Match of the Year in Århus

03/08 2007 08:59

Saturday afternoon one of the two upcomers this season, AGF, asks the Danish champions from F.C. Copenhagen to dance on NRGi Park. According to the statistics, the visiting team has no reason to expect a walkover.

By Andreas Arnaa
Under the lightly overcast sky which hangs over the training pitch, the Wednesday’s training has got going long ago. Tuesday the team passed the first of hopefully many tests on the international scene, and the training is perceptibly marked by the tiring challenge. The atmosphere reflects to a certain extent the result of the qualifying match, but now the players are recovering, and before long the preparations for the upcoming match will be led in.

On Saturday, F.C. Copenhagen arrives in the revived capital of the Jutlandic soil, Århus, to challenge the local heroes from AGF. The teams achievements during the last few years leave only a flimsy hope for the home team. While the FCK team in the past season proved its position in the best Danish league by winning the fourth Danish championship in six years and made its mark in international football’s Promised Land, the UEFA Champions League, the Jutlandic players planted heavy footsteps in the Danish second league. AGF ended second and earned a comeback in the SAS Ligaen, but even though the level difference between the two teams is big, the statistics don’t necessarily point to a Copenhagen win. The two teams have played against each other in Århus 23 times, and it is worth mentioning that those many matches don’t have an unambiguous winner. 20 wins are distributed equally among the two sides whereas the remaining three matches have been draws – nevertheless it also has to be mentioned that the Lions from Copenhagen have obtained five wins and one draw in the last six matches in Århus.

Nordstrand will do his part of the job towards a win
The Copenhageners’ new striker, Morten Nordstrand, knew all about how to get attention in his home debut when Viborg visited PARKEN last Saturday. By scoring two goals and making a very competent performance he was highly involved in the 3-1 win against the bottom team of the league so far, and the key figure himself hopes to maintain his success, although it doesn’t matter who scores the goals.

- I hope that I can score a goal or two, but it doesn’t matter who scores the goals. One thing is to score goals, but if a fellow player is in a better position for taking a goal, I always prefer to pass the ball if possible.

At the same time he plays down the towering expectations of the champions, even though he accepts that they are the favourites to win the game.

- We must put a heavy pressure on AGF and create some chances in that way. Of course a win is required, but it is the match of the year for AGF, so they will do anything in their power to make a good impression. It won’t be easy, but if we reach our level, I believe we will win the game.

Also, the striker appreciates the chance to play international football, which he considers to be a great opportunity to improve his own level as a player and take him closer to fulfilling his potential.

- In international football you don’t have the same time at the ball as you have in the SAS Ligaen, and the pressure in the close combats is bigger. Hopefully I will be able to take advantage of that in the Danish league.

Czech international to F.C. Copenhagen
Yet another international has been added to the team. Last Saturday, the Czech international, Libor Sionko, made his entry in PARKEN, the home of F.C. Copenhagen, before the match against Viborg, while the rain was pouring down on the 14,000 spectators who had come to watch the game. Sionko, who arrived from our former opponents, the Scottish side Rangers F.C., enjoys his new life in a new city and on a new team. He doesn’t really like to talk about his own forces, though.

- I have come to an excellent club, and I have met a lot of friendly people here, so everything is perfect, so far. I watched F.C. Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League last year, and I think they performed very well – especially in the home wins against Celtic and Manchester United. They were even close to qualifying for further participation in the tournament, and I don’t think there’s a big difference between the qualities you find in Rangers F.C. and in F.C. Copenhagen.
I don’t really like to answer questions about my own qualities. Let’s say I tell you that I am going to score a lot of goals, then I put a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself, and maybe I won’t score a single goal for the next 6 months. I prefer to concentrate on performing well and play some good football that our fans will enjoy watching.

Libor Sionko is more than ready to join the F.C. Copenhagen side and show everybody what he can do for the team – and he definitely wouldn’t mind, if Coach Ståle Solbakken asks him for his services already on Saturday against AGF.