[Nogrod]

Mirkwood vs. Valimar

If the spectators were a bit confused and unconfident in picking the side to cheer for in the first match, the second match was not a too different story. The elves from the West had it easy. They were there on the Valimar’s 9000 ticket allowance – and quite a few of them, especially the Teleri, had bought tickets under the general elven allowance as well – and would cheer mainly for Valimar. The elves from the Middle-Earth had it tougher. Sure they honoured the Valar but there were players like Oropher, Thranduil, Legolas and Galion (the clear favourites of the wood-elves); Radagast and Treebeard (loved especially by the Lothlórien elves), and of course Bilbo Baggins (who seemed to be the special favourite of the Rivendell-elves).

The dwarves had it tough as well as Aulë and the Túna team had been already relegated (the dwarves had been given a thousand tickets as part of the compensation for the work they had done building the stadium). The few Eorlings at place sure championed Fram and the hobbits’ hero was of course Bilbo. The benches - the huorns that is - on which the spectators sat on were huge fans of Treebeard, which indeed caused some minor disturbances when the huorns cheered for Treebeard while spectators were sitting on their branches…

The orcs and other “baddies” had minor problems as well: Scatha and Nazgul #6 were on the Mirkwood team but the three Balrogs on Valimar side were just awesome, not to speak of Melkor himself! But the team-mates of Melkor and the Balrogs? What could be worse – but at the same time so overwhelming?

All in all, that confusion resulted in a spirited night of football as the alignments were so divided that in the end people (well, all kinds of creatures) just mainly stuck into enjoying the game. And what a game it was!


There was a shock-beginning to it.

To the total bewilderment of the elves of the West – and to the great joy of the hobbits, the Rivendell elves and the huorns forming the stand – Treebeard and Bilbo stole the lead for the Mirkwood team already at the eighth minute.

And the way it was executed! With a corner kick Treebead had come to the fore and Bilbo suddenly got an idea before Thranduil made the kick. So Treebeard bowed down and lifted Bilbo up into his branches and they both signalled the elven king what he should do. And Thranduil gave it a go chipping the ball high up in the air from where Treebeard took it with his outstretched root (ents are not allowed to use their branches to handle the ball as they are considered as hands) and passed it up forwards – simultaneously rushing to the goal. And Bilbo headed the ball downwards from four meters high and behind the back of stunned Ungoliant.

Although some of the crowds protested the referee found nowhere a ruling stating another player couldn’t support another player carrying him on his shoulders (well, branches) and declared it a goal.

But unlike some of their supporters, the Valimar team was not upset of the setback but soon took the control of the field pressing for the equaliser while Mirkwood pulled back and defended. And it was a staunch defence: Radagast and Treebeard had miraculous timing while the stamina and pace of Grimbeorn and Bilbo managed to surprise the Valar-attacks time after time. But it was clear to everyone the defences could not hold forever – and they didn’t.

Melkor made an unforeseen move in the attack passing the ball behind him to Tilion from a scoring opportunity of his own, and Tilion thanked his former assailant for the opportunity making such an unpredictable shot it took all the defences by surprise – Oropher included. The game was even ten minutes before the half-time.


But the Mirkwood team came fighting into the second half – and once more dumbfounded the Valimar supporters on the first minutes of the half. This time Nazgul #6 took advantage of the defending Balrogs’ arrogance and managed to dribble his way between them – just before getting burned - to pass the ball to the side where Thranduil had outrun Alatar and got to kick in a one-timer half-volley Shelob had no chances to react to.

The Mirkwood team was leading once again! But like in the first half, the Valimar team pulled itself together and took the control of the game pressing an attack after another into the Mirkwood side. And on the 76th minute it paid off again.

This time it was a one Vala-show indeed. Melkor took the ball from Legolas in the midfield and went forwards with it. Grimbeorn tried to challenge him only to find himself face down in the grass – the referee saw nothing illegal in that. Tulkas waved his hand being totally free on the other side after getting himself free from Radagast’s marking but Melkor turned into the middle himself and rammed past Treebeard making Treebeard fall as well. Now most of the crowds were protesting out loud but the referee just spread his hands that there was no foul involved.

Gotten clear of Treebeard, Melkor faced Oropher one on one. Some heard him cursing Oropher some heard Melkor taunt him – but which way it was no one knows. But what everyone saw was the equaliser! Oropher tried his best but that was not enough having to stand an onrushing Melkor who seemed to grow in power and stature the nearer the goal he got. It was like a giant against a dwarf – if that analogy is allowed discussing an elf. The giant won anyway.

Mirkwood put it’s best to defend the rest of the second half and managed to keep the Valar attacks at bay – and even creating some counter-attacking chances themselves thus lessening Valimar’s enthusiasm for all out attacking. The game ended even.


The overtime brought no solution to the situation as now both teams played it clearly more safely. So it was a shoot-out!


Scatha came to shoot first. It took it’s time to settle the ball into exactly the right position and then took two steps backwards from it. Then Scatha swung it’s tail – just as Ungoliant had presumed. The giant Spider went to the right corner spreading all its legs there but what did the dragon do! Scatha took surprisingly fast steps towards the ball while swinging its tail just over it and tossed the ball to the left lower corner of the goal with it’s right foot! Whatever the crowds dislikes for the dragon were, they had to admit the brilliance of the execution of that penalty shot.

To the relief of the Valimar supporters it was Tulkas next. And he hammered the ball in with such a speed and power Oropher had no chance to even move before the ball was already in the back of the net – and through it. It took the officials some time to stitch the net back into shape.

Thranduil followed Tulkas. He took his shot towards the lower right corner but Ungoliant guessed it right and managed to web the ball. The elven crowds were silenced.

But the herald of Manwë had no better luck. Even if the shot was nice heading to the same lower right corner, Oropher guessed it right as well and tipped the ball just wide with his fingers. The shoot-out was even!

Legolas took the next turn. He concentrated behind the ball enough to get Ungoliant annoyed and then went for it. Just before reaching the ball Legolas made an incredible move turning around 360 degrees – and shooting with his left foot from the swing! It totally surprised diving Ungoliant and the ball was in the back of the net, almost straight in the middle!

Melkor was next. His intimidating presence made even Oropher nervous. Melkor settled the ball down to its place and then studied the elf on the goal for a while. “I’ll shoot to the high left corner, elf. Just to inform you…” he said in a low thundery voice and took a few steps back. The audiences were holding their breath. Thousands of thoughts zig-zagged in Oropher’s mind as he tried to decide whether to go for left or right, whether Melkor was bluffing or double-bluffing…

“As I said, to the high left…” Melkor roared and ran towards the ball. Oropher was just about to jump to the high left corner when insecurity hit him and he cancelled the move going for the down right… just to cancel that idea too late and falling down on his knees… only to hear the roars of the crowd. The ball was in, in the high left corner of the goal as Melkor had promised. That was cool finishing. It was 2-2 after three shooters from both sides.

Nazgûl #6 came next. Against all odds he scored winning the poker against the mother of all great spiders. And Tilion in turn was just as unpredictable as was anticipated, and thus he beat Oropher easily. It was 3-3 after four shooters from both sides.

The final round began with Grimbeorn walking forth. The great Beorning set the ball and then took quite a distance from it. His father was bellowing cheers for him so loudly they surpassed all the other voices in the stadium. Grimbeorn took his time and then rushed forwards – changing into a bear while running – and blasted such a berserk shot through Ungoliant’s webs the great spider herself was astonished by it. Mirkwood hung on the lead with only one shot to come!

It was lady Arien, the shiny maiden of Laurelin, who came to make the final shot of the first round of the shoot-out. She shone so brightly Oropher had no chances to see anything. Even the spectators had to cover their eyes from the light she shone around. Oropher tried to put his hand in front of his eyes to see but so brightly did Arien shine that he saw nothing but light, being blinded by it. When Oropher heard the pace of her feet on the ground and finally the thud of a kick he dived with chance to the left… and felt the ball touch his hands… and to go wide!

Arien was denied! Mirkwood had won!


It was a sensation indeed! Mirkwood had beaten two powerhouses in a row. And team Armenelos would have to re-orientate their target! They could not afford toying with Mirkwood – even if some correspondents from “Armenelos Times” already sent back home headline-suggestions like “Armenelos within an easy walk from the finals!” The Mirkwood team was a serious contender with seemingly the grace of Ilúvatar herself on its side. There was no other explanation to their success, said many.

The Valar were gracious in defeat – even if some said that Ungoliant, the Balrogs and Melkor refused to exchange shirts with the winning team and had sworn harshly before going to the showers. But the others looked like defeat meant nothing to them and they invited the winners into their special lavish tents to share a glorious night meal with them to honour a great match.

While the Valar of the team Valimar were celebrating with the Mirkwood team in a great tent erected to the moors – well most of them and some chosen elves from the organising committee and a few other special guests – Manwë, Varda, Ulmo, Aulë, Yavanna and Oromë, with Gandalf, Tom Bombadill, Beorn, Old Man Willow, Quickbeam and others looked for the overall security of the encampment. All the skirmishes were dealt with effectively and even the orcs soon realised it was time to party and not time to fight with such a powerful policing force around. And anyway, Sauron was through to the semis as well as one Nazgul and the dragon Scatha. It could have been worse…

So pretty soon these mighty guardians had a chance to slip into joining the party leaving the security measures to the elves of Rivendell for the wee hours. It is said that party continued long after the daybreak…


Mirkwood 2-2 Valimar (SHOOT-OUT 4-3 to Mirkwood)

shots 11-16
on target 5-7
GOALS:
*8, Mirkwood (Bilbo, Treebeard)
*34, Valimar (Tilion, Melkor)
*51, Mirkwood (Thranduil, Nazgul #6)
*76, Valimar (Melkor)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Mirkwood- Thranduil, Radagast, Fram
*Valimar- Balrog #2, Tilion, Melkor, Balrog #4
SHOOT OUT:
*Mirkwood- Scatha (G), Thranduil (S), Legolas (G), Nazgul #6 (G), Grimbeorn (G)
*Valimar- Tulkas (G), Eonwe (S), Melkor (G), Tilion (G), Arien (S)