[the phantom]

With the ban on games in Valinor, Mordor wanted to snare a western foe to host. They made a great pitch to team Valimar, but when the westerners rolled in they found the host stadium at the Morannon to be less than hospitable.

Any lodging that wasn't already filled with Mordorians was crawling with pests and wasn't just dirty but appeared to have been actively wrecked. Not to mention most of the rooms looked as if they'd once been regular size but had been recently divided with hastily erected walls.

Packs of orcs lined the streets and heckled the Valinoreans as they checked into their insufficient lodgings. To escape the sickening cramped quarters the Elves and Ainu went out to find a good pub. What they found were ramshackle joints next to luxurious orc-only establishments. The places of business they were allowed into served only muddy water- or at least they hoped it was only mud.

When it came time for the game the Valimar supporters discovered their seats were all in the top of one side of the stadium, and all the rear rows of orcs had over-sized hats and signs to block the view. And the play on the field that they couldn't see wasn't any less kind- Mordor was taking every opportunity to rough up Manwe and company.

Which, as those experienced with Manwe will tell you, is not a good idea. If an opposing team can keep Manwe and friends calm and playing their regular game, they'll be content to be defensive and, particularly in friendlies, sit on a 1-goal lead. But instead Valimar went up to full effort and tournament style play and didn't pull back to defense only until they had scored three goals, and Mordor simply didn't have an answer for it. The orcs were quite down about it, but as a consolation they knew they'd take it in shifts to scream outside Valimar's quarters that night.

Mordor 0-3 Valimar
tot shots 9-13
on target 2-6
GOALS:
*21, 0-1 Alatar (Ilmare)
*37, 0-2 Pallando (Vaire)
*72, 0-3 Pallando (Amras)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Mordor- Grishnakh, Nazgul #2, Fellbeast #1, Gorbag
*Valimar- Amras, Alatar

The game between FC Valinor and The Downer on the foggy Downs field was a real letdown for the locals that braved the chill to see it. The Downer started off focused on the task, but began losing interest as the score held at 0-0.

FC Valinor finally broke things open at 32 minutes, but they did so in such a business-like manner that it didn't seem to stir The Downer much. Early in the 2nd half it happened again. FC Val fell back to play some defense, but The Downer seemed uninterested in asserting themselves, so the Valinoreans decided to get in a bit more offensive practice.

After the fourth goal FC Val gave away possession completely and The Downer took some half-hearted scoring attempts, but they never got close, and things ended in sad shape for the other-dimensionals.

FC Valinor 4-0 The Downer
tot shots 19-13
on target 9-4
GOALS:
*32, 1-0 Celegorm (Maglor)
*54, 2-0 Curufin (Yavanna)
*68, 3-0 Argon (Curufin)
*76, 4-0 Yavanna (Idril)
YELLOW CARDS:
*FCVal- Nahar
*Downer- John Fillis, Evil Mayo