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Of: Magnus wilsson
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Photo: Bildbyrån / Bandypuls
Christoffer Edlund became a great hero in the cup final
Villa Lidköping wins the 2020 Swedish Cup at home in Lidköping.
New acquisition Christoffer Edlund became a final great hero as he scored all of Villa’s goals in the 4-3 win against AIK.
– We sat in the driver’s seat directly, says coach Johan Sixtenson in the Bandypul broadcast.
It’s been hot during spring and summer between new antagonists Villa Lidköping and AIK since Villa icons Johan Esplund and Daniel Andersson signed for “Gnaget.” That the relationship is chilly between the clubs was noticed during the Swedish Cup final when it was hot more than once, both on the pitch and on the benches.
– It was an incredibly dramatic match from start to finish. There are two great teams, I think they are the best team in the tournament overall, says Villa coach Johan Sixtensson on Bandypul’s post-match broadcast.
Villa Lidköping came into play in the final against AIK without manager Johan Löfstedt, who was injured on Saturday. Shortly before the final, news also came that Villastjärnan will be out for at least four weeks, meaning that he will miss the elite series premiere against Edsbyn on November 13.
Newly acquired hero
AIK took the lead early after 12 minutes through William Arvidsson, a new Villa acquisition. Soon after, however, Villa tied through Christoffer Edlund in a corner. When the referee blew for the break after 30 minutes, Edlund had made two more and the score was 3-2.
Edlund found a fourth goal before AIK began a final force, but “Gnaget” came no closer than Erik Pettersson’s reduction to 4-3.
Well deserved, says Villa coach Johan Sixtensson.
– I think we’re in the driver’s seat from the start, but Bergwall keeps them in the top ten game in the second half mostly, he says and has the support of team captain Martin Karlsson.
– It becomes a bit unconscious that we try to defend our management. We played the first 45 no matter how well it was and maybe we thought we should have scored more goals, says the team captain on the broadcast.
Critical Bergwall
The final was AIK’s big bid for the first title since 1931 on the men’s side when the team beat Karlstad’s IF Göta at the Stockholm Stadium in the final of the Swedish Championship. After the cup defeat, the AIK coach, also the goalkeeper, criticized the referee’s level in the final.
– It’s bitter, we are not well for 45 (minutes) and I don’t think we have the opportunity either. I think the level is a shame, I think it is a team that achieves everything and not the other, says Andreas Bergwall to Bandypuls.
FIVE POINTS
The starburst
In the group match between Edsbyn and Motala, Edsbyn veteran Hans Andersson collided with Motala’s Jonas Enander as the players chased after the ball. The Edsbyn star froze on the ice and medical staff were called in and Hans Andersson had to leave the ice on a stretcher.
Edsbyn coach Magnus “Kuben” Olsson confirmed after the game that it was a severe concussion on the Bandypul broadcast and it is not clear at the moment how long the star will be out.
Rescue penalty
Hammarby goalkeeper Filip Mörkdal had a better start to the Swedish Cup than the team. During the two lost games on Friday, he saved three of four possible penalties in which the last stop will be difficult to overcome. On the way to the split, Martin Johansson’s penalty from Villa Lidköping is reached and hit with one hand. This was just over three minutes after he hit a Christoffer Edlund penalty.
Releasing ice
The star-studded AIK initially struggled to enter the net through play during the first two matches. During the first two games, against Edsbyn (3–3) and Västerås (1–1), “Gnaget” scored all his goals in a corner. Sure he has a good grade in the corners, but he worries about the future.
But in the third and final group match against Motala, he immediately let loose. Already after just under nine minutes, the new acquisition made Alan Dzhusoev and in the second half it really fell when AIK in 22 minutes scored five goals, of which four goals. And in the semifinal against Sandviken (5-2), there were four new ones and two more in the final.
Final drama
The only thing missing in this final was the fans. There were two new rivals, where a win against AIK at the moment means more than a win against rival Vänersborg for several Villafans, who faced off. There was dancing and the chances took turns with good saves from both goalkeepers, but Villa turned out to be the bigger number than the AIK this time.
The feigned competition
Finally, he competed in bandy. An already too long preseason had to be longer, but now was finally the time. That something called the Swedish Cup can be played in 2×30 matches is, however, amazing. Of course, it will be difficult to do it any other way when the entire cup is to be held in the same weekend, but here it is tolerable to think a few more times if it is not possible to change the format for decision makers. Of course, this doesn’t detract from Villa’s performance as he takes the entire show home.
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