Kaboom play offense. Good offense.

Yes faithful readers it was only a matter of time until Kaboom stepped up their offensive completion rate. We all knew that some unlucky team was going to come up against us in that fateful game where we just didn't give the disc back and that hearts were going to be broken. Well today our friends from Sugar Mix who so kindly hosted us in Stuttgart were subject to a Kaboom offense that was precise, patient and in control. The result? We beat the second seed in our pool 17-9, which is a more punishing scoreline than for our game against the fourth seed, Ah Ouh Puc.

Before our game against Belgium's XLR8Rs this morning we set the task of controlling our structure and improving our option taking. After a warm-up that was distrupted by lightning passing over we took some crucial steps in the right direction with our handlers staying in position and holding our play together. We closed the game out a comfortable 17-6.

As we warmed down we caught the last few minutes of Sugar Mix against Squal. Sugar Mix were up 13-11 after time-cap, making it game to 15. We initially cheered for Sugar Mix (since they billeted us) but the terrible spirit of one of their players (#10, whom we later nicknamed "Tinsel") soon had us supporting Squal, who had been spirited and fair all the way through our epic universe point win against them the day before. A bunch of dubious calls and fouls helped Sugar Mix edge the Japanese out in their second universe point loss, which is crazy because literally EVERYONE else on Sugar Mix seems lovely. By the time we came to play them we were out for justice.

First point - statement of intent: We pull, chase hard, earn the disc in midfield and punch in a quick goal. We pull again, they huck to a contest and score. They pull and play zone - it took them to victory against Squal. We crush it. There's too much space in the middle for our active handlers and poppers. We pull again, they score on another contested huck. We score another clean offense. Mica gets a run-through block on Tinsel (#10) who's already given us the disc and we score. Adam gets a great block on a swing pass and we break again to go 5-2 up. We trade and they break back once to get to 8-6 before we break them again and take half 9-6. Their offense is clearly rattled. They're playing a bunch of iso-ish offense with their big male targets in the middle of the field. They're struggling to hit those targets and when they do our women have their downfield receivers covered. The pressure is clearly showing with a bunch of execution errors and bad options from Sugar Mix. We on the other hand are clinical. We've had maybe 3 turnovers in the first half and two of those are in the same point. They can't cover our cutters or stop our disc movement in match and their zone is too spread out.

In the second half our investment in team defense and clinical offense pays off. We're on O after half and we score, then break again. Some trading takes us to 14-8. They don't have a lot of answers and are struggling with consistent pressure. The score on of their offense points after our D line gives up the disc against their zone several times and we take the score to 16-9. We rest our guns and come down in match with a forehand force. They work the disc up the forced sideline before spraying a shot out of the field and we come up on O. The disc moves to the middle of the field, Erin Wallis makes a great break side cut which draws Tom Walcott's player. With his player running towards the break side and the thrower Tom goes where an unmarked 6 foot 7 receiver goes naturally: Deep. His cry of "Rank it" makes James Ley on the sideline smile and John hucks it deep for a goal reminiscent of a different team and a different time. That said, he does have the presence of mind to make it a footrace between Big Tom and the unfortunate girl who switched onto him so he's still allowed to be a techincal handler. Tom scores, we go nuts again and everybody's happy that Kaboom's offense has finally turned up in Prague. Except Tinsel, who's proven he's all about decoration.

The other day Max and Hebs were an a queue behind some of the players from Mental Floss Tycoons. With a surfeit of international experience and a bunch of world titles under their belts the Tossers just had a nasty scare coming from behind against Pie Wagon to win 17-15. With Max and Hebs flying under the "all the good players are North American" radar they were privvy to the candid fears of some of the greats of the mixed division. "If those guys [Pie Wagon] were the third Australian team, we'd hate to play the first Australian team." It's nice to see that Australian teams don't always have to match up against North American teams as the intimidated little guys. Thanks Pie Wagon.

In other exciting news, Adelaide mixed team Smurf knocked off ONYX, the Canadian third seed, to top their pool. Congrats to Smurf for taking the first North America scalp for the Aussies in the mixed division. Let's hope it's the first of many.

Keep sending through your good wishes, it's awesome to know the home fires are still burning.