Gvekuu update (round 10)

It is the 527th orbit according to the Gevey calender, and as the 81st Gvekuu season nears the halfway stage things are beginning to sort themselves out. The three cities of Emadiase, Pidome and Elfane are the powerhouse of the game, with 10 teams between them - 6 of which are in the masters league, with 5 of those 6 occupying the top half of the league at this point. Only Gadite from the Cheves Isles appear capable of threatening this hegemony. In fact, the master's pennant has not left the three cities for 9 years; it made a short journey down the coast to Fanstrate in 518. The last significant journey it has made was in 515 when Brege took it north to Nevari Isle.

Following the 10th round, which saw 5 score draws in the six games played (Elfane's Tratintesh, champions 2 seasons ago beat Brege at home to help ease their relegation worries) Arausuu from Pidome have built up a 3 point advantage over second placed Osemevrhesh, Elfane's other team in this orbit's masters league.

But the key interest appears to be settling around Emadiase's perennial underperformers. Krasistesh are the least successful of the four Emadiase teams. They have won the master's pennant just once - 25 orbits ago. 13 orbits ago the team delivered the ultimate humiliation to their long-sufferering supporters when they came last in the apprentice league. Since then, things have improved, with a new, young team being brought together to win the apprentice pennant in 520 and the journeyman pennant in 522. Their re-entry into the master's league has been a journey of thrills and spills: runners up in 523 and 525; just avoiding relegation in 524 and 526.

The signs at the beginning of this season did not look good. Two heavy defeats in their first two games - ironically at home to Aruasuu and away to Osemevrhesh - saw the team firmly rooted to the bottom of the table. But then the team pulled themselves together with 4 wins at home and 2 wins and a draw away to leave themselves in a strong position as the competition is about to pass the halfway mark. If they can beat the teams above them in the return legs and carry on their form against other teams in the master's league, then the city of Emadiase may just be celebrating its 19th master's pennant from the least likely of sources!