[the phantom]

(special thanks to Nogrod for writing this match up)

MATCH 2, AT THE BARROW-DOWNS

There had been a lengthy discussion about where the Tol-in-Gaurhoth team should play it’s home game. Finally, the isle of Tol-In-Gaurhoth lost to the Barrow Downs as most ‘Downers were not too keen to play on the island and preferred the ‘Downs – even though the Barrow Wight himself had played for Breeland. So in the end Sauron was left almost alone (Thuringwethil voted with him, surely) and the game took place in the Barrow-Downs.

It was the time of the play offs then and the crowds packed the stadium at the Barrow Downs. But the mist had begun to gather long before the game started and soon the visibility was down to ten meters at best. The crowds – especially the loads of Mordor supporters – were complaining loudly about how much better the isle would have been.

But suddenly there was a song in the air.

Old Tom Bombadill is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master:
His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.

Get out, you old Wight! Vanish in the sunlight!
Shrivel like the cold mist, like the winds go wailing,
Out into the barren lands for beyond the mountains!

A strong breeze of wind broke the mist away in minutes and the sun came out from behind it shining bright over the stadium. It was clear that one of the reasons the Breeland team hadn’t managed to qualify was the internal tension within the team. But now Tom Bombadil had conquered and given the crowd a chance to see the game the Barrow Wight had tried to conceal from them. There was a loud cheer when old Tom entered the stadium. Although a few Mordor supporters were already whining about the sunlight…

Now there were interesting dynamics to this game as Sauron played for the T-I-G team and not for Mordor. It was clear from the very beginning of the game that the Nazgûl were more than willing to show how formidable they were without him. At times it seemed Sauron was looking upon them as a proud father who thought that finally his offspring was showing some talent. Sadly the referee was not looking at the events in the game from the same angle and gave a yellow card to both Nazgûl #4 and #6 for roughing.

Although in the latter case also Hookbill the Goomba was carded as well, and with a reason. Nazgûl #6 and Hookbill were reaching out for the ball in the midfield when the Nazgûl booed loud to Hookbill’s ear to frighten him. But Hookbill took the Alien from under his shirt and threw it towards the Nazgûl. When the Alien bit the Nazgûl’s ear the Nazgûl got mad and tried to kill Hookbill with the sword he had sneaked into the playfield within his cloak. Happily the referee got into the middle of it and showed a card for both of them – and disarmed the Nazgûl.

But the T-I-G team was sovereign on the first half. Even though Mordor managed to make a few nice offensives, it was the T-I-G that controlled the game. On the 22nd minute Formendacil opened the scoreline after a long pass by Cailín that sent him one on one with Shelob – and Form was in form for it. On the 42nd minute it was time for the header specialist Nogrod to head in a nice pass from Thuringwethil following a corner kick situation.

But the Mordor team came back to the second half more offensive and more determined. And their offence proved to be poison to the T-I-G defences. On the 58th minute the Nazgûl were building up an offence on the midfield and while passing the ball the #6 gloated for his attack on Hookbill and made some remarks on Hookbill’s sister. That was too much for Nogrod and he headed the Nazgûl to his chest causing him to tumble down. The referee was strict: a yellow card for Nogrod.

But finally Mordor’s counter-offensive brought results and on the 61st minute The Mouth shot in a beautiful volley from the pass by Khamul from the corner of the box. Mordor was back in the game!

Their joy was short-lived as Sauron himself banged the ball into the Mordor net after a nice releasing pass by the Phantom. He had finally decided to show his minions who was the master on the ground.

Even though the T-I-G had been dominant the whole game, Mordor came up once more and went for making the game more even. An attack after another they came towards the T-I-G goal and the T-I-G players had the first idea what it is to play against an opponent which really knows how to play.

On the 83rd minute Khamûl was about to break free from the corner of the box. Eomer would have none of it and charged him – but being late of the situation he only managed to kick Khamûl to the groin. A yellow card and a free-kick were quite nicely judged by the referee as it could have been a penalty as well.

Khamûl gave the free kick from the corner of the box and The Witch King just shoved the defenders away from him and made the score line 3-2.

But the time ran out for the Mordor team and T-I-G managed to pacify the game after Mordor’s last goal so that when the referee blew his whistle to end the game it was the T-I-G that had a reason to celebrate. They had been the better team and had stood to the challenge.

Tol-In-Gaurhoth was in for the next round and Mordor had been beaten. There were a few troubles with the disenchanted Mordor fans, but in the end it went pretty nicely as the Barrow Wight’s police-teams were quite effective dealing with rebelling orcs…

Mordor 2-3 Tol-In-Gaurhoth
shots 12-16
on target 5-8
GOALS:
*TIG, 22 (Formendacil- Cailin)
*TIG, 42 (Nogrod- Thuringwethil)
*Mordor, 61 (Mouth- Khamul)
*TIG, 73 (Sauron- tp)
*Mordor, 84 (WK- Mouth)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Mordor- Shagrat, Naz #4, Naz #6
*TIG- Hookbill, Nogrod, Eomer