Middle-Earth Football World Cup 2007 - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Sleepy Ranger · 07-18-2007, 08:24 AM

Group A

Angband are surely through to the next round now. They've probably done enough to secure top spot as well. The hunt for second place is still on though. Any of the three teams could take it. Realistically though only Erebor and Moria have a chance. Valinor face the daunting task of having to beat Angband while hoping that Moria beat Erebor. Even then they'd have to rely on a superior goal difference.

Erebor only need a draw against Moria to qualify. Moria would need to beat Erebor to make it through, while hoping that Valinor do not defeat Angband. I can not really see Valinor taking any points off Angband and therefore reckon it will come down to Erebor and Moria. If Moria can sort out their issues I think they may have a chance but at the moment I believe the group will end like so,

1st- Angband
2nd- Erebor
3rd- Moria
4th- Valinor

Group B

Tuna have booked their berth in the next round and their match against Lothlorien will decide who tops the group, then again in Lothlorien's case a loss could threaten their qualification. I believe Lothlorien will play cautiously and look for a draw. The Shire are up against Brethil. It is a game that I would expect the Shire to win. They would however have to hope that Tuna beat Lothlorien by at least two goals for the goal difference problem to clear.

I believe Lothlorien may just snatch a draw in here but even if they fail to do that I can not see the Shire closing the gap on goal difference. Then again Brethil have leaked in plenty of goals. I think Lothlorien will follow Tuna out of this group, just barely.

1st- Tuna
2nd- Lothlorien
3rd- Shire
4th- Brethil

Group C

Nargothrond have been the dominant force in this group. Numenor too have done quite well though what happens in their second match is yet to be seen. I assume that the last day match-up of Numenor vs. Nargothrond will decide the group leader. I really doubt Niggle's Parish or Buckland have any chance of making it out of the group and will be playing each other for third place.

While I'm undecided as to whether Nargothrond or Numenor will top the group I am willing to take a risk and predict the following,

1st- Nargothrond
2nd- Numenor
3rd- Buckland
4th- Niggle's Parish

Group D

This is a very interesting situation. With two games played by all, each team finds themselves with a one and a loss, in other words 3 points each. It will definitely be an interesting final day. Mordor take on Dor Lomin and Tol Eressea take on Roverandom. I do not think there will be any fluke wins and I believe Mordor will top the table on goal difference after Mordor and Tol Eressea win their respective matches.

1st- Mordor
2nd- Tol Eressea
3rd- Roverandom
4th- Dor Lomin

Group E

This group is still fairly open although I guess Misty Mountains have secured their place in the next round. I guess it's a toss up between Tol In Gauroth and Fangorn. Whichever of them wins is better poised to finish second. It's really not an interesting group decide being so open. It's too weak in my opinion.

1st- Misty Mountains
2nd- Fangorn
3rd- Old Grey Hill
4th- Tol In Gauroth

Group F

Gondolin have secured their spot in the next round and as soon as Bree beat Wooton Major they too will have secured their place in the next round. I had expected Mirkwood to do better but that's football, things tend do go as they want to.

1st- Gondolin
2nd- Bree
3rd- Mirkwood
4th- Wooton Major

Group G

Interestingly enough at this point in time any of the four teams could go through. Although some only have a very slim chance. I very much expect Gondor to defeat Rohan today but the outcome is still to be known and Rohan are very much capable of winning.

Barrow-Downs: With 6 points one can assume they are through to the next round. However, Inklings, Gondor and Rohan are all capable of matching their points tally. Matching their goal difference will be highly improbable though hence I believe the 'Downs are certain qualifiers. Their last day match is against Rohan which, perhaps, could be called an almost definite win.

Inklings: Currently second on 3 points. They will be facing off against a rather tough Gondor team. The Gondorians gave the 'Downs a run for their money in a game in which the scored perhaps was a bit unfair. Gondor could very well beat the Inklings here which should give them six points and a qualifying position.

Gondor: They will have to face the Inklings on the final day. I believe they will beat Rohan today and then go on to beat the Inklings and finish second.

Rohan: I expect them to lose to the 'Downs and finish on zero points.

1st- Barrow Downs
2nd- Gondor
3rd- Inklings
4th- Rohan

Group H

Group H is open for Ham, Doriath and Arnor. The final day fixtures will see Ham take on Arnor and Doriath face Rivendell. Doriath will be playing for a win as that is the only thing that can assure them qualification. It will not be that easy a task as Rivendell will be looking to prevent an embaressment and score at least a point. Ham and Arnor have it all to play for. A draw here wouldmean Ham go through while Arnor have to rely on Rivendell to beat Doriath. A Ham win will see them through, an Arnor win would see them through. This group is really too close to call.

the phantom · 07-18-2007, 10:30 AM

Wow- I've got a lot of matches to get through! I hope you don't mind that I've fallen behind a bit. It's difficult to find the time to play in the World Cup, own a fantasy team, and be a sports writer.

Moria 1 - 3 Angband

Angband was not on top of things in that first half, but put it together to score three times in a twenty minute span during the second half. It's easy enough for Angband to get away with that sort of play during the group stage, but they'd better be ready to play a full game once the knock-out rounds begin.

Tuna 2 - 1 Shire

Tuna played this game smart, using their complete superiority to nab a two goal lead immediately out of the gate and then just coasting from there, conserving their energy and saving themselves for the knock-out rounds.

Mordor 4 - 0 Tol Eressea

Ouch. Yeah, I expected a Mordor win, but wow... possession 64-36, shots 15-2... Mordor looked scary good in that game. They looked like the Mordor team that won three cups in a row back in the day. The question is, was this a one game fluke, or a sign of their return?

Barrow-Downs 4 - 1 The Inklings

All the big guns were playing well, and so it is not surprising that the Downs ran away with the game. When all their forwards plus Phantom are on top of their game, it's impossible to keep the Downs off the board. But will everyone stay consistent? SPM and Phantom are famous for the inconsistency of their teamwork, seeming to share a brain and racking up lots of goals in one game, and then in the next game they can't get on the same page and sometimes they will feud and outright refuse to pass to one another. Let's hope a spirit of unity prevails throughout this World Cup.

Nargothrond 2 - 0 Buckland

Mormegil scored again? No way. I'm shocked. But seriously, things went as expected. Buckland doesn't have the athletes to push Nargothrond.

Old Grey Hill 0 - 1 Misty Mountains

Honestly, Old Grey Hill is playing way way better than I thought they would. I expected at least a two goal victory for Misty Mts. So, kudos to Mts for the win, and kudos to Hill for competing well. This is a weak group though, so don't get too excited.

Gondolin 2 - 0 Mirkwood

Mirkwood finally played up to their potential. Unfortunately, the opponent was Gondolin, who can beat just about anyone. Hurin certainly showed us all where Mormegil gets his scoring talents from.

Doriath 2 - 2 Ham

Doriath has got to be disappointed with this result. They are the better team. After taking the 2-0 lead they should have gone conservative and clogged up the field, but they chose not to, and paid for it.

Valinor 0 - 1 Erebor

As much as I dislike Angband's Melkor, I really think he said it right in his pre-tournament interview when he called out Manwe, telling him to "grow a pair". Valinor has some fantastic scorers on their team- just turn them loose! But it's probably too late now.

Lothlorien 2 - 0 Brethil

Personally, I thought the match was boring. Brethil played like a junior high team. I think they're eager to get back to the forest.

Roverandom 0 - 1 Dor Lomin

This result just makes it look even dumber that Mordor lost to Roverandom. It's downright suspicious.

Arnor 3 - 0 Rivendell

Ah, so Arnor is finally showing us what that offense can do. Poor Rivendell... it's like I said before the tournament- with that midfield they have there is no way they are advancing.

07-18-2007, 08:24 AM	#1
Sleepy Ranger Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: On the field, kissing the 'Downs crest Posts: 1,654	Sleepy's Take Group A Angband are surely through to the next round now. They've probably done enough to secure top spot as well. The hunt for second place is still on though. Any of the three teams could take it. Realistically though only Erebor and Moria have a chance. Valinor face the daunting task of having to beat Angband while hoping that Moria beat Erebor. Even then they'd have to rely on a superior goal difference. Erebor only need a draw against Moria to qualify. Moria would need to beat Erebor to make it through, while hoping that Valinor do not defeat Angband. I can not really see Valinor taking any points off Angband and therefore reckon it will come down to Erebor and Moria. If Moria can sort out their issues I think they may have a chance but at the moment I believe the group will end like so, 1st- Angband 2nd- Erebor 3rd- Moria 4th- Valinor Group B Tuna have booked their berth in the next round and their match against Lothlorien will decide who tops the group, then again in Lothlorien's case a loss could threaten their qualification. I believe Lothlorien will play cautiously and look for a draw. The Shire are up against Brethil. It is a game that I would expect the Shire to win. They would however have to hope that Tuna beat Lothlorien by at least two goals for the goal difference problem to clear. I believe Lothlorien may just snatch a draw in here but even if they fail to do that I can not see the Shire closing the gap on goal difference. Then again Brethil have leaked in plenty of goals. I think Lothlorien will follow Tuna out of this group, just barely. 1st- Tuna 2nd- Lothlorien 3rd- Shire 4th- Brethil Group C Nargothrond have been the dominant force in this group. Numenor too have done quite well though what happens in their second match is yet to be seen. I assume that the last day match-up of Numenor vs. Nargothrond will decide the group leader. I really doubt Niggle's Parish or Buckland have any chance of making it out of the group and will be playing each other for third place. While I'm undecided as to whether Nargothrond or Numenor will top the group I am willing to take a risk and predict the following, 1st- Nargothrond 2nd- Numenor 3rd- Buckland 4th- Niggle's Parish Group D This is a very interesting situation. With two games played by all, each team finds themselves with a one and a loss, in other words 3 points each. It will definitely be an interesting final day. Mordor take on Dor Lomin and Tol Eressea take on Roverandom. I do not think there will be any fluke wins and I believe Mordor will top the table on goal difference after Mordor and Tol Eressea win their respective matches. 1st- Mordor 2nd- Tol Eressea 3rd- Roverandom 4th- Dor Lomin Group E This group is still fairly open although I guess Misty Mountains have secured their place in the next round. I guess it's a toss up between Tol In Gauroth and Fangorn. Whichever of them wins is better poised to finish second. It's really not an interesting group decide being so open. It's too weak in my opinion. 1st- Misty Mountains 2nd- Fangorn 3rd- Old Grey Hill 4th- Tol In Gauroth Group F Gondolin have secured their spot in the next round and as soon as Bree beat Wooton Major they too will have secured their place in the next round. I had expected Mirkwood to do better but that's football, things tend do go as they want to. 1st- Gondolin 2nd- Bree 3rd- Mirkwood 4th- Wooton Major Group G Interestingly enough at this point in time any of the four teams could go through. Although some only have a very slim chance. I very much expect Gondor to defeat Rohan today but the outcome is still to be known and Rohan are very much capable of winning. Barrow-Downs: With 6 points one can assume they are through to the next round. However, Inklings, Gondor and Rohan are all capable of matching their points tally. Matching their goal difference will be highly improbable though hence I believe the 'Downs are certain qualifiers. Their last day match is against Rohan which, perhaps, could be called an almost definite win. Inklings: Currently second on 3 points. They will be facing off against a rather tough Gondor team. The Gondorians gave the 'Downs a run for their money in a game in which the scored perhaps was a bit unfair. Gondor could very well beat the Inklings here which should give them six points and a qualifying position. Gondor: They will have to face the Inklings on the final day. I believe they will beat Rohan today and then go on to beat the Inklings and finish second. Rohan: I expect them to lose to the 'Downs and finish on zero points. 1st- Barrow Downs 2nd- Gondor 3rd- Inklings 4th- Rohan Group H Group H is open for Ham, Doriath and Arnor. The final day fixtures will see Ham take on Arnor and Doriath face Rivendell. Doriath will be playing for a win as that is the only thing that can assure them qualification. It will not be that easy a task as Rivendell will be looking to prevent an embaressment and score at least a point. Ham and Arnor have it all to play for. A draw here wouldmean Ham go through while Arnor have to rely on Rivendell to beat Doriath. A Ham win will see them through, an Arnor win would see them through. This group is really too close to call. __________________ And tonight we can truly say, together we're invincible... Middle-Earth Football World Cup 2007

07-18-2007, 10:30 AM	#2
the phantom Beloved Shadow Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: The Stadium Posts: 5,971	a little late with these, I know... Wow- I've got a lot of matches to get through! I hope you don't mind that I've fallen behind a bit. It's difficult to find the time to play in the World Cup, own a fantasy team, and be a sports writer. Moria 1 - 3 Angband Angband was not on top of things in that first half, but put it together to score three times in a twenty minute span during the second half. It's easy enough for Angband to get away with that sort of play during the group stage, but they'd better be ready to play a full game once the knock-out rounds begin. Tuna 2 - 1 Shire Tuna played this game smart, using their complete superiority to nab a two goal lead immediately out of the gate and then just coasting from there, conserving their energy and saving themselves for the knock-out rounds. Mordor 4 - 0 Tol Eressea Ouch. Yeah, I expected a Mordor win, but wow... possession 64-36, shots 15-2... Mordor looked scary good in that game. They looked like the Mordor team that won three cups in a row back in the day. The question is, was this a one game fluke, or a sign of their return? Barrow-Downs 4 - 1 The Inklings All the big guns were playing well, and so it is not surprising that the Downs ran away with the game. When all their forwards plus Phantom are on top of their game, it's impossible to keep the Downs off the board. But will everyone stay consistent? SPM and Phantom are famous for the inconsistency of their teamwork, seeming to share a brain and racking up lots of goals in one game, and then in the next game they can't get on the same page and sometimes they will feud and outright refuse to pass to one another. Let's hope a spirit of unity prevails throughout this World Cup. Nargothrond 2 - 0 Buckland Mormegil scored again? No way. I'm shocked. But seriously, things went as expected. Buckland doesn't have the athletes to push Nargothrond. Old Grey Hill 0 - 1 Misty Mountains Honestly, Old Grey Hill is playing way way better than I thought they would. I expected at least a two goal victory for Misty Mts. So, kudos to Mts for the win, and kudos to Hill for competing well. This is a weak group though, so don't get too excited. Gondolin 2 - 0 Mirkwood Mirkwood finally played up to their potential. Unfortunately, the opponent was Gondolin, who can beat just about anyone. Hurin certainly showed us all where Mormegil gets his scoring talents from. Doriath 2 - 2 Ham Doriath has got to be disappointed with this result. They are the better team. After taking the 2-0 lead they should have gone conservative and clogged up the field, but they chose not to, and paid for it. Valinor 0 - 1 Erebor As much as I dislike Angband's Melkor, I really think he said it right in his pre-tournament interview when he called out Manwe, telling him to "grow a pair". Valinor has some fantastic scorers on their team- just turn them loose! But it's probably too late now. Lothlorien 2 - 0 Brethil Personally, I thought the match was boring. Brethil played like a junior high team. I think they're eager to get back to the forest. Roverandom 0 - 1 Dor Lomin This result just makes it look even dumber that Mordor lost to Roverandom. It's downright suspicious. Arnor 3 - 0 Rivendell Ah, so Arnor is finally showing us what that offense can do. Poor Rivendell... it's like I said before the tournament- with that midfield they have there is no way they are advancing. __________________ the phantom has posted. This thread is now important.