[Nogrod]

Hithlum had invited team Tirion to visit them at Dor-lómin’s cosy forest-stadium and the attendance was excellent regarding that there were two other quite a crowd-pleaser games taking place in the vicinity around the same time.

The game was an interesting one in many respects. Both teams went for ball possession and short-pass tactics – probably trying to save energy just before the tournament by not running to and fro through the field all the time after long openings. But that didn’t mean the ball was just moved over the midfield. On the contrary, the teams offered the spectators real value for their money with a display of some nice individual skills, well played combinations and in the end seven goals. Tirion got four of them, Hithlum three.

Tirion has been high on the different rankings published in the media and Hithlum has done pretty well too. But the problem both teams face is the super-high level of competition in both of their respective groups.

Asked about that in the post-game press the answers were these.

Aredhel: We just keep scoring more than the opponents do, and to help that we tighten our backline a little bit… You know, even if they would never admit it, the Númenorians are wetting their pants looking forwards to meeting us as they know they have to score at least three or four to even draw with us – and they just don’t score that much, sorry guys. And the Valinor-teams? They are the pre-tournament favourites and they are under pressure to qualify, so we’ll keep on scoring and see whether they can answer that. They will freeze, I will tell you. They will freeze.

Húrin: Valimar and The Sea play the defence-game. The medicine against that is playing offencive – and you know where the talent of our team lies… And the Havens, you ask? Well I wouldn’t count on them to be contesting for the qualification anyway. Tuor is a good lad and his offspring are valiant, and Cirdan is a great person, but they just are not up to the challenge this time.

Hithlum 3-4 Tirion
tot shots 13-15
on target 7-7
GOALS:
*8, 1-0 Turin (Hurin)
*14, 1-1 Finwe (Anaire)
*19, 1-2 Eonwe (Ingwe)
*31, 2-2 Nienor (Hador)
*40, 2-3 Mahtan
*70, 2-4 Finwe (Aredhel)
*81, 3-4 Hurin (Androg)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Hithlum- Morwen, Grithnir
*Tirion- Elenwe


~*~

Even if football is the number one sport in Arda, there still are pockets here and there where other sports take precedence. One of those is the great city of Dol Amroth by the sea. In an effort to spread the enthusiasm towards football the AFA (Arda Football Association) has been sponsoring the building of a beautiful Swan Arena just inside the New Port facing the Bay of the White Ships.

Gondor’s and Minas Tirith’s scheduals had sadly been locked down already before it was clear the stadium would be finished before this year’s Cup would begin, but the adminstrators of Dol Amroth were able to pick quite a treat for their citizens by getting four very interesting teams to the city to finish their friendly season.

In the afternoon game one of the great favourites and talk of the Arda Real Valinor – with all the powerful elves and Western-folk – met the media-favourite team of oddities, the one who can actually also play aka. Tol In Gaurhoth.

In the game Real Valinor showed why they are high in the speculations. Even if the T-I-G played their best football thus far and managed to offer some real competition, there never was a real question about which team was calling the shots here. Real’s ball-handling was just superb and their passes a level faster and wittier, their offencive-players’ manouvers a deal more creative and dangerous than those of their wight-werewolf counterparts. Looking at the shooting stats just tells it all.

Both teams played it all out and Real Valinor went on winning the game 3-1. That was a fair result.

Real Valinor 3-1 Tol In Gaurhoth
tot shots 19-11
on target 9-3
GOALS:
*18, 1-0 Miriel (Elemmire)
*54, 1-1 NerWight (NogWolf)
*72, 2-1 Nessa (Nerdanel)
*86, 3-1 Miriel (Tilion)
YELLOW CARDS:
*RealVal- Rumil, Tilion, Caranthir
*TIG- SallyWight, NilpWolf, DF Wight #2, DF Wight #1


But the game the audiences were really excited about was the “meeting of the brothers” – as the game was marketed (although some critical avant-garde & hipster media, like The Belfalas Guardian, called it “a senior-meeting of centuries old grandfathers and uncles no one living today should be interested more than a piece in the museum of oddities”). But most of the people were thrilled to see the great Númenorians and the Kings of Arnor clashing in a friendly battle on a football-field.

Both teams played respectfully but in a full tournament gusto. Even if Armenelos was the more controlling side, Elendil’s and Araphor’s nice teamwork took Arnor into lead in the first half. Ar Pharazôn’s intelligent pass that freed Tar Miriel one on one with Arvedui draw the game early in the second half.

Little by little Armenelos’ faster and more athletic game bore fruit and Ar Pharazôn scored a neat volley for Armenelos to take the lead on 72nd minute. After that Armenelos pulled back practising keeping the lead – and Arnor was not able to get past the defence any more.

Ar Pharazôn smiled widely in the press conference and praised team Arnor being a lot tougher their rankings by the “know-nothing media” show and suggested they should look and learn. He was also quick to mention that he had told the media already earlier that when the games start to be more real he will start scoring, and he did play a major part in both goals of Armenelos in the game so maybe he is correct.

When asked by Andunië Evening Standard, whether the Valinor-based teams they will meet in the group-phase are still too tough for them to qualify, Ar Pharazôn had only this to answer:

“Phffft!”

Armenelos 2-1 Arnor
tot shots 14-8
on target 6-3
GOALS:
*29, 0-1 Araphor (Elendil)
*55, 1-1 Tar Miriel (Ar Pharazon)
*72, 2-1 Ar Pharazon (Tar Ancalimon)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Armenelos- Ar Adunakhor, Ar Zimrathan
*Arnor- Malvegil, Araval, Earendur