[Nogrod]

The crowds were flocking to the Stadium of the Sun in Minas Tirith. It was finally time for semifinals and the teams going to the finals would be decided on this day. Even if it wasn’t actually anyone’s homefield – and that was exactly why it had been chosen – all the tickets were sold well before the afternoon the first game got rolling, and a host of elves and men from up north from so much earlier times were packing the seats as well as those weird-folks from Tol-In-Gaurhoth.

The sun was shining and gracing the games with its presence and in it’s own way blessing the new stadium that was called stadia Anor. The expectations were high indeed as the people were looking forwards to see some of the best football Arda could provide today, and the games looked even as well. So everything could happen.

The first game was that between Formenos and Tol-In-Gaurhoth. The appearing into the stadium of Sauron himself caused some disturbance in the home crowds. Happily in that regard, the stadium was built into the Pelennor fields in front of the city - well, where would you fit a stadium of 100 000 people inside the terraced city with long cultural traditions the local museum department watches over jealously? So the people seemed to be in the end able to get over with his presence, for the sake of football that is.

It was a beautiful game. Like some commentators aptly described it as “chess on the green field”. But unlike chess games that are normally not found too compelling but only by the enthusiast of the game, even the lay-people who do not follow football too much were just drawn into the game and stayed in it’s grip to the very end.

The determination and concentration of both teams was just marvellous as they were very well aware of the other team’s capabilities, one mistake and the opponents would use it to their advance. But the astonishing combinations, the virtuoso-like dribbling, the unexpected passes that made the crowd to “ooh!” everytime just took one’s breath away. And even how masterful the attacking movements were, the other team seemed to always be up to it’s task in countering those moves with even more brilliant ones.

On half-time the game was still 0-0 but no one complained for the lack of goals. The crowds had seen football of the highest level today and they knew it.

Finally at 62nd minute there was a goal. After a small misunderstanding in the midfield between Eomer and the phantom, Aredhel managed to take the ball and as the T-I-G defences were just pulling their line up Aredhel’s fast pass surprised them on the move and the referee saw no offside there as Maedhros and Fëanor ran after the long pass. The defenders turned around and ran after them but were a step behind all the time. And forwards like Maedhros and Fëanor don’t let you get them… Even if Draugluin had played beautifully the whole game even he had no chance to match the elven lord and his eldest son with a ball alone.

But the goal only made the T-I-G team try harder. In about ten minutes they got their equalizer – and looking at the game it was an earned one. It was the phantom’s magic heel once again. Lhuna sent the ball to the edge of the box where the phantom took it down his back towards the goal and without even a glance he just passed it backwards with his heel. And Sauron had anticipated it throwing Curufin away from his way and hammering the ball in with a one-touch shot via the pole before the Formenos defenders had any chance to stop him.

But so it was that the great T-I-G was this day barred from further goals by the exceptional defences of Formenos and especially the mighty Huan who just stopped the rest. But Fëanor had his say on the game yet.

Just two minutes before the full-time Fëanor tricked the ball from Nogrod who had come down to aid the defences - but was no defender - quite easily. Fëanor then took two defenders with him and managed to get rid of them for the crucial second when he passed the ball backwards to Aredhel who had sneakily followed him - and the third defender was keeping Maedhros at bay! And Maedhros had just parked himself with Gwath so that Draugluin had no visibility whatsoever. Aredhel shot fast and accurately to the upper right corner leaving Draugluin no time to react when he realised what was happening.

The home crowds jumped up in joy and gave their loudest cheer to the elven team. Their favourites were winning in the end of the most exciting game of football ever played in Minas Tirith. That was a perfect afternoon for the Minas Tirithians.

T-I-G team fought bravely and played sensational football but in the end the Formenos defences led by Huan were just able to keep them at one goal for the first time in the tournament – and thanks to the forwards, especially Fëanor, they were able to outscore them by one goal.

So it was Formenos to the finals and T-I-G to the bronze-game.

Formenos 2-1 Tol-In-Gaurhoth
shots 15-13
on target 7-5
GOALS:
*Formenos, 62 (Feanor- Maedhros)
*TIG, 73 (Sauron- the phantom)
*Formenos, 88 (Aredhel- Feanor)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Formenos- Curufin, Caranthir
*TIG- Thuringwethil, Nogrod