Arda Cup Football 2013

[Nogrod]

A great host of Noldorian and Teleri-elves travelled to their neighbouring city of Valmar to witness the game between their team Tirion against hosts Real Valinor – even if the other Tirion-based team FC Valinor would be playing at home. But there sure were enough elves to fill the stadium at Tirion upon Túna as well.

It was clear the home team was the favourite of the crowds – as well as betting agencies. Fex. every bet made on the Barrow-Downs had Real Valinor (and FC Valinor) to qualify from the first qualifying games. But the supporters of Tirion were not that easily discouraged: their team had left Ulmo’s The Sea behind them in the group phase and played even with the mighty Nargothrond – and in the friendlies they had drawn with Melkor’s Angband and won Gondolin quite confidently. Sure Real Valinor was one of the hot teams but who could beat them if not Tirion?

And that was exactly what nagged the supporters of Real Valinor deep inside them… who could beat them if not Tirion? Well FC Valinor was a monkey on their shoulder looming heavy but it would be the next round only, they said to themselves. Surely, it was no walk in the park for Real Valinor from now on. What encouraged the fans though was the thought that if they got through from the next few matches (if they got through the next two they’d most probably meet nothnig less than AC Beleriand!) they would be so strong as to be more or less invincible – for who could claim as tough a schedual than them – and every win would make them stronger! They just had to win some real big games before that – and game one was now about to begin.

Tulkas’ Court was filled to the last seat and the standing areas were packed to their full capacity. The crowds consisted mainly of elves with some Maiar and Valar attending – the few Balrogs were easy to spot from the crowds while the men of the first age blended in the general athmosphere a lot better – and nobody probably noticed the handful of hobbits but the ticket-office.

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And what a game it was!

Many in the audience anticipated the home-team to dominate the game – after all they had drawn 2-2 with FC Valinor and beaten Manwë’s Valimar 3-1 in the friendlies – not to talk of them bathing the mighty Hithlum 3-1 and Elwë’s Doriath 2-0. But facing a strong elven defence and aggressive attack it proved to be as hard for Real Valinor the Tirion fans had hoped for – and Real fans had feared of.

The three sons of Fëanor proved especially hard to get by for their mom and grandmom – giving hard times to Oromë as well with their solid power. On the other end Finwë and Aredhel made Nahar and Nienna to run for their money and stature while Mahtan forced Tilion to stay alert downstairs efficiently denying him chances of making any daring runs forwards to support the attack.

The game was pretty even for a long time with both teams making a good effort but being denied by the solid defences of the other. Towards the end of the first half Tirion started to gain something like an upperhand of the game and was able to flow a few dangerous attacks against Real Valinor’s defence.

At 40 minutes Tulkas was barely able to tip Aredhel’s close effort off the post and a few minures later Finwë’s mighty boomer from twenty meters went just inches over the crossbar. So to the embarrasment of the hometeam fans the game was not only even in numbers come halftime, but it was also feeling like Tirion was slowly calling the shots.


But the home team came to the second half with a fury – and the crowds went crazy! Real Valinor had been somewhat passive on the first half but now they came to the game with full energy – and the sons of Fëanor had their hands full in the defence when Real Valinor unleashed their attack, this time led by Oromë himself. Tulkas was leading the game from behind and Nessa was was calling the shots behind the attack – in good understanding with her brother up front. But that didn’t mean Nerdanel or Miriel would have fallen back to be mere statists – on the contrary; with their deep runs inside the Tirion defences they were a constant threat.

At 58 minutes Nerdanel missed a header from just a few meters in front of an empty goal being forced to make it from an unbalanced position. Two minutes later Finarfin showed some real master-class goaltending reaching for the cannon Oromë fired from the corner of the box gluing the ball to his gloves from the top left corner of the goal when the crowds were already standing up to cheer for a goal.

But as it so often happens in football, when a team is not able to use their initiative succesfully to score the opponent strikes from behind the corner…
Tirion had a few quality counter-offences while Real Valinor was running over their defences – and at the 70th minute Rumil was actually able to send Finwë into a break-through. Facing Tulkas alone he sped towards him – and Tulkas leaped towards Finwë… just before the evident clash Finwë leaned heavily to the left like he was going to duck Tulkas that way – and Tulkas followed him. Just before losing the control of the ball Finwë gave it a nudge with the tip of his boot – and the precision of his timing was just astonishing! Tulkas had just given up his balance to rush on him when he chipped the ball from between Tulkas’ legs and while being buried under the mighty Vala the ball rolled into the goal!

Tirion was in the lead!

It was clear Real Valinor had to put even more effort in to their attack – and that opened new chances for Tirion as well – and Tirion was not going to play a second fiddle anyway, but actually rolled some definitive attacks towards Real’s defences every time they had a chance. It was fingernail-biting time for the crowds on both sides…

At 78th minute Miriel hammered a mighty volley from the edge of the box only to be denied by the post.

At 83rd minute Aredhel slided a nice centering by Rumil just inches off the post.

At 85th minute Finwë missed a nice header from the close quarters and it went high up.

At 87th minute Nessa gave a corner and Oromë dived to head it… IN! It was a goal!

Real Valinor had evened the game three minutes before the final whistle! The homecrowds went wild with celebration while the Tirion fans were forced to realise the game had just started anew – just as they had started to feel good that their team was going forwards from this game…

It was overtime then. Half an hour overtime and if that wouldn’t make a difference, then it would be a penalty shoot-out. The stakes were high indeed.
With the “sudden death” rule both teams started the overtime quite carefully as a single mistake might prove the downfall of the whole team. But little by little it started to look like Tiron was more satisfied of the two to the way things were and Real Valinor was starting to show clearly as the team more hungry for a win – and those little differences accumulated into sharper and weaker performance in the field.

And it was a tactical misjudgement that made the difference in the end – and why there was no penalty shoot-out. The sons of Fëanor thought Oromë to be their primary threat after his goal and Nessa was their target number two because of the role she had organizing the offence – but you only disregard Nerdanel and Miriel on your own expense…

So leaving only half of Amrod’s energy to play against his grandma while looking more after Oromë was the error number one as Miriel took away from her overcoat quite easily. But leaving Irimë to play against Nerdanel alone was just a disaster. Outpacing her shadow Nerdanel had no problem to head in the millimeter exact pass by Miriel leaving Irimë’s brother Finarfin no chance to save it.

It was just six minutes from a penalty shoot-out that Real Valinor nailed the game.

Tirion had showed that with a tight elven defence Real Valinor’s offence could be brought into a halt and with a quality offence they could be scored against – but Real Valinor just showed the width of their offence: if you take Oromë and Nessa out Miriel and Nerdanel will score in the end – and if you take the ladies out the Valar will score.


Tirion 1-2 Real Valinor (OT)
on target 6-6
tot shots 16-16
GOALS:
*70, 1-0 Finwe (Rumil)
*87, 1-1 Orome (Nessa)
*24, 2-1 Nerdanel (Miriel)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Tirion- Amrod, Mahtan
*RealV- Nahar


Real Valinor goes through to the quarterfinals.

[Nogrod]

Tirion upon Túna was not exactly bursting with visitors even if this was one of the few chances for anyone from the Middle-Earth to make a trip to the Sacred Lands. And the reason was obvious: despite the “open seas” policy publicly announced by the Valar there were not that many ships to offer the crossing after the group stage – and there had been these rumours of tighter rules at Tirion which scared even some more peaceful travellers – especially as the games could be seen through the Palantir Network all around the Middle-Earth anyway.

But the locals really filled the stadium. Even with the strongest supporters of team Tirion away to watch the game of Tirion vs. Real Valinor at Valmar there were hosts of elves willing to see their “team of the town” FC Valinor to face the Middle-Earthians. And they were pretty confident FC Valinor would make it through easily against these oddballs from the far away ME where everything was minor in every way.

Even with the scarcity of transport there was a strong contingent of Misty Mountains supporters at the stadium in the end – fenced off from the rest of the crowds into the one end of the stadium. But with their enthusiasm and numbers of some seven to eight-thousand they were able to make a difference to the mood of the stadium forcing the locals to sing and shout not to be overpowered by the small but loud group of fans of the visiting team.

The goblins were the most numerous of the guests, then came the dwarves, wolves and trolls. There were also a few of the creatures of the deep old times and some Balrogs in the crowds – as well as a clearly visible host of Great Eagles who – even if they were there markedly also on a security mission - were supporting either team, so some of them clearly supported the visiting team.


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

The game itself wasn’t exactly something you would tell legends about to your grandchildren.

Misty Mountains started the game bravely trying to make a game and Durin’s Bane created some real trouble in the FC Valinor downstairs forcing Eönwë and Thorondor to play it for real at the first ten minutes – but other than that the Misty Mountains offence was kept at bay with what seemed like a half-hearted effort. Now you ask how about Azog? Well Maglor held him with a decimal effort compared to holding the Gap of Maglor against Melkor…

Misty Mountains soon learned they had nothing to throw at FC Valinor but some long shots hoping for the best. But even that realiztion was preceded by a goal by the home team.

FC Valinor started the game with an easy pace just to get the hang of their opponent – and finding it lacking any decent threat they tried a few offences of which the second brought results already at 18 minutes. After William’s late tackle on Curufin he took the free kick himself targetting his brother running timely to the corner of the goal and heading the ball in comfortably behind the Chief Wolf like fooling a pet – well with Celegorm you’d figure he’d know something about the canine creatures and their ways…

The goal was something of an anticlimax to the game as the Misty Mountains seemed to draw back in fear of a bad beating but FC Valinor didn’t seem too enthusiastic to press on either as it seemed they had the game sovereignly under control – as they had.

And so it went that even without any real effort FC Valinor scored another goal before halftime when Curufin broke free from the box with a genius cross-pass by Yavanna and booted the ball in from in front of the Chief Wolf.

The game seemed over at the half time.

Misty Mountains came to the second half with an effort but was shut down the tighter the more they tried – and they soon gave away the game for good. FC Valinor was just a level too hard an opponent for them. Leading 2-0 FC Valinor had no reason to press either but took the second half of the game as a nice pressure and passing practise.

In the end it was not only the visiting fans who were discontent but also the homecrowds started booing towards the end as they wished to see goals and to feel some excitement. But FC Valinor knew they had a few levels stronger opponent to face on their next game and were not willing to exhaust themselves in this game that was a walk-through for them – and thus resisting the calls of their supporters they were content to just pass the ball around and keep Misty Mts. at bay when they tried to attack.

Finally the referee whistled the game to end. 2-0 was a result flattering the visiting team – the home team clearly was not interested in trying to win more.

Although, and to be fair, one reason for the low numbers would also be in the fact that even if there was a wide gap between the the team’s qualities the defence of the Misty Mts. with Caradhras, Gwaihir and Watcher was tougher FC Valinor might wish to admit: getting past them would have required some work and a tougher effort which FC Valinor was not willing (or able) to make this evening after they made their two goals securing their lead.


Misty Mts 0-2 FC Valinor
on target 3-6
tot shots 8-13
GOALS:
*18, 0-1 Celegorm (Curufin)
*45, 0-2 Curufin (Yavanna)
YELLOW CARDS:
*MMts- William, GreatGoblin, Watcher
*FCVal- Eonwe, Indis


FC Valinor goes through to the quarterfinals.

[the phantom]

Many were lamenting the fact that Angband and AC Beleriand were forced to play in the first round—particularly fans that were fearful their team would lose. Though nearly all of them expressed confidence in their side in surveys and the like, it was safe to say that half of them were consumed with private doubts. And how could they not be looking at what they were facing?

Angband had the quickness of Oikeroi and Telvildo supporting thundering strikes, intimidating size and aerial speed of Ancalagon, while they defended with the reflexes of Umuiyan, the size and power of a Balrog, and no less than Morgoth himself. On the other side was the quick creativity and ball skills of Eol and Feanor supported by the sons of Finarfin, and their defense featured a Balrog of their own, as well as the swift-hoofed Rochallor and the leadership and valor of Fingolfin.

MESPN head football analyst Philip McPhantom had this to say: “Without even thinking about it I’d pick either of these squads to defeat half of the teams in the playoffs, and there’s no team I wouldn’t give them a good chance against. Both of these two have championship potential, there’s no doubt.”

But one of these squads would have a short stay in the tournament, leaving with disappointed fans and some big bills to pay off. And everyone knew that these two wanted to win very badly, not just for themselves, but to send the other squad packing. What else could anyone expect when it was Morgoth versus Feanor—forever foes on and off the field…

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

The area at the southern end of Lake Mithrim was well prepared to host the first round of the playoffs—they’d been preparing since the groups were announced after all. Some thought it was the height of arrogance, but more level heads recognized it as a good bet that had paid off. AC Beleriand was the heavy favorite to win their group, thus there was a good chance they’d be hosting in the first round.

The locals were mostly Elves, and though only some were former followers of Feanor, all were happy to have his team based there, as it brought in money when they used the practice facilities and updated the arena, and of course when they earned home games. The stadium had at one time been more famous—back when Feanor first arrived in Middle Earth he and his sons set up shop there briefly and even won the historic North League a couple times (and the Champion’s League to boot). But eventually they left and though Fingolfin’s Noldor kept things going for a while, in the end all the big stars moved on to other locations—Eithel Sirion, Tol Sirion, Himring, Gondolin, etc., and the stadium fell into disrepair, and eventually parts of it were demolished (empty seats were bad to look at) or converted—the upper west-side was sectioned off by walls and became a theater.

But since AC Beleriand had headquartered themselves at North Mithrim the arena had reclaimed the lost seats the previous season, and in the off-season they restored the top sections of the north and south sides, pushing the capacity close to 60,000. There were already plans in the works to rebuild the eastern end of the stadium in the next offseason, but as it was the stadium resembled a horse-shoe which was mostly open on the east side.

The field itself was a subject of great controversy, as Feanor and his helpers had installed an improved version of the same sort of play surface that he used of old in his underground arena at Foremenos (as many know the surface was eventually outlawed by The Blessed League & thus replaced with a more natural-feeling turf). Many objected to the new surface at Mithrim, saying that football was “meant to be played on grass”. Feanor, however, scoffed at the idea. “It is traditionally played on grass, yes, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be played on other surfaces, nor does it mean that grass is inherently superior merely because it was used first. I mean—this isn’t the year zero any more! The field we installed here gives a more consistent and true bounce across the entire field and provides surer and more consistent footing for the players as well.”

The entire field was essentially a thin layer of somewhat rubbery padding over top of perfectly flat and polished stone. Cleats were not worn, as there was nothing to dig into. Instead relatively flat-bottomed shoes were used, and if players were smart they also had material around their elbows and knees to protect against burn-marks from hard skids. And of course it was this exact factor that many objected to—one simply could not slide on the Mithrim field. It had just a bit too much grip for it.

MESPN head football analyst Philip McPhantom had this to say of the surface: “It favors folks with quick feet, plain and simple. You can’t get away with sliding into folks to stop them, but rather a defender just needs to stay upright and try to stay in front of the attacker and deflect any attempt to move or pass past them. Also, accuracy on passes and the like is more obvious as the bounces are quite consistent, and spin on the ball can really make a difference on the hop, thus those with a very deft touch can execute passes here that they couldn’t on another surface. All in all I’d say it would favor AC Beleriand against most competition, but the Werecats of Angband will probably find it to their liking as well. In this matchup the advantage is probably negligible.”

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

Folks had turned up in huge numbers to witness the first round clash of the titans, and naturally many had not been able to snag tickets. The stadium support was about 80% for ACBel, but outside the stadium the crowds were roughly even with Angband so close in proximity. The locals weren’t that pleased to see Angband as the opponent as it upped the chances of vandalism, so they were taking precautions with large numbers of neighborhood patrol groups, and in fact some of the residential areas were entirely blocked off, and to enter one had to show proof of residency or have someone with proof of residency stake a guest-claim.

When the sun ducked below the edge of the arena the teams made their way out for their final warm-ups. The stadium was already filled to the brink and folks were even gathered on the tops of high nearby buildings to get a look in at the match. Feanor and ACBel looked quiet and focused, while Angband glared at their opponents and at the crowd constantly and made an occasional violent gesture (either to rile up the opposition or just to pump themselves up). Soon warm-ups were done and the ref was setting the ball, and with a swell of shouting from the crowd the game was under way!

The folks there to see a quality contest were definitely not disappointed. The tricky dribbles of the skill players had the crowd oohing and aahing, but the stout defenses could not be penetrated with just one good move, or even two. Help came to the right places at the right time, and when a defender was temporarily on an island and needed to stop, he somehow always came through well enough to keep the scoreboard untouched.

It was past 20 minutes when a keeper was finally forced to make a save—Carcharoth expertly batted away a one-timer from Aegnor after Feanor deftly passed him open. Fans from both sides applauded, for the ACBel fans were pleased their side was now threatening, while the Angband fans were pleased Carcharoth was on his game (they knew he’d have to make a couple saves to win this).

It appeared as time moved along that ACBel was gaining the upper hand, penetrating deeper into the offensive zone and only barely missing opportunities for attacks on quality crosses and the like. Angband seemed to be on their heels. But the game can change quickly, and so it did on this evening. Angrod found things entirely shut down on his side and he sent a ball back to Fingolfin to reset things and gain some space, but the pass was a little low and left and Ulrad believed he was the intended target as he could not see Fingolfin closing from 20 yards behind him and a bit to his side.

Ulrad took two quick and frantic steps back and left and leaped up to bring the pass down to his feet, as he was afraid if it got past they would lose possession or worse, that it would lead to a dangerous break-away. And in fact his efforts led to exactly what he feared, as the ball got a bit away from him, and Oikeroi pounced on it in a flash and played a brilliant pass forward, slicing across the back and bottom of the ball so that it lofted perfectly over Fingolfin and the Balrog but then bounced fairly sharply sideways before reaching Imlach and Rochallor. It fell directly to where Ancalagon was winging his way upfield, and the dragon in one fluid movement landed already in rotation and boomed a spinning tail-shot from the high point of the bounce.

The defenders had no chance of getting in the way of the high-flying rocket, and it snuck in just below the crossbar on the far right side and Marach’s best leap wasn’t nearly enough to be in time. Angband was on top!

The Angband fans went nuts, and it almost sounded like it was a home game for them. They had seldom been this loud before, and it’s easy to see why they were so excited with the lead against their bitter foes. They had a chance to oust Feanor and Fingolfin in the round of sixteen! The Elves grimaced and some put their hands over their ears, as they simply could not stomach the cruelty of the well-known game-ditty the Orcs launched into, which was first heard in the violent days of the first age…
“Come play our team lads and soon you’ll know harm,
Your posts will seem far apart like Gelmir’s arms,
Your offense soon shackled like Maedhros’ wrist,
All realms we have bested & you’re next on the list,
Gondolin Nargothrond where did you go?
Wiped clean away by superior foe!
…

And that snippet is perhaps the cleanest and least harsh bit of the whole.

Meanwhile it was decision time on the field, and Feanor and Fingolfin were discussing options. Of course ACBel needed a goal more now than ever, but both brothers were hesitant to increase the emphasis on their attack, as Angband preferred the defense-first approach anyway and had quite a good counter-attacking game (well of course with Ancalagon on the field). The risk of suddenly falling behind by two goals was judged to be too great a risk, and thus ACBel maintained course—after all they had appeared to be gaining ground before Angband’s quick strike.

But ACBel soon found they no longer held the upper hand. Their confidence and energy high and focused clearly on the task, Angband’s level of play was definitely higher, and things were quite even, and it was really a toss-up as to which team would score next. At 37 minutes Feanor got his first quality look, as he managed to outmaneuver both Umuiyan and the Balrog and gain a quick snipe, but again Carcharoth was on top of things. At minute 41 it was Angband’s turn, as once again Oikeroi fed it to Ancalagon up high, but this time he was a bit farther out and Marach managed a tough save—the ball curved wickedly at the end and nearly got in.

Finally it was halftime, and the Elves felt a good deal of relief. Morgoth may be a good tactician, but they had faith in Feanor and Fingolfin’s ability to come up with something during the break, whereas they figured the longer Angband had the one-goal lead the more they’d withdraw and defend, and if ACBel was allowed to bring its full offense to bear then surely they’d get the equalizer.

The half opened and Angband attacked with fury, but Feanor and Fingolfin had bet Morgoth would do exactly that and were prepared, and they very nearly got loose on the break going the other direction (Aegnor’s shot was just a bit tall). Upset that his gamble had been sniffed out and snuffed, Morgoth fell back to defend more strictly than in the first half. This too was what ACBel expected, and they wasted no time in applying full pressure, with Fingolfin and the Balrog charging forward in support, and the defenders had to be aware of them and position themselves appropriately between them and the goal, for both of them had strong legs from distance.

Finally at minute 59 ACBel came through with the goods! Fingolfin had it on his toe and while folks were concerned with him Angrod found some space left and forward and Fingolfin found him quickly, and while the pass was on the move so were the other attackers, and Angrod instead of receiving it just deflected it on to Eol who wrong-footed Ulwarth and skidded it low past Carcharoth, and the diving Umuiyan couldn’t catch it in time. The game was beautifully level!

Both sides appeared to get jittery and nervous after that—perhaps not certain what course of action would prove best, or perhaps just petrified by the high stakes. But doubtless nearly everyone was having a bit of trouble holding onto the ball, and passes went a bit awry and decisions weren’t quick. It was obvious many of the players just had too much on the mind—that always leads to slow decision making. Feanor and Ancalagon though seemed unaffected, and both quite obviously wanted their side to just feed them. Both tried, but with possession so spotty the only way to get it to them was long balls, and while both of them managed to haul in a couple they were unable to break through the teeth of the defense.

As the time ticked through the 80s both sides started to pull back, apparently content to reorganize before overtime, and just wanting to make another go of it then. But at 85 minutes Angband went all forward, and initially things looked promising, but suddenly Angrod dashed in front of an Ulfast pass and went the other way with it. Aegnor was with him and Eol and Feanor were out at the sides and Angband rushed to recover. Angrod sent it to Eol, he sent it to Aegnor who immediately tipped it on to Angrod. Angrod had half a step on the Balrog who was trying to harass him (their hands were at war, gripping jerseys and trying to bat the other arm aside). Suddenly due to a bit of a stiff-arm jab he had separation, and he boomed it at the goal!

There was a dark blur and the ball was rebounding back out towards midfield. The terrible speed of Ancalagon in full flight left the ACBel fans groaning—he had winged his way from the other end in time to get in the way! A few immediately shouted that he’d illegally blocked the goal with his wings, but the replays proved those with sharper eyes correct—he had met it cleanly with the side of the spikes that ran up the back of his neck.

But ACBel had come too close to be comfortable, and Morgoth knew he’d been fortunate that Ancalagon had spotted the development early and chosen to rush after it as opposed to waiting to attack again (not to mention he wasn’t too deep into the offensive zone to begin with as he was preparing to make a dash). Morgoth called all the troops back, and in the closing minutes ACBel tried for another chance, and they did force Carcharoth to catch one, but it was too distant and floaty an effort to give him trouble.

As the teams prepared for overtime, the excitement in the stands mounted. Fans could be heard commenting, “This is the clash of heavy-weights we were promised!” But of course given who the foe was they’d rather have the match over and in the win column, but at the same time, perhaps they’d enjoy the win more if it was a nail-biting historic win that catapulted them on to an Arda Cup championship. “If they get through this one then there’s no need for them to lose after!” was heard from supporters of both clubs.

As overtime got started both teams appeared to be feeling the other out, and there was no sudden rush by either side. Most of the commentators believed that Morgoth was fine with things going to a shoot-out, but MESPN’s Ruharg disagreed on the broadcast. “I do think that Carcharoth would have an advantage, but when you stack up the shooters then the option doesn’t look so good. With the accuracy and experience combined with solid shot-power you figure Feanor and Eol will be money. Morgoth and Ancalagon are a very solid 1-2 as well, but I’d give the edge the other way in a shootout. Then for option 3 they could both toss a Balrog out there so that’s a wash, but then there’s number 4, where I’d give an edge to Fingolfin over Telvildo. After that it’d be the sons of Finarfin against the two cats—a close contest but maybe a slight edge for ACBel yet again. And if it happens to go past that Marach has got quite a nice shot, and he’d definitely have the edge against any from Angband. Frankly I think the shootout is too risky. Morgoth will want to end it with a counter or set piece during the 30 minutes.”

And Ruharg must’ve indeed had a flash of insight, for his words rang true. After settling in Angband looked very conservative but then launched a full rush on a possession change at 8 minutes (but they gave it away in short order). Then at 11 minutes Telvildo clearly seemed interested more in earning a corner than working the offense as it was, and in fact he earned it. Morgoth and the Balrog tried to bully their way in and make a clear space for an Ancalagon tail shot, but Fingolfin made a strong move past Oikeroi and with a great leap got in the way of the tail’s backswing, which caused the shot to be missed badly. Fingolfin got quite a nasty cut across his shoulder from Ancalagon’s scales, but at such a tense moment he probably didn’t feel a bit of pain.

Then it was ACBel’s turn to threaten. Umuiyan found himself in close to the goal marking Feanor. Feanor bodied up on him, spreading his arms and keeping Umuiyan firmly on his back by back-pedaling. Umuiyan sensed danger and tried desperately to step around, but just as he made his step left Feanor burst forward away from him. Cursing inwardly Umuiyan took off after him, but the damage was done, as Feanor definitely had separation. And what Umuiyan couldn’t see while he was concerned with Feanor had already happened.

Aegnor had made a nice move towards the box behind Feanor and seeing what was happening he knew Feanor wanted it in front of him, but Aegnor didn’t have the angle to send it himself, so, hoping Eol had spotted it as well Aegnor skipped the ball across to Eol breaking in from the opposite side. And sure enough, Eol immediately headed it to Feanor moving forward. Angrod had the Balrog pulled to the side and Fingolfin was keeping Morgoth too nervous be down in support and Ulwarth was closer to the left post—in that split second as Eol’s pass went at Feanor it was obvious to everyone in the arena that Feanor had a free shot at the goal. For a lesser player a deflection out of midair wouldn’t be a goal in the bag, but Feanor’s touch was just other-worldly. The ball would go precisely where he wanted, end of story.

But no! He went down! Somehow someway he still managed to reposition his body mid-fall and send in a header that Carcharoth barely saved, but everyone knew he’d be getting another shot at the goal anyway. Knowing he was dead in the water, Umuiyan had made a mighty spring forward and managed with an outstretched hand to get a hold of Feanor’s trailing ankle. It was slyly done, and Umuiyan continued his motion through into making it look like he was attempting to plant all four feet for a spring in front of the ball (he was a cat creature after all and did occasionally go to all fours). The ref must’ve been unsure of exactly how Umuiyan had caused Feanor to go down, because he only showed him a yellow.

But it was a penalty awarded to Feanor nonetheless, and the Elves were high-fiving in the stands. Carcharoth was a good keeper, but this was Feanor on a penalty—the guy that could, when showing off in warm-ups, hit a chosen post ten times out of ten. The goal was as good as on the board as far as the Noldor were concerned. Sometimes the worst pain can come from having the highest confidence shattered unexpectedly, and the fans were setting themselves up for horrific disappointment… but it wouldn’t happen on this day. Feanor was flawless, and Carcharoth even guessed correctly but the ball was just too fast and too accurate, and it kissed the bottom of the crossbar as it snuck into the top right corner. ACBel had the lead back!

There was no guessing to be done about the strategy now. ACBel had to lock Angband out of their goal for 16 minutes and it would be over, while Angband would obviously be coming with every gun blazing. Morgoth led the surge forward, but to no avail. Long series of passes and sustained attack wasn’t their game—at least not against a foe such as ACBel, and they kept losing the ball. At one point Feanor sent word through Angrod and Aegnor to the defenders, and the next time the defenders got a hold of it Fingolfin called for it and immediately launched it deep and right. Clearly that’s what Feanor had asked for in his message.

With the defenders up to support the attack it was a mad dash back, and Feanor received it and darted in towards the box. Feanor made Ulwarth look like a statue with a sharp cut then held off the Balrog and darted behind him with a sneaky spin pushing the ball with his heel, and then he took a quick snipe. Morgoth came diving in from behind and just barely managed to send the ball up and off course, and though Feanor slapped his thigh in anger he quickly flashed a grin to the crowd, for he knew he had given Angband something to think about.

And sure enough, the next time Angband turned it over ACBel lofted it down to Feanor again, and though the pass wasn’t on-target enough to get to him (plus there were too many defenders around), Angband had been forced to dash back in panic, showing respect for Feanor’s abilities, and that made them just that much more tired coming forward. Indeed Ulwarth and his kin had sagging shoulders after nearly 120 minutes of chasing the Elves around, and the cats looked a bit frazzled as well. As the seconds ticked away it became obvious that the equalizer just wasn’t going to come. ACBel actually started holding the ball instead of kicking it away, and while their passes were crisp Angband just didn’t have the legs to chase the ball around.

At last overtime was run out and the ACBel players met in the middle of the field and embraced! The crowd was throwing confetti and yelling and laughing, while the Orcs and their friends were scampering out, not so much angry as they were cowed. ACBel had been a step better, and they knew it. A couple Angband players looked as if they’d shake hands briefly with the opponents, but like sheep they turned and followed Morgoth into the locker room. He was furiously glaring at the ground, determined not to observe Feanor in celebration, probably because it would infuriate him beyond all reason.

ACBel was through to the quarterfinals to play Valimar!

Angband 1-2 AC Beleriand (OT)
on target 4-7
tot shots 11-16
GOALS:
*28, 1-0 Ancalagon (Oikeroi)
*59, 1-1 Eol (Angrod)
*13, 1-2 Feanor
YELLOW CARDS:
*ACBel- Aegnor, Ulrad
*Angband- Ulfast, Morgoth, Umuiyan

MESPN Postgame Interview

MESPN: So, Morgoth, what’s the thought at the top of your mind?

Morgoth: We were so close to a title.

MESPN: But you didn’t even make the quarterfinals.

Morgoth: Any squad would have lost today. ACBel playing their best and at home—this was championship caliber, and we almost beat them.

MESPN: So you believe they will go on to take the title?

Morgoth: If they play like this, yes.

MESPN: And you believe you would’ve beat any other team today?

Morgoth: Yes.

MESPN: So despite losing some money this year you probably don’t see a need for big changes then?

Morgoth: No.

MESPN: Do you have any off-season tweaks in mind?

Morgoth: Yes. I have a very minor position swap in mind for two of my players, and I’m fairly certain an old acquaintance is wanting to come help us out next year.

MESPN: Can you give a name?

Morgoth: Well…I know it’s considered bad to sign a player with two left feet, but if they have more than enough right feet to balance it out I’d say it’s okay.

MESPN: Ah—say no more.

Morgoth: Any more questions? It need not be said that I’m not really in the mood for it.

MESPN: No, that’s fine. See you next year.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Weathertop Arena
Eriador vs Barad-dûr

The Arda Cup returns once again to the home stadium of Eriador, Weathertop Arena. Sitting on a saddle between Amon Sûl and Fortress Hill, the 95 000-capacity stadium is an engineering marvel of the Northern Kingdom, a footballing jewel of steel and glass.

There remained a few hours before kick-off, and yet Weathertop Arena was already filled to the brim, with seventy-five thousand Eriador supporters, including the famed Northern Wall supporters’ group, chanting, cheering, and banging drums. Not to be outdone, Barad-dûr sent a twenty-thousand strong contigent of Orcs, Trolls, Black Númenóreans, Haradrim, and Easterlings, all determined to make the atmosphere as favourable to Sauron as possible.

When the teams walked into the pitch, there was loud applause from most of the audience, but some wondered why the Northern Wall was quiet. Soon all eyes turned on them when, as one, they all raised a black card, turning their sections into a wall of black. A second later, some black cards were replaced with white, and on the wall of black there appeared the emblem of Elendil, seven stars and one white tree. Another second, and above the tree and the stars appeared the Arda Cup, the long-desired treasure that they came close to last year. Most of the other Eriador supporters applauded the fine choreography, and even some of the Mannish Barad-dûr supporters appreciated their display. But they believed that, while the Eriador supporters showed such co-ordination in the stands, their own team were more co-ordinated on the pitch. Eriador’s front four struggled to combine against so-so defensive teams, putting just four past their three opponents, whereas the Sauron-led front line scored the same number of goals against their opponents, which included a cup favourite in FC Valinor. With their improved defence, they could frustrate Isildur and company, and with their still-potent offence, they could surely put one past Elrond.


[Eriador in white and black; Barad-dûr in red and black.]

The first half of the game was a cagey affair, as expected of a knockout tie, when teams are more concerned with conceding a goal than scoring one. With Eriador’s three offensive midfielders marked closely by Barad-dûr’s midfielders, play remained confined mostly in the middle of the pitch. Isildur, frustrated with the lack of service he was receiving, dropped deep to receive the ball, and in his place as leader of the line moved in Glorfindel. But the Númenórean was shadowed by Pallando, and the Noldo was double-marked by Sangahyando and Alatar. Any attempts by NogWight or Arveleg to play either of them in were cleared comfortably by Fellbeast #1 or Grishnákh.

It was the same story when Barad-dûr had the ball. Since their three midfielders were marking their Eriador counterparts, none of them was free to move the ball forward when they recovered possession. Berúthiel, who was playing higher up the pitch than the other midfielders, tried to drop deeper to receive the ball from them, but Eriador’s left-back Arwen shadowed her and gave her no time to turn with the ball. The few times Barad-dûr got the ball to Sauron, he was guarded tightly by Arador and Araphant, and his attempted forward passes were intercepted or blocked before they could reach Castamir.

The only free players on either team were on the same side of the pitch: Eriador right-back Asfaloth and Barad-dûr left-back Fellbeast #2. But both were poor on the ball, easily conceding possession whenever they were closed down by the opposing midfielder on the same wing. At one point Asfaloth tried to play a one-two with Arveleg to release him behind Herumor, but his pass was a touch too heavy and it zipped past Arveleg’s feet for a throw-in.

When one recalled the metaphor of football as chess on grass, this was perhaps one of the images that comes to mind—a closed game, with pawns (midfielders) locked tightly against each other, allowing no space for either side to break through and allow the stronger pieces (forwards) to threaten the enemy’s position. The only noteworthy moment of the half came when Sauron abandoned trying to get the ball to Castamir and drove forward himself—he dribbled past Araphant with ease, but when Gil-galad stepped up to check his run, he was unable to get past the Elven-king despite his shoulder drops and step-overs, and Araphant recovered to take the ball from him.

Soon the half-time was blown. Both sets of supporters were relieved not to have conceded, but they were clearly worried about where the game’s breakthrough would come from. The two teams’ most creative outlets, Sauron and Glorfindel, were double-marked for most of the game, and none of the other players stepped up to take their place. Some Barad-dûr fans pondered whether Alatar could move forward in support of Berúthiel, outnumber Arwen on the right wing, but that would leave Glorfindel with only Sangahyando to track him. Alatar’s timing of his forward run must be perfect.

The second half had barely begun when what they had predicted came to pass—Glorfindel lost possession as he tried to make his way past his markers, and Alatar was off like a bolt down the right wing. Berúthiel moved infield, giving Arwen a horrible choice: let Alatar continue his run, or leave Berúthiel unmarked. She chose the latter option, moving out to check the Blue Wizard’s run. Alatar then laid off the ball to the open Queen of Gondor, who skipped past Arador’s sliding challenge and got into Eriador’s penalty box. She stopped when Aragorn stepped up to challenge her, but she back-heeled the ball to Sauron, who shot between Aragorn’s legs. It was a slow ball, but Elrond was unsighted by his own defender and late to make his save. However he managed to stretch enough to push the ball into the post with his fingertips. What a fine save by Elrond! And a marvellous effort by Sauron!

The first corner kick of the game happened after fifty minutes has passed. Berúthiel took it, a perfectly-taken kick that seemed to served the ball on a plate for Castamir. But Elrond got a palm on it before the Barad-dûr forward could connect with it. Elrond’s clearance fell to Aragorn, who sent the ball long to Isildur. The Eriador forward headed it into space—and there was Glorfindel to take it in stride. He dribbled past Alatar and rounded a fellbeast, but Grishnákh was there to stand as the last sentinel, covering the angles with his long arms. Glorfindel faked a shot and passed sideways to a charging NogWight. The Eriador midfielder booted the ball with all his might—over the crossbar and into the stands! The Eriador fans groaned, and NogWight struck the ground with both fists in frustration. He’d blown a clear chance in a game where they were hard to come by.

The rest of the second half resembled the first—a midfield slog where every pass forward led more to a clearance or interception than to finding a teammate’s foot. Eriador kept a lion’s share of the possession, but the biggest problem was that the players who had most time on the ball—Arveleg and NogWight—were excellent at link-up play, positioning themselves to receive a pass, finding the open teammate, and getting the ball to him, but didn’t have enough technical ability to dribble their way past a determined marker.

The second half ended with the game still scoreless. With both teams gassed out due to the chasing and pressing and movement, extra time also ended with little of note. The two teams have to be separated with penalty kicks.

Barad-dûr: 
Eriador:

Barad-dûr won the coin-flip, and they elected to shoot first. Sauron stepped up first, barely acknowledging Elrond as he placed the ball on the spot. After taking a few steps back, he charged towards the ball, then slowed down a step before taking his kick; Elrond dove hard to the right, then realised too late that Sauron was waiting for him to move. He then pinged the ball towards Elrond’s left-hand post, becoming the first player in the game to hit the back of the net.

Even some Eriador fans were impressed by Sauron’s penalty kick. They hoped that he was the best of them, and that none other of the Barad-dûr players could fool Elrond like that.

Barad-dûr: O
Eriador:

First to shoot for Eriador was Isildur. His was a fiercely-struck rising ball that clanged off the crossbar then crashed hard into the net before Grishnákh could move a muscle. Elrond shouted, ‘Isildur’, warning the striker that his shot was a risky one that could have missed the goal entirely. The son of Elendil shrugged, as if to say, ‘Well, it went in.’

Barad-dûr: O
Eriador:   O

Next up for Barad-dûr was Castamir the Usurper. Here we take time to evaluate that quality all top goalkeepers have: presence, the ability to affect a shooter’s psyche just by being there. Some goalkeepers have presence by dint of their appearance: Huan, Ungoliant, and Beor in bear form are examples of this. Elrond, on the other hand, forged his presence through reputation. He was a top-drawer shot-stopper with excellent reflexes and an uncanny ability to read plays. Most attackers who get into a one-on-one situation with him remember all this, conscious of the fact that they have only a few chances to score against him; this would sometimes cause them overthink their choices and blow their shot. This was exactly what happened to Castamir. Locking eyes with Elrond, he wondered where best to place his shot to fool him, decided to slot it to the right, then despaired as he scuffed his shot, with Elrond saving it easily.

Barad-dûr: O X
Eriador:   O

On the other hand, Grishnákh, despite his appearance, wouldn’t inspire fear in the Kings of Men and the Eldar. He was proving to be a good goalkeeper, but he had not yet built up a reputation. Glorfindel stepped up to the spot and completely fooled him with a left-footed shot that he sent right, with the Barad-dûr goalie diving the wrong way.

Barad-dûr: O X
Eriador:   O O

Eriador fans cheered. They could smell blood. If Elrond could make one more save, it would put tremendous pressure on Barad-dûr . The next to shoot for them was Alatar. He decided to forgo trickery, firing a powerful low shot for the left post that Elrond could not get to in time despite guessing the direction correctly.

Barad-dûr: O X O
Eriador:   O O

Next for Eriador was Gil-galad. Like Sauron, he started with a fast approach but slowed down on his last step before taking the kick. Grishnákh dove right, then realised that he had been fooled when Gil-galad fired a waist-high shot dead center.

Barad-dûr: O X O
Eriador:   O O O

After Alatar the shooter for the Black Tower was his fellow Blue Wizard Pallando. Like Alatar, he decided to send the ball to the left. But his shot wasn’t powerful enough, and Elrond got a fingertip on it to push it past the post. Weathertop Arena exploded with cheers. What a save! The next shot for Eriador could win it!

Barad-dûr: O X O X
Eriador:   O O O

The new player, NogWight, walked out of the centre circle to take that lonely march to the penalty spot. The stadium was silent. Can he do it? What would he do? Eriador fans asked. They didn’t know enough about their offseason signing to trust him with what could be the final shot. Also, didn’t he miss that chance earlier…?

But NogWight didn’t miss this time, sending a rocket of a shot into the top-left corner, giving Grishnákh no chance to get to it.

Barad-dûr: O X O X
Eriador:   O O O O

He’s done it! He’s won the game! Elrond and the rest of the Eriador team chased after the Wight as he wheeled away from the penalty box into the touchline. Grishnákh refused to get up from the ground as the Blue Wizards went up to console him. Meanwhile Sauron’s eyes were locked on the Wight who had just eliminated his team, the player whose signature he almost had shortly before the tournament began. Would the results have been different had he been playing for him? He would never know.


Exit interviews shall be provided in The Matchday episode next week.

Barad-dûr 0-0 Eriador
(Eriador wins on penalties 4-2.)
Total Shots
7-9
Shots On Target
2-3

YELLOW CARDS
3-2
BDR: Fellbeast #2, Herumor, Angamaitë
ERD: Gil-galad, Aragorn

SHOOTOUT:
1-0 Sauron (goal)
1-1 Isildur (goal)
1-1 Castamir (saved)
1-2 Glorfindel (goal)
2-2 Alatar (goal)
2-3 Gil-galad (goal)
2-3 Pallando (saved)
2-4 NogWight (goal)