting the match, whether or not the team ordered or approved of the magic performed.^[7]

JamaicanKeeperKquewanda Bailey suddenly and unexpectedly toppled from her broom shortly before USChaserQuentin Kowalski scored their ninth goal. The Keeper's fall was hampered by a well-timedArresto Momentum cast by the referee and, seconds later, on the 52nd minute,^[8] US SeekerDarius Smackhammer caught theSnitch ahead of Jamaican counterpartShanice Higgins, resulting in a narrow victory for the United States.^[7]

The timing of Bailey's sudden unconsciousness was so convenient that the ICWQC thoroughly examined the possibility of crowd interference. The crowd'sOmnioculars, from all over the stadium, were scrutinised, but no compelling evidence from the American supporters was retrieved. Later that afternoon, it was confirmed that Bailey was suffering from an infectedSasabonsam bite, sustained during the disastrous World Cup opening ceremony. USA, thus, passed into the quarter-finals.^[9]

Liechtenstein vs. Chad[]

Starting the17 May2014,^[10] the match between Chad and Liechtenstein was the longest yet, and finally ended on the third day,19 May2014.^[11]

Players took a short rest after eleven hours of continuous play, in which both sides displayed their evenly matched power. Each goal was hard won againstBeaters showing superb precision and power. TheSnitch was within catching range thrice, but thrice theSeekers were bested by well-hitBludgers. The man of the match on the first day was LiechtensteinChaserWilli Wenzel, who took twoBludgers to the head but still managed to score the third goal of the match from a distance of sixty yards. The score at the end of the first day was 140 to 120 in favour of Chad.^[10]

Players began to show severe signs of fatigue as the second day of the match,18 May2014, limped to a close. TheSnitch had literally hovered above ChadianSeekerJacques Miskine's left eyebrow for five minutes before he noticed it, and even then his reaction was so slow theSnitch was able to escape. LiechtensteinChaserOtmar Frick was believed to have fallen asleep shortly before play was stopped for the evening. The score at the end of the second day was 260 to 250 in favour of Liechtenstein.^[12]

On the third day, Chad was just ahead in goals when the exhausted LiechtensteinSeekerBruno Bruunhart managed to grab theSnitch inches from the outstreched hand of Miskine. When the teams finally reached solid ground, they wept and embraced in a pleasing show of solidarity and sportsmanship, and then went to receive medical treatment. The final score is Liechtenstein 470 to Chad 330 and the winning team will face the USA in the quarter-finals.^[11]

Bulgaria vs. New Zealand[]

The sixth match, betweenBulgaria andNew Zealand, took place on20 May2014.^[13]

On the 106th minute, refereeGeorgios Xenakis sent New ZealandChaserDennis Moon off, following a mid-air collision between him and Bulgarian ChaserBogomil Levski, which he ruled was deliberately caused by Moon. Whether or not Xenakis was influenced by rumours that Moon and Levski have a long-standing feud (since the crash appeared accidental from many parts of the stadium), his decision undoubtedly turned the match in Bulgaria's favour. New Zealand managerCharlie Baverstock proclaimed himself "madder than a bloke who's been locked in a box ofFwoopers" at the decision. The Bulgarian side showed flashes of inspiration as they racked up an impressive score against the six-strong Kiwis.Viktor Krum's capture of theSnitch ahead of twenty-one-year-oldNgapo Ponika on the 134th minute^[14] was enough to dispel earlier criticism that Krum, who at age 38 is the oldest player in the competition, was taking the place of a younger player on "sentimental" grounds.^[13]

Bulgaria won 410 to 170, and will play joint favouritesNorway in the quarter-to finals.^[13]

Japan vs. Poland[]

The seventh match, betweenJapan andPoland took place on21 May. A well-played game all around, the match ended in a decisive victory for Japan, whoseBeaters,Hongo andShingo, were recently voted second only to the legendary 1994 Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, as best all-time Beater duo. Despite the Polish teams best efforts, the team's relative lack of experience cost them the match against Japan. Polish SeekerWladyslaw Wolfke was the highlight of the game, a graceful and daring flier, missed theSnitch early in the game, and was only just beaten to it by SeekerNoriko Sato in the 59th minute of play.^[15]

Wales vs. Germany[]

22 May2014 saw the eighth and last match of the first round,Wales versusGermany. The match went on without incident, until GermanSeekerThorsten Pfeffer attempted the life-threateningWronski Feint, failing to pull out in time and colliding with the ground at what onlookers estimated to be sixty miles per hour. Pfeffer was saved by the quick action ofHealers, who swiftly flooded the pitch and administeredSkelegro — Pfeffer survived the match and managerFranziska Faust later told the reporters that he was likely to make a complete recovery, although he had broken most of his bones and currently believed himself to be a budgerigar called Klaus.^[16]

Eleven minutes after Pfeffer was stretchered off the field, Welsh SeekerEurig Cadwallader caught the Snitch, ending the match with a final score of Wales 330 to Germany 100. Neither players nor crowd were in a celebratory mood, and only once Welsh managerGwenog Jones had heard that Pfeffer would survive did she tell the press she was "bloody delighted". Wales will now face Brazil in the quarter-finals.^[16]

Quarter-finals[]

Brazil vs. Wales[]

The first match of the quarter-finals was on4 June2014.Brazil played againstWales, winning 460 to 300. This proved to be the most contentious game thus far in the tournament: tensions between Brazil and Wales had begun shortly before the opening ceremony of the Cup inApril, when it became public that Brazilian managerJosé Barboza called the Welsh Chasers "talentless hags", which unleashed the ire of Welsh managerGwenog Jones, who threatened to "curse the face off" him (as it turns out, Barboza's remarks were said over a few drinks with loose-lipped veteran journalistRita Skeeter). Even though Barboza was quick to issue the statement that his original remark had been taken out of context, Jones missed no opportunity to belittle and insult the Brazilians ever since learning that her team would face them in the quarter-finals. On the day of the match, she was even prevented from entering the stadium in an "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HAITI" T-shirt (Brazil passed into the quarter-finals when opponentsHaiti were disqualified), so missed the opening ten minutes of the match, which were notable for the ferocity of play and three brutal fouls.

Brazilian ChasersDiaz,Alonso andFlores put in a solid performance, regardless of the ferocity of the other players. Welsh BeaterIefan Rice viciously sent aBludger to Brazilian KeeperRaul Almeida's head while theQuaffle was at the other end of the pitch, which earned Brazil a penalty. Special correspondent to theDaily ProphetGinny Potter later commented it "arguably should have seen Rice sent off". WelshChaserJackie Jernigan scored one of the tournament's most stunning goals from a distance of fifty yards, while it is estimated thatBeater Darren Floyd single-handedly prevented at least seventeen Brazilian goals. The game ended following a stunningSnitch capture by BrazilianSeekerTony Silva, who performed a spectacular dive in the 131st minute of the match to seize victory from under his counterpartEurig Cadwallader's nose.

As the Brazilians seized victory,Gwenog Jones attempted to make good her promise to curse offJosé Barboza's face in full view of the packed stadium. The Welsh manager was dragged from the pitch by her ownBeaters, and was later put in custody. TheDaily Prophet later reported thatHealers confirmed Barboza's skin had almost regrown, and that he was in excellent spirits.

Bulgaria vs. Norway[]

The second quarter-final match, on6 June2014, was played betweenBulgaria andNorway. It was labelled, by theDaily Prophet's Quidditch correspondentGinny Potter, as "one of the biggest upsets of the tournament" — the Norwegians, one of the joint favourites, were ousted by the Bulgarian side, who many considered lucky to have qualified in the first place, 170 to 20.

Bulgaria showed good form straight from the start of the match.Nikola Vassileva was responsible for both of Bulgaria's early goals, but Norway'sLars Lundekvam soon equalised. The end came almost without warning: in the 42nd minute, BulgarianSeekerViktor Krum performed what looked like simpleBludger-avoidance, and his Norwegian counterpartSigrid Kristoffersen not only neglected to mark him, but was actually looking the other way. After Krum raised his right hand to show he had secured the Bulgarians' victory, Kristoffersen flew directly to the ground and banged her head on it until she was dragged to her feet by KeeperKarl Wang. Krum, who had been written off by many journalists as too old and slow to compete at 38 years old, was borne from the pitch in triumph by fans.

Norwegian coachOddvar Spillum had no post-match comment for reporters, apart from broken sobs. Many fans blame theSelma that the team brought as a mascot (and which was the cause of a bloodbath at the opening ceremony) for the usually outstanding Norwegians' lack of luck.

USA vs. Liechtenstein[]

The third quarter-final match was played betweenUSA andLiechtenstein on8 June, with the USA taking the victory with 450 points against Liechtenstein's 290.

Both teams performed remarkably. USChaserQuentin Kowalski earned praises for his deft weaving and rolling, while LiechtensteinerOtmar Frick was the game's top scorer with 16 goals. Top praise, however, goes to American SeekerDarius Smackhammer, who secured the USA's place for a semi-final in a daring capture of theGolden Snitch on the 148th minute: it involved a breakneck dash through the cross fire of bothBludgers and risked collision with Liechtenstein ChaserWilli Wenzel to get to the Snitch hovering near Wenzel's left ankle.

Having historically put up a poor show in international Quidditch, being the only country to have embraced the game ofQuodpot, the Americans could not help but celebrate this quarter-final win as though they had won the Cup. Red, white, and blue sparks were thick in the air after the victory, harriedICWQC officials failing to quell such jubilation. The celebrations required the casting of about 2000Memory Charms onMuggles living around the edge of the desert, and special measures were taken to conceal them fromaeroplanes. A futher incident included the kidnapping of Liechtenstein mascotHans the Augurey by American fans, something that was only solved following terse negotiations between President of theMagical Congress of the United States of AmericaSamuel G. Quahog and LiechtensteinMinister for MagicOtto Obermeier.

Japan vs. Nigeria[]

The fourth, and last, quarter-final match of the Cup sawJapan defeatNigeria 270 to 100. The final result was a surprise, given that Nigeria was one of the tournament's favourites, but Japan put in a near flawless performance. The match lasted 63 minutes.^[17]

The highlight of the match was the veritable master class of Bludger work the Beaters of the two competing nations put on:Okoye andOjukwu on the one hand, andShingo andHongo on the other, framed the action; special Quidditch correspondent to theDaily ProphetGinny Potter pointed out that "[this]match ought to be remembered as the Battle of the Beaters. The turning point of the game was the staggeringly powerful shot hit byHongo, that smashed the tail off Nigerian SeekerSamuel Equiano's broomstick (aThunderbolt VII; professional brooms ought to be able to withstand all Bludger blows and an inquiry was immediately put underway). As Equiano span out of control, Japanese SeekerNoriko Sato soared through the middle of the action to seize the Snitch from the midst of distracted Nigerian players intent on saving their teammate.

Semi-finals[]

The cup is now down to four teams:USA,Brazil,Japan, andBulgaria. Former BeaterLudo Bagman reckoned he has the lowdown on every team in the semi-finals of the 2014 Quidditch World Cup, and rated their chances in the Daily Prophet, as seen in the infographic at the left:

• Brazil: 9/1
• USA: 12/1
• Japan: 4/1
• Bulgaria: 50/1

USA vs. Brazil[]

The first match of the semi-finals was played Friday,4 July2014 to Saturday,5 July 2014;USA took onBrazil in a game riddled with nerves.

The match went on for more than a day; at the close of the first day, the States were leading 120 to Brazil's 100^[18]. The game ended in the twentieth hour of play, with Brazil winning 420 to 310^[19]. Players on both sides showed signs of stress, causing them to dropQuaffles, miss-hitBludgers, and fail to protect theirhoops; US ChaserMercy Wardwell dropped the Quaffle five times before beating her head repeatedly against her broom handle until restrained by SeekerDarius Smackhammer.Fernando Diaz andAlejandra Alonso both had two Quaffle drops apiece, andLucas Picquery's miss-hit Bludger hit KeeperSusan Blancheflower in the face (Blancheflower then attempted to jump onto Picquery's broom to remonstrate with him): soon after she made the elementary mistake of coming too far outside of theScoring Circle, allowing Alonso to give Brazil a temporary lead, whichQuentin Kowalski reversed as night fell. The sun rising over the Patagonian desert gave testimony to the skill of both sides; dynamic Quaffle play by Chaser trios on both sides could have won the match for either side, but in the end it was Brazilian KeeperRaul Almeida who decided the battle of the Quaffle, as he repeatedly repelled American assaults on the hoops. The match came down to a fight for the Snitch, first spotted by Darius Smackhammer. Smackhammer may have won the match for the US, if it hadn't been for a pair of precision-hit Bludgers directed his way by Brazilian BeatersSantos andClodoaldo, which forced him off-course. Brazilian SeekerSilva raced each other on the very tips of their brooms, spiralling toward the ground before Silva caught the Snitch, ending the game in a Brazilian victory.

Japan vs. Bulgaria[]

The first match was followed by the Japan versus Bulgaria clash, which took place on Sunday6 July2014. For a World Cup that started out in such chaos and international hostility, the second match of the semi-finals was a refreshing display of sportsmanship. The match was decided exactly byKrum's 10th hour capture of the Snitch, putting the final scores at Bulgaria: 610 to Japan: 460.^[20] The early stages of the game were dominated byShingo andHongo, whose elegant Bludger work stopped play twice within the first hour of play. Soon after came a display of international sportsmanship that will go down in the annals of Quidditch history. With Bludgers flying around like the cannonballs they so oft resemble, Vulchanov deliberately intercepted a Bludger with his body to protect Krum. Vulchanov was knocked out and fell from his broom, only to be saved byNoriko Sato. Krum, instead of taking advantage of Sato's temporary incapacitation, pulled up and let the Snitch go by. By the 8th hour of play, it looked as though Krum would regret his previous sportsmanship; Japan was leading by 250 points, largely thanks to the work of ChasersRyuichi Yamaguchi,Kimiko Kurosawa, andYoshi Wakahisa, who showed that Japan had more than just two excellent Beaters on her team. As the game proceeded into what would be its final hours, the Bulgarian's determination began to pay off. The Snitch appeared for the second time; Krum raced Sato, driving her off, but refusing to catch the Snitch, a vote of confidence in his team and a stark contrast to his infamous catch in the'94 match against Ireland when he ended the game to avoid further humiliation for his team. Krum's second refusal to end the game marked the turning point of the match: the Bulgarians chipped away at Japan's lead, eventually tying up the score by sheer determination. Krum's faith and reputation proved true when in the 10th hour he performed "a magnificent piece of diversionary flying" which tricked Sato into believing he was escaping Hongo's line of sight. Before anyone, even his own teammates realised what had happened, Krum had caught the Snitch and secured victory for Bulgaria.

Finals[]

Japan vs. USA[]

The USA-Japan match determining third place took place on9 July, during which Japan won with a score of 330 against 120. The match was brief, it was bloody and few will disagree that it was brutal. Japan, who many thought would go all the way in this tournament, and the USA, for whom 2014 has been a breakthrough year, have both had remarkable World Cups. All fourteen players in this third place play-off can hold their heads high tonight, though for some – notably American ChaserArsenia Gonzales, who took twoBludgers to the face in the 34th minute – it will be extremely painful. The USA did well to score twelve times againstKeeperTodoroki, an undersung hero of the Japanese side who was on superb form, whileBeatersHongo andShingo were simply unstoppable. At the other end of the pitch, ChasersYamaguchi,Kurosawa andWakahisa put eighteen goals pastKeeperSusan Blancheflower before JapaneseSeekerNoriko Sato put in one of the most spectacular dives of the tournament. Zooming through flying Bludgers and a tangle of Chasers she successfully seized theSnitch from under the heel of AmericanMercy Wardwell, leavingDarius Smackhammer in a broom-lock withLucas Picquery. Once on the ground, the teams embraced in a heart-warming show of sportsmanship. Word has since reached us that the Japanese have presented the American team – whose supporters famously kidnappedHans theAugurey, the Liechtenstein mascot – with aHoo-hoo chick.

Brazil vs. Bulgaria[]

Main article:2014 Quidditch World Cup final

Ginny Potter andRita Skeeter reported live on the final taking place betweenBrazil andBulgaria on11 July, 2:00 Patagonian time.^[21]

Appearances[]

• Pottermore(First mentioned)
• Quidditch Through the Ages(2018 audio edition)(Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened(Mentioned only)

Notes and references[]