August 04 - 08, 2007: Round 17 of the Formula Division:

August 04, 2007

KÍ Klaksvík - Skála 1-0 (1-0)
1-0 Harley Bertholdsen

In horendous weather conditions KÍ Klaksvík took a huge step out of the relegation zone by beating Skála 1-0. Harley Bertholdsen scored in the last minute of the first half when Skála's goalkeeper failed to collect Bertholdsen's free kick-cross from 35-40 meters. If AB Argir and VB/Sumba don't get 3 points this round (they both have difficult matches - HB Tórshavn end EB/Streymur respectively), then KÍ shouldn't get into troubles again!

August 05, 2007

VB/Sumba - EB/Streymur 1-2 (1-0)
1-0 Jón Krosslá Poulsen
1-1 Símun Eliasen
1-2 Arnbjørn Hansen

After losing to EB/Streymur today, it will need a miracle for VB/Sumba to survive in the top flight. With only 10 matches left, they trail KÍ Klaksvík on the life-saving 8th place by 8 points. That takes 3 victories to win back. However, in today's match against EB/Streymur, VB/Sumba took the lead after 18 minutes. For the rest of the match, VB/Sumba were defending while EB/Streymur were pressuring for the equalizer. And VB/Sumba defended well, but after about 80 minutes, EB/Streymur finally found the back of VB/Sumba's goal, albeit with some luck, when Símun Eliasen's attempted cross went straight into the goal. But EB/Streymur still needed another goal if they still wanted to stay in touching distance with NSÍ and B36 in the table, and 3-4 minutes into stopage time they nearly made it, but the ball bounced off the underside of the crossbar and stayed out, and EB/Streymur looked like losing an important step in the title chase. But then, 4 or 5 minutes into stoppage time, EB/Streymur dramatically snatched the winner with a goal from Arnbjørn Hansen. It was a vital goal for EB/Streymur who stay in contention - at least for now, because they probably cannot afford to lose to HB next Sunday, because then NSÍ will open up a gap of 9 points, if NSÍ beat AB Argir, which they should do...

NSÍ Runavík - GÍ Gøta 3-1 (2-0)
1-0 Óli Hansen (Pen.)
2-0 Óli Hansen (Pen.)
3-0 Christian Høgni Jacobsen
3-1 Christian Lundberg

NSÍ are marching on, and today they had no troubles in beating GÍ. NSÍ were 2 up with a penalty after 9 minutes and another right at the death of the first half, before Christian Høgni Jacobsen made it 3-0 15 minutes into the 2nd half with a spectacular long range effort in his first match for NSÍ after his switch (on loan) from HB in the summer break. A quarter of an hour from the end, (in his first match for GÍ) Christian Lundberg did what GÍ have signed him to do - score goals, that is - but it was merely a consolation.

August 07, 2007

HB Tórshavn - AB Argir 4-0 (3-0)
1-0 Andrew av Fløtum
2-0 Andrew av Fløtum
3-0 Andrew av Fløtum
4-0 Milan Kuljic

Gundadalur Satdium's brand new 3rd generation artificial playing-surface apparently suited newly returned Andrew av Fløtum very well as he scored a clean hat trick after half an hour in his first league match for HB since he joined Danish club Fremad Amager in March 2004.

But let it also be said right away, that AB Argir were extremely poor – clearly the weakest opposition HB have faced so far in the league. Especially in the first half, there was only 1 team on the pitch, and although AB Argir improved slightly in the second half, their overall display was so poor, that I'll make the announcement now, even if there are 10 matches remaining, that AB Argir will be relegated! End of discussion.

HB scored their first goal after about 15 minutes when right back Mortan úr Hørg went to the byline and made a low cross in front of goal to an unmarked Andrew av Fløtum at the far post, who just had to sweep it the ball the last few centimeters across the line.

A couple of minutes later, Andrew made it 2-0 after Rógvi Jacobsen's cheeky back-heal wrong- footed the whole of the AB defense and played Andrew clear with the keeper whom he elegantly rounded before he rolled the ball over the line.

And around the half hour mark, Andrew completed his hat trick when Rógvi Jacobsen turned on a plate to set Andrew up again, and from a good position inside the penalty area, Andrew placed his shot out of reach for the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 for HB.

Andrew was also close to making it 4-0, but his header at the far post after a corner bounced off the crossbar.

HB had other decent shots at goal from Rógvi Jacobsen, Páll M Joensen and Rasmus Nolsøe, but the score-line stayed at 3-0 at half time.

AB Argir hardly entered HB's half throughout the first half and were never close to scoring.

It took HB only six minutes of the second half to make it 4-0 after a corner when Milan Kuljic rose highest at the far post and headed the ball into the goal.

After this, AB increased their percentages of possession and occasionally hovered around HB's penalty area, but only once did Tróndur Vatnhamar in the HB-goal have to make a real save.

Although HB mostly were in attack for the last 30 minutes, they didn't create too many real scoring opportunities.

When 15 minutes were remaining, Andrew av Fløtum was substituted with central defender Hans á Lag, but who today played as a striker. But what on earth was the meaning of that? Although Hans scored several goals 2 years ago, when he played as an "emergency striker", surely that's not the kind of soccer HB want to play. Maybe the idea was to give him some match fitness before the match against EB/Streymur on Sunday and the cup final 3 days later (also against EB/Streymur), but that they didn't want to disrupt the "rhythm" of the defense and therefore placed him upfront. Because against EB/Streymur, HB will need a man in defense who's strong with the head = Hans á Lag.

Man of the match was without doubt Andrew av Fløtum. It wasn't just his hat trick, but his overall play was just superb, and his ball control is superior to most other players in the Formula Division – except for 1 or 2 of the very best foreigners maybe.

In defense, HB's positive trend is continuing also, as this was HB's 4th clean sheet in their last 7 matches (2 Champions league matches, 1 domestic Cup match and 4 league matches).

Jákup á Borg is still being rested because of a thigh injury. They hope that he'll be fit for the cup final on 15 August.

August 08, 2007

B36 Tórshavn - B71 Sandoy 3-0 (1-0)
1-0 Klæmint Matras
2-0 Amed Davy Sylla
3-0 Amed Davy Sylla

B71 had their moments and created good scoring opportunities, but B36 were more effective. B36 took the lead halfway through the first half with a headed goal from Klæmint Matras. B71 were close to an equalizer early in the second half, but the shot smashed against the crossbar. Instead it was B36 who doubled their lead 10 minutes into the second half with a header from Formula Division top scorer, Ivorian Amed Davy Sylla. After this, B71's challenge faided, and for the last 20 minutes, B36 were in total control and another goal looked imminent. And it came after 82 minutes, when the B71-defense rather carelessly gave away the ball which Sylla was quick to react on. With good dribbles he became clear against goal, and although the angle was a bit tight, he banged the ball into the far top corner. Sylla was on for the hat-trick a few minutes later when B36 were awarded a penalty after Sylla himself had gone down in the area, but this time Sylla, who took the penalty himself, blasted the ball half a meter over the crossbar. Another example of the rule that the faulted player shall not take the penalty himself. However, as B36 led 3-0, it had no importance and a hat trick is always funny to get... This was B36's 9th clean sheet of the season after 17 matches.