Arda Cup Soccer 2008

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Prediction for last matches:

• Group A:
  • Fornost < Rómena
    Do or die for both Númenórean teams. I think Rómena will win, considering their better overall performance so far.
    
    
  • Rivendell >>> Michel Delving
    Better luck next tourney, Halflings.
  
  
• Group B:
  • Breeland < Tol-in-Gaurhoth
    Tol-in-Gaurhoth pulls off goals when it matters.
    
    
  • Edoras > Mirkwood
    If Tol-in-Gaurhoth wins, all Edoras needs is a draw to advance. It would be interesting to see Scatha play against the descendants of Fram.
  
  
• Group C:
  • Formenos >>> Isengard
    After their last match, can anyone doubt Formenos sweeping their group?
    
    
  • Doriath > Alqualondë
    Another do-or-die match, this time between two Teleri teams. Statistics and gameplay points to Doriath winning.
  
  
• Group D:
  • Lothlórien <<< Nargothrond
    It should have been an exciting battle of the siblings, but Nargothrond has a vastly superior team.
    
    
  • Osgiliath > Umbar
    Osgiliath is just playing better, but it could end in a draw, too.
  
  
• Group E:
  • Erebor < Túna
    Could go either way, but I'm hoping for an Elven victory.
    
    
  • Gondolin >>> Gondor
    Sweep-sweep-sweep!
  
  
• Group F:
  • Armenelos >>> Helm's Deep
    Not even close.
    
    
  • Amon Rhûd < Taniquetil
    Third must-win match. Taniquetil could get into trouble with its playing style, but the Valar are better players than Men. I hope they use the skill advantage.
  
  
• Group G:
  • Hithlum >>> Minas Tirith
    Zzzz.
    
    
  • Mordor > Moria
    The Black Land playing much better than expected. They'll beat the Black Chasm, no problem.
  
  
• Group H:
  • Annúminas >>> Brethil
    Having tied with both Ainu-heavy teams, Angband and Valimar, Annúminas has what it takes to beat Brethil easily.
    
    
  • Angband < Valimar
    Too close to call properly, but I think Tulkas and Arien > Morgoth, so that's that for me.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

I've edited my post for those games that lacked analysis.

[the phantom]

--GROUP A--

The home fans in Rivendell were in a jovial mood heading into the final day of play. Their team had already clinched, and they had an exciting afternoon match to look forward to between Fornost and Romena.

It was do or die for the Rangers and Numenoreans. If either team won they would advance. In the case of a tie Romena would be moving on. And so it was that the Romena fans expected a careful and solid game from their team, where as Fornost supporters expected to see their team go for the win and lay it all on the line.

Early on that certainly seemed to be the case with Fornost trying to push the action. In minute 33 Arahael broke free with the ball and drew everyone to him and hung a great pass up for Aranarth who headed in the goal for the early lead. Romena attempted to equalize before the half, but the Fornost defense held and kept the lead.

After the half Romena kept up the pressure and in the 59th minute they got the equalizer with Tar Palantir finding Isildur who gunned in a hard and accurate shot from out front. Romena turned conservative after that, and in the 76th minute Fornost made them pay, deflecting a pass away deep in Romena's half. Arathorn tracked down the deflection and sent a quick pass to Arahael who had dashed in, and he stopped the ball dead and went around the defender and forced the ball into the goal off of the fingertips of the goalie.

The lead held for the Rangers and as the game ended they celebrated at midfield, while the regal Numenoreans shuffled off the fields with their eyes on the ground.

Fornost 2-1 Romena
shots 10-9
on target 4-3
GOALS:
*Fornost, 33 (Aranarth- Arahael)
*Romena, 59 (Isildur- Tar Palantir)
*Fornost, 76 (Arahael- Arathorn)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Fornost- Amlaith, Arahad
*Romena- Vardamir, Anarion

When the team from Rivendell took the field the crowd greeted them with great enthusiasm. The hobbit team received cheers as well, and the hobbits acknowledged the crowd with quick waves and bows. Group play was pretty well over for the both of them, with Rivendell already certain to advance and Michel Delving already packing their bags, but they felt that the paying crowd deserved to be compensated with a good match.

The hobbits made a couple of nice long passes into the forward field, but Rivendell's defense largely denied them possession or took it away quickly. On the other end the hobbits played a solid game, but they weren't quite up to the level of the Rivendell offensive players. In minute 28 Boromir blasted in a free kick for the lead. And then shortly before halftime it was Boromir again coming through, only this time he found a wide open Aragorn with a nice pass and Aragorn booted it into the goal for the 2-0 lead.

The second half the hobbits tried their best early on, but still couldn't crack the Rivendell defenders. Eventually at around minute 70 the hobbits slowed it down and so in turn did Rivendell, and the teams just dribbled out the last minutes of the game and shook hands. Rivendell will head into the playoffs having yet to give up a single goal.

Michel Delving 0-2 Rivendell
shots 5-10
on target 2-5
GOALS:
*Rivendell, 28 (Boromir II)
*Rivendell, 43 (Aragorn II- Boromir II)
YELLOW CARDS: Elladen
*Michel Delving- Lotho, Gaffer
*Rivendell- Elladen

[the phantom]

--GROUP C--

The arena in Doriath was largely vacant for the first match of the day between Formenos and Isengard. Formenos was already assured a spot in the playoffs and the residents of Doriath had no desire to see them finish off the group, which they were quite certain would happen against the winless Isengard who was already eliminated from the playoffs.

Isengard started off the match looking like they were playing to win a championship, with every player giving it every bit of effort they could muster. Formenos looked surprised, but not displeased, and proceeded to steal the ball away and work it right down the field to Feanor, who dribbled circles around a couple of Isengard defenders and last minute gave it up to Aredhel who nudged in an easy goal.

Isengard kept up the intensity, but Formenos handled it easily and forced them into a rushed long shot which sailed well over the goal. Formenos took the ball and sent it around and around the midfield while the Isengard defenders chased it, always well behind. Then Formenos started taking huge blasts at the goal from far out, almost as if they were having a fun day of practice. Maglor and Amrod both hit one of the posts, and the few Formenos fans applauded wildly as if they had actually meant to do it.

At minute 29 Aredhel appeared trapped in a corner but burst through the defenders towards the goal, looking like she'd take it all the way herself. But before reaching the sidebar she sent a high pass out front to Maedhros the tall, and he used his superior height to rise up and head the ball uncontested past Beechbone for the 2-0 lead.

After that Isengard seemed beaten and they allowed Formenos to coast into halftime. Coming out after halftime it was obvious that Formenos desired to continue coasting, but Isengard showed a bit of spirit and started trying to press again. Formenos appeared annoyed by this and Celebrimbor actually hollered at Saruman, "Knock it off- it's over!" But Isengard continued to defend doggedly.

Then Feanor began playing in earnest and calling for the ball. His grandson Celebrimbor sent one downfield for him and Feanor beat out two defenders for the ball, sprinted past another, and faked out the final defender and pounded it past the helpless goalie. He then ran over by Saruman and just stared at him, as if to say "Do you want us to do that again?" After that Isengard folded and allowed Formenos to boot the ball around the rest of the game, finishing up a dominating group play performance.

Formenos 3-0 Isengard
shots 15-4
on target 8-1
GOALS:
*Formenos, 7 (Aredhel- Feanor)
*Formenos, 29 (Maedhros- Aredhel)
*Formenos, 59 (Feanor- Celebrimbor)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Formenos- Caranthir
*Isengard- Skinbark, Quickbeam

The stadium filled well before the start of the second game and the crowd buzzed nervously. It was a must-win game for the host team, and Alqualonde was no pushover. Both teams felt like they were a quality team worthy of advancing to the playoffs, and both came out playing their best.

The crowd screamed early as Doriath took the offensive and scored only 15 minutes in. But Alqualonde rose to the challenge and took it right at the host, and equalized just a few minutes later. The crowd did not grow quiet however, and began various chants in support of their team.

At minute 41 the crowd was rewarded as Dior intercepted a bad pass and fired a quick long shot which snuck into the top corner of the goal. After the half both teams played evenly for the first bit, but then Beleg made a deep run and Elwe threaded a perfect pass to him. Beleg proceeded to kick it beautifully at the far post beyond the reach of Olwe and Doriath was out to a two goal lead. The crowd screamed more loudly than ever, finally feeling safe for the first time.

But Alqualonde was not finished yet. At minute 70 the lovely Uinen led her husband beautifully and Osse converted to pull within a goal. But that was all the scoring they could manage, and the home crowd left the stadium singing, wondering who their opponent would be in the first round of the playoffs.

Alqualonde 2-3 Doriath
shots 12-14
on target 5-7
GOALS:
*Doriath, 15 (Mablung-Nellas)
*Alqua, 29 (Gil-Galad- Bilbo)
*Doriath, 41 (Dior)
*Doriath, 59 (Beleg- Elwe)
*Alqua, 70 (Osse- Uinen)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Alqualonde- Eriol, Osse
*Doriath- Elurin, Saeros

[skip spence]

--GROUP B--

When morning broke in Edoras rain was falling, but as the evening progressed and with kick off only hours away the sun suddenly burst throught the clouds, illuminating a glorious rainbow stretching over the snow-clad mountains in the south. The gilded ornaments of Meduseld Stadium were glimmering majestically and on it’s pinnacles, high above the crowd below, the green and white banners of the home team were flying proudly. It was a beautiful day for football.

The sell-out crowd had two matches to look forward to tonight. First Breeland, in desperate need of a win, was to play already qualified Tol-In-Gaurhoth. It was the second match the home crowd was most eager to watch however, as their beloved Edoras was to secure a spot in the play-offs against Mirkwood. A draw would do it for the Rohirrim, and few doubted they would succeed front of their passionate supporters.

The biggest pre-match story ahead of the first game was the alledged excursion into the Path of the Dead that some of the Tol-In-Gaurhoth players were reported to have done. After having secured their place in knockout-stages of the tournament, there were reports of a wet celebration in their Inn near the Hornburg. A waiter at the party has confirmed that a few prominent players, of which Saruon and The Phantom stood out, were bragging about ‘showing those half-baked ghouls just who should be afraid of who in this valley’. Whether they went ahead with their plans isn’t known, but some pundits commented that they should feel right at home inside that dreadful passage.

As the stadium filled up for the first match of the evening, there was no sign of weariness on the faces of the Tol-In-Gaurhoth players, who looked very relaxed as they entered the field. There opponents Breeland seemed tense though, as they were pressed to win in order to give themselves a possibility to progress. As the match kicked off, it soon became apparent that this would not be an easy task. Offensively, star men Tom Bombadill and The Barrow Wight were given very little space to operate in and at the back it looked even worse for the Breelanders, as their diminutive backline struggled against the aerial strenght of Nogrod, deployed as a targetman for the day. His lay-offs often picked out the runs of the Phantom and Sauron, who created havoc in the northeners defence. Breeland tried to play more agressively, pushing up their back four, but this only created more openings for Tol-In-Gaurhoth, who very nearly took the lead when The Phantom picked out Sauron’s perfectly timed run, giving him a one-to-one opportunity with Old Man Willow, who managed to pull off a good save. Sauron wasn’t to be denyed for long though, and in the 22nd minute he broke the deadlock with a thunderous drive from just outside the area. Old Man Willow looked rooted to his spot as the ball rocketed past him and into the net.

Now Breeland’s captain Bombadill tried to rally his troops and he was whisteling a merry tune as he powered past Lhuna down the right. The smile on his face turned upside down however as he tumbled to the ground in agony. Lhuna appeared to have grabbed his beard, and ref Boro88 had to separate the two before showing the Tol-In-Gaurhoth defender a well deserved yellow card. Minutes later crowd favourite Eomer earned another booking by sending The Barrow Wight flying thought the air with a harsh challange. Any suggestions that Tol-In-Gaurhoth would take it easy and save their strength for the later stages of the tournament could be easily dismissed. They were really banging up their opponents who were beginning to look a bit scared at this point.

At the start of the second half Breeland once again tried to rally, but they were immidiately punished. Formendacil expertly controlled a long ball from Hookbill and advanced down the left. His pinpoint cross was met by the head of Nogrod, and directed into the net past a hapless Old Man Willow. It was a good effort by the big Finn, but Nob and Bob really could have done a lot better with their marking. At this point the match was all but over, and Tol-In-Gaurhoth were happy just to knock the ball around and keep possesion. When the final whistle sounded, Breeland had not managed a single quality effort on goal. Bombadill and The Barrow.Wight had been completely neutralised by the Tol-In-Gaurhoth-defence, led by the excellent centrebacks Gwathagor and Cailin.

Breeland 0-2 Tol-In-Gaurhoth
shots 7-14
on target 3-7
GOALS:
*TIG, 22 (Sauron- the phantom)
*TIG, 50 (Nogrod- Formendacil)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Breeland- Goldberry, Harry, Ferny
*TIG- Nogrod, Lhuna, Eomer



The disapointment of failing to hold on to a second half lead against Tol-In-Gaurhoth was all but forgotten among the Edoras fans, who, judging by the singing and taunting in the streets and bars during the day, seemed certain of victory; a conviction no doubt boosted by copious amounts of mead consumed during the day. Most of their taunting was directed at Scata, the Mirkwood star striker, who had had a torrid time last time he played the Rohirrim. Mirkwood were seen as a patch-work team by most pundits, and they were disregarded by the Edoras fans, something which only seemed to please team captain Thranduil. “Being the underdogs just gives us the peace we need to prepare for the game” he said to a reporter prior to the game. “We have a good chance of progressing in this competition and are confident in our abilities”.

The crowd roared as the two teams finally made it onto the pitch. Last of all Eorl the Young came out of the tunnel and the noice reached a crescendo. The Mirkwood players were not daunted however, and when play came underway it was they who made the brighter start. Although Edoras tried to attack they looked a little nervous, often losing possession and allowing Mirkwood to counter-attack. Fair-haired Legolas had a few good efforts early on, and the female fans in the stands were swooning. As the half progressed however, The Rohirrim, urged on by the home crowd, started to take over the match. It payed off in the 28th minute when Muzgash and Gorbag allowed a hopeful long ball from Eowyn to drop behind them, giving Eorl the chance to steal in and finish with applause. The crowd exploded in extasy.

The joy was not to be long-lived though, as Mirkwood equalised in the 38th minute of play, though a deflected shot by captain Thranduil. The nerves were once again showing in the faces of the Edoras players and they could well have been two goals down at half time, had it not been for a pair of very classy saves by Theoden, on both occations denying Scata in front of goal.

The second half was pretty much a mirror image of the first. Edoras tried to come forward, and did create quite a few chances, but they looked anxious, more afraid of losing than hungry to win. In the 52nd minute Legolas hit the bar with a swirling shot, and the home supporters grew quieter. A draw would do it for them, but they were getting nervous now, and would have prefered a bigger margin of error. In the 58th minute the home team was handed a gift though, as a weak back-pass by Grishnakh was intercepted by Eowyn, who rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into the open net. Thranduil could not have been happy with the defending as once again the Orcs had been all too negligent.

Alas, the party atmosphere in the stands wasn’t to last long this time either. In the 66th minute Mirkwood equalised once again and what a goal it was. Thranduil aimed a corner towards his son Legolas who met it with an unstoppable volley from some 35 yards out, leaving Theoden no chance to save. Although renowned for his long distance projectiles, Legolas can’t have scored many better than this. Sensational! The home crowd was stunned, while the few Mirkwood fans present (mostly unruly spiders) screamed out their joy.

Now Mirkwoood were going all out for the win, as Edoras failed to mobilise a third time, falling back deep into their own half. Their defensive outlook seemed to work though as Mirkwood struggeled to create chances, but the Edoras players could never allow themselves to back down too much and give the dreaded Legolas a chance to shoot. The Edoras penalty area was starting to resemble a war zone now, as Mirkwood pushed more and more players forward. In the 80th minute the pressure finally payed off when Mirkwood were awarded a penalty kick as Grimbeorn was alledged to have been man-handled inside the area. Inevetably it was Scata who stepped up, and he made no mistake, sending Theoden the wrong way. With a finger to his mouth and a swagger he celebrated the goal in front of the dejected and silent Edoras fans.

The Rohirrim tried to come back into the game, but despite managing a few half-chances, they were never really close to a third goal. Edoras were eliminated in front of their home crowd! As the jubilant Mirkwood players and supporters celebrated, the Edoras players left the pitch with their heads hanging low. They would not sleep well tonight.

Edoras 2-3 Mirkwood
shots 20-22
on target 8-10
GOALS:
*Edoras, 28 (Eorl- Eowyn)
*Mirkwood, 38 (Thranduil- Nazgul #8)
*Edoras, 58 (Eowyn)
*Mirkwood, 66 (Legolas- Thranduil)
*Mirkwood, 80 pen (Scatha)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Edoras- Folcwine, Brytta, Thengel, Folca
*Mirkwood- Muzgash, Grishnakh, Nazgul #8

----------------------
Group B EDORAS

Mirkwood – Tol in Gaurhoth 2-3
Breeland – Edoras 2-3

Breeland – Mirkwood 3-3
Edoras – Tol in Gaurhoth 2-3

Breeland - Tol in Gaurhoth 0-2
Edoras - Mirkwood 2-3

Final Standings:

1. Tol in Gaurhoth 8-4 9pts Q
2. Mirkwood 8-8 4pt Q
3. Edoras 7-8 3pts
4. Breeland 5-8 1pt

[skip spence]

--GROUP D--

Osgilath was bustling as in it’s heydays when the city prepared to host the final matches of group D of the Arda Cup. Two matches were on the schedule and what matches they were! First out was the showdown between Nargothrond and Lothlorien, a match-up between two strong Elven sides, with the much publicized sibling rivallary of Galadriel and Finrod Felagund as the highlight. Later, there was the game all had been anticipating with both exitement and apprehension: the meeting between the home team and their most bitter rivals, the Corsairs of Umbar. The Kin-Strife it was dubbed in the media, and the pre-match comments from both sides certainly lived up to this epithet. “They have polluted their blood with lesser men” said Castamir of Umbar to a MESPN- reporter. “There’s no way they can beat us with half-bloods such as Eldacar in their side”, he continued.

Osgilath on their side accused Umbar of spying on them, in an attempt to reveal tactical plans and set-play variaties. Falastur spoke on a press conference the day before the game: “We have found several cats sneaking around our training facilities and there’s little doubt where they came from. But my dear wife Berúthiel, you shall know your spying will avail to nothing. We will crush you tomorrow”.
"Employing a Nazgul shows they are no better than Mordor", Eärnil added.

As kick-off approached, many wondered whether Galadriel and her Lothlorien would improve from the lacklustre form they had been showing so far, and as the teams took to the field, the determination in the face of the lady was plain to see. Sadly, her winning mentality was once again missing in most of her team-mates, even though Lothlorien still had a theoretic chance to make it into the play-offs. Nargothrond, playing relaxed with nothing to lose, were simply a much better team this night. Led by midfield-maestros Finrod and Glaurung, the latter playing with real fire in his belly, the Beleriand side toyed with their Silvan counterparts. First they brought the tempo down to tire their opponents out chasing the ball around and then, suddenly, a change of pace and an attack with great movement and precision. In fact, Galadriel did well to restrict the Noldo side to two goals only.
The first came after 37 minutes of play, when Gwindor latched on to a pinpoint pass from the elegant Finrod and did well to finish with a low shot, despite the unnerving attention of Gollum grasping after his neck. Finrod himself also got of the scoresheet in the 61th minute, when he beat his sister with a curling right-footed shot from the left that nestled into the far corner. When the match was over, Galadriel looked distraught, and her mood was in no way lightened when Bregolas offered to exchange jerseys.

Lothlorien 0-2 Nargothrond
shots 7-15
on target 3-7
GOALS:
*Nargothrond, 37 (Gwindor- Finrod)
*Nargothrond, 61 (Finrod- Baragund)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Lothorien- Amroth, Nimrodel, Gollum
*Nargothrond- Barahir

When Umbar came out of the tunnel in their black jerseys, the boos and the jeers from the home crowd had to be heard to be believed. Outside of the stadium their bus had been attacked and almost turned over by a bunch of hoolingans ‘playing orc’ and the reception inside of it was no better. But there was a spark in the eyes of Castamir and his team when they huddled onto the pitch, avoiding best as they could the coins and pebbles hurled towards them from above.

As soon as play was underway it was clear this was going to be a match to remember. Osgilath were playing as there were no tomorrow and throwing caution to the wind, totally abandoning their usually so defensive gameplan. Umbar were hard pressed, but played a tactically sound game, trying to hit Osgilath on the break with quick counter-attacks on the flanks. But it was the home team which started best and after having missed two good chances early on Eärnil made the third one count, as he nodded home an Eldacar cross from 5 yards out. Umbar were soon back on level terms though, when Berúthiel, nicknamed the Queen, scored a sensational goal against the run of play. She showed almost cat-like agility when she leaped between two onrushing defenders with the ball between her feet, and finished the move off with a crisp left-footed drive beyond the reach of Romendacil in goal. It was 1-1 at half-time, a result that would see the home team advance to the next round.

It was not long into the second half before Umbar took a shock lead however. Once again “the Queen” was the inspiration for her team, as she beat two defenders and delivered a low ball across goal that was met by Angamaite at the far post for an easy finish. Osgilath were not startled however as there was plenty of time left on the clock and they felt they had the better team. Urged on by their fanatic supporters they played some very nice football too, despite of the pressure. Umbar was holding on though. Eldacar, having been taunted by Castamir for not being a real Numenorian, seemed determined to prove his detractors wrong. By far Osgilath’s best player for the night, he was tormenting the Umbar defence with quick feet and accurate passing. It was fitting that he was the one to bring the home team back on level terms in the 67th minute as he skinned Brodda on the right and dispatched a ferocious low drive from a tight angle. Pelendur in goal probably should have done better with it though, but he allowed it to slip under his arms despite having it pretty well covered.

The remainder of the game would go down to history, as the two teams went at each other with a fury seldom to be seen. Umbar, now needing a goal, tried to feed balls to Berúthiel and Nazgul #9 on the wings, who in turn looked to deliver crosses into the box for the tall Castamir, now often supported by Angamaite and Sangahyando. Osgiliath wouldn’t settle back into defence yet either, and really wanted a win in front of their home crowd. Eldacar looked dangerous everytime he had the ball at his feet, and Eärnil could and perhaps should have scored off one of his passes, but the forward was repeatedly and often unnessesarily caught off-side.
Eärnil was to regret his over-eagerness (something the Nazgul did not fail to point out) as Umbar once again silenced the home crowd. Unseen by his marker, Nazgul #9 managed to open up space for himself, and delivered a cross into the box which was met by Castamir whose bullet header hit the crossbar and went in with nine minutes to play. He pulled the black jersey over his head celebrating, and the crowd was furious when they saw a sceptre printed on his white undershirt.

Time was now running short for the home side, and their play was getting increasingly desperate, with hopeful long balls. Playing on injury time Osgilath finally got the chance they were looking for. Calimehtar’s attempted clearance hit an outstretched leg and fell perfectly for Eldacar, who looked certain to score. But Pelendur made up for his earlier error by making a fantastic save at full stretch, and then another one, as Ostoher followed up on the rebound. That was all Osgilath could muster, and as the referee blowed his whistle the Kin-Strife was over. They had lost. All was lost.

Osgiliath 2-3 Umbar
shots 15-12
on target 8-6
GOALS:
*Osgiliath, 27 (Earnil- Eldacar)
*Umbar, 38 (Beruthiel- Fastred)
*Umbar, 53 (Angamaite- Beruthiel)
*Osgiliath, 67 (Eldacar- Falastur)
*Umbar, 81 (Castamir- Nazgul #9)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Osgiliath- Cemendur, Ostoher
*Umbar- Calimehtar, Brodda

-----------------------
D OSGILIATH

Nargothrond – Umbar 3-1
Lothlorien – Osgiliath 0-1

Lothlorien – Umbar 1-1
Nargothrond – Osgiliath 2-1

Osgiliath – Umbar 2-3
Lothlorien - Nargothrond 0-2

Final standings:

1. Nargothrond 7-2 9pts Q
2. Umbar 5-6 4pt Q
3. Osgiliath 4-5 3pts
4. Lothlorien 1-4 1pt

[Nogrod]

It was clear from the early morning hours on that Gondolin was the place to be that day. The whole city was buzzing in anticipation of the day’s matches. The home team had secured their place in the final 16 with stunning performances creating a real football-madness in the city. And there was lot to cheer for the elves who had adopted their kinsmen from the Tuna team as their second favourites.

"The Rock of the Music of Water" -stadium was sold out already before noon and it was bursting with chants, dances and the waving of flags a few hours before the first match of the day. Whatever the Ereborians said about being quietly scorned the general mood was that of peace, love and harmony – and sunshine.

The first twenty minutes of the game between Erebor and Tuna were marked by extra-careful play from both sides. The stakes were high as the winner would get through the next round of games and the losers would be sent home. To Tuna even a draw would suffice. The crowd lived passionately with the game even if it wasn’t any great drama in the beginning. But at 22nd minute the stadium was suddenly silenced. An innocent looking attack turned into a disaster for the Eldar team as Girion released Smaug free to roam. The dragon wiped Elenwe and Guilen out of the way and banged the ball in giving Orodreth no chance.

Even if – and partly just because of – Erebor made it a tough game in the end, and especially Girion, Smaug and Bard were a constant threat on the Eldarin goal, the elves will remember the game as “the game of the founding mothers”. There was no question about the heroines of the game. Though football enthusiasts will remember it also as the game of the founding father. The way Finwë supported his wife and daughter-in-law by attracting the attention of the defenders with his constant dashes to and fro really created the space the women needed to roll their show.

Miriel scored one of the most beautiful goals in the tournament so far at 31st minute volleying the ball into the upper corner of the goal from mid-air. Nerdanel got room for the pass after Finwë had made a distractive run the opposite way drawing Thorin and Thror with him. The great roar and cheer of the crowd must have been heard far outside the vale of Tumladen.

Erebor came to the second half full of energy and their efforts were rewarded at 51st minute when Girion managed to break free with a nice pass behind the defenders by Bard. But after that goal which put Erebor in the lead again the real show started. During the last half an hour it seemed there were only three players in the field and a bunch of statists standing around watching their performances in awe. With a bit more accurate shooting the game might have ended 2-5 or 2-6. Such was the hurricane that devastated the Erebor defences making the crowd go just wild.

Nerdanel’s constant runs into the tip of the attack and the astonishing agility and creativity of the duo supported by the intelligent counter-runs by Finwë were just poison to the bit clumsy and slow dwarven defence. Finally Nerdanel brought the game even on 68th minute after one of the neatest passing-shows seen in "The Rock of the Music of Water" –stadium. Miriel’s winning goal was no poorer. The duo just tore the defence apart and in the end fooled Bain at the goal as well. Either one could have scored the goal but finally Nerdanel offered her mother-in-law the honour of making the winner.

One thing is now certain. Whoever meets the Tuna team the next round will need a lot of feet in their downstairs…

The crowd was more than happy with the result and the singing went on the whole hour the interval between the two games lasted.

Erebor 2-3 Tuna
shots 12-14
on target 6-7
GOALS:
*Erebor, 22 (Smaug- Girion)
*Tuna, 31 (Miriel- Nerdanel)
*Erebor, 51 (Girion- Bard)
*Tuna, 68 (Nerdanel- Miriel)
*Tuna, 77 (Miriel- Nerdanel)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Erebor- Thror, Thrain, Bard
*Tuna- Ingwe

The athmosphere was jubilant as the evening-game began and the crowd got just what it wanted even if the game as such wasn’t a classic at any standards. The two teams were just on so different level in what came to their individual skill and tactical prowess. Though it must be acknowledged that the Gondorians fought hard the first fifty minutes against a far superior opponent. But after Ecthelion turned the numbers at the scoreboard into 3-1 they finally gave up. And the last half an hour was mainly kicking the ball from one to another as both teams had had enough.

Maeglin pulled the home team to a lead on 18th minute with nice header after a freekick given by Eol. Eol himself finished the 2-0 goal after Penlod’s shot deflected back from Minalcar’s back offering him a sudden opportunity he was not hesitant to use.

In the first minutes of the second half Gondorian efforts were finally rewarded with a goal. It was a nice run by lord Imrahil and Faramir from Anardil’s brilliant long pass that resulted in a nice two on one attack and a goal.

But Gondolin wasn’t in a mood for any uncertainties. A nice dribbling by Eol created him the room to pass the ball backwards to onrushing Ecthelion who hammered a real killer into the back of the Gondorian net from 18 meters.

The homecrowd was satisfied with the day and all except a few Ereborians cheered for a great tournament. It had been a great group from which the two best teams had clearly gotten forwards.

Gondolin 3-1 Gondor
shots 15-11
on target 7-5
GOALS:
*Gondolin, 18 (Maeglin- Eol)
*Gondolin, 38 (Eol- Penlod)
*Gondor, 51 (Imrahil- Faramir)
*Gondolin, 59 (Ecthelion- Eol)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Gondolin- Salgant, Penlod
*Gondor- Minalcar, Calmacil


------
E GONDOLIN

Erebor – Gondor 2-1
Gondolin – Tuna 3-2

Gondor – Tuna 1-3
Erebor – Gondolin 1-2

Tuna – Erebor 3-2
Gondolin – Gondor 3-1

1. Gondolin 8-4 9pts. Q
2. Tuna 8-6 6pts. Q
3. Erebor 5-6 3pts.
4. Gondor 3-8 0pts.