Laul after leaving Gothenburg: “A match with two winners”

Published: September 17, 2020 kl. 20.15
Updated: September 17, 2020 kl. 21.00

GOTHENBURG. A Danish team with a Norwegian coach went to Sweden to advance in the Europa League.

The battle for Scandinavia was a soccer match with two winners.

Once Blåvitt has licked his wounds after the 2-1 loss to FCK, they will be able to greatly appreciate the performance and bring the energy to the end of the Allsvenskan season.

The temperature in Gothenburg before Blåvitt’s Europa League qualifier in Ullevi?

36.2 degree.

At least mine when the journalists who were going to cover the game had to take the tempo at the entrance, put on our mouth guards and spray our hands before they let us go up to the stands. There, Blåvitt’s communications manager, Marcus Modéer, placed us at a precisely measured two meters.

The Göteborgs-Posten correspondent barely had time to calm down before he broke the rules, after which the press manager Modéer had to point his whole hand again.

Even in the field, there were clear directives.

New coach Roland Nilsson started as he did against Falkenberg: with a 5–3-2 formation. When FCK pressed Mattias Bjärsmyr’s baseline, Nilsson’s voice echoed through the empty rows of benches:

– Send!

Can’t be misunderstood

The message could hardly be misinterpreted: against the well-known Danish opposition, initially it was about keeping the ball as far away from one’s own goal as possible. It often got dangerous when FCK found its way there. Giannis Anestis fired from far in the 40th minute, but Giuseppe couldn’t find the net. Anestis was Blåvitt’s best player and goalkeepers count too.

After a difficult quarter, Gothenburg managed to climb positions and was able to start defensive play earlier, but that presupposed no one cheated: IFK had to chase, chase and chase the ball.

Hunt even more.

Hunt some more.

That was what it took to keep the game going against an opponent basically faster, better, more agile and skilled with the ball. But it worked.

The best player to give Blåvitt longer periods of ball possession was Tobias Sana. Sana herself, who can sometimes seem like she messes too much with the ball in the Allsvenskan, now gave Blåvitt the opportunity both to rest with the ball, but above all to get into the right wing where Alexander Jallow played bravely and Disrespect against Swedish national defender Pierre Bengtsson.

Wernbloom fixed yellow

0-0 at half-time, Pontus Wernbloom was heard a lot, it seemed less, he took the aerial duels against the FCK midfielders, but rarely got off the ground, except when he reinforced (or filmed …) a yellow card first to playmaker Carlos Zeca from FCK. then right hand driver Rasmus Falk.

To survive in Europe, only little tricks are required, Pontus Wernbloom knows this better than anyone.

No simple mistakes

Above all, it is about, at this level, not to make simple mistakes because then you will be punished.

After 50 minutes of play, the free-spirited Blåvitt decided to go for the goal by striking the ball from the corner of the field.

After 60 minutes, the same.

After 70 minutes, Blåvitt was still in the stands against FC Copenhagen, to quote the powerful broadcasting company’s television expert Tobias Hysén.

Instead, it was FCK who made the mistake. Midfielder Victor Nelson made a mistake as the penultimate man, Alhassan Ysuuf was on the lookout and cleared the blue and white figure in the foreground Tobias Sana, who fried the ball at goal on national team goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson.

For ten minutes IFK Gothenburg were in the penultimate stop before the Europa League group stage, but perhaps they had gone too well and too easily in short periods in two minutes in Blåvitt’s penalty area. FCK was in a race and past, what the hell happened?

You can point out details, but …

Clearly it is possible to point out details in Gothenburg’s defensive play, and of course Blåvitt should have “sent” more and “hunted” better even in the fourth quarter. At the same time, there was an increasingly desperate opponent on the field who was kindled by what they had and a little more.

Coach Ståle Solbakken screamed and gesticulated wildly along the touchline, and the commitment paid off as Norwegian Robert Mudrazija’s jump shot scored the first goal and hit the corner for the second.

It wasn’t unfair, it wasn’t illogical, but that doesn’t mean it was bad for IFK Gothenburg. It is simply a result that reflects the balance of power. Blåvitt was beating the laws of economics this time, but when Solbakken replaced striker Mudrazija, Nilsson could only answer with Sargon Abraham, dude. There is a difference between squad and squad.

There’s no doubt about one thing: Roland Nilsson has organized IFK Gothenburg’s defensive play classes better than ever before.

We are talking about a team that conceded the first goal in 13 of Allsvenskan’s 18 matches before Nilsson’s entry, but now kept a clean sheet against Falkenberg, and then followed up with a goal protected for 82 minutes against FC itself. Copenhagen.

IFK Gothenburg still has a lot to work with in terms of offensive attack strength, but the fact that “Role” has already come so far in such a short time with defensive play bodes well for IFK’s future and adventure. Gothenburg.

The Blue and Whites may have been eliminated from the European game, but after an effort that raised the temperature before the team’s continuation at Allsvenskan. Although it can be a small comfort at the time of loss.

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Of: Robert Laul

Published: September 17, 2020 kl. 20.15

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