HB Tórshavn's Liverpool-dream washed away after only 72 seconds
July 13, 2005: UEFA Champions League, 1st qualifying round, 1st leg:
HB Tórshavn – FBK Kaunas 2-4 (1-3)
0-1 Velicka Andrius 2'
0-2 Velicka Andrius 25'
1-2 Hans á Lag 29'
1-3 Klimek Arkadiusz 35'
2-3 Hans á lag 62'
2-4 Zelmikas Irmantas 63'
The stakes were high for HB Tórshavn and FBK Kaunas from Lithuania in Tórsvøllur Stadium tonight, because the winner of the tie (in aggregate) will meet Liverpool FC in the next round (providing Liverpool overcome TNS from Wales (Liverpool won 3-0 tonight)). In addition to get the honour to play against the Champions League winners, a match against Liverpool would also yield a quite healthy amount of money for the lucky club. Amounts of 1 million pounds have been mentioned, and even if that’s not much more than Steven Gerrard makes in a few weeks, that sum of money would secure the financial foundation of HB Tórshavn for years to come.
But this dream was more or less washed away after only 72 seconds in the rain at Tórsvøllur Stadiun tonight, when FBK Kaunas beat HB's off side trap and scored for 1-0. A disastrous start for HB.
And 25 minutes into the game, Kaunas made it 2-0. A Kaunas player dribbled past 2 sloppy HB defenders on the right hand side of the penalty area and Velicka Andriusscored scored in the far bottom corner.
But 4 minutes later, HB got some hope back when Hans á Lag was given a free gift from Kaunas' goalkeeper. The keeper seemed to have caught the ball safely, but pressured by Jákup á Borg, he lost the slippery ball again right in front of Hans á Lag who easily scored into the empty goal.
But if anybody was hoping for a dramatic "Liverpool-in-the-champions-league-final"-like comeback, that hope was soon dashed by another Kaunas scoring just 6 minutes later.
This time Kaunas had a corner on the left. The ball was allowed to go across the whole of the penalty area to a completely unmarked Kaunas player who headed the ball to the feet of Klimek Arkadiusz who had no problems scoring.
In the second half, HB made some changes and were a bit more lively on the Kaunas half, but rarely did they really threaten the Kaunas defense.
However, HB did get a goal back 16 minutes into the second half. After a long throw-in, the ball ended at the feet of Hans á Lag who scored his second goal to give HB just a little glimpse of hope.
But that hope proved to be very short lived, as Kaunas restored their two-goal lead in the very next minute. Kaunas had a freekick on the right, outside HB’s penalty area. The ball was then crossed to a completely unmarked Zelmikas Irmantas who volleyed the ball on the underside of the crossbar and into the goal.
After this, Kaunas were closer to 5-2 than HB to 4-3.
HB’s task is now to win by 3 goals in Lithuania. No problem!:-)...
The second leg will be played on July 19 in Vetra Stadiun, Vilnius, Lithuania
Related links:
FBK Kaunas vs. HB Tórshavn, Champions League, 2nd leg
HB Tórshavn meet FBK Kaunas in the Champions League
HB Tórshavn to face Liverpool FC in the Champions League
Skála vs. Tampere United, Inter Toto Cup, 1st & 2nd leg
IBV Vestmannaeyar vs. B36 Tórshavn and NSÍ Runavík vs. Metalurgs, UEFA Cup, 1st leg
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