[Nogrod]

GROUP D at Erebor


The whole region around the Long Lake was filled with enthusiasm when it was decided Erebor would host group D in the Arda Cup 2009. The elves, dwarves and humans alike started preparing to the games a long beforehand. And when the teams of their group were released folk just got out of hand.

The Eregion team would be there with all the glorious elves and human heroes topped with Gandalf himself! That surely raised the interests of people around. And the team Mordor! They would love to see that team break down in front of their eyes even if that hope was mixed with some real sensations of fear and awe: Shelob would be there as well as a few Nazgûls. Thrilling!

But talk of the home team then! Filled with dwarves the home team claimed the support of the dwarves from as far as the Iron Hills and even some from Moria who were hosting games as well. But it was players like Beorn, Bard, Bolg and Smaug the people wanted to see performing under the common banner of the Lonely Mountain. A few were afraid how well these heroes could perform together but basically those concerns were mainly suppressed.

The heroes of Osgiliath with all the Númenorean talent would be well received as well but looking at the others teams their star looked a bit dimmer indeed. But the cognoscenti were enthralled. What a team it would be to see, alive from the archives of heroism in the Middle-Earth!


The renovated stadium of Erebor was filled to the last seat when Eregion and Mordor met in the first match of the tournament. There had been some problems the previous night with the orc-supporters from Mordor and the Lake Towners and the local dwarves, but basically there had been peace and understanding between the supporters and the hooligans had been locked up effectively by the no-nonsense dwarven police.

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The first game of the day was between Eregion and Mordor. As the first orcs ran to the field many spectators started booing but were silenced with entrance of Shelob. Her presence was so threatening that for a moment there was total silence in the audience as people were holding their breath. Then the great elves and men led by their captain Gandalf entered the stadium and the crowds just exploded. The odd moment was away and the joy had re-entered the stadium.

Mordor’s game-plan had been easy to read already from their line-up. Small and fastlegged orcs would try to wear the enemy-defenders down with runs through the lines while their own defence would count on terror and awe and Shelob’s exceptional reach. But the problem with the plan was of course that Eregion forwards were not one’s you could frighten that easily and the defenders had both finesse and wisdom not to run like fools after the fast orcs dashing here and there around them but with wise positioning and foresight cut the passes and closed the passing-lines.

So effective was Eregion’s defence in the game that Mordor got only one shot at the goal. Same could not be said on Mordor’s defence. Gil-Galad and Glorfindel truly showed no fear but effectively took the Nazguls out of the game by their constant sideways runs forcing the Nazguls to follow them like shadows they are and thus leaving the rest of the field to the dynamic trio of three E’s. And what a tornado they were! Eärendil and Elrohir scored a goal a piece and it was close Elladan wouldn’t have scored one as well but Shelob’s great timing saved Mordor from a humiliating three-zero scoreline.

It seems clear that without Sauron and The Witch-King the Mordor team is quite vulnerable, far from the menacing force it could be. Eregion team on the contrary gave the spectators some very entertaining football and a fair warning to other teams about the quality of their squad.

Eregion 2-0 Mordor

shots 10-4
on target 4-1
GOALS:
*34, Eregion (Earendil, Valandil)
*59, Eregion (Elrohir, Gandalf)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Eregion- Elladen
*Mordor- Nazgul #4, Gorbag, Lagduf


The second match was a totally different story. The home team controlled the game totally on the first half and way to the second. It looked like the Osgiliath team was in a football field for a first time. Without a few spectacular saves by Romendacil Osgiliath might have fallen already before the half-time.

Led by Bolg and Smaug the Eregion team was trying the Osgiliath defences wave after wave. Bolg burst the stadium into relieved cheers by taking the home team into lead at 27th minute. But it was Smaug’s goal on the first minutes of the second half that really got the stadium wild.

Bard made a spectacular run to the corner and then passing diagonally backwards from between two defenders coming towards him. Dain took the ball coolly at the edge of the box waiting for the second needed to get the mid-defenders on him and flipped the ball over them to Smaug now alone in front of the goal. And that volley almost ripped the net apart! Romendacil hadn’t time to even blink with it. Smaug had once again shown what a force to be reckoned with it was.

But what happened then silenced the stadium. The moment the visitors started playing the home team just froze. Enraged by being two goals down the kings and heroes of old managed to recollect themselves and took the game under total control. The Erebor defences were suddenly just too slow for the Osgiliath attack that had doubled the pace of their game. Beorn did the best he could but couldn’t obviously be at all the places simultaneously.

It was a total mirror-image of the first half. And so Osgiliath also scored twice, by Hyermendacil from the aftermath of a corner kick and by Eldacar finishing a short but beautiful solo run by getting around Bain, who had tried to plunge and take the ball, and just passing the ball into the empty goal.

The mood in the stadium had totally changed: instead of the winning-chants the audience had sung early on to the game they now bit their nails fearing a third goal for the visitors. To their relievement that never came. But the second game of the night had left people with many questions.

Erebor 2-2 Osgiliath

shots 12-12
on target 6-5
GOALS:
*27, Erebor (Bolg, Naz #9)
*48, Erebor (Smaug, Dain)
*64, Osgiliath (Hyarmendacil, Eldacar)
*78, Osgiliath (Eldacar, Falastur)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Erebor- Brand, Dain
*Osgiliath- Narmacil, Siriondil