Maybe we should consider what would happen if Neko were allowed to find a substitue player and then, for whatever reason, Neko is unable to participate in the tournament. Would we allow the first substitute to find a replacement for Neko and continue on with a team that had no players from the first round at all? Is this fair to the teams that DID play in the first round but didn't make the cut? No, I don't think that would be right. I don't have anything personal against Neko, he is an excellent player and I think this situation is unfortunate for him, but the decision seems obvious to me. No substitutes. Sorry, Neko. There will be other tournaments.

Of course, this is just my opinion. It is only a game, so it is not really important to me what the final decision is.

I'll shut up now.