[Nilpaurion Felagund]

GROUP D

This group has us hating the grouping committee; any one of these teams has Round of Sixteen-level talent (at the very least).

• Armenelos

  4.75 MF Tar-Ancalimon
  3.5 GK Tar-Atanamir
  2 DF Tar-Palantir, DF Tar-Telperiën, MF Tar-Míriel

  With excellent athleticism, great teamwork, top-class individual talents like Tar-Atanamir, Tar-Telperiën, Ar-Adûnakhôr, and Ar-Pharazôn (as well as the rise of Tar-Ancalimon in the friendlies), this Armenelos team is not much different from its previous versions that have cemented Númenor’s status as one of the best footballing nations in Arda. But this year might be their darkest ever. Placed in a group with two Cup favourites and a third team unaccustomed to being left behind in the group stage, and with their lacklustre showing in the friendlies, the Númenórean squad is in danger of watching the knockout games from the side lines, the first time ever that a team from Elenna would fail to advance from the group stage. Now, nobody is counting the Royals out, but even they must admit that they’re not one of the favourites to advance from this group, either.
  
  
• Tirion

  8.5 FW Finwë
  6 FW Aredhel
  4 FW Eönwë

  With the talent this squad has, they’re certainly among the best sixteen (perhaps even the best eight) teams in the tourney. But in this group, their lack of a proper defence would be their undoing. Sure, Finwë and company can connect with the back of the net, but the other three teams in this group could match them goal for goal.
  
  
• FC Valinor

  7.25 FW Curufin
  5 MF Argon, MF Yavanna
  4 GK Huan

  They have Celegorm and Curufin up front and Huan at the rear. The trio have won the cup together, and Huan’s success in the Arda Cup is already much heralded. Tested personnel on both ends of the pitch usually translate into titles, if properly supported. With Argon flashing his talents in his first Arda Cup appearance (see the feature article above), and Yavanna being her usual self, they look set to continue Huan’s ridiculous semi-final appearance streak.
  
  
• Real Valinor

  6 FW Míriel
  5 FW Arien
  4 MF Nessa

  Tulkas is untested as a goalkeeper, but with Nienna tending the space in front of him the test will be lighter for him than for most new goalies. As for their front line, nothing more needs to be tested of Míriel, Nerdanel, and Arien—except, perhaps, winning it all.

Projected finish:
1. FC Valinor
2. Real Valinor
3. Armenelos
4. Tirion

GROUP E
After having these four teams scrambling to get out of this group, they will meet the best and the second-best team from Group D. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, indeed.

• Hithlum

  7 FW Húrin
  5.75 FW Túrin
  4.25 MF Nienor

  The bad news: After Hithlum’s three double-digit salary forwards, they have no one worth more than six million. The good news: the three forwards are Túrin, Húrin, and Hador. So everyone knows what this team will do best. Sure, they’re up against two Ainur-anchored defences in this group, but Túrin has never been denied the knockout stage before, and we don’t think he’ll be denied now. Also, Nienor has stepped up, averaging a goal or an assist per friendly game, and one can hope that Aradan or someone from the defence will similarly step up and anchor their back line to give them a chance to go further.
  
  
• The Havens

  4.25 MF Aegnor
  3.75 FW Eärendil
  2.75 FW Tuor

  The Havens have shown in the friendlies that you need to be a really good team to beat them. Unfortunately, the other teams in their group are ‘really good’. Too bad; Eärendil is back to normal form, and Aegnor seems to be having a breakout season.
  
  
• The Sea

  3.75 FW Tar-Minastir
  3.5 GK Voronwë, DF Ulmo
  2.25 MF Tar-Aldarion

  It was an idea that had been flirted with for a while—pairing Valarin defence with Númenórean offence should be a winning combination. But the idea never really took off, due perhaps to chemistry, or just plain team-building issues. Now Ulmo may have found the proper recipe; the Númenóreans have been taking care of the goals, delivering six in four games, and Ulmo and his Maiar have been taking care of the defence, limiting red-hot Tirion to two goals and Armenelos to one. This team balance on both ends of the pitch looks set to dominate this group of unbalanced squads.
  
  
• Valimar

  5 GK Manwë
  3.5 DF Amras, MF Pallando
  3.25 DF Vána, DF Námo

  Like the case of Misty Mts (whom they coincidentally met in the 2011 Arda Cup Round of Sixteen) last year’s Pelóri team has pretty much maxed out Manwë’s strategy, having enough of a scoring punch in Eönwë, Varda, and Oromë to ensure the one-goal win plan’s success. Sure, their current defence with Manwë manning the goal is still formidable (they’re the top defensive team of the friendlies), but having lost those three scorers in the offseason will hurt them in the putting-the-ball-in-the-net department. (From the numbers, it looks like Pallando can step up, but most of his damage had been done against the pathetic Mordor squad.)

Projected finish:
1. The Sea
2. Hithlum
3. Valimar
4. The Havens