[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Armenelos Stadium was emptied of most of its First Age crowd after the conclusion of the match between the Valinors. In their place, it seemed that the whole of Elenna had made their way to the capital to watch their home team take on the on-form Tol-in-Gaurhoth side. There was much bad blood between the two teams; Armenelos have been cruelly defeated twice by the Wolves. It was expected that the stadium would be almost totally on the home team's side, since the Wolves and the Wights could muster only about two thousand supporters to make their way to the island.

Shortly before the opening whistle. Ar-Pharazôn and PhantomWolf shook hands in the centre circle, but immediately let go. The Wolves were just here to do a job; the Royals here to avenge a few slights.

It was clear a few minutes into the game that Armenelos were having the run of play, with their midfield of Ar-Gimilzôr, Tar-Telemmaitë, and Elros keeping possession against SallyWight and LegateWight. BoroWolf and NilpWolf couldn't help their midfield due to fear of leaving their defenders two-on-two against Ar-Adûnakhôr and Ar-Pharazôn. And when NerWight drifted in from the wing to help, Tar-Miríel simply followed her there. The Wolves were outnumbered in the midfield, and their pressing weren't too effective against the mobile and energetic Númenóreans.

Elros was superb in his role as link man, helping his holding midfielders bypass the Wolves' pressing, and then moving forward to feed the strikers with through passes down the middle and crosses from the flanks. In one sequence during the twentieth minute, he played a pass to Ar-Pharazôn's feet, who turned on GaladriWight and fire a powerful side-footed shot towards ShastaWolf's far post. Fortunately, the TiG shotstopper reacted with alacrity and pushed his goalbound effort wide.

It was not all one-way traffic, but play stayed longer in the Wolves' side of the pitch, with even the talismanic TiG playmaker PhantomWolf being forced to defend against Tar-Ancalimon's forward runs. Around the half-hour mark, the two Armenelos forwards played a one-two right through the heart of the Wolves' defence, and only Draugluin's timely intervention prevented Ar-Pharazôn from tapping in Ar-Adûnakhôr's low cross into the net.

Half-time soon came, a respite for Tol-in-Gaurhoth and a wasted chance for Armenelos. Everyone in the stadium expected the wily Wolves to devise a plan to wrest control of the game from the Royals; Armenelos' position would have been much safer had they taken a lead into the interval.

In the second half, PhantomWolf took up a higher position on the pitch, essentially becoming a third forward, and NerWight tucked in to become a third central midfielder. It was a 4-3-3 vs a 3-5-2, a tactical battle of interest because of the lack of spare players for either side: two Armenelos forwards vs two TiG central defenders, three TiG forwards vs three Armenelos defenders, Armenelos' wing-backs vs TiG's full-backs, and three central midfielders against each other.

During the break, PhantomWolf ordered BoroWolf to work his socks off, making forwards runs while not neglecting his defensive duties, to make up for missing three match reports. Armenelos perhaps expected the more attacking NilpWolf to make the runs, but he was tasked to be more disciplined and help out his defence.

With each player occupied with an immediate task in front of him, giving no one time to consider tactics, the teams' attitudes became an important factor. Armenelos were apprehensive and thrown off balance by the Wolves' change, while the ferocity of Tol-in-Gaurhoth came to the fore--they were ever chasing after loose balls and closing down their marks.

PhantomWolf opened the scoring in the sixty-sixth minute. BoroWolf crossed for Thuringwethil at the edge of the box, and the vampire managed to bring the ball down despite the challenge of Tar-Calmacil. She then timed her lay-off to meet PhantomWolf's run, and his impressive finish from fifteen yards was too powerful for Tar-Atanamir to keep out. PhantomWolf ran to the centre circle and lifted his shirt, revealing an undershirt with the words, 'They don't call me phantasista for nothing.' This was met with a cry of approval from the TiG supporters.

But the goal seem to have woken Armenelos up from dazed and confused slumber, and they made ShastaWolf pick up the ball in his net six minutes later. Elros combined with Tar-Ancalimon on the wings, passing their way past BoroWolf and LegateWight. Elros got to the byline and cut the ball back for Ar-Pharazôn to stab home.

There was less than twenty minutes to play in normal time, but instead of sitting back and waiting for extra time, Tol-in-Gaurhoth threw themselves forward in search of the winner, leaving them dangerously open to Armenelos counterattacks. It felt like, one way or another, the game would be decided in a few minutes, and it was as if the stadium held its breath waiting for the outcome.

In the eighty-third minute, SallyWight was caught dallying in possession, and Tar-Telemmaitë dispossessed her, getting the ball to Elros. The Armenelos number ten then began a four-on-four break, but BoroWolf slid in to intercept his pass to Tar-Ancalimon. He passed it to PhantomWolf, who had acres of space before him on the right wing. Tar-Telperiën was forced to bring him down at the edge of the area, earning a booking and conceding a free kick.

PhantomWolf himself took the free kick, and Tar-Atanamir was preparing for a goalbound effort, setting up the wall to that effect. But the TiG playmaker fired an outswinging cross that had the whole Armenelos defence fooled. BoroWolf met it inside the six-yard box, and his bullet header for the far post crashed into the net. It was two-one to the Wolves with five minutes left!

Armenelos desperately pushed forward for another equaliser, but Tol-in-Gaurhoth smartly reverted to their 4-4-2, arraying two banks of four as a wall between the Royals and ShastaWolf's goal. The Wolves were disciplined and well-positioned, and Armenelos were unable to find that spark of creativity that would unlock those defences. All dribbles were contained, shepherded harmlessly to the touchline, and all through balls were intercepted and returned to their sender. The final whistle signalled the end of Armenelos' Arda Cup campaign, and a small section of the stadium let out a blood-curdling roar. PhantomWolf ran to BoroWolf and lifted him off the ground, acknowledging the defender's vital contribution to all aspects of Tol-in-Gaurhoth's victory. The Armenelos players slinked quietly out of the pitch, and the home crowd poured out of the stadium, only a few of them applauding the victors' efforts. No matter. After last year's embarrassment, Tol-in-Gaurhoth were back in the semifinals!

Armenelos 1-2 Tol In Gaurhoth
on target 3-4
tot shots 11-14
GOALS:
*66, 0-1 PhantomWolf (Thuringwethil)
*72, 1-1 Ar-Pharazôn (Elros)
*85, 1-2 BoroWolf (PhantomWolf)
YELLOW CARDS:
*ARM- Ar-Adûnakhôr, Tar-Telperiën
*TIG- InzilWolf