[the phantom]

Sixteen teams were gone, sixteen teams remained. It was playoff time. The time for mistakes was past. There would be no opportunity for redemption. No ties. It was win or go home. Do or die.

**********

MATCH 1, AT RIVENDELL

The Valimar supporters that showed up in Rivendell were confident that their team was prepared. They had survived a very tough group, and shown that they were the equal of the great and powerful Angband team.

But the fans in Rivendell were confident as well. Rivendell had not given up a goal thus far, and they saw no reason why their defense couldn't win the match for them yet again. True, Valimar was skilled, but surely Gandalf and Elrond were up to the task of countering them.

The game kicked off and the fans of both sides cheered, and the players threw themselves into the battle, determined not to disappoint their confident supporters. But the players were not nearly so sure of the outcome. Many of them knew each other well, and knew that the other side was good enough to defeat them. Radagast, Pallando, and Alatar wondered if their former ally Gandalf had given the Rivendell offense tips on how to get past them, and Gandalf wondered the same of them. Elrond and Earendil both surveyed each other, fervently wishing there was a way for both of them to be successful, but knowing that it was impossible. One would leave the field defeated.

Early on it seemed that Valimar would be advancing, as their midfield controlled the ball masterfully, and got the ball forward effectively. But the Rivendell defense did not crack, and they refused to allow anything productive to happen out in front of the goal, but rather forced Valimar into the corners and clogged the middle. Valimar tried to make something happen by forcing it out front, but every time Rivendell met the challenge and sent the ball away.

Finally, Valimar started taking cracks at the goal from more towards the side as well as straight on from a distance, but as expected this tactic did not work. Elrond could not be caught napping or misplaying the angles, and anything that was on target he stopped with ease. After the first twenty-five minutes had been played, the Valimar front players seemed to have lost a step and Rivendell began pressuring more and successfully gained and held possession several times, though they were still unable to move it up against the Valimar deep players. For the final fifteen minutes of the half Rivendell controlled the action, but they were only able to gain one quality chance, a nice pass from Boromir II to Glorfindel that the elf-lord poked just wide of the goal.

The second half began and Valimar and Rivendell both took turns moving the action, but once again neither team could gain the upper hand on the defense of the other. By the sixty minute mark both teams appeared to be at a loss. The defenders were playing ridiculously perfect, never making a single lapse to take advantage of. To get a goal it seemed that they would have to depend on one of their up front players to come up with a great individual effort, or they'd have to gamble and commit more players to the attack. But neither team seemed willing to risk it.

At minute 71, the tie was finally broken. Tulkas managed to muscle his way between Celeborn and Erestor with the ball still with him and boomed a mighty kick towards the goal. Elrond layed out and deflected it away, but Earendil got to the deflection first and sent an amazing no-look pass back behind him to Eonwe who placed it expertly into the other side of the goal.

The Valimar fans, who had never once doubted their team, shouted their approval and high fived each other. Rivendell was precise, but Valimar was just as precise and had the edge in talent. Now all Valimar had to do was shut out Rivendell for twenty more minutes, and they had been doing that the entire game.

Rivendell began pressing, but Valimar handled it easily and sent the ball back the other way, once almost putting up a second goal on the counter. The Rivendell supporters waited anxiously for their team to put something together, but nothing materialized. As time ticked away the crowd began hoping for a miracle.

And they got it.

With only three minutes left in the game Aragorn went in deep to harass the ball and perhaps got away with roughing up Pallando a bit and stole the ball away from him and took off straight at the goal. Alatar came up to meet him and Arien caught him from behind but he did a brilliant spin move and the two slammed into each other, bumping heads violently. With them out of the action Aragorn stopped his desperate run and waited for Glorfindel and Boromir to charge in with him to challenge Ulmo, Radagast, and Ungolient.

Orome and Tilion were hot on their heels, but Boromir and Glorfindel stayed ahead and Aragorn took the ball in and drew Radagast up to challenge and sent it quickly to Glorfindel. Ulmo had gambled Boromir and so Glorfindel was free, and he made the most of his chance, throwing Ungolient off with a quick fake and then dribbling to the side and chipping it into the open goal.

The home crowd went wild and the Rivendell players mobbed Aragorn and Glorfindel. They had hope once again. Regulation ended and overtime began at 1-1. The first overtime both teams made a solid try, but both keepers were up to the challenge. During the second overtime both teams slowed it down, seemingly resigned to the fact that the game would be decided by a shoot-out. Valimar would shoot first.

Eonwe directed his shot at the right post. Elrond got a finger on it and the ball hit the post and rebounded away. The crowd screamed.

Glorfindel sent his kick low and to the left. It was good! 1-0 Rivendell.

Tulkas kicked next for Valimar, booming it into the back of the net to tie up the score.

But Boromir II mirrored the strength of Tulkas with his kick and Rivendell had the lead again.

Then it was Earendil's turn to face his son. Elrond was completely faked out as Daddy got the best of him.

The score remained tied as Aragorn II stepped up and missed wide on his attempt. The score was still even at 2-2 with two kicks left for each team.

Tilion sent a screamer high to the left side, but the ball hit the crossbar and bounced down on the goal line and Elrond caught it on the bounce to preserve the tie.

Elrohir gave it his best effort to gain the lead, but Ungolient batted it away brilliantly.

And so it was down to one kick a piece. Orome the hunter approached the ball and crushed it low and left. Elrond guessed left. As the ball flew beneath him, Elrond stretched his right arm down and stopped it cold.

The crowd stomped and whistled for their Lord, and then shrieked with excitement as he made his way to the other end of the field and lined up to take the final kick. It was all over. They knew it. Elrond stepped up and sent a laser to the top right corner. It scraped both bars as it entered the goal and the Rivendell players came pelting up the field towards Elrond. He was met first by Gandalf who hoisted him up in the air in victory as the rest of the team gathered around. The celebrations that night nearly rivaled those held after the destruction of the Ring at the end of the third age.

Rivendell 1-1 (3-2) Valimar (shoot-out)
shots 10-13
on target 4-7
GOALS:
*Valimar, 71 (Eonwe- Earendil)
*Rivendell, 87 (Glorfindel- Aragorn)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Rivendell- Elladen, Erestor
*Valimar- Arien, Alatar