Arda Cup Football 2009

[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