Scion of The Faithful
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: The brink, where hope and despair are akin. [The Philippines]
Posts: 5,312
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The Matchday: A Tar-Eldar Network Television football show
Elenrod: Question: What’s the size of Nargothrond and can’t defend to save their lives? Answer: Nargothrond. That’s it, really; that’s the punchline. Today: like AC Beleriand before them, Hithlum give Nargothrond a high five—in the behind. Poor Nargothrond get knocked out in the round of sixteen in front of their home crowd yet again. Let’s see if we can get Felagundion to say a word about them. Elsewhere: it’s the most thrilling last sixteen tie ever—so enthralling that you’d want to gouge your eyes out and watch it again. We recap Eriador-Barad-dûr—that is, if we don’t doze off. Meanwhile, Misty Mts and Tirion fail to stop another Valinor derby, although Tirion came very close; Fëanor beat Morgoth in an extra-time thriller and face his brother Manwë in the quarterfinals; and Tol-in-Gaurhoth-Armenelos: will the Númenóreans finally pay the Wolves back for 2008? All that, and more, in this consume-sparingly-and-keep-a-glass-of-water-near-at-all-times Matchday. With us here are very familiar faces. Maikalomion, how was Weathertop?
Maika: Weathertop Arena was lovely.
Elenrod: And was it comfortable there? You know…
Maika: Haha, you mean to sleep on? Actually, I found the game interesting.
Adam: But you get excited when a team completes fifty passes. Us in the real world want that ball to get in the back of the net.
Elenrod: He’s feeling contrarian today, our non-economist, Adam Smith, fresh from a trip to Nargothrond. And with him on that visit to the High Faroth Arena was…
Felagundion: …
Elenrod: Nargothrond football blogger, Felagundion, who’s probably feeling nothing today.
Felagundion: …
Elenrod: To spare Felagundion from having to remember the pain too soon, we’ll first discuss Eriador-Barad-dûr. Maika? How did you manage to stay awake? And how did they lull the rest of us to sleep?
Maika: Haha, well, the midfield battle was interesting. Both teams, unfortunately, were set up more negatively—more focused on marking their counterparts than finding space. Only Glorfindel and Sauron were actively looking for space to receive passes and create chances, but both were double-marked, being obviously their respective teams’ creative hub.
Adam: I agree. You can also see their defensive approaches in the way both teams lined up their back four. The defenders who were most useless with the ball—Arroch and the Fellbeast—were the ones assigned to the weaker flanks, because the better ball-handlers happened to be better defenders. This means they were more concerned with containing each other’s threat than creating chances with surging full-backs.
Elenrod: So they ended up deciding the game on penalties. And what penalty kicks they were.
Maika: Someone told me that, after the game, Gil-galad approached Sauron and said, ‘We have Elrond and you don’t. That’s the difference.’
Adam: And that’s not far from the truth: except for Sauron’s brilliantly taken kick, Elrond went in the correct direction for all penalties. 75% ain’t luck, that’s pretty mad skillz, with a ‘z’.
Elenrod: What will Sauron do after this? They made a pretty pile because their team’s pretty cheap—does he strengthen and try to go further, or just keep it steady?
Maika: I reckon he won’t break the bank, just add one or perhaps two more star signings. Grishnákh’s a rough gem at goal, hard to find anyone better at that price range. And if he could convince the Blue Wizards to stay, that’s half of his back line sorted. Well, he’d probably drop one of the Fellbeasts there—#2 didn’t cover himself with glory as the only open Barad-dûr player. A ball-playing centre-back, or an attacking full-back, perhaps? His midfield and attack’s pretty coherent; after years of playing together, they’re pretty much on the same wavelength now.
Adam: Yeah. Alatar, Berúthiel, and Sauron on that one play was pretty much, tap-tap-tap, nutmeg Aragorn. Like they pretty much know where the other would be.
Elenrod: Right, that’s it for Eriador-Barad-dûr, then. There’s no avoiding it, Felagundion; we’ll have to discuss Nargothrond-Hithlum.
Felagundion: … We live by the dragon, we die by the dragon. Finrod should’ve been in that ten spot. We need a new centre forward in the transfer window.
Elenrod: Nice to see you back in the world of the articulate, Felagundion. But we’ll leave all that for later. For now, it’s all about the game. And that means the inspired second half performance by Hithlum.
Adam: Triggered by their inspired second half formation switch. Before that, you can see that the two teams were quite evenly matched; both teams had focal points who could bully their markers, a player who was occupying an entire wing on his own, and a free player who created overloads.
Maika: From what I saw of the game, Nargothrond were decent at keeping possession, even during that disastrous second half. It’s just that whenever they tried to get it to their forwards, they lost the ball quite easily and get murdered on the break.
Elenrod: By the way, Adam, you were right to call it. Arroch handled Gwindor all on his own, except for that first goal.
Felagundion: And I was surprised Glaurung managed to get to the locker room, so deeply stuffed was he in that Balrog’s pockets. Just like against Anfauglith.
Elenrod: So, will Glaurung be back? Felagundion’s of the opinion that he shouldn’t.
Felagundion: He had the gall to say that we should commit less going forward, and let more of the attack go through him. Just after that performance! Is he mental, or just really thick?
Maika: They do need more help on the defence. Bëor seems to have finally found his niche as a deep-lying playmaker, but he needs a midfield enforcer alongside him. It was agonising to see Húrin and Morwen simply strolling past him.
Adam: I had a word with Orodreth after the game. He’s fearful that teams will start sniffing around the squad, knowing that Nargothrond are haemorrhaging financially. Glaurung, Nienor, even Finrod could be poached, and that would leave them back to what they were two years ago.
Elenrod: Well, commiserations to Nargothrond, and well done, Hithlum, who now face Elrond’s Eriador in the quarterfinals. What’s your call on this one? Elrond’s 17-game concede-a-goal-or-less streak seems to be under considerable threat from Túrin and company.
Maika: Eriador’s defenders are much better than Nargothrond’s. And if Elrond set up his team to stifle Hithlum, I can see them conceding one or less.
Felagundion: Basically the same thing they did vs Barad-dûr? But Túrin’s a better target man than Castamir, not to mention his father can also hold the ball up well. Hithlum will try to play it long, something Barad-dûr explicably failed to do.
Maika: The only Hithlum defender who can play cultured long balls is Balrog #5. I’m sure Elrond has a plan to account for him.
Elenrod: So another nil-nil and penalty win for Eriador?
Maika: Why not? Well, maybe 1-1 and penalty win for Eriador.
Adam: You’re despicable. You’re the only one who finds entertainment in those kinds of games.
Elenrod: Moving along to the rest of the last sixteen results: Valimar-Arnor?
Felagundion: Arien is awesome.
Maika: Basically, Arnor didn’t have the talent to beat a less naïve Valimar side.
Elenrod: And AC Bel-Angband? A game that had the most talent on display in the round.
Maika: I don’t know about that. Real-Tirion was a spectacle. Anyway, yeah, there were a lot of talent on display on the pitch, but AC Bel were far more cohesive. Especially that front line.
Adam: Phwoar. Fingolfin-Angrod-Eöl for their equaliser, Aegnor-Eöl-Angrod for their late chance in normal time, and Aegnor-Eöl-Fëanor for that play that won the penalty. That is one scary, scary front line.
Elenrod: Fancy their chances against a Manwë-led back line?
Maika: Well, Valimar’s midfield can’t keep the ball against more combative midfields, which AC Bel obviously have, and I expect much of the game to be spent in Valimar’s half. But Valimar do have a fearsome counterattack, and a clinical finisher of them in Arien.
Adam: That’s basically it, right? Whichever score first will most likely win. Valimar can keep battering AC Bel on the break if they score first, and AC Bel can just play keep-ball if they get the opener. Oh, crap, that means it’ll be a cagey 1-0 AC Bel, despite the attacking talents on display.
Elenrod: Who’s up for some Real-Tirion?
Maika: Tirion gave a good account of themselves, taking the lead against the defending champions, and being three minutes away from upsetting them. But they need a better right-back.
Adam: Oh, Eru, yes. Irimë was responsible for conceding the corner that led to Real’s equaliser, and, of course, leaving her alone against Nerdanel is pretty much committing suicide. Where the hell was Rúmil in that play?
Felagundion: Why didn’t Tirion shut down shop after scoring? They didn’t need to get drawn in to that end-to-end action near the end of regular time.
Adam: You expect Anairë and Eldalótë to keep possession against Enerdhil and Nessa?
Felagundion: They could have pulled Aredhel or Finwë back and tucked Mahtan in.
Maika: You need mobile midfielders to keep possession against aggressive pressing teams. I don’t think Anairë or Eldalótë have the legs for that.
Felagundion: Ah, all right. Carry on.
Elenrod: In the next round, Real will be facing their inter-city rivals FC Valinor—this fixture seems to be a staple now, isn’t it? Now, before we discuss that, how about a brief account of FC Val-Misty Mts.
Adam: Another adults vs children performance. You’d have to worry whether they’re mentally prepared to face a team of Real’s calibre without prior preparation.
Felagundion: I don’t think you need to worry about that. Some great teams just have their bogey teams. Germany, for example, just don’t fancy playing against the Italians, no matter how strong or weak the respective teams are. Real were relieved just to be drawing even with FC Val, even though they’re the defending champs.
Maika: FC Val just seem a bit quicker and more energetic than Real. For example, last year, Celegorm and Curufin just gave Tilion and Caranthir the fits. The two defenders can’t get the ball past them whenever Real tried building play from the back.
Adam: But you have to admit the gap between the two is no longer that wide. I don’t think there is much between them from the very beginning, though—it’s just that the quality of the two sides amplify whatever marginal advantage there is.
Elenrod: So, what’s your prediction.
Maika: I’d go with 2-1 FC Val
Elenrod: All right. Finally, the games that were shockingly untelevised: TiG-Gondolin and Anduin-Armenelos.
Adam: Yeah, that was weird. All I saw of the Wolves-Gondolin game was: opening whistle, Duilin passes to Salgant, who passes to Penlod, who takes one touch, then hoofs it into the stands for a ShastaWolf goal kick. Then the signal died.
Elenrod: We’re still waiting for word from the broadcasters of these games to see if we can talk about the game, but it’s safe to say we can discuss the outcomes. Armenelos scored two goals after the break before Anduin pulled one back two minutes before time, so a pretty comfortable win for the Royals. Then, shockingly, Gondolin opened the scoring early before the Wolves scored three unanswered goals for a comfortable win. Now, how do you think the TiG-Armenelos quarterfinal tie would shape?
Felagundion: Speaking of bogey teams…
Maika: Tol-in-Gaurhoth always seem to get the best of Númenóreans: there’s that third place match in 2008, and another quarterfinal tie in 2011, when Westernesse seemed like world-beaters after their win over the first and best Anfauglith team.
Elenrod: But do you expect that trend to continue?
Adam: Well, TiG are pretty much as dominant as they were in 2011, and Armenelos aren’t as good as that Westernesse squad. So another 3-1 Wolves win, I guess.
Elenrod: I suppose that’s it for today’s Matchday. Our apologies that we can’t discuss goals of the week, but we hope to be able to do so next time. Until then, from all of us here, bye for now.
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フェンリス鴨 ( Fenrisu Kamo)
The plot, cut, defeated. I intend to copy this sig forever - so far so good...
Last edited by Nilpaurion Felagund; 10-19-2013 at 12:38 AM.
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