[The Saucepan Man]

The second in a (very) occasional series.

Mirkwood v Valimar

A difficult one to predict this. Neither team have been particularly prodigious scorers.

Mirkwood have Legolas, whose keen eye and deadly accuracy have netted him four goals in the tournament so far. But he is their only real source of goals. Thranduil has teamed up magnificently with his son in the past, but he currently seems to be out of form. Moreover their coach, Oropher, is prone to throwing his team forward with little thought to strategy and the overall shape of the game, meaning that they can be badly caught out of position when playing stronger sides. It is only goalkeeper Attercob’s skill in weaving webs across the goal that has saved them from conceding more so far.

Valimar have not scored many goals in the tournament yet either, with Varda being their main source. She has formed a good partnership with Yavanna, but the midfield is weak. Este is far to gentle, and thus prone to being muscled off the ball, while Nienna spends too much time grieving over her team’s errors to focus sufficiently on the game at hand.

Nevertheless, I see the game going to Valimar, on account of Mirkwood’s defensive frailties.

Gondor v Bree

Anyone for an upset? I would love to see Bree progress against all expectations but I just can’t see it happening. As has already been noted, they are missing key players and cannot simply rely on (gate) keeper Harry Goatleaf to keep out the goals. Particularly not against the likes of Faramir, Boromir and Aragorn, all of whom are in fine goal-scoring form. Faramir and Boromir have formed a very strong partnership up front, while Aragorn times his great striding runs into the box to perfection. Bree’s only hope is Gondor coach Denethor’s uneasy relationship with his son and star striker, Faramir, which has led to speculation that he might take him off so as to allow Boromir to snatch all the glory. But even if that happens, I can’t see Bree pulling a shock out of the hat here.

So I’ll go with the flow. Easy Gondor win.

Doriath v The Shire

I predict that this will be a cracker of a match, possibly the pick of the quarter-finals, with goals galore. Beleg’s scoring streak seems unstoppable and he is bound to score a few against the diminutive Shire defenders. Key central defender Gaffer Gamgee is not the player he once was and he has an uneasy relationship with his defensive partner, Ted Sandyman. On the other hand, Pippin is in fine form too and I believe that this game will finally see other key players, such as Merry, Frodo and Sam, shoulder their responsibilities in attack. Midfield pair Frodo and Sam are known for sneaking into dangerous positions, while Gandalf’s trickery is renowned. If anyone holds the key to unlocking Melian’s tight defensive girdle, it is him.

Lots of goals here, but I’m going to go with my heart and predict a Shire win.

Mordor v Fangorn

This will be a tough match for Mordor. Fangorn’s players are implacable once roused and the beckoning semi-final place should be incentive enough to bring out their finest form. Defensively, the Ents are difficult to break down. If they stand firm, I can see Mordor resorting to sneaky tactics and most probably incurring the referee’s displeasure. Disciplined they may be, but Mordor’s dirty tactics are well-known and star referee, Boromir88, will be keeping a close eye on their players. A few not-too-hasty counter-attacks by Treebeard and Quickbeam could then see Fangorn go ahead.

So I’ll go for the upset and predict a Fangorn win.

Numenor v Angband

With Melkor back in the line-up and Maeglin on board, I can’t see anything but an Angband win here. With Maeglin’s arrival, Ancalagon has been moved to the wing position, where he has proved very effective. Numenor, on the other hand, have been woefully lacking in the goal department, despite the best efforts of Tar-Ancalime. Quite simply, fellow striker Ar-Pharazon has not been pulling his weight in the team. And with Melkor and Maeglin mocking his mortality, his concentration will be lacking, so I don’t see that changing. In such a frame of mind, anything he tries is likely to end in disaster.

I predict an easy Angband win here.

Nargothrond v Moria

My but this one is evenly matched. Moria seem to have overcome their inter-team rivalries and have produced some stunning football. Azog, in particular, has shone in the tournament so far, amply supplied by Balin from midfield and Durin’s Bane on the wing. His strike partner and son, Bolg, has yet to get on the score sheet but talent clearly runs in this family, so it’s only a matter of time.

On the other hand, we have a very strong attacking team in Nargothrond. Turin, in particular, can be deadly. However, his neglect of defensive duties could allow Moria in on the counter-attack.

Slim Moria win, possibly on penalties.

Taur-in-Gaurhoth v Arnor

If there’s one team that can defeat Sauron’s Wolves, it’s Arnor. They are expert defenders, but also not averse to coming forward and Arvedui and Arathorn in particular have impressed. And, while the Wolves are deadly in attack, being adept at turning up unexpectedly in dangerous positions and capitalising on accurate crosses from Thuringwethil on the wing, they can be weak in defence. Carcharoth Red Maw is one of the weaker goalkeepers in the competition. It’s not his natural position since Wolves are, by nature, attackers and he can be easily distracted.

I predict a narrow win for Arnor.

Alqualonde v The Barrow-Downs

Are you kidding? Can anyone name an Alqualonde player other than Olwe? Their natural sport is yachting and they are yet to prove themselves as a force in football. I really don’t know how they got this far. The Barrow-Downs simply has too much firepower for them.

Easy win for the Barrow-Downs.