Middle-Earth Football World Cup 2007

[Sleepy Ranger]

Tomorrow's matches are just friendlies and are being done to help you assess the team's performances so to help you decide your fantasy squad.

Matches

1. Barrow-Downs vs. Mordor
2. Gondor vs. The Shire
3. The Inklings vs. Angband
4. Valinor vs. Gondolin
5. Moria vs. Buckland
6. Ham vs. Niggle's Parish
7. Misty Mountains vs. Arnor
8. Lothlorien vs. Mirkwood

Those are the official matches. ie; they WILL be done. If there is still any time left over there may be a few more to be played.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Barrow-Downs 3 - 2 Mordor

It was a very evenly matched contest which the 'Downs snatched in the closing moments of the match. The first half was rather listless and neither team seemed to be trying too hard. The closest anyone came in the first half was when Rune headed the ball towards Sleepy who volleyed wide. Just as the second half kicked off the first goal was produced, after a dangerous tackle by Rune while earned him a yellow card and gave Mordor a free kick in a good position. Gothmog lobbed the ball and Dark-Lord headed in with ease.

It was then at the 70th minute that the Barrow-Downs finally managed to find a gap in the Mordor defence and a blistering run by Saucepan Man capped by a beautiful cross was converted bu Sleepy Ranger who chested the ball and slotted it past Shelob with ease. The Witch-King then broke past the 'Downs defence and was only denied by a fantastic save from the Barrow-Wight. Mordor wasted the resultant corner and Saucepan Man picked up the loose ball and made it all the way to the Mordor goal, his shot however bounced off the post, quite luckily to a lurking Phantom who made no mistakes in heading in the rebound.

At 2-1 in the 80th minute it seemed the match had been buried but barely five minutes later a long range screamer by Snaga levelled things up again. As the match entered injury time the 'Downs had a throw in near the Mordor goal. Glirdan employed the long throw brilliantly and Sleepy headed the ball towards Saucepan Man who unselfishly lobbed it towards Rune who volleyed from hardly a metre away.

Shots: 7(5) - 9(7)
Posession: 51 - 49

***

Gondor 0 - 1 Shire

It was a very evenly matched game and the Shire can consider them lucky to have picked up the win though a draw would have been a fair result. Gondor dominated the early proceedings with Faramir coming agonizingly close, his shot beating a helpless Lobelia but also rolling past the wrong side of the post. Moments later Lobelia managed to hold onto a powerful low drive from just outside the area by Boromir. The Shire didn't really get a look till the 30th minute when Pippin showed some great individual skill to dribble past the entire Gondorian defence unfortunately he was at too tight an angle to pull of a shot and instead, cleverly played the ball off Denethor for a corner.

Sam took a very pin-point corner, the ball going straight to Pippin who was kept from scoring only by a last ditch goal line clearance by Imrahil. After that the match went back and forth quite a lot with nobody really threatening. The break-through came in the 85th minute when Sam crossed from the right win and found an unmarked Bullroarer Took who calmly headed in the winner. Gondor did get a final chance with a free-kick in the final few moments but Lobelia held onto the ball as the referee blew the final whistle.

Shots: 8(4) - 5(4)
Posession: 50 - 50

***

Angband 1 - 0 The Inklings

Although the result seems predictable since Angband are a far superior team to the Inklings and on paper one could safely assume Angband might have won it by two or three goals but football isn't played on paper. The Inklings dominated the entire game and were let down by poor finishing in the end. They made it clear that they're no push overs right in the start of the match when CS Lewis' header just grazed the crossbar. They came close many times after that and at the end of the first half they were very unlucky to go in with the scores still level.

The second half started much the same with Christopher Tolkien forcing an acrobatic save out of Glaurung with a brilliant lob from the edge of the box. In the 55th minute though a blistering run by Ulfang from one end of the field to the other produced Angband's only chance of the game which lead to the only goal of the game. Though it seemed the ball would get away from him Ulfang managed to slide in a cross which Melkor had to dive to connect with, none the less sending the ball into the back of the net.

Shots: 1(1) - 7(3)
Posession: 43 - 57

***

Valinor 0 - 0 Gondolin

It was a fairly boring match with neither team really commiting to attack. Though the first half was dominated by Gondolin they could only muster up two or three decent attempts. Hurin drilled a through ball towards Glorfindel who lobbed the ball upwards and headed only for the ball to harmlessly go out off the post. Soon after Gondolin were given a free-kick just outside the area. Hurin took a hard shot but it deflected against the wall, only to land at the feet of Turgon who shot hopelessly wide.

In the second half the game was a bit more evenly matched with Valinor getting a few shots under their belt but none were really going to trouble Ulmo, rated as one of the best goalkeepers of the tournament. Valinor did come close when Eonwe drilled a shot aimed at the bottom left corner only to see his shot miraculously held by Ulmo. After that Gondolin were content to hold onto the ball and pass it around rather than build an attack.

Shots: 8(5) - 5(4)
Posession: 54 - 46

***

That's the action from the first four matches. The other four shall be up later. I hope you enjoy these pre-World Cup friendlies.

[Elmo]

A 0-0 is expected when both teams have the terrible 4-5-1 formation. If I had my way that would be banned from all football. Good to see the Down's making a winning start but their 4-3-3 will ensure they'll leak goals like I leak embarassing secrets when drunk.

[Sleepy Ranger]

I'm not much of a fan of the 4-5-1 myself but I reckon both Valinor and Gondolin have exceptional mid-fields and hopefully will play more attacking football later on. As they showed in the last tournament Gondolin are capable of some high-scoring games.

I'll admit that even the 'Downs defence is attack-minded but our goal-keeper is truly world class. I expect him to actually save us in a couple of matches. However I fully expect our front line to stay ever alert and knock in a fair number of goals for us. While it is good to make a winning start it's also good to see that two of the teams in our group (Gondor and The Inklings) both lost although they played very good football and were unlucky to lose. It does give us the mental edge.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Sleepy

... none were really going to trouble Ulmo, rated as one of the best goalkeepers of the tournament.

Eh? The team rosters indicate that Varda is Valinor's goalkeeper ...

[Sleepy Ranger]

Indeed, Saucey. It was Valinor shooting and Ulmo saving, who plays in goal for Gondolin.

[The Saucepan Man]

Oops! Fair 'nuff.