[the phantom]

--GROUP A RESULTS--

Michel Delving 1-2 Romena
shots 14-8
on target 7-5
GOALS:
*Romena, 19 (Isildur- Tar Palantir)
*Romena, 41 (Tar Palantir- Elendil)
*Michel Delving, 78 (Bullroarer- Pippin)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Michel Delving- Gaffer, Pippin, Merry
*Romena- Vardamir
MATCH REPORT:
The stadium in Rivendell was split fairly evenly on this match. Hobbits have been hanging about Rivendell for quite a while and many of the Elves are quite fond of them. But as the boys from Romena were relatives of the Lord of Rivendell, they got quite a bit of support as well.

Michel Delving started quite aggressive, and tried pushing the ball forward with long passes. But Romena's defense got in the way time and time again. In the 19th minute Romena caught the hobbits running forward and stole the ball and pushed it back towards the MD goal with an advantage in numbers. Tar Palantir worked his way in close, made the goalie commit to him, and sent a perfect pass to Isildur who headed it in for the first goal.

Michel Delving began attacking more heavily than ever, but still couldn't get in close to their target. The MFs began sniping from distance, but none of the shots challenged the goalie too much. In the 41st minute Romena did yet another quick counter-attack, and this time it was Elendil finding Tar Palantir for the point blank header to take a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Michel Delving came out more methodically in the second half. Romena seemed content to let the hobbits hold the ball so long as they didn't come into the forward third of the field. When they did, the Romena defense was stifling and they sent the ball back to the hobbit's end again and again. As in the first half the hobbits began settling for long shots, none of which threatened the goal seriously.

The hobbits finally broke through in the 78th minute. Pippin took the ball on the sideline and split a couple of defenders and ran towards the goal. When a third defender came to meet him he actually threaded the ball beneath the legs of his defender to a running Bullroarer who deflected the pass into the far side of the goal.

With the lead down to one, Romena no longer allowed the hobbits to hold the ball indefinitely but opted to control the ball themselves and basically played keep-away until the game's ending. Neither team gained a high quality scoring opportunity the rest of the way and the game ended a 2-1 victory for the Numenoreans.

Fornost 0-2 Rivendell
shots 4-6
on target 1-4
GOALS:
*Rivendell, 34 (Glorfindel- Elladan)
*Rivendell, 62 (Boromir II- Aragorn)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Fornost- Arathorn, Amlaith
*Rivendell- Gildor
MATCH REPORT:
The Rivendell crowd was loud and energetic for the night showdown between the host team and Fornost- loud but not hostile. Relations between the Rangers and Rivendell have always been warm, and the players and fans alike were very sporting despite the intense competition.

Throughout the contest both teams showed fantastic passing in the midfield but had terrible trouble cracking the defense of the other team. Rivendell's defense in particular was brilliant, never allowing any Fornost player any amount of room in the forward part of the field.

The only defensive error the entire game occured in the 34th minute. After finally getting the ball up into one of the corners in Rivendell's half of the field, Fornost came forward in mass to try and capitalize on the rare opportunity. A pass towards the center was deflected and the speedy Glorfindel immediately broke upfield. Elladen, the first to reach the loose ball, saw him and booted it upfield without hesitation. Glorfindel controlled the pass and continued his run all the way to the goal and chipped it in after getting the goalie to bite on a fake.

The rest of the game neither team was able to gain a good look at the goal. Boromir II's long-distance blast into the top corner of the goal in the 62nd minute capped the scoring.