[Nogrod]

Even if the T-I-G fans made a lot of noise and kept the spirit up with Angband fans joining their chants every now and then, and while the elves and men were indeed supporting the Rivendell team, there was a clear feeling that the first match of the day was an hors d’oeuvre.

But what an appetizer it was!

Rivendell was renowned for its defence and especially the skills of their goalie Elrond. T-I-G had not been been known as the master defenders but to this game they came defending as solid as any of the best teams in the Middle-Earth. So it was a game of offence in the end… which team could outscore the defences of the other team? That made it an entertaining game.

The game was very much even. The first half indeed ended with 0-0. Both teams had their chances but especially the saves by Elrond kept the numbers. At the other goal Draugluin was relatively untested even if it made a few important saves.

On the second half the T-I-G team just paced up and overran the Rivendell defences, and in the end Sauron headed in the ball passed by the phantom on the 61st minute. The T-I-G was leading and the roar of the T-I-G and Angband fans sent shivers to the elves and men in the audience…the evening was suddenly looking gloomy indeed.

But the stars wished it another way. Elladan and Elrohir came forwards playing it nice together as any skilled brothers would do and Lhuna was resorted to violence to stop their dribbling. It was a yellow card by the referee and a free kick from a dangerous position, about 35 meters from the goal.

Glorfindel and Valandil stood up to the free kick as the others took places around the box. Finally Glorfindel made the kick hammering it straight towards the T-I-G goal. The ball hit the rim of the goal and bounced back to Aragorn’s head. The game was even with only ten minutes to go. The son of Ararthorn had once again proved his qualities in a tight spot!

Even if T-I-G tried it’s best the last ten minutes the referee whistled the end of time and called for both teams to take a short rest before the overtime-play.

The overtime was quite one-sided as the Rivendell team just seemed to wait for the penalty shoot-out and trusted it all to Elrond. But meanwhile the T-I-G team ran on full offence.

And the offence brought results in the end. At the 27th minute of overtime Sauron got the ball near the end line by a pass by the phantom. He dribbled first Gandalf and then Erestor and was facing only Elrond who jumped forwards for the shot which never came. Sauron saw Elrond blink and waited the crucial second not to shoot but to pass the ball to Nogrod who had positioned himself in front of the goal. Nogrod had no trouble passing the ball into the empty goal and the T-I-G crowd just got wild.

The Angband crowds started to cheer as well and the tumult was all the louder after that. The men and elves in the audience felt themselves badly overscored in all the senses of the word.

The Tol-In-Gaurhoth –team, with all those odd players, had made it to the final four and the noteworthy elves and the heroes of Rivendell - namely the attackers like Aragorn, Boromir or Glorfindel who had not risen to their occasion this time - had been beaten. Only a few could believe it but that was the way it was. Also the best defence of the tournament – looking at it from the elvish point of view – was beaten, and that was not possible! But it was true. And real.

Rivendell was banished and the T-I-G would go forwards to the final four.


Rivendell 1-2 Tol-In-Gaurhoth (overtime)
shots 9-16
on target 3-8
GOALS:
*TIG, 61 (Sauron- the phantom)
*Rivendell, 80 (Aragorn- Glorfindel)
*TIG, OT 27 (Nogrod- Sauron)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Rivendell- Elrohir, Gildor
*TIG- Thuringwethil, Lhunardawen