[Nogrod]

Group F

The organisers of the games in Númenor had decided to open the gates of the Armenelos Stadium already on early afternoon to fill the stadium fluently and with easier pace as the stream of incoming spectators would spread more evenly. That was a fine idea, but the practice proved different. Huge queues started forming already around mid-day and when the gates were opened tens of thousands of football-hungry people had packed around the stadium trying to get in all at the same time. Even if the scene looked quite chaotic at times, the organisers aided by Armenelos City Guard managed to bring in enough order to avoid any major accidents.

Even with the crush at the gates, long queuing times and some unavoidable rows in the crowds, people seemed to be on a jubilant mood. Finally reaching their places and sitting down in the stadium parties opened their wineskins and brought forth the many imaginative snacks and pic-nic meals they had prepared for the occasion, trading and offering tastings to the next parties. The organisers had counted it wrong: the Armanalos Stadium was the place to be on this day, and when people heard the gates would be opened earlier they rejoiced with the news realizing they’d have a longer party at the stadium. When most of the Teleri and Gondorian supporters started to pour into stadium the normal one and half hours before the match they were totally surprised to see the stadium almost full already – and very much disappointed to find out that they had been left the farthest seats available with their ticket-classes.

As said on earlier reports, team Númenor was the official host of the group F, but in practice the group had two home teams. Most of the Númenorians cheered for both teams with as open heart, but many people had also taken their favourites. Some said that bringing Gondorians aboard was a bad idea and only a purely Númenorian team earned their full support. Others argued that the greatest heroes of Númenor played in the mixed team, and the Gondorians were their brothers, of the same blood after all. But only a few were willing to make it an issue to fight over.'

~*~


The first game between Westernesse and Mithrim sent the crowds into nirvana.

After just twenty minutes of gameplay Westernesse was leading with two goals to nil with Ar Pharazôn and Elros, more or less their greatest heroes, both scoring once. And when Ar Adunakhôr made an outstanding goal straight from a free-kick from about 25 meters just before the end of the first half the crowds just went mad. The editorial staff will wish to make their apologies for the language here, but there’s only one way of expressing the feeling in the crowds when Ar Adunakhôr hammered it in to the upper left corner of the Mithrim goal: they were peeing honey, and quite uncontrollably.

Playing defensively against Westernesse is a bad idea as that allows the highly skillfull and physical Westernesse midfield and forwards to bring in wave after wave of balanced attacks forcing the defending team into a position of complete underdogs constantly occupying the receiving end. Although, and to be honest, it was not the tactical choices of team Mithrim that brought them down but the sheer difference in quality of the players. An exceptionally talented, tough and confident team could build up their own attacks against the balanced lines of Westernesse even from deep down their own half. But that is clearly not what Mithrim as a team is.

Many were afraid the second half would be a formality, and in a sense they were right, but the crowds did see some top quality football on the second half as well.
Mithrim pressed harder against Westernesse in the beginning of the second half and even got a few decent shots (if only two on target), but there was still no doubt as to which team ruled the pitch. Malbeth’s bicycle-kick goal at 62nd minute was one of the most impressive of the first round. Grithnir pushed Malbeth from behind unbalancing him just as the corner shot from Tar Minastir was coming towards the two. But somehow Malbeth managed to turn sideways while falling down and stretched out to make a perfect sideways bicycle-kick leaving both Grithnir and Tuor at the goal standing in confusion. To top the angst of team Mithrim the referee showed Grithnir a yellow card after the goal, truly earned.

So if Doriath showed they are a force to be reckoned with in this tournament in group A, one could say that team Westernesse also gave a tempest-warning of how deadly they are.


Mithrim 0-4 Westernesse
tot shots 6-18
on target 2-10
GOALS:
*14, 0-1 Ar Pharazon (Elros)
*19, 0-2 Elros (Mardil)
*38, 0-3 Ar Adunakhor
*62, 0-4 Malbeth (Tar Minastir)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Mithrim- Gethron, Grithnir
*Westernesse- Elendil



The expectations were high for the late night match after the glory of the first one and the home crowds chanted Númenorean songs, old and new, more or less without a pause the full 60-minute interval between the games. But the few realists started sweating as the game drew closer. As TTN had said in their pre-group analysis, Tol Eressëa’s defense led by Ulmo might just be a bit too tough a nut to crack for the team Númenor’s attack. And they were afraid TTN was right.

But the majority of the home crowd seemed to feel that Númenoreans would beat any team brought against them this magical night. Some of the more drunken parties (drunk not only because of the wine) were even boasting they could form a team of their own to bring down Pelori and Valinor. But happily, for the honor of Dúnedain, there were only few parties among the tens of thousands getting that loose, even if they were quite loud.

But any hybris there was died down pretty soon as the game began and it became clear to the supporters of the home team that Númenor would not beat Tol Eressëa in a way Westernesse slew Mithrim at the pitch just a moment ago. It was a real struggle of two very even-looking teams both trying to avoid errors and shutting off any attacks of the other early on only to be cut by the other one in turn. And so most of the game seemed to be played in the midfield, or safely keeping the ball on one’s own half. It was no high moment of football as a dynamic art – even if the game sure had it’s own dynamics.

Then, on 37th minute just before the break, the heavens fell down for the Númenorians. Uinen gave a swerving free-kick from about 35 meters and found Elwing’s head perfectly. Silmariën saw the header coming and dived to the farther corner of the goal assuming the natural outcome, but Elwing had a snap second to notice Silmariën’s intention and she managed to yank her head giving the ball a different angle and sending it down in front of the two closest defenders and bouncing through between them to the nearest corner of the empty goal.

Some yellow papers claimed the next day that after seeing Elwing’s performance Elros had sprang up from his seat and yelled feverishly “Go Mum! Yay Mum!”, but that surely can be dismissed as just one more trick to sell more papers. But whatever Elros’ reaction was, it was an impressive goal anyway and the crowds did cheer for it even if somewhat confusedly as it was made by their greatly revered lady, but at the wrong end of the pitch.

But the worst thing to the Númenorean team and fans alike came only after the goal. Tol Eressëa regrouped into a lockdown and held their defense tight from the midfield on allowing the hosts no chances as they always seemed to have all ten players under the ball. As the second half went on the Númenorians started to get frustrated and fex. both their yellow cards came there, out of frustration facing such a solid defense which didn’t even try to attack sparing all the players into defensive tasks. Near the end of the game even some of the crowds started booing but that had no effect. Tol Eressëa took a precious win looking at the qualifying and made Númenor’s path to the play-offs all the more harder.

The home crowds poured into the streets after the game with mixed feelings: like they had been on a rollercoaster-ride that first made them immensely happy but in the end left a bad feeling.


Numenor 0-1 Tol Eressëa
tot shots 9-7
on target 4-3
GOALS:
*37, 0-1 Elwing (Uinen)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Numenor- Ar Zimrathan, Vardamir
*Tol Eressea- Uinen