Middle-Earth Football World Cup 2007

[Sleepy Ranger]

After much thought and work the Middle-Earth Football World Cup 2007 is finally here! I know many of you have been waiting for it and I'm sorry I couldn't get this done earlier but I've been "busy". I'm afraid arcticstorm will not be able to help me out with this but I would like to give complete credit to him for making the teams with complete rosters. I doubt I'd have such a wonderful base to get started if it weren't for him.

Here is the old thread for those who weren't around last time and those who want to go through it again- MEFWC

Alright, heres some things that weren't around the last time around:

• A fantasy football tournament to increase user interaction
• Matches will be simmed on Winning Eleven instead of Fifa
• Screenshots of games will most probably be available
• Complete line ups!

Of course just like last time around I'd need people to volunteer to help with press work and such. You know, like writing articles, fan reactions and so on. Any help at all will be very appreciated.

Without further ado, the teams that made it past qualifying.

1. Valinor
2. Tuna
3. Tol Eressea
4. Numenor
5. Nargothrond
6. Gondolin
7. Doriath
8. Angband
9. Dor-Lomin
10. Brethil
11. Shire
12. Buckland
13. Bree
14. Arnor
15. Rivendell
16. Misty Mountains
17. Mirkwood
18. Erebor
19. Moria
20. Lothlorien
21. Fangorn
22. Rohan
23. Gondor
24. Mordor
25. Barrow-Downs
26. Tol-in-Gauroth
27. Ham
28. Niggle's Parish
29. Wooton Major
30. Old Grey Hill
31. Inklings
32. Roverandom

As you can see there are many new faces this time since we've decided to include the entire Tolkien-verse this time. It should be a good tournament.

I will most probably have the groups up tomorrow along with a summary of the previous tournament.

So, what are you waiting for? Let the games begin!

[Elmo]

Elmo's expert tactical analysis for the following tournament is as follows:
The Shire will be experts at the short game
Fangorn Forest team will grow in stature as the tournament progresses
It goes without saying that Mordor's disciplinary record will be shocking
Ham's team looks tasty this year
Tuna expects this year's tournament to go swimmingly
Nargothrond's team is expected to be let down this year by their talented but unreliable new centre forward with a vicious temper
Numenor's team is expected to sink without a trace this year.
(This is honestly better analysis then what passed for it on British tv in the last World Cup, at least I don't mention 1966 every two seconds when it's a match between Ecuador and Costa Rica)

[Sleepy Ranger]

Group A
Erebor
Moria
Valinor
Angband

Group B
Brethil
Lothlorien
Tuna
Shire

Group C
Niggle's Parish
Numenor
Nargothrond
Buckland

Group D
Dor Lomin
Mordor
Tol Eressea
Roverandom

Group E
Fangorn
Old Grey Hill
Tol In Gauroth
Misty Mountains

Group F
Gondolin
Bree
Wooton Major
Mirkwood

Group G
Rohan
Barrow-Downs
Gondor
Inklings

Group H
Arnor
Doriath
Rivendell
Ham

[the phantom]

What are the rosters?

Brethil, Nargothrond, Dor Lomin, and Doriath all could claim Turin.

Brethil, Gondolin, Dor Lomin, and Doriath could take Hurin.

Gondolin or Rivendell for Glorfindel?

Who gets Aragorn? Lothlorien has a small claim. He ended up in Gondor. He was raised in Rivendell.

These players and others could end up several different places, and there's no way of knowing who has the edge in the tournament until I know who is on what team.

[Sleepy Ranger]

The rosters will be available to public sooner rather than later. Probably sometime later today after Arctic and I have had a chance to remove the kinks from the fantasy tournament.

However, to answer your questions. Due to the fact that it's pretty difficult to put together 11 players from each part we've had to double up some places going by what they were called there. We're calling this the Dark Lord Syndrome since he featured on two teams last season.

Brethil have Turambar playing up front for them.
Nargothrond have Mormegil playing up front for them.
Dor Lomin have Turin playing up front for them.
Doriath do not have any form of Turin playing for them.

Hurin will only feature for Gondolin where he will be playing as an attacking mid-fielder.

Both Rivendell and Gondolin have Glorfindel however he is playing as a defender for one and a forward for the other.

Arnor will feature the father-son strike duo of Aragorn and Arathorn.

So yes, we've tried our best to limit players per team but in some cases it has been rather difficult but there will not be too many players who fall victim to the Dark Lord Syndrome.

[THE Ka]

I introduce Graham Pott, our little and witty hobbit host from Michel Delving, who will bring all of your interview needs.

This first show he's stopped at random in Bree, where he says, "... that place where what we do, stays there...". Correctly put you'll see.

His guest, as in order are Butterbur, the Barrow Wight, Tom Bombadil (also musical guest), and Bill Ferny (as comic relief, more or less).
So sit back, and enjoy the show!

The Graham Pott Show: In Bree

(Note: Things to excuse: My scanner's quality. The quality of writing. The quality of Bill's performance, we just picked him off the street for five minutes, all improv... along with anything else you can complain about.)

~ Ka

[Sleepy Ranger]

The opening day will be postponed to the 10th due to an addition to the fantasy tournament. Therefore you have ONE day more to make any changes or register your team. The opening fixtures may also influence your team's final line-up. Without further ado, here they are.

All matches to be played on the 10th of July at around 1:30pm GMT.

Group A
Erebor vs. Angband

Group B
Lothlorien vs. Shire

Group D
Mordor vs. Roverandom

Group G
Rohan vs. Inklings

[The Saucepan Man]

Group A

It looks like, after the poor showing of Erebor and Dale in last year’s competition, they have combined under Erebor’s banner to improve their prospects. In Thorin and Bard, they have two good strikers, but neither lived up to expectations in 2006, and I suspect that they will struggle to find the service that they need from the weak midfield. Roac is well past his best and Fili and Kili, while enthusiastic, lack experience at this level. The defence is solid, but lacks mobility, and Bombur is a definite weak link in this regard. Smaug will no doubt acquit himself well in goal, but the team would have been better advised to use his fiery pace up front.

Moria will undoubtedly once more experience problems with their team spirit. Combining Orcs, Balrogs and Dwarves in the same team never bodes well. There are some brilliant individual talents, but can they play as a team? Balin and Azog are redoubtable forwards, but can they build a partnership? Durin’s Bane is a sizzling talent on the wing, but how well can he combine with Durin? The defence is packed with journeyman players, with the exception of Celebrimbor. But even he lacks guile and can be easily be fooled by trickery. The Watcher in the Water was born to play in goal, but I suspect that it won’t be nearly enough to stop this team leaking goals.

Valinor has always had a strong defence and will let in few goals. Varda is a star goalkeeper and, in Manwe and Aule, they have two of the most experienced central defenders in the competition. Tulkas is a strong forward, who will hold up play well, allowing Mandos and Eonwe to get forward into the box. Their prime weakness lays in the two Blue Midfielders, who are prone to go missing at times. However, while they may not score as many goals as some of the teams in this competition, they won’t let many in either. Expect a quarter final finish at least.

I fully expect Angband to win this Group. Finalists last year, they have always shown themselves to be dangerous. Melkor is one of the most masterful forwards in the competition. Strong, relentless and ruthless, he has an excellent understanding with his strike partner, Gothmog. The midfield is talented too, with Thuringwethil’s blood-curdling pace and the trickery of Ulfast and Uldor providing strong support to the forwards, while Ungoliant lurks further back in a holding role to pick off the unwary. If they have a weakness, it’s their defence. It is simply too crowded with big beasts and big egos. But expect them to make up for this by scoring far more goals than they let in.

Saucepan’s prediction:

This is a strong Group and both Erebor and Moria would stand a good chance against weaker opposition. But I can’t see them prevailing over the might of Valinor and Angband.

Group winners: Angband
Group runners up: Valinor
First round elimination: Erebor and Moria

Group B

Brethil are newcomers to this competiton, and I can’t see them going very far. Turambar is by far their strongest player, but will lack support from the relatively unknown midfield. Haleth is certainly a strong defender, but Brandir’s mobility must be suspect as he is carrying a long-term injury. This team might be able to hold out for a while, even against some of the better teams, but they will be overmastered in the end.

On paper, Lothlorien looks like a good team, and its defence is definately strong. Galadriel can stifle even the most determined attack and has a good understanding with Celeborn in central defence who, in turn, marshals the remaining defenders wisely. The midfield is strong too. It is heartening to see a veteran like Gandalf still doing the business, while Gimli is always eager to get on the attack. Arwen tends to hang back, particularly after having been vilified by fans for trying to get into the action up front, but she provides good support. The problem is up front. Amdir and Amroth, both relatively unknown, simply aren’t up to it at this level.

Who can argue with the quality of a team that boasts Elf Lords all over the pitch? Tuna, although new to the competition, has to be one of the favourites. Feanor and Finwe combine magnificently up front, with fantastic support from an exceptional midfield. Amras, Amrod and Maglor are experienced defenders and, even if a skilled attacker can find his way through Maglor’s gap, he will still have the strength and skill of Fingolfin in goal to beat.

The surprise package of last year’s competition, The Shire are fielding a somewhat different line up this year. The superb partnerships of Merry and Pippin up front and Sam and Frodo in midfield have been broken up, with Merry’s move to Buckland and Frodo’s transfer to Tol Eressea. But Pippin is still a class striker and the promise of his pace with the power of the Bullroarer is a mouth-watering prospect. Similarly, I expect Sam to combine well with his Gaffer, although I have my doubts about the remainder of the midfield. The Old Took provides experience in defence, but the Cottons are yet to prove themselves and Ted Sandyman is prone to lapses in judgement. Lobelia can be intimidating in goal, but they will let a few in. They will have to score more than they let in to have any chance of repeating last year‘s performance.

Saucepan’s prediction:

Tuna are the runaway favourites, but expect strong competiton from the Shire. Brethil are also-rans, while Lothlorien are unlikely to score enough to get them through the Group.

Group winners: Tuna
Group runners up: The Shire
First round elimination: Brethil and Lothlorien

Group C

We can’t expect much from Niggle's Parish, I’m afraid. They struggled to qualify for the finals, and have only two players worthy of note. Niggle is a reasonable enough goalkeeper, but prone to distraction, while Parish is a decent finisher, but may struggle to find his form in the early stages. The defence is utterly insubstantial and they have very little going forward. They are completely out of their depth here.

Numenore proved last year that their defence is strong, although the central partnership of Aldarion and Erendis is prone to misunderstanding. While none of their players stands out as an exceptional individual talent, they combine well as a team. If they have a weakness, it is their eagerness to go on the attack, which can leave them liable to be swamped at the back when their attacks break down.

In Mormegil, Nargothrond have the top-scoring player of the 2006 competition. He has established a superb partnership with Felagund and they can expect excellent support from the midfield. Curufin and Celegorm are great defenders, but the team has a tendency leave itself vulnerable at the back against opponents quick to counter-attack. Expect lots and lots of goals, both for and against.

Buckland have an accomplished striker in Meriadoc Brandybuck but, as a lone stiker, he needs support and he is not going to find it in this very defensive midfield line-up. Farmer Maggot is sturdy and dependable, while Gildor is skilful and swift of foot. But neither they nor their midfield partners are players who like to get forward. Fatty Bolger is alert, marshal’s the defence well and has a surprising turn of pace, but there’s not enough here to persuade me that they can progress.

Saucepan’s prediction:

Niggle’s Parish are no hopers in this Group. Expect Buckland to put up a reasonable fight, but I don’t think it will be enough.

Group winners: Nargothrond
Group runners up: Numenore
First round elimination: Buckland and Niggle’s Parish

Group D

Brodda is an unknown quantity in goal and Dor Lomin cannot necessarily rely on him, but they nevertheless have a good defence, with the steely Morwen leading the line, although Nienor can be anonymous at times. They also have a formidable attacking trio in Turin, Fingon and Galdor. But the midfield is static and uninspiring, and Sador is another player hampered by long-term injury.

Mordor proved themselves a worthy team in last year’s finals, and they look to have strengthened in the interim. Team captain Sauron and the Witch-King are a proven and deadly strike force and they can expect good support from well-disciplined midfield. Orcs can be prone to dissent among themselves, but Sauron maintains strict discipline over them with a firm nine-fingered hand. Shelob doesn’t let many through her net, but can be prone to consume her defenders. Ufthak had better watch out!

Tol Eressea are new to the competiton, but are my pick for this year’s surprise package. Frodo played a big part in The Shire’s progress to the semi-finals last year, playing as an attacking midfielder. He has now been given the opportunity to prove himself up front, and I see him overcoming the odds to come good in the end. Earendil and Elwing provide pace on the wings, while Uinen plays the holding role, allowing the tempestuous Osse to get forward with the ball.

It’s easy to underrate an unknown quantity like Roverandom. But, with a Dragon and a Sea Serpent in defence and a midfield Wizard, they should not be underestimated. Team captain Roverandom is dogged on the attack, but cannot expect much support from newcomer the Man in the Moon, whose fitness is subject to question (if the rumours of late night parties are to be believed). They may put in some decent performances, but they probably don’t have enough to advance from a strong Group like this.

Saucepan’s prediction:

A quite tight Group, but Mordor will certainly go through. Of the others, I see Tol Eressea having the quality to progress.

Group winners: Mordor
Group runners up: Tol Eressea
First round elimination: Dor Lomin and Roverandom

[The Saucepan Man]

Group E

Fangorn is another team that looks good on paper. But they have made a strategic error in fielding their Ents in attacking positions and holding their Orcs back in defence. Their attack, while powerful, is woefully lacking in pace. Ugluk was a prolific goalscorer last year, so I cannot understand why he has been relegated to the back four. He is Ugluk and he commands the defence, but he cannot rely on Grishnahk or Wormtongue. Team captain Saruman is a capable leader, but past his best. This is a weak Group, so I think that they will progress to the next round, but I don’t see them going much further.

Hey diddle diddle! The Old Grey Hill certainly add variety to the competition, but I wouldn’t bother dwelling on them too much. With a Tipsy Cat, a Dog helpless with laughter, an Ostler and a Landlord forming the back row, their defence is sadly lacking in focus and they will leak goals like the sieve they nearly picked to play up front. As an attacking force, the Dish and the Spoon can combine well on forward runs and they do have the blistering pace of the Sun up front, but it won’t be nearly enough to save them from an early trip back home.

Tol In Gauroth is another newcomer, and it certainly has a big following. The problem that I see with this team, however, is the in-fighting. They are notoriously bad at trusting one another. Some will no doubt contribute more than others, leading to arguments, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have difficulty working out each other’s tactical roles. That said, the Mythomaniac can be unpredictable in midfield and may cause a few surprises, while the Seer has a good eye for the game. It’s unlikely to see them through the Group, though.

Like the Moria team, the Misty Mountains may find themselves with a discipline problem, and the Dwarf players will find it difficult to build up any kind of a working partnership with their Goblin team-mates. However, the Stone Giant is strong and powerful up front (though prone to handball, being used to hurling stones, rather than kicking footballs), and he will be supported by a generally workman-like midfield, with Gwaihir providing the pace on the wing. A strong defence also includes Gollum who is undoubtedly resilient, but his form is unpredictable and their performance may hinge on which Gollum turns up for the match: the tricksy Slinker or the hopeless Stinker.

Saucepan’s prediction:

I can see this being quite a tight Group, with the exception of the Old Grey Hill. But Fangorn and the Misty Mountains should have sufficient quality to prevail. It’s a toss up between them who will win the Group, but I see Fangorn edging it, as their ability to stifle the midfield will break down most attacks against them.

Group winners: Fangorn
Group runners up: Misty Mountains
First round elimination: Tol In Gaurhoth and the Old Grey Hill

Group F

Gondolin are an excellent all-round team and have talent all over the pitch. Defensively, they are strong, and capable of guarding their goal well. Having re-signed the talented Maeglin following his defection to Angband last year, they had better hope that he doesn’t let them down again. Huor and Tuor combine well in the midfield and provide loyal support for Turgon, allowing him to get forward on occasion and to slip back into a more defensive role at other times. With the dogged veteran Hurin and the talented Glorfindel up front, they will score lots of goals too. The class of the Group.

Bree proved themselves to have a sturdy defence in last year’s competition, but failed to score enough goals to progress very far. This year, they have strengthened their squad by signing the star players of the Old Forest team, following the latter’s failure to qualify for the finals. Old Man Willow in goal will certainly help maintain their strong defence, while wing-backs Goldberry and the River Woman like to stream forward on each side and shower crosses into the box. Harry Goatleaf normally plays in defence and has been promoted as a make-shift striker, so don’t expect too much from him. But Tom Bombadil, the winner of the inaugural Yellow Boot trophy, remains a class act. Although Butterbur, Bob and Nob are mainly defensive-minded midfielders, the Barrow Wight’s forward runs are a chilling prospect. I’m not sure that it will be enough to get them the goals that they will need, though.

Another team out of their depth, Wooton Major are very unlikely to progress. Smith in goal is a dreamer and easily distracted from the realities of competitive play. They have one star in the Chief Cook, but the rest of the team is hopelessly inexperienced, while Nokes up front is desperately lacking in match fitness.

Mirkwood, on the other hand, are fielding a very good team and showed their class last year. Spider “the Spider” Spider in goal is a great shot stopper, although Thrain will have to be doubly alert in defence as the Wine Steward and the Guard are prone to doze off at times. The midfield is solidly anchored by Grimbeorn, while Thranduil and Legolas provide attacking verve. With the powerful Beorn and the ruthless Necromancer up front, this team will certainly score a lot of goals.

Saucepan’s prediction:

Gondolin are the clear Group winners, while Wooton Major will be hopelessly outclassed. It will be tight between the other two for second place, but I‘ll plump for the attacking spirit of Mirkwood.

Group winners: Gondolin
Group runners up: Mirkwood
First round elimination: Bree and Wooton Major

Group G

I had high hopes for Rohan last year, but they sorely disappointed. They should be a good team. Erkenbrand, Hama and Eorl provide a solid defence, although Eowyn has a tendency to neglect her defensive duties in her eagerness to get on the attack. The midfield is strong too, with Ghan-Buri-Ghan in particular excelling at the hidden pass to help the pacy Eomer and strong Helm up front unlock defences. As I said, they should be a good team. But I suspect they may disappoint once more, particularly in a strong Group like this.

As reigning champions, the Barrow-Downs team has much to live up to. But they have the quality all over the pitch to help them do so. In Sleepy and Saucepan, they have two highly prolific strikers (having been joint runners-up in last year’s Yellow Boot Trophy competition) and Rune has been promoted from defensive duties to provide good aerial support. The phantom is a free-kick specialist and a great provider as well as a talented goal-scorer himself, and he will be ably supported in midfield by the unpredictable Feanor of the Peredhil and the tempestuous Arcticstorm. Glirdan and Firefoot are excellent defenders but also like to get forward, providing pace on the wings, while the solid defence has been strengthened with the addition of the implacably philosophical central defensive pair, Nogrod and Formendacil. A classy team is rounded off by one of the best (and most feared) goal-keepers of the competition, the inscrutable Barrow-Wight.

Gondor are a solid team, but have undoubtedly been weakened by the loss of star striker Aragorn to Arnor. Nevertheless, brothers Faramir and Boromir have forged a good partnership up front with Anarion. I suspect, however, that they may lack support from a static midfield, with Thengel well past his best and Forlong (the Fat) lacking match fitness. They have a good defensive line-up though, with Imrahil worthy of particular mention, and so should not give too many goals away.

The Inklings are an unproven side, although they may provide a few surprises. Veteran striker JRR Tolkien has shown himself to have an uncanny insight into the nature of the other teams in this competition. In the past, he has shown good understanding with his strike partner, CS Lewis, although it is rumoured that they may have fallen out in recent times. He can, however, expect good support from his son, Christopher, in midfield. Indeed, Christopher likes to get forward and has shown himself to have great skill in finishing off moves started by his father.

Saucepan’s prediction:

This is an exceptionally strong Group. The Barrow-Downs undoubtedly has the talent to progress from the Group, and I would expect a semi-final finish from them at the very least. Of the others, my heart says Rohan, my head says Gondor, but I will go for the dark horses as Group runners up.

Group winners: The Barrow-Downs
Group runners up: The Inklings
First round elimination: Rohan and Gondor

Group H

Arnor have three very good strikers in Aragorn, Arathorn and Elendil and they can expect good support from a talented midfield, with Isildur standing out in particular. However, with the formation that they play, Arvedui and Malvegil will have to concentrate on their defensive duties, particularly since, Halbarad aside, the defence is fairly weak, and Trotter, in goal, is not quite the finished product. This team is going to give away a lot of goals, so their attackers are going to have to be in great form for them to progress very far.

For Doriath, the darkly charismatic Eol and the dependable Mablung are both very talented strikers and, in Beleg Strongboot, they have one of the best attacking midfielders in the competiton. Huan likes to get forward too, and is capable of penetrating even the most forbidding of defences. I expect lots of goals from this team, and I can’t see them letting too many in either. Melian provides a strong protective girdle in goal, ably supported by the defensively-minded Thingol, while Luthien and Beren have a great defensive understanding and are not shy about getting forward on the attack. Saeros, is perhaps, the weak link in the team and he is likely to get a rough ride from some of the more skilful opposing players, such as Turin and Mormegil.

Rivendell have a strong defence, with a talented goalkeeper, the skill and agility of Elladan and Glorfindel and Erestor’s ability to read the game. Bilbo plays the sweeper role, and is adept at confusing opposing players by disappearing with the ball only to reappear further up the pitch to put in a deadly pass to Gilraen or the pacy Elrohir. The team is hampered, however, by the presence of the three Stone Trolls in midfield, who often fail to see eye-to-eye and can be dreadfully static at times, particularly in sunny conditions.

I suspect that Ham may provide a few upsets in the opening stages of this competition. Chrysophylax Dives is sly and cunning in goal, while the Giant provides an imposing presence in defence. Garm is a terrier on the right wing, and the midfield makes up for in enthusiasm what it lacks in experience. The forward partnership of Farmer Giles and Tailbiter is likely to nab a few unlikely goals, too.

Saucepan’s prediction:

Doriath should easily win this Group, but second place is more difficult to predict. Arnor, I think, will give away too many goals, while Ham perhaps do not yet have quite the experience that they need at this level. Despite their poor midfield, I think that Rivendell will just about scrape through.

Group winners: Doriath
Group runners up: Rivendell
First round elimination: Arnor and Ham

[Sleepy Ranger]

Ladies and gentlemen we are reporting to you live from the national stadium in Mordor, nicknamed the Eye of Fire. The first two matches of the 2007 Middle-Earth Football World Cup will be played here. We are just moments away from the beginning of Erebor vs. Angband. We have some famous faces in the crowd today. It seems Sleepy Cowell has showed up for the Erebor vs. Angband match.

I also think I saw ME Idol winner, Elempi, and the runner-up, TORE, walking about in Shire jerseys but then again I may have had a tad bit too much wine. Without further ado, the first two matches of the World Cup are ready to kick off!

***

Group A
Erebor 0 - 1 Angband
(Thuringwethel 85th)

The first half was relatively actionless with neither side really threatening despite Erebor's three corners. Erebor began the match very positively and won three early corners but were unable to really threaten with them. Angband kept trying to break through but very foiled time after time and after a relatively sedated first half the teams went in level.

The second half played out more or less the same as the first half with neither team really able to do much in attack. The deadlock stood till the 85th minute when Thuringwethel broke away and slide in a neat shot past the goal keeper to give Angband a well fought win. Moments later Erebor came close to equalizing through a drilled in shot by Thorin that fizzled wide of target.

Shots: 3(0) - 6(2)
Posession: 43 - 57

Group B
Lothlorien 0 - 0 Shire

So far this has been a pretty boring and defensive match. The Shire soon reverted to long ball tactics and the first half ended without a goal. While Lothlorien's dribbling and graceful play may have lit up the play at parts on the whole neither team has shown and signs of being able to win. Neither team having taken a shot the entire half.

The second half showed no improvement and both teams still struggled to find any quality in front of goal. Lothlorien were the first to create an actual chance when Gandal cracked in a shot from the edge of the box but it was wide, very wide. Soon after, Shire's long ball tactics finall paid off and Bullroarer found himself free with the ball but his volley was hopelessly wide.

The Shire found themselves with another very good oppurtunity when Pippin was taken down outside the box and Rumil recieved a YELLOW CARD. Sam sent the resultant free kick over the goal, well over. Moments later Lothlorien recieved a free kick in an identical position but no card was shown this time. However they too sent the ball well over the goal. In stoppage time Bullroarer had a wonderful oppurtunity, open goal, and wham, he sends the ball into the post and out of play. Disappointing game, neither team deserved the win quite frankly.

Shots: 3(0) - 4(0)
Posession: 50 - 50
Bookings: Rumil

***

It doesn't seem either of these matches were all that exciting but Angband will be pleased to have picked up the three points. Lothlorien and Shire played it out sensibly seeing as they're the strongest of their groups maybe a draw isn't that bad a result for them. Every point counts. Hopefully we'll see some more attacking games later on. The other two fixtures will kick-off soon and of course, we'll be providing live coverage available over eagle and palantir.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Here we are, ready and waiting for the kick-off the next two matches of the day. Angband won in a rather listless match and Lothlorien and Shire played to a goalless draw in a match were they both played a very careful game. Next up we have Mordor taking on Roverandom in what should be, on paper, an easy win for Mordor. After that we have Rohan taking on the Inklings, which seems to be an interesting match to say the least.

***

Group D
Mordor 0 - 1 Roverandom
(Roverandom 88th)

Fantastic attacking play by Mordor all through the first half. Why, Roverandom hardly got a touch on the ball. It was a thrilling performance as Mordor managed to dribble past the Roverandom defence over and over, putting on quite a show. They won a free kick very early on in the game which deflected off the crossbar and out leaving Gothomg very annoyed. After some more fantastic moves ended in disappointment, Gothomg managed to play a ball in to Witch-King who beat his marker and unbelivably saw his shot saved by Tinker. The resulting corner was headed over by Dark-Lord.

The second half started off in the same way the first half ended with Mordor dominating quite about everything, but not finding the target. They knocked on the door ceaselessly but Roverandom held on quite unbelivably. Shot after shot after shot, Roverandom denied Mordor quite... quite luckily to be honest. Towards the end it became apparent that all this fast paced attacking had worn out the Mordor team and they began to make some costly mistakes.

A very frustrated tackle by Snaga led to a yellow card for him and a free kick for Roverandom. Wizard Artaxerxez took the free kick rather well but it was easily handled by the Mordor keeper. With only two minutes of regular time to be played a lob into the area from Wizard Artaxerxez was converted easily by Roverandom, pulling off what may be one of the biggest upsets to date. A lot of the blame should be placed on Shelob for diving before the shot came in, giving Roverandom a very easy job.

Shots: 14(5) - 5(3)
Posession: 55 - 45
Bookings: Snaga

Group G
Rohan 0 - 2 Inklings
(J.R.R Tokien 23rd, 79th)

The match started with the Inklings making a fine break of goal but a slide tackle on the edge of the area by Theoden ensured he didn't let in a goal right off. After that Rohan pretty much dominated the game. Eomer came close to score but his quick fire shot just grazed the post on it's way out. Around the 23rd minute, Christopher Tolkien provided a neat pass to Charles Williams who crossed in for J.R.R Tolkien to head in the opener. After that goal the match began to play out a bit more evenly though no other note-worthy chances were created.

Though Rohan saw more posession in the second half it was the Inklings made use of theirs. The game played out rather evenly when everything is taken into consideration. Rohan held the ball more and Inklings shot more. Neither team was able to find a goal though. In the 79th minute that changed as C.S Lewis broke past the Rohan defence and slotted back a through ball for J.R.R Tolkien to tap into an empty net, Bullroarer Took better be taking notes. The Inklings prove Saucepan Man's analysis true and emerged victorious by a two goal margin.

Shots: 3(0) - 6(2)
Posession: 54 - 46

***

Wow... I'm still stunned that Mordor LOST to Roverandom. I really have no idea what to say. The Inklings impressed with a fairly good performance which saw them beat Rohan two goals to none. Now it remains to be seen how they stack up against Gondor and the Barrow-Downs.

Also, photos from the game shall be up later on in the day.

[Sleepy Ranger]

"The Referees are NOT being paid!" claims respected official Boromir88 in reply to the Phantom's accusation of the Shire. He went on to send in this press release. We can only assume that it is not directed at anyone, especially not the phantom.

***

Popular football analyst and columnist, the phantom, in his breakdown of the 2007 Middle-Earth Football World Cup accused The Shire of bribing officials to win matches. Since his remarks World Cup referee, Boromir88, has come under heavy fire and his ability to officiate games fairly has come under scrutiny. On Monday Boromir released a statement responding to tp's accusations:

"I assure you all that I have never, nor will I ever, take bribes from any team. I call each game fairly and honestly. That is to say I call it by the books, I call it by the rules, nothing else.
The columnist who made these accusations has absolutely no proof, and they are completely unfounded. He is a crack-job conspiracy theorist who gets his panties in a bunch anytime an underdog team rises up and spoils his self-acclaimed 'predictions we all are waiting for.'
If he, and he knows who he is, wants to question my officiating, he can come right into my office. I'll be waiting for him."

The World Cup Association still has yet to decide whether they will investigate further into tp's accusations. We will keep you updated on this story as it unfolds.

Credit: Bormomir88

***

It was later announced that no action will be taken unless an official complaint is recieved from a team. It was then announced that The Phantom on his own is not a team, no matter how much he thinks he is.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Before we reveal the next set of fixtures I'd like to show you some pictures from the earlier games.

Thorin's shot against Angband moments after Angband took the lead.

Wizard Artaxerxez's Free Kick against Mordor.

Roverandom's volleyed goal against Mordor.

J.R.R Tolkien's first goal against Rohan.

Now for the fixtures,

Group C
Numenor vs. Buckland

Group E
Tol In Gauroth vs. Misty Mountains

Group F
Bree vs. Mirkwood

Group H
Rivendell vs. Ham

[Sleepy Ranger]

Here we are live and ready for the next set of games. First up we Numenor vs. Buckland and Tol In Gauroth vs. Misty Mountains. They should prove to be good games. Hopefully none will be lackluster like the snorefest that was Lothlorien vs. Shire. I had a chat with some of the folk from the Numenor team, they seem to be in high spirits for their game. Let's see how it pans out.

***

Group C
Numenor 1 - 0 Buckland
(Tar Ancalime 70th)

It was a mildly entertaining first half which saw Nymenor control play. They managed to get in a fair amount of shots but their persistance did not lead to a goal unfortunately. Their finishing was poor and though they got the shot in it was never going to trouble anyone.

Early on in the second half it seemd that Numenor would rue their missed chances as Buckland almost, almost got a goal in but the shot from Merry edged past the post. That was about the only look that Buckland got the entire game as Numenor then began to press forward, one wave of attack after another. Their defence standing their ground very well. Their was a momentary lapse in which a harsh tackle by Tar Miriel earned him a yellow card but the resultant free kick was never going to trouble anyone.

Around the 70th minute a rash tackle by Drogo earned him a yellow card and gave Numenor a free kick in a decent position. The free kick taken by Amandil found it's way to Tar Ancalime who blasted it into the back of the net. The Buckland defence will have to take the blame. They gave Tar Ancalime way too much space.

Shots: 11(6) - 2(0)
Posession: 50 - 50
Bookings: Tar Miriel - Drogo

Group E
Tol In Gauroth 0 - 2 Misty Mountains
(Stone Giant 66th PK, Dwalin 80th)

The first half was a very even contest, with both teams seeing a lot of the ball and making good flowing moves. The passing by both teams was very accurate and smooth. The first good chance fell to Tol In Gauroth after Hunter's cross was lobbed goalwards by Lover only to be bravely deflected away by Gollum. The next good chance came to Misty Mountains when Dwalin blasted a goal bound rocket that was only prevented from entering the net by a very, very surprised Cobbler. The first half ended even, which is a pity since both teams deserved at least a goal each.

Misty Mountains were in firm control throughout the second half. Gwaihir managed to weave through defenders and make a shot which was punched out by the 'keeper for a corner. The resulting corner was cleared but only as far as Bofur who played the ball in to Dwailin who was about to turn but.... Cursed Villager with a tackle from behind! The whistle blows, everyone freezes. The referee points to the spot and shows Cursed Villager the red card. PENALTY! Stone Giant stepped up to the spot, shrugged his shoulders and blasted the ball in the back of the net. Advantage Misty Mountains.

Misty Mountains were in firm control of the game with a goal and a man advantage. They expressed this by increasing the tempo and playing more attacking football. This resulted in another goal for them in the 80th minute. Gwaihir played in Dwalin who rocketed the ball in the top right corner to put the game beyond doubt.

Shots: 5(3) - 8(7)
Posession: 40 - 60
Sent Off: Cursed Villager

***

There we have it! Our first red card and first penalty of the tournament and it comes in just the 6th match. Controversial? Not at all. A tackle from behind like that is nothing but trouble and the referee was spot on with the decision.

[Sleepy Ranger]

We're now ready to begin the next two matches. Bree take on Mirkwood in what should be a fairly good match. Tom Bombadil has brought his old yellow boots out and is raging to go. Mirkwood sharpshooter Legolas hopes his team win a free-kick as he claims to have a feeling that he will score off every single one he gets in this tournament.

In the other game Rivendell take on Ham in what should be a win for the more experienced Rivendell. Time has taken it's toll though and Rivendell are no longer the team they once were but they are still a formidable force. Ham, newcomers to the tournament have a knack for taking down stronger opponents who on paper should be quite impossible to beat.

***

Group F
Bree 1 - 0 Mirkwood
(Tom Bombadil 61st)

Despite Bree holding onto the ball for longer it was Mirkwood that completely dominated the first half making wonderful use of their posession. The managed to get in a lot of shots owing to some wonderful linking play but unfortunately they lacked the killing edge with their shots fizziling wide or taking a deflection at the wrong time. Their best chance came when Legolas sent in a deadly through ball to Beorn who lashed in a hard shot which was barely punched away by Old Man Willow.

In the second half Bree began to tackle hard and sometimes quite viciously. Such play resulted in yellow cards for Harry and Nob. However both these fouls were in quite safe positions and Mirkwood were unable to capitalize. Completely against the run of play Bree managed to nick a goal. A well played counter attack led by Butterbur ended with a save by Spider but he could only watch helplessly as Tom Bombadil pounced on the rebound and put Bree one goal up.

It was all insanity after that. Mirkwood launched attack after attack, ceaselessly trying to pull a goal back but Bree managed to hold on. Mirkwood almost pulled one back through Necromancer after a well designed play resulted in a fanyasyic oppurtunity for him. However his shot was agonizingly cleared off the goal line by Badger. The Mirkwood players complained that the ball had crossed the line but the referee said it had not and the goal did not stand much to the anguish of Mirkwood. Bree did not deserve a win but stole one right from the jaws of defeat. This reminds me of a certain match Mordor had...

Shots: 3(2) - 10(6)
Posession: 38 - 62
Bookings: Harry, Nob

Group H
Rivendell 2 - 3 Ham
(William 31st, Gilraen 75th) (Farmer Giles 53rd, 80th, Tailbiter 72nd)

Rivendell dominated the attacking flow of the first half and created a couple of chances. All in all it was a fairly good half for Rivendell despite Bert being booked early on. Around the 30th minute a pulled volley by William after a failed clearance by Garm led to the opening goal of the game. Rivendell began to ease their attack a bit after going a goal up.

This turned out to be a costly mistake early on in the second half as Ham finally managed to get together an attacking rhytym. Miller lobbed in a ball for Farmer Giles who chested it down and lobbed it over Elrond to equalize with a fine goal. So far this has been the first time in this tournament that a team has equalized. The game really opened up after this and there were some fine displays of attacking football.

The 70th till 80th minutes were very exciting, producing three goals. It was a fantastic spell. It started off as Miller played a neat one two with Farmer Giles and spun past Elrond but instead of taking the shot himself he played it in for Tailbiter to finish with ease. Only minutes after play resumed Gilraen was in a wonderful position owing to a ball lobbed into the area by Glorfindel. Gilraen then tapped the ball up and headed it in to equalize.

Right at the 80th minute, Miller drove the ball in for Farmer Giles to blast in, honestly it was a bit of mis-hit but the ball knocked off the crossbar and spiked down into the goal. Fantastic build up. It was a well paced match and in the end Ham walked out winners. Rivendell will very much be rueing the fact that they did not press for a second earlier in the game when they had a chance. Hats off to both teams though. They played superbly.

Shots: 9(5) - 8(6)
Posession: 51 - 49
Bookings: Bert

***

Fantastic stuff! Mirkwood really did not deserve to lose but that's football for you. The tournament really seems to have picked up now. It was an amazing match between Rivendell and Ham with Ham managing to squeeze in the win. So far all the newcomers have been doing very well in the tournament, even managing some major upsets. However these were just the first set of matches. Theres plenty of twists and turns still to come. Where is the trophy going this year?

[Sleepy Ranger]

The group tables are in the attached document. I'll keep updating it and reposting it everyday.

Tomorrow's Fixtures

Group A
Moria vs. Valinor

Group B
Tuna vs. Brethil

Group D
Tol Eressea vs. Dor Lomin

Group G
Barrow-Downs vs. Gondor

The Barrow-Downs will be playing tomorrow. Hopefully they'll get off to a winning start. However that may prove to be a tough task against a resilient Gondorian team.

[The Saucepan Man]

The Numenor v Buckland result doesn't surprise me. Numenor have one of the best defences in the tournament. And Buckland are hardly the team to breach it, as they have built their team around a lone striker, without giving him the support that he needs. However good Merry is (and he is), he's not going to score many with such an average midfield behind him.

Tol in Gaurhoth against the Misty Mountains was only surprising in the extent that Tol in Gaurhoth managed to put up a reasonable fight for the first half. The end result, however, was no surprise. Misty Mountains aren't an excellent team, but they are capable. Gwaihir is a class act and the Stone Giant is a powerful force up front. Tol in Gaurhoth, on the other hand, look distinctly average to me. The Cursed Villager's sending off was no doubt a result of frustration borne of the poor team spirit which I highlighted earlier.

The win over Mirkwood was an excellent result for Bree as, with the excellent Gondolin in their Group (and leaving aside the no-hopers of Wooton Major), it is likely to be between these two for the second qualifying position. The quality of Bree's defence is clear from the fact that they managed to keep out talented players like the Necromancer and the ace sharp-shooter, Legolas.

Finally, we were treated to a peach of a match in Rivendell v Ham. Bracing stuff! Rivendell aren't the team that they once were but, even though they lost, they still look to have something of the old magic about them. And Ham were a revelation. I knew that Farmer Giles and Tailbiter would combine well, but I was quite surprised by the quality of the support that they received from the Miller. I had thought him rather an average player, but I may have misjudged him. Ham could well give Rivendell a run for their money as Group runners up, although I remain confident that Doriath will top Group H.

PS Sleepy, any chance of posting the Group table in rich text format or pdf, as I can't open Word documents on my home computer?

[Sleepy Ranger]

Today's matches will be up late since I have some friends coming over. I'll probably be able to sim the matches at around say, 8pm my time, which is 5pm GMT. So the matches will be up from around 6pm GMT onwards.

Sorry for the delay today.
There'll probably be similar timings this Saturday as well due to band commitments.

Regards,
Sleepy

[Thenamir]

To Whom it may concern:

I must take serious umbrage with The Phantom's complaints about the performance of the Hobbits and the officiating of their matches.

Several of the traits he cites are in error, and as for the rest hobbits have other skills which give them a lift over their natural disadvantages. For example, Phantom points out

hobbits should not be able to produce the necessary amount of kinetic energy to kick the ball with anywhere near the velocity of their opponents.

This may or may not be true, however the hobbits are possessed of

Originally Posted by JRR Tolkien, noted hobbit expert and FW for The Inklings

the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large folk whom they do not wish to meet come blundering by; ...their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill that heredity and practice, and a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger and clumsier races.

The hobbits do not need size to dominate, their speed and elusiveness is enough to outwit the bigger opponents.

As to how they can score goals and pass so effectively, allow me to quote again from the Learned Professor:

(Hobbits are) difficult to daunt ... doughty at bay ... they could survive rough handling by grief, foe, or weather in a way that astonished those who did not know them well and looked no further than their bellies and their well-fed faces...they were keen-eyed and sure at the mark.

You can't intimidate a hobbit by mere size, they will take all you dish out and still come back to surprise you. Their marksmanship and accuracy seem to be nearly legendary, especially in Bilbo:

As a boy he used to practise throwing stones at things, until rabbits and squirrels, and even birds, got out of his way as quick as lightning if they saw him stoop; and even grownup he had still spent a deal of his time at quoits, dart-throwing, shooting at the wand, bowls, ninepins and other quiet games of the aiming and throwing sort.

As for goalkeeping, they are renowned leapers:

Straight over Gollum's head he (Bilbo) jumped, seven feet forward and three in the air.

Now let's think about this for a minute. Bilbo was somewhere between 3'4" and 3'8" tall. An equivalent vertical leap for a 6' man would be 5'6", vertically, and 12' forward. This means that Bilbo's overhead reach at the top of his leap must have been something like 7'4" or thereabouts. Add to that the fact that, as a physical specimen at the time, Bilbo was hardly a trained athlete ready for goalkeeping -- for a hobbit, he wasn't even very well fed! With proper diet and strength training, combined with their keen eyesight and deft dexterity, a hobbit could be a very formidable goalkeeper indeed.

In light of the foregoing, I am showing The Phantom the figurative yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct in accusing Boro falsely. Enjoy those sour grapes, Phantom -- the Hobbits will go far in this tourney.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Pardon the further delay but here are the results. We have a rather fascinating line up for today. It will be interesting to see if Moria can gel together and how Valinor kick off their tournament. The much talked about Tuna will finally be getting a game in, it will by no means be an easy one as they face off against one of the best strikers in the game, the dreaded Turambar. Without further ado, on to the matches!

***

Group A
Moria 0 - 0 Valinor

It was a rather well played first half. Both teams managed to string together some decent play but neither team really had any luck with the final product. Around the 25th minute Varda was shown a yellow card, though the tackle was a soft one. I've seen harder tackles go without so much as a whistle. The only real chance in the first half came around the 30th minute for Valinor when Eonwe crossed the ball in for Tulkas who nodded the ball down for Orome but the shot was narrowly wide. Moria's lack of organization was evident by their large number of offsides.

Valinor dominated the second half but were shut out by a phenomenal Watcher in the Water who is pretty much the only reason Moria hung on for the draw. Valinor will obviously be frustrated, the took many shots in the second half and completely disrupted Moria but it was just impossible to beat Watcher today. While I generally would accuse a team that plays like Moria did in the second half, of being overly defensive and a blemish on the beautiful game but since Moria seemed to have no sense of teamwork and because of the amazing agility shown by Watcher I'll excuse them this time.

Shots: 2(0) - 9(7)
Posession: 47 - 53
Bookings: Varda

Group B
Tuna 2 - 0 Brethil
(Finwe 11th, Finarfin 62nd)

Brethil looked very good going forward in the first half but their defence barely held at all. Tuna played masterfully all over the pitch and scored a goal very early on. Maedhros made a brilliant dash down the right flank and crossed in for Finwe to head in an early goal. Not too long after that a rather rash tackle by Finarfin earned him a yellow card. Haldir's free-kick was met by the foot of Turambar but the ball deflected out for a corner. The resultant corner was quickly cleared.

There were a fair number of chances created in the first half with both teams playing some beautiful attacking football. Feanor played in a brillaint ball for Finwe but the striker held on his shot and Niniel was able to rush forth and collect the ball. Another brilliant chance fell to Hareth after he was played in by Hunthor. Unfortunately his shot went askew, it really should have been an easy take and he just made a fool of himself. Tuna went in ahead at the end of the half.

Brethil started the second half with some smooth attacking plays and nearly equalized with Turambar's diving header but a motivated save by Fingolfin ensured Tuna stayed in front. Around the 55th minute Dorlas was shown a yellow card for a harsh tackle on Finarfin. During a rather careless Brethil advance Tuna was able to brilliantly reverse the flow with a wonderous counter-attack. Maedhros played a neat one two with [/b]Finarfin[/b] before tapping the ball front for the mid-fielder to chip in. Tuna held back after that and let the clock tick down for an easy win.

Shots: 11(9) - 6(2)
Posession: 52 - 48
Bookings: Finarfin - Dorlas

***

Well, we were certainly treated to some very good attacking football in the first two matches and I can only hope that the other two games are played at high tempos as well. Although the Tuna - Brethil game did drop in tempo once Tuna scored their second goal. None the less, they were fascinating contests.

[Sleepy Ranger]

In the next two matches we'll see Tol Eressea battle it out with Dor Lomin and the Barrow-Downs face Gondor. Finally, we get to see the champions in action. They should be fairly good matches. Anyway, time to kick off!

***

Group D
Tol Eressea 1 - 0 Dor Lomin
(Frodo 1st)

You couldn't ask for a better start. The first play of the game resulted in a goal. Frodo began his run right from kick off and took Dor Lomin by surprise as he ran through to the box and blasted in a shot. Brodda did get a hand to it but could not prevent it from going into the net, giving Tol Eressea a very early lead. Alas, this was not an indication of what was to be as the rest of the first half was fairly boring. The only other highlight was a yellow card to Earendil in the 43rd minute.

The second half started off very poorly with Elwing been shown a yellow card. Turin took the free kick and it was a good one at that, but in the end it went straight to the 'keeper. Tol Eressea then began to sit back and try and defend their lead. It seemed to work out quite well for them as Dor Lomin seemed unable to get a shot past a stern Tol Eressea back line. In the 80th minute though Turin broke away and rolled a shot under Eriol only for Lindo to make a heroic clearance.

Shots: 4(2) - 4(3)
Posession: 48 - 52
Bookings: Earendil, Elwing

Group G
Barrow-Downs 2 - 0 Gondor
(Rune son of Bjarne 68th, The Phantom 83rd)

Gondor took the game to the 'Downs right from kick off. They began to push back the 'Downs. After some well thought out plays and desperate clearances, Gondor had their first real chance. Anarion played the ball in to Faramir whose header was somehow saved by the Barrow-Wight. The 'Downs began to slowly piece together an attack from here. After a few good passes, Saucepan Man played a magnificent through ball for Rune, whose shot unfortunately went just wide of the mark.

From then on the 'Downs began to get in the groove and started to dominate proceedings. A lobbed ball from Phantom found Saucepan Man whose chip wound up in the back of the stands instead of the back of the net. Towards the end of the half, Sleepy Ranger nabbed the ball from Imrahil and frenzied goalwards. Ecthelion threw himself at Sleepy to stop him. The young forward appealed for a penalty but the referee judged that Ecthelion had got the ball first.

Gondor began the second half in similar fashion to the way they began the first half. Thengel forced an acrobatic save out of the Barrow-Wight. Gondor were able to build a few more attacks before the 'Downs were able to hit them on the counter-attack around the 68th minute. Sleepy Ranger and Saucepan Man played some brilliant one twos before Slepey Ranger played the ball through to Rune who made no mistakes this time and scored a fine goal.

Gondor were quite visibly annoyed as they had dominated the second half till this point and it was only fantastic keeping by the Barrow-Wight that had denied them a goal so far. Towards the end of the game the 'Downs had a free kick in a fairly good position. Phantom and Arcticstorm stood over the ball. Arcticstorm faked by jumping over and Phantom unleased his right foot, blasting the ball into the top corner, sealing a good win for the 'Downs.

Shots: 8(5) - 11(5)
Posession: 45 - 55

***

A lucky win there for Tol Eressea while the 'Downs managed to net two in their opening fixture against a resilient Gondor. This result will leave the 'Downs tied for top spot with the Inklings who also recorded a two goal victory earlier in the tournament. I expect to see some celebrations here now that the 'Downs have won...

[the phantom]

Ladies and gentlemen, my esteemed colleague, Mister Thenamir, is a fine journalist, but unfortunately he is allowing his bias to show through in his coverage of this tournament. Either that, or this hobbit conspiracy reaches even farther than I thought, and they have even bought the mod team of The Barrow-Downs! I hope that is not the case. Now, if you were exposed to his words and bought into them, allow me to disillusion you.


First, let’s take care of a point he did not challenge.

Originally Posted by me

hobbits should not be able to produce the necessary amount of kinetic energy to kick the ball with anywhere near the velocity of their opponents

Originally Posted by Thenamir

This may or may not be true

Thenamir does not challenge this statement, admitting that it may in fact be true. By doing this, he has already done irreversible damage to the idea that hobbits can compete in this tournament. Think of it this way. No matter how accurate/speedy/athletic a tennis player may be, he will not be able to hang with the best in the world if he is unable to swing his arm hard enough to generate an amount of pace and/or spin that is close to that of his opponent. You won’t win Wimbledon serving 70 mph and hitting 30 mph ground strokes, no matter what sort of other incredible traits you may possess.

So really, I could just leave you with that bit of irrefutable logic and not bother to address the rest of Sir Thenamir’s statement- but I’ll do it anyway, just because I’m a loudmouth.

the art of disappearing swiftly and silently

…plays no part in football. There is not a varied landscape to hide in. There are not trees to clamber up. No plants, weeds, or tall grass to seek shelter in. In addition, you must wear a jersey of a particular color- camouflage is not allowed. On the football field, to spot a hobbit one must simply look.

Next, please.

they were keen-eyed and sure at the mark

As I pointed out earlier, accuracy alone cannot carry you. In a fight, it doesn’t matter one little bit that all your punches are perfectly accurate if they aren’t hard enough to do damage, or quick enough to keep your opponent from dodging them at will. In football, the accurate passes of the hobbits will not go far enough to stretch the field, or arrive quick enough to avoid interception. And if the hobbits are lucky enough to work the ball down into the offensive zone, any shot attempt will have to be taken from point blank, because longer shots won’t get to goal with enough pace to challenge a goalie. And how easy is it to gain a point blank shot when passing ability is limited? And head shots should be near impossible, seeing as opponents do not have to challenge with their own heads, but rather with bodies and feet given their size advantage.

And to address Bilbo’s leap, that was one single extraordinary jump by an amazing hobbit. The same with Beren’s leap in the 1st age. Just because Beren can leap onto a galloping horse one time does not mean that we can expect that from him again and again on a regular basis, much less expect it from every human being on the earth. Bilbo’s legendary leap is not the norm.

That's all for now, folks. I will give my take on today's games in about eight hours.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Sorry for the Fantasy tournament not being updated. I'm kind of tied up and have no clue why Arctic was unable to do it. Anyway, the results will go up late tomorrow as well probably due to some unexpected band work that's popped up. I may still be able to get them up on time. I'll keep you updated.

Sorry for not being able to update the tables either, busy day!

Group C
Niggle's Parish vs. Nargothrond

Group E
Fangorn vs. Old Grey Hill

Group F
Gondolin vs. Wooton Major

Group H
Doriath vs. Arnor

[the phantom]

Moria 0 - 0 Valinor

I was pleased to see Valinor on the attack in this game. They didn't convert, but at least they have the right idea. They ought to advance if they continue playing like that.

Tuna 2 - 0 Brethil

No surprise here. Sure, Brethil is a solid team, but if Tuna plays up to potential they can shut out anyone.

Tol Eressea 1 - 0 Dor Lomin

As I said in my pretournament breakdown, this year's Dor Lomin team is not up to the standards of years past. It showed in this game. Turin was almost good enough by himself to make up for it, but Lindo saved the day for TE and secured the win. If Dor Lomin wants to advance, their midfield needs to shape up and get the ball forward to Fingon and Turin. Those two are very dangerous, but they can't do a lot of damage when they're getting shot opportunities only once or twice per game.

Barrow-Downs 2 - 0 Gondor

Don't let the score fool you- this game was a good contest. Gondor was able to apply decent pressure and generally played smart. Fortunately the Downs was focused and determined and for the most part had their "A" game going. Particularly outstanding was SPM and Sleepy's teamsmanship. They really seemed to be playing with their eyes open, looking to make the extra pass and moving well without the ball.

Go Barrow-Downs!

[Sleepy Ranger]

Sorry, no results today. I'm exhausted and will be unable to do them. Sorry!

[Thenamir]

ANd here I was all a-twitter about the latest set of standings and results. Get some sleep, Sleepy Ranger...we won't tolerate this two days in a row.

[Thenamir]

Hmmm...we may have no choice but to put up with this two days in a row. It's getting late...

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Thenamir

Hmmm...we may have no choice but to put up with this two days in a row. It's getting late...

Oh, Mr. Ray-Gun... (Regan it was in the Matrix?), we have no choice but to endure... Sadly many times people who are involved and just get interested is when the hosts get bored...

Let's hope Sleepy will pull his act together.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Group C
Niggle's Parish vs. Numenor

Group E
Fangorn vs. Tol In Gauroth

Group F
Bree vs. Mirkwood

Group G
Rohan vs. Gondor

I just added the group tables in RTF this time. I hope it's convenient for everyone.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Group A

Angband are surely through to the next round now. They've probably done enough to secure top spot as well. The hunt for second place is still on though. Any of the three teams could take it. Realistically though only Erebor and Moria have a chance. Valinor face the daunting task of having to beat Angband while hoping that Moria beat Erebor. Even then they'd have to rely on a superior goal difference.

Erebor only need a draw against Moria to qualify. Moria would need to beat Erebor to make it through, while hoping that Valinor do not defeat Angband. I can not really see Valinor taking any points off Angband and therefore reckon it will come down to Erebor and Moria. If Moria can sort out their issues I think they may have a chance but at the moment I believe the group will end like so,

1st- Angband
2nd- Erebor
3rd- Moria
4th- Valinor

Group B

Tuna have booked their berth in the next round and their match against Lothlorien will decide who tops the group, then again in Lothlorien's case a loss could threaten their qualification. I believe Lothlorien will play cautiously and look for a draw. The Shire are up against Brethil. It is a game that I would expect the Shire to win. They would however have to hope that Tuna beat Lothlorien by at least two goals for the goal difference problem to clear.

I believe Lothlorien may just snatch a draw in here but even if they fail to do that I can not see the Shire closing the gap on goal difference. Then again Brethil have leaked in plenty of goals. I think Lothlorien will follow Tuna out of this group, just barely.

1st- Tuna
2nd- Lothlorien
3rd- Shire
4th- Brethil

Group C

Nargothrond have been the dominant force in this group. Numenor too have done quite well though what happens in their second match is yet to be seen. I assume that the last day match-up of Numenor vs. Nargothrond will decide the group leader. I really doubt Niggle's Parish or Buckland have any chance of making it out of the group and will be playing each other for third place.

While I'm undecided as to whether Nargothrond or Numenor will top the group I am willing to take a risk and predict the following,

1st- Nargothrond
2nd- Numenor
3rd- Buckland
4th- Niggle's Parish

Group D

This is a very interesting situation. With two games played by all, each team finds themselves with a one and a loss, in other words 3 points each. It will definitely be an interesting final day. Mordor take on Dor Lomin and Tol Eressea take on Roverandom. I do not think there will be any fluke wins and I believe Mordor will top the table on goal difference after Mordor and Tol Eressea win their respective matches.

1st- Mordor
2nd- Tol Eressea
3rd- Roverandom
4th- Dor Lomin

Group E

This group is still fairly open although I guess Misty Mountains have secured their place in the next round. I guess it's a toss up between Tol In Gauroth and Fangorn. Whichever of them wins is better poised to finish second. It's really not an interesting group decide being so open. It's too weak in my opinion.

1st- Misty Mountains
2nd- Fangorn
3rd- Old Grey Hill
4th- Tol In Gauroth

Group F

Gondolin have secured their spot in the next round and as soon as Bree beat Wooton Major they too will have secured their place in the next round. I had expected Mirkwood to do better but that's football, things tend do go as they want to.

1st- Gondolin
2nd- Bree
3rd- Mirkwood
4th- Wooton Major

Group G

Interestingly enough at this point in time any of the four teams could go through. Although some only have a very slim chance. I very much expect Gondor to defeat Rohan today but the outcome is still to be known and Rohan are very much capable of winning.

Barrow-Downs: With 6 points one can assume they are through to the next round. However, Inklings, Gondor and Rohan are all capable of matching their points tally. Matching their goal difference will be highly improbable though hence I believe the 'Downs are certain qualifiers. Their last day match is against Rohan which, perhaps, could be called an almost definite win.

Inklings: Currently second on 3 points. They will be facing off against a rather tough Gondor team. The Gondorians gave the 'Downs a run for their money in a game in which the scored perhaps was a bit unfair. Gondor could very well beat the Inklings here which should give them six points and a qualifying position.

Gondor: They will have to face the Inklings on the final day. I believe they will beat Rohan today and then go on to beat the Inklings and finish second.

Rohan: I expect them to lose to the 'Downs and finish on zero points.

1st- Barrow Downs
2nd- Gondor
3rd- Inklings
4th- Rohan

Group H

Group H is open for Ham, Doriath and Arnor. The final day fixtures will see Ham take on Arnor and Doriath face Rivendell. Doriath will be playing for a win as that is the only thing that can assure them qualification. It will not be that easy a task as Rivendell will be looking to prevent an embaressment and score at least a point. Ham and Arnor have it all to play for. A draw here wouldmean Ham go through while Arnor have to rely on Rivendell to beat Doriath. A Ham win will see them through, an Arnor win would see them through. This group is really too close to call.

[the phantom]

Wow- I've got a lot of matches to get through! I hope you don't mind that I've fallen behind a bit. It's difficult to find the time to play in the World Cup, own a fantasy team, and be a sports writer.

Moria 1 - 3 Angband

Angband was not on top of things in that first half, but put it together to score three times in a twenty minute span during the second half. It's easy enough for Angband to get away with that sort of play during the group stage, but they'd better be ready to play a full game once the knock-out rounds begin.

Tuna 2 - 1 Shire

Tuna played this game smart, using their complete superiority to nab a two goal lead immediately out of the gate and then just coasting from there, conserving their energy and saving themselves for the knock-out rounds.

Mordor 4 - 0 Tol Eressea

Ouch. Yeah, I expected a Mordor win, but wow... possession 64-36, shots 15-2... Mordor looked scary good in that game. They looked like the Mordor team that won three cups in a row back in the day. The question is, was this a one game fluke, or a sign of their return?

Barrow-Downs 4 - 1 The Inklings

All the big guns were playing well, and so it is not surprising that the Downs ran away with the game. When all their forwards plus Phantom are on top of their game, it's impossible to keep the Downs off the board. But will everyone stay consistent? SPM and Phantom are famous for the inconsistency of their teamwork, seeming to share a brain and racking up lots of goals in one game, and then in the next game they can't get on the same page and sometimes they will feud and outright refuse to pass to one another. Let's hope a spirit of unity prevails throughout this World Cup.

Nargothrond 2 - 0 Buckland

Mormegil scored again? No way. I'm shocked. But seriously, things went as expected. Buckland doesn't have the athletes to push Nargothrond.

Old Grey Hill 0 - 1 Misty Mountains

Honestly, Old Grey Hill is playing way way better than I thought they would. I expected at least a two goal victory for Misty Mts. So, kudos to Mts for the win, and kudos to Hill for competing well. This is a weak group though, so don't get too excited.

Gondolin 2 - 0 Mirkwood

Mirkwood finally played up to their potential. Unfortunately, the opponent was Gondolin, who can beat just about anyone. Hurin certainly showed us all where Mormegil gets his scoring talents from.

Doriath 2 - 2 Ham

Doriath has got to be disappointed with this result. They are the better team. After taking the 2-0 lead they should have gone conservative and clogged up the field, but they chose not to, and paid for it.

Valinor 0 - 1 Erebor

As much as I dislike Angband's Melkor, I really think he said it right in his pre-tournament interview when he called out Manwe, telling him to "grow a pair". Valinor has some fantastic scorers on their team- just turn them loose! But it's probably too late now.

Lothlorien 2 - 0 Brethil

Personally, I thought the match was boring. Brethil played like a junior high team. I think they're eager to get back to the forest.

Roverandom 0 - 1 Dor Lomin

This result just makes it look even dumber that Mordor lost to Roverandom. It's downright suspicious.

Arnor 3 - 0 Rivendell

Ah, so Arnor is finally showing us what that offense can do. Poor Rivendell... it's like I said before the tournament- with that midfield they have there is no way they are advancing.