October 29, 2005: Norwegian soccer:

Sad Finish for Start and Todi Jónsson

Earlier this year, Todi Jónsson, the Faroe Islands best ever soccer player, moved to Norwegian club Start Kristiansand, after an illustrious career in Denmark with Superliga clubs Lyngby and FC Copenhagen. With FC Copenhagen he won 3 league championships and became their all-time record scorer.

Today he had the chance to add a Norwegian title to his CV.

The odds were quite good. If Start won their match against Frederikstad, then Vaalerenga had to win their match against Odd Grenland by 2 more goals than Start.

But Start had a disastrous start to their match, because after only 10 minutes they were behind, when Fredrikstad's Hoås headed in a corner.

But at this stage, the luck was still smiling at Start, because at the same time, Vaalerenga went behind in their match against Odd Grenland and with these results, Start would still become champions.

But after 37 minutes, the luck-pendulum had swung in the other direction: Vaalerenga had scored two goals and taken the lead against Odd Grenland.

Start now desperately needed goals, but they were just not coming and Frederikstad's goal seemed to be bewitched. Not less that 4 times in the first half, Start hit the woodwork, but the ball just wouldn't go in. Two of those efforts were from Todi Jónsson. In the 19th minute his shot hit the post and in the minute after, he headed the ball on the crossbar after a corner.

But then, in the last minute of the first half, more disaster for Start as Frederikstad scored their second goal. And as Vaalerenga were winning, Start now had to score 3 goals…

It took Start only 4 minutes to pull one back in the second half, when Bærlin scored from 20 meters.

But then Odd Grenland equalized against Vaalerenga in the other match, and now Start need only 1 goal to win the title.

And Start thought they had got it, when they scored on 83 minutes, but the referee blew for off side. A very controversial decision, it proved to be, as the television replay suggested the goal was perfectly all right.

And then, in the 90th minute, all hopes for Start were dashed, when Frederikstad scored their 3rd goal and won the game 3-1.

Vallerenga drew 1-1 with Odd Grenland, and that was enough to win the title, 1 point ahead of Start who had to settle for second spot.

Todi Jónsson has still not decided if he will stay with Start. Start want him to stay and Todi is also interested, but has some personal terms he wants Start to agree on.

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