Developers World Championship: Match Report - USA v South Korea (Quarter Finals)

VS SOUTH KOREA HomeRun Battle 3D (Com2uS)

Saturday’s quarter finalists had produced some scintillating soccer.

An ultra-professional performance from the sleek Japanese consigned the European footballing champions, Spain, to an early exit.

Romania and Australia, meanwhile, reached for the skies in an absorbing encounter, bringing back fond memories of the Brazil v Italy humdinger in 1982.

Japan would, therefore, take on the Aussies in the first of the iPhone Game Developers World Championship semi finals.

In the other half of the draw, the USA, South Korea, Scotland, and Finland would today battle it out for the two slots in the other semi final. America v Asia was top of the agenda at iStadium.

The Americans’ picturesque RPG-cum-shooter, Space Miner: Space Ore Bust had survived an asteroid attack from Austria in their Group C encounter, edging the tie by the odd goal in three.

In a bizarre twist of sporting fate, however, this time round the US side was pitched against its own national pastime in the shape of South Korea’s HomeRun Battle 3D. And no ordinary baseball sim at that; Com2uS’ sensational slugger had hit two out of the park in its tense tussle with Romania’s Magnetic Sports Soccer during the group stages.

Would this third quarter final see a home run from the Yanks or the Koreans? Batter up...

Kick Off: 3pm, 3rd July

The critical view: HomeRun Battle 3D had tried to cover all bases in its training programme this past week, practising set pieces until the Bath cows came home. This attention to detail brought dividends in the early passages of play.

US developer Venan’s top-down gunner had been converting crosses for fun in its round one showdown, but South Korea’s heavily customisable backline was prepared for this tactic and simply batted away each of the whipped-in balls.

Space Miner: Space Ore Bust weren't going to be worn down so easily. 200 shuttle runs per day had endowed the starting XI with admirable fitness levels, as was ably demonstrated in the 28th minute by a passage of play that was out of this world.

Motoring down the line at warp speed, the Unites States' outside left dummied to cross then cutback, leaving the Korean defender to swing at thin air. He then repeated the trick twice more, utterly skinning the full-back, who'd effectively struck out, before whipping Space Miner’s Silver Award from his heavily elasticated shorts and launching a rocket past the leaden-footed catcher.

Fortunately for Com2Us, this sumptuous gameplay and instant control wasn't the preserve of the North Americans. Indeed, the South Koreans soon displayed their own mastery of the Jubilani with a succession of curveballs, fastballs, and sliders as they searched for an equaliser.

It wasn't too long coming. After a couple of close-run things, where a striker was pulled back for a foul ball, they finally made a clean connection. An online connection, as it happened, sent all the way from back home to launch HomeRun Battle 3D’s star man into space. Suffice to say, he didn't need asking twice and walloped a homer into the roof of the net to level the tie.

The back and forth continued till the half-time whistle, but the critics couldn't separate them. This one was going to come down to the fans.

Rather uncannily, the cameramen even managed to pick out two or three of the more attractive members of the flock for the delectation of the audiences back home on satellite TV. What talent.

The Venan management had been forced into a substitution at the interval due to a hamstring pull in injury time, appropriately enough. Dispatching an enhanced and fully charged flyer into action, Space Miner: Space Ore Bust's coach was determined to regain the lead...and promptly.

Movie quality sound effects were filtering through from the American sections of the crowd, inspiring the US team across all 48 sectors of this mammoth iStadium pitch. Clearly adamant that their tongue in cheek adventure wouldn't end here, they upgraded their traded-in ore for some attacking potential and began another onslaught on the Korean's box.

It went without saying, but i'll do say, anyway, that the defenders were not lacking in their own upgrade options. HomeRun Battle 3D's slickly presented gaffer had a range of different modes and upgrade options on the bench. Ultimately, though, he opted against them, lest the changes would unsettle the rhythm.

This decision, or more precisely non-decision, proved fatal.

In the dying embers of normal time, Venan's boys reached a whole new level of play, courtesy largely of their Plus+ challenges, which had been effortlessly integrated into the attacking trident. As the South Koreans appealed (for extra in-app cash mainly), the US striker unleashed an UltracORE meteorite of a free kick from fully 33 yards that seared the Japanese #1's gloves en route to the net.

The Space Miners had struck gold, the HomeRun Battlers had struck out, and Uncle Sam was over the moon as his boys soared into the semi-finals.

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