[Nogrod]

Group E @ Erebor

The time had finally come. The Arkenstone Arena was filling rapidly after the largest creatures had been escorted in. The organizers were not taking any risks with tens of thousands of creatures flocking the entrances and corridors together with huge dragons, eagles and balrogs. Better safe than sorry they said.

All the teams competing in group E were more or less neighbours and thusly all had their fair share of fans in the stands to cheer for them, but it was clear team Eriador was a kind of a loner in the company of others – even if the Lothlórien and Mirkwood elves and eagles would probably support Eriador when their own team wasn’t playing. But all the other teams seemed to have a lot of cross-support and when not playing each other most creatures tended to cheer for each other’s teams.

The late “game of death” between Erebor and Wilderland was naturally the game most everyone were looking forwards to but there was one game to play first – and surely most spectators were ready to shout their throats sore for Misty Mountains to surprise the favourites Eriador.


~*~

So when Misty Mountains emerged from the underground tube to the arena led by Durin’s Bane, Narvi and Gwaihir the noise of the crowds celebration grew almost inbearably loud while Eriador-fans’ cheers were almost overcrowded by the booing – even if it was only a fraction of the crowd who behaved in such a distasteful manner.

But if there was majesty and splendour in Durin’s Bane, Gwaihir and Caradhras (how did Caradhras exactly fit inside the Mt. Erebor nobody kind on understands – it is an unfathomable miracle of Eru) it was more than balanced by the radiance and nobility of Glorfindel, Gil-Galad and Isildur leading team Eriador into the Arena.

This was exactly what the creatures who were packing the Arena had come for: the great heroes, leaders, soldiers, kings and queens, villains, brute force, cunning, bravery, mastery – and the greatest show on Arda!

Compared to the expectations the first half of the game was something like an anticlimax though. Both teams played it safe from defence first – and it was actually Misty Mountains that seemed the more active side. Some cognoscenti explained that Elrond wants still to give his new defence some practise, but after two shut-outs in the friendlies that seemed like overdoing it. Nevertheless, it was clear Durin’s Bane and Azog found no easy way inside the Eriador defence and were forced to take hasty shots which came mostly from afar and went mostly wide.

On the other end of the field Glorfindel and Isildur were guarded personally – and succesfully – by Gwaihir and Watcher respectively. From behind them Arveleg forced Chief Wolf into one major save, but that was probably the only real scoring opportunity of the first half.

Interestingly enough, both teams had clearly had the same thoughts in the locker rooms during the half-time – and thus they came into the second period with a totally new energy. It felt like they had had their practise round and were now in it for real. The full house was just silenced with the difference in the tempo of the play and the aggressiveness of the attacks of both teams, and then burst into chanting from pure enjoyment of the new game.

And suddenly the crowds went just wild. Durin’s Bane headed the ball in from between Aragorn and Arwen and took Misty Mts. into lead! Elrond had no chance against the mighty header from under five meters from the goal.The favourites Eriador were trailing Misty Mts. with about half an hour of the game left!

But Eriador was now changing gear one more time. And it was actually NogWight – the guy who’s signing the AKM has questioned among many others – who finally hammered the evener in. With Gwaihir and Watcher tying Glorfindel and Isildur down, he broke boldly in to the box from under William’s legs – and Arveleg was awake passing the ball past Caradhras. With a clinical finish NogWight put the ball in behind the on-rushing Chief Wolf from the close quarters.

Many in the crowds were having a positive mind still. Misty Mountains were playing even with Eriador – and that would be more than welcome result to basically all the other teams of the group. The hometeam fans and the fans of Wilderland-supporters would have been more than happy with this result – and they were counting nervousoly to the moinutes on the screen going soo slowly.

For Eriador was in no mood for a draw. They rained in their attacks one after another –the ball rarely left the Misty Mts.’ side of the field and when it did it was delivered back there in a flash. The game was played at one end alone the last fifteen-twenty minutes.

And Eriador did get their reward in the end. Worn with all the flying to and fro after Glorfindel Gwaihir’s concentration lapsed for a fleeting moment – and the frustrated emissary of Valar ran free immediately towards the left post of the goal. Aragorn had just received the ball from Arador and realising Glorfindel was free delivered it from almost thirty meters straight to his head. The Chief Wolf made a nice dive for the ball seeing it coming but Glorfindel’s header was cunningly aimed at the ground in front of the goal and so the Wolf leaped over it – and the ball went into the net.

There was only three minutes of the game left. Coming over from their empty feeling of a lost draw the crowds tried their best to beat Misty Mts. into a last minute fight back but it seemed the players themselves didn’t believe in their chances any more – and as Eriador immediately closed their defence from midfield on there was no apparent route around it either. Rumil’s far-shot was the last effort of the game just before the referee called the time. Elrond had no problems picking it.

Eriador had taken the win they were supposed to take, but they weren’t actually impressive. The team needs to tighten it’s game a lot if they wish to go farther in the tournament – or well, start to play already on the first half. Misty Mountains had their moments in the game and thus gave a warning to the other two teams that they will not be overrun easily in this group.


Eriador 2-1 Misty Mts
on target 6-4
tot shots 12-12
GOALS:
*62, 0-1 DBane (Great Goblin)
*72, 1-1 NogWight (Arvaleg)
*87, 2-1 Glorfindel (Aragorn)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Eriador- Asfaloth
*MMts- William, Great Goblin



For most of the spectators the important game of the day was yet to be played. So when teams Erebor and Wilderland entered the field the noise of the crowds was just deafening. That’s the problem with halls inside mountains – there is no sky up above for the sound to escape but it ends up echoing around the closed space.The dwarves seemed to enjoy it, and the orcs and goblins just loved it, while the men and elves were grasping for their ear-plugs – if they had them.

Now both Erebor and Wilderland are known to be teams that do not concentrate so much on defence but whose game-plan is to outscore the opponent with brutal force. But it is easy to say only a few in the audience were prepared for the rollercoaster-ride they were offered. Unlike the earlier game (or the first half of it) this was an offensive-football nirvana. It was a spectacular game giving no-one a chance to claim they wouldn’t have gotten the worth of their money.

The thunder of the full house was just astonishing but in the thirteenth minute a fair half of the stadium went totally silent. Even if the decibels were still far over any recommended levels it felt like silence. With a clever pass by Thranduil the first elf to have awaken, Imin, volleyed the ball behind Beorn and the guests were leading 1-0! Like thousands years ago IRL he emerged from nowhere and astonished everyone by just being there in the open – this time to score.

There was a relentless fight in the field and the roar of the crowds made it almost an infernal experience. Radagast and the ents stood firm against the incessant onslaught of Smaug, Nazgûl #7, Bard and Bolg, while at the other end the (formerly) last lord of Dale and Thorin Oakenshield himself tried to hold Scatha, Thranduil and Nazgûl #3 at bay with the eagles.

But around half an hour’s play Erebor’s defences failed yet again when Scatha forced himself past the eagles and got room enough to manouver the ball in with his tail. Wilderland was leading 2-0! The home-team was taking a beating. The dwarves – and other fans of the homeside – were not believing their eyes.

But Erebor came back to the game – and did it fast, effectively and with gusto!

Possibly given strength or atl east encouraged by the cheering crowds Erebor just forced their attacks over the Wilderland defences. They just couldn’t lose this game at their home-arena. And it was speed that now mattered.

Between the slowish – even if tough – ents and the old elf and wizard Smaug, Nazgûl #7 and Bard pressed themselves to the limit of their speed. And lo and behold, they started making results!

Bard ran away from the defences just seven minutes after Scatha’s goal and placed the ball neatly behind the Great Warg. Only six minutes from that the other players out-ran Wilderland defences and at the crucial point lent the ball back to the corner of the box from where Smaug had sprinted and gave such a wing-shot the Warg wouldn’t have had no chance of preventing the goal even if he’d have time to dive for it – which he obviously hadn’t.

So the teams went into their lockers for the half-time with the scoreboard announcing a draw 2-2.

In reverse to the earlier game, after a furious first half-battle for life and death the second half started with some cautious play from both sides. It was clear the first half had been such an “all-or-nothing” game that both teams decided to take it a bit more carefully to at least avoid a loss.

But as it sometimes happens, the tail wags the dog and not the other way around. The crowds started showing their discontent so openly it forced the players to gear up against their firm decisions to play more cautiously on the half-time. After twenty minutes of somewhat careful play the fight was brutal, aggressive and open again. And everyone loved it!

Seventeen minutes before the full time the Arkenstone Arena just exploded when Azog’s son Bolg slided the ball in with a feet-ahead dive from a fast turnover robbed by none other than Smaug itself.

One could see Smaug smirking at Scatha as they passed each other on their way to the center of the field for the opening shot for Wilderland. Smaug was clearly getting the overhand in the battle of the two dragons. He had already scored three goals in the friendlies and had now 1+1 in this game against Scatha’s 1+0 (and only 1+0 in the two friendlies).

But even if you’re a dragon yourself, never irritate an old dragon! It was clear Scatha took that badly – and as a challenge from “the youngster”. And Scatha really beat his team to attack. There was little time, but there was time.

The Wilderland attacked furiously forcing most of the Erebor team into the perimeter of the box only to defend their goal. Parking a bus of eight in front of your goal should frustrate any opposition but Wilderland kept on coming towards the living wall. The crowds were half keeping their breath and half shouting their lungs out – the resulting sound was an eerie experience in the Arena were echoes went from wall to wall…

And then Scatha had his moment. Nazgûl #3 centered the ball from the right side and Landroval dived to intercept but Scatha used the tip of his tail to snatch the ball from in front of the great eagle only to pass it forwards to himself – when Meneldor flung in to cut a pass to Thranduil. Making a sudden leap forwards Scatha managed to hit the ball with his muzzle while Tuirin had no chance of reach the height – and Beorn was totally outwitted as he was too going for a pass to Thranduil to the other end of the goal.

Wilderland had evened the game a fair ten minutes before the close – and both Scatha and Nazgûl #3 were seen to leer to their fellows on the other team going back to the center of the field.

Both teams actually tried to scoe a winner during the last minutes but it was clear neither team wished to lose so they both went defence first to the last ten minutes – and so it was a draw.

Immediately when the game ended most of the crowds were happy with the result as fans of both teams had really feared losing at one or another phase of the game. But with the adrenaline gone both teams and their fans were quite disappointed with it.Even if Eriador hadn’t been exactly flashing they were still the favourites and thus everything was up to how they played against them and the Misty Mts. There had been a chance to stick into a qualifier’s position but neither team had managed to grasp it.


Erebor 3-3 Wilderland
on target 9-7
tot shots 22-18
GOALS:
*13, 0-1 Imin (Thranduil)
*28, 0-2 Scatha (Nazgul#3)
*35, 1-2 Bard (Brand)
*41, 2-2 Smaug (Nazgul#7)
*73, 3-2 Bolg (Smaug)
*78, 3-3 Scatha (Nazgul#3)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Erebor- Nazgul#7, Landroval
*Wilder- Skinbark