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Isengaard is the setting for Group C in the Arda Cup and Saruman, captain of the home team, has assembled a mixed side he deems strong. The pundits, however, are not so certain that they are strong enough to compete with pre-tournament favourites Gondolin and Hithlum, the latter with a very good team this year. There are question-marks whether Fëanor and Fingolfin can put their differences aside and cooperate on the field but on a joint press conference last night the siblings denied any rift between them. “Thou shalt lead, and I will follow”, the younger brother said to Fëanor who nodded in agreement. It remains to be seen whether the peace will last.

Match 1: Gondolin vs. Hithlum

The ring of Isengaard was packed to the rim in anticipation of this clash of the Titans. Gondolin versus Hithlum could very well have been the final, and a sell-out crowd was dying to see who came out on top. As the referee blew the whistle and play got going, no-one was disappointed either. Well, perhaps the blood-thirsty Uruk Hai in the stands, who got a bit bored with the sportsmanship showed by the two Eldar teams, but if they weren’t happy, they cannot claim to be fans of the beautiful game. It is said that those who have seen the light of the two trees have special powers in this world, and this was easy to believe watching the game, as every touch was sublime, every play well though-out, and every tackle hard but precise. Throughout the match, Hithlum always seemed to have the edge however, and when Aredhel found the net after a clever back-flick by Maedhros the road back into the game already looked steep for Gondolin.

One of the most interesting striking-partnerships in this year’s competition is no doubt that between former Angband star Gothmog and Ecthtelion of Gondolin. No fan of football will forget the classic Arda Cup semi-final between Angbad and Gondolin, where the two stars each scored a brace of goals, and then got sent off together after a brutal fight. Angband went on to win that match, and if afterwards anyone were to suggest that Gothmog would go on to sign for Gondolin, he or she would be the laughing-stock of the entire footballing world. Yet that is the case now. And judging by tonight’s game there are signs that the former arch-rivals have some difficulty getting along still. Just before half-time Ecthelion made a great deep run, and Gothmog looked to have spotted him, but instead of passing the ball he tried his luck with a speculative long range effort. Later on, the roles were reversed, as Ecthelion opted not to pass Gothmog, even though the Balrog was in a great position to score. In the meantime Hithlum threatened to make it two. Fingolfin came very close on a couple of occasions, but when the goal finally came, it was his elder brother who got himself on the scoresheet, beating a rather heavy Salgant for pace on the right before finishing with a low shot past Rog in the Gondolin goal. This looked like game over for Gondolin, but with eleven minutes to play Fëanor grew over-confident as he tried to dribble Gothmog just outside his own penalty area, and the Balrog robbed him of the ball, quickly played it on to Etchelion, who immediately returned the favour, giving his old enemy an easy finish into the open net. Gondolin never came very close to an equalizer, but they will be boosted by that goal. Perhaps the signing of Gothmog will pay off after all? Gondolin have two matches ahead of them now when he simply must show his worth. Hithlum looks every bit as good as expected though, and will be hard to beat this year.

Gondolin 1-2 Hithlum
shots 8-13
on target 4-7
GOALS:
*37, Hithlum (Aredhel, Maedhros)
*69, Hithlum (Feanor, Fingon)
*79, Gondolin (Gothmog, Ecthelion)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Gondolin- Duilin, Galdor
*Hithlum- Annael

Match 2: Isengaard vs. Minas Morgul

Saruman will not have been happy about the draw, as Isengaard face two of the toughest teams of the tournament already in the group stages. In apprehension of the Elvish flair to come, the opening game against a rather untested Minas Morgul side was a real must-win affair for the home side. As it turned out however, the home team might as well have stayed in their Orthanc locker room, because they were simply blown off the field by their surprisingly efficient opponents. Saruman could not have foreseen such a disaster had he looked into a Palantir, for Minas Morgul could well have scored six if it weren’t for Lugdush’s heroics in the Isengaard goal. Saruman went to and fro on the midfield, always a step behind, as the lights of Beruthiel “the Queen”, Eärnur, and the Witch-King had their way with inventive, sometimes ingenious play. Already in the seventh minute, The lord of the Nazgul silenced the crowd, and when Sangahyando scored the third goal little after half-time, the home supporters furled up their banners displaying the white hand and left the stadium dejected. Saruman will have to come up with some magic now, in order to get his team through to the knock-out stages.

Isengard 0-3 Minas Morgul
shots 6-17
on target 2-9
GOALS:
*7, Minas Morgul (Witch King, Beruthiel)
*28, Minas Morgul (Castamir, Angamaite)
*57, Minas Morgul (Sangahyando, Khamul)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Isengard- Wulf, Ugluk, Mauhur, Lurtz
*Minas Morgul- Gothmog II, Earnur

Standings: Group A

Team________W D L GF GA P
1) Minas Morgul_1 0 0 3 - 0 3
2) Hithlum_____1 0 0 2 - 1 3
3) Gondolin____ 0 0 1 1 - 2 0
4) Isengaard___ 0 0 1 0 - 3 0