[Nilpaurion Felagund]

GROUP B

Here we have a defensive powerhouse with teeth, two teams who have spent too much on their teeth, and a balanced team whose either end clearly isn’t as good as that of their opponent’s best end.

• Arnor

  3 GK Arvedui
  2 DF Elendil, MF Argeleb
  1.75 FW Araphor, FW Isildur

  They are a balanced team, which could be their chance to finish out of this group. Their defence could keep the opposing strikers contained enough, and their offence could make up for the inevitable goals they would concede, since they’d be up against porous defences, anyway—at least, those not named Eriador. That being said, they won’t beat Eriador.
  
  
• Inter Beleriand

  3.5 GK Turgon
  3 FW Maedhros
  1.25 FW Fingon

  Best friends Maedhros and Fingon’s adventure last year as team Himring ended in the group stage when their defence failed to stop Tirion’s strikers when it mattered, so they added Turgon and a Balrog to reinforce the back line. But it’s not working so far; they’ve conceded seven goals in four friendly matches, including three in their match against a much depleted Doriath squad. They have a chance to make it past this group, but that would depend on Maedhros, Fingon, Turgon, and that Balrog all waking up.
  
  
• Eriador

  4.5 GK Elrond, DF Gil-galad
  3 DF Araphant, DF Malbeth
  2.75 DF Asfaloth, FW Glorfindel

  They’ve paired up Elrond the Great Wall of Middle-earth at the goal, who is renowned for clean sheets, with Wiki the Wundergûl at front, who is renowned for late-game come-from-behind heroics. The addition of the Lord of the Nazgûl covers a traditional weak point of an Elrond-led squad—they’re so used to playing with the lead that they usually don’t know how to come from behind, something that will inevitable happen come knockout stage. It’s hard to see this team not going deep into the tourney.
  
  
• Gondolin

  5.5 FW Gothmog
  3.75 FW Maeglin
  3.5 GK Rog

  The Hidden City used to be renowned for its prudence, but that seems to be a thing of the past. Going all out offence this year while leaving their back line undermanned makes for exciting football, but not a winning one. They do have the best front line in this group, so they could just bludgeon the other teams with three or four goals and then make Eriador sweat a little. Just a little, though.

Projected finish:
1. Eriador
2. Gondolin
3. Inter Beleriand
4. Arnor

GROUP G

Here we have almost an echo of Group B, whose winner and runner-up, coincidentally, they’ll face in the round of sixteen: One powerhouse offensive team with a surprisingly good defence and three teams with different team-building philosophies who have almost equal chances of grabbing second place.

• Anfauglith

  5 GK Ungoliant
  3.25 DF Borlach, DF Balrog #3, DF Balrog #4
  3 DF Balrog #2

  If you were an Anfauglith supporter, wouldn’t you wish they had this year’s back five in last year’s squad? With Balrogs to challenge shooters and clean sheet queen Ungoliant to mop up the goal-bound shots, they would probably have lifted that Cup, or at least made Doriath sweat to win it. As for this year’s front line . . . what front line?
  
  
• AC Beleriand

  4 GK Marach
  3.5 DF Ecthelion
  3.25 FW Fëanor

  Marach is having a happy time manning the AC Bel goal so far; his 87.5% save rate being the third best among goalkeepers in the friendlies. Having Fingolfin in front of him to organise the defence certainly helps. And we’re sure Fëanor, fresh from winning the Champions League and Premier League scoring titles, hasn’t forgotten what he came to the pitch to do when the game is for real.
  
  
• Doriath

  4 MF Lúthien
  3.5 GK Dior
  3.25 MF Beleg, MF Daeron

  Doriath may have lost much, but they still have a solid midfield that has been effective in offence—Lúthien is still the same fleet-footed Lúthien, after all, so is Beleg, and Daeron’s rise has been a welcome surprise. Their problem lies in the defensive end: Dior is a mediocre GK at best, and the defenders arrayed before him is not any better, except, of course, for Melian. Because of this and the presence of two offensive juggernauts in the group they’ll be forced to play the outscore-the-opposition game. Can they put up five if Glaurung or Fëanor score four against them? We doubt it.
  
  
• Nargothrond

  7.25 FW Gwindor
  5.75 FW Glaurung
  4.25 FW Finrod

  This team has been built with only one goal in mind. Bëor the Old has never been a quality goalkeeper, and it’s likely he won’t start becoming one this year, so it’s up to their lethal trio of forwards and supporting trio of midfielders to put up higher numbers than the opposition. Glaurung and Gwindor have been ridiculously hot, each scoring a hat-trick in the friendlies, so it’s likely they can outscore their opponents, and even put a couple past the solid Anfauglith squad. But if there’s one squad they’re not likely to outscore, it’s the balanced AC Beleriand squad led in the attack by the Fiery Boot himself.

Projected finish:
1. AC Beleriand
2. Nargothrond
3. Anfauglith
4. Doriath