[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Quiet Argon uses Arda Cup debut to make a statement about his game
by Alice Holly

For many who were not born with talent or fame, suiting up to be on the biggest stage would be enough. It is, after all, something far more than they would have expected or deserved. Having the spotlight on them for a few fleeting moments would be enough of an experience to last them for the rest of their lives.

That clearly isn’t enough for Argon, son of Fingolfin, FC Valinor midfielder.

‘I came here to play winning football.’

And he certainly has. He has four friendly goals in four matches in a team laden with star power, a team on the path to winning it all. He had a double—the only goals his team had—in FC Valinor’s win against their toughest rival Real Valinor. Argon took his time in the limelight and used it to prove that he deserved to be among the elite.

It had been an long and arduous road for Argon—getting the call in the first place required divine intervention.

‘I don’t know anyone from Middle-earth, so my only chance for a call-up to an Arda Cup roster is through Blessed Realm teams. I knew I didn’t have much of a chance because there were only thirty-three spots—actually less, because I can’t play goalie. This year Tulkas and Yavanna built their own squads, after being together in team Valinor last year, so I had a few more chances to be called up. About a week into the preseason, I finally got invited by Yavanna to join her FC Valinor team.’

Argon is not a total unknown in the footballing world. After all, he did come from one of the best footballing families in Eä, the House of Finwë. His father and sister have won the Cup.

‘It’s just that I never got the chance to be on the news like they do, be it about football or anything else. But I guess I like being quiet. I’ve never been fond of war or politics—football’s been enough to get me going.’

He’s also the captain of the Tirion Sporting Club, far and away the best player in a middling team in the Elvish Premier League. They accomplished their best league finish this year at sixth, fully thirty points behind leaders Eldamar. And they have never progressed past the quarterfinals of the Elf A Cup.

‘The people I’m playing with now, I used to meet them on the pitch only twice, maybe thrice a year.’

And those people have nothing but praise for the Arda Cup rookie.

‘He’s a hard worker,’ said his half-cousin Celegorm.

His grandmother Indis concurs. ‘He’s usually the first on the pitch, working on his game—footwork, ball-control, his stamina, whatever he needs to improve on. He’s also usually the last to leave.’

‘He desires to know more about the game,’ said Irmo. ‘He reads up on strategies and tactics. And he’s watching tapes of past Arda Cup games, especially ones of teams we’d be facing. He says he doesn’t want to feel out the opposition only when he’s on the pitch against them—he wants to be ready for what they can do.’

After years of waiting, he’s finally shown Arda that he can play in the greatest stage. Argon’s time in the spotlight is just a stepping stone to greater glory.

‘It’s my first time to be here, and I already want to win it all. Sounds ambitious, maybe, but I know we can do it.’

Alice Holly is a Tar-Eldar Network Television football correspondent.