Arda Cup Football 2009

[Boromir88]

I'll 3rd morm and Eomer

and second...Aganzir, Volo, and Lommy

Nominate: Legate

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

I'll 3rd morm and Eomer

Good stuff. No-one put Finarfin in your team because I'm going to break his legs.

[Boromir88]

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

Good stuff. No-one put Finarfin in your team because I'm going to break his legs.

If you are going to be a defensemen I want you for my phantasy team

[mormegil]

I'll second Kuru and SpM

[the phantom]

We still need four more Werewolves!

I second Legate.

On the TIG team-

• Phantom
• Nogrod
• Skip
• Gwath
• Morm
• Eomer
• Kuruharan

Seconded-

• Boromir
• Fea
• Rune
• Aganzir
• Volo
• Lommy
• SPM
• Legate

Nominated-

• Holby
• Mac
• Rikae
• Aganzir
• Brin
• Nerwen
• Ang
• Di
• Valier
• Roa
• LMP

Boro- I would second you, but you are, if we go by past tournaments, the head ref, and that seems unfair to have a player calling the game. It might be a bit biased, heh heh.

[Mnemosyne]

I'll third Saucepan!

[mormegil]

I'll third Lommy, she plays far too many games. I'll nominate Kath too as she deserves to be there.

[mormegil]

Rune too, I'll third him as he's been a very worthy adversary many times over.

[Hakon]

I will third Borormir.

[Boromir88]

Boro- I would second you, but you are, if we go by past tournaments, the head ref, and that seems unfair to have a player calling the game. It might be a bit biased, heh heh.

Might be a conflict of interest, but everyone knows my track record, not like I have ever operated 'fair and unbiased.'

[Nogrod]

I'm going to put up my own team and predictions to the fray this time as well - even if I'm totally unable to do anything around here for a few days... But the gearing up of the game might just take a few days more - or so I do hope.

And my accounts of the particular games will be as impartial as they've ever been.


If Boro wishes to play why not give him the chance to do it tp? You can always appoint Spm or lmp as the chief justice - or any of the interested 'Downers who don't have their own team and don't belong to the BD-team either?

The more actual players, the merrier...

I'm seconding / thirding / fourthing...Rune, Boro, Lommy, Legate and Fea.

[Boromir88]

Well I would actually like to keep my head referee job, that way you can be assured all the matches are refereed without any biases.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Well I would actually like to keep my head referee job

You should take part in the game Boro! Just try it once!

[the phantom]

If you haven't seen on the Phantasy thread, the TIG roster is settled now and everyone just needs to get their selections in for teams and predictions before the tournament can start.

The schedule for the first round of group play-

GROUP A
Angband vs Minas Tirith
Alqualonde vs Moria

GROUP B
Arnor vs Helm's Deep
Mirkwood vs Nargothrond

GROUP C
Gondolin vs Hithlum
Isengard vs Minas Morgul

GROUP D
Eregion vs Mordor
Erebor vs Osgiliath

GROUP E
Doriath vs Lothlorien
Armenelos vs Dor-Lomin

GROUP F
Dorthonion vs Edoras
Shire vs Taniquetil

GROUP G
Gondor vs T-I-G
Brethil vs Tuna

GROUP H
Amon Sul vs Valimar
Bree vs Romenna

[Nogrod]

The Arda Kicker Magazine has analysed the different bettings by the betting-agencies and has combined them with the views of their staff to generate this pre-tournament analysis.




On group A most betting-agencies are putting their two cents for Angband rallying through the group. The pure master-evil of the team led by Ancalagon the Black, added with the outstanding characters like Maeglin, Hurin and Gwindor looks mighty threathening team indeed to go for it all the way – if they can pull a team-effort of it.

On the second place the views seem to differ. Some note Moria’s sturdy home-team with solid defence and amazing attack (Durin’s Bane especially). Others wonder how the home team can live up to the expectations and bring the Alqualonde team forwards as a possible runner up in this group. Surely forwards like Cirdan and Osse should not be ignored – and somehow the betting-agencies have left Idril with no star! Watch out for her performances!

The fate of Minas Tirith seems to be decided already before the games have begun. But if Boromir and Aragorn are up to the moment in the attack and Echtelion raises to the occasion in the goal, then the MT defence led by Nazgul #5 could just make life hard to the other teams wishing to score easy wins on them.

---

On group B Nargothrond seems to be the clear favourites and the team looks solid even if it has no super-heroes in it. But players like Glaurung and Beren should guarantee their performance.

Interestingly enough the numenorian team from Arnor has been raised to be seriously contending for the second place. The defence of the team sure is solid and the team’s spirit should be good, but one wonders whether the pure genius, malice and wisdom; and the sheer power of the Mirkwood-team will not overrun them? It is possible the Mirkwood team just cleans the table and takes the pole position leaving the two others to fight for the second place. Or then they crumble down because of the possible inner tensions.

And Helm’s Deep might just shuffle a card or two there as well. There are no celebrities in the team but stiff defencive play with Helm able to score – and a great team spirit that Nargothrond and Mirkwood might be lacking...

---

Group C seems to be the clearest beforehand. Every agency wagers heavily on Hithlum and Gondolin to go forwards from the group – in that order. The Minas Morgul-team and Isengard should bite the dust – if they can do even that. That is according to the pre-tournament bettings. But here the AKM dares to disagree, again.

Hithlum sure looks like a contender to go all the way to the finals. With one of the best goalies in the tournament (Huan) and a solid defence to help him it will be a tough time for any team to score against them. But Hithlum also boasts one of the strongest forward-pairs in Maedhros and Fëanor. Beating this team will be hard indeed!

Gondolin looks also solid, but clearly they are only the second favourites of the group. If someone wished to make risky bets then group C might be a place for one for it’s clear Gondolin’s team is not so strong it used to be and the contenders might arrange some surprises.

Namely, the cunning of players like Wormtongue and Saruman, the sturdiness of the ents and the sheer stamina of the orcs might surprise the visitors to the games organised by Isengard.

Also Minas Morgul -team is not a band of push-overs but a solid team led by the Witch-King making the scores added by his two ringwraith-mates and the Mouth of Sauron backing up the defence!

---

On group D Eregion seem to be the favourites followed by Osgiliath although some agencies have given low turn-outs to bets on behalf of Mordor- and Erebor-teams as well indicating that there is no clear consensus of the matter.

AKM agrees with that Eregion is the team to go through to the next stage. Looking at the talent and experience both at the downstairs (Elrond, Gandalf) and on the attack (Eärendil, Gil-Galad, Glorfindel), this might be one of the teams that surprises the audiences by going really far in this tournament.

But after that things become murkier. Osgiliath has played solidly in the pre tournament matches and even if their players are not household names in every corner of the Middle-Earth they have a line-up equal to any good team in the tournament.

But when talking about a football tournament one should never under-estimate the power of Mordor – even if their master Sauron defected to another team and also the Witch-King chose another team this year. The defence of two Nazguls organized around Shelob is one of the firmest in the tournament and the cunningness of Gollum with the ruthless orc-commanders in the lead might bring forwards some surprises to teams who look at the Mordor-gang as an easy meal on their way to glory before them.

Erebor is the host, but it also boasts a dragon – and no lesser dragon than Smaug – in it’s line-up. Added with a solid dwarven defence and some individual finesse and power by players like Bard, Nazgul #7 and Beorn the team Erebor is everything else than an easy prey.

---

Group E looks to be the hairiest and most difficult to predict. Different agencies give very different predictions and it all looks like a wide open field for any bounty-hunter to score some very important points to top their competitors in betting. Looking at the star-players it looks like Armenelos, Doriath and Lothlorien are quite evenly matched but then again Dor-Lomin has the dynamic duo of Beleg and Turin leading their attack.

Armenelos surely can boast of high-value players like Tar-Atanamir, Tar-Telperion, Sauron and Ar Pharazon. That team rarely fails. The question though is, how will the presence of Sauron affect the general mood of the team?

Lothlorien will have a solid defence led by Galadriel but will their offence (Celeborn, Haldir) score enough to beat the adversaries?

Doriath will have Maglor, Eöl and Elwë in the front so they should really do some heavy scoring but how is their defence? Melian is one of the best goalies around but will the downstairs support her enough to win the games?

Or will the outlaw-spirit just embrace the team Dor-Lomin to the victory with the dashing forwards? A tough group to call indeed!

---

On group F the Taniquetil-team looks like the favourites of the group but then the situation becomes muddled. All the other teams have been ranked high on some betting-agencies, which makes it hard for the common-guy to read the results easily.

Looking at the stars of Taniquetil and the sheer experience of the team it looks like here we have a team that should be there in the finals. But then again Taniquetil failed massively in the last tournament and it remains to be seen if they have been able to recollect themselves. These players should arose awe and wonder in the opponents but they have the aura of failure on them as well. So how will it be this time?

Edoras might be the next contender. They have the horses in their squad, which might be hard to play against with the adversaries. They also have some quality players even if the betting-rankers haven’t notified them accordingly – like Theoden in the goal and Eowyn and Eomer on the front.

Dorthonion has been called high in the predictions as well. The question just remains if these guys can come up with the stamina and virtue of the old. Can Beor, or Barahir take the lead in a team with great players of the second-fiddle?

The hosts, Shire, might also prove themselves a team ready to surprise in front of their fanatic crowds. Even if their line-up doesn’t look too packed with celebrities, players like Bullroarer Took, Samwise Gamgee, the old Maggot – and the dwarves – might prove to be the ones to beat!

---

There is only one favourite in group G and that is – to the point – the Tol-In-Gaurhoth –team. That team just has it. The stamina, the wickedness, the strength, the cunning, the joy, the techniques, the bravado, the mastery… AKM totally agrees with the betting-agencies with this.

From the other place to the next round there will be some competition though.

The hosts Tuna are a worthwhile contender. Their frontline bursts with heroes of the game like Miriel, Finwë, Nerdanel and Finarfin and having Aulë to tend the goal is no weakness to the team.

But Gondor might make it as well. Their trio in front; Imrahil, Faramir and Boromir is almost as good or better any other team can put forwards. But their downstairs is a bit unknown and prone to give up with pressure – just think has Gondor ever succeeded without outside help – and with this tournament none is forthcoming.

Even if one agency has put Brethil to go forwards the AKM-board thinks that highly unlikely. They may not be easy adversaries to anyone but the team just lacks talent and stamina to win a game. One of the probable “no-winners” in this tournament.

---

Even if not all agencies put Valimar through it’s clear they’re the favourites of the group H. Just looking at the line-up should send shivers to the opposing sides: Ungoliant, wizards, balrogs, Melkor himself, Tulkas… That’s just super! If these guys lose, they will lose to the inner discrepancies and fights more than to the team playing against them.

But who will go forwards as the other team?

Many agencies give low turn-outs for Bree meaning that Bree might be a real contender here. And the team looks tough enough – and they’re hosting the tournament. With Old Man Willow at goal, Tom Bombadill making the goals with the Barrow-Wight and aided all around by the quick hobbit-feet, the team looks like able to generate a few surprises.

But Romenna is a solid squad. Their defence is one of the best in the tournament and having Tar Miriel and Tar Palantir in the front doesn’t exactly make them a handicap-team in this tournament.

Amon Sûl should be counted as the black horse of the group. No one believes in it’s success but maybe that’s just where they will strike? Accepted, they have one of the weakest line-ups in the tournament but you should also be not too confident with a team that has Elendil in it…



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Always remember to purchase your latest copy of the Arda Kicker Magazine!
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[Nogrod]

Related news by Arda Kicker Magazine.


On the betting agencies Tom Bombadill, Ancalagon the Black and Turín are the favourites to win the top scorer trophy.

With top assists there are no clear patterns; but Gandalf, Smaug, tp, Melkor, Fingolfin, Finduilas and Aredhel figure high in the betting.

On the betting of the total point-getter it's clearly Melkor's game by the betters.


By the agencies, the favourites to win the tournament are:

Hithlum 43%
Eregion 29%
Dor-Lomin 14%
Valimar 14%

With this and other projected results, the Arda Kicker Magazine feels both free and willing to disagree.

The betting offices have been wrong from the time immemorial...

But let's see the games and the actual results!

[Boromir88]

Arda Cup 2009 - Press release

In a press conference before the start of the 2009 Arda Cup, tourney officials made note for the implemetation of a new rule. It is called "the instigating penalty," and states: any player, in the last 5 minutes of a match, who starts a fight or is solely in the game with the objective to injure, maim, or destroy an opposing player, will have to complete 96 hours of community service and be forced to witness Gandalf uncloaked. The referees officiating the match are responsible for enforcing the instigating penalty. Players who are penalized can not protest the decision, but the Tournament officials will review every case, and can overturn any decision.

Tournament referee, Boromir88, was asked to comment on why the officials felt this rule was necessary and he responded: "This rule is in place to protect not only the players, but you the fans. Drunks and football do not mix. Too many matches end with fans destroying property, setting fire to everything, and causing serious injuries to other fans. We believe that some players purposefully play dirty as a way to energize their fans, especially towards the end of a match and if their team is losing. This type of dirty play only fuels hostility and violence in the fans. The rule will make players think twice before they stoop to deplorable tactics towards the end of a match."

I asked Boro for clarity on what he means by dirty play and deplorable tactics, but he would only say the refs would look at any player who starts a fight within the last 5 minutes and determine whether the player started the fight with the intention of inciting violence, or a riot in the crowd. He would also add "referees should look at players who commit aggressive fouls late in the match and whether their intention was to injure another player." When presented with the fact that this rule is a load of mumakil waste, because it relies on the referees' judgement of a player's "intentions," and who were the "some players" he believed purposefully played dirty, Boro reverted to his old self by saying "No comment," but actually having a comment: "I will be watching Tom Bombadil very closely."

[skip spence]

Throughout the ages, the Dwarves of Khadad Dum have jealously hoarded their treasures behind strong gates of mithril, all to often shut to the outside world. Since the Kingdom was selected to host group A of Arda’s premier football tournament, these gates have finally been opened again, for the treasure the Dwarves now seek is one that cannot be found even in the richest vein of their ancient mines - a price more precious than true-silver, or the seven rings of old: the very trophy of trophies, the Arda Cup itself.

In order to compete for this elusive treasure the Moria team must first do battle with three highly skilled opponents. By the grace of Eru, the divinely talented Alqualonde have travelled back along the straight path, seeking glory once again in Middle Earth. From the cold and cruel Iron Mountains in the North, Angband has also come, a name rightly feared across the footballing world even without their legendary leader Morgoth, who’s surprisingly departed for rivals Valinor. The forth team in this tough group is Minas Tirith, led by captain and superstar Aragorn II, with more goals to his name than there are Orcs in Mordor. The Iron Hells will be slight favourites to win this group, but all four teams are strong, well capable of beating anyone on a good day.

For the opening match of the tournament, Angband was to play Minas Tirith. As the two teams passed the garlanded arch of the east gate of Moria, they first crossed the slender bridge of Khadad-Dum, and then matched a furlong into the mountain, and finally ascended two flights of stairs to find themselves in a vast pillared hall, lit by sunlight entering through deep shafts in the ceiling and countless torches burning fiercely with white and scarlet flames. The hall was fashioned so that the pitch of natural grass, which had been transported here piece by piece from the green valleys far below, could be seen in the bottom centre of it, like a radiant emerald more than a hundred metres below the ceiling and the top of the oval, marble stands climbing steeply along the walls. Here 70 000 Dwarves, Orcs, Elves and Men were seated, each one cheering for their favourite team. The stage was set for a feast of football, and what a stage it was.

Match 1: Angband – Minas Tirith

Finally the wait was over and right after kick-off the action was fast and furious. The mighty Angband immediately came racing out of the gate with wave after wave of furious attacks. Minas Tirith was hard put to defend their keeper, but with strikers like Boromir and Aragorn, they were always a threat on the counter attack. Angband struck first however and took a deserved lead in the 26th minute. Hurin, booed each time he touched the ball by a group of Dor-lomin fans who were present, showed his quality by beating Ondoher on the right and crossing into the box where Ancalagon the Black met the ball with a flying header that Ecthelion had no chance to stop. Moments later new signing Gwindor had an excellent opportunity to make it two, but he froze in front of goal, allowing Denethor to make the tackle. Instead it was Minas Tirith who scored next. Ulfast played a backpass towards his own goalie, but Aragorn, ever able to read the minds of his fellow Men, anticipated the move and came face to face with the red maw of Carcaroth, rushing away from his line to close the angles. The approach of the Angband keeper was so terrible it startled even the brave Aragorn, who could only toe-poke a weak effort straight at Carcaroth. The rebound however fell kindly for midfielder Mardil, who took a touch and send the ball into the open net past the stranded goaltender, making the halftime score 1-1.

After the break Angband went looking for a winner right away. Tevildo started to have a cat and mouse game with Earnil on the left, creating many chances for himself and his teammates. In the 55th minute he clawed himself past his marker and hit a volley that rocketed against the bar, and a few minutes later his cross was met by the head of Ancalagon, who again rattled the Minas Tirith woodwork. A Angband goal seemed inevitable, and in the 65th minute it finally came. Ancalagon, whose aerial strength was a nuisance all night for the Minas Tirith defenders, headed a long ball back to Tevildo, who faked a long-distance shot and with cat-like agility danced past two defenders to get himself into a good position in the penalty area. Gwindor, wide open in the centre, would have been disappointed not to receive the ball in the first place from his selfish and ball-hugging teammate, but when a shot finally came in from a tight angle Echtelion could not hold on to the ball, giving the Elf the chance to slide in and put the rebound into the net. Angband was rampant now and looked set to increase their lead ever further, but once again it was Ulfast the Accursed who let his team down. Already in the book for a late challenge in the first half, the Angband defender seemed to get provoked by a comment by Denethor, and responded by pushing the White City defender, who immediately fell to the ground, apparently in agonizing pain. The referee had no choice but to give Ulfast his second yellow card, despite the protests of his teammates, and despite the apparent ease in which Denethor got back onto his feet after the ref’s decision. This opened a window back into the game for Minas Tirith as Angband pulled back defending their lead with a man short. The equalizer came with ten minutes to play as Mardil sent an early cross into the area which did not look too dangerous, but Boromir managed to push himself past his marker and get a toe to it. Carcaroth blocked the shot and the rebound was a 50-50 affair, but Boromir fought bravely and hurled himself forward to get a second chance, and then a third, and finally, on the forth attempt he found the net, which proved to be the last significant event of the game. This Angband team without Morgoth has showed that it still has a very potent offence, but there will be question-marks regarding its defending in the matches to come.

Angband 2-2 Minas Tirith
shots 15-9
on target 8-4
GOALS:
*26, Angband (Ancalagon, Hurin)
*38, Minas Tirith (Mardil, Aragorn II)
*65, Angband (Gwindor, Telvildo)
*79, Minas Tirith (Boromir I, Mardil)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Angband- Ulfast, Gwindor, Balrog #5
*Minas Tirith- Denethor II
RED CARDS:
*Angband- Ulfast, 74 (second yellow)

Match 2: Alqualonde – Moria

As the host team entered the field the noise in the great hall was deafening. From the deep places below there was a drum-beat: Doom, boom, doom, it went, driving the Moria supporters into a frenzy. The Dwarves were beating hammers onto anvils while the Orcs were singing harsh songs of ridicule, and the Alqualonde players were looking rather daunted as they came out in their bright jersey. As play came underway, it became clear that Moria was determined to keep it that way, playing a very rough and physical game to disturb their more technically gifted opponents. As the size of the pitch was intentionally made rather small, Alqualonde found it hard to find space for their usual passing game, and the five man midfield of Moria, led by the imposing Durin’s Bane, completely dominated the proceedings, leaving the Elves with very little time on the ball. Alqualonde quickly reverted to plan B however and started to play long balls up towards target-player Cirdan, who had a great height advantage over the diminutive Moria defenders. In the 17th minute Cirdan also gave the Aman side the lead, as he towered above Durin and scored on a looping header. His effort was applauded by most of the Dwarves, who were appreciative of his long and well-kept beard, but the Orcish hooligans in the stands got furious when they saw it, and quite a few scimitars were produced that had somehow been snuck past security. On the field Durin and Durin’s bane got into a heated discussion over the marking on the goal, and a riot seemed inevitable, but much thanks to the fence separating the Dwarven and Orcish supporters everything eventually calmed down enough for play to continue.

The Moria team now seemed on the brink of losing control, and was rather lucky not to get a few red cards as the tackles got more and more brutal. But they also started to create some real chances. As the crowd got behind their team more and more, the goals also came. In the 31th minute Durin’s Bane easily brushed aside Frodo in the penalty area, and squared the ball to Narvi, who scored from close range. Right after half-time they took the lead, as Azog scored with a screamer from just outside the penalty area. Alqualonde had not given up though, and even though Gwaihir had managed to contain Cirdan in the air, they started to play better and better as the match progressed. Having missed a few good opportunities to score already, the equalizer came in the 62nd minute when Osse rose like the crest of a foaming tsunami-wave, and nodded his wife Uninen’s cross into the net. Now it looked like the match had ebbed out, and another draw was on hand, but with ten minutes to play, a piece of individual brilliance settled the contest. Narvi found Durin’s Bane in the centre, and he took on the Alqualonde defence on his own, beating one, then two, then three players. Frodo made a last ditch attempt to stop the Balrog, but it was a task beyond him, and he could only watch as the ball was rifled into the back of the net. The supporters went wild and as the full time whistle blew, celebrations that will go on well into the night started. The Moria crowd was well pleased with what they had seen tonight.

Alqualonde 2-3 Moria
shots 10-10
on target 4-6
GOALS:
*17, Alqualonde (Cirdan, Idril)
*31, Moria (Narvi, Durin's Bane)
*49, Moria (Azog, Thorin)
*62, Alqualonde (Osse, Uinen)
*80, Moria (Durin's Bane, Narvi)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Alqualonde- Eriol
*Moria- Ohtar, Thorin, Thror, Durin, Balin

Standings: Group A

Team________W D L GF GA P
1) Moria______ 1 0 0 3 - 2 3
2) Angband___ 0 1 0 2 - 2 1
2) Minas Tirith_ 0 1 0 2 - 2 1
4) Alqualonde _ 0 0 1 2 - 3 0

[the phantom]

When Mirkwood won the bid to host Group B of the Arda Cup, a fierce battle ensued between Elves, Men, Orcs, and... things.

The woodmen were the first to lay claim. "The games should be played here, on the western side of Mirkwood!" they insisted. "We've cut ourselves homes right back into the wood, and we know the woods well. Much of our blood has been spilled defending our homes here."

But the spiders and other beasties didn't agree in the least. "You had to defend your homes from us, and why? Because you drove us from our rightful place! We've lived in this forest for many years. You should've stayed on the Anduin. You late-comers have no claim!"

"If that is the case," answered the Elves, "Then surely you deny your own claim. We were here before the forest turned dark. Before it even became Mirkwood."

"Ah, then you admit that it was us who made this forest what it is!" returned the evil creatures. "The bid was awarded to 'Mirkwood', not 'the forest which used to be Mirkwood'!"

In the end, Arda Cup officials stepped in and ruled that if a place could not be agreed upon, they would award the bid to another location. That threat was enough to bring a scrap of unity to the residents of the forest, and they built a great new stadium in the midst of the forest, just south of the Elf road where the enchanted river crosses. The stadium seats were built in many different shapes and sizes so as to accommodate beings of all types. There were even prespun webs stretched between the field lights to provide a perch for the spiders.

As the games neared, spectators came in by the thousands. Hastily built hotels surrounding the arena provided food and bed, and a place for fans to discuss the upcoming matches. A handful of families from Eriador had braved the passes of the Misty Mountains to support Arnor, and could be heard far and wide declaring this year as "our year". "These players tied Angband and Valimar last year in Group play, and now we've added Isildur. It's our time!"

There were also a few men from Rohan there to support Helm's Deep, though far more of them had traveled to the Shire to support Edoras. Oddly enough, some men of Rohan showed up in support of Mirkwood, due to Lord Fram's presence on the team. "He's a dragon-slayer, and a forefather of the Rohirrim. How can you not support him?"

And of course there were Elves. Thranduil's people arrived in great numbers to support their lords who would be playing for the Mirkwood team, but there were also a few Elves from the west who came to watch Nargothrond play.

The woodmen and a few men from Long Lake who came supported Mirkwood for the most part, mostly because of Grimbeorn, though some of them adopted Nargothrond due to Beren and the father of dragons, Glaurung. But it was certainly Mirkwood who had the most support. All the denizens of Dol Guldur were completely behind their representative Nazgul and the fearsome Scatha, and so it was that the stadium was certain to grant Mirkwood a clear home-field advantage.

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

ARNOR VERSUS HELM'S DEEP

The first game of the day featured Helm's Deep and Arnor. The stadium was disappointingly about half full at the start of the game, though it had filled by halftime.

As Helm and company emerged out of the tunnel onto the field, they appeared to be confused. "All right men- up onto the ramparts and make your bows ready!" shouted Helm. "If we gain the high ground first-" But then he saw that there were no ramparts, nor was there high ground. "What the devil?!" shouted Gram. "A flat battlefield? But we don't have our horses!"

Hama rolled his eyes and yelled, "I've been telling you all along! We're playing football!! Not fighting! Do you believe me now?! See?! There's the goal right there, and the ball, and the refs!! FOOTBALL!!"

Helm quickly regained his composure. "All right then, men, it's football we're playing! Take a position, and remember, you have to use your feet!" With far more order than one would think, the Helm's Deep players took places on the field and began practicing, passing balls around to each other. After a couple minutes, Arnor came out onto the field and warmed up alongside them. Isildur in particular looked full of swagger, and the fans from Arnor were extremely vocal.

Right from the first pass it was Arnor who looked to attack, but Helm's Deep was stingy and cluttered things up again and again in the back third of the field, though they weren't able to mount any sort of counter attack. In the 29th minute Arnor gained a corner, and Arantar booted it to the far side of the goal where Isildur used all of his height and met it perfectly to send it inside the post for the lead.

The rest of the first half was played in the midfield for the most part, with each side only gaining one decent shot, which both goalies were equal to.

Arnor came out energized for the second half, and held the ball for several minutes before Isildur gained position inside and was given the ball. He used his size to shield the ball from Theodred and curled around him, made a brilliant move past Folcwine, and found Araphor on the run with a perfect pass and Araphor made no mistake and gave Arnor the two goal lead.

The action was slow from then on, with Arnor being content to hold their lead and play prevent defense against Helm's Deep. It worked fine until the 80th minute and Helm "Hammerfoot" blasted a shot from 30 meters out perfectly into the top right corner. But that was all the scoring for the day, and Arnor left with 3 points in hand.

Arnor 2-1 Helm's Deep
shots 10-9
on target 4-4
GOALS:
*29, Arnor (Isildur, Arantar)
*58, Arnor (Araphor, Isildur)
*80, HD (Helm, Hama)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Arnor- Argeleb, Valandur
*Helm's Deep- Brytta, Helm

MIRKWOOD VERSUS NARGOTHROND

Despite the stadium's vastness, it could not contain the crowds that showed up for the night match. After the Helm's Deep and Arnor fans vacated their seats, there weren't nearly enough empty chairs to accommodate the hordes of Orcs and companies of Elves lined up outside. Even the spiders ran out of room and began spinning new webs across the field. Head ref Boro88 had to call in a crew to stop them from putting webs in places that were likely to get hit by the ball during the match.

In the end they allowed everyone in and there was standing room only. The aisles were packed and there were Orcs perched atop the skyboxes, stacked one on top of the other. And so it was that when Mirkwood trotted onto the pitch, the noise was nearly deafening, and a nearly equal volume of booing greeted the favored group-winner Nargothrond.

As play began, it was all out war on the field. Tough collisions and hard tackles were the order of the day, and the refs were keeping their cards in their pockets and letting them play. The Mirkwood forwards pushed with all of their great skill, but Luthien and the sons of Feanor were up to the task. On the other end it was the same story, with the wizard, Radagast, the Ent, Treebeard, and the bear-man Grimbeorn holding the line against the dangerous scorers from Nargothrond.

Both dragons gained an opportunity for their side, but the GKs stopped the shots cold, and the crowd roared in appreciation of the good play. But that sound was nothing compared to the riotous screaming that broke out at the 33 minute mark when Scatha drew first blood and put the home team ahead on the scoreboard.

But the team from Nargothrond was not so easily shaken, and their competitive will held firm through halftime, and at last they equalized a few minutes after the half as Mablung found Beren with a pinpoint pass. The crowd was not discouraged however, and urged their team forward. But it was Nargothrond who once again took charge, and at the 77 minute mark Finduilas was awarded a kick from a foul on Treebeard for "rooting" (when a tree or ent which sticks roots into the ground and has them emerge at another spot on the field to contact the ball or an opposing player). Her kick was barely tipped away by Oropher, but it rebounded off the post and was booted in by Glaurung, and Nargothrond took the lead on the home team, 2-1.

Mirkwood tried desperately to equalize, but the defense of Nargothrond was solid and refused to let Mirkwood's forwards run free. At last in the final 10 minutes Legolas gained a step on Luthien and Thranduil hit him with a pass, but his shot was tipped away by Orodreth and the score held. The home fans left the stadium down-hearted, but not completely depressed. Nargothrond had been the heavy favorite, and they had played them tough. Surely they still had a good chance of advancing. But they knew Helm's Deep and Arnor would have something to say about that.

Mirkwood 1-2 Nargothrond
shots 11-9
on target 4-4
GOALS:
*33, Mirkwood (Scatha, Thranduil)
*52, Nargothrond (Beren, Mablung)
*77, Nargothrond (Glaurung, Finduilas)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Mirkwood- Treebeard, Fram
*Nargothrond- Gelmir, Mim, Beren

[skip spence]

Isengaard is the setting for Group C in the Arda Cup and Saruman, captain of the home team, has assembled a mixed side he deems strong. The pundits, however, are not so certain that they are strong enough to compete with pre-tournament favourites Gondolin and Hithlum, the latter with a very good team this year. There are question-marks whether Fëanor and Fingolfin can put their differences aside and cooperate on the field but on a joint press conference last night the siblings denied any rift between them. “Thou shalt lead, and I will follow”, the younger brother said to Fëanor who nodded in agreement. It remains to be seen whether the peace will last.

Match 1: Gondolin vs. Hithlum

The ring of Isengaard was packed to the rim in anticipation of this clash of the Titans. Gondolin versus Hithlum could very well have been the final, and a sell-out crowd was dying to see who came out on top. As the referee blew the whistle and play got going, no-one was disappointed either. Well, perhaps the blood-thirsty Uruk Hai in the stands, who got a bit bored with the sportsmanship showed by the two Eldar teams, but if they weren’t happy, they cannot claim to be fans of the beautiful game. It is said that those who have seen the light of the two trees have special powers in this world, and this was easy to believe watching the game, as every touch was sublime, every play well though-out, and every tackle hard but precise. Throughout the match, Hithlum always seemed to have the edge however, and when Aredhel found the net after a clever back-flick by Maedhros the road back into the game already looked steep for Gondolin.

One of the most interesting striking-partnerships in this year’s competition is no doubt that between former Angband star Gothmog and Ecthtelion of Gondolin. No fan of football will forget the classic Arda Cup semi-final between Angbad and Gondolin, where the two stars each scored a brace of goals, and then got sent off together after a brutal fight. Angband went on to win that match, and if afterwards anyone were to suggest that Gothmog would go on to sign for Gondolin, he or she would be the laughing-stock of the entire footballing world. Yet that is the case now. And judging by tonight’s game there are signs that the former arch-rivals have some difficulty getting along still. Just before half-time Ecthelion made a great deep run, and Gothmog looked to have spotted him, but instead of passing the ball he tried his luck with a speculative long range effort. Later on, the roles were reversed, as Ecthelion opted not to pass Gothmog, even though the Balrog was in a great position to score. In the meantime Hithlum threatened to make it two. Fingolfin came very close on a couple of occasions, but when the goal finally came, it was his elder brother who got himself on the scoresheet, beating a rather heavy Salgant for pace on the right before finishing with a low shot past Rog in the Gondolin goal. This looked like game over for Gondolin, but with eleven minutes to play Fëanor grew over-confident as he tried to dribble Gothmog just outside his own penalty area, and the Balrog robbed him of the ball, quickly played it on to Etchelion, who immediately returned the favour, giving his old enemy an easy finish into the open net. Gondolin never came very close to an equalizer, but they will be boosted by that goal. Perhaps the signing of Gothmog will pay off after all? Gondolin have two matches ahead of them now when he simply must show his worth. Hithlum looks every bit as good as expected though, and will be hard to beat this year.

Gondolin 1-2 Hithlum
shots 8-13
on target 4-7
GOALS:
*37, Hithlum (Aredhel, Maedhros)
*69, Hithlum (Feanor, Fingon)
*79, Gondolin (Gothmog, Ecthelion)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Gondolin- Duilin, Galdor
*Hithlum- Annael

Match 2: Isengaard vs. Minas Morgul

Saruman will not have been happy about the draw, as Isengaard face two of the toughest teams of the tournament already in the group stages. In apprehension of the Elvish flair to come, the opening game against a rather untested Minas Morgul side was a real must-win affair for the home side. As it turned out however, the home team might as well have stayed in their Orthanc locker room, because they were simply blown off the field by their surprisingly efficient opponents. Saruman could not have foreseen such a disaster had he looked into a Palantir, for Minas Morgul could well have scored six if it weren’t for Lugdush’s heroics in the Isengaard goal. Saruman went to and fro on the midfield, always a step behind, as the lights of Beruthiel “the Queen”, Eärnur, and the Witch-King had their way with inventive, sometimes ingenious play. Already in the seventh minute, The lord of the Nazgul silenced the crowd, and when Sangahyando scored the third goal little after half-time, the home supporters furled up their banners displaying the white hand and left the stadium dejected. Saruman will have to come up with some magic now, in order to get his team through to the knock-out stages.

Isengard 0-3 Minas Morgul
shots 6-17
on target 2-9
GOALS:
*7, Minas Morgul (Witch King, Beruthiel)
*28, Minas Morgul (Castamir, Angamaite)
*57, Minas Morgul (Sangahyando, Khamul)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Isengard- Wulf, Ugluk, Mauhur, Lurtz
*Minas Morgul- Gothmog II, Earnur

Standings: Group A

Team________W D L GF GA P
1) Minas Morgul_1 0 0 3 - 0 3
2) Hithlum_____1 0 0 2 - 1 3
3) Gondolin____ 0 0 1 1 - 2 0
4) Isengaard___ 0 0 1 0 - 3 0

[Nogrod]

GROUP D at Erebor


The whole region around the Long Lake was filled with enthusiasm when it was decided Erebor would host group D in the Arda Cup 2009. The elves, dwarves and humans alike started preparing to the games a long beforehand. And when the teams of their group were released folk just got out of hand.

The Eregion team would be there with all the glorious elves and human heroes topped with Gandalf himself! That surely raised the interests of people around. And the team Mordor! They would love to see that team break down in front of their eyes even if that hope was mixed with some real sensations of fear and awe: Shelob would be there as well as a few Nazgûls. Thrilling!

But talk of the home team then! Filled with dwarves the home team claimed the support of the dwarves from as far as the Iron Hills and even some from Moria who were hosting games as well. But it was players like Beorn, Bard, Bolg and Smaug the people wanted to see performing under the common banner of the Lonely Mountain. A few were afraid how well these heroes could perform together but basically those concerns were mainly suppressed.

The heroes of Osgiliath with all the Númenorean talent would be well received as well but looking at the others teams their star looked a bit dimmer indeed. But the cognoscenti were enthralled. What a team it would be to see, alive from the archives of heroism in the Middle-Earth!


The renovated stadium of Erebor was filled to the last seat when Eregion and Mordor met in the first match of the tournament. There had been some problems the previous night with the orc-supporters from Mordor and the Lake Towners and the local dwarves, but basically there had been peace and understanding between the supporters and the hooligans had been locked up effectively by the no-nonsense dwarven police.

----------

The first game of the day was between Eregion and Mordor. As the first orcs ran to the field many spectators started booing but were silenced with entrance of Shelob. Her presence was so threatening that for a moment there was total silence in the audience as people were holding their breath. Then the great elves and men led by their captain Gandalf entered the stadium and the crowds just exploded. The odd moment was away and the joy had re-entered the stadium.

Mordor’s game-plan had been easy to read already from their line-up. Small and fastlegged orcs would try to wear the enemy-defenders down with runs through the lines while their own defence would count on terror and awe and Shelob’s exceptional reach. But the problem with the plan was of course that Eregion forwards were not one’s you could frighten that easily and the defenders had both finesse and wisdom not to run like fools after the fast orcs dashing here and there around them but with wise positioning and foresight cut the passes and closed the passing-lines.

So effective was Eregion’s defence in the game that Mordor got only one shot at the goal. Same could not be said on Mordor’s defence. Gil-Galad and Glorfindel truly showed no fear but effectively took the Nazguls out of the game by their constant sideways runs forcing the Nazguls to follow them like shadows they are and thus leaving the rest of the field to the dynamic trio of three E’s. And what a tornado they were! Eärendil and Elrohir scored a goal a piece and it was close Elladan wouldn’t have scored one as well but Shelob’s great timing saved Mordor from a humiliating three-zero scoreline.

It seems clear that without Sauron and The Witch-King the Mordor team is quite vulnerable, far from the menacing force it could be. Eregion team on the contrary gave the spectators some very entertaining football and a fair warning to other teams about the quality of their squad.

Eregion 2-0 Mordor

shots 10-4
on target 4-1
GOALS:
*34, Eregion (Earendil, Valandil)
*59, Eregion (Elrohir, Gandalf)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Eregion- Elladen
*Mordor- Nazgul #4, Gorbag, Lagduf


The second match was a totally different story. The home team controlled the game totally on the first half and way to the second. It looked like the Osgiliath team was in a football field for a first time. Without a few spectacular saves by Romendacil Osgiliath might have fallen already before the half-time.

Led by Bolg and Smaug the Eregion team was trying the Osgiliath defences wave after wave. Bolg burst the stadium into relieved cheers by taking the home team into lead at 27th minute. But it was Smaug’s goal on the first minutes of the second half that really got the stadium wild.

Bard made a spectacular run to the corner and then passing diagonally backwards from between two defenders coming towards him. Dain took the ball coolly at the edge of the box waiting for the second needed to get the mid-defenders on him and flipped the ball over them to Smaug now alone in front of the goal. And that volley almost ripped the net apart! Romendacil hadn’t time to even blink with it. Smaug had once again shown what a force to be reckoned with it was.

But what happened then silenced the stadium. The moment the visitors started playing the home team just froze. Enraged by being two goals down the kings and heroes of old managed to recollect themselves and took the game under total control. The Erebor defences were suddenly just too slow for the Osgiliath attack that had doubled the pace of their game. Beorn did the best he could but couldn’t obviously be at all the places simultaneously.

It was a total mirror-image of the first half. And so Osgiliath also scored twice, by Hyermendacil from the aftermath of a corner kick and by Eldacar finishing a short but beautiful solo run by getting around Bain, who had tried to plunge and take the ball, and just passing the ball into the empty goal.

The mood in the stadium had totally changed: instead of the winning-chants the audience had sung early on to the game they now bit their nails fearing a third goal for the visitors. To their relievement that never came. But the second game of the night had left people with many questions.

Erebor 2-2 Osgiliath

shots 12-12
on target 6-5
GOALS:
*27, Erebor (Bolg, Naz #9)
*48, Erebor (Smaug, Dain)
*64, Osgiliath (Hyarmendacil, Eldacar)
*78, Osgiliath (Eldacar, Falastur)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Erebor- Brand, Dain
*Osgiliath- Narmacil, Siriondil

[Nogrod]

GROUP E at Lothlorien

The organisers at Lothlorien were careful to see the arrangements would be fitting for the great guests they would be receiving. And they had some special reasons to be extraordinary hosts; like the attendance of the great elven friends Huor and Tuor and all their kin (including Nienor whose fate the elves had gotten into their hearts), the honourable even if questionable duo of Beleg and Turin, Melian in her grace and glory and the “greymantle”, leader of the sindarin, the minstrel Maglor, Eöl the odd one; and the stars from Númenor: the controversial Ar Pharazon, Sauron himself, the beloved Tar Minastir, the shipbuilder Tar Ciryatan…

So they had to show they were generous hosts and efficient organisers of a tournament. And as this group was widely thought of being one of those “groups of death”, they sure had to uplift the general mood as sports-wise this sure was one of the toughest groups. So outside the field everything should be as amiable as it could be – even with the whole team Armenelos and its supporters.

There was much rejoicing in the eve of the games when elves and humans who had not seen each others in years were enjoying each others’ company sharing the mutual memories. The spirits were high all around the city. Even those who had first criticised the building of the massive Nenya-Arena with all the cutting of trees and levelling the earth required were showing smiling faces on the eve of the games.

----------

The first match of the day was between Armenelos and Dor-Lomin. Armenelos had really showed some quality football in last year’s tournament and Sauron’s addition to the team hardly made it a weaker side, at least looking at the sheer talent and power of the team. Although many questioned the inclusion of Sauron, for looking at the personal histories of both Tar Minastir and Ar Pharazon in regards to Sauron it didn’t actually suggest a smooth co-operation and teamwork based on mutual trust. Or would Sauron fail the men once again, like in a critical match against a team that had closer allegiances to his deepest sympathies?

And there was talent on the opposing side as well, especially in the offence. And it could boast with a fair number of heroes in its ranks even if in the pure footballing genius they might have been considered the underdogs. Still everyone was looking forwards for solid performances from the team Dor-Lomin and its tough players.

And it turned out to be a very entertaining game indeed with great individual talent flashing on both sides. But individual skills put aside, it was clearly Armenlos that called the shots early in the game with team-play finesse normally seen only at later stages of tournaments. And they started the scoring already at the 17th minute when after some beautiful passing Ar Pharazon finally set the ball to Tar Minastir who could shoot the goal with Huor on the move to the opposing direction.

Turin and Beleg were constant threats and the experienced Armenelos defence had to put up with some beautiful performances by the two; but with solid teamwork and even some luck the scoreline stayed at 1-0.

At the 36th minute Sauron finally showed why he had been taken into the team. With a quick turn-over play in the middle of Dor-Lomin pressing for an equaliser, Tar Ancalimon robbed the ball and sent it forwards to Sauron, who had basically sniffed the steal in advance and was already on his way forwards when he got the ball in full speed. And Sauron just plain ran the remaining defenders down controlling the ball as he went and finally hammered it in with a powershot.

It is hard to imagine Sauron being applauded in Lothlorien but it did happen this time. Even if it would be wrong to say the aplodes were enthusiastic or especially warm.

But Dor-Lomin was not going to give up and came to the second half full of energy and determination. And they were rewarded at 58th minute when – surprise, surprise – Beleg and Turin finally tore the Armenelos defence down with ingenuous teamwork and Turin shot the ball into the goal through Tar Telperien’s legs, via the right post. The home crowd cheered and this time from the bottom of their heart. There was no question which team was their favourite.

But if the hopes were raised with the narrowing of the lead, they were immediately dampened as Armenelos team found one more gear from somewhere and took the control of the game firmly back. Not that they had actually lost it at any point but after Turin’s goal Armenelos just shut all Dor-Lomin’s attacks and forced them into defence for good. And it took them just thirteen minutes to reclaim the two goal lead.

This time Sauron was playing the second fiddle – but what a play it was!

Armenelos had a free kick from some 30 meters and Ar Adunakhor and Tar Ancalimon were discussing which of them would take it and how. Sauron stood beside the ball making gestures to the two that they should decide. When the referee’s whistle came Ar Adunakhor started running towards the ball and Tar Ancalimon started right behind him. Just when Ar Adunakhor was about to run over the ball – leaving it to Tar Ancalimon following him, Sauron reached his foot to the ball and made a precision pass to the left where Ar Pharazon had been left totally free as all were concentrating on the direction Tar Ancalimon was about to pass it. When the defenders realised what had happened it was already too late. A pro goal-scorer like Ar Pharazon just doesn’t tend to miss that kind of opportunities.

Dor-Lomin gave Armenelos a good fight but it was widely agreed that even if people would have wished Dor-Lomin to make it, the better team had won. Armenelos was one of the best teams last year – some even say it was the best – and it looks like it’s going to be one also this time around.

Armenelos 3-1 Dor-Lomin

shots 16-12
on target 8-4
GOALS:
*17, Armenelos (Tar Minastir, Ar Pharazon)
*36, Armenelos (Sauron, Tar Ancalimon)
*58, Dor-Lomin (Turin, Beleg)
*71, Armenelos (Ar Pharazon, Sauron)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Armenelos- Ar Gimilzor, Tar Ancalimon
*Dor-Lomin- Gundor, Tuor


After such a great opening game the feelings were high when the home team’s debut finally took place. And there was no lesser opponent to them than Doriath. It would be the fight of the elves! And especially the fight of two beautiful, foreseeing and extremely skilled goalkeepers used to protect the inviolability of their realms. But even if the home crowd loved its team the line-up of the guests looked dangerously tough; full of legends many of them had just heard stories of or just seen from afar on those earlier days.

To the joy of the home crowd Lothlorien started actively and with the support of the audience seemed to fly in the field making dangerous approaches to the goal guarded by Melian already on the first minutes. Even if the game evened out a bit after the first ten minutes the home team was playing active and gourageous football.

And they were rewarded indeed at 28th minute. When Arwen headed a nice corner given by Haldir into the back of the net from close range the arena just exploded! This was what they had wanted to come to see and this was what they were getting!

After the goal Doriath managed to get the upperhand over the home team and many were the nails bitten before the halftime hoping the lead would hold. But it didn’t.

The visitors attacked with a wide and deep front, so when the defenders were busy marking the most forward-coming ones the ones following naturally got more space. With Dior’s great perception and other attackers' activity, Nellas was able to run into a free space in the corner of the box and got the ball to his feet, avoiding offside by an inch ramming the ball in to the top corner of the goal leaving Galadriel no chances.

But Lothorien started the second half at least as impressively they started the first one and raised the hopes of the homecrowd - and filled them. Despite a few beautiful saves Melian couldn't ward off the Lothlorien attackers from her goal and from a crowded mess in front of her goal Nimrodel managed to move the ball in. The cheers of the crowd were ear-piercing.

To the great disappointment of the home fans Doriath came even fifteen minutes later. The smith and the minstrel put up a great show of individual talent against the already a bit tired Lothorien defenders and just overran them with a few neat passes leaving Galadriel into a hopeless position.

Doriath pressed for a game-winner in the end but thanks to Galadriel beautiful saves one never game.

The homecrowds were pleased with the result though even if at some points they had even entertained the idea of winning the game. But Doriath was a solid team and this was seen fair in the end. Both goalies were elected as the "women of the match" and both teams could be happy with the performances of their forwards and some midfielders. But how would their defences fare with a team like Armenelos, or the shining skill of Turin and Beleg? The coaches had surely something to think.

Doriath 2-2 Lothlorien

shots 15-14
on target 8-8
GOALS:
*28, Lothlorien (Arwen, Haldir)
*42, Doriath (Nellas, Dior)
*62, Lothlorien (Nimrodel, Arwen)
*76, Doriath (Eöl, Maglor)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Doriath- Saeros, Dior
*Lothlorien- Haldir

[the phantom]

Every room in the city of Tirion upon Tuna was filled, and a sea of tents crowded the parks, the lawns, and the streets. Even more tents could be found outside the walls of the fair city, particularly upon the western side towards the Calacirya where the great road came running out of Valimar and the lands beyond the Pelori. Just outside the western gate on the north side of the road stood the great stadium. It had been built by the Noldor of old, and the arches and pillars were both strong and beautiful. The stonework was studded by jewels of many colors and sizes, and the gleam of the stadium could be seen clearly by Manwe or any other looking out from the summit of Taniquetil.

Seven of the Arda Cup groups were being hosted east of the sea, and so it was that the games at Tuna were as well attended as any. The Teleri, the Noldor, the Vanyar, and the Ainur were there in force. Only a small handful of fans made the trip across the sea to support Brethil and Gondor, but both were likely to receive polite support from the rest of the crowds. Tol-in-Gaurhoth, on the other hand, was unlikely to receive any support from the Elves and Ainur. They did not look kindly upon Werewolves. Tol-in-Gaurhoth would have to depend on their own fans- a small but extremely noisy group.

There was no question which team the massive crowd would be behind with their whole hearts- the team from Tuna. After upsetting Nargothrond to reach the final eight last year (where they lost to eventual champion Formenos), Tuna's fortunes looked promising. They had seven of their players back, though arranged slightly differently in order to match their talents better (they hoped). But four new faces- Amrod, Amras, Indis, and Aule, promised to improve their defense, which they hoped would mesh well with their ultra-aggressive offense.

But the crowd would have to wait to see them in action. First up was Gondor versus Tol-in-Gaurhoth.

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

GONDOR VERSUS TOL-IN-GAURHOTH

First to arrive on the field was Tol-in-Gaurhoth, and to the crowd's delight, it appeared they hadn't practiced at all. Their test shots were off, and their passes were clumsy. "That's what they get for not even drafting their team until last week," thought most of the fans.

Gondor on the other hand looked sharp out of the locker room, and from the first whistle they controlled the action. Only 14 minutes into the game Kuruwolf and Runewolf completely botched their defensive assignments and allowed Faramir to run completely free to the goal, and his brother wasted no time in finding him with the pass.

For the next while Tol-in-Gaurhoth managed to keep Gondor at bay with their athleticism and strength, but they were still making mistakes and generally passing poorly. In the 32nd minute the fundamentally sound Gondor made TIG pay again as the Werewolves were late getting themselves set to defend a corner and Imrahil easily volleyed it in.

As the half came to a close, Boromir was allowed into the box as Skipwolf and Wereomer got tied up with each other, but fortunately for TIG their goalie Mormwolf was a bit more on the ball and made a brilliant stop to keep the deficit at two goals.

The mood was festive during the half, but that ended soon after the start of the second. TIG had obviously decided to kick the effort up a notch, and came out of the locker room playing ridiculously rough. Runewolf received a card only two minutes in, and just five minutes later it was Gwathwolf who was rung up for being too rough. More cards could easily have been handed out, but the Werewolves did an excellent job at avoiding the eyes of the ref.

Gondor was momentarily knocked off their precision game by the sudden onslaught, and that was enough of a window for TIG to finally get on the scoreboard. Since passing wasn't working well, the TIG players tried to take the ball upfield without help, and at minute 56 Phantomwolf succeeded in making a run down the entire sideline and in towards the goal. His shot attempt was poked away by Anardil, but SPMwolf pounced on the loose ball and booted it solidly into the back of the net to cut the lead to one.

Surprisingly, the goal seemed to calm Gondor down, and they settled into a groove after that and worked around the physical play of TIG quite well for the next ten minutes, gaining two chances at the goal. Unfortunately for them Mormwolf seemed to be completely on his game now and he stopped them dead. Heartened by his efforts, the TIG team finally started playing some decent football and worked the ball up the field. Borowolf and Phantomwolf both gained decent scoring chances, and the box was peppered with long-shot attempts, but it was finally Nogwolf that tied the score by deflecting a rocket from Gwathwolf.

During the final minutes of the game TIG continued to control the action, but thanks to great play by Calmacil the score remained tied at 2-2. But then with only two minutes left, Gondor finally caught a break. Minalcar intercepted a pass and sent it forward to Imrahil who made an amazing run down the field and into the TIG box with Faramir at his side with only Kuruwolf left to beat. But before he could do anything, Lomwolf took him out brutally from behind, and the Elves and Ainur applauded as a penalty kick was awarded to Gondor.

Imrahil approached the ball and bent it perfectly into the top right corner, but Mormwolf guessed right and with a spectacular leap knocked the ball up and over the goal! The crowd groaned, but the section of TIG fans roared and celebrated, happy to escape with a tie. It was more than they deserved after the start they had.

Gondor 2-2 Tol-in-Gaurhoth
shots 14-17
on target 7-8
GOALS:
*14, Gondor (Faramir, Boromir II)
*32, Gondor (Imrahil, Hirluin)
*56, TIG (SPMwolf, Phantomwolf)
*73, TIG (Nogwolf, Gwathwolf)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Gondor- Ioreth, Valacar
*TIG- Runewolf, Gwathwolf, Kuruwolf, Lomwolf

BRETHIL VERSUS TUNA

The giant Feanorian lamps shone brightly above the field as Brethil made their way out for their first game. The spectators clapped graciously, but obviously were saving their energy to greet the home team, and when the Tuna squad sprinted out of the tunnel, the Brethil team found out just how much of a visitor they were. Never had that stadium heard so much sound, but those cheers were nothing compared to the roar but 7 minutes into the match when Miriel found Finwe for a header and the early lead.

And even that roar was nothing next to the blast of noise that occured at the 19 minute mark when Miriel found the goal herself, helped out by her daughter in law Nerdanel. The Brethil players appeared to be in slow motion, partly due to the skill and speed of Tuna, and partly from the shock of witnessing it in front of their faces.

Just minutes before halftime, the stadium shook again as Nerdanel found the net after controlling a perfectly threaded long pass from Indis. It was 3-0 going into the locker room, and in the stands it was one giant party. Bottles were opened and songs were belted out. What a way to begin!

At the opening of the second half Tuna started slower, content to conserve energy and finish out what had been a great game. Brethil gave it their all and tried to rough things up and even managed a couple of respectable shots, but Aule of the Valar was more than equal to the task and kept them off the score sheet, and the hard tackles of Brethil did little damage to the graceful Eldar who always were quick enough to avoid the worst hurt and fell lightly and sprung right back up. At the 63 minute mark, despite their slower pace, the precision and skill of Tuna yielded yet another goal- this time it was Finwe helping out his youngest son.

After that Tuna really pulled back and contented themselves to holding the ball, and Brethil out of relief didn't seem too keen to press the issue and allowed the game to finish the way it was and saved their efforts for their next match. The home side left the field waving joyously to their supporters, and there were celebrations in Tirion far into the night. Tuna was a force to be reckoned with.

Brethil 0-4 Tuna
shots 6-19
on target 2-10
GOALS:
*7, Tuna (Finwe, Miriel)
*19, Tuna (Miriel, Nerdanel)
*41, Tuna (Nerdanel, Indis)
*63, Tuna (Finarfin, Finwe)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Brethil- Hundad, Brandir, Halmir, Haldir
*Tuna- Amrod

[Nogrod]

GROUP F at Shire

Football-fever had totally taken the hobbits of the Shire even though some wondered whether any normal hobbit could take such a dose of strangers and big folk. And not just any big folks but great human heroes and yes, Valar themselves! And with the Valar attending the games, there would be so much more interest towards this group it would draw elves, dwarves, humans and all kind of beasts from all around the Middle-Earth just to get a glimpse of those great dwellers of the West.

“There is never lack of food in a hobbit’s table”, that goes without saying. But that was a second issue some were a bit worried. What hordes of guests would arrive? There was no hope getting catering help from Bree as they were hosting a group as well. And in no circumstance should the interval between meals grow longer than a few hours. That would destroy their reputation as decent hobbits.

Already a few days before the games finally started it was clear there had never been such crowds in Shire in its history. But happily the food-problem got a solution, even if it was a surprising one. When the Valar-team arrived, it had ten shiploads of Western food as a token of good will and a gift to the organisers. Some cynics surely remarked – around the tables of the Green Dragon - that it was mainly because that way they could stick to their own familiar diet as they surely were too dandy to eat plain good hobbit-food.

But those remarks were forgotten at the great gathering on the eve of the games where all of the Valar players and their followers attended and praised the festive dinner the hobbits had made for them, all seven courses of them! The success of the opening dinner, serving for all the thousands of guests, was the thing that got even the grumpiest hobbits to think the games a great idea. Well, not everyone, but the most…

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The first game was one between Dorthonion and Edoras. When the Dorthonion team walked into the renovated arena of the Michel Delving the shine and glory of the old human and elven lords from Dorthonion just made the hobbits gasp. But the entrance of the Edoras team was no lesser. It was a moment for many a hobbit to remember the rest of their lives. All the other crowds packed to the arena were thrilled as well, the total of thirty thousand of them. What a game it would be! And what a feast there would be after it (thought the hobbits)!

To the football enthusiasts the game of Dorthonion was a great disappointment. Where was Barahir’s ability to save the day? Where was the sturdiness of Finarfin’s sons to hold their ground? Where was Bëor the Old’s command to rout the troops around him? Maybe it was the quality of play Edoras produced that made Dorthonion look like a weak side? But whatever it was, it was Edoras’ game, all around the field.

Theoden and the defence before him – led by the two great mearas – was just a way too tough for the elven brothers, or even Barahir to break. And the midfield and the forwards then? It was just a royal performance plain and simple! The three forwards with two younger generation heroes Eowyn and Eomer showed their speed and grace with the ball alongside Eorl himself – and all the kings of old in the midfield seemed to have regained both their youth and glory. That was high quality of play!

It was not that Dorthonion wasn’t creating chances but only that those chances were denied of them – and the quality of chances the Edoras team created were far superior to those of Dorthonion. It was not a game that was played solely in one end of the field, but the number of shots (13-6) and shots on goal (6-2) just tell a lot of it. The quality of play was different.

It was more than fitting that Eorl opened the scoring and that Eowyn closed it. Many elves and men from the past in the audience nodded to that little fact, especially those Valar and Maiar attending. That was Edoras.

But would Dorthonion get it’s act together after this poor start or would it be just “Gorliming” on their behalf for the rest of the tournament? And could Edoras play such a gallant game against a tougher opponent? Those were left to be seen from the opening game.

Dorthonion 0-2 Edoras

shots 6-13
on target 2-6
GOALS:
*23, Edoras (Eorl, Aldor)
*52, Edoras (Eowyn, Eomer)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Dorthonion- Gorlim, Bregolas
*Edoras- Brego


If one measures a tournament with the level of home crowd’s enthusiasm, then something like a peak was surely established at Michael Delving-arena when the team Shire walked into the field. After they had seen the earlier two teams in their glory, even the most backward hobbit realised this was something great indeed – and their own boys and girls would walk to that very same arena as well! What a moment!

Although it must be said in all honesty, that the number of hobbits in the audience was less than fourth of the whole crowd. But the guests were gracious enough to give a wild cheer for the home team as well – and as most of them were cognisant of the history they knew they were entitled to it, even if only Samwise Gamgee represented the original fellowship in the team.

But what happened when the Taniquetil team entered the field was just unbelievable. First there was a moment of total silence on behalf of the audience and then the joyous burst of roars and cries of admiration, honour and laughter produced from just the sheer disbelief! It was a dazzling moment. The Valar themselves were there to play to this audience, this evening, right now!

Just football-wise it wasn’t anything one would remember his life through. A short discussion caught by our reporter on the half-hour mark of the game reveals the different stances on it.

A drunken Hobitton-elder (frequenter in the Green Dragon): “Wow, I’ve always said we hobbits are really tough. Now see, even Valar can’t beat us! We’ll win this tournament! You’ll see… let’s have a pint for it?”
A Noldo from the West: “Well, even if you’re a heroic folk as we have heard, just look at this game! Those Valar are just trying not to embarrass you little ones as hosts. They’ll score one goal sooner or later, but being polite they are scared of winning 6-0 straight ahead.”
An age old creature from some dark age millenia before the creation: “Bah, those Valar were never good in physical things they’d had to do themselves – well not counting a few that is. Believe me, they just aren’t up to this…”
Drunken Shireling: “What did you say about the “physical things”? Aren’t all things physical?
A Teleri sitting behind the three: “Ahh, no good trying to enlighten the young hobbit here at this point while the game is on. Just enjoy the game to your fullest my dear hobbit. Your team will be brave and do just fine.”
Age old Creature: “Or the Valar will do just badly, as they always do with earthly things… Eru really didn’t seem to have known better when he chose his team.”
Noldo (suddenly enraged): “Now watch your language, whatever you are!”
Drunken Shireling: “Wow, Bulroarer just hit the post! Go! Shire! Go!"
Teleri (looking at the two others): "Great shot indeed! And the hobbit is right. Now you two let’s concentrate on the game, okay?”

It was indeed astonishing that neither team managed to make any good chances on the first half. It was a great game just for the fact of it being played but the real football-fanatics were down indeed. As a match the first half was just boring, solid defence on both sides but no real risk taken to make a dashing attack on either part or to take any risks whatsoever.

Whatever view one would have picked from the discussion revealed there earlier, it seemed to all that the inevitable finally happened at the first minutes of the second half. The lady of the stars herself put the ball into the Shire net. Samwise had performed quite well, but Thorondor’s bluff was just magnamious and Sam was already flying to a totally different direction when the King of the Eagles still passed the ball on to Varda who had an easy job putting it in.

After that it looked like the Taniquetil team really locked their game intending to give the hosts no chance of equalising. It looked definitively like 1-0 for a long time as Taniquetil controlled the situation beautifully.

But suddenly Halbarad managed to steal the ball in the midfield from Taniquetil’s lowest defenders passing the ball to each other and made a forward run along the left side of the field. The highly priced defence of Taniquetil was in disbelief just a second too much. Este and Yavanna did not rush back immediately, believing that Nessa (who was deeper down) and Vana (who lost the ball) would be able to take care of him as they were the nearest and they were two who lost the ball - it would be a question of honor taking back the ball they lost. But when they saw Bullroarer Took making an incredible dash past them they were awakened. But too late. Jusat a second or two too late.

Halbarad got rid of Nessa with a nice dribble in full speed and was able to pass the ball past Vana diagonally backwards to Bullroarer who had an easy job finishing the goal, with Este and Yavanna breathing on his back but just a meter behind.

What happened was a one-time experience. The majority of the crowd was just too astonished to make a sound but was drawing a deep breath to just realise what had happened. But the hobbits! They were just making noise enough like a full stadium was rejoicing. And when slowly the main part of the audience joined the cheers for the goodwill of it - and of course praising the great performance of Halbarad and Bullroarer, the noise soon became just unbearable enough that people had to tone down just for their own good! That didn’t include the hobbits who just went wild to the end!

After the game there were mainly two topics discussed in the pubs, taverns and makeshift licenced premises. Where hobbits gathered together they discussed whether the hobbits were after all as strong as the Valar themselves and many a pint was consumed. In places where some more knowledgeable people, elves or creatures gathered, they discussed whether Eru had sent the Taniquetil team a message with Bullroarer’s goal and they had submitted to it or whether they just couldn’t play football at all.


Shire 1-1 Taniquetil

shots 7-8
on target 2-3
GOALS:
*49, Taniquetil (Varda, Thorondor)
*83, Shire (Bullroarer, Halbarad)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Shire- Lobelia, Ted
*Taniquetil- Lorien

[skip spence]

The Arda Cup is the biggest thing to have hit Bree since pipe-weed, and the neighbouring villages of Staddle, Combe and Archet were all but empty as the day of the first round matches approached: all had come to the capital in hopes of obtaining tickets, preferably to one of the home team’s matches. Yes, all were here, except a few opportunists who had rented out their flats to shocking rates and headed for the country. Barlimar Butterbur of the Prancing Pony did not mind the competition though, as his establishment had been booked solid for months and remained the natural centre point of town, despite the camps of the foreign teams and supporters that had been raised on the fields outside the city walls.

At the Pony, the talk often centered on Valimar, and all the strange tales that surrounded them. The Dunedain of Amon Sul and Romenna were odd enough, but at least they reminded them of the Rangers whom they were familiar with. But this Valimar team was too weird to be true. Sure, they had heard of the Man in the Moon, but the idea that he was actually here in person, playing football, was hard for the Bree-landers to get their head around. From outside the well-fenced Valimar camp people claimed to have caught glimpses of kingly figures of surpassing beauty, or terrifying beasts that chilled the very bone.

The Bree-landers did not know what to make of all this and many focused on their own team instead, a subject most punters at the Pony considered themselves experts at. According to the majority opinion, the key to success would be to get the whole team involved, as Bree all too often was a two man team in practice. They were simply too reliant on the dynamic duo of Tom Bombadil and The Barrow-Wight, and in order to progress, others than those two had to produce to goods also. Expectations on the ex-Shire players Merry and Pippin were high, and it was hoped that their leadership qualities would give the team some defensive stability to support their star men.

Match 1: Amon Sul vs. Valimar

When the Valimar team entered the field the sold out crowd gasped for breath and an eerie silence followed. Rumours that spoke of the overwhelming splendour and terror this team of the ancient world evoked were thought to be exaggerated by most people, but now when they could witness it for themselves, they realized that even the most outlandish story wasn't anywhere close to the truth. Here was the Ainur arrayed in all their beauty and might, and the Bree faithful wondered how in the world their Bob and Nob and Barliman and Ferny could ever hope to compete with a team like this. Then there was a collective sigh of awe, followed by a storming applause. This was a day they’d always remember.

When play got under way, it quickly became apparent that Valimar not only looked good - they could play too. The most talked about signing ahead of the games, Melkor, showed none of the selfish and violent behaviour he is notorious for, and played brilliantly on the midfield, spraying perfect balls to his team-mates without ever making a mistake. Amon Sul barely got to borrow the ball, and when they did, they got under pressure directly. In the 20th minute Valimar was awarded a free-kick after Eönwe had been brought down to the right, just outside the penalty area. Melkor took it, and he whipped the ball into the box where Tulkas, wrestling with Araglas, managed to nod the ball back across goal to find an unmarked Eönwe who made no mistake with a diving header. Some 20 minutes later Eönwe turned provider, as he played a cute one-two with Melkor who chipped the ball over the legs of the onrushing Amon Sul keeper, just as he had done so many times before.

There was never really any excitement regarding the outcome of this match, and the few times an Amon Sul-player managed to get into a decent attacking position, it was as if a shadow fell on him, and could easily be dispossessed or tried a panicky attempt at a pass or shot. Such was the fear that Ungoliant and the Balrogs instilled on their opponents. Frankly, they could have played all night, and Amon Sul would not have scored anyway. Offensively Valimar settled down after the second goal, but there was still time for a third, which was scored from long range by one of the Balrogs. This Valimar team will take some beating, that should be clear to anyone watching this game.

Amon Sul 0-3 Valimar
shots 5-16
on target 1-8
GOALS:
*20, Valimar (Eonwe,Tulkas)
*39, Valimar (Melkor, Eonwe)
*60 Valimar (Balrog #4, Tilion)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Amon Sul- Aranarth, Arador, Arahad

The Valimar performance in the first game had been so impressive that the home crowd almost forgot about the very important match ahead of their own heroes. Bree were up against a difficult opponent too in Romenna, a very experienced team from across the wide waters of the West. When the ref started play, Bree went on the attack from the get go, determined to make an early impact on the game. That man Tom Bombadil playfully tunnelled two men, end danced into the penalty area. Hey! Come derry dol! Hop along my hearties! he sang, and played a sensational ball to Nob, who had the open net at his mercy, but to the crowds disbelief he ballooned it way over the crossbar. Oh my, what a miss from the Hobbit! He’ll replay that moment in his head many times tonight, one can be certain of…

Bree didn’t lose confidence though, and although much centred around Bombadil, the team as a whole played some good football and continued to create chances. When Romenna took the lead, it felt like an injustice, but it was a good goal and it all happened very quickly. After a Bree attack the ball rolled up to Tar-Palantir outside of his own penalty area, and without even looking up he hit a long ball towards Tar-Miriel who came racing forward. She beat the Bree offside-trap, rounded Old Man Willow and rolled the ball into the open net.

Meanwhile, the Romenna defence had put two men on Tom Bombadil, who now started to find space hard to come by. His partner in crime, The Barrow-Wight, was still in the game though, and when he ghosted past his marker and got behind the Romenna defense, space was opening up and as the cross came in, there was Bombadillo, hopping and dancing like a madman to get away from his markers. With his trade-mark yellow boot he hit a sweet volley that crashed into the net past a not so bemused Elros, who got up as if to say “Never again!” when he saw Tom celebrating the goal with comical somersaults and terrible poetry.

And so it proved. Despite Bree’s best efforts, they could not find a way to beat Elros again. Even Bombadil looked puzzled as the half-elven made an amazing fingertip-save off a shot that had the home-crowd cheering for a goal the moment it left his yellow boot. The ensuing corner was without result, and suddenly Romenna was on the counter-attack. Vardamir advanced with the ball at full speed, and again Tal-Palantir showed the same kind of foresight as on the first goal, and seemed to know exactly where the ball would come before it was hit. With a deft touch he controlled it, and although Old Man Willow dropped a branch, he was powerless to stop the shot as it whistled into the net. With less than ten minutes to play, Bree was behind again, and this time there was no way back for the home team.

At the Prancing Pony that night the atmosphere was subdued. In order to advance now, Bree will most likely have to win, or at least not lose, against the same Valimar side they had seen make mighty kings of Men look like little boys. Just how on Middle Earth this could be possible no-one knew. But one thing they knew for certain. If anyone could do it, Bombadillo could.

Bree 1-2 Romenna
shots 14-11
on target 7-5
GOALS:
*34, Romenna (Tar Miriel, Tar Palantir)
*55, Bree (Tom Bombadil, The Barrow-Wight)
*81, Romenna (Tar Palantir, Vardamir)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Bree- Harry, Ferny, Pippin
*Romenna- Tar Anarion

Standings: Group A

Team_______W D L GF GA P
1) Valimar____1 0 0 3 - 0 3
2) Romenna___1 0 0 2 - 1 3
3) Bree_______0 0 1 1 - 2 0
4) Amon Sul___0 0 1 0 - 3 0

[the phantom]

GROUP STANDINGS

GROUP A (Moria)

----team----points---goal diff
Moria.............3.........+1
Angband........1...........0
Minas Tirith....1...........0
Alqualonde.....0..........-1

GROUP B (Mirkwood)

----team----points---goal diff
Arnor.............3..........+1
Nargothrond...3..........+1
Helm's Deep...0...........-1
Mirkwood.......0...........-1

GROUP C (Isengard)

----team-----points---goal diff
Minas Morgul...3.........+3
Hithlum..........3.........+1
Gondolin.........0..........-1
Isengard.........0..........-3

GROUP D (Erebor)

----team----points---goal diff
Eregion..........3...........+2
Erebor............1............0
Osgiliath.........1............0
Mordor............0...........-2

GROUP E (Lothlorien)

----team----points---goal diff
Armenelos.....3............+2
Doriath..........1.............0
Lothlorien......1.............0
Dor-Lomin.....0.............-2

GROUP F (Shire)

----team----points---goal diff
Edoras..........3...........+2
Shire............1............0
Taniquetil......1............0
Dorthonion....0...........-2

GROUP G (Tuna)

-----team------points----goal diff
Tuna..................3...........+4
Gondor...............1............0
Tol-in-Gaurhoth...1............0
Brethil................0...........-4

GROUP H (Bree)

----team----points---goal diff
Valimar..........3..........+3
Romenna.......3..........+1
Bree..............0..........-1
Amon Sul.......0..........-3

ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS

GROUP A (Moria)
Alqualonde vs Minas Tirith
Angband vs Moria

GROUP B (Mirkwood)
Arnor vs Nargothrond
Helm's Deep vs Mirkwood

GROUP C (Isengard)
Hithlum vs Minas Morgul
Gondolin vs Isengard

GROUP D (Erebor)
Eregion vs Osgiliath
Erebor vs Mordor

GROUP E (Lothlorien)
Armenelos vs Doriath
Dor-Lomin vs Lothlorien

GROUP F (Shire)
Edoras vs Taniquetil
Dorthonion vs Shire

GROUP G (Tuna)
Brethil vs Tol-in-Gaurhoth
Gondor vs Tuna

GROUP H (Bree)
Amon Sul vs Romenna
Bree vs Valimar

[Boromir88]

Group A

TEAM.................W-D-L..GF..GA..PTS

Moria...................1-0-0...3...2.......3
Angband..............0-1-0...2....2......1
Minas Tirith..........0-1-0...2....2......1
Alqualonde...........0-0-1...2....3......0

Alqualonde v. Minas Tirith

Alqualonde had a much more difficult time handling the physical play of Moria. Minas Tirith is not as physical of an opponent, and should be easier for the fleet footed Elves to handle. Minas Tirith plays well as a team, but the age of their defenders will definitely be a problem, as they definitely will tire as the tournament continues. Alqualonde wins 3-2

Angband v. Moria

Moria was able to flex their muscles against the Elves, they will not be able to do the same against Angband. This will be a death match, as both teams will certainly hit, and hit hard. Angband is more talented, and Moria has already piled up the Yellow cards. Moria managed to keep their team together, only for the fact that they won, but Moria has so much inner strife they will crumble once Angband jumps out early. Angband wins 4-2

Group B

TEAM...............W-D-L..GF..GA...PTS

Arnor................1-0-0...2...1......3
Nargothrond.......1-0-0...2...1......3
Helm's Deep.......0-0-1...1...2......0
Mirkwood..........0-0-1...1...2......0

Arnor v. Nargothrond

If either team wins this, they are a lock to advance. This is probably the most anticipated match of the group. Both defenses will be strong, goals will be tough to come by. Lucky for Nargothrond, they play the maligned Helm's Deep in Round 3, but a tie will make things in this group interesting. Draw 1-1.

Helm's Deep v. Mirkwood

Mirkwood's the host team and they are coming off a tough loss to Nargothrond, which spells bad news for Helm's Deep. Scatha, Legolas, and Thranduil will have their way. Mirkwood wins 3-1

Group C

TEAM...............W-D-L..GF..GA...PTS

Minas Morgul.......1-0-0...3...0......3
Hithlum..............1-0-0...2...1......3
Gondolin.............0-0-1...1...2......0
Isengard............0-0-1...0...3......0

Hithlum v. Minas Morgul

Minas Morgul dominated against Isengard, but it is clear the cream of this group is Hithlum, and they will not be so lucky. Minas Morgul's defense is not going up against a Slowbeam or Uglag anymore, they have to stop Feanor and Maedhros...something they won't be able to do. However, it will be closer than most people thing, as the Nazgul, who are much stronger with their lord, the Witch-King, should not be underestimated. Hithlum wins 3-2.

Gondolin v. Isengard

Isengard might just be the worst team in the tournament. They have no scoring ability, and Saruman isn't a strong enough player (like the WK) to carry a team. Gondolin will win fairly easily, and it only gets worse, as Isengard will not only be eliminated, but will have to face Hithlum next round. Gondolin wins 2-0.

Group D

TEAM..........W-D-L..GF..GA...PTS
Eregion.........1-0-0...2...0......3
Erebor..........0-1-0...2...2......1
Osgiliath.......0-1-0...2...2......1
Mordor.........0-0-1...0...2......0

Eregion v. Osgiliath

I don't think anyone in this group has the firepower to score against Eregion's most impressive defense. However, Osgiliath is a strong defensive team of their own, which means this will be a very dull game. Draw 0-0.

Mordor v. Erebor

If Osgiliath manages to beat, or at least tie, Eregion in the first match, Erebor has to feel this game is a must win for them. That might put a lot of pressure on Erebor, knowing they end against Eregion, and thus will overlook their current task - defeat Mordor. Smaug should be up to the task, as he torches the Mordor team, but this may be closer than the experts think, giving Mordor the chance of an upset. Erebor wins 2-1

Group E

TEAM.............W-D-L..GF..GA...PTS
Armenolos........1-0-0...3...1......3
Doriath............0-1-0...2...2......1
Lothlorien.........0-1-0...2...2......1
Dor-Lomin.........0-0-1...1...3......0

Armenolos v. Doriath

There were questions to how the addition of Sauron would effect Armenolos and it worked out great for them in their 1st match vs. Dor-Lomin. However, Dor-Lomin is overrated and Doriath, behind the strength of Melian, will be a tougher opponent. The question for Doriath, is will they be able to score themselves? Anyone can win this group, and it will further up for grabs after a...Draw 1-1.

Dor-Lomin v. Lothlorien

When you have Turin, you can not be counted out, he could surprise you. The unlucky part for Dor-Lomin is this is a very strong defensive group, and that is something Dor-Lomin does not have. Lothlorien is inconsistent offensively, but they managed to put up 2 goals against Melian and they should be able to do the same against Dor-Lomin. Lothlorien wins 2-0.

Group F

TEAM............W-D-L..GF..GA...PTS

Edoras...........1-0-0...2...0......3
Taniquetil.......0-1-0...1...1......1
The Shire.......0-1-0...1...1......1
Dorthonion.....0-0-1...0...2......0

Edoras v. Taniquetil

As I believed, Edoras has great team work and was able to easily handle Dorthonion. For some unexplained reason, Taniquetil did not come ready to face the meager Shirelings. This does spell trouble for Edoras, as Taniquetil will come looking to fire back, and prove their worth. For if Taniquetil does not trounce Edoras into the ground, Eru may need to start replacing his Valar! Taniquetil wins 3-0.

Dorthonion v. The Shire

Each and every tournament the hobbits manage to play way above their talent level. They should lose every single match, but they don't. So, here it comes, Samwise will remain sturdy at the goal, and Bullroarer will be able to sneak one past Beor. The Shire wins 1-0! (Maybe once they are actually predicted to win, they will fail, just like they should).

Group G

TEAM............W-D-L..GF..GA...PTS

Tuna..............1-0-0...4...0......3
Gondor...........0-1-0...2...2......1
Tol-i-Gaur.......0-1-0...2...2......1
Brethil............0-0-1...0...4......0

Brethil v. Tol-in-Gaurhoth

Now that TIG has actually managed to play together, they should be able to fire on all cylinders...erm paws. Plus it must help when your next match is against Brethil, who is a technically sound team, but skill wise, they are vastly out-matched. TIG wins 3-0.

Gondor v. Tuna

This will be the highlight match of not only the group, but maybe the entire 1st round of group play. It is sure to be an offensive explosion. Both teams will try to prove why offense is the best defense. Miriel will have another stunning performance, and score 2 goals in this match, but behind the Gondor brothers, they will surpise the group, making everything come down to the round 3 matchups. Gondor wins 4-3.

Group H

TEAM............W-D-L..GF..GA...PTS

Valimar...........1-0-0...3...0......3
Romenna........1-0-0...2...1......3
Bree..............0-0-1...1...2......0
Amon Sul........0-0-1...0...3......0

Valimar v. Bree

Must win game for Bree if they want to advance. They were unable to take care of business against Romenna, and Valimar will surely be more challenging. Their only hope is Melkor does something completely stupid to anger his team...but that won't happen. Valimar wins 2-1.

Amon Sul v. Romenna

Amon Sul maybe facing the stout Romenna defense, but they should not be counted out just yet...when you have Elendil he is a game changer. If Amon Sul comes in with the win or go-home mindset, Elendil will play with a fiery passion and force Romenna to put multiple defenders on him...abandoning Arahael to score the only goal of the match. Amon Sul wins 1-0.

Edit: Oops, didn't realize tp was going to do the standings, oh well my match predictions are still there.

[Nogrod]

The Arda Kicker Magazine has been looking closely at the games and has decided the following for the first round...

Five stars will go to

Elros of Romenna
Arwen of Lothlorien
Gandalf of Eregion
Nerdanel of Tuna
Sauron of Armenelos


Three stars will go to

Khamûl of Minas Morgul
Eldacar of Osgiliath
Narvi of Moria
Mardil of Minas Tirith
Calmacil of Gondor
Melian of Doriath
Galadriel of Lothlorien
Melkor of Valimar


One star will go to

Isildur of Arnor
Ar Pharazon of Armenelos
Durin's Bane of Moria
Tar Palantir of Romenna
Echtelion II of Minas Tirith
Tar Atanamir of Armenelos
Orodreth of Nargothrond
Finwë of Tuna
Miriel of Tuna
Eonwë of Valimar
Turín of Dor-Lomin
Beleg of Dor-Lomin
mormwolf of TIG
Shadowfax of Edoras
Felarof of Edoras
Tom Bombadill of Bree


Their performances have been the joy of any footballing community! Many others could have been nominated and some might be disputed... but this is "Arda Kicker Magazine's" choice!

Stay tuned for more stars!

[skip spence]

The first round matches in Moria had perhaps been best the tournament have had to offer so far, and as the lucky fans with tickets made their way into the mountain they were full of expectations. The big event tonight was of course the showdown between the host team and mighty Angband. Could this interracial Moria team rattle the Power of the North? Without former stars Morgoth, Gothmog and Glaurung, the Iron Hells fail to instill the same kind of fear as they used to, and Moria might have a chance here to cause an upset. But before this highly publicized heavyweight-bout, a tasty hors d’oeuvre was on the plate in form of the Alqualonde and Minas Tirith evening match. There was a vocal section of White City-supporters present, and a few Elves cheering for the Aman side, but the stands were only filled to about 2/3 of the 70 000 capacity, as many of the local ticket holders got boozed up in nearby drinking holes ahead of the big game later on. Those who did show up were able to enjoy an excellent game of football.

Match 3: Alqualonde vs. Minas Tirith

After their loss to the host team on the opening day, Cirdan, Osse and other senior members of Alqualonde had gone out to express their dissatisfaction with how the team had behaved. They’d allowed themselves to get bullied, and it cost them the game. No more of that, they now demanded, and as the team got onto the field the players looked very determined to make a difference. Minas Tirith on their hand were happy to have taken a point off Angband, and anxious to get a win under the belt, something which would put them in a very good position to advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.

When Cirdan and Osse kicked off, the crowd was to witness a much improved Alqualonde team. The special brand of quick, technical football they were renowned for, but failed to produce against Moria, now gave the White City defenders plenty of trouble. But it takes two to tango, and Minas Tirith also played at their highest level, urged on by legendary captain Aragorn, who seemed able to raise his teammates’ game to its full potential and beyond. But it was the Aman side that were to draw blood first blood. Uinen delivered a freekick towards the near post that was glanced across goal by Cirdan, and at the far post Idril popped up to smash the ball into the net.

Some twenty minutes later Aragorn grabbed the equalizer after a piece of individual brilliance. From a modest position on the left he cut inside, accelerated past Eärwen, and blasted a rising thunderbolt from 25 metres which hit the bar and bounced down behind Olwë, then back onto the bar, and out in play again. The velocity of the shot was so high the Alqualonde keeper didn’t move, and there was some confusion as to whether the ball had crossed the line or not, but after consulting his linesmen the referee pointed to the mid circle. It was a controversial goal, but the Alqualonde players accepted the decision without question, which says a lot about their sportsmanship.

In the second half the two rivals continued to play dream football and the neutrals in the stands did not want to see either team lose the game. So also it went. Uinen gave Alqualonde the lead after a great run by Idril and that goal had looked like a winner, but after a strong, late surge by the White City, Telumehtar managed to even up the score with a close-range header from the impressive Mardil the Faithful’s cross. The match finished 2-2 and as team captains Cirdan and Aragorn swapped jerseys and shook hands in the mid circle they both agreed it was a fair result.

Alqualonde 2-2 Minas Tirith
shots 10-11
on target 5-5
GOALS:
*14, Alqualonde (Idril, Cirdan)
*35, Minas Tirith (Aragorn II, Boromir I)
*68, Alqualonde (Uinen, Idril)
*81, Minas Tirith (Telumehtar, Mardil)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Alqualonde- Amandil
*Minas Tirith- Ondoher, Earnil II, Calimehtar

Match 4: Angband vs Moria

If Moria had intimidated Alqualonde they could do no such thing against Angband tonight. Already in the first minute of the game Ancalagon flattened The Great Goblin when the referee wasn’t looking, and that was just the first in a series of heavy hits. All credit to Moria though as they didn’t back down, but came after their more illustrious opponents with some of their own medicine. The match was rough and intensive and the crowd loved every moment of it initially. In the 20th minute the noise reached a crescendo when the ref pointed to the spot - Tevildo was judged to have pawed the ball in the box. Durin’s Bane wanted to take the penalty, but Durin grabbed the ball from him and placed it on the spot himself. Then he backed off three steps, took a deep breath and blasted it over the bar! In front of his supporters, now dead silent, the Moria captain tore his beard in disgust. Durin’s Bane did not look happy either, mumbling something to himself while smoke issued from his shadow.

That miss proved costly too. Angband now started to get a real grip on the match, and with every attack their confidence grew. The opening goal came just after the half-hour mark when Ancalagon fired in Maeglin’s low cross after a quick break. Tevildo had a great opportunity to make it two, but the Prince of Cats waited too long with the shot, having perhaps too much fun toying with the Moria defenders, and just as he was preparing to dispatch the killing blow, he slipped and the chance was gone. Angband was really overpowering Moria in the mid part of the game, and when the second goal came 15 minutes into the second half, it was only logical. Thurinwethil had gotten away on the right and his cross found a wide-open Hurin, who even had time to chest the ball down and finish the move with his preferred right foot. Durin’s Bane was flaming, accusing Durin and his backline of poor defending, but the Dwarf Lord responded by claiming that the Balrog didn’t backtrack quickly enough and that he was to blame for the goal. Obviously there is a lot of tension between those two.

Angbad was in cruise control now and Moria lacked the penetration to really threaten on the attack. As time was running out, another poor decision by an Easterling defender almost ruined the match for the Iron Hells however. Narvi held off Uldor with his back to the Angband goal, and the situation looked harmless enough, but out of the blue the defender kicked out at the Dwarf, sending him on a sky-ride. The referee did not hesitate as he reached for his card, and as the Angband player already was booked in the first half he was sent to an early shower. Bad got worse for Angband when Moria reduced their lead on the resulting free-kick. Durin’s Bane took it with phenomenal power, and although the Balrog claimed the goal it was later given to Azog, as the shot took a slight deflection on the foot of the Orc before hitting the net.

Moria tried to use their one man advantage to force a late equalizer, but when Hurin dropped down to the Angband back four to cover for Uldor, the Iron Hells were able to hold on fairly comfortably. With four out of six matches played, nothing is decided in this very tight group. Any team can still grab first spot, or get eliminated.

Angband 2-1 Moria
shots 12-7
on target 6-3
GOALS:
*32, Angband (Ancalagon, Maeglin)
*59, Angband (Hurin, Thuringwethil)
*84, Moria (Azog, Durin’s Bane)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Angband- Telvildo, Uldor, Ulfast
*Moria- Great Goblin, Durin’s Bane, Durin
RED CARDS:
*Angband- Uldor, 83 (second yellow)

Standings: Group A

Team..............W D L GF GA P
1) Angband......1 1 0.. 4 - 3 4
2) Moria............1 0 1.. 4 - 4 3
3) Minas Tirith...0 2 0.. 4 - 4 2
4) Alqualonde....0 1 1.. 4 - 5 1

[the phantom]

After the first round of play none of the teams in Group B looked particularly weak, but neither game ended in a tie, and so it was that two teams, Mirkwood and Helm's Deep, were stuck with zero points to show for their efforts.

The victors in round one, Arnor and Nargothrond, were set to play the first match of the day, with the winner certain to advance to the playoffs. The second match would feature Mirkwood and Helm's Deep, both desperately in need of points to stay in contention.

As the first competitors entered, it seemed that the stadium would be supporting Nargothrond for the most part. For one, some of the Mirkwood fans had been won over by their impressive victory over their home team in the first round. And most importantly, if Nargothrond beat Arnor and Mirkwood won their match, Mirkwood could then defeat Arnor in the final round to advance to the playoffs. This seemed much more probable than the strong side from Nargothrond dropping two in a row to finish the group.

Arnor and Nargothrond played a midfield game for the most part in the first half. The forwards for both sides made some nice dashes towards the box, but nothing could be done to get a decent opening to put one past the keeper, for the final couple of defenders played the angles brilliantly, and were never wrong-footed by the crafty moves of the attackers.

Past two-thirds of the way through the half, Isildur made a great run up the right side and held for his team to catch up and mount the attack. He crossed to Arantar whose header was contested well by Celegorm. The ball squirted away and was met by Araphor who quickly tossed it back over to the right side to a sprinting Isildur, while the rest of the team closed in behind smelling blood. Isildur had the ball taken by Luthien, however, and she sent the ball deep up the middle and Mablung was first there and the race was on. Arnor had over-committed and had been caught with their pants down.

Only Elendur had an angle on him, and Mablung swerved behind him deftly while still staying ahead of Tarcil and the others chasing him down. The keeper Arvedui did his best to guess, resisting the first fake of Mablung, but the second made him jump and Mablung tapped it into the vacated area for the first goal of the game.

After half-time Nargothrond came out strong and challenged Arvedui twice in the opening minutes, but the keeper stopped both efforts. The second time, after stopping a rocket from Glaurung, Arvedui got it out quick and Arnor pushed it up the field to their forwards, who made a short-handed two versus four (plus the keeper) run in on the goal. Perhaps because it was so unexpected, the Nargothrond defenders were just a bit off on their positioning this time, and Araphor was able to split his way through Mim and Curufin, leave it for Isildur, and after Luthien stepped up on him, he gave it back to Araphor who had continued on his angle. He controlled it on a dead run with Celegorm pressuring him, then he stopped abruptly, and Celegorm had to take one extra step to stop, and that was enough space for Araphor to unload a quick snipe at the top of the opposite post, which Orodreth couldn't cover. It was tied, and even the Elf supporters from Nargothrond applauded the goal.

As the minutes ticked away, it seemed more and more likely that the contest would end at 1-1, for both defenses had stopped helping on the attack and were focusing on not leaving any more openings. After all, picking up a point wasn't a bad result when you were already leading the Group in points.

But as the clock wound down, Curufin came forward a bit on the attack, and when the ball was sent his direction he unleashed a screaming curve ball from 30+ meters out that only barely avoided finding the back of the net, hitting the left post instead. The ricochet went straight past two defenders to an oncoming Glaurung who blasted the ball with his mighty tail, finishing what Curufin had started. Nargothrond had the lead!

Arnor tried to equalize, but there just wasn't time. Nargothrond was assured a spot in the playoffs. Arnor's fate would be decided in the final round.

Arnor 1-2 Nargothrond
shots 10-9
on target 3-5
GOALS:
*34, Nargothrond (Mablung, Luthien)
*52, Arnor (Araphor, Isildur)
*86, Nargothrond (Glaurung, Curufin)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Arnor- Elendur, Earendur
*Nargothrond- Beren, Arminas

As the stadium filled to the brim for the night match, orcs and spiders and wood-elves were chatting excitedly about Mirkwood's chances. "Our fate is in our hands now!" they said. "If we take care of business in the next two games, we're in! We already played the best team in the group."

But standing in their way was not only the Arnor squad who had just played Nargothrond even for most of 90 minutes, but the team from Helm's Deep who had played solidly against Arnor in the first round. It was no easy task according to the facts. And the crowd was reminded of this in the first two minutes when Helm gained a good opportunity off a corner that was barely saved by Oropher.

But it turned out that the optimists were right.

After that opening scare Mirkwood took the game in hand and never looked back. The deadly sharpshooter Legolas scored a goal 16 minutes in and helped on Scatha's goal in the opening minutes of the second half, while his dad helped the deadly Nazgul #6 on the capper at minute 62. After that Helm's Deep went into a shell and just tried to not let the score get any more embarrassing, and the crowd started the celebrations well before the final whistle sounded.

The home team was still alive!

Helm’s Deep 0-3 Mirkwood
shots 6-15
on target 2-7
GOALS:
*16, Mirkwood (Legolas, Nazgul #6)
*46, Mirkwood (Scatha, Legolas)
*62, Mirkwood (Nazgul #6, Thranduil)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Helm’s Deep- Folca, Helm, Folcwine
*Mirkwood- Legolas, Galion

GROUP B STANDINGS

----team----points---goal diff
Nargothrond...6..........+2
Mirkwood.......3..........+2
Arnor.............3............0
Helm's Deep...0...........-4

[Nogrod]

The sun was shining at Erebor when the second round of matches got along. It would be Eregion and Osgiliath meeting each other in the first game. Eregion had been just superb in their first game beating Mordor beautifully, but Osgiliath had showed their qualities as well – and everyone were looking forwards how the team would make it after the draw with Erebor, as that would also tell a thing or two about the standing of the home-team!

Some very high level of play and beauty were seen during the afternoon. Especially from the attack of both teams. But the defences held tight and made the time of the goalies rather easy. And there were highlights as well..

After some beautiful to and fro, on the 36th minute, the Osgiliath team got their chance from a free kick. From beside of the box Hyermendacil just pitched the ball into Anarion’s head for a perfect header. The Eregion defence was of no avail there. It was soo beautiful a goal! The Osgiliath team led 1-0.

The first half was ended that way, and many were talking about Osgiliath being the toughest one team in the group – not without a reason and plainly making the hosts feel good. If the Osgiliath team could win Eregion, and Erebor had played even with them, then they could have a chance of being the second or even first in the group!

But the second half was a cold shower to the home-team supporters indeed!

Eregion suddenly emerged as a playing team who succeeded – even if they had played well in the first half - and not to take anything out of Osgiliath’s performance there, or in the latter half either.

It was just Eregion’s half this time.

At 62nd. minute Eärendil gave a beautiful through-pass to Glorfindel who just left the last defenders in his shadow and scored beautifully.

At 80th minute Eregion scored again after a long time of even play. And what a beauty it was!

Valandil gave the corner the defence headed away nicely. It all looked like a missed chance, but then Elrohir won the header against Ostoher in the mid-field and managed to pass the ball back to the attack where Celebrimbor took a golden touch of the ball and passed it forwards to the empty area Glorfindel was running into… And it was a goal! Romendacil had no chance as he had been concentrating on a totally another angle the attack would come in!

Eregion was a great favourite of the home crowd but their win over Osgiliath made the home-team look less good… so the tensions were arising for the next game of the day – and the home team supporters were even more determined to hail their team to win: dwarves. humans, beornings and several odd creatures were hurraying for the home team when the next game began. But Osgiliath had played pretty well as well, reminding everyone who good they were… and eager to take the second post in the group...


Eregion 2-1 Osgiliath
shots 10-8
on target 4-4
GOALS:
*36, Osgiliath (Anarion, Hyarmendacil)
*62, Eregion (Glorfindel, Earendil)
*80, Eregion (Earendil, Celebrimbor)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Eregion- Erestor
*Osgiliath- Ostoher, Meneldil



So come the Night-game, the crowds were just restless and cheerful at the same time. It was an athmosphere that spelled trouble if the home-side lost but which could be a great relief to the policing forces if they won. All of the dwarven police were on alarm for the game.

The rumour had it that the two Nazgûls and Gollum had been sent to butter-up the attackers of the home team, but that Smaug and Bolg had just denied their access, Smaug sending them some fiery greetings… and that they would have not been brave enough to meet with Bain.

However it was in reality, the game seemed to go for the home-team.

It was a tough fight though, and the Mordor team looked very dangerous all the time it got the ball, but in the end it was the Erebor team that got the results – and for good. Mordor got ten shots, but only two of them were towards the goal (scoring from one of those either tells of the weakness in the Erebor defences or of the brightness of Mordor attack when they have a chance for it). So they need to adjust their build-up to gain more chances at shooting at the goal if they wish to get forwards in the tournament.

But the home-team just blasted the audience with one minute left to go of the first period. It looked like the Mordor team was settled with the draw for the first half and took the defence a bit too loosely leaving space for Smaug to perform it’s tricks. And soon the ball was – with a flash of a tail – with Nazgul #7 who didn’t hesitate to hammer the ball in when Shelob was clearly still following Smaug’s performance. So fast evil can be, that it out-counts another evil. It was a dilemma but the cheers of the home-team supporters were loud enough!

It had been a real fight between the two teams and Mordor had really given it’s worse to defeat the mixed-up opponents they had. The quick-running attackers were a constant threat on the Erebor goal and the defence led by Beorn had a hard time suppressing it. But similarly the slashing attacks by Erebor did stretch the defences of Mordor to the point of breaking – especially the runs of Bard, Nazgul #7, Bolg and Smaug. The Mordor defence could not rest for a moment as they always had to take care of the forthcoming attacks by the “quartet”.

It was not too late in the second half, when the home team stroke again. This time it was rather an ugly goal.

Smaug ran to the edge of the area and passed the ball into the center. Bolg made a beautiful header but it only hit the post. After some billiards-style hitting the legs of one and another player with no control, it got to the feet of Bard who swept the ball in from a meter away an empty goal. The home crowd burst into cheers and the game was over. Even if it was just 66th minute the visitors seemingly took the defeat and didn’t seem to rise up to the task again.

In the end the Mordor team actually tried to make up some pressure and even succeeded in it – the quick and sturdy orcs running around the defenders - but the Erebor defences held the rush led by Beorn who seemed not to tire up how much he ran...

When the closing signal was whistled the crowds went just mad! The home team still had chances and it had beaten Mordor!

Just one point from Eregion... or a failure by Osgiliath to make at least a two-goal win indeed.


Erebor 2-0 Mordor
shots 10-7
on target 5-2
GOALS:
*44, Erebor (Nazgul #7, Smaug)
*66, Erebor (Bard, Bolg)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Erebor- Beorn, Nain
*Mordor- Shagrat, Muzgash, Snaga


----------

Group standings: (points & goal-difference)
Eregion ......6... +3
Erebor .......4... +2
Osgiliath ... 1... -1
Mordor .......0... -4

Last matches:
Erebor - Eregion
Osgiliath - Mordor

[the phantom]

Spirits were high in Tirion and outside its walls where fans of the home team were camped out. Tuna was not only leading the standings, but with their four goal explosion they had gained an inside track on the tie-breaker, which was goal differential. "One more win and this thing is in the bag! Even a tie might do it!"

But the story was quite different in the midst of a jumble of eerie green tents to the north of the stadium, where dwelt the fans and supporters of the Tol-in-Guarhoth team. "We played a bad first game, but we'll destroy Brethil and show Tuna who's the real champ in the last match!" said McWolf to Nerwolf, and she agreed heartily. "Even after so little practice we tied Gondor, and I think they're just as good as Tuna," she added.

"Quite right, lass!" shouted Shastawolf. "We took the bronze medal last year! We're a great team, and our backs are to the wall. Brethil and Tuna are in for a stomping!"

But despite how eager the Werewolves were to see their team show up the home side, they wouldn't get that chance for some time. First they had to take care of their match against Brethil, who was certain to be looking to prove themselves after the debacle last week.

For the first quarter of the game, it looked like it could be anyone's game. Both were showing some good skill, but the defenses held firm and no goals were to be had. But at 28 minutes the Werewolves struck! SPMwolf sent it to Phantomwolf to the left of the goal along the sideline, and the Brethil goalie foolishly took a position too far over towards Phantomwolf, and he wasted no time in sending one of his trademark bends high and around the goalie into the top corner of the right side for a score.

Brethil tried to strike back, but they just didn't have legs left. The pace of the tireless Werewolves was beginning to take its toll, and before the half was over TIG struck again- this time the cloaked one was the provider and sent it to Nogwolf who made the defense look slow sprinting behind them and heading it in for the 2-0 lead.

During the half Brethil got their legs back under them and they attacked with great energy to open the second. TIG supporters were heard yelling for their team to allow Brethil to run themselves out of the game, and it appeared that TIG was indeed following that strategy. Unfortunately, before Brethil tired, Haldir found Haleth for a cheap goal at minute 55. It was unclear which TIG defender should have taken Haleth, but the TIG defenders obviously thought the mistake was not theirs and could be seen berating one another.

Mormwolf however took the defense in hand and growled at them to knock it off, and the defense turned their energy to shutting down Brethil, which they did with enthusiasm, even drawing a couple of cards for their efforts. But Brethil was definitely starting to wear out, and started trying to get physical themselves. But the only thing it gained them was cards, for the Werewolves were not easy to rough up or intimidate, and it wasn't long until Brethil found themselves down another goal. This time it was Borowolf taking a pass from Skipwolf and blasting in a long shot.

Just a couple minutes later TIG nearly scored again as Wereomer scraped it just over the crossbar, but Brethil at that point pulled their offense back to help on defense, perhaps just to avoid giving up four goals two games in a row. With the front of the field clogged, TIG contented itself to kick the ball around and watch time run down. The bronze-medalists from last year were back!

Brethil 1-3 Tol-in-Gaurhoth
shots 9-16
on target 4-8
GOALS:
*28, TIG (Phantomwolf, SPMwolf)
*40, TIG (Nogwolf, Phantomwolf)
*55, Brethil (Haleth, Haldir)
*74, TIG (Borowolf, Skipwolf)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Brethil- Dorlas, Haleth, Handir, Hundad
*TIG- Borowolf, Wereomer, Runewolf

The stadium noise grew slowly as the night game approached, and the Noldor, Vanyar, and even a few Teleri (there to support Finarfin) joined arms and sang, hoping to see another great performance from home team. And they got it!

Inside of 20 minutes Nerdanel worked her way into the box brilliantly drawing the defense to her and then sent it across perfectly to her dad who booted it in easily. And Tuna scored again in the first half- this time it was Finarfin who worked his way in close and found Miriel with a pass.

Coming out of the half Gondor played very well and took the initiative against Tuna, nearly scoring twice and sending a couple of shots wide as well. But then at minute 62, their attack backfired as Amras poked the ball away and Ingwe sent it quickly upfield to the forwards who all dashed madly at the goal. The defenders let Nerdanel keep it most of the way, positioning themselves to deny passing opportunities to Finwe and Miriel who were a bit ahead. But then when Anardil challenged her she sent it quickly to Miriel who had stopped abruptly at the top corner of the box, and Miriel deflected the ball on to Finwe who put it firmly into the goal. The fans from Gondor wanted an offsides call, but the refs ruled Finwe had not been behind Valacar when the ball was sent.

After that Tuna called off the dogs and cruised, though with under 10 minutes left Gondor broke the shut-out with a thundering shot from Boromir II. Tuna looked displeased about it, but it wasn't enough to ruin their night. They had clinched a spot in the playoffs, and their fans celebrated that night and the following night as well!

Gondor 1-3 Tuna
shots 7-16
on target 3-8
GOALS:
*19, Tuna (Mahtan, Nerdanel)
*34, Tuna (Miriel, Finarfin)
*62, Tuna (Finwe, Miriel)
*81, Gondor (Boromir II, Faramir)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Gondor- Atanatar I, Imrahil, Hirluin, Faramir
*Tuna- Finarfin

GROUP G STANDINGS

-----team------points----goal diff
Tuna..................6...........+6
Tol-in-Gaurhoth...4...........+2
Gondor...............1............-2
Brethil................0...........-6

[skip spence]

After Isengard’s humiliating opening night defeat to Minas Morgul, Saruman retreated into Orthanc without a word to the press. That night the earth trembled and the wind carried the howling of wolfs. Next morning black clouds obscured the pinnacles of the Tower and the visitors wondered what the old wizard was up to. Ahead of the second day of matches Saruman was all smiles though, and at a press conference he had all the journalists believing his team could hardly avoid winning the whole tournament, let alone the match against Gondolin later that evening.

Before the fate of the host team was to be sealed, the two victorious team from day one would first face off. All-star Hitlum was the big favourite of course, but Minas Morgul, led by the dreaded Witch-King, had made a very impressive start to the tournament and should not be underestimated.

Match 3: Hithlum vs. Minas Morgul

Straight from the start, this Minas Morgul team showed everyone their good first-round result was no fluke. Although Hithlum came at them with dizzying movement and lightning-quick passes, the Morgul back four held up well under the leadership of their terrible captain. They also looked dangerous on the break, and as Castamir almost broke free in the 20th minute, Caranthir was forced to stop him with cynical tackle, earning him a yellow card. Beruthiel took the resulting free-kick, and it was a decent effort, but Huan in the Hithlum goal grabbed the ball and quickly threw it up to Fëanor, who spun past the onrushing Khamul and speeded up towards the Minas Morgul goal. He then took on and beat Gothmog and advanced into the box, and when everybody expected a shot, he played a perfect ball to Maedros instead, who slotted the ball into the net past a diving Lugdush.

Now Hithlum threatened to run away with it, but the Witch-King rallied his men, and Fëanor were denied on several occations, despite his sublime skills with the ball. A few minutes before the interval, Minas Morgul got the break they needed to get back into the game. A queen Beruthiel cross was headed away by Ulmo, but only as far as the Witch-King, who tried a volley from 25 metres that he only got a piece of, but the mis-hit shot became a perfect pass to Castamir, who beat a surprised Huan with ease.

After the interval Hithlum stepped up the pace even more, and despite very strong defensive performances by the Morgul-players, the Elvish side was beginning to wear them down. 15 minutes into the period Caranthir could and perhaps should have put his side into the lead with a free header, but only a few moments later the ball came to Aredhel the White Lady, who showed good composure by back-heeling the ball towards the onrushing Fëanor who hit an unstoppable projectile into the roof of the net for his second goal of the tournament.

If it weren’t for the wickedness of the Witch-King and the rash temper of dark Caranthir, this match would surely have been won by Hithlum, but when the Lord of the Nazgul made an obscene gesture with unseen hands, the Hithlum defender could not control himself and pushed his opponent in the chest. Naturally the Witch-King collapsed in a heap on the ground, and the ref reached for his pocket to give Caranthir his second yellow card. This happened with 15 minutes to go, and with time running out, Minas Morgul grabbed a very controversial equalizer. Beruthiel played in Castamir on the right, and when he dashed into the box, and Ulmo came in for the challenge, the Morgul striker went down like he’d been shot! The referee pointed to the spot, but if there had been contact between the two, it was slight indeed. The Hithlum supporters in the crowd booed, but the Witch-King cared not, and made no mistake from the spot-kick. 2-2 was the final score and this Morgul team has shown that they are to be taken seriously indeed.

Hithlum 2-2 Minas Morgul
shots 14-11
on target 6-4
GOALS:
*22, Hithlum (Maedhros, Feanor)
*38, Minas Morgul (Castamir, Witch King)
*61, Hithlum (Feanor, Aredhel)
*82, Minas Morgul pen (Witch King, Castamir)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Hithlum- Caranthir, Balrog #1, Fingolfin
*Minas Morgul- Sangahyando, Angamaite, Nazgul #1
RED CARDS:
*Hithlum- Caranthir, 77 (second yellow)

Match 4: Gondolin vs Isengard

Isengard had their back against the wall tonight and they knew that nothing short of a win would spell doom. Unfortunately for Saruman and co., their opponents were in the same situation, and would give nothing away for free. The desperation of the host team however took a more devious form than their Elvish counterparts, at least according to the word on the street. Rumours spoke of how the team had indulged in the banned performance-enhancing drug Ent-draft ahead of the match, smuggled inside the compound by Wormtongue. Gondolin had also complained that black crows were spying at their training facility. These accusations were never proven, and Saruman objected to them with great indignation, but as play came under-way, the Isengard-players did look much more energetic and sharp than on the opening night. But would it be enough? Gondolin was a very strong team, and there were indications that Gothmog and Ecthelion were starting to gel out there, an ominous sign for any opponent.

The first chance of the game fell to Isengard, and Quickbeam showed his pace and strength by speeding past the Gondolin back four. Saruman’s weighted through-ball was perfect, but the big Ent let himself down with an awful first touch, allowing Rog to snatch the ball in front of his feet. The Gondolin fans laughed heartily, and sang teasing songs about how close control and wooden legs don’t mix. A quarter of an hour into the game, it was Gondolin that took the lead. Gothmog was come into a good position on the right, and he spotted Ecthelion making a strong run. His pin-point cross was struck perfectly and the Elf hit a volley on the run that Lugdush could do nothing to stop. It was a great goal made by two great players!

All credit to Isengard though as they didn’t give up. Maybe it was the Ent-draft, but for the rest of the first half Gondolin were pressed hard, and had the host team had the same kind of quality up front as Gondolin they could well have turned the match on its head. They did manage an equalizer, but it needed the help of a wicked deflection, as Saruman’s shot hit an outstretched foot and left Rog helpless. But in the middle on a sustained period of Isengard pressure, Gondolin managed to take the lead again on a quick break. Gothmog was again the instigator when his through-ball found Duilin who scored with a low shot. Saruman was furious, claming Duilin had been off-side, but the ref were having none of it.

After the break Isengard went looking for a way back into the game, and surely Saruman had made a great Speech in the locker room, for the host team played as if there were no tomorrow. Under the leadership of Turgon, Gondolin defended extremely well however, and although Isengard did get a few half-chances, they never really threatened to equalize. This match as a contest was settled in the 61th minute, when central defender Turgon scored his first Arda Cup goal on an Egalmoth corner. The Isengard team was now broken, and did not manage to rise from the shambles again. On the pitch discipline now deteriorated, and the ref had his hands full to keep things under control. Sadly, these problems spread to the stands also, where a group of Uruk Hai tried to get onto the pitch among other incidents. Later that night there were several outbursts of violence between Orcish Isengard supporters and Elvish Gondolin fans, and three of the Orcs were slain. These are the sort of events real football-fans hate to see.

Gondolin 3-1 Isengard
shots 15-12
on target 8-3
GOALS:
*15, Gondolin (Ecthelion, Gothmog)
*29, Isengard (Saruman, Wulf)
*42, Gondolin (Duilin, Gothmog)
*61, Gondolin (Turgon, Egalmoth)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Gondolin- Penlod
*Isengard- Beechbone, Freca, Lurtz, Ugluk

Standings: Group C

Team................W D L GF GA P
1) Minas Morgul..1 1 0...5 - 2 4
2) Hithlum..........1 1 0...4 - 3 4
3) Gondolin........1 0 1...3 - 3 3
4) Isengard........0 0 2...1 - 6 0

[the phantom]

The inns in the Shire were abuzz after the first round of games, and drunken hobbits everywhere could be heard loudly proclaiming the excellence of their team. "We tied Taniquetil, can you believe it? The powers of the world! Why, if we can do that then I don't see why we can't win the whole tournament!"

Fans of Taniquetil talked as well, but their conversations were as serene as ever. "What happens will happen, and it is not within our rights to change the course of the tournament. Our task is to play football, and the will of Eru will determine the results."

The supporters of Dorthonion however intended for their team to take their own fate in hand in their game against the Shire. "These hobbits don't have our height or weight. We ought to be able to manage them, so long as we play aggressively!"

And last of all, the fans of Edoras, thrilled with the first round victory over Dorthonion, jested with light hearts and exercised their horses in fields. "What is there to worry about? We only need to win one of the next two, or maybe even a tie will do it. We'll get through, I'm sure!"

But picking up a point in their first match did not look easy, as they were set to play Taniquetil, who had proven in years past that they were a force to be reckoned with.

Right from the start it was obvious that the game would be a defensive struggle. Neither side played risky ball, and the defenses were solid, and so it was that possession after possession was stopped cold before putting any sort of threat on the goal. Finally five minutes before the half Thorondor managed to get past the horses and kick one at the net, but Theoden went full stretch and batted the attempt aside to keep the scoreboard inactive.

Immediately after halftime Edoras got their best chance as Eorl found a sliver of an opening in the defense of Taniquetil and boomed it through, but Mandos had it played perfectly and caught it without a problem. The clock continued to run time off and the fans grew louder and louder. Fifty-five minutes... sixty... sixty-five... seventy... at this point a goal would likely mean a win, and the supporters of both sides urged their clubs on with great energy. And Edoras didn't disappoint.

At minute 72 Eorl showed some great moves and made his way into the box threatening to score, and Vana made a desperate attempt to stop him and was carded for her efforts. It would be a penalty kick! Eorl kicked a laser straight ahead, betting on Mandos to jump, but Mandos held his ground and blocked it! But the bounce came back out and to the right, and Eorl was first there and booted it to the right post, but Nessa running in to help laid out in a dive in front of him and deflected it down and to the left! But as the slow-rolling ball approached the left post, Eowyn beat the defenders to it and slid into the ball, poking it across the line and past the fingertips of Mandos! Edoras had earned the lead!

In the final 15 Taniquetil played as quickly and aggressively as they could, but as everyone knew, quick-strike offense was not their specialty, and the sound defense of Edoras easily weathered the storm. Edoras walked off the field heads held high, knowing they were going to the playoffs. The fans of Taniquetil sat quietly, handling the sad news as best they could. They were in real danger of being left out in the cold for the second straight year.

Edoras 1-0 Taniquetil
shots 11-7
on target 3-2
GOALS:
*72, Edoras (Eowyn, Eorl)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Edoras- Aldor, Elfwine
*Taniquetil- Orome, Vana, Lorien

As the second game of the day kicked off, it soon became apparent that the crowd was in for yet another excursion into the world of defensive excellence. Angrond and Aegnor were quick and tireless, and Barahir and powerful and fearless, but farmer Maggot, farmer Cotton, and the brothers Fili and Kili were sturdier than ever, and held the men and elves in check. On the other side of the field Bullroarer and Halbarad were having an equally impossible time against the defense that Beor arrayed against them. Yes, the sides gained a shot or two at the keepers, but they were prayers from a distance and the keepers had no trouble when they were actually on target.

During halftime the hobbits in the stands worked themselves into a frenzy. With the result from earlier in the day, a win here would practically clinch the playoffs for the halflings and friends, but a loss with Edoras looming would probably mean elimination. "Come on! Play like it's your last match!" they shouted at their team, and the home side took the words to heart and went at it with great vigor to begin the half.

Their efforts payed off in minute 56 when Halbarad and Bullroarer managed to hold possession far up front for long enough to receive support, and Nori broke through and received a pass drawing the keeper and two defenders but last minute sent it to the right side where Fatty beat his man for a header and the first goal of the game. The hobbits in the stands went wild and broke out the ale and began singing loudly, but it turned out that they were celebrating too soon. In minute 74 Aegnor sent one in from the corner and Andreth rose up above her smaller defenders and headed it expertly under the top post.

The Shire tried to strike back, but after nearly getting caught by a quick counter-attack, they pulled back in order to secure the tie and an extra point in the standings. The game ended at 1-1, and second place in the group would be completely up for grabs in the final round.

Dorthonion 1-1 Shire
shots 11-9
on target 6-4
GOALS:
*56, Shire (Fatty, Nori)
*74, Dorthonion (Andreth, Aegnor)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Dorthonion- Angrod, Gorlim
*Shire- Fili, Nori

GROUP F STANDINGS

----team----points---goal diff
Edoras..........6...........+3
Shire............2............0
Taniquetil......1...........-1
Dorthonion....1...........-2

[skip spence]

As kick-off approached for the second round matches in group H and the stadium filled up with spectators, the afternoon sun shone on the hill of Bree behind the stadium, colouring the city-walls in scarlet and rose. The first match this beautiful summer's night was to be the battle of the Dunedain: Romenna out of Numenor versus Amon Sul of Arnor who had their ancestral home not so far from Bree itself. In the stands and outside the stadium the atmosphere was great, as the travelling supporters of the two teams got along admirable, each group praising the top quality of the opposing team. When the teams came out of the tunnel the atmosphere between the players seemed amiable too, and would most likely remain so after the game, but during the 90 minutes of play they fought a very tough, physical game.

Match 3: Amon Sul vs Romenna

Amon Sul was desperate to get a win tonight, but they also had the utmost respect for this Numenorian team, and were reluctant to commit too many players to risky attacking moves. And as Romenna were content to play safe, confident that their rock-solid defensive line in front of the imposing Elros could deal with anything thrown at them, and in hope that their more desperate opponents would eventually open up or make mistakes, goal scoring opportunities were at a premium in the first half. The offense of Amon Sul mostly relied on long balls towards Elendil the Tall, but although he did manage to win some headers, he lacked the support to make anything with it, and Elros was fairly undisturbed.

Just before the break, an Amon Sul mistake proved decisive, just as Romenna had hoped for. Aravir had a lapse of concentration in front of his own penalty area and Tar Palantir pounced on it, winning the ball and getting to the byline. His cross was headed back by Tar Meneldur and Tar Miriel met the ball with her right foot, rifling it into the net.

This goal opened up the match in the second half, as Amon Sul were forced to take more risks. Elendil had plenty of support now, but in front of him there was still the stout Romenna defence and Elros, and plenty of backtracking midfielders. Amon Sul found it desperately hard to break through this wall of meat, and mostly had to settle for long distance attempts. With 20 minutes to go Elendil got the chance he was looking for when two Romenna defenders collided in the box. The ball fell perfectly for the striker, but Elros managed to make a fantastic block with his right leg. The last 15 minutes was frantic, as Amon Sul attacked with full force, but the feeling among the neutrals was that Romenna were more likely to grab another goal on the counter-attack, than Amon Sul were to equalize. Arathorn were to get a last chance to beat Elros in the dying minutes, but once again the heroic keeper made a good stop, the last work he had to do tonight.

As the full time whistle rang, the Romenna supporters celebrated by unfurling a huge banner of their hero Elros. They were now almost certain to advance to the knock-out stages. Although Amon Sul still had a mathematical chance to make it if Bree beat Valimar later on, they knew that this adventure most likely ended here and now.

Amon Sul 0-1 Romenna
shots 9-10
on target 4-4
GOALS:
*43, Romenna (Tar Miriel, Tar Meneldur)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Amon Sul- Aravorn, Arasuil
*Romenna- Tar Elendil

Match 4: Bree vs. Valimar
The match against Valimar was do or die for Bree, as Romenna was on six points already. They needed a win or at the very least a draw against a seemingly impossible opponent and as kick off approached, a multitude of feelings competed with each other in the camp of the home team. There was fear, and awe, and a sense of hopelessness, but also a feeling of relief. No-one expected anything of them now. They had nothing to lose. If they went out and played their hearts out, but lost, no-one would blame them. And why not? Maybe they could even win the match. After all, when it came down to it, it was eleven against eleven out there, and even the Valar were not flawless. And when the Bree team entered the stadium, and were greeted with with a great big cheer by the home town supporters, their fears were swept away like leaves in the wind, and determination took its place. If they were going out, they would go out with a bang. The Ainur would have to fight for this!

This new-found spirit really took Valimar by surprise too. Initially they looked rather complacent, expecting an easy win, but instead of lambs meekly lining up for the slaughter they were met by a team that played as one, ran like devils, and jumped into every challenge as if their life depended on it. Bree very nearly took the lead twice in the opening ten minutes and had they done so things might have gone otherwise. First Nob ran bravely between Allatar and Pallando and receiving the ball in his stride he took a snap-shot that unfortunately didn’t make it past the webs of Ungoliant. Then the flamboyant Bombadil showed his undeniable class by turning past a Balrog on the edge of the penalty area and curling a shot that had Ungoliant beaten but snuck just past her right-hand post. Valimar was in shock, and Melkor felt he had to do something about it. He had a quiet word with his Balrogs, and one of his instructions was obviously to give Tommy Bomber, as he is know in some parts, some special attention.

The Balrog with #2 on his jersey started to follow Tom around, while the #3’s shadow was upon the Barrow-Wight. But taking Tom Bombadil out of a game is not an easy task, and his Shadow had it up to here keeping up with the erratic and annoying little man. When the Balrog was made to look like a fool one too many times he tried a crushing tackle, but Tom playfully skipped it with the ball at his feet. Now suddenly the Balrog was wielding a fiery whip of many thongs, and as Bombadil ran past him, the thongs caught one of his legs, felling him to the ground with a shriek. The crowd looked for the referee, but saw to their amazement that he had somehow collided with Melkor in the middle, and by the time got back on his feet, the whip had already vanished in a cloud of smoke. So it was the he could only apologize to Bombadil when the Bree star showed him the charred remains of his right boot and leg protection. Tom himself appeared unruffled, but had to leave the pitch to get his gear replaced.

The Bree-players were outraged, and Merry was booked for protesting, but as soon as play got under way Melkor took advantage of the chaotic situation. He spotted Tulkas making a strong, deep run and lifted a perfectly weighted ball over the Bree defense and onto the feet of the Vala, who controlled it and smashed the ball past Old Man Willow. When Melkor came up to him to celebrate the goal, Tulkas refused to embrace his old enemy however, and moved his hands as if clinking a heavy chain, a gesture not lost on the former Dark Lord. Team captain Eönwe did not look too happy about how the goal came about either, but played on nevertheless.

Now Bree were finding it harder to make their mark, as the goal, and how it came about, was a tough mental blow. They had certainly not given up, and still tried their best, but when Tilion made it two before half-time the crowd's belief of a miracle was quickly fading.

Hope was rekindled right after the break though, by none other than Tom Bombadil, now equipped with new boots. He once again broke away from his Balrog marker and this time his curling shot was inside Ungoliants right hand post and too hot to handle for the arachnid. The home-crowd celebrated the goal as if they’d won the whole tournament, and Bree got revitalised, once again causing trouble for the Valimar defence. Sadly the joy wasn’t to last long. The nail in the coffin came in the 58th minute as the fire in Arien’s eyes blinded Barliman, giving her plenty of time to set up the shot that ended this match.

Bombadil tried to rally his men once again, but this proved too difficult even for him against a Valimar team now playing on full cylinders. The home team had been eliminated. As the tears welled up in the Bree players’ eyes (excluding the B-W, who was dried up in that respect) the crowd would not stop clapping. They were proud of their home-town heroes.

Bree 1-3 Valimar
shots 9-15
on target 3-8
GOALS:
*19, Valimar (Tulkas, Melkor)
*41, Valimar (Tilion, Eonwe)
*46, Bree (Tom B, Goldberry)
*58, Valimar (Arien, Tilion)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Bree- Nob, Merry
*Valimar- Balrog #2

Standings: Group H

Team................W D L GF GA P
1) Valimar......... 2 0 0...6 - 1 6 Q
2) Romenna.......2 0 0...3 - 1 6 Q
3) Bree...............0 0 2...2 - 5 0
4) Amon Sul........0 0 2...0 - 4 0

[Nogrod]

At group E the next match would be between Armenelos and Doriath. The question had been raised after the first round whether the elf-supported teams had a good enough defence against teams like Armenelos or the duo Beleg-Turín. It had been asked rightfully.

Armenelos came on like a rolling thunder and lightning to the game leaving spectators to wonder whether the Doriath team was asleep or awake. It was already at the 14th minute when Ar Adunakhor gave a nice pass to Tar Minastir to the edge of the box and he scored with a beautiful shot following a rush forwards leaving the defenders on their marks.

And just fifteen minutes later Armenelos scored again. This time Tar Telperien gave a free kick from about forty meters – and the defence looked like it thought it was not that dangerous – and Ar Pharazon had it easy heading the ball in after getting rid of the wooden-legged defenders trying to keep him at bay.

And if that was not knock-out for the Doriath team there was more to come. On the tenth minute of the second half Armenelos striked again. Now Sauron dribbled a few defenders from his way and just as he could have scored he suddenly turned and passed the ball to Tar Ancalimon coming in with the second wave and letting him score into basically an empty net.

3-0 after 55 minutes of play and the game was over so much earlier the audience or the Doriath players would have wished to. The last half an hour was spent mainly passing the ball on both sides with no real intention on either team to try and actually play the game.

Doriath got a comfort-goal at 72 minutes when Eöl finished a great pass by Elwë himself into the back of the net from some two meters away from the goal. It was a beauty but sadly it didn’t ignite any resurgence by the Doriath team as Armenelos answered to it with ten minutes of pressure giving Doriath no chances of building other scoring chances.

It was clear Armenelos was playing a very efficient and controlling football and would get far in this tournament. With it’s two first opponents it had just played the “cat and mouse” –thing, striking when wishing, controlling when needed and easing when affording it. And Sauron was clearly a positive factor in the team – well he looked like a positive influence also in the early days of Numenore, but how would their collaboration end this time? Some were concerned, others were just horrified..


Armenelos 3-1 Doriath

shots 16-10
on target 8-4
GOALS:
*14, Armenelos (Tar Minastir, Ar Adunakhor)
*29, Armenelos (Ar Pharazon, Tar Telperien)
*55, Armenelos (Tar Ancalimon, Sauron)
*72, Doriath (Eol, Elwe)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Armenelos- Tar Cirytan, Ar Gimilzor
*Doriath- Nimloth, Daeron


The result of the early game got the fans of Lothlórien to the edge. If Armenelos beat Doriath that easily what would happen to the home team with Dor-Lomin against it? Were their defences solid enough for the sparkling attack of the opponents?

And the home team had the nightmare start. As early as the 6th minute the visitors had put the ball behind the goal guarded by Galadriel. And it was Beleg who did it with a long run being released by a great long pass by Hador and basically meeting Galadriel one on one.

But the home team stood up to the challenge and held their heads high, and slowly even the fans started believing in the Lothlorien team again. And they had the edge on the game although it didn’t materialise in the form of goals until the very last minutes of the first half.

At 42nd minute Celebrian took a free kick and passed it far right to Celeborn who headed it into the middle – and Arwen had ran up to the occasion and dived the low ball in from the close quarters! The stadium just burst with wild cheers and the elves were happy again.

And Lothlórien continued their good performances on the second half as well and it was close they didn’t get the lead. But to be fair, Dor-Lomin’s attacks were just as deadly and it was also the great saves by Galadriel the numbers didn’t swing for the visitors.

But then at 69th minute there was the collision a lot of talk was produced afterwards… and a lot would be discussed even in the future. Trying to reach for the ball, Gimli and Hador collided. From the impact – or whatever it was – Gimli got airborne and fell to the ground a few feet away from the collision when Hador just tumbled down. The referee saw nothing wrong with it but Gimli did.

Gimli got all red and mad and ran after Hador yelling that he would not be tossed around, threatening to challenge Hador to a duel. And that was it for the referee. He showed Gimli a yellow card for misconduct and unsportsmanlike behaviour – and that being his second one (the first coming from a rough tackle on the first half) – the dwarf was ruled out of the game.

Thus Lothlórien was forced to play with one-dwarf disadvantage and without one of their most solid defending midfielders for the last twenty minutes.

And Dor-Lomin was a good enough team to take advantage of that. Tragicly for the home team the visitors just out-numbered the midfield after Gimli had been sent to the showers and took total dominion of it. And eventually they scored at 78th minute.

Beleg made a nice distracting run towards the goal when Nienor had the ball and taking the nearest defenders with him Beleg made open space enough for Turín to run in and to receive the pass from Tuor to whom Nienor had been able to pass the ball quite freely with their advantage on numbers.

And Turín was a man who made goals from those places.

It is not hard to think a lot of elves being silent but the silence after that goal was just different. In that silence one actually heard the grief and longing particular to elves of the Middle-Earth but with a twist that was strong and peculiar. But the friends of Dor-Lomin team just broke out in enthusiasm! Even if they lost to Armenelos they still had chances to go forwards with this win!

So how would the home team fare against the mighty Armenelos on the last round and could Dor-Lomin beat (or possibly just draw with) Doriath to pass them? It would be a really tough call!


Dor-Lomin 2-1 Lothlórien

shots 14-14
on target 7-6
GOALS:
*6, Dor-Lomin (Beleg, Hador)
*42, Lothlorien (Arwen, Celeborn)
*78, Dor-Lomin (Turin, Tuor)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Dor-Lomin- Nienor, Gloredhel
*Lothlorien- Gimli, Rumil, Nimrodel
RED CARDS:
*Lothlorien- Gimli, 69 (second yellow)


Standings after two games (points, goal difference):
Armenelos... 6 +4
Dor-Lomin... 3 -1
Lothlórien... 1 -1
Doriath........ 1 -2

[the phantom]

GROUP STANDINGS

GROUP A (Moria)

----team----points---goal diff
Angband.........4.........+1
Moria.............3...........0
Minas Tirith.....2...........0
Alqualonde......1..........-1

This group is still very much open. All four teams have a shot at not only advancing, but claiming the top spot in the group! It should be an exciting final round.

GROUP B (Mirkwood)

----team----points---goal diff
Nargothrond....6...........+2
Mirkwood........3...........+2
Arnor..............3............0
Helm's Deep....0...........-4

Nargothrond has clinched the playoffs, but not the top spot yet. Helm's Deep is eliminated from playoff contention. Mirkwood and Arnor will play with the winner getting into the playoffs. A tie and Mirkwood will advance.

GROUP C (Isengard)

----team-----points---goal diff
Minas Morgul....4..........+3
Hithlum...........4..........+1
Gondolin..........3..........+1
Isengard..........0..........-5

Isengard is out of contention here. A win or tie by Hithlum over Isengard clinches the playoffs. The winner of Minas Morgul vs Gondolin will claim the other spot. If it's a draw, Minas Morgul advances. The top spot is up for grabs.

GROUP D (Erebor)

----team----points---goal diff
Eregion..........6............+3
Erebor............4............+2
Osgiliath.........1............-1
Mordor............0............-4

Mordor is out of contention. Osgiliath can advance if they beat Mordor and Erebor loses to Eregion, but the margin of at least one of the games would have to be more than one goal. If the points and goal diff are tied, then it comes down to highest number of goals scored. Currently Erebor leads by one. Eregion has already clinched the playoffs, but not the top spot, for Erebor can take that by beating them.

GROUP E (Lothlorien)

----team----points---goal diff
Armenelos.....6............+4
Dor-Lomin.....3.............-1
Lothlorien......1.............-1
Doriath..........1.............-2

Armenelos has clinched the playoffs, and can only lose the top spot by losing to Lothlorien and Dor-Lomin beating Doriath and the two goal differentials adding up to at least five goals. Dor-Lomin can clinch the playoffs with a win. If they tie with Doriath, Lothlorien can take the final spot from them by beating Armenelos. If Dor-Lomin loses they are eliminated, and the spot will go to Doriath, unless Lothlorien defeats Armenelos by a margin equal to or greater than Doriath's margin over Dor-Lomin.

GROUP F (Shire)

----team----points---goal diff
Edoras..........6...........+3
Shire............2............0
Taniquetil......1............-1
Dorthonion....1...........-2

Edoras has clinched the playoffs and top spot. The Shire can clinch the second spot by beating Edoras. If Dorthonion loses or ties, they are eliminated. If they win, they claim the spot unless Shire also wins. If Taniquetil wins, they claim the spot, unless Shire wins. If Taniquetil and Dorthonion tie, then Shire can clinch the spot by tying Edoras or winning. If they lose by more than one goal and Taniquetil ties, Taniquetil gets the spot.

GROUP G (Tuna)

-----team------points----goal diff
Tuna..................6...........+6
Tol-in-Gaurhoth...4...........+2
Gondor...............1............-2
Brethil................0...........-6

Tuna has clinched the playoffs, but the top spot can be taken from them by TIG if they lose to them. Brethil is eliminated from contention. Gondor can claim the second spot by beating Brethil and Tuna beating TIG, so long as the total margins of the matches add up to more than four. TIG clinches the top spot with a win, the second spot with a tie, and if they lose they can still hold the second spot if their goal diff remains higher than Gondor's. The current spread is 4 goals.

GROUP H (Bree)

----team----points---goal diff
Valimar..........6..........+5
Romenna.......6..........+2
Bree..............0..........-3
Amon Sul.......0..........-4

This is the only group that already has two teams eliminated. Bree and Amon Sul will play each other for pride, and Valimar and Romenna will play for the top spot. A tie and Valimar will hold the top spot.

ROUND 3 MATCH UPS

GROUP A (Moria)
Alqualonde vs Angband
Minas Tirith vs Moria

GROUP B (Mirkwood)
Helm's Deep vs Nargothrond
Arnor vs Mirkwood

GROUP C (Isengard)
Gondolin vs Minas Morgul
Hithlum vs Isengard

GROUP D (Erebor)
Mordor vs Osgiliath
Eregion vs Erebor

GROUP E (Lothlorien)
Doriath vs Dor-Lomin
Armenelos vs Lothlorien

GROUP F (Shire)
Dorthonion vs Taniquetil
Edoras vs Shire

GROUP G (Tuna)
Brethil vs Gondor
Tol-in-Gaurhoth vs Tuna

GROUP H (Bree)
Romenna vs Valimar
Amon Sul vs Bree

[Boromir88]

Jim "Scoop" Johnstone will be looking to improve that 6-10 2nd round record for calling games. He chose a few too many draws, and now with almost every group still up for grabs, teams will be giving everything they've got. Teams will want to determine their own fate, and not let it lie in the hands of others.


GROUP A (Moria) - If Angband wins, Moria can advance with a tie. If Angband ties, Moria can grab the top spot with a win. Minas Tirith must beat Moria to advance, and if Angband ties, Minas Tirith can snatch the top spot with a win. Alqualonde needs a win to advance, and can still grab the top spot if Moria and Minas Tirith tie. In this group, the only thing the teams should be thinking about is, you win, you're in. Every team has fate in their own hands

Alqualonde vs Angband
Alqualonde needs a win to advance, but they will be going up against a very tough Angband team. To insure their top spot, in Group A, Angband needs a win, and I can't imagine them allowing the prancy Elves to control the game. Alqualonde got handled by Moria, Angband will be even more physical, but also have less internal chaos...this spells trouble for Alqualonde's chances. Angband wins 3-2 and takes the top spot.

Minas Tirith vs Moria
This will be a brutal match, and it will be extremely difficult for Minas Tirith, with Moria being the host team and the crowd will be hostile. Moria's biggest downfall will be their team chemistry, and with advancement on the line, Durin and Durin's bane (and the home crowd's fights) may be their ruin. Minas Tirith must show they can win a game, and so far all they've proven is they can stay competitive. Staying competitive will not be enough against Moria. I see with so much at stake, in this one game, Moria (and the crowd) will channel all their internal anger directly at Minas Tirith, MT will still play tough, but it will ultimately be too little. Moria wins 3-2.

GROUP B (Mirkwood)

Helm's Deep vs Nargothrond
This game for Helm's Deep is for pride. They know they are eliminated, but Helm's Deep will go down fighting, and if they had to, dying to the last man. Nargothrond can not get lazy, or that top spot may slip away. Ultimately, since Nargothrond still has more to play for (more than simply pride) they will win, but Helm's Deep will probably play their best game of the tournament. Nargothrond wins 2-1.

Arnor vs Mirkwood
Arnor needs a win to advance, Mirkwood needs only a tie. Early in the match, advantage will be towards Arnor, who knows they need to win, and will look to take out the crowd factor. However, it is impossible to keep up that level of adrenaline for 90 minutes and Mirkwood will get the win. Scatha, Legolas, and Thranduil are a dangerous attack. Mirkwood wins 2-1

GROUP C (Isengard)

Gondolin vs Minas Morgul
Gondolin can advance with a tie if Isengard defeats Hithlum. However, I imagine Gondolin would not want to place their faith in the dreadfully bad Isengard team. They will be playing for the win, along with Minas Morgul, whom has played better than expected in this tournament. The problem with the Wiki's team, is the Gondolin elves (with Gothmog) will not be intimidated by the Wiki and his Nazgul. How they managed to tie Hithlum, it must have been by some dark magic from the Wiki. Gondolin wins 2-1 and advances.

Hithlum vs Isengard
Isengard will only be playing for pride, the problem is, unlike Helm's Deep, this team aint got a bit of pride in them. Saruman will only be bitter and seek to give his team an illegal edge in the match, but that edge will fail miserably. How's the Ring working for you Saruman? Hithlum will control the entire game, and take the top spot. Hithlum wins 3-0.

GROUP D (Erebor)

Mordor vs Osgiliath
A lot of things need to go right for Osgiliath to advance, luckily they are playing a maligned Mordor team, and Erebor will have to go up against a team that has looked like one of the strongest teams in the tournament. Mordor offensively, will not provide much of a threat against a competent Osgiliath defense. Anarion will have a big game for Osgiliath, Osgiliath wins 2-0.

Eregion vs Erebor
The outcome of the 1st match will heavily be in the mind of the host, Erebor. If Osgiliath gets a two goal victory over Mordor, they can't afford to lose to Eregion. Eregion will definitely want to hold onto their top spot, so they will not be content with a loss to Erebor. Erebor must hold Eregion to only 1 goal, because it may be virtually impossible to get more than one against that defense. Draw 1-1. Erebor, behind their home crowd will slip in...barely.

GROUP E (Lothlorien)

Doriath vs Dor-Lomin
Eol has been a consistent scorer for Doriath, and that should continue against Dor-Lomin. For Dor-Lomin, which Turin will show up? One who can grab 7-8 pts in a game or is held in check by Doriath's keeper? If Dor-Lomin wins, Turin will prove he can show up in big games, when it matters, and I will stop hastling him for choking. Too bad for Turin though, Doriath wins 2-1.

Armenelos vs Lothlorien
If Doriath wins, the crowd (and Lothlorien) will know the door is open for them to advance. Sauron vs. Galadriel, this will be one of he most anticipated individual match-ups of the entire tournament, and with the home crowd, the beautifully enchanting elf queen will come out the winner. Lothlorien wins 1-0, and both Armenolos and Lothlorien will advance.

GROUP F (Shire)

Dorthonion vs Taniquetil
Taniquetil has not been playing with any sense of urgency - tying the lowly hobbits, and even losing to the farmers with pitchforks from Rohan! Taniquetil better shape up. That could come against Dorthonion, who also lost to Edoras and tied with The Shire. Neither team will probably be able to achieve more than 1 goal, so if either one has any desire to knock out the hobbits from #2, they will need a shut out. Taniquetil will get that, winning 1-0.

Edoras vs Shire
What a weak group this is, the 2nd spot can be picked up by merely having 2 pts...what a joke. Edoras is in with the top spot, The Shire has something to play for, and if Taniquetil wins, they will defintely be under the gun to win. Too bad Edoras has played in this group very well (although that is not really saying much). Theoden and the defense will get their 3rd consecutive shut out. While Eowyn and Eorl still prove adequate offensively, against this deginerate group. Edoras wins 2-0.

GROUP G (Tuna)

Brethil vs Gondor
Brethil will be a tough opponent for Gondor. Gondor may find it difficult to score. The key to this game will be controlling the mid-field, if Imrahil and Gondor can get the ball deep to the Gondor boys, than Gondor should win fairly easily. If they can't, Brethil will spoil whatever hope Gondor has to advance, either with a tie or by upsetting them. Gondor wins 2-1.

Tol-in-Gaurhoth vs Tuna
Even if Gondor wins, TIG would have to have a total meltdown against Tuna to lose hold of the 2nd spot. This is not likely to happen to the team that finished with bronze last year, even though they have practiced less than everyone else. Tuna's been impressive offensively, and Miriel has continued to be the offensive power house she was last year. The issue for Tuna is, they have not faced a mid-field or a defense as strong as TIGs. If TIG keeps ball possession in their favour, they will really can begin to expose that weak Tuna defense, that only looks strong because of the offense. TIG wins 3-2. They take the top spot, and both teams will advance.

GROUP H (Bree)

Romenna vs Valimar
Should I even predict these games? What does it matter. Romenna has played well, behind the sturdy goal keeping of Elros. Romenna's technicality and strategy is perhaps one of the best in the game. But ultimately, they lack the powerful scoring capability of Valimar, one of the top teams in the tournament. Valimar wins 2-1

Amon Sul vs Bree
What a great match to end the 1st round of group play with...let's see which team stinks more? Which team gets cellar and which one gets the sub-cellar? I doubt anyone would show up for this match, and even if you are a Bree fan, don't...just boycott it, spend your money on a match later on that means something. And even worse, this will probably end in a tie, oh well, the few Bree fans in attendance may see some things to hope for come next Arda cup. Draw 1-1.

[Nogrod]

THe AKM has again been watching closely the performances in the field and has appointed the following stars.


Five stars will go to

Elros of Romenna
Huor of Dor-Lomin
Nazgul #6 of Mirkwood
Turgon of Gondolin

Three stars will go to

Beorn of Erebor
Fëanor of Hithlum
Galadriel of Lothlórien
Gothmog of Gondolin
phantomwolf of TIG
Samwise of Shire
Witch-King of Minas Morgul

One star will go to

Aragost of Amon Sûl
Beor of Doriath
Celebrimbor of Edoras
Curufin of Nargothrond
Eärendil of Eregion
Elrond of Eregion
Idril of Alqualonde
Luthien of Nargothrond
Miriel of Tuna
mormwolf of TIG
skipwolf of TIG
Tar Atanamir or Armenelos
Tar Telperion of Armenelos
Tilion of Valimar
Tom Bombadill of Bree



Top stars after two rounds are


10 stars
Elros of Romenna

6 stars
Galadriel of Lothlórien

5 stars
Arwen of Lothlorien
Gandalf of Eregion
Huor of Dor-Lomin
Nazgul #6 of Mirkwood
Nerdanel of Tuna
Sauron of Armenelos
Turgon of Gondolin

3 stars
= 13 players


To those interested:

The AKM stars are based on the performances of the players: score and assist (or score twice) in a same match or make 5 saves giving the opposing team no more than one goal and you're obviously getting a star or two - or three. So points gained do matter.

But there are other considerations as well. Reading the narrations on the matches AKM notes great performances (like in the second round Tom Bombadill's superb performance or Beorn's leadership at Erebor defence), and may also give different amount of stars to two players reaching the same amount of points depending on the narration. AKM also tries to take in consideration the performances of the defenders looking at their performances even more closely and thus meriting them with stars as well as the others.

Also there will be some special stars given at certain times for an astounding performance. After third round of group play there will be some quite nice extra-stars that will be handed out.

[skip spence]

Ahead of the deciding matches of Group A, the tension in Moria was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Adding to the importance of the games themselves, there were rumours aplenty circulating that two Angband stars, Hurin and Gwindor, had plans of defecting from the team. According to a reliable Elf source the duo wasn’t happy about the situation and how they had to do evil in order to stay loyal to the club. Fans will also remember the question-marks regarding how they were signed in the first place. It was said that Morgoth, then team leader, had “given them an offer they couldn’t refuse”.

Although Angband had played well this far, they still needed a result against Alqualonde to ensure advancement, and internal strife like this wasn’t welcome, should these rumours be true. Alqualonde was a difficult opponent too, and had a chance to leapfrog Angband and advance to the last 16 with a win.

For the majority of ticketholders however, the evening game between Moria and Minas Tirith was even more interesting. In order to advance, the home team was looking to put their defeat to Angband behind them and at least hold the resilient Mannish team from the South to a draw. The sentiment among the main part of Moria supporters though, both Dwarves and Orcs, was that their team would crush the petty humans. Aragorn and his teammates would have something to say about that no doubt.

Match 5: Alqualonde vs. Angband
Moria’s underground stadium was completely sold out, and for the first time this year Angband also came with a group of maybe 500 travelling supporters. They were menacing figures clad in black hooded robes and unlike the traditional fans they did not cheer or clap their hands to support their team but remained silent. “They are here to make sure no mistakes are made” said the neutrals, referring to the defection-rumours. The presence of Orodreth, Finrod and Túrin among the crowd only added to the suspense, and many now doubted that the two talked about players would be in the Angbad line-up. As the teams came out of the tunnel however, Hurin and Gwindor were among the Angband starting eleven - both stone-faced, showing no emotion. They were to play a key role in the match. The Alqualonde fans were far from silent though and proudly raised their banners - a white swan against a blue backdrop – in defiance of the odds that were against them.

Some had thought Angband would defeat Alqualonde easily if they played as rough as Moria had done on the opening night, but although the Northerners certainly tried to intimidate the Elves, the only thing they got for it was another yellow card for Ulfast. Alqualonde wouldn’t back down and their quick passing game gave Angband a lot of trouble right from the start. The Iron Hells also played some good football, mixing up their play well, so their opponents never knew what to expect, but possession usually belonged to the Swan team, who were doing most of the attacking. Ancalagon almost opened the scoring with a smoking shot from the edge of the area early on, but Alqualonde struck back, and had two excellent opportunities of their own when first Cirdan and then Frodo had shooting opportunities in front of Carcaroth, but the wolf came up with an answer for both.

Gwindor was playing like a man possessed, and in the 23rd minute of the game, he went on an amazing slalom run right through the heart of the Alqualonde defence, beating three players before squaring the ball to Thuringwethil, who had an easy task side-footing the ball past Olwe. It was a great goal, wholly made by the ex-Nargothrond player, but he did not celebrate the goal, only nodding in the direction of the black figures in the stands.

Alqualonde did not give up though, and led by Cirdan they raised the tempo even more, pushing the Angband players deep into their own half defending. Angbad almost killed the match off before half-time though, when Gwindor broke free on the counter attack and hit the post after playing a one-two with Hurin, but the score remained 1-0. Only a few minutes after the break Alqualonde was right back into the game though. Eärwen played in Osse, who took the ball past Uldor with his first touch, and fired in a low shot past a diving Carcaroth with his second.

A draw wasn’t enough for the Aman side though, and they kept on pushing, and not without creating chances. In fact, Angband were under severe pressure, and if it wasn’t for an inspired moment from Hurin and Maeglin, they might well have lost this match. The goal came in the 68th minute. Gwindor played a long ball towards Hurin, who met the ball with Amandil close behind. But instead of controlling the ball, Hurin just flicked it over the head of the surprised opponent, turned and ran past him. With space opening up Maeglin made a strong run towards the Alqualonde goal. He received the ball in his stride, faked a left-footed shot to get inside Frodo, and then curled a beauty past a helpless Olwe with his favoured right boot.

Now Alqualonde was in a very difficult position. They needed at least two goals in 20 minutes, and this was not within their powers tonight. When Cirdan hit the post with a header in the 85th minute, they knew this was not their night and that Angband would prevail. At the full time whistle, the black figures clapped their hands briefly but without joy, as if to say: “good enough work, lads, but don’t get careless!” There wasn’t much celebration among the Angband players either, but a fair bit of relief. They seemed more afraid to fail than eager to win.

Alqualonde 1-2 Angband
shots 12-11
on target 5-6
GOALS:
*23, Angband (Thuringwethil, Gwindor)
*51, Alqualonde (Osse, Earwen)
*68, Angband (Maeglin, Hurin)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Alqualonde- Uinen, Osse
*Angband- Ulfast, Drauglin

Match 6: Moria - Minas Tirith
After the exiting Angband and Alqualonde supporters made their way out of the Stadium, the Moria fans started to arrive, hours ahead of the match. There was no sign if strife between the different fractions now, and all were fully behind their team, singing and drinking together. This was their night and no one would take it from them. When the teams finally made their appearance, the atmosphere was at a boiling point, and the noise could be heard even in the woods of Lothlórien many miles away. The Moria players waved to the crowd with stern faces, and the beards of the Dwarves were gleaming in the torchlight. Stern also was Aragorn, and by his side the brave Boromir. A win was absolutely necessary tonight, but they’d seen to worse and lived to tell.

Azog and Durin’s Bane kicked off the game and the crowd almost brought the roof down as the home team went on the attack directly. Even wing backs Gwaihir and Othar came forward, and Minas Tirith were pressed back, defending with all eleven ten men. Early on it was like a siege, and Moria were buzzing like bees around and inside the box, but Denethor and the other White City defenders are experienced top professionals and allowed their opponents space only were they could afford it. Thus, Moria failed to create any clear cut opportunities, and numerous crosses into the box were usually headed clear easily by the tall Minas Tirith defenders.

A miss by Durin’s bane in the 13th minute proved costly. His played a sloppy pass in the centre when the whole Moria team was pushing up, and his ball was intercepted by Boromir, who laid it back to Mardil, and took the run upfield. Mardil returned the favour by lifting a high ball over the Moria defence. Boromir beat Durin for pace and lifted the ball over the Watcher, who could only watch as the ball slowly bounced over the line. The crowd was stunned, but soon grew noisy again, urging their team on. But now Minas Tirith had the match just the way they wanted, and drew back again, defending deep while waiting for the opportunity to counter-attack, knowing that they had the quality up front to make it pay.

And pay it did. Once again a Moria mistake proved their undoing. This time it was Thror who dallied with the ball and Aragorn who robbed him. The White City captain played a quick ball up to Beregond, whose early cross found an unmarked Calimehtar who headed into the far corner. Right before the break Aragorn almost made it three with a snapshot had the Watcher beaten, but snuck just past its left hand post. The home crowd was in shock, and the half time was met with whistles and a dissatisfied murmur. The small group of Minas Tirith fans was ecstatic, naturally.

After the break, the match continued much like it had been before the break. An increasingly frustrated Moria team had up to 70 % of the possession, but managed to create few real chances. A desperate Durin’s Bane started to shoot from the most hopeless position, or tried to dribble his way into the crowded Minas Tirith penalty area, but he was getting nowhere. Durin also got increasingly upset with how the Balrog threw away possession, and once again the two got into a heated argument.

In the 57th minute Moria was handed a gift however. An innocent-looking cross came in, and Ondoher was to clear it with a volley, but somehow he kicked a hole in the air. The ball hit his supporting leg instead and rolled invitingly to Azog, and with the White City defenders moving up, expecting a clearance, he saw Balin all alone in front of the goal, and it was elementary, just tap-tap and Moria had reduced the lead. This sparkled a slight resurgence from Moria, and their attacks had a bit more venom to them now, but still Minas Tirith held firm.

15 minutes later, Durin’s Bane, who was having a real stinker, for once managed to break loose from his marker, but his shot wasn’t up to par, and was picked up by Etchelion. The Balrog went down on his knees, head in hands, and as he got up another quick break was on for Minas Tirith. Boromir, Aragorn and Mardil was three against two, and with Aragorn going left, and Mardil going right, forcing the two defenders to cover the angles, an opening came for Boromir to take the ball straight through the middle. Just as he prepared to shoot Durin left Aragorn and rushed to make a challenge, but then Boromir released the ball, and Aragorn was one-on-one with the Watcher, and a striker of his caliber don’t miss opportunities like this. Minas Tirith had restored their two-goal advantage, and Moria wasn’t to rise again. Durin was once again furious with his Bane. Had the Balrog not sulked over the missed shot, and back-tracked instead, Minas Tirith wouldn’t have had numerical advantage on the break and the goal might have been avoided, he reasoned. Now darkness gathered around the Balrog, and sparks were flying.

As the full-time whistle approached, and The Moria crowd realized than they would likely lose, the Orcs looked realy to riot, and sharp objects began to rain onto the field. But as the whistle blew, an exceptional event changed everything. Durin’s Bane had practically stopped playing for the last tem minutes or so, and when the match was over, he turned to Durin. His shadow rose like two vast wings as he made his way to the Dwarf, and the torches were dimmed. Soon the wings – not actual flying wings mind you, wings of shadow! -loomed over the small but unbent figure of Durin, who looked like a mouse standing his ground against a huge hunting Owl. For a moment complete darkness fell, only to be interrupted by a flashing light, as a flaming white blade crashed down, then darkness again. When the veil was lifted again, the Balrog was gone, and Durin lay on the ground dead. The Orcs were terrified, and scurried back to their lairs deep in the mountain. The Dwarves immediately forgot about the defeat, and went down on their knees weeping and tearing their beards. How could this have happened? It is only a game, they cried. The Minas Tirith players were also downcast. This tragic event had taken away all the sweetness of victory. They were through to the last 16 however.

Minas Tirith 3-1 Moria
shots 12-11
on target 6-4
GOALS:
*13, Minas Tirith (Boromir I, Mardil)
*34, Minas Tirith (Calimehtar, Beregond)
*57, Moria (Balin, Azog)
*75, Minas Tirith (Aragorn, Boromir I)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Minas Tirith- Telumehtar
*Moria- Thorin, Ohtar

Final Standings: Group A

Team..............W D L GF GA P
1) Angband......2 1 0.. 6 - 4 7 Q
3) Minas Tirith...1 2 0.. 7 - 5 5 q
2) Moria............1 0 2.. 5 - 7 3
4) Alqualonde....0 1 2.. 5 - 7 1