RoboCup: KIKS vs. RoboDragons

The last game before ours is between the two teams KIKS and RoboDragons. The favorite here is RoboDragons, which is currently among the top four teams this year, along with Immortals, TIGERs Mannheim, and ZJUNlict.

You can find the link to the live ticker as always on the YouTube platform of Twente or under this link.

First Half

05:00 The game starts on time, KIKS play in blue, RoboDragons in yellow.
03:43 The first few seconds of the game start rather calmly, the ball moves on both sides, but there are no truly dangerous situations. Still relatively smooth so far.
03:04 Audible crashes of the robots from RoboDragons, without fouls being indicated, meaning the robots are crashing into each other, not their opponents. Perhaps a flawed rule? Or rather a poor strategy?
02:30 The underdog KIKS scores a goal! One of the bots passes from the corner towards the center, only for the receiving player to volley the ball directly towards the goal and scores. Unfortunately, the goal does not seem to count, presumably because the ball is too fast.
01:47 Very dangerous situation in KIKS’ half! A very hot ball is shot towards the goal by one of the Dragons, but unfortunately not on target.
00:31 After some ball placements, there’s a phase of very fluid play, but no really dangerous situation arises.
-00:05 Thus, the first half ends after only 14 minutes. A very nice and fluid game, even though there were only two serious goal situations. However, it’s noticeable that neither of the two teams is playing at the level of TIGERs, Immortals, or ZJUNlict.

Second Half

05:00 The second half continues, the teams still play on the same side and with the same jersey colors.
02:44 The game is very fluid, but not much is happening currently. The initial assessment that RoboDragons would be the better team is not confirmed at the moment.
02:44 The commentator is confused: When was a goal scored??? It magically shows 0:1, and I have no idea why.
KIKS 1 : 0 RoboDragons
00:09 The ball is moving around in one half, then the other half, but neither of the two teams has finishing power.
-00:23 After only 30 real minutes, the game is already over. It wasn’t really exciting now, neither of the two teams had a really good attack, but at least it was extremely fluid.

RoboCup: TIGERs Mannheim vs. Immortals

And so the third game of the day begins: TIGERs Mannheim vs. Immortals. While Immortals are doing very well this year, their opponent is TIGERs Mannheim. Therefore, we expect a very one-sided game.

You can find the link to the live ticker as always on Twente’s YouTube platform or at this link.

First Half

05:00 The game starts with a 5-minute delay. TIGERs play in blue, Immortals in yellow.
04:27 Already 30 seconds into the game, and no goal has been scored by TIGERs. Seems to be a tougher opponent.
04:02 Hot situation in the Immortals’ penalty area. TIGERs manage to kick the ball there, but Immortals can stop it just before it rolls into the goal.
03:52 Would have been surprising if the goal had waited much longer: TIGERs take a shot and score the first goal of the game!
TIGERs Mannheim 1 : 0 Immortals
03:38 And another goal for TIGERs, now they are really stepping up.
TIGERs Mannheim 2 : 0 Immortals
02:58 Immortals isn’t playing poorly, at least: They can hold their own very well against TIGERs, as evidenced by the defended goal. Even under pressure, the formation doesn’t collapse.
02:27 It doesn’t seem like Immortals are really attacking, but their defense is excellent: Playing 11 vs. 5 against a team that is not only a multiple-time world champion but has also swept aside every other team so far is absolutely remarkable!
01:47 Still, it’s only a matter of time until TIGERs score the next goal: 3-0 for TIGERs Mannheim
TIGERs Mannheim 3 : 0 Immortals
00:34 And another goal for TIGERs Mannheim, they’re now up to 4 goals.
TIGERs Mannheim 4 : 0 Immortals
-00:37 Impossible!!! After many battles in the midfield, Immortals achieve the impossible: They score a goal against TIGERs Mannheim. It’s now 1-4.
TIGERs Mannheim 4 : 1 Immortals

Second Half

05:00 And so the game continues. The teams have now switched sides, but TIGERs continue to play in blue, Immortals in yellow.
04:37 No matter how the game unfolds, the ball placement strategy of the Iranian team, “Cola Kisses Orange,” is simply a visual delight every time.
04:21 Even though Immortals are the moral winners for a long time, we must still admit that this is another goal for TIGERs. The score is now 5:1 for TIGERs Mannheim.
TIGERs Mannheim 5 : 1 Immortals
03:56 Once again, very good defense by Immortals: You almost thought you’d see the 6th goal, but the Immortals defense forced TIGERs to play a poorly planned pass that flew past its target and rolled out of bounds.
03:50 Timeout for Immortals. We hope they’ll get better and the game will heat up, but at their current performance, this seems unlikely.
03:30 Unfortunately, the timeout doesn’t seem to have changed anything fundamental, as TIGERs takes another shot at the goal. The Immortals keeper missed it a bit, but he could have managed it.
TIGERs Mannheim 6 : 1 Immortals
02:43 And another goal for TIGERs, making it 7:1.
TIGERs Mannheim 7 : 1 Immortals
02:17 Too bad, now the goals are raining for Immortals. The keeper defended well for a long time, but eventually he was a bit off, allowing the ball to zip past him and roll into the goal.
TIGERs Mannheim 8 : 1 Immortals
01:49 And once again, the keeper is slightly off, he even almost dodged, which leads to another goal. Perhaps they should fine-tune this to get even closer to the perfect defense.
TIGERs Mannheim 9 : 1 Immortals
01:23 That’s it. The keeper is off again, and the game ends prematurely at 10:1.
TIGERs Mannheim 10 : 1 Immortals
00:00 A beautiful game. It was truly great to see, probably also for all the team members of TIGERs, that the Mannheim robots were given a serious opponent. And with only 5 robots! That’s what this tournament is for. Absolute viewing factor!
01:06 We’re postponing the conclusion and the final goal a little bit, because the goal DID NOT count, Immortals is still in the running!
TIGERs Mannheim 9 : 1 Immortals
00:47 Just barely: Immortals managed to prevent TIGERs’ shot at goal, and so the game continues. Currently, everyone hopes that Immortals will survive the remaining game time. They’ve earned it.
00:18 Too bad, there were only a few seconds left they had to hold out. But that’s how it is: TIGERs Mannheim scores the last goal, the game is officially over, this time for real.
TIGERs Mannheim 10 : 1 Immortals

RoboCup: ZJUNlict vs. RoboDragons

The second game of the day is ZJUNlict vs. RoboDragons. The clear favorite here is ZJUNlict, although they had some issues with their robots here and there. You can find the link to the live ticker as always on Twente’s YouTube platform or at this link

First Half

05:00 The game starts with a half-hour delay. ZJUNlict is in yellow, RoboDragons in blue.
04:33 Shot on goal by ZJUNlict, but the ball was at 7.2 m/s, clearly too fast, the limit is 6 m/s. Therefore, it remains 0-0
04:26 Counterattack by RoboDragons, but the ZJUNlict goalkeeper clears with a chip kick. Maybe the game will be more exciting than expected.
03:43 Many game situations in the midfield and the RoboDragons’ half; the game is running very smoothly so far. ZJUNlict’s dribbler is as expected ridiculously good; apparently, they use almost no dribbler damping and consider this a secret to their success.
02:53 Very dangerous situation in RoboDragons’ field. Only a few millimeters were missing for a goal, but the goalkeeper can clear at the last second. Let’s see how long that holds up; the dominance of ZJUNlict is clearly recognizable.
02:53 RoboDragons now take a timeout.
02:12 Currently, the game is meandering along; there are no real eye-catchers at the moment.
01:17 Attacks on both sides, but both teams have been able to clear so far.
00:16 Not much of the initial dominance can be seen at the moment. A very dangerous situation in ZJUNlict’s half, but it remains without consequences.
00:00 And so it goes into halftime without any goals. While RoboDragons have been impressive, showing significant progress compared to previous years, ZJUNlict disappoints: Instead of strong dominance, fast play, and clever use of their dribbler, there are many missed passes and defensive maneuvers in their own half. However, ZJUNlict is a wildcard; they showed excellent performances in the two test matches against TIGERs Mannheim (unfortunately not recorded).

Second Half

05:00 The game continues with the second half; neither team colors nor sides have changed.
04:42 And now, finally, the first goal is scored, as expected by ZJUNlict.
ZJUNlict 1 : 0 RoboDragons
03:40 The game is meandering along again. RoboDragons now take another lengthy timeout.
03:30 And another timeout by RoboDragons; the game is a bit sluggish right now.
02:32 While RoboDragons isn’t achieving much right now, ZJUNlict isn’t shining either.
02:14 At least there was another shot on RoboDragons’ goal, although a bit lackluster. It’s not going to be a 2-0 like this!
01:03 After the game was very sluggish for a long time, things are moving forward again now. But the shot on RoboDragon’s goal is too weak, and the goalkeeper can save it.
00:47 Timeout for ZJUnlict.
00:31 Brief moment of shock: It rattles in ZJUNlict’s goal. But it was either Ball Placement or Double Touch. In any case, the goal doesn’t count, and it remains 1-0 for ZJUNlict.
-00:08 One last exciting situation in ZJUNlict’s half: After an unsuccessful clearance from ZJUNlict’s robot from their corner, RoboDragons win the ball and make one final attempt on goal, but the keeper can save it. Thus, the game ends 1-0 for ZJUNlict.
00:00 Overall, RoboDragons delivered a very good performance. ZJUNlict, on the other hand, was disappointing; much more was expected. There weren’t too many attacks, and they couldn’t shine in ball and passing control.

RoboCup: RoboDragons vs. ER-Force

After finishing in 3rd place in our group during the group phase, we’re now playing the first game of the knockout phase. Unfortunately, SRC couldn’t participate in the tournament due to VISA issues, which has made the schedule somewhat strange, so we’ll have one more game after this one regardless of whether we win or lose.

You can find the link to the live ticker as always on Twente’s YouTube platform or at this link.

First Half

05:00 The game begins. We’re playing in blue with 8 robots, and RoboDragons are in yellow with 8 robots as well.
04:02 Surprisingly smooth gameplay so far. However, some robots, including our 9, are mostly motionless on the field. Soon, they and another robot are taken off the field, leaving us with only 6 robots.
03:02 Intense battle in front of our penalty area. Unfortunately, this battle ends successfully for our opponent, and it’s 1-0 for RoboDragons.
RoboDragons 1 : 0 ER-Force
02:54 And now, there are only 4 robots left.
02:43 The game is primarily taking place in our half, although “taking place” is an exaggerated expression, given the limited playing time.
01:53 Unfortunately, there are fewer new ER-Force robots and more old ones because the robots are having problems with the new radio equipment.
01:39 Attack on our goal, but our goalkeeper managed to catch the ball and chip it away.
01:29 And another goal for RoboDragons, making it 2-0 now. We’re also playing with only 3 to 4 robots.
RoboDragons 2 : 0 ER-Force
00:50 Minor interruptions in the live ticker, as we’re currently busy soldering so much that there’s no time for updates. We’re trying to fix the radio issues with the old robots to replace the new robots with old ones. It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do.
00:50 Unusual interruption of the game: lizard on the field. It takes a few seconds to catch the lizard and peacefully remove it from the field.
00:05 And another goal against us. Initially, the goalkeeper defended very well, but then he simply stood still and let the ball roll in.
RoboDragons 3 : 0 ER-Force

Second Half

05:00 And the second half kicks off.
03:30 Another goal is scored, making it 4-0 for RoboDragons. Considering that we’re playing with very few robots, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll recover from this deficit.
RoboDragons 4 : 0 ER-Force
03:30 At some point, another goal must have been scored, so it’s already 5-0…
RoboDragons 5 : 0 ER-Force
00:00 At some point, the sixth goal is scored; the exact timing isn’t clearly visible in the stream. The game ends 6-0 in favor of RoboDragons, and we move to the lower bracket of the tournament.
RoboDragons 6 : 0 ER-Force

Overall, it’s very unfortunate that we’ve had so many radio problems. This meant that we played with a significant numerical disadvantage, making it disproportionately difficult to hold and defend goals.

We’re now trying to switch as many new robots as possible to old radios, although this is somewhat frustrating. We’ll see tomorrow at 2:00 PM in our potentially final game how well we manage and if it makes a difference – after all, our old radio wasn’t very good either.

RoboCup: ZJUNlict vs. KIKS

Soon, the last group game between ZJUNlict and KIKS will take place. The important thing for us is that ZJUNlict doesn’t win because then we’ll remain in 3rd place in our group and play against RoboDragons at 3:30 PM. You can find the link to the game as always on Twente’s YouTube page or at this link.

First Half

05:00 The game starts with a 5-minute delay. ZJUNlict plays with 11 robots in yellow, and KIKS with 10 robots in blue.
04:52 Right after the kickoff, ZJUNlict already has to replace a robot, as it’s having obvious problems with ball placement.
03:47 Intense battles in the midfield. Neither team seems to gain a clear advantage. But ZJUNlict has to replace 2 more robots, so they are now down to 8 players.
03:15 Very nice and fluid play in KIKS’ half. Eventually, ZJUNlict manages to break through and successfully score a goal. The score is now 1-0 for ZJUNlict.
ZJUNlict 1 : 0 KIKS
03:07 Completely botched kickoff by KIKS, allowing ZJUNlict to take possession.
02:05 Still a hotly contested ball, although the game has calmed down somewhat, and there are more out-of-bounds situations. Overall, there’s a lot happening in the midfield, indicating a balanced team matchup. The player count is almost back to being equal, with ZJUNlict having 8 robots and KIKS with 9.
01:17 Hot shot on goal by ZJUNlict, unfortunately, it hits the post. Close!
00:31 Another shot by ZJUNlict. The balanced game is shifting in favor of ZJUNlict again, with KIKS mostly on the defensive and not getting the chance to launch an attack themselves.
-00:15 After a very long attempt, ZJUNlict finally manages to score a very nice goal just before halftime.
ZJUNlict 2 : 0 KIKS
00:00 Overall, ZJUNlict is noticeably the stronger team, and even the majority of the time being in a numerical disadvantage couldn’t change that. Accordingly, the two goals of the first half are likely not the only ones, and we can probably expect a game between ER-Force and RoboDragons at 3:30 PM.

Second Half

05:00 And the second half starts. Neither colors nor sides have been changed during halftime.
04:21 Exciting duel in KIKS’ penalty area. The result: a goal for ZJUNlict.
ZJUNlict 3 : 0 KIKS
03:26 Now ZJUNlict means business: after a longer duel in the opponent’s penalty area, they increase the lead to 4-0!
ZJUNlict 4 : 0 KIKS
02:45 Again, very long and beautiful passing plays and duels in KIKS’ half.
02:04 For a change, an attack on ZJUNlict, but the ball doesn’t get close to the goal; instead, it’s cleared out of bounds.
01:06 Eventually, an attack must lead to a goal: 5-0 for ZJUNlict.
ZJUNlict 5 : 0 KIKS
00:42 After the ball has once again been shot out of the field, there’s a longer break, which is used, among other things, for a substitution action. Directly after this break, ZJUNlict calls a timeout.
00:00 With a final score of 5-0, the game ends calmly and leisurely, confirming that ER-Force will play against RoboDragons at 3:30 PM.