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07-21-2011, 05:14 PM
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Beloved Shadow
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Stadium
Posts: 5,971
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Quarterfinals at Doriath, a preview
Philip McPhantom
MESPN News, Doriath What good fortune for the residents of Doriath! Not only is their team on a roll, undefeated through four friendlies, three group games, and the first playoff contest, but they can view their team close to home yet again, right in their historic underground Menegroth arena. When Doriath was assigned to group A at next door Himring, there were mixed reactions- it was delightfully close to home, but a group with both Himring and Tirion wasn’t the easiest of the groups to go through. But Doriath rose to the challenge, beating both tough opponents solidly by three goals and qualifying first, gaining the right to host in the first playoff round. Their first round opponent was Minas Morgul, not a bad team, but after Tirion and Himring they weren’t overly challenging and Doriath put them down with a sound four goal thumping, putting them through to the quarterfinals. But where would they play? That was the question. The two quarterfinal host sites were already selected before the tournament- Doriath and Weathertop, but what was not known was which quarterfinals would be played at which location. It all depended on the locations of the teams that made it through. Had Wilderland defeated Valinor to move through to face Doriath, it’s very likely that the quarterfinal would have been shifted to the eastern site, particularly if the west-based Tirion would have defeated Lothlorien, or had The Forest upset Eregion. But as things turned out, Doriath is set to play their playoff contest in their home stadium for the second game in a row! But this time around things in the Doriath stadium probably aren’t going to be a non-stop party. They weren’t worried about Minas Morgul, but their next opponent is much more intimidating- Valinor is coming to visit. Valinor, with their Tulkas anchored defense, Yavanna in the midfield, and the flashing trio of forwards- Arien, Miriel, and Nerdanel. Valinor- a battle-tested team, having played a solid Beleriand, the defending champs Gondolin, Manwe and his mighty Pelori squad, and Sauron’s dangerous Wilderland stars. Valinor would not be caught off guard by Doriath’s talent, but perhaps Doriath would be surprised? Not according to co-captain Melian. “Certainly it’s fair to say that Valinor is the best overall team we’ve faced this tournament, but that doesn’t mean we are unprepared. Fingon and Maedhros from Himring are a very formidable pair of forwards, and Tirion is just completely stacked up front, with Finarfin, Mahtan, Finrod, Aredhel, and Finwe. And of course we just went up against The Witch King. No… I think we’ll be sharp and ready.” But that remains to be seen. What we do know at this point is that the home field advantage will not be as pronounced in this match as in the last. Doriath is the host site but the team is not officially the host team, and thus tickets have been allotted equally between the participants, and Valinor is quite likely to at the least approach their assigned number. Pelori will likely be drawing large numbers of Valinor residents, but Valinor will probably be more popular given their diverse makeup. Not only will various Ainu be in attendance, but the Noldor will come to support Miriel and Nerdanel, the Teleri will come out for King Olwe, and the Vanyar will make the trip for King Ingwe and Indis. The crowd could very well end up split dead even, unless some Doriath residents can buy some tickets away from those unwilling to make the long trip across the sea. Doriath vs Valinor is not the only match to be played, however. There is also the contest between Tol In Gaurhoth and Westernesse. No doubt a large contingent of Wights, Wolves, and Orcs will be streaming down the Sirion after they have finished celebrating their recent win upon their haunted isle, but they do not have the numbers to fill a stadium the size of Menegroth, and thus Westernesse is certain to have the crowd behind them. Supporters from Arnor have already started arriving, and residents of Gondor and Numenor are on the way, doubtless in greater numbers than even Valinor. But Doriath can handle a massive flood of visitors. That’s why it was selected as a host site. The Westernesse supporters that have already arrived are taking over some of the local establishments, and they are confident that they will be going through to the semifinals. “This is a team of destiny!” said King Arvedui earlier today. “I gave my best effort with my Eriador squad of course, but I’ve also been following Westernesse through the tournament with great interest. Armenelos took home the Arda Cup two years ago, and this year they have a similar team, only with more diverse talent. They’re so big, and strong, and calculating, and mistake-free, and work together so well. This team is going all the way!” But Tol In Gaurhoth supporters do not agree with Arvedui. One of the only early arriving TIG supporters, MormWight, had this to say. “Westernesse going all the way? Don’t make me laugh. We Werewolves beat them for the bronze three years ago and we’ll beat them again this time. Sure, they’re physically imposing against other teams, but it doesn’t mean anything against us Werewolves! We’re just as strong, but faster- and we’ve got the flash to come back if we’re behind, and the killer instinct to put a game away if we’re ahead. This is our year!” All opinions aside, it looks to be a great pair of games here in Doriath. Which two will move forward to the semifinals at the grand coliseum at Amon Hen? We can’t wait to find out!
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07-21-2011, 06:04 PM
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Scion of The Faithful
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: The brink, where hope and despair are akin. [The Philippines]
Posts: 5,312
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The Felagundion's sports blog.
Woe is me, for I am an Elf of eliminated players!
The Felagundion has been founded on three very simple principles: Support Finrod and Tar-Míriel with all its heart; oppose Sauron and Pharazôn will all its strength; and enjoy awe-inspiring plays by great players with all its soul (provided it doesn't clash with the two abovementioned principles). Now the fairest of mortal queens has been eliminated in the group stage (by her hateful cousin, no less), and the Lord of Narog has joined her in the first knockout stage (eliminated by his sister and half-uncle). Arien and Elrond, the new darlings of the Felagundion according to the third principle, are still playing, that is true, and Gorthaur has been eliminated (by Arien, no less), but the first principle was the sine qua non of this venture. Without it we couldn't enjoy the games fully even if the Sun-Lady scores a hat-trick against Doriath, or if Elrond shuts Ancalagon, Tilion, and Morgoth out, or even if the Werewolves humiliate Tar-Calion with a ten-nil drubbing (something Anfauglith, regretfully, failed to do). Due to these events the Felagundion regretfully decides to close shop, watch the coming games in silence, and await the next Arda Cup, hoping for better fortunes for the son of Finarfin and the daughter of Tar-Palantir. Felagundion, Exactly what it says on the tin. Post-scriptum. 6/8, hah! (Those two mistakes were real painful, though.)
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フェンリス鴨 (Fenrisu Kamo) The plot, cut, defeated. I intend to copy this sig forever - so far so good...
Last edited by Nilpaurion Felagund; 07-21-2011 at 06:40 PM. Reason: pronouns, it turns out, are a tricky business |
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07-24-2011, 12:47 PM
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Flame of the Ainulindalë
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wearing rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves in a field behaving as the wind behaves
Posts: 9,308
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Quarterfinals at Amon Sûl
Angband vs. Eregion
The day emerged warm but still crispy – like it could be only in the northern mountains ranges. “The Village”, west of the stadium, that had emerged for the high numbers of ordinary human tourists and local fans willing to attend the quarterfinals was busy from the early morning hours on – and that was early as the sun rose already around 3.30AM. The elves of Lothlórien and Rivendell had set up a joint camp south of Weathertop inviting all the elves from other realms to join them, while the Angband supporters were shown the fields north-east of the hills for camping. The players and their more high-brow supporters and all the starring guests had accommodation at the splendid new Norbury High hotel where they would be driven to the stadium with carts in the afternoon. But “the Village” was the focal point for those attending the games; the place where all the vendors came to sell their exotic foods, Arda Cup related merchandise (mostly pirated), handcraft, sweets… and all the non-profit organizations had their stands there. Amnesty Interardan did especially draw a lot of folks around them, many of them signing the petition of “No more games in Valinor” –list. And all the performers: musicians, jugglers, live-statues, comedians, theatre groups, fortune-tellers, acrobats, dancers, prophets, gamblers, pick-pockets, tramps, hobos, hookers… all there to pick the pocket or the mind of the football tourists all around Arda, fairly or unfairly, but just to make a living. ~*~ The pre-games press conference was held at mid-day at the slopes of Weathertop where a theater-like stand had been constructed for such events – and to any theatrical performances after the games. All the captains praised the pitch and the stands, and the overall fluency of the organizations. And it was also predictable the captains made the normal mumbo-jumbo about the games ahead. Let’s get the baseline… Melkor of Angband: Elrond is a tough goalie to be the youngster he is, but we will prevail in the end with our experience and stamina. And it takes more than one Glorfindel to score against us, he should remember as he has met my Balrogs earlier. Elrond of Eregion: I know Melkor talks tough but he has been defeated many times in history – and I’m confident we’ll be ones to add to that list today – even if we can’t send him anywhere in chains after we shut them down. Manwë of Pelori: We appreciate Galadriel and many of her host, but Fëanor will never champion against a team led by me. Rest assured of that. A ban is a ban. Galadriel of Lothlórien: We have a competitive team this year and Fëanor is not the only one who knows how to score for us. You media-guys over-estimate him – and you Manwë. We play our game, we, and then we’ll see who laughs in the end… ~*~ It's Psychology, stupid! The first match between Angband and Eregion was about to start and the Weathertop Arena was full to the last bench. Just before the teams entered the pitch The Witch King came out from his private luxury-balcony from on top of the new tower of the Fortress Hill, one of the most luxurious of them all, and waved to the Angband crowds just beneath him on the north-east side of the stadium. The band of orcs, balrogs and other creatures of darkness cheered to him looking quite comfortable from that section of the stand – and many people realized only now that the north-eastern quarter of the stadium was a bit different than the rest of the venue; there were no benches to sit down, the steps were more rugged – as to “reflect the original mountainside” the leaflet introducing the stadium no-one had read said – and the sun was not shining there even if it was an afternoon match because of the new modernistic tower on top of the Fortress Hill cast a steady shadow over it. But then the teams emerged from the tube beneath the pitch and the whole stadium went crying out aloud to cheer for their favourites. During the opening handshakes the racket was so loud no one heard the announcers’ introductions to the game. Some people thought they caught The Witch King to cheer quite loudly for Elrond as well when he was introduced. Odd or not, who knows? The name of the game became obvious after the few testing minutes to start the game. Eregion played actively from defense looking for chances to make fast counters and Angband spread evenly across the field trying to avoid packing their players in a lump and looking to cut off any long balls forwards Eregion might try out. Supported by the majority of the crowd Eregion was really trying to make a game. Anytime they had a chance, Elladan and Elrohir did their best to open runs for Glorfindel and Eärendil but the Balrogs, Morgoth and the Great Werewolf of Angband managed to cut the runs – forcing the Eregion forwards off the ball or to shoot it wide if they got it. Ungoliant was having an easy game even if it looked like Eregion was the more active team. And yes, that is true. To the growing astonishment of all the crowds Angband played it cool and almost passive the first half an hour with no hurry to go on offence, just cutting the Eregion attacks and laying low letting Eregion do the running. But suddenly they just changed gear. Eregion’s defenses were totally taken by surprise by Angband becoming serious in the offence just out of the blue – and for a moment it seemed there was nothing to do for team Eregion but to hope Elrond would save them. And he did! Shots were raining down on Elrond – and he denied them! Ancalagon shot it towards the upper left corner from thirty meters but Elrond tipped it away with his fingers at the last moment. Thuringwethil sent Tevildo free from the right corner of the box but the one-timer went just inches past the right pole of the goal. Tilion got into one on one with Elrond but the linesman called it off-side. Morgoth gave a free kick from 25 meters and hit the crossbar – from the rebound Tevildo headed the Ball to the lower corner of the goal… just for Elrond to deny him! The teams went into the half-time with 0-0. The crowds were nervous but also excited about the game turning into a classic under their very eyes. The men and elves were anxious about the strong show team Angband made the last fifteen minutes of the first half, and the coolness of the Angband team; the feeling that they hadn’t really tried their best thus far just send shivers to the fans of Eregion who made the majority of the crowd. As anticipated, the second half was more lively than the first as it seemed the courtesies had been paid and the opponent had been checked – and now both teams went for it in earnest. At the early stages of the half Eärendil shot a nice volley forcing Ungoliant to a parade-save – only to be countered by Tilion hammering a shot just past the post as Asfaloth had it’s hoof to meddle with the shot. But the Eregion team were forced to defend more and more by the minute as Angband was just forcing it their way. Glorfindel was calling for passes but Balrogs #1 and #2 kept him away from any coming his way totally frustrating him – and making him look smaller and insecurer minute by minute. And when Angband really started rolling their attacks forwards, Eregion players seemed to be a step behind more often than not – and that resulted in some card-taking from late tackles: both Elrohir and Eärendil took yellow cards, the latter one causing a free kick from about thirty meters for gripping the wing of Thuringwethil when she was about to receive a pass from Morgoth. To their luck the tremendous shot from the free-kick by Tevildo went just over the crossbar as Elrond would have had no chance to stop it. And little by little the chances for any counter-attacks by Eregion died down as Angband pressed ever more fiercely. And finally Ancalagon beat the ball in from a nice pass by Thuringwethil. It was a classic “twist of the tail” shot that left Elrond armless against it. There were still twenty minutes to go and Eregion threw in all they had to gain an equalizer, but Angband introduced their pressure-defense basically disarming Eregion from all the weapons they might have. Angband cut away all the offensive passes, they cut away all the lines of passing by fast movement as well, they cut away the forwards from receiving the ball and pressed on anyone trying to bring the ball upwards in the first place. At the last moments Glorfindel made a run sneaking off from the pressure of the midfielders and got the pass from Eärendil to speed his way. And he was just reaching the box when he heard a Balrog yelling at him “Eagle’s cleft!” from behind – for a wink of an eye he was baffled, and before he could react again the great beast was on him and they both rolled down to the ground. The referee judged the Balrog had touched the ball first before hitting Glorfindel and it was a goal kick to Angband. Glorfindel’s runs were much more timid after that incident and Eärendil was just too closely watched by Morgoth watching he wouldn't escape him this time. So there pretty little for Eregion to do any counterplay: Angband’s midfield and defenses were simply overpowering them. And so it was that Angband won, 1-0, after a really strong performance. There was no question about which team dominated the field and many elves and men gave the Angband-team their due respects when they went on cheering around the pitch for their victory. Eregion offense only managed three shots towards Ungoliant under the formidable pressure of Angband defenses – and against such a quality keeper that was just too little – and most people in the audience realized that. Eregion had been just shut out, ironically that had been the way they themselves had marched to reach this stage of the tournament. ~*~ After the game the AKM met two celebrities having a chat with champagne and oysters in the Fortress Hill Tower’s lofty upper lobby. The AKM: So what did you think about the game? The Witch King: Well, the right team won. And please note, because they defended better. Gil-Galad: It must be sadly accepted that it was also the better team that won. Even my younger nephew and great friend can’t do it quite alone. The Witch King: Agreed. Elrond played marvelously yet again. If he’d be keeping the goal behind a stronger team he could be a title-winning goalie. The AKM: Could I ask what brought you here to see the quarterfinals? Gil-Galad: Did you know I met Elendil here back then, and then we marched to Mordor for the Last Alliance… oh, those were the days. So it was quite simple: I wished to pay my homage to this place which will always have a special place in my heart. The Witch King: I have some strong memories relating to this place as well. It was here we were actually nearest to destroy Mithrandir’s plan… you know I have pondered many times if I’d be given a new chance to perform better here at Amon Sûl, could I find that little extra to make it? It was so close we got the most sought after prize there is… but alas we failed then. The AKM: Would you be willing to reflect on your own tournament this year, or even sharing some of your plan s for AC12? Gil-Galad: It was a spiritless performance we gave this year, quite tame. I think some changing of climate would be welcome for the next season. Deciding to play in Mordor two years ago was a fresh idea but it wasn’t that any more this year. The Witch King: Couldn’t agree more. I just felt the whole tournament that I couldn’t find that spark to light my game and am seriously planning to do something radically different the next season, actually I have invested quite a lot for it already, but let’s come back to the details when the plans get further. Gil-Galad: Hey, we should form a team for next year called “The Lifeless Forwards”! The Witch King: Hehe. ~*~ Team Angband had made it plain they were not going to tolerate any journalists hanging outside their lockers after the game, but happily our reporter caught two shower-fresh players from team Eregion as they were exiting. The AKM: So, how do you feel? Elrond: What do you think? Glorfindel: Losing never feels right, but I do think I have myself partly to blame. I was just not playing at my level. Elrond: Oh, don’t blame yourself. I mean looking at your history it must have been quite agonizing to try and make play in between that special guard by the balrogs. Must have kindled dark memories… Glorfindel: I thought before the game it wouldn’t affect my game, but maybe it did. Had I just scored, I had a chance! Elrond: You could as well say that if I hadn’t let that tail-twist shot by Ancalagon in we’d have a different situation… So let’s not dwell on that. The AKM: What would be the positive thoughts from you at the moment then? Glorfindel: Well you know, even in defeat it was a real pleasure to play here. With all our involvement in something you could call Eriador at large, this must be the closest to being like a second home to us. Elrond: We built the great stadium down to Rivendell two years ago, but this was as close one could get to playing at a home-venue. Real treat. Glorfindel: We just need to make it better the next year. The AKM: Before I’ll let you go, just your quick predictions for the final-match? Elrond: Doriath wins Pelori 2-1. Glorfindel: Angband wins Tol-In-Gaurhoth in a penalty shoot out. Angband 1-0 Eregion tot shots 17-13 on target 7-3 GOALS: *71, 1-0 Ancalagon (Thuringwethil) YELLOW CARDS: *Angband- Morgoth, Balrog #1 *Eregion- Asfaloth, Figwit, Elrohir, Earendil
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Upon the hearth the fire is red Beneath the roof there is a bed; But not yet weary are our feet... |
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07-24-2011, 02:20 PM
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Beloved Shadow
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Stadium
Posts: 5,971
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Quarterfinals at Doriath
(Doriath preview here.)
Doriath vs Valinor There was quite a bit of surprise when it was announced that the match between Doriath and Valinor would be the first to be played, but it made sense. There was going to be a rocking full house for both contests, and the host committee did not wish to appear prejudiced making the night-loving Werewolves play too early. In addition, Tol In Gaurhoth certainly had the most unruly fans, and the hosts didn’t like the idea of attempting to start another game directly after a Tol In Gaurhoth win (which would mean riotous partying around the stadium or possibly in the stadium or on the actual field), or after a Tol In Gaurhoth loss (which might set off their supporters on a destructive rampage). In previous years Elwe might have tried something to limit the number Tol In Gaurhoth supporters in his realm, but in the present climate it seemed too risky. There were more than a few rumblings regarding the Valar and the Valinorean host committee's treatment of “outsiders” these past few years, and there were rumors that the Blessed Realm would not be allowed to host any matches next Arda Cup, and Elwe did not want to give up the potential for an economic boost in the future. And so it was that in the early evening Doriath residents were pouring from their homes and Valinor supporters from their inns, making their way down into beautiful Menegroth Stadium. The locals knew what to expect, but never ceased to be impressed by the workmanship of the Elves and Dwarves of old. Most of the Noldorin supporters of Valinor had also seen the stadium before, having been in attendance at the 2008 Arda Cup final when Formenos took home the title. Not to mention that Formenos had been in group C that year, which was hosted in Doriath as well. And even a few had been around to support Fingolfin and Aredhel’s Gondolin squad last year, which played in the Doriath hosted group G. Some of Olwe’s supporters were familiar with the place as well, as Alqualonde had also been a group C guest in 2008, but for quite a few of the Vanyar, Teleri, and Ainu, the experience was brand new. The tickets were expensive as always, but free wine-stands and snack-bars are always a part of the package at Menegroth, so guests can easily get their money’s worth. The silver fountains and marble basins set in the floors and jutting from the walls and sitting astride various dividing walls looked magnificent as always, and the many carved figures and pillars designed as trees and branches and woven hangings completed the look. Due to the distractions of the venue, the pre-game chants were heavily favoring the home side, but as game time approached all of the wandering Valinor fans got themselves to their seats and prepared to make some noise for their team. Doriath and Valinor both received great cheers and polite applause when they made their entrances. There was little in the way of feuds between the two squads, except perhaps Eol having a bit of a problem with Miriel and Nerdanel, the foremothers of Feanor’s sons, but he had not said anything leading up to the match and so most assumed there was nothing there other than shoddy journalists trying to create some bad blood. And finally after so much anticipation the game was underway- a heavyweight battle between Valinor and Doriath! The juggernaut offenses were what everyone was watching for, but in the early going both squads proved themselves to be complete teams, closing nicely and always pushing the action away from goal. The dashing speed of the Valinor trio was matched by Melian and Carcharoth, and the giant Elwe kept mighty Arien from having a chance at an aerial assault. And Beren and Mablung were always around to help in any way they could. On the other side Tulkas marked Turin to keep him at bay, and Indis stayed with his partner Beleg, and Vaire and Nessa positioned themselves perfectly and without tiring as only the Ainu can. It seemed that Melian was keen to have her precise midfield push forward to try and overwhelm Valinor’s defense, but Elwe was frightened by the prospect of sudden counters without anyone to help and convinced Melian to continue playing it straight. Instead it was Valinor that tried the idea first, exerting great pressure on Doriath. The forest realm broke away for a quick attack three times, but one pass sailed just barely over the end line before Beleg could snatch it, another one was won away by Tulkas, and the last yielded a snipe from Hurin, but Ingwe went down and smothered it. Despite the threat Tulkas continued urging his squad ahead, and at minute 36 he was rewarded with a great passing series from the girls up front and Olwe, which led to Arien running in and leaving it unexpectedly behind her, drawing the knot of defenders away for just long enough to give Nerdanel an open strike and she sent it precisely through an opening into the net for the opening score of the contest! Onlookers wondered whether Valinor would attempt to push even more after that in an attempt to really seize the momentum, but Tulkas decided he had better try and defend the lead going into the halftime break. Doriath had put together some dangerous runs while Valinor was attacking and he did not wish to tempt fate any longer, and as their defense had worked fine against Doriath’s strategy in the early going he trusted his decision. And indeed as the teams broke for halftime, Valinor still had their 1-0 lead, and Doriath had only managed a couple low-percentage shots that went up and over Ingwe. When the game resumed it looked similar, with both sides spreading the field and not exerting too much pressure, but Doriath was definitely dominating possession. Thanks to some nifty solo runs Eol for Doriath and Miriel for Valinor both gained decent looks at the goal, but both keepers rose to the occasion to preserve the score. As the minutes ticked along Tulkas became uncomfortable with how much of the game was being played in their own half of the field with Doriath in possession, and how many corner opportunities they were gaining. Feeling it was only a matter of time before the equalizer came, Tulkas ordered Valinor to push forward again and gain a two goal cushion on their opposition. They outmanned Doriath in the offensive zone and for a time it looked like they’d get their wish, but Melian and her defense always did enough to toe balls away and deflect shots or force them wide, and Elwe looked pleased, knowing Valinor was now open to the counter again. And finally, at minute sixty, Doriath sprang it. Carcharoth beat Miriel to the ball and touched it to Beren who one-timed it forward to Luthien who booted it low all the way down the left side. Like magic the ball slowed drastically as it approached the end line right along the penalty box line, allowing Doriath to get it before it went out. Rushing to it was Nessa and Hurin and from the inside Vaire, but Hurin got there first and immediately sent it screaming in towards the keeper. Ingwe went to grab it or at least bat it away, but the ball hooked away from the goal just enough to allow the onrushing Mablung, just half a step in front of his mark, to get it first, and he delivered a flying header right inside the near post and the game was level! Taking advantage of the celebration delay, Tulkas swiftly consulted his fellows as to what strategy to follow next. Play it straight and go for the win at the end? Dial up the pressure immediately? Try to send it to overtime as is? In the end everyone was worried about another Doriath quick-strike and decided to go back on an even keel and see what Doriath did about it. For the next several minutes the game was played level, but then Elwe and Melian unexpectedly ordered big time pressure, and Valinor decided to try and weather the storm and provide their forwards with a chance at a clever quick strike. But they never got the chance, as Doriath’s passing was just out of this world, and the pushed and prodded and tested until finally Beleg had a point blank drive. Ingwe managed to get in front of it, but it ricocheted away from him and out to Melian on the penalty spot, and she sent it back to the box line in the air for Beren who booted it out of the air with an athletic spinning kick and sent the ball over top of the defenders but with just enough topspin to come down and ring off the crossbar and down into the goal! It was a fantastic kick, and the Doraith faithful just went wild! They had never lost confidence in their team, and now they were where they ought to be- in the lead as the clock ticked down. Knowing they could not afford to give up another goal, Valinor pulled back to defend and collect themselves, and then with about ten minutes left they went forward more aggressively than ever. Arien gained a header but sent it over, and Melian pulled all the midfielders back to help. Miriel and Nerdanel played a brilliant combination to fool the defense and Nerdanel slid one to the post, but Huan made a leap that only the great hound could and tipped it away! And then- disaster. Yavanna sent a high hanging corner in, and Elwe rose up above the field and headed it mightily back towards midfield. Indis and Vaire were waiting there for Valinor to send anything that direction back forward, but Doriath was gambling one of their defenders would manage to send it out and Beleg, Turin, and Hurin were already rushing out. Before Vaire could touch it, Hurin flashed in front of her and knocked it sideways to Beleg who sent it straight down the middle, perfectly releasing Turin all by himself into the Valinor half of the field! Valinor rushed to catch up, but they were too far behind to help Ingwe, and he just had no chance one on one with the goal-scoring leader and just like that Doriath was up by two goals! The noise in the Doriath half of the arena was ear-bleeding, and players up and down the field were celebrating- Beleg and Hurin picked up Turin in a jumbled hug, Melian and Elwe embraced, so very proud of the team they’d put together and trained, and Carcharoth and Huan barked and howled in unison! With their defense the opposition was not going to score twice in the final few minutes, and indeed Valinor didn’t score even one desperate goal at the end, and after swiftly exchanging polite words and jerseys with the opposition team Doriath leaped into the stands to celebrate with their fans. They were headed to the grand coliseum of Amon Hen! They were into the semifinals! Doriath 3-1 Valinor tot shots 18-17 on target 8-5 GOALS: *36, 0-1 Nerdanel (Arien) *60, 1-1 Mablung (Hurin) *72, 2-1 Beren (Melian) *86, 3-1 Turin (Beleg) YELLOW CARDS: *Doriath- Elwe *Valinor- Olwe, Nessa Following the match the players from Valinor were largely unavailable, understandably heartbroken from the loss, but the captain Tulkas made his required media appearance a few minutes after the game ended. MESPN: Are you going to captain your own team again next year, or try something different? Tulkas: Well, nothing is set in stone, but I would lean strongly towards captaining my own side yet again. MESPN: What sort of team will you be looking to put together next time around? Tulkas: Honestly, I was quite happy with this team. We had the bad luck of running into the hottest team in the tourney playing in their home stadium in the quarterfinals. I think anything less than that we would've overcome. MESPN: So, have you already spoken with your players about re-signing? Tulkas: Not specifically, no, it's too soon to be talking business at this point, but I think there is a basic understanding I have with some of them. I'm certain my beloved Nessa will continue on with me, and we've really hit it off with Arien and I'm fairly certain she's on board with any plans. Not to mention Arien loves having Nerdanel and Miriel feeding her up front, so I'm hopeful that they will be back, and I've spoken to Nerdanel regarding one of her sons being interested in joining her, so, we'll see...
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07-25-2011, 12:08 AM
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Beloved Shadow
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Stadium
Posts: 5,971
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Quarterfinals at Doriath continue...
Tol In Gaurhoth vs Westernesse
The halls and tunnels leading into the arena were absolutely packed- the celebrating Doriath fans were pushing their way out to go party, while the excited Westernesse and Tol In Gaurhoth fans were rushing in for the night match. Some of the Westernesse fans from Numenor were familiar with the place, having visited Doriath during the 2008 finals where team Armenelos played in the third-place match (against Tol In Gaurhoth no less)- though that particular match had taken place in the secondary stadium a little ways away in the forest. While Tol In Gaurhoth had also played in that match, their fans had not taken so much time to tour the area and experience the culture, and so the stadium was quite new to them. Many of the Wights and Werewolves appreciated the beauty, but not surprisingly given their natures many of them were noting the beauty with a mind towards damaging it should their squad be cheated in any way. NiennaWight and FeaWight in particular had an eye towards the sculptures, wondering what “improvements” they might make with their painting tools. AganWight and LegateWight on the other hand were keen to take a closer look at the woven hangings, in order to determine how easily they might burn. But there was no time to linger- the game would not wait on them, and it was starting soon. In fact the end of the lines had not yet reached their seats when the teams were introduced, and everyone hastened all the more. Westernesse looked proud and confident taking the field, but the Werewolves more so. Tol In Gaurhoth and their fans were still holding the same attitude as in the last round, where they simply laughed at the thought that their opposition could challenge them. “Westernesse- ha! Mere mortals cannot hope to challenge the might of our Wight-Wolf hybrids!” shouted The GreatElvenWight, facing the TIG section of fans and whipping them into a frenzy. As the game began, however, things weren’t so simple. Tol In Gaurhoth was quick and strong and fearsome, but they could gain no ground on the mighty men and women of Westernesse, whose tactics and positioning and discipline outshone the TIGites. The forwards and midfielders of TIG were trying to make lengthy runs as if they were playing lesser competition, and their fellows too often were caught just watching and not preparing to receive it so early, and so Westernesse took it time after time and got things going on the other end. When Westernesse put on the pressure TIG refused to help their defense too much, as they were chomping at the bit to be released for a long counter, but Westernesse played it smart and beautifully and didn’t give them the chance, but instead gained decent opportunities for their scorers. Ar Pharazon deflected one wide off a corner, Elros drove one wide from 35 meters, and Ar Adunakhor placed a beautiful header that forced ShastaWolf to make a tough save indeed. The crowd was just shocked, but NogWolf wasn’t caught off guard on the field. “I told you it would be like this! We can’t be showing off. Let’s bring it back in a bit. Carefully- let’s show them we’re more than animals.” And quite swiftly most of TIG went along with him, and for the first time they looked somewhat threatening, now taking their own turns controlling the ball and turning away Westernesse more quickly with defensive help. Finally around the 30 minute mark TIG gained their first substantial threat when InzilWolf sent it forward and across the goal box, where GwathWolf managed to nudge the ball’s course towards the net. Tar Atanamir however sprawled out to bat it aside however, and the Westernesse supporters gave him a great ovation. But just minutes later those same fans found themselves quite silent, as TIG built up another nice attack and NogWolf found himself unmarked only 20 meters out and blasted it through an empty slot. Tar Atanamir deflected it, but not well, and the ever pounce-ready NerWolf swiftly kneed the bouncing ball back towards the net and gained her side the lead! For the remaining ten minutes of the half TIG played a possession game, and did surprisingly well at it for Werewolves- much better than Westernesse was expecting anyway, who managed only an awkward deflection and a weak off-balance header against the Werewolf defense. The Wights and Wolves applauded their team as they went to the lockers, but also urged them on to greater heights. “Come on!” screamed BrinWight. “Get your act together in there and come out and beat them into submission!” As the second half started it looked like TIG was keen to do just that, but playing more frantically and less controlled did not help against Westernesse despite TIG’s athleticism, and the game began to turn towards the mortals. At minute 63 it turned fully, as Tar Telperien toed a pass away to Malbeth, and with his gift of foresight in full operation he boomed it forward and to the right, knowing things would somehow work out that direction. NilpWolf was first to it, but he couldn’t control the ball coming down and when it squirted away Ar Adunakhor was first to it and he sent the ball skidding towards the goal into the middle of the field. The other defenders were completely wrong-footed, as they had slowed up and started turning when they saw NilpWolf would clearly be receiving it, and they allowed Elros and Ar Pharazon to dash right past them, breaking behind them at the precise moment Ar Adunakhor sent his pass. ShastaWolf was a fine keeper, but had no prayer with both High King Elros and the legendary Golden-boot Ar Pharazon running in unopposed, and the game was level with 25 minutes left! The TIG supporters were now quite shaken with what they were witnessing. Their team was not invincible after all, and after having long enough to observe Westernesse’s game they were impressed against their will. It would take a quality effort to get through this match! On the field, TIG debated what course of action to take. They figured Westernesse wouldn’t change what they were doing, so it was up to them to dictate how the game would finish. Defend for overtime? Defend for a shootout perhaps? They felt they had an advantage there for certain. But Westernesse was scrappy and could sneak in a last second goal, so perhaps they should push for a goal in regulation to win it? NogWolf was undecided, and he was getting different input from different teammates. The defenders did not want to suffer the embarrassment of giving up a late goal to Westernesse, and preferred to go full-barrel attack, as that way they would be said to be at a disadvantage if Westernesse got a quick counter for the win. But NogWolf thought it was bad policy to base the strategy on protecting the pride of a few people. NerWolf and GwathWolf both favored going full-bore lockdown defense, including assigning them and PhantomWolf to defensive duty. Surely with their athletic skills they could shut Westernesse out and get to a shootout, where GwathWolf and NerWolf were both quite confident that both they and their other shooters would score, while ShastaWolf would come up with a save, or pressure the Westernesse shooters into missing. Not completely settled on the idea, NogWolf ordered a lockdown for the time being, figuring it couldn’t be bad to cut off Westernesse’s attack. And cut it off they did. Westernesse could do nothing at all with each Werewolf marking a man one on one. Normally such a strategy would be too tiring for a squad, but these were Werewolves, and they had played some good possession game in the first half of the contest and were thus fresher than they might have been, and Westernesse suddenly looked quite impotent. As the minutes of this treatment ticked past, those two instigators SallyWolf and PhantomWolf began to feel offended by the idea that they were going to go into overtime against a squad that was so obviously inferior. Finally PhantomWolf began begging NogWolf, “Let me loose, Noggins, let me loose on them!” NogWolf stared thoughtfully at the clock and scoreboard and at the Westernesse players and then whispered something to PhantomWolf that seemed to calm him down, and then proceeded to hold up five fingers and wave them in a circle. The Werewolves all noticed, but did not change their gameplay in the least, defending doggedly, kicking it around in back, then lobbing it to the other end to make Westernesse start over. And then suddenly at minute 81, (five minutes after NogWolf had made his signal), KuruWolf took a standard time-wasting pass and launched it straight down the middle. This wasn’t completely surprising, as TIG had been booting it away to Westernesse occasionally, but this time PhantomWolf was already tearing down the field towards the goal, completely catching Westernesse off guard. The ball came down in front of PhantomWolf and on the second bounce reached the box at the same time as he did, and the Wights and Wolves in the crowd were just screaming! He touched it deftly down and rushed in, made the keeper commit and banged it to the other side! But no- he was called off side! Westernesse breathed a huge sigh of relief as TIG supporters angrily clamored for a replay to be shown, and the hanging screen gave them their wish, and to their great anger it showed that PhantomWolf had clearly been nothing more than level when the pass was sent! Evidently the speed of the Werewolves was confusing to the refs, who didn’t see how he could have received it as far behind the defenders as he did while still being on side. Even the cool-headed NogWolf was furious, and nearly joined KuruWolf in being written up for threatening the officials. But that was nothing compared to the reactions in the audience. Goblets, wrappers, little boxes- anything that could be thrown onto the field began raining down, and Westernesse fans and site officials began getting extremely nervous. If Westernesse now pulled out a late win, things were going to get extremely out of hand. Already many of the Wights were making preparations for causing property damage no matter what the outcome. But Elwe and Melian were in attendance after their sovereign victory in the first game, and the pair was very wise, and sporting as well. And so it was that the big screen displayed an image of the pair booing the refs, looking quite severe and indignant, and the TIG supporters were mollified. How could they wreck the realm of a King and Queen that so rightly supported them? And then it happened- Westernesse threw it in and booted it to the corner for Elros, but SkipWolf put on an astounding turn of speed and coming out from the goal box somehow beat everyone to it and clubbed the ball straight up the sideline. For the second time the ball found a streaking PhantomWolf, only this time he was obviously on side, as Tar Palantir and Malbeth were back in reserve. Rather than wait for the other forwards, a furious PhantomWolf angled towards the goal and rushed madly forward. Tar Telperien was coming straight up the middle and had the angle to halt him, but PhantomWolf went headlong into her and though it was just a blur it seemed clear he had taken her and thrown her like a rag doll. The refs kept their cards in their pockets however- a makeup call for their blown off sides ruling perhaps? Then it was only the two far-sighted defenders left- Tar Palantir and Malbeth. PhantomWolf crushed the ball directly into the chin of Malbeth, felling him and amazingly receiving the ball right back to his feet without losing a step. Whether or not it was intentional no one may ever know. Then Tar Palantir went to the ground to block the way, but PhantomWolf hopped the ball over him and stepped over alongside it, making certain to stamp on Tar Palantir’s ribs as he did so. And then it was just the keeper- Tar Atanamir. NogWolf could be heard howling, “Kill him!!” as PhantomWolf rushed towards the goal, and NerWolf boomed, “Plus plus Atanamir!!” Meanwhile the crowd had, as soon as the run started, begun chanting “Blood! Blood! Blood!” Tar Atanamir was no coward, but it was simply a bit much for him. PhantomWolf’s face simply screamed “murder” and given the attitude of the team and crowd the thought flashed through Tar Atanamir’s mind that the angry Werewolf might very well fatally bite him and screw the consequences. Tar Atanamir’s knees gave way and he crumpled backwards into the goal leaving PhantomWolf free to slot it home, and Tol In Gaurhoth was back in front! The roar of the TIG supporters was beyond deafening, meanwhile NogWolf signaled to the squad to lock down and shut Westernesse out the rest of the way. And indeed it was just as easily done as said given that Tar Palantir had cracked ribs and possibly worse, Malbeth had a broken jaw and a concussion, and Tar Telperien had a nasty gash on her shoulder, a badly twisted knee, and an arm that appeared to be out of socket. The Werewolves could sag off of them and focus on the rest of the team, making it impossible for Westernesse to mount any sort of attack. In no time at all the contest was over and the Tol In Gaurhoth team was tearing the goalposts apart, intending to keep the pieces as a trophy. Their fans rushed onto the field to join them. Security looked for a minute like they may try and stop them, but Elwe waved them to stand down. It wouldn’t do any good, and might make things turn violent. Westernesse and their supporters fled the arena as swiftly as possible, feeling somewhat ashamed but refusing to slow their retreat nonetheless. They were a great and proud team that had championship potential and they had played their very very best, but the creatures of Tol In Gaurhoth were just a bad matchup for them. Meanwhile the TIG fans continued to party on the field, thrilled to be headed to Arda Cup’s biggest stage, which was exactly where they belonged! Tol In Gaurhoth 2-1 Westernesse tot shots 19-14 on target 7-4 GOALS: *35, 1-0 NerWolf (NogWolf) *63, 1-1 Ar Pharazon (Elros) *82, 2-1 PhantomWolf (SkipWolf) YELLOW CARDS: *TIG- SallyWolf, NerWolf, KuruWolf *Westernesse- Ar Adunakhor, Elendil
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07-25-2011, 07:58 AM
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Laconic Loreman
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 7,521
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back at Weathertop
Lothlorien vs. Pelori
As the stadium at Weathertop was filling for the 2nd match, tensions on the ancient hill were rising. It was expected Lothlorien would have the crowd advantage being the Middle-earth team, but who would dare root against the Vala, unless you were an orc or vile, dark creature of an old world. No such creature could be found at Amon Sul for this match. A wolf from the Misty Mts who cheered for Angband in their game against Eregion said to reporters afterward: "Why would I watch these losers play? Wake me up when the Angband plays again and the moon has risen." So, the stadium was being filled when many Elves and Men in the area and while everything was expected to remain friendly, Lothlorien probably would not receive a huge crowd advantage, playing in Middle-earth against Pelori. As much as the Elves and Men wanted to get behind Lothlorien, they couldn't disrespect the Valar. Then thousands of Hobbits were also turning up at the gates and they were fully behind the Valar. Even with the misfortunes of their own team this year, The Shire is a great footballing nation and the Hobbits would not sit brooding at home, waiting for next year. Feeling disrespected in Beleriand, they would get behind the mighty Valar who had always treated them kindly and graciously. *~*~* The Pelori came looking quite normal and average. You could not tell by looking at their appearance, it was just something in their aura that carried both majesty and power, and respect. Lothlorien was trying to look unimpressed and Galadriel was trying to keep her team focused on the task at hand. If they kept to the gameplan, she was confident her team would triumph on this day. Before the first whistle, however, Feanor had something he wanted to say to Manwe and company: "You may be able to dispossess me, and ban me from Valinor, but we're in Middle-earth. You hath not the power here as you do in your own lands." Manwe stayed expressionless and it was Mandos who replied: "You know not of what you speak. We were always caring over Middle-earth as much as we cared over our children in Valinor. You forget we know how many things will unfold and, we understood what Eru saw in the brave Hobbit-folk. We had seen the courage and humility of Hobbits and knew they would not need our help in their troubles, my young Feanor." Feanor was steaming and shot back wondering how Mandos feels being the mouthpiece of his greater brother. And a mouthpiece of a mouthpiece, to be completely honest, since Manwe was only the representative of Eru. "This makes you what, Namo, assistant to the regional manager?" But seeing as neither Mandos, nor Manwe, nor any of the Valar were responding, Feanor barked at the ref to blow his whistle. Feanor's trash talking was of no benefit to Lothlorien as he was completely erratic to begin the game. Running around, almost like he didn't have a head, trying to challenge the Valar who were ever so smoothly passing it around and holding possession. The pre-whistle chatter was actually more entertaining then the whole of the first half. Lothlorien was shutting Pelori down defensively, but spectators had to wonder how much was Manwe really pushing the action? Even if none could surpass the sublime skill of the Valar passing game, it wasn't materializing into any further excitement. If there was no opening, Pelori would just pull everything back to the mid-field and try to start all over again. The problem was, against Gandalf's defense there wasn't going to be any openings and so fans suspected you have to play riskier and put pressure on the wizard, but was Manwe willing to do that? Probably not most judged. Feanor was trying his hardest to steal possession and get a counter started, but for the most part he was unsuccessful. Galadriel was yelling orders at him to defend and he would not be getting any help until he cooled down. As the 1st half was winding down and many in the stands began exiting to get ahead of the rush for the restrooms and concession lines, they missed the only excitement and goal of the 1st period. There wasn't anything particularly beautiful or brilliant, it was just a solid and (admittedly) deserved goal. After about 10 minutes where Pelori was able to keep possession in Lothlorien's back-third, some of the deeper Valar finally started venturing forward and forced Lothlorien to seriously defend for the first time in the match. Pelori's first corner was directed towards Varda who made contact with her head but the attempt went inches wide. Galadriel collected the ball and was going to try to take a quick goal kick and perhaps start a counter, but the ref had judged Varda's header took a slight deflection off Haldir's leg and thus Pelori would receive another corner-kick. Haldir was then booked for unsportsmanlike conduct as he screamed at the ref "If you were a bit shorter I'd think you a dwarf, but your eyes are worse than the Naugrim!" So, Pelori was given another corner, and they are too good of a team not to capitalize on this opportunity. And this time when Eonwe and Varda were under heavy guard, Ilmare passed it wide to Irmo and no one on Lothlorien marked Vana for it was most unusual to see her up this far. She was positioned at the near post, Galadriel was late anticipating where the ball was going and Vana had an easy time knocking it into the empty net. After the goal Gimli was then given a yellow for the ref heard the dwarf tell Haldir "I would cut him down to size for you, but he would be an insult to all of my folk." The referee looked relieved to see the teams head into the lockerroom and who knew what was going to take place in the Lothlorien room? Feanor was clearly trying to supress his anger, but would he let it out and inspire Lothlorien to better efforts, or keep shutting down, trying to do it all on his own? And Galadriel was also angry, angered by her team's 1st half performance and how they played the last 5 minutes. The 2nd began and Pelori again went straight to their masterful possession game. Indeed, nothing seemed different about the Lothlorien play at all. Was anything said to inspire them at half time, or were they mentally shutting down already? Well there was a few things different with Lothlorien, they were looking more frantic and uncontrolled. They were completely off the game plan though, as they tried to rough up the Valar in order to knock them off their possession game. All it did though was get Lothlorien more cards. Galadriel had prided herself on good team work, and it seemed to have been working great the first few rounds, but now that was falling apart. The maverick attitude had seemed to sweep over the entire Lothlorien and it was toxic. As Haldir was sent off on a rough challenge only 11 minutes into the 2nd. Already down 1-0 against the Valar, now Lothlorien was one player short. The crowd started murmuring on whether this would be the end score (and many had missed the only goal!). Despite Feanor's temperment and Lothlorien getting rougher, they were still technically a good team and the Valar had much respect for Gandalf and Galadriel, even if they might have disagreed with some of her decisions. Would they want to put this game out of reach and run up the score then? All the speculation of what Manwe would do was just that, speculation and in the 71st minute an opportunity to score again presented itself to Pelori, and Manwe would be foolish to not try to take advantage. Irmo beat Celeborn and was wide outside the box, Eonwe appeared to have a step on Gandalf as Irmo looked to find him with a cross. However, Boromir pulled out and blasted his horn, Irmo flubbed the cross and Eonwe stopped his run as Galadriel had an easy time catching it. The ref stopped play and looked to his assistants, as they knew Gandalf was forbidden blinding anyone with his fireworks, but weren't sure of the rules about the renown horn of Gondor. And was this a denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity which would mean Boromic could be sent off with a straight red card? After some discussion the official awarded a free kick from Irmo's position and a yellow to Boromir. Ilmare stepped in to give the free kick and connected with Varda who yet again made perfect contact with her head. Only this time, it didn't go wide, it didn't take any slight deflection, it was in the back of the net. 2-0 Pelori, the Hobbits in the stands went crazy and were probably just happy to cheer for a team that could, I don't know...play? The Elves and Men in support of Lothlorien clapped politely and seemed about ready to accept the reality of the situation. This time Manwe did pull everything back and even then had a fairly easy time keeping the ball away from Feanor. Lothlorien had not been a threat on offense all day and Feanor still wasn't getting any help up front, as the back of Lothlorien appeared broken. Either that or they had run out of gas chasing after and trying to rough up the Valar in this half and were worn out playing with 10 people for nearly 30 minutes. Some carelessness by Nahar, who tried to play a sloppy pass to Mandos was intercepted by Boromir and it led to a Feanor goal in the 84th minute. Feanor had a fun time faking Mandos out of the play and on speed alone raced passed Gwaihir. He pounded a close distance rocket passed a diving Manwe. Feanor smirked at seeing Manwe on the ground, but Manwe slowly collected the ball and handed it back to the ref. The remaining 6 minutes was completely undramatic as Pelori was not going to let Lothlorien come even, especially with Lothlorien being a player-short. The Hobbits had figured in the stands that Manwe and his defenders made that mistake on purpose, because Eru had commanded it. It was a question of honor with Pelori, despite whatever feelings they had for Feanor, Lothlorien was a 'good' team, and thus Pelori was only permitted to win by 1-goal. That was it. Pelori would for the first time advance to the Final 4 to play the odd-ones werewolf and despite Lothlorien advancing well beyond what they had before, you could not help but feel they were disappointed to not making it further. And as for Feanor, he was down right fuming when both teams met at mid-circle to shake hands and exchanged well wishes and hugs. For Mandos said after Feanor walked away, refusing to congradulate Pelori on their advancement: "You were allowed to add another goal to your name, but it will be a long time before you get what you truly seek." Lothlorien 1-2 Pelori tot shots 10-15 on target 4-6 GOALS: *40, 0-1 Vana (Irmo) *74, 0-2 Varda (Ilmare) *84, 1-2 Feanor (Boromir) YELLOW CARDS: *Lothlorien- Boromir, Haldir, Gimli, Amroth *Pelori- Gwaihir, Namo RED CARDS: *Lothlorien- Haldir (56, second yellow)
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Fenris Penguin
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07-25-2011, 08:40 AM
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Scion of The Faithful
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: The brink, where hope and despair are akin. [The Philippines]
Posts: 5,312
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ArdaCup.com Stats Report 8: The Quarterfinals
Bracket:
 Power Ranking:  (Teams in bold are semifinalists, teams in italics are eliminated.) Greatest gain:
Greatest loss:
The Power Ranking is based on the aggregate of offensive and defensive ranking--the lower the aggregate, the higher the rank. Ties are broken by a) goal differential; and b) the Power Rank of their opponent. The offensive ranking is based on the goals scored by the teams throughout the matches. Ties are broken by a) greater number of shots made on target; and b) greater number of shots made. The defensive ranking is based on the goals allowed by the teams throughout the matches. Ties are broken by a) least number of shots allowed on target; and b) least amount of shots allowed. Phantasy Numbers: (Players in italics are from eliminated teams.) GOALS + ASSISTS 6+3 Túrin (Doriath) 5+1 Arien (Valinor) 5+0 Ancalagon (Angband) 4+3 Fëanor (Lothlórien) 3+4 Maeglin (Anfauglith) Elros (Westernesse) 3+3 Glorfindel (Eregion) NogWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) 3+2 Eönwë (Pelóri) Legolas (Lothlórien) Ar-Pharazôn (Westernesse) 3+1 Húrin (Doriath) Eärendil (Eregion) GwathWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) NerWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) 2+4 Sauron (Wilderland) 2+3 Míriel (Valinor) Thuringwethil (Angband) Nerdanel (Valinor) Varda (Pelóri) 1+4 Beleg (Doriath) GOALKEEPER - RANKING
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フェンリス鴨 (Fenrisu Kamo) The plot, cut, defeated. I intend to copy this sig forever - so far so good...
Last edited by Nilpaurion Felagund; 08-09-2011 at 12:46 AM. Reason: unbolded Eregion in the Power Ranking |
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07-25-2011, 09:55 AM
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Beloved Shadow
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Stadium
Posts: 5,971
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(Eliminated players in italics)
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the phantom has posted.
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07-25-2011, 10:59 PM
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Scion of The Faithful
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: The brink, where hope and despair are akin. [The Philippines]
Posts: 5,312
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ArdaCup.com Stats Report 8.5: The Semifinals - the Match-ups
The ArdaCup.com Stats Report team regrets its failure to predict half of the quarterfinals results accurately. The team has done its best to analyse the stats, but somehow two wildcard teams have gone beyond what their numbers have shown so far. ArdaCup.com Stats Report will be taking the previous round's intangibles into account and do its best to ensure that it predicts the results of the remaining four games perfectly.
Doriath vs Angband
Pretty much a straightforward affair on this side of the bracket.Doriath 2:1 Angband Pelóri vs Tol-in-Gaurhoth
These were the wildcards we mentioned. These teams play a gear higher when faced against opponents of a certain calibre or affiliation, and that makes predicting their games a difficult affair at best. And since they are playing against each other, it requires a thorough scrutiny of their stats, their previous games, and their mentality for the upcoming game to ensure that our predictions are, if not accurately done, then at least pointing in the right direction.Tol-in-Gaurhoth 2:1 Pelóri
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フェンリス鴨 (Fenrisu Kamo) The plot, cut, defeated. I intend to copy this sig forever - so far so good...
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08-04-2011, 05:08 PM
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Scion of The Faithful
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: The brink, where hope and despair are akin. [The Philippines]
Posts: 5,312
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ArdaCup.com Stats Report 9: The Semifinals
Bracket:
 Power Ranking - The Numbers:  (Teams in bold are finalists.)
Phantasy Numbers: (Players in italics are from eliminated teams.) GOALS + ASSISTS 7+3 Túrin (Doriath) 5+0 Ancalagon (Angband) 4+3 NogWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) 4+1 Húrin (Doriath) 3+4 Maeglin (Anfauglith) Elros (Westernesse) 3+3 Thuringwethil (Angband) 3+2 Eönwë (Pelóri) PhantomWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) GwathWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) 2+4 Sauron (Wilderland) Beleg (Doriath) 1+4 Eöl (Doriath) GOALKEEPER - RANKING
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フェンリス鴨 (Fenrisu Kamo) The plot, cut, defeated. I intend to copy this sig forever - so far so good...
Last edited by Nilpaurion Felagund; 08-09-2011 at 01:03 AM. Reason: word waffling |
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08-11-2011, 05:32 PM
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Beloved Shadow
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Stadium
Posts: 5,971
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Updated Phantasy Points...
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the phantom has posted.
This thread is now important. Last edited by the phantom; 08-11-2011 at 05:52 PM. |
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08-16-2011, 08:37 PM
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#12 |
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Scion of The Faithful
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: The brink, where hope and despair are akin. [The Philippines]
Posts: 5,312
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ArdaCup.com Stats Report 10: The Finals
Bracket:
 Power Ranking - Per Game Statistics: 
The Power Ranking is based on the aggregate of offensive and defensive ranking--the lower the aggregate, the higher the rank. Ties are broken by a) better final rank in the standings; and b) better goal differential. The offensive ranking is based on the average number of goals scored by the teams per game. Ties are broken by a) greater average number of shots made on target per game; b) greater average number of shots made per game; and c) better final rank in the standings. The defensive ranking is based on the average number of goals allowed by the teams per game. Ties are broken by a) least average number of shots allowed on target per game; b) least average number of shots allowed per game; and c) better final rank in the standings. Final Standings  Phantasy Numbers - Top Performers: GOALS 8 Túrin (Doriath) 5 Arien (Valinor) Ancalagon (Angband) 4 NogWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) Fëanor (Lothlórien) Húrin (Doriath) Eönwë (Pelóri) NerWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) Hador (Hithlum) ASSISTS 5 Beleg (Doriath) 4 Maeglin (Anfauglith) Elros (Westernesse) Thuringwethil (Angband) Sauron (Wilderland) Eöl (Doriath) Varda (Pelóri) 3 Túrin (Doriath) NogWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) PhantomWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) Curufin (Hithlum) Míriel (Valinor) Nerdanel (Valinor) Lúthien (Doriath) InzilWolf (Tol-in-Gaurhoth) GOALKEEPER
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フェンリス鴨 (Fenrisu Kamo) The plot, cut, defeated. I intend to copy this sig forever - so far so good...
Last edited by Nilpaurion Felagund; 08-17-2011 at 08:04 PM. |
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08-04-2011, 09:23 AM
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#13 |
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Laconic Loreman
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 7,521
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Angband vs Doriath
Nothing against the two teams who played earlier, but this wa the premier match of the semi finals. Angband vs Doriath, a game that could very easily have been the final. In the pre-game press conferences Morgoth was trying to downplay the famed Girdle of Melian. The colloquial name for Doriath's defenses as it was anchored by their queen. "No one can score against the will of Melian, you say? Maybe I've got a plan to go after someone else and in doing so, make Melian a non-factor." smirked Morgoth to a MESPN reporter. "Besides if you think a bunch of cursed attackers will score against this defense, think again." In the other press conference that was the talk of it all, the curse of Hurin and how would it effect Turin? Turin has longed for an Arda Cup trophy but has a history of falling short. He can certainly rack up all the goals to his name, but in the biggest situations, he will uncharacterically fire missed shots, turnover possession, or just flat disappear. Leaving people to always question are their curses in sports, because if so, Turin is the most unlucky man in Arda. It's always a comfort when his trusted friend Beleg continues to follow Turin, but an even greater comfort came when his steadfast father signed with Doriath. "I've seen Morgoth face-to-face, I'm not intimidated by his tricks and curses. And that keeper of Angband, thrives off fear, but its his pet spider. We won't be intimidated." "The destined ones? The Dream Team, they're called? Ha!" the cruel laugh of Morgoth caused most reporters to jump out of their seats and believe that would be the very last thing they heard in this life. "The keep dreaming team, destined to be crushed under my power. That sounds more like it." The time for talk was over, the teams' warm-ups were complete as all the players came back onto the field. Everyone in Amon Hen and who were watching elsewhere, poised for this colossal showdown of the giants of the Arda footballing world. Angband went right to work on their normal style of game, possessing, pressuring and desiring to build a lead that they could hold onto. But Doriath's defenses were as stingy as ever. Everyone was wondering what Morgoth's plan that he hinted at was, and if this was the plan, it appeared Angband needed to go to Plan B already. Whatever the plan was, it wasn't working. We've held off on saying it, but there's no way to escape the truth now. Not after seeing the totality of this match. Tilion has had breakout performances under Morgoth's leadership, but he simply wasn't getting the job done this year. Expected to anchor the mid-field, Tilion was simply being outshined by Hurin and Eol. There's no other way around it. In the brief time it took for Angband to regather and try plan B, that was all the break Doriath's defense needed to steal away possession and begin their own attacks. Much was made in the pre-game about the battle between Hurin and Turin against Morgoth and Ungoliant. However, one of the darkhorses, who always seems to be disregarded because he doesn't have a personality that attracts attention. Many fans of a team when they hear Eol is on it, actually get more nervous than joyful. Eol never does press conferences at any time, and because of that he is viewed as not having friendly relations with the media, and is possibly a team "cancer." The truth is, if you pardon my poor vocabulary, Eol is a baller. He puts his head down and straight up works hard for the full 90 minutes. In the 27th minute, Doriath fans stood up waiting to burst out in applause as Hurin's shot looked dead on target, but Ungoliant reached out one of her legs and poked it away. The ball was rolling towards the out of bounds line where it looked like Angband was planning to concede a corner. However, there would be no corner, as Eol raced to it just before going over the endline. The Dark Elf passed it between the legs of the 2nd Balrog and to the left boot of Beleg. It was a perfect pass capped off by a perfect drive. Beleg got it up over Ungoliant's reach, but kept it down just enough to scrape under the top cross bar. Morgoth was irate at the defensive lapse, but in truth he was the one setting the defense up to defend a corner, and not paying attention to the fact the ball was still in play. No one wanted to be near Morgoth after the goal and the Angband team came forward in full fury that hadn't been seen before since the Dagor Bragollach. And quickly Angband got their equalizer simply by overwhelming the Girdle of Melian. One of Angband's deepest defenders came forward, Balrog #1, sent a cross into Doriath's box. With how many bodies were scrapping and fighting for position, the ball was bound to hit someone, and it did. Thuringwethil swooped in, just above the great leap of Carcharoth. Huan went high, but Thuringwethil batted the ball low, straight down into the ground and Angband was level only 8 minutes after Doriath had grabbed the lead. The game slowed down after it was 1-1, but that doesn't mean fans were disappointed or wavered in any sort of excitement. They were witnessing a truly great battle of precision, skill, and might. Doriath looked like the better team in the 1st, but Angband was even, which meant it was anyone's game to win in the 2nd. And no one wanted to miss a second of it. Although, a neutral fan did have to wonder if it took the entire Angband team in full force to score against Doriath, how would they fair in the 2nd? They'd certainly need to come up with a better attack strategy, because Tilion and Ancalagon had all but pulled a disappearing act like they were Bombadil or something. They were non-factors to say the least. When the 2nd kicked off it was Doriath this time who wanted to control the action and pace. It was actually becoming a problem, as Doriath looked ready to take the lead again and it was causing Morgoth fits. He had Turin, Beleg, and Hurin marked fairly well, but there was no answer for Eol who was a master of the mid-field today. It appeared Morgoth decided they better try to disrupt and slow down Doriath's attack by giving up a free kick. As a few meters outside Angband's penalty, Thuringwethil suddenly latched onto Eol's waste and brought him down. It was a clear yellow, and free kick to Doriath. Turin was walking up to take it, which meant there was no debate about it, Doriath was planning to take the lead right now on this kick. Morgoth thought, come up with a stop here and they would have weathered Doriath's attack. Turin was an expert at free kicks, but in these pressure situations before, many said the ugly curse of Morgoth on Hurin would rear it's head. Hurin grabbed his son's shoulder firmly and what was spoken would never be known. Turin just nodded and kept his eyes down. Ungoliant had the defense lined the way she wanted, believing all possible scoring angles were cut off. It would take the greatest of strikes to score. That's exactly what the Amon Hen crowd witnessed, the greatest of strikes! Well, to call it 'greatest,' might be called being a prisoner of the moment, but it was certainly a spectacle to behold. The ball was lined low, and at the last moment curved away from Ungoliant's reach. 2-1 DORIATH! Everyone on Doriath mobbed Turin who looked both relieved and over joyed. Morgoth was barking furiously at Ungoliant and Ungoliant was responding in like. The unlight and poison was spewing out from her monstrous form (after there was a permanent ugly black mark on the pitch where Ungoliant had stood). The Balrogs had to separate the two players before anything else happened. Meanwhile, Melian was kindly reminding her team to remember what happened, Angband would be thundering forward, so be prepared. And indeed Melian was right, Angband was on them again in full force, and Angband was still skilled enough to not turn the ball over to allow Doriath to counter. Hurin seeing though that Melkor was on the verge of becoming a loose cannon, and Doriath needing a stop before Angband became equal again, gave as hard of a flying shoulder to Morgoth's stomach that he could muster. It was again a yellow, and again Morgoth was fuming, not so much that he was in anyway hurt or that it was a clear cheap shot, but that a pathetic mortal had actually dared challenge him. So, Morgoth was ready to take a free kick and maybe trying too much to be the star, and to show that it's his boot that is greater than Turin's, he blasted the kick towards goal. It was certainly well-hit and it probably would have beaten any lesser keeper. But it wasn't as well-placed as Turin's and we're talking about Huan here. The great hound stopped it dead. Hurin's ploy had worked as Morgoth was blinded by wrath. Too slow to spot where Hurin was, as Hurin was already racing down field with several other Doriath's stars on a counter. The Balrogs burst into a new flame to try to scare Beleg, Eol, and Hurin all rushing in on goal. But as Hurin's words rang true "We would not be intimidated," it was no surprise to see Eol and Hurin in the action yet again. This time it was Hurin's turn to get on the sheet as he split between the two Balrogs and led by Eol, Hurin pounded it passed the spider who conceded her 3rd goal of the match. With the 2 goal lead, Melian was confident with a united team effort they could hold with 11 minutes to go. Morgoth was determined not to go down in this embarassing fashion, as this time it looked like the Nirnaeth Arnoediad on the pitch. It was a battle, but Morgoth could do nothing to narrow the defecit. Doriath would hold onto a hard fought, but convincing 3-1 victory. Many Angband supporters after were just waiting for what Morgoth had to say about this match. For the 2nd straight year he came up 1 game short of the championship. But this time, there was no beating around the bushes, Ancalagon and Tilion had disappeared completely. What would Morgoth do about them and what would he do about Ungoliant? As the two were looking like they could murder eachother after the game and Ungoliant did not return to the locker rooms with the rest of the Angband team. The Doriath fans mocked she scurried back to whatever dark hole she spawned out of in shame. They were merry and the true celebration would begin. Behind their great leaders Elwe and Melian. Joined with their greater heroes Beren and Luthien, Huan and Carcharoth. Their captain Mablung, and Beleg, Hurin, and Turin. Even the withdrawn Eol was seen in the mass of Doriath fans on the field, receiving handshakes, hugs, and praises. These great ones in the history of Arda were onto the championship and their fans had no doubts they would dispatch the odd wolves with ease. How could they not? This team was destined for the greatest of glories. Angband 1-3 Doriath tot shots 14-13 on target 5-6 GOALS: *27, 0-1 Beleg (Eol) *35, 1-1 Thuringwethil (Balrog #1) *68, 1-2 Turin *79, 1-3 Hurin (Eol) YELLOW CARDS: *Angband- Balrog #3, Thuringwethil *Doriath- Luthien, Hurin, Carcharoth
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Fenris Penguin
Last edited by Boromir88; 08-04-2011 at 09:51 AM. |
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08-04-2011, 01:27 PM
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#14 |
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The Sweetest Spoiler
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: from beneath you it giggles incessantly
Posts: 5,789
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
You have got to be kidding, right? Right? 
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"My heart always cowers behind the defense of my wit." Friendship is two pals munching on a well-cooked face together. Fenris bookworm.
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09-01-2011, 08:43 PM
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#15 |
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Laconic Loreman
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 7,521
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A look back
2011 Arda Cup in Review
BoroLXXXVIII, Two Towers Network Well, we are aware it's been a while since Doriath steamrolled their way through the Championship (+20 goal differential...Inconceivable!), but decided to have a look back at some of the highlights (and lowlights) in 2011. We were planning on doing final power rankings, but seeing as there is not much disagreement with ArdaCup.com's ranks, there was no point to be redundant. So, what we have done as we take "a look back" is note some of this year's disappointments, and teams we believe are on the rise to better fortunes, as well as those falling from the pinnacle. The polarity of the Goal-keeping. This was something peculiar about 2011. Never before have we seen GKs rise to the level of Elrond or Huan (plus a handful of others in the mid to low-80% saves). However, never before have we seen such an atrocious display of "the rest." 8 of 32 teams had goalies with a save% of 60% or below. And over half the teams (17) had GKs with a save% of below 70%. It was feast of famine this year for most teams and one of the most important positions, goal keeper. The poor quality of the Gondor teams. It was a bad year for any loyal Gondorian. Minas Tirith and Gondor only finished with 1 pt. each and both were last in their groups. Plus, it's not like they played in any of the insurmountable groups of death. Both Gondor teams attempted to ally with their Rohirric friends, but that experiment failed. Despite having a strong bond of friendship, Gondor and Rohan's playing styles are too different to mesh together. Gondor's legendary Steward defenders know how to defend in times of trouble. And Gondor will look to wear you down with mistake free football. Rohan on the other hand likes to run up and down the pitch, and count on their tireless horses in defense to do just enough to get in the way. The attempt to fuse the two styles together backfired. I would not be surprised to see at least Eorl and Eomer return to Rohan (possibly Eowyn), and Gondor should make a heavy push to bring back the talents of Aragorn and Boromir II. *We will also make brief mention here of our disappointment with the way Valinor handled hosting their games. You would think the Valar would have their act and organization together better than most, as Aman could be a beautiful venue to host games. Instead the planning committees every year have a laundry list of allegations of corruption and foul play. Either the Blessed Realm gets it's act together or we would like to see strict punishments levied against Manwe and the Valar. But who would have the authority to enforce such punishment? Stocks Rising and Falling For this part, we will look ahead and try to project teams who are going to be on the rise, or decline, in 2012. A few clarifications first. To qualify as being a team on the rise/decline, we're not looking for simply improved performance, but a marked and visible improvement. For instance, we find it hard to believe Esgaroth could get any worse than they showed this year (I guess if their only change was to sell Girion and bring in Oin?) Esgaroth has to be better than 2011, they really can't get worse. However, they would need a complete overhaul in personel to show any sign of significant improvement. So, when putting this together section together, I am looking at teams who will make the jump from eliminated in group play to the playoffs (and possibly further in the playoffs) or teams who made it to the playoffs this year, but will drop out in 2012 due to their stocks falling. Let's begin on the brighter side with a few teams we anticipate to be on the rise: 5. Hithlum: This will depend on if Celegorm and Curufin decide to stay. If they do, I can't see how these skilled sons of Feanor will miss out on the playoffs for 2 straight tournaments. The reason Hithlum didn't advance was a tough draw, with Angband and Anfauglith, and their defenses were awful. We don't expect Celegorm and Curufin will stick around if Hador wants to move them back on defense. However, Hador has shown a willingness to do whatever it takes to field a solid team. Hador's been a solid defender for Hithlum in the past, don't be surprised if he comes back to shore up the defense and maybe replace Imlach with a much better keeper. Thus keeping Celegorm and Curufin happy as the FWs. 4. Eriador: After a surprising quarter finals appearance in 2010, 2011 was a big disappointment for Arvedui's team. However, we expect the core players (Arvedui, obviously, and Araphor) to stick around. The gamble with the troll defenders failed, but we are curious to what Arvedui hinted at after Eriador's elimination in group play. He's wanted to put something to work the past few years, but didn't have the budget to pull it off. Do they for 2012? And what could that be? Needless to say TTN is intrigued, because I feel, after Minas Morgul's lackluster showing, we might be seeing The Witch-King (and maybe some of his fellow Nazgul's) back on top the great Watch Tower? Hmmm... 3. Himring: Kind of similar to Hithlum's situation, we just can't see Maedhras and Fingon being kept out of the playoffs for 2 straight years. They are too good of talents to be kept out back-to-back cups. Also, the two friends are committed to staying together to create a true contender. With more time, expect Maedhros and Fingon to be hard at work bringing in better defensive stars than the alliance of the Faithful and Treacherous men they had this year. 2. Numenor: This team more or less formed without even trying to form. These cast-off Numenoreans were waiting for Elros or Ar-Pharazon, but they hadn't known that Elros had secretly formed the super-power Westernessed team. The Numenorean nation may realize they are strongest when they're all together. Despite this accidental formation of team Numenor this year, they to no surprise put together a stingy defense. Clearly they will need strikers. And maybe with Westernesse falling short of their goal this year, we see Ar-Pharazon and/or Elros return to Numenor. This will provide a proven leader, and striker, to a Numenor team that desperately lacked them this year. 1. Nargothrond: Nargothrond's been on the decline for several years, but TTN believes they truly hit rock bottom this year. Normally they were the toughest of opponents, grinding out hard fought 1-goal victories. The past couple years, they've lost the 1-goal games and were simply overrun this year by some pretty mediocre teams. Don't worry Master Felagund, your Nargothrondians will be back and stronger than ever. Especially with Finduilas having the humility to know she made a mistake taking over the team, expect the ancient leaders, Finrod and Orodreth, to return, restoring the roar back to Nargothrond. Now the teams with falling stocks: 5. Gondolin: We're starting off with Gondolin and it may be a surprise, because Gondolin finished 25th this year. How can they get worse, right? Well, they might finish higher in the overall standings in 2012, but honestly I can't see this team (as is) competing to make the playoffs. The truth of the matter is, Gondolin was in a ridiculously difficult group, and true Turgon had aligned a much depleted team from Gondolin's 2010 Arda Cup winning team. Problem is, Gondolin appears to be panicking and laying all the blame on Turgon. Turgon could be forced out of Gondolin and that, in my opinion, is a big mistake. You had a down year, Gondolin fans, that's not a reason to panic and burn the bridge with your leader, Turgon. 4. Pelori: I think Pelori's maxed out, they've gone as far as they can go with Manwe's style, and that was only good enough for 4th place. With the recent dissensions of Tulkas (going off to form Valinor) and Aule (Tirion) plus the less publicized split with Ulmo, I don't see Pelori being able to hold together. Since Manwe likes visions, I'll give him a TTN envision. The Valar continue to break apart in attempts of indirectly rebelling against Manwe. 3. Misty Mountains: Sort of like Pelori, I just think the Misty Mountains has gone as far as they're going to go. Caradhras was a pleasant addition and will likely stick around. It solved Misty Mountains goal-keeping problems, when they had The Watcher, between the posts. But what will happen with Saruman and Durin's Bane? Do they plan to stick around and maybe add another goal-scorer to help the Misty Mountains progress further? I don't think so. 2. Lothlorien: Lothlorien will probably make one of the bigger drops, because I have no doubts Feanor will be gone. Feanor never sticks around in one place for more than a year. Wherever Feanor goes, the team he goes on improves. The team he leaves from declines. The more wealthy Noldor teams, like Tirion, can in some ways make up for the void left by Feanor. However, you'll note Tirion declined in 2011. So, what's going to happen to Lothlorien who never made the playoffs before Feanor arrived? Add on top of that Galadriel will never surrender power over her Guarded Realm. They should be a stout defensive team again, but their offense is going to go in the gutters. 1. Doriath: Same reasons as Lothlorien, they're going to lose too much when they lose Turin. Turin never stays in one place for more than a year either, and his asking price is rumored to be extremely high. Thingol emptied the bank to put all of his eggs into this years basket. It worked, but TTN expects the championship players to be wanting too much money to stay together again. Turin will go, and surely that means Hurin will follow, along with Beleg. That's a lot of talent to lose and have to replace. We can know this will happen with 90% certainty. Thingol and Melian will also likely stay together, those two are inseperable. But how far has Doriath gone with those two alone? So the trickier question becomes what will happen to Eol, Beren, Luthien, Mablung, Carcharoth and Huan? If that core can be afforded than Doriath will still be able to field quite a strong and dangerous team. Although, we must say that we can't see all of those players coming back. Perhaps Thingol can keep Beren, Luthien and Mablung. But doubtful with regards to Eol, Carcharoth and Huan.
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Fenris Penguin
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