RSA Foam Rollers vs. Furuset Brickers. All credit to Focus Ultimate.

Author: Jamie Truong

Players had the second day of WBUCC marked on their calendars for one reason only: a storm was coming. With strong winds gusting in from the coast, showers dancing over the fields, and the threat of a thunderstorm on the dark purple horizon, all 1844 athletes were put to the ultimate test.

Day 2 Forecast: Wet. All credit to Focus Ultimate.

Open Division

Humiliswag (US):

With a slate of three games on the day, Humiliswag continued their train of dominance in the harshest of conditions. Their consistent disc movement in strong winds and suffocating defensive pressure have put them a tier above the competition by beating out the likes of UkrOpen (UA) 13-5, CUS Padova Barbastreji (IT) 12-5, and St. Laurent (CA) 11-6. Being 5-0 in pool play with a 62/31 goals for/against ratio is nothing to scoff at.

Salaspils Wild Things (LV):

The 10^th seed from Latvia has been nothing short of impressive. With three more games on their schedule, they continued to showcase their sky-high athleticism. However, their toughest test came against Murciélagos (Spain). Both teams put on a defensive clinic, with huge layouts at key moments. The scoreboard never saw a lead greater than two points, a testament to the evenly matched styles—Salaspils leveraging their height advantage, while Murciélagos relied on quick, short passes. The turning point came late when the Spaniards grabbed a crucial break to make it 10-8 just as time ran out.

With their backs against the wall, Salaspils needed an offensive hold and two consecutive break scores to pull off the comeback of the tournament. In the final minutes, Salaspils clocked in overtime on the defensive side, getting two enormous layouts on errant throws by. Forced into Universe Point, a monstrous pull pinned Murciélagos deep in their end zone. With Salaspils’s continued pressure, they were able to force a turnover right on the Spanish end zone line. Securing the win for the Salaspils was none other than #28 Justin Foord to #9 Benjamin Oort.

Salaspils Wild Things heads into Day 3 of WBUCC also undefeated at 5-0.

UFO (NL):

A team that is certainly used to strong winds is UFO, the 15^th seed from the Netherlands. The towering Dutch showed their mastery in windy conditions with a convincing 13-5 win over Italy’s AUT BeeFree. UFO controlled the game from start to finish, securing an early lead and never letting up. With scoring contributions from 9 of their 17 players, UFO’s depth was obvious.

Their following matchups, however, were nail-biting games with UFO winning both on Universe Point. First, they edged out Ol’ Berndad (US) 10-9, and then took down Freespeed Basel (CH) in a winner-take-all 9-8 battle. The Freespeed game, in particular, was a back-and-forth thriller, with no team scoring a break. UFO’s resilience in these tight matches has proven they can handle the pressure, leaving them in great shape heading into Day 3.

Mixed Division

Guayota Mixed vs. Appendix Ultimate. All credit to Focus Ultimate.

Guayota (ES):

If there was a better word than ‘dominant’ to describe Guayota’s performance on the day, it would be applicable here. For their two games of the day, the European Beach Ultimate Club Champions only allowed two points. I repeat, two points allowed in two games. They started by shutting out Singapore’s Appendix Ultimate in a flawless 13-0 performance and continuing their momentum with a decisive 13-2 victory over Mexico’s Condor Ultimate. Their relentless defensive pressure and faultless execution on offense were overwhelming for their opponents. With back-to-back wins, Guayota has solidified their reputation as one of the top teams to watch at WBUCC 2024.

SoCal (US):

SoCal, the top seed in the Mixed Division, put on a Beach Ultimate clinic in their three games of the day, allowing just seven points across all matchups. They kicked things off with a dominant 13-1 victory over Italy’s Ichnos, followed by a perfect 13-0 shutout against Switzerland’s Scorillaz. Their mix of sharp offensive execution and stifling defense kept their opponents grounded in the Portimão sand.

Their toughest match came against Austria’s Catchup Graz, but SoCal still managed to control the game after a slower 2-2 start, securing themselves a definitive 12-6 win. It seems as if wind, rain, and thunderstorms couldn’t slow down the Americans.

Pie Wagon (AU):

After a tough blowout loss against Corocotta (ES) on Day 1, Pie Wagon, the 7^th seed from Australia rallied on with an amazing undefeated run on Day 2. Their most challenging matchup came from Belgium’s Flying Rabbits. In a tight game, no team could really find their footing in the wet and windy conditions. Both teams exchanged blows with offensive holds and back-to-back breaks. However, late in the game, the Aussies finally broke the game open in the 44^th minute of play with a pair of crucial break scores from #1 Luke Prosser and #74 Kristen Murray. Despite their rough start to WBUCC 2024, Pie Wagon has proven to be a real threat in the standings through their resilience.

Women’s Division:

LAMP (US):

Through Day 2, LAMP remains undefeated. After solid wins against top competition in Jetset LUV (BE) 9-6 and a 10-5 triumph over Yaka (FR), LAMP has shown their ability to brilliantly move the disc along the sands of Portugal. #24 Danielle Walsh continues to be the center of the American offense, distributing a total of 8 assists on the day. Her patient decision-making and pinpoint throws make her a problem for any competitors. Teams heading into Day 3 need to keep LAMP —and Walsh—firmly on their scouting radar.

After E6’s (SE) dominant performance on Day 2, the 5th-seeded Swedes and LAMP are scheduled for a head-on collision on Day 3. It’s a dream matchup you won’t want to miss on https://live.wbucc.org.

Cassalletes (ES):

The ladies from Valencia, Spain had themselves two 12-round boxing matches. In a thrilling matchup against the 8th-seeded Salaspils FK (LV), the Latvians displayed meditative patience in their end zone play, finding good resets constantly. They utilized a huck-and-d strategy that kept the Spaniards on their heels when moving upwind. Their defense was tenacious, featuring tight marks and several impressive handblocks, as well as effective high-release backhands that opened up the field.

With the score tied at 6-6 and a gruesome turnover after turnover point, the Cassalletes found a loophole and made a statement with a massive huck from #7 Valentina Betancor Boerr, leading to a spectacular momentum-shifting layout from #15 Jenny Lee. An errant deep shot from Salaspils then gave Cassalletes an advantageous field position, allowing them to pull ahead with an 8-6 lead. The Cassalletes held their ground and went on to secure the win, 9-7.

The Cassealletes faced a tough loss on Universe Point against Poland’s team, Troubles, 8-9. They continue onwards to Day 3 with 3 wins and 1 loss.

Highlights from Day 2 & Looking Ahead

The wind, rain, and thunder have come and gone on what players have described as a ‘challenging’ Day 2 of WBUCC 2024. The best teams have been able to set themselves apart, showing their mastery of the elements. Stay tuned for more incredible matchups on Day 3.

To follow the schedule, standings, results, and stats of every game, be sure to bookmark https://live.wbucc.org. Ulti.TV will be continuing their coverage of the tournament on their YouTube channel HERE.

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