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the phantom · 06-21-2012, 02:40 PM

Group B @ Weathertop

It was quite a mix of spirits in the hearts and goblets of the game-goers as the final round approached at Weathertop. The steadfast Arnor supporters, particularly Elendil and Isildur’s posse, were quite down knowing they wouldn’t be advancing no matter the results. Many of the Arnor supporters were clinging to a bit of cheer however in the form of team Eriador, which featured some of their favorites- Araphant, Malbeth, Valandil, Arahael, Arassuil, and Arveleg. And they were going through no matter the results.

But with their fates already decided, how hard would the sides play?

Arnor always fought hard and had pride, but then they were rarely in such a position, and Isildur was notoriously moody. The Elves of Gondolin sincerely hoped their opposition would roll over for them, as they needed a solid win to have a hope of advancing. Fans of Inter Beleriand also hoped Eriador would be a bit uninspired, but Maedhros and Fingon poured water on those hopes in interviews, pointing out that AC Beleriand looked in best shape to take the top spot in Group G and Eriador would doubtless wish for at least a draw to avoid running into Feanor & Fingolfin already in the first round of the playoffs.

The Arnor faithful that attended the early game against Gondolin had greater numbers, but the Elves were making all the noise- more noise than usual without a doubt, trying to will their team to a playoff berth.

The fans started getting desperate as the first half wore on with no results. Both teams were defending decently, and Arnor didn’t look like they’d give up, and Gondolin wasn’t exactly playing with the necessary desperation. But through good execution and persistence Gondolin finally put up a tally in the 36th minute as Maeglin made a nifty cut and got himself clear to feed Gothmog for an easy header.

As the second half ticked past the Arnor fans started getting into it more than the Gondolin Elves. They could very well gain a draw or win out of this, and thus send mighty Gondolin packing, and that was worth bragging about! Whereas the Gondolin faithful knew a one-goal win wasn't going to cut it if they hoped to qualify.

Near the hour mark Isildur received a ball from Malvegil and, holding Aranwe on his back, he spun round with a perfect turn and drawing the defense chipped it over to Araphor for a ringing header. But Rog with an amazing leap and stretch saved it! The resulting corner was sent in to the far side and Elendil jumped clear and directed it just inside the post- but Rog saved it again!

Rog yelled at his team, "Why am I making the plays here?! Do you want to be in or not?!" And as simple as it was it seemed to be precisely the spur Gondolin needed to crank up their intensity. The midfield hadn't been doing the best job of getting it to the forwards, but now they looked sharper, and in the 61st minute Meleth released Duilin behind the off-side trap and he made it count, drawing Arvedui and serving it up to Gothmog for the finish.

In no time at all Gondolin was on the hunt again, forcing Arvedui and his defense to scramble. Elendil managed to get in the way of a Duilin drive, and Gothmog was just barely too tall on another header. But the quickness of the "sharp-boot" Maeglin could not be denied. Duilin gave it to him with some space on the end-line and Maeglin carved up the defense with a run to the center and slammed it into the top-shelf to give Gondolin the 3-goal lead!

The Gondolin faithful were just going nuts now- their team had hope again! They had equaled Inter Beleriand's goal differential, which meant if Inter lost, Gondolin was in!

With that in mind Gondolin fell back to lock down on defense and concentrated on keeping possession rather than attacking. The despirited Arnor seemed to have nothing left to challenge, however, and Gondolin sensed it. At minute 76 Gondolin unexpectedly risked possession as Egalmoth sent a sudden longball down the right side. The speedy Maeglin received it well clear of defenders and brought it in towards Arvedui as the lead-footed defense attempted to regain positioning.

But Maeglin gave them no such opportunity, instead sending it sharply across the box where it was met by the flaming comet of Gothmog. No one had a chance to challenge him and Arvedui could only guess. He guessed near- Gothmog went far. The death-blow was struck!

With the extra cushion Gondolin pulled back once again, but Arnor did not seriously challenge. They knew they were packing their bags that night, and they knew they wouldn't be able to save even this contest for a bit of pride. They were beaten. Free to run out the clock, Gondolin did so with respect and the refs didn't worry about having enough stoppage time and blew the whistle everyone was waiting for.

Gondolin had not clinched, but after the glorious performance they had witnessed the fans could be forgiven for assuming it was in the bag, for it seemed quite easy to believe and hope that the group-favorites and home-team Eriador would take care of Inter later that night. This Gondolin team simply had to advance after such a dashing performance!

Arnor 0-4 Gondolin
on target 4-8
tot shots 12-21
GOALS:
*36, 0-1 Gothmog (Maeglin)
*61, 0-2 Gothmog (Duilin)
*68, 0-3 Maeglin (Duilin)
*76, 0-4 Gothmog (Maeglin)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Arnor- Earendur, Araval
*Gondolin- Gothmog, Salgant

But Maedhros, Fingon, Turgon, and the rest of Inter Beleriand still had a say in matters. If they forged a tie with Eriador, they qualified second. If they won- first place. And they certainly had no plan of losing.

Both fan-bases were relatively confident their side could win. "Even Elrond can't hold off Fingon and Maedhros forever, and we've got a Balrog to counter their offense, and Turgon minding the net."

"Yes, but Glorfindel can handle a Balrog, and there's still Witch King to deal with- and Elrond won't be getting Fingon and Maedhros's best efforts as Gil-galad, Malbeth, and Asfaloth will bother them plenty."

Football fans everywhere were keen to find out who was right. The fans at Weathertop on the other hand mostly wanted to see Eriador sweep the group. The disappointed Arnor fans were notably present, and most were drunk and cheerful. They looked to Eriador for redemption- for if they took first then at least they'd have something to be pleased about.

In the early going it didn't look like either fan base was right. The game was very even- good passing, bright ideas on offense, quality runs, but all countered by swarming defense and timely tackling. Each team gained but a single shot on goal in the opening 30, and both boots were professionally smothered by Turgon and Elrond.

Towards the end of the half Inter looked to have the upper hand, owning the ball just a bit more, and looking just a bit more dangerous around the box. But at minute 40 a fortunate bounce on a clearance found empty space in front of Malbeth, and the far-seer spotted an opportunity and sent a bullet into the other half.

Glorfindel was off to the races and put a spectacular first touch on the pass, spilling the ball out in front of him without breaking stride. Balrog #5 caught him as he closed on Turgon, but Glorfindel made a nifty cutback and back again to cross the flame-demon's feet and earn him a clear shot at goal, which he converted high and left, despite Turgon getting a fingertip on it. It was 1-0 for the homeside at the half!

When the second half began the home team took the initiative again, pressing in and finally earning a corner from a deflected shot attempt. Arassuil swung it in near post, and whether it was the plan or just good execution on the fly, Witch King got to it but knew he wasn't getting through with a good effort from his position, so he nodded the ball on through to the opposite side where Arveleg met it leaping in rhythm and put the header back to the original side into the side netting, and Eriador had a two-goal lead!

The pockets of Gondolin supporters screamed even louder than the Eriador fans. This was exactly what they hoped for! Even if Eriador reigned it in, Elrond wouldn't be scored on twice, surely.

Inter certainly attempted to force the issue, but Eriador was given over entirely to defending now, and Glorfindel and Witch King were immensely helpful at the back. Finally a near-impossible solo run by Fingon created an opening out of nothing and Inter gained a quality chance, but the foresighted Elrond was camped perfectly for Haleth's header location and he slapped it back out towards midfield.

Inter didn't get another decent sniff until minute 72 when Maedhros was given too much space outside the box and he crushed it with his left foot, forcing Elrond to dive- and the Master of Rivendell just barely poked it away and out of bounds.

The Inter supporters were finally allowed to cheer in minute 81 when Maedhros struck a seemingly intentional volley off of Asfaloth's flank which deflected in to cut the deficit to a single goal, but Eriador barely gave the ball back during the remaining time, and the contest ended at 2-1. Without much fanfare Inter exited and left the field open to the celebrating home fans, who were joined by several Gondolin supporters in their merry-making.

Eriador had swept their way to first place, and Gondolin had stolen second!

Inter Beleriand 1-2 Eriador
on target 6-6
tot shots 13-13
GOALS:
*40, 0-1 Glorfindel (Malbeth)
*48, 0-2 Arveleg (Witch King)
*81, 1-2 Maedhros (Fingon)
YELLOW CARDS:
*InterBel- Gorlim, Baragund
*Eriador- Arassuil, Araphant

Q: Eriador
q: Gondolin
Eliminated: Arnor, Inter Beleriand

******************************
******************************

MESPN Postgame Exit Interviews

MESPN: Elendil- any words for your fans?

Elendil: Thanks for your enthusiasm, and we're sorry we couldn't keep this train going.

MESPN: Arvedui? Why are you left in the group stage?

Arvedui: Well, we certainly didn't have our best game today, and style-wise and personnel-wise this was perhaps our most problematic match-up in the group, but the fact is we were already eliminated coming into today. That's the concerning issue.

Elendil: With something to fight for we might've done better- yes.

MESPN: So what's the outlook for next year then?

Arvedui: With the pay-outs released and the low-end below what people expected, league-wide salaries will see some shaving, and so likely we'll trim just a little bit- but overall I expect we'll be the same or very slightly higher.

MESPN: Higher after cuts? How does that work?

Arvedui: We need to bring in a piece or two that might make the puzzle fit better. We can't be content to sit where we're at. So the existing roster will probably see slight decreases while a position or two will be exchanged for something slightly higher.

MESPN: Is ownership going to remain the same- Elendil, Isildur, and Annuminas Ltd?

Elendil: Annuminas Ltd. undoubtedly will retain a good chunk, but Isildur and I will have to crunch some numbers and see which way we should go.

Arvedui: It wouldn't surprise me if we ended up with just a bit of extra help next year- but someone we trust of course. Perhaps a bit of financing from Norbury Sport? They're doing well with Eriador obviously.

MESPN: All right. Thanks guys.

************************

MESPN: Maedhros- you aren't used to missing the playoffs. How does it feel?

Maedhros: Very wrong. This squad ought to be on the big stage.

MESPN: What stopped it?

Fingon: We didn't execute when we needed to, plain and simple.

Turgon: We played our game decently against Gondolin and got the draw, but then against Arnor Gondolin took the initiative whereas we were outplayed, and it showed up in the differential.

MESPN: Is it hard for you, Turgon, to see Gondolin move on without you?

Turgon: Whether they move on or not I'm disappointed to be out of the playoffs, so that stands on its own. But does it make me extra sore? No- I must say I'm pleased with anything that gives my subjects reason to celebrate.

MESPN: Are you considering a return?

Turgon: Not currently. I'm invested here and I don't wish to bail when there is so much promise.

MESPN: So you think Inter Beleriand will be improved next season?

Maedhros: I think we all believe that.

Fingon: The combination of us playing just a bit better and bringing in a piece or two where it's needed should make us a serious contender. No one is far out of contention under these new salary rules, least of all us.

MESPN: Thanks very much. Good luck in the off-season.

06-21-2012, 02:40 PM	#139
the phantom Beloved Shadow Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: The Stadium Posts: 5,971	Group B @ Weathertop It was quite a mix of spirits in the hearts and goblets of the game-goers as the final round approached at Weathertop. The steadfast Arnor supporters, particularly Elendil and Isildur’s posse, were quite down knowing they wouldn’t be advancing no matter the results. Many of the Arnor supporters were clinging to a bit of cheer however in the form of team Eriador, which featured some of their favorites- Araphant, Malbeth, Valandil, Arahael, Arassuil, and Arveleg. And they were going through no matter the results. But with their fates already decided, how hard would the sides play? Arnor always fought hard and had pride, but then they were rarely in such a position, and Isildur was notoriously moody. The Elves of Gondolin sincerely hoped their opposition would roll over for them, as they needed a solid win to have a hope of advancing. Fans of Inter Beleriand also hoped Eriador would be a bit uninspired, but Maedhros and Fingon poured water on those hopes in interviews, pointing out that AC Beleriand looked in best shape to take the top spot in Group G and Eriador would doubtless wish for at least a draw to avoid running into Feanor & Fingolfin already in the first round of the playoffs. The Arnor faithful that attended the early game against Gondolin had greater numbers, but the Elves were making all the noise- more noise than usual without a doubt, trying to will their team to a playoff berth. The fans started getting desperate as the first half wore on with no results. Both teams were defending decently, and Arnor didn’t look like they’d give up, and Gondolin wasn’t exactly playing with the necessary desperation. But through good execution and persistence Gondolin finally put up a tally in the 36th minute as Maeglin made a nifty cut and got himself clear to feed Gothmog for an easy header. As the second half ticked past the Arnor fans started getting into it more than the Gondolin Elves. They could very well gain a draw or win out of this, and thus send mighty Gondolin packing, and that was worth bragging about! Whereas the Gondolin faithful knew a one-goal win wasn't going to cut it if they hoped to qualify. Near the hour mark Isildur received a ball from Malvegil and, holding Aranwe on his back, he spun round with a perfect turn and drawing the defense chipped it over to Araphor for a ringing header. But Rog with an amazing leap and stretch saved it! The resulting corner was sent in to the far side and Elendil jumped clear and directed it just inside the post- but Rog saved it again! Rog yelled at his team, "Why am I making the plays here?! Do you want to be in or not?!" And as simple as it was it seemed to be precisely the spur Gondolin needed to crank up their intensity. The midfield hadn't been doing the best job of getting it to the forwards, but now they looked sharper, and in the 61st minute Meleth released Duilin behind the off-side trap and he made it count, drawing Arvedui and serving it up to Gothmog for the finish. In no time at all Gondolin was on the hunt again, forcing Arvedui and his defense to scramble. Elendil managed to get in the way of a Duilin drive, and Gothmog was just barely too tall on another header. But the quickness of the "sharp-boot" Maeglin could not be denied. Duilin gave it to him with some space on the end-line and Maeglin carved up the defense with a run to the center and slammed it into the top-shelf to give Gondolin the 3-goal lead! The Gondolin faithful were just going nuts now- their team had hope again! They had equaled Inter Beleriand's goal differential, which meant if Inter lost, Gondolin was in! With that in mind Gondolin fell back to lock down on defense and concentrated on keeping possession rather than attacking. The despirited Arnor seemed to have nothing left to challenge, however, and Gondolin sensed it. At minute 76 Gondolin unexpectedly risked possession as Egalmoth sent a sudden longball down the right side. The speedy Maeglin received it well clear of defenders and brought it in towards Arvedui as the lead-footed defense attempted to regain positioning. But Maeglin gave them no such opportunity, instead sending it sharply across the box where it was met by the flaming comet of Gothmog. No one had a chance to challenge him and Arvedui could only guess. He guessed near- Gothmog went far. The death-blow was struck! With the extra cushion Gondolin pulled back once again, but Arnor did not seriously challenge. They knew they were packing their bags that night, and they knew they wouldn't be able to save even this contest for a bit of pride. They were beaten. Free to run out the clock, Gondolin did so with respect and the refs didn't worry about having enough stoppage time and blew the whistle everyone was waiting for. Gondolin had not clinched, but after the glorious performance they had witnessed the fans could be forgiven for assuming it was in the bag, for it seemed quite easy to believe and hope that the group-favorites and home-team Eriador would take care of Inter later that night. This Gondolin team simply had to advance after such a dashing performance! Arnor 0-4 Gondolin on target 4-8 tot shots 12-21 GOALS: 36, 0-1 Gothmog (Maeglin) 61, 0-2 Gothmog (Duilin) 68, 0-3 Maeglin (Duilin) 76, 0-4 Gothmog (Maeglin) YELLOW CARDS: Arnor- Earendur, Araval Gondolin- Gothmog, Salgant But Maedhros, Fingon, Turgon, and the rest of Inter Beleriand still had a say in matters. If they forged a tie with Eriador, they qualified second. If they won- first place. And they certainly had no plan of losing. Both fan-bases were relatively confident their side could win. "Even Elrond can't hold off Fingon and Maedhros forever, and we've got a Balrog to counter their offense, and Turgon minding the net." "Yes, but Glorfindel can handle a Balrog, and there's still Witch King to deal with- and Elrond won't be getting Fingon and Maedhros's best efforts as Gil-galad, Malbeth, and Asfaloth will bother them plenty." Football fans everywhere were keen to find out who was right. The fans at Weathertop on the other hand mostly wanted to see Eriador sweep the group. The disappointed Arnor fans were notably present, and most were drunk and cheerful. They looked to Eriador for redemption- for if they took first then at least they'd have something to be pleased about. In the early going it didn't look like either fan base was right. The game was very even- good passing, bright ideas on offense, quality runs, but all countered by swarming defense and timely tackling. Each team gained but a single shot on goal in the opening 30, and both boots were professionally smothered by Turgon and Elrond. Towards the end of the half Inter looked to have the upper hand, owning the ball just a bit more, and looking just a bit more dangerous around the box. But at minute 40 a fortunate bounce on a clearance found empty space in front of Malbeth, and the far-seer spotted an opportunity and sent a bullet into the other half. Glorfindel was off to the races and put a spectacular first touch on the pass, spilling the ball out in front of him without breaking stride. Balrog #5 caught him as he closed on Turgon, but Glorfindel made a nifty cutback and back again to cross the flame-demon's feet and earn him a clear shot at goal, which he converted high and left, despite Turgon getting a fingertip on it. It was 1-0 for the homeside at the half! When the second half began the home team took the initiative again, pressing in and finally earning a corner from a deflected shot attempt. Arassuil swung it in near post, and whether it was the plan or just good execution on the fly, Witch King got to it but knew he wasn't getting through with a good effort from his position, so he nodded the ball on through to the opposite side where Arveleg met it leaping in rhythm and put the header back to the original side into the side netting, and Eriador had a two-goal lead! The pockets of Gondolin supporters screamed even louder than the Eriador fans. This was exactly what they hoped for! Even if Eriador reigned it in, Elrond wouldn't be scored on twice, surely. Inter certainly attempted to force the issue, but Eriador was given over entirely to defending now, and Glorfindel and Witch King were immensely helpful at the back. Finally a near-impossible solo run by Fingon created an opening out of nothing and Inter gained a quality chance, but the foresighted Elrond was camped perfectly for Haleth's header location and he slapped it back out towards midfield. Inter didn't get another decent sniff until minute 72 when Maedhros was given too much space outside the box and he crushed it with his left foot, forcing Elrond to dive- and the Master of Rivendell just barely poked it away and out of bounds. The Inter supporters were finally allowed to cheer in minute 81 when Maedhros struck a seemingly intentional volley off of Asfaloth's flank which deflected in to cut the deficit to a single goal, but Eriador barely gave the ball back during the remaining time, and the contest ended at 2-1. Without much fanfare Inter exited and left the field open to the celebrating home fans, who were joined by several Gondolin supporters in their merry-making. Eriador had swept their way to first place, and Gondolin had stolen second! Inter Beleriand 1-2 Eriador on target 6-6 tot shots 13-13 GOALS: 40, 0-1 Glorfindel (Malbeth) 48, 0-2 Arveleg (Witch King) 81, 1-2 Maedhros (Fingon) YELLOW CARDS: InterBel- Gorlim, Baragund Eriador- Arassuil, Araphant Q: Eriador q: Gondolin Eliminated: Arnor, Inter Beleriand *************************** ************************** MESPN Postgame Exit Interviews MESPN: Elendil- any words for your fans? Elendil: Thanks for your enthusiasm, and we're sorry we couldn't keep this train going. MESPN: Arvedui? Why are you left in the group stage? Arvedui: Well, we certainly didn't have our best game today, and style-wise and personnel-wise this was perhaps our most problematic match-up in the group, but the fact is we were already eliminated coming into today. That's the concerning issue. Elendil: With something to fight for we might've done better- yes. MESPN: So what's the outlook for next year then? Arvedui: With the pay-outs released and the low-end below what people expected, league-wide salaries will see some shaving, and so likely we'll trim just a little bit- but overall I expect we'll be the same or very slightly higher. MESPN: Higher after cuts? How does that work? Arvedui: We need to bring in a piece or two that might make the puzzle fit better. We can't be content to sit where we're at. So the existing roster will probably see slight decreases while a position or two will be exchanged for something slightly higher. MESPN: Is ownership going to remain the same- Elendil, Isildur, and Annuminas Ltd? Elendil: Annuminas Ltd. undoubtedly will retain a good chunk, but Isildur and I will have to crunch some numbers and see which way we should go. Arvedui: It wouldn't surprise me if we ended up with just a bit of extra help next year- but someone we trust of course. Perhaps a bit of financing from Norbury Sport? They're doing well with Eriador obviously. MESPN: All right. Thanks guys. ******************** MESPN: Maedhros- you aren't used to missing the playoffs. How does it feel? Maedhros: Very wrong. This squad ought to be on the big stage. MESPN: What stopped it? Fingon: We didn't execute when we needed to, plain and simple. Turgon: We played our game decently against Gondolin and got the draw, but then against Arnor Gondolin took the initiative whereas we were outplayed, and it showed up in the differential. MESPN: Is it hard for you, Turgon, to see Gondolin move on without you? Turgon: Whether they move on or not I'm disappointed to be out of the playoffs, so that stands on its own. But does it make me extra sore? No- I must say I'm pleased with anything that gives my subjects reason to celebrate. MESPN: Are you considering a return? Turgon: Not currently. I'm invested here and I don't wish to bail when there is so much promise. MESPN: So you think Inter Beleriand will be improved next season? Maedhros: I think we all believe that. Fingon: The combination of us playing just a bit better and bringing in a piece or two where it's needed should make us a serious contender. No one is far out of contention under these new salary rules, least of all us. MESPN: Thanks very much. Good luck in the off-season. __________________ the phantom** has posted. This thread is now important.