April 16, 2008: The Cup Competition, Semi-finals, 1st leg:
B36 Tórshavn - HB Tórshavn 0-0
Although HB probably had majority of the possession, they found it very difficult to break down the B36-defence, and very few chances were created; 3 or 4 maybe. B36 on the other hand could just as well have taken victory on one of their counterattacks.
But it was HB who should have taken the lead after 12 minutes when Christian Høgni Jacobsen had a free header from close range, but the header was off target.
A couple of minutes later, B36 countered, but only a heroic save from Marcin Dawid in the HB-goal denied the clear Alex dos Santos.
Apart from these chances, there was little danger created in front of goal at both ends.
The pattern was the same in the 2nd half. HB more in possession, but B36 had a couple of counterattacks that could have proved decisive.
Around the hour-mark, B36's captain, midfielder Klæmint Matras, was sent off for a 2nd bookable offence.
But B36's 10 men were extremely well organized defensively, and HB's man in advantage wasn't very evident.
However, HB were real close on a couple of occasions, but Christian Høgni Jacobsen steered his half-volley high and wide when in a good position to score, and Hendrik Rubeksen squandered his opportunity when he had a clear sight of goal in front of him.
B36 then were close to catch HB on the break, but goalkeeper Marcin Dawid was quick out of his goal with a sliding tackle to deny B36, 15 metres outside his penalty area.
Near the end, Dawid was stretchered off when he again had to throw himself in front of a B36-attack.
Deep into stoppage time, HB's right back, Poul Thomas Dam rattled the crossbar with a thunderous shot from 25 metres. – It deserved better!
The 2nd leg will be played on 12 May where HB will officially be the home team (HB and B36 share the same ground). 1-1 in that match will take B36 through because of the away-goal rule, so it looks like a real thriller in Gundadalur Stadion in about a month's time…
B71 went close early on when Clayton Soares hit the upright, but after 20 minutes, EB/Streymur took the lead with a header from Mikkjal Thomassen.
Chances were few and far between, but 6 minutes from the end, Tummas Pauli Olsen headed home the equalizer in connection with a corner.
May 12, 2008: The Cup Competition, Semi-finals, 2nd leg:
HB Tórshavn – B36 Tórshavn 1-2 (0-0)
0-1 Karoly Potemkin
0-2 Tamas Nagy
1-2 Andrew av Fløtum (pen)
Statistically, it was always going to be difficult for HB. As B36 hadn't scored in the two previous meetings between the Tórshavn clubs (cup and league), the likelihood for a B36-goal was growing for every minute of play - statistically. Of course the same was through for HB, who hadn't scored against B36 either, but the problem for HB was, that if B36 scored today, then HB needed to score twice, because of the away-goals rule.
And that's basically what happened.
HB had the better start to the game and Fróði Benjaminsen nearly put HB 1 up within 5 minutes, but his effort rebounded off the crossbar.
But except from this, HB never really got close in the first half, and Meinhardt Joensen in the B36-goal never had to make a real save. However, it was HB who had the majority of the possession, but their creative play seems to be in turmoil and they just don't seem to be able to create opportunities.
B36 gradually got more forward, and around the half-hour mark, they had a couple of great efforts that nearly gave them the lead.
First, Brazilian Alex dos Santos struck a low diagonal swerving shot that almost caught HB-keeper Tróndur Vatnhamar by surprise, but in the last moment he dived to parry the shot.
Moments later, right back Magnus Olsen had come forward, and with a clear sight of goal, he fired a shot from just within the penalty area, but Tróndur Vatnhamar again made a great save. Although HB had the majority of possession, B36 seemed more dangerous when they did come forward.
The 2nd half was just 8 minutes old when B36 took the lead. Hanus Thorleifsson played a long high ball forward to Karoly Potemking who got in front of the 2 negligent central defenders, and clear with the keeper, the Hungarian fired B36 into the lead.
HB immediately made a substitution on midfield, but more than anything else, it seemed like a desperate try to change HB's play, which seems static. But it changed nothing.
Instead it was B36 who all but secured their place in the final when they doubled their lead a quarter of an hour through the 2nd half. 17-year-old Roaldur Jacobsen made good wok on the right to set up the other Hungarian, Tamas Nagy, with a shot just outside the penalty area, and Nagy bombarded the ball into the back of the net.
With the away-goal advantage for B36, HB now needed 3!
But to make a long story short, HB never got close to that. Although HB 7 minutes later were given a glimmer of hope when they reduced the deficit with a penalty from Andrew av Fløtum, after B36-captain Klæmint Matras had handled in the area, HB created no clear-cut chance, and B36-goalkeeper Meinhardt Joensen was never forced to make a real save. A few half-chances, that was all HB managed.
By beating B71, EB/Streymur have reached the Cup final for the second time in succession. But they had to work hard to overcome B71.
After EB/Streymur had made the better start, it was B71 who took the lead after 20 minutes with a looping header from Brazilian Fabio Vieira.
But EB/Streymur equalized about 10 minutes before halftime when Arnbjørn Hansen slotted home after a perfect cross from Marni Durhuus on the left.
Overall, EB/Streymur had been the better side during the first 45 minutes, but the 2nd half was a more even affair.
And it looked like it was going into extra-time, but when the clock showed 86 minutes, EB/Streymur scored the crucial goal to take them through to the final. Hans Pauli Samuelsen's free-kick was only half-cleared by B71-goalkeeper Símun Rógvi Hansen, but the ball was put back in front of goal where it rebounded off the crossbar to Símun Eliasen who had the easiest of tasks to make 2-1 to EB/Streymur.
The referee added 6 minutes of stoppage time, and B71 where just a whisker from the equalizer when Clayton Soares's free-kick went close by the top corner.
But EB/Streymur won 2-1 on the day, and 3-2 on aggregate, and meet B36 in the final in Gundadalur Stadium in Tórshavn (B36's home soil) on June 15.