[Nogrod]

Valinor at Wilderland


A Game of Wits and Physics


So this was it then. The Gladden Fields stadium stood now proudly in between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood and sucked in the sunlight from behind Mirkwood in the morning when the stadium was empty – and had an early twilight as the sun disappeared behind the mighty mountains towering in the west when the crowds started gathering into it. So when the game was beginning at 9 pm, it was already getting dark – Sauron had thought of everything people were able to realize on hindsight.

And when the sky at last turned into black just about the kick-off, the odd “blueish-greyish” lights that were turned on to light the stadium when the teams ran in to the field weren’t exactly welcoming for anyone with good intentions. It was, well, creepy to a human or a hobbit, but just cozy and welcoming for a warg, an orc, a dragon… and the wizards cared not about such little things as lighting. Sadly for Sauron’s possible schemings with the stadium, they were meeting no human or “later/east-elven” team this evening, but a team packed with Valar, Maiar and the very firstborn of the firstborn.

As group-winners Wilderland were going to host a knock-out game against a runner-up from another group – and it is easy to see Sauron didn’t exactly smile when he saw the picks for the groups and their order. And there were no sly tactics to be played on that front as they would meet anyway an opponent from group G having two of Valier-teams in it. So he had most probably just wished for luck to the two Beleriand-based teams while cursing how Manwë had his hand everywhere, even in the AFA board of directors. That had to have been a calculated move…

But here he was and there was nothing he could do about it. And the worst thing from Sauron’s POV was that he had to face Valinor; a team with tremendous attacking power, possession-bound and enforcing playing-style. Had Manwë and Tulkas a deal on this? If forced to face a Valinor-based team, he would have liked to challenge Manwë and his defensive and conservative game countering them with an all-out attack – but against all previews Pelori had beaten Valinor and well, the rest is history.

But Sauron never gives up and rises again like a phoenix from the dust – and he intended to do just that this time as well. His team had a flexible tactics and he was ready to use that as a weapon against the Valier led by Tulkas. And after looking through the dvd of the Pelori vs. Valinor –game for ten times he knew what to do.

The AKM managed to sneak a microphone into the Wilderland lockers just before the game and here’s what Sauron was telling his team:
“Okay, listen. They play fast and let the ball do the work with their even spreading along the pitch. We can exploit that, like Pelori did, by building up superior numbers in the attack. But that means we need to cut their passing-play. We need to cut-cut-cut! Do you understand? I want everyone to do whatever you can to cut any pass that comes anywhere near your place in the field. And that means you Smaug and Scatha as well: you can not afford to play the forward divas in this game, I want to see you sweat going after the passing-lines, do you hear me? Everyone runs for the passes like mad, do you understand? We are physical enough to outrun them, anyday. We’re strong, we’re relentless, we’re tough! Right? We’ll show those High Elves and Maiar and Valar what we are!

But be careful with the passes yourself – the first passes after a steal should be the safest ones: when we gain the ball, we don’t want to lend it back to them immediately and we need to build pressure safely gathering a superior attacking force against their defenses. That way we’ll score, and they will lose. So two styles: without the ball I need to see you running the heck out of your feet or wings, with the ball we build pressure with sense, aiming for an advance in numbers on their half of the pitch. Understood?”


~*~

From the fifty-thousand seats about 5000 were taken by the elves of the west (with some Valar and Maiar), another almost 10 000 were crowded by elves, men and dwarves of the surrounding areas – and the rest 35 000 were occupied by orcs, goblins, wargs, dragons… So when the dull blueish-greyish lighting went on with the teams coming forwards the feeling was, well, “intimidating” might do for a word here. The orcs and goblins were banging their drums and shields so loud it blocked one’s ears, the wargs were howling, the dragons were roaring – and they easily overpowered the few elven songs the smaller part of the crowd tried to put up against the general cacophony.

And it became an inferno just a few minutes into the game.

Like expected, Tulkas was infuriated and beat his team to some real attacking football. They clearly wished to close the game in the first minutes – such was the fury of Valinor coming forwards. But Wilderland players had listened good for what Sauron had said and especially the Maiar-wizards were very good in cutting the passes, and Sauron himself was running up and down the field pressing the Valinor players and calling others to follow his example – and soon enough Alatar cut a pass by Yavanna in the midfield and sent it safely to Pallando who was alongside her, who in turn realized Smaug was within his reach. Smaug took the high pass spreading his wings and brought it down from the heights and reeled it down just behind Indis and Vairë – seeing that Sauron was running there. And Sauron just smashed through the defenders and hammered the one-timer in from just inside the box with such velocity Ingwë had no chance to take it.

Only 7 minutes had been played and the home team was in the lead. And the crowds made such a noise it was probably heard as far as in Lothlórien.

Valinor continued with their style of play and actually managed to build a few decent attacks – but Wilderland had a few dangerous counters as well. And when 25th minute had passed Pallando cut a nice pass in the midfield again – turning it to Alatar this time. Alatar was pressed by Olwë, but he managed to dribble him out of the situation and to send in up to Sauron who made a brilliant one-touch turn-pass sending the ball towards the goal he had seen from the corner of his eye Smaug was flying into. And Smaug didn’t bother to land first but swept his tail from mid-air homing the ball with such a thunderous speed there was nothing the defenders or Ingwë could do.

There was a hoard of protests after the goal. Tulkas called for a red card to Smaug, Arien was especially heated and tried to argue with the referee only to be carded for that. The referee stood staunch on it: the linesman had seen Smaug had touched the ground with his left wing as he winged his tail and thus it was not against the rules and the goal stayed. You can just imagine the ear-piercing noise the home-crowds made during and after these procedures. Multiply it with a gazillion and then you’re near it. After 26 minutes of the Wilderland was leading 2-0!

If there would be time-outs in football, Tulkas would have taken one immediately, but now they had to stay cool for twenty minutes and not allow a goal more. So he yelled orders left and right, his head red from it: “Possession, possession! No hazard passes! Press but do not leave your place!” And Valinor managed to settle the game down for the rest of the first half with both teams having a few decent chances of scoring. But as the referee whistled the half-time, there was no mistaking. Wilderland was leading with two goals.


On the second half the crowds saw a more concentrated and aggressive team Valinor. Wilderland still managed to steal some passes and were able to build up a few nice attacks, but it was clear Valinor was now having the upper hand on the pitch. After 18 minutes of play into the second half Valinor was finally rewarded for their effort. With a quick turn-over Vairë sent the ball over half the field to Miriel who continued it with one-touch pass forwards to Arien who was running through the flank - and from a close angle she hammered the ball in from between the legs of Grimbeorn. The home fans protested and called it an off-side but the linesman stayed calm and kept his flag down.

After the Valinor goal Sauron rallied his team to a more aggressive counter-play trying to cut Valinor’s passes even more aggressively. It did help at first, but then it led to a few cards given to Wilderland players and when Pallando slided badly late over the ankle of Nerdanel and got carded, the things got grim for Wilderland.

It was only 8 minutes to the full time and Valinor got a free kick from 22 meters, around the left corner of Wilderland box. First it seemed Nerdanel was unable to continue with the game but biting her lip she nodded to the referee and expressed her wish to continue with the game. Seeing that determination, Tulkas asked her to give the free kick. She accepted, whispered something to Yavanna when no one paid attention and started to settle the ball.

The defensive wall was built, Grimbeorn yelled his advice to them, Miriel and Arien elbowed room in the the wall, the referee had to order the wall back and back again as they tried to advance tip-toeing forwards… the crowds were for once silent watching in nervousness… Olwë and Yavanna started running to different angles when Nerdanel started towards the ball. The wall was moving prematurely as they tend to move, but with three different lines of attack there was a spread in the wall. Suddenly Nerdanel made a full stop just before the ball and chipped it left towards advancing Yavanna who volleyed it from the run – and in just barely hitting the post. The game was drawn!


It meant overtime – and in the last instance a shoot-out.

The overtime began more or less like the second half: Valinor was slightly on top of it but Wilderland’s sudden cuts of their passing created some dangerous situations on the other end. But little by little it started to look like team Wilderland was wearing themselves off. They had run like madmen all the time and with the overtime taking it’s toll they were really tired. Valinor in turn had let the ball do most of the work and seemed to have energy-reserves still and the game was turning more and more towards the Wilderland goal. The homecrowds saw it and started a loud supporting row to boost their team. But it was not enough.

The Great Warg was just late of the situation with heavy feet and made a sliding tackle on Arien after she had already passed the ball forwards. It was a clear free-kick and a tougher referee would have shown him another yellow for that. But it was a free kick from the middle of the pitch, about 25 meters form the goal. Very dangerous indeed.

Arien insisted on taking it herself… and she hammered it in to the upper-right corner of the goal, plain and simple! 24 minutes overtime Wilderland was defeated. She was the hero of Valinor this day. Two goals and some real effort & bravery.

The home crowds were so disappointed with the goal they started throwing anything they had at their hands to the pitch: weapons, kitchenware, clothes, bottles, fast food wrappings, leaflets, fan-stuff, pebbles from the ground, you name it. The teams and referees tried to get into cover and dashed for the tunnel leading to the lockers but a few players got hit with a stray bottle or a pebble.

That was enough for Tulkas and he roared so loud it beat the noise of the thirty-thousand disappointed orcs making a fuzz. Arien starting to glow brightly was no little aid to that performance as the orcs and wargs tried to get away from the brightness of her. And when Vairë stood forth starting to silently mumble something about the fate, the home crowds just ran away in panic.

There would be some consequences of that incident. That much is clear. But because of it, there was no after game press conference. And only the AKM was able to steal one comment from Tulkas as he rushed into the tunnel more or less enraged.

The AKM: ”A comment?”

Tulkas: “Idiot!”

We’ll leave it open, whom did he mean…


Valinor 3-2 Wilderland (OT)
tot shots 17-16
on target 7-8
GOALS:
*7, 0-1 Sauron (Smaug)
*26, 0-2 Smaug (Sauron)
*63, 1-2 Arien (Miriel)
*82, 2-2 Yavanna (Nerdanel)
*24, 3-2 Arien
YELLOW CARDS:
*Valinor- Vaire, Arien
*Wilderland- Bolg, Great Warg, Scatha, Pallando


Valinor goes through to meet the winner from the game Doriath vs. Minas Morgul.