Arda Cup Soccer 2008

[the phantom]

--GROUP H--

As the second round games in Angband prepared to begin, the fans of the various teams had a lot on their minds.

Valimar fan: Well, we're in control right now, but we still have to play Angband in the final match, and most people think they're the best team in the tournament. Ah, but we can't overlook Annuminas. They must be pretty good to have tied Angband. This is a tough group.

Angband fan: I can't believe we had to settle for a tie. Now we might have to beat Valimar to advance. Not that we can't- but it'd be nice if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Annuminas was better than I thought. This is a tough group.

Annuminas fan: Wow, we played great in that first game. I figured it'd be tough advancing when they stuck us in this group, but we've put ourselves in good position. We just can't let Valimar blow us out, though that's easier said than done. This is a tough group.

Brethil fan: We played Valimar, and now we have to play Angband? This group sucks.

As the first game between Annuminas and Valimar kicked off, the Angband crowd cheered against both enthusiastically. They wanted Annuminas to lose because of the way they had spoiled Angband's opener, and they wanted Valimar to lose because they were sitting in first place and were likely to be Angband's toughest test.

But the wishes of the crowd did not seem to impact the game as both teams played smart and solid football to start off. At 20 minutes Earendil made a beautiful longshot off the pass from Orome and Valimar took the 1-0 lead. For the next twenty minutes they traded shots, but none of them were particularly threatening. But then at the 43 minute mark Tilion made a sudden move behind the defense on the left side and Eonwe crossed to him perfectly for the header to make it 2-0 Valimar going into halftime.

The Angband crowd buzzed loudly during the intermission. Annuminas was not playing poorly- Valimar just looked a bit better and they weren't making any mistakes. "Boy- I'm not looking forward to our next game," said one orc to the other. "If this team can paste the team that tied us, we're in trouble."

As the second half progressed it was more of the same, with the two sides playing solidly but Valimar still getting better chances. But then at minute 67 the game changed when Valimar finally made a mistake. Alatar made an ill advised pass from deep in his own zone and Argeleb intercepted it and sent it forward to Arantar who had alertly charged forward. Arantar outfought Ulmo for the ball, put a move on Pallando and placed a kick just out of Ungolient's reach to bring the score to 2-1.

The Angband fans felt better after that, perceiving that Valimar was not invincible. As the clock ran down Valimar controlled the ball well and didn't attempt to stretch their lead. Annuminas began pressing them intensely and at minute 79 it nearly paid off as Valandur stole the ball away fairly deep in the zone and rocketed a shot that Ungolient barely pushed aside.

After that Valimar decided it would be wiser to stretch the field and put the ball in the offensive zone. But at minute 85 Annuminas shocked the world for the second time in as many games. The goalie Arvedui caught a rocket from Tulkas and immediately boomed it down the field. Valandur beat Valimar to the ball and took off right around Orome and passed it to Araphor. Araphor split through Radagast and Alatar, somehow maintaining control of the ball, and passed it back to Valandur who had run past Pallando. Valandur controlled the pass without ever breaking stride and forced Ulmo to commit to him and passed beautifully back to Araphor for a one on one with the goalie.

The Annuminas section of the stadium exploded as Araphor forced the ball in past Ungolient to equalize with under five minutes left, while the Valimar fans threw up their hands in frustration. The game ended as a tie, with both teams still in the hunt for the playoffs.

Annuminas 2-2 Valimar
shots 11-11
on target 5-6
GOALS:
*Valimar, 20 (Earendil- Orome)
*Valimar, 43 (Tilion- Eonwe)
*Annuminas, 67 (Argeleb- Arantar)
*Annuminas, 85 (Araphor- Valandur)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Annuminas- Arveleg
*Valimar- Orome

After seeing Valimar and Annuminas pick up only one point, the supporters of Angband were eager to see their team pick up 3 points in the standings and hold their destiny in their own hands.

As Angband took the field Uldor and Ulfast were glaring, Ancalagon and Carcharoth were roaring, and the Balrogs looked murderous. Everyone knew that Melkor had given the team a tongue lashing after the last game and it appeared that the team had taken it to heart and were determined to produce a good result in the game.

During the first half it was obvious that Melkor had focused on defense during his pregame pep talk. Angband at times seemed to give the ball to Brethil purposefully just to showcase their defense. By the half Brethil had only managed two weak shots on goal and two off-liners. Despite the lack of scoring the crowd seemed pleased and trusted Melkor to get it done in the second half, and Angband didn't disappoint.

Straight out of the locker room Angband went on the attack and started firing shots at the goal. At minute 52 Balrog #6 sent in a corner and Gothmog kicked it in off the goalie's hands and the crowd screamed its approval.

Angband kept the pressure up and Brethil was unable to counter, though their defense put up a stiff fight. But it wasn't enough as in minute 78 Angband scored again- this time it was Ulfast punching in a rebound from Melkor's shot off the post.

As the clock ticked down and Angband continued to shut down Brethil, the crowd went into full celebration mode. They were no longer worried in the least about the final round of games. Their team was awesome, capable of playing perfectly when the situation called for it. Angband was the force to be reckoned with in the tournament.

Angband 2-0 Brethil
shots 15-6
on target 7-3
GOALS:
*Angband, 52 (Gothmog- Balrog #6)
*Angband, 78 (Ulfast- Melkor)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Angband- Balrog #5, Uldor
*Brethil- Dorlas

[Nogrod]

The great city of Gondolin showed it’s shining and smiling face to both the visitors and the residents alike on day 2 of the tournament. Of all the groups it felt that it was here everyone was gathering under the banners of friendship and fair competition. There had been no street fights or other serious incidents of violence but elves, people and dwarves dwelt the busy streets carrying their flags, singing their chants and maybe exchanging a few playful rants with the supporters of other teams. This was the sunshine group.

But the setting was the same as in so many groups before this one. The losers of the first matches were meeting first fighting for not to lose and the winners of round one were contesting each other to secure their place in the play-offs.

The Eldar of Tuna had taken a beating from the home team and were not amused. Even if their main goal was now Erebor they had to win the Gondor team first. It would be unheard of and a real shame if they couldn’t make it to the play-offs. But the Gondor supporters were not at all ready to accept the setting of the match widely echoed by the media. Gondor hadn’t fallen, but the host city had. And they should be more alive and accustomed to these eastern shores than the western snobs they were facing.

But even if the Gondorians played well and made no cardinal mistakes it was clear which was the better team in the game. The Tuna offence was just too good for the Gondorian defence, especially Miriel, Finwe and Nerdanel were only too fast and tricky.

After the initial offence, that lead first to Mahtan scoring 1-0 from almost 40 meters with a terrifying blast and then Miriel heading in a corner for 2-0, the game got a little more even as the Tuna team seemed to draw some breath for the rest of the first half.

The Gondorians came bravely to the second period and at 52nd minute they narrowed the lead deservedly. And the goal was a beautiful one. Five meters from the box Valacar was clearly going to pass the ball rightwards to lord Imrahil who was making a run behind the Tuna defence. Elenwe and Guile rushed in to cut the line of the pass when Valacar suddenly stopped and chipped the ball left past Ingwe and straight to the boot of Faramir who made a beautiful one-touch shot to the opposite upper corner leaving Orodreth totally immobilised.

But the Tuna team was not easily shaken and only seven minutes after the Gondorian goal they went further away with a nice run-through by Nerdanel and Finwe. Finally Nerdanel unselfishly passed the ball to Finwe even if she could have put the ball in herself over Beregond trying to make a flying catch too late. It was an easy task for Finwe to just pass the ball in.

Tuna had cleared the obstacle and Gondor supporters were understandably disappointed, but after an hour had passed there was no sense of bitterness left as the good spirit of the host-city had eased the pain. “The next time we’ll do it!” answered a Gondor-supporter to the Arda Kicker –magazine’s journalist with a wineglass in his hand.

Gondor 1-3 Tuna
shots 10-17
on target 4-9
GOALS:
*Tuna, 14 (Mahal- Finwe)
*Tuna, 21 (Miriel- Finarfin)
*Gondor, 52 (Faramir- Valacar)
*Tuna, 59 (Finwe- Nerdanel)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Gondor- Valacar
*Tuna- Egalmoth



Once again there was no question, which was the main game this evening. Both the Erebor team and its fans had gathered a lot of self-confidence after beating Gondor but that was not the whole story. For underneath the amiable surface it had all through the days been clear that the Ereborians were the odd-one’s out in the great city bursting with elves and men. They felt they were the strangers and even the Lake Town fans had met a wall of indifference in pubs and other public venues after it had been revealed they were fans of Erebor. But in a way that made them feel even greater togetherness and fighting spirit. But the home crowd was really beating it’s drums.

The game was a good one and the teams seemed to be quite even in all other areas but in between the poles of the goal – and Turgon outshone all the other defenders in stamina and alertness in defence. Both teams had a magnificient attack and that resulted in lots of shots and causes for both anxiety and joy to the supporters of both teams.

Gondolin started the scoring at 34th minute as the beautiful combination of the fast and furious Eol and Maeglin passed through the little rigid Erebor defence. It had been clear from the very beginning that the Erebor team had Maeglin under a special guard as he was so intimidating when he got the ball, and it seemed that once he got it there were results on the scoreboard.

But before the half time Erebor managed to score an equalizer. It was a nice pass from Dain that reached Smaug who had rushed to the Gondolin post and just squashed the ball in. Tuor, who had played a fabulous game before that, had no chance.

But even if the game went on in a balanced way the goalie-play of Tuor and specifically Turgon’s great performances gave the home team the momentum they needed. On 68th minute the crowd burst out with much anticipated joy as Maeglin finally got the ball unharassed – after a nice dribbling by Idril drawing the defenders to her – and hammered the ball in from the bottom of his heart. One could see the relief that shone from the face of the great forward who had been pinned down for most of the match by a staunch guarding.

It was a night of endless singing and cheering as the home team had secured their place in the play-offs. But both the Erebor and Tuna fans were having a sleepless night as all would depend on the match between the two sides on the last round.

Erebor 1-2 Gondolin
shots 15-14
on target 7-6
GOALS:
*Gondolin, 34 (Eol- Maeglin)
*Erebor, 40 (Smaug- Dain)
*Gondolin, 68 (Maeglin- Idril)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Erebor- Nain, Smaug
*Gondolin- Galdor, Idril


------
E GONDOLIN

Erebor – Gondor 2-1
Gondolin – Tuna 3-2

Gondor – Tuna 1-3
Erebor – Gondolin 1-2

1. Gondolin 5-3 6
2. Tuna 5-4 3
3. Erebor 3-3 3
4. Gondor 2-5 0

Last matches:
Tuna – Erebor
Gondolin – Gondor

[Nogrod]

Sorry it took so long... but I really had my hands full.



The MEFA (Middle Earth Football Association) had laid strict conditions for the hosting organization in Mordor for the games to continue there after the events of the first day of games. There would be a strict ban on any weapons brought to the stadium. At first the organisers thought it was a bad joke, but after they realised the MEFA was serious about it, they had no other option but to try and execute the claim.

Naturally it provoked a fiery opposition. It had been the unalianable right of any orc to carry a personal weapon; a sword, a scimitar, a knife, an axe, a flail… since times immemorial. It had been sanctified by their founding father! It could not be taken from them for such a petty thing as some football tournament. Many orc-youth organizations – and conservative groups – threathened with a massacre of all the foreigners, if the ruling would not be withheld. But finally the PR-campaigns did their work. With campaigns like “Soccer is for sissies!” and “Leave your weapon for two hours, get to see Mordor invade the two towers!”, and the like, the organizers managed to divide the populace into those ready to yield their arms for the time of the match and to those who would never do it but would stay away from all the events as football was such a loser’s thing.

In the beginning though it seemed the campaigns had totally failed from the football point of view as the stadium was almost empty when the first game began. But the foreigners at place – as well as the handful of Mordorians – got to see an interesting match.

A football game consists of two halves so it is scarce to see two teams that both think they need to play just one. But that was the script of this game.

On the first half it looked like the Minas Tirith players were still sleeping or hadn’t realised there was a game going on. Moria’s waves of attacks fell on Minas Tirith defence one after another with irresistible force while Minas Tirith was in no position to give a counter attack even a try. And even in defence the Minas Tirithians felt like they were going in slow motion. Some fans even thought it was dwarven magic or poisoning of some sort.

Be what it may, but the Moria team stacked a two goal lead on the first half having a total control over the field. First Azog flied forwards to head a long pass by Durin into the back of the net at the 19th minute. At 41st minute Balin advanced to the end line and sneakily passed backwards to an empty spot into which Durin’s Bane had advanced while the defenders were trying to tie down Azog and Durin who were rushing to the goal. Left relatively unchallenged near the goal it was no problem for Durin’s Bane to add Moria’s lead into 2-0. The Mordorian crowd got a little interested with that goal and they cheered. It was clear Durin's Bane was one of their favourites.

But Minas Tirith came to the second half as a newborn team. The fans thought it had to be due to the dwarven potion’s effect finally wearing down while some more objective spectators just thought their coach had pushed them about enough during the interval. But then again the Moria team seemed to be overconfident relying on their lead and an already secured victory. It became a mirror-image of the first half.

Minas Tirith kept on attacking and Moria defences were in trouble. And after being shaken they found it hard to find the rhythm of the game again. At 63rd minute Earnur made the considerable amount of the scarce number of spectators to cheer and sing wildly by tossing the ball in from close quarters after Mardil had nicely drawn both the remaining defender Oin and the Watcher away and passed the ball to him in front of an empty goal.

On 78th minute Bolg got his second card and was commanded out from the game. That was greeted with loud whistling and throwing in of some sneaked-in cold steel. Bolg seemed to be one of the small orc-crowd’s favourites along with Durin’s Bane and the Great Goblin. As the incident was short-lived and no players or referees got hurt the game was allowed to continue.

Playing shorthanded made the Moria team to draw even lower and trying to only defend but Minas Tirith had now the spirit to press forwards. On 81st minute they took a nice advantage of their numbers and zig-zagged the whole field making the defence run and in the end leaving Mardil to finish a nice goal from around the penalty spot.

The game ended even and both teams were in a way happy about it. Minas Tirith for coming up from two goals behind and Moria for holding the one point in the end. But looking at the performances of the teams of this group it is hard to foresee a place in the play-offs for either team.

Minas Tirith 2-2 Moria
shots 11-11
on target 4-5
GOALS:
*Moria, 19 (Azog- Durin)
*Moria, 41 (Durin's Bane- Balin)
*Minas Tirith, 63 (Earnur- Mardil)
*Minas Tirith, 81 (Mardil- Boromir I)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Minas Tirith- Denethor II, Earnil II
*Moria- Durin's Bane, Bolg
RED CARDS:
*Moria- Bolg, 78 (second yellow)



Slowly the arena started filling up. The disaster the organizers had feared seemed to fade away. The game of the home team seemed to arouse enough attention and interest that the house could after all get filled – even without the weapons allowed in the stadium. And the adversaries were none other than Hithlum, those humans and elves the Mordorians had a lot to pay back from history and whom they in a way revered as great enemies. And after all Turin – or “Black Boots” as he was known – , Hurin, Huor, Fingon, Fingolfin… they were all household names in Mordor… It’s futile to say the heroes of Hithlum stood firm and proud before the game but names like The Witch King and Gothmog aroused both awe and decisiveness in them. All was set for a truly great game.

“We have precedents to this game what comes to those elves and the men who have met our side!” shouted a seemingly learned orc going in with a host of friends. “We’ll kill’em like we’ve beforr!” yelled another, a less sophisticated one. But the mood of the home crowd was clear and definitive. The following two hours would show whether the precedents had any value today.

It was a great game. And the almost full arena filled slowly to it’s limits as the word started spreading what a play there was in the field; the excitement, the beauty of the team play, the individual stars making astonishing feats, the struggle, the tension… The organisers were more than delighted and even the MEFA was content.

The home crowd got what it wanted at 23rd minute when the Mouth dribbled brilliantly Galdor and Marach from their posts and then left the ball, running himself forwards and taking the defenders with him for the crucial second. He knew Khamul would be following him and he did. And Khamul blasted the ball into the net without anyone being able to do anything about it. The Mordorian crowd went just wild but this time they were not trying to kill anyone but started a forty-thousand voices strong low-roaring chant that would have frozen the blood of any free man, elf or dwarf.

But the Hithlum heroes were not so easily beaten. On the contrary, their attacks started to pound the Mordor defence even harder and more frequent they had before. Even if the Mordor team had it’s chances as well, Hithlum was now pressing and just before the half time they finally managed to equalize the game. And what a goal it was! The father and the son gave a real show how to do it!

Hurin got the ball ball from his grandpa in the middlefield and played a nice wall-pass with Angrod to get rid of the middlefielders on him. By the pressure of Nazgul #7 and Shagrat he was forced to run forwards all the way up to the end line. But just as everyone was anticipating a high pass to the center and to Fingolfin rushing in towards the goal Hurin chipped the ball over Nazgul #7 and plunged from between the Nazgul’s feet to grasp the control of the ball again for the fraction of the second he needed to pass it by ground diagonally to his son who had just scared the Valar out of Shagrat and run over him following his dad. Shelob had already positioned herself to catch a header from Fingolfin and was deliberately late. But there was still Gothmog rushing down between Turin and the goal. Getting the ball Turin stopped calmly. Gothmog had been anticipating a straight shot and pounced himself on the coming ball only realising in mid-air there was no shot. He came tumbling down face on to the grass and Turin banged the ball in before Shelob had time to throw her web.

The home crowd went silent but it in a way appreciated the way the goal was made. The football-mania had bitten them.

Both coaches had clearly told their team in the interval that an even result was good for them and had required the teams to play easy and carefully. That kind of game – accompanied by the loud boo’s of the home crowd - lasted only five first minutes of the second half. Then Fingolfin was given a yellow card for quite an innocent situation where he tried to reach the ball with Gothmog and that cheered the crowd and angered the visiting team.

Suddenly the game was alive again and Hithlum really pressed – allowing the home team nice counter attacks. That was crowd-pleasing football! But the home crowd was silenced for a moment by a goal for the Hithlum team when Fingon just forced the ball in after trying it twice in the mess-up and confusion in front of the Mordor goal.

But the home crowd started now goading their own team. They wanted to see performances like the Black Boots and his father had done. And with the ever louder crowd, player tiredness and loosened discipline the individuals started to shine out from the others.

Turin had a few great chances as he imposed his will upon the Mordor defenders making them always back off a bit, but at the other end the Witch King started to take a big role as well. He was clearly annoyed about the scoreline and the Hithlum defenders were having hard times with him. At 73rd minute The Witch King managed to scare two defenders out of his way at the edge of the box and was about to boot a real killer when Angrod ran to help and tackled him sliding from the back. The referee was firm. A yellow card to Angrod and a free kick to Mordor just from the edge of the box.

A host of Mordor players settled behind the ball but in the end it was the Witch King who took the shot. And what a shot it was! It almost teared the net apart after the defenders in the wall had just tried to duck away from the blast. There was no chance Huor could have even tried to move in front of the shot – and it was questionable would he have even wished to do that had he time to think about it. The home crowd cheered and chanted.

And believe it or not after the game ended even the crowd went out of the stadium not so much willing to fight but to cheer and to have a beer. As usual the visiting fans poured out from the arena only after the homeside fans had left the stadium but there were no fighting mobs to greet them. The orcs were having fun after a great game, even if they didn’t win.

The magic of football?

Hithlum 2-2 Mordor
shots 16-16
on target 8-6
GOALS:
*Mordor, 23 (Khamul- Mouth)
*Hithlum, 42 (Turin- Hurin)
*Hithlum, 59 (Fingon- Turin)
*Mordor, 74 (Witch King)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Hithlum- Gundor, Fingolfin, Angrod
*Mordor- Nazgul #3, Nazgul #5


------------------
G MORDOR

Hithlum – Moria 3-1
Minas Tirith – Mordor 1-2

Minas Tirith – Moria 2-2
Hithlum – Mordor 2-2

1. Hithlum 5-3 4
2. Mordor 4-3 4
3. Minas Tirith 3-4 1
4. Moria 3-5 1

The last games:
Hithlum – Minas Tirith
Mordor – Moria