September 2010 Round-Up:
16 September, 2010
How AB Argir could have saved their top flight existence!
Lying in last place in the table, seven points from safety with only 6 matches to go, AB's chances of survival in the top flight appears to be slim.
But there is a way how AB virtually could have secured their place in the top division next season if they took advantage of a loophole in the promotion and relegation rules which are now being interpreted differently from what they used to be. However, AB would have needed to make use of the loophole from the start of the season. Now it’s too late. But here’s how it could have been done:
If AB at the start of the season doubted if they would be able to avoid relegation, they could have fielded their second team (which plays in the 1st division) with their best players and then field their Vodafone Division team with their second-best players. With their best players in the 1st division, AB should be good enough to earn promotion, and according to the football association's new interpretation of the rules, that would mean that AB would keep their team in the Vodafone Division even if they "rightfully" should have been relegated, as the two teams would basically "switch" places (officially there would be no relegation and no promotion, which is the same as "switching places"). With that recipe, AB would still be represented in the top division next season.
Previously the interpretation has been, that a club that was in a relegation spot would be relegated whatever the position of the club's second team. And because a club can not have two teams in the same division, the lower team would also have to be relegated "by force", even if they were in a promotion spot. i.e., teams could not switch places.
But would anybody really take advantage of that loophole?
Maybe not at the start of a season, but if it fairly quickly became evident that a team was not going to avoid relegation, it is thinkable that clubs could start speculating. There could for example be monetary reasons for desperately hanging on to a place in the top division.
And this new interpretation is actually exactly what might save FC Hoyvík from relegation from the 1st division where they are currently no. 9 (and would therefore normally be relegated), but where FC Hoyvík's team in 2nd division is sure to end the season not lower than no. 2 and will therefore be promoted (if FC Hoyvík's 1st division team will be relegated). Like that, FC Hoyvík's existence in the 1st division is safe no matter what.
Really, that is a crazy, brain dead and ridicules interpretation of the rules, and the F.A. are asking clubs to start speculating.
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Skála on the rise again
Speaking of the lower divisions, the once so highflying Skála , who were so close to winning the top division title in 2005, but were later relegated two years in a row to the 2nd division, are leading the table at the moment and are sure of promotion to the 1st division.
But what went wrong for Skála after their runners up position in 2005? Well, maybe nothing went wrong. Maybe they just did "too many things right" in 2004 and 2005, and that their natural level is in the 1st division.
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Gunnar Nielsen out for six weeks
Faroese national goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen, currently on loan to Tranmere Rovers from Manchester City, has been ruled out of action for six weeks with a shoulder injury he got when playing against Italy on 7 September. He will therefore not be available to play against Slovenia and Northern Ireland on 8 and 12 October.
Most likely, HB goalkeeper Tórður Thomsen will replace Nielsen between the sticks for the internationals. The question is then who will be Thomsen's back up. Before Thomsen was included in the squad, B36's Meinhardt Joensen has been reserve goalkeeper. But Joensen has not played regularly in the Vodafone Division this season as he has been deputy to Jóan Pauli Jakobsen until he moved to Denmark to study last month.
Or will Faroe Islands coach Brian Kerr try to lure 40-year old Jákup Mikkelsen out of international retirement?
13 September, 2010
HB Tórshavn sack coaching team
HB Tórshavn announced today that they have sacked Icelandic coach Kristján Guðmundsson and his assistant Jóannes Jakobsen; citing lack of results as the reason.
Although HB are still in with a chance to retain their title, trailing NSÍ Runavík by 3 points, HB have rarely been convincing this season and have struggled to close matches. The season started badly as HB were knocked out of the cup in the first round by B36, and went on to draw 4-4 in the league opener against FC Suðuroy. However, HB still managed to climb to the top of the table, but surrendered the lead again quickly and have been chasing NSÍ for the last 10 rounds.
HB could have been on top of the table today had they beaten bottom team FC Suðuroy yesterday, but after the humiliating 4-1 defeat, HB's board lost patience and parted with the coaches. Assistant coach Jacobsen had said prior to the season that if the head coach was to be fired, he would not continue on his own.
HB have this evening appointed former HB players Juilian Hansen (right back when the Faroe Islands beat Austria in 1990 – where Jakobsen was the sweeper) and Hallur Danielsen (who retired in 2005) as coaches for the rest of the season. Hansen has been in this position before as he took over towards the end in 2005 when Heine Fernandez was fired. It was close then, where 3 teams could have won the title on the final day where B36 came out on top as they came from a goal down to beat HB 2-1 (read match report from the final day in 2005 here).
10 September, 2010
Atli Danielsen takes break from international football
Faroese international midfielder Atli Danielsen, who plays for FC Roskilde in the Danish 2nd tier, has announced that he'll take a break from international football for about half a year to concentrate on his studies.
Danielsen had withdrawn from the qualifiers against Italy, Serbia and Estonia for the same reasons.
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Arnbjørn Hansen hot on the heels of Christian Høgni Jacobsen in the top scorer list
EB/Streymur striker Arnbjørn Hansen, who scored 5 goals against AB Argir in the last round and closed the gap on top scorer Christian Høgni Jacobsen to only two goals, has since been credited for yet another goal which he scored against B71 Sandoy in round 8 on 16 May. Originally the goal had been credited to Gudmund Nielsen.
This means that Christian Høgni is still on top on the top scorer list with 15 goals, but Arnbjørn Hansen is hot on his heels with 14.
Hansen was the top scorer in 2008 with 20 goals, while Jacobsen has won two golden boots, in 2005 and 2006, both times with 18 goals.
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Hungarian forward Karoly Potemkin parts with NSÍ Runavík
This is not breaking news, but some might have been wandering what happened to NSÍ's Hungarian forward Karoly Potemkin. The short edition is that the parties parted company in the summer and Potemkin has returned home to his native country.
Potemkin had not been in a leading role this season and had only played for around five and a half hour for the first team and rarely featured in the starting line-up. He had scored one goal this season.
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