Middle-Earth Football World Cup 2007

[Sleepy Ranger]

Here are the next set of fixtures:

Group A
Valinor vs. Erebor

Group B
Lothlorien vs. Brethil

Group D
Roverandom vs. Dor Lomin

Group H
Arnor vs. Rivendell

Here are the group tables, in MS Word and there is a RTF file in the zip folder for all those who can not use MS Word. Since I could not upload a RTF file directly I had to zip it. Hopefully it works.

[Nogrod]

The Blue Mountains council of elders releases this statement to make clear their intents and their aspirations.

At Tumunzahar the things have been considered and reconsidered by the board of the team.

With many players in this tournament a further shot at a show-off / show-up is given.

The team Nogg's Ball will stick to the following principles:
- No hobbits or any other shorter than dwarf persons in the team.
- No outsiders to the ME will join the team (not even J.R.R. himself).
- No BD "hot-players" in the team - just to be sporty.
- Possibly an elf or two - just to be sporty.

From the opening line-up the Nogg's Ball's board trusts wholeheartedly at this moment Nogrod (the name should tell you why), Ancalagon, Maedhros and the Witch-King. Whatever happens, Nogg's Ball will probably go through the tournament with these players - unless a team of one of these drops out after the round-robins.

But Nogg's Ball's directorate would also express it's willing to reconsider the goalie-situation as even if they honour the skills of Smaug they are a bit worried about his condition and the chances of Erebor in the first place. But with only one game behind the board will wait for more results.

The same worry seems to hang over the strikers as well. Tulkas (two games) and Gothmog (one game) have been pretty unimpressive so far and a trade might be coming in timely. Gothmog will be given a second chance but trading Tulkas off looks quite tempting... not the least as we seem to have premier-class strikes like Mormegil (a two-edged sword as a choice, admittedly ), Felagund, Finwë or Tar-Ancalime (whom we were initially signing in to our team)... Bullroarer Took and J.R.R. Tolkien we will let out of this discussion as well as Sleepy Ranger and the Saucepanman - they are excellent players and fantastic scorers but we must obey our principles.

For our defence and the midfield we need to look more closely at the team performances before we make our decisions. A few changes will take place after the second round is completed.

[The Saucepan Man]

Hmm, a few to deal with here, so without further ado ...

Group A
Moria were unlucky to be drawn in the same Group as a clearly in-form Angband and, with Valinor in the Group too, they are going to struggle to qualify. Which is a shame, as they don't look half bad. They put up a good fight against Angband for most of the match, but Thuringwethil looks to be on excellent form and Melkor is now coming up with the goods too. If Valinor win against Erebor, which is more than likely, it looks to be all over for Moria. Angband, on the other hand, are almost certainly through (like anyone expected them not to qualify from the Group ...).

Group B
Unfortunately, with Frodo and Sam gone, The Shire are nothing like the exciting team that they were last year and, while Pippin grabbed a consolation penalty, I am sorely disappointed in his form. Still, perhaps this will put paid to the cries of foul play against them. It certainly looked like a clumsy tackle from Amrod to me, so I think that the penalty decision was a fair one. Tuna, on the other hand, are nicely living up to their pre-tournament hype and look very likely to qualify at the top of the Group table, although I am disappointed that they didn't press more towards the end. While some have attributed this to prudence, they should remeber that the fans want to see exciting football from the flair teams. I would have expected less caution from a team that contains the likes of the feiry Feanor and his sons.

Group C
Buckland really disappointed in their match against Nargothrond. It was always going to be difficult for them, but they could at least have made a fight of it. Sitting back and defending against an excellent attacking side, with perhaps the best striker in the competition in Mormegil, was always going to invite trouble. They are lucky that Nargothrond, uncharacteristically I might say, took their foot off the pedal, or it could have been a complete bloodbath. In any event, as just desserts for their disappointing play, Buckland now need an absolute miracle to have any chance of progressing. It will also be a miracle if Nargothrond don't now go on to win this Group in style.

Group D
Well, it looks like Mordor, and particularly their sinister front pair, the Dark Lord and the Witch-King, are back on form. They needed a win and they got it in spades. I am disappointed that Tol Eressea didn't do better, since they looked to be quite a good prospect in their first match. If Roverandom continue to surprise, they could be looking at an early trip back across the Sundering Sea. Still, the Group is interestingly poised at the moment, with Roverandom, Mordor and Tol Eressea all on 3 points.

Group E
I am surprised that Old Grey Hill put up such a good fight against the Misty Mountains. Buckland could learn a thing or two from them. It looks like they have the Man-in-the-Moon-in-the-goal largely to thank for that. Misty Mountains look to be a capable team, having seemingly resolved their differences and have deservedly cemented their place at the top of the Group. I am particularly impressed with the unlikely 'little and large' partnership of Dwalin and the Stone Giant up front, but Bolg looks to be a good prospect in goal too.

Group F
After losing two matches on the trot, Mirkwood are staring down the barrel of an early exit. Which is a shame, because, on form, they can be a team with great attacking flair. Legolas has been a major disappointment, as he is usually a prolific provider and scorer from midfield. I can only think that he is missing his partnership with Gimli, with whom he plays at club level. The two of them are known to have a friendly competition going to see who can score more goals than the other, and he perhaps lacks the spur that this normally provides him. It's no excuse though, as playing for his realm should be incentive enough. Still, it was always going to be a tough match against the sturdy defence of Gondolin, and Hurin looks to be in great goal scoring form.

Group G
The Inklings were a revelation in the first match, but they came up against a Barrow-Downs side who look to be building up to last year's championship-winning form. I was glad to see the Saucepan Man back on form and linking up well with the phantom and Sleepy Ranger. To be fair, the Inklings might have done a lot better, but for some great goal-keeping from the Barrow-Wight. Who knows what might have happened had they converted that early penalty? It was awful at the time, but in hindsight, the spectacle of Formedacil tugging on the shirt of CS Lewis was rather amusing.

Group H
I am yet to watch the highlights of the Doriath v Ham match but, from the result, it looks to have been a good one. A draw is actually quite a good result for both teams as, regardless of the result between Arnor and Rivendell, it will keep them both at the top of the team table.

And now for that Yellow Boot Trophy update ...

It's no surprise that Mormegil remains in top spot, although his father, together with Mablung and (surprisingly) Farmer Giles of Ham are hot on his heels.

Mormegil (Nargothrond) - 5
Mablung (Doriath) - 3
Hurin (Gondolin) - 3
Farmer Giles (Ham) - 3
Melkor (Angband) - 2
Thuringwethil (Angband) - 2
Sleepy Ranger (Barrow-Downs) - 2
The phantom (Barrow-Downs) - 2
Tailbiter (Ham) - 2
JRR Tolkien (Inklings) - 2
Dwalin (Misty Mountains) - 2
Dark Lord (Mordor) - 2
Finwe (Tuna) - 2
Rune Son of Bjarne (Barrow-Downs) - 1
The Saucepan Man (Barrow-Downs) -1
Tom Bombadil (Bree) - 1
Skinbark (Fangorn) - 1
Turgon (Gondolin) - 1
Christopher Tolkien (Inklings) - 1
Stone Giant (Misty Mountains) - 1
Witch-King (Mordor) - 1
Shagrat (Mordor) - 1
Durin’s Bane (Moria) - 1
Felagund (Nargothrond) - 1
Atkins (Niggle’s Parish) - 1
Tar-Ancalime (Numenore) - 1
Guest (Old Grey Hill) - 1
William (Rivendell) - 1
Gilraen (Rivendell) - 1
Roverandum (Roverandum) - 1
Frodo (Tol Eressea) - 1
Pippin Took (The Shire) -1
Finarfin (Tuna) -1
Maedhros (Tuna) -1
Fairy Queen (Wooton Major) - 1

PS Thanks for providing the Group Tables in rtf, Sleepy. One observation, though. Gondolin should have 6 points.

[Nogrod]

The board of Nogg’s Ball has observed the current situation of the competition and has arrived to the following predicament.

On the first knock-out phase the teams to challenge each other will be:

1. Angband – Ham/Doriath
2. Valinor – Ham / Doriath
3. Tuna – The Inklings
4. Lothlorien / Shire – Barrow-Downs
5. Nargothrond – Bree
6. Numenor – Gondolin
7. Mordor / Roverandom – Fangorn / Old Gray Hill
8. Mordor / Roverandom – Misty Mountains

And if standard rules apply, then it will be the winners facing each other from matches:
1-8 = Angband – Misty Mountains
2-7 this is a hard one to predict…
3-6 = Tuna – Gondolin
4-5 = Barrow-Downs – Nargothrond

So Angband and The Barrow-Downs will meet in the semifinal!

On the other semifinal a group of nobodies (unless Mordor gets it’s act together and will proceed to this stage) will face Tuna, and Tumunzahar will be betting heavily on Tuna – elves they are but however…

So a final between Tuna vs. Angband / Barrow-Downs to be seen?

Due to these considerations Nogg’s Ball’s directorate will announce the following change to their line-up.

Sold out:
FW Tulkas (Valinor)

Signed in:
FW Finwe (Tuna)

Other changes will take place after the rest of this round’s matches are played out.

Generally the team will be considering selling off the Erebor goalie Smaug in the first place but as said earlier, he will be given an opportunity to show his skills as well as his team to show up some actual playing before any action is taken by the board of Nogg’s Ball. The same goes with Valinor’s defender Mänwe.

Depending on today’s fixtures Nogg’s Ball will be highly interested in changing their Barrow-Downs midfielder Feanor of the Peredhil (a winning teams midfielder to be sure but a bit ineffective) to either Dwalin (Misty Mountains) or Wizard Artaxerxez (Roverandom). Also Ham’s midfielder Miller would be an option – depending on today’s results and the consecutive standings in the charts (whether Ham will meet Angband in the first knock-out round or not).

But the time will tell…

PS. Sleepy & Arcticstorm: I have made the change in Nogg’s Ball’s initial line-up.

[Sleepy Ranger]

First up we have Erebor facing off against Valinor. I reckon Valinor should be able to win this match. If they fail to win they will have the nearly impossible task of besting an in form Angband. Valinor have it all to play for. Lothlorien are second though only on goal difference. They have to win here to keep any hopes of making it through. They will have a hard time against Tuna who have been on fire.

***

Group A
Valinor 0 - 1 Erebor
(Bard 87th)

This match was not really one of high quality but Erebor managed a last grasp victory with a cheeky goal from their forward Bard. Valinor did start the game rather gracefully almost going ahead after an Eonwe free kick floated goalwards struck the crossbar. Near the end of the first half they had another great chance when Pallando swept in from the right flank but his shot rolled harmlessly past the left post. The teams went in all square with Valinor dominating the chances.

In the second half it was Erebor that created the first chance when Bard broke away. He was taken down in the box by Manwe. An appeal for a penalty went up but the referee said the tackle was a clean one. Only moments after that Manwe was booked for a tackle on Bard outside the box. Ironically the tackle in the box looked more like a foul than this did. The refs need to be more consistent.

The only goal of the match came in the 87th minute after a corner. The corner was taken by Fili. After some anxious headers by both teams the ball wound up loose in the box. Bard swooped down on it and blasted it in from point blank. Erebor manage to win out of nowhere.

Shots: 5(2) - 3(1)
Posession:50 - 50
Bookings: Manwe

Group B
Lothlorien 2 - 0 Brethil
(Gandalf 12th, Amroth 53rd)

Lothlorien have finally got their game on. Gandalf scored off a free kick in the 12th minute to finally give Lothlorien a goal. The game was a good one for them, they played some beautiful football and while their chances were few and far in between they made the most of them. In fact you could say that Brethil dominated attacking play in the first half. They got in five shots, three on target but lacking power or just shooting them straight Galadriel while Lothlorien could only manage two, the one on target resulted in their goal.

Soon after the second half began Lothlorien had another great oppurtunity. Gandalf played in Gimli who crossed in well from the right flank. The ball went over a crowd in the box and found Amroth who was standing wide and shot the ball into the bottom corner giving Lothlorien a two goal advantage. Brethil came close to equalizing when Turambar forced an exceptional save out of Galadriel from point blank.

Shots: 4(2) - 6(3)
Posession: 48 - 52

***

Valinor lost! To make it through the have to beat Angband. I guess it's safe to say that they won't be making it through to the next round. Lothlorien managed a good win which gives them moral advantage going into the next round. More importantly they have two precious goals which will certainly put the pressure on the Shire.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Next up Roverandom will be taking on Dor-Lomin. Roverandom managed to sneak a win past Mordor but what about Dor Lomin? They may have lost their first game but they have a very good attack and are very capable of scoring a goal. I reckon Dor Lomin may snatch the win. Rivendell impressed me very much in their loss against Ham while Arnor played disgracefully. If the last games were any indication, Rivendell will win this with ease.

***

Group D
Roverandom 0 - 1 Dor Lomin
(Turin 19th)

This was a boring game. Dor Lomin won with what was pretty much to only real chance of the game. Amazing really since the two teams managed to take about twenty shots between them. I have never seen such dreadful shooting before. Can you believe that this team beat Mordor?!? Ugh... dreadful.

Dor Lomin's goal came when Turin picked up on a defensive lapse and stole the ball off of a defender to knock the ball in before anyone so much as realized what was happening. Turin then managed to get himself a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. Boring game.

Shots: 7(0) - 12(2)
Posession: 49 - 51
Bookings: Turin

Group H
Arnor 3 - 0 Rivendell
(Aragorn 67th, 78th, 83rd)

*Report Pending* Sorry, have some work to do elsewhere. Won't have time to do this right now.

Assist: Arathorn, Arvedui, Isildur
Bookings: Isildur - Bilbo
Shots: 8(8) - 3(1)
Posession: 56 - 44

***

[The Saucepan Man]

Grrr! I am not at all happy with these results, because most went contrary to my expectation and most are dreadful for my Fantasy World Cup team.

Group A
Disaster for Valinor! One of the fancied teams pre-competition, they now need to beat the mighty Angband by a significant margin and rely on a favourable result from the Moria v Erebor game. It's not looking good for them. But they only have themselves to blame. They are far too cautious as a team, as their failure to score even a single goal so far shows. I am also wondering whether they are unsettled, as Manwe is usually a very calm and focussed player and his poor tackling was most out of character. A great result for Erebor, of course, who now have a realistic chance of going through. Personally, though, if Valinor goes out, I would prefer Misty Mountains to go through, as I think that they are the better team.

*News just in: Valinor team coach, Eru Iluvatar, has been quoted as saying that he does not mind if Valinor are eliminated, as he created the competition and all the teams in it, and there is no outcome that would not be to his greater glory.*

Hmm, perhaps that explains their lacklustre approach ...

Group B
Isn't it great to see Gandalf still banging them in, even at this late stage in his career? A good result for Lothlorien, and a surprisingly good turn of play from the inexperienced Amroth. Still, they are not through yet. They still have the superb Tuna to play, whereas The Shire will be facing a poor looking Brethil (with Turambar their only player of note).

Group D
Well, on the basis of Roverandom's previous performance, I certainly didn't expect them to lose to Dor Lomin. Like Brethil, Dor Lomin, only have one player of any note, and that's Turin. Mind you, he's not half bad. He reminds me of a young Mormegil, which is no bad thing, given Mormegil's record in this competition.

Still, the result makes Group D very interesting - each team on 3 points with it all to play for. I'm still backing Mordor and Tol Eressea.

Group H
Well the highlights of the Arnor v Rivendell match are still pending, but the result means that Rivendell becomes the first team to be eliminated for sure. It's a shame, as they looked in their first match like they might be able to recapture the glories of competitions past, and I would have expected them to beat Arnor. Still, Aragorn proved that he was a good player when at Gondor, and his hat-trick in this match shows that he clearly still is. The Ham v Arnor match is likely to determine second place in this Group, and I still have high hopes for the plucky folk of Ham.