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Tears come easily in football. Be they triump or disaster, the emotion of the game is never very far away from the surface - whatever level the game is at. As the referee was in the process of putting his whistle to his lips to end the game, there were tears of despair forming on the faces of many of the young Faroese players - this would be a result which may well haunt them for the rest of their careers. With the ball out wide right, the clock on the 93rd minute, substitute Rasmus Nissen broke free sending a desperate, beautiful cross into the area, hoping and praying that Anders Berg would get on the end of it.
Yet Berg did not get to the ball to grab the goal that would add more glory to his short but so far illustrious international career. Yet as he agonisingly stretched to put the ball past the helpess Scotland keeper, missing by mere millimetres, another subsititute Magni Danielsen was there is support and had the thought of mind to be ready just in case Berg missed. Danielsen showed all the composure of a man 20 years older as he cooly, joyously thundered the ball into the back of the Scotland net and as the tears of grief in an instant turned to tears of utter elation and disbelief, it was the Germans who were to feel the pain of last kick of the ball elimination - and it was Olaf's heroic young side who had propelled themselves into being one of the eight best U-19 sides in Europe.
The Finals would be held in the Netherlands and had a fine mix of teams. The hosts were there of course, along with football luminaries France, Italy and England, and so luminary Norway, Bosnia and Wales. And of course, right in the middle of them, the until now totally insignificant Faroe Islands. The Finals tournament was only weeks away, but at least with no full team games the Faroes could once more field their strongest side against Italy, England and Norway. A tough draw, but by this time the Faroes were ready for anything, and they had already achieved legendary status - they literally had nothing to lose.
For the full and U-21 sides there was the small matter of the 2010 World Cup and UEFA U-21 Qualifying draw. With the youngsters poised to come through for the campaign, along with the sprinkling of talent already there Ingi and his team were hoping the draw would kind. It was probably impossible that they could qualify just yet, but it was important that they get the kinds of results that would push them up the pecking order so that their rankings might be improved.
In the end, although you can never say a draw is easy, placed in group seven with Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, San Marino and Belgium the Faroes had avoided any really big names and there was a real chance to pick up some points and show the world that they were indeed improving.
After three warm up matches in the season break - a 3-0 win over AB70 followed by a 6-0 hammering of Esbjerg fB and ending with a hard fought 3-2 defeat at the hands of AaB - The Fremad squad were ready to resume the battle for promotion back to the top division. Although it had been a slightly stuttering end to the first half of the season, promotion was still very much on track but the players knew they would have to rediscover their early season form to keep it there.
Four successive wins in impressive style made sure that things were going as hoped, but the stuttering wasn't over. A 1-1 draw away to SonderjysKE was followed by a nervous 1-0 home loss from Hvidore as eventual First Division winners FC Midtjylland continued on their own path back to the top level. Three more wins followed before the soon to be crowned Champions visited Amager, but the reality of the task facing this side if they did go up was once more rammed home as Midtjylland dominated in a narrow 1-0 win that could have been a lot more.
With four games left, it was a straight race between Ingi's side and Sonderjyske, woth Amager boasting a three point lead, but an inferior goal difference which meant they could ill afford to slip up. A 69th minute Aki Joensen strike was enough to secure a slippery win at B1909, who saw 79th minute penalty sail wide of the goal, much to the Amager players utter relief. Three matches left, and it was simply a case of getting over the finish line now. Wins over Slagelse and Lyngby meant that only a draw was needed in the final match, but as SonderjysKE crashing to a final day defeat at the hands of the Champions, even defeat would have been enough in the end.
Nevertheless, to lose and go up always leaves a strange taste in the mouth and the 1612 crowd demanded their heroes finish on a high. A brace from Anders Berg - taking his total to 25 goals in 30 matches, 22 from 28 in the League - added to by a strike from the departing Morten Karlsen and 2nd place was secure. Although Amager had in the end bounced straight back up, and their promotion was certainly deserved there was still small doubts about their chances next season given the inconsistancies that crept in from time to time.
Yet next season will take care of it itself, and even though the press were immediately asking the questions about the teams ability to cope with better opposition, this wasn't the time to think about that. This was the time to celebrate.
With only 22 players per squad being allowed for the Final matches, that meant four of the players who had been in the qualifying selections would have to miss out on the big occassion, which seemed a tad unfair. The four unlucky players were keeper Hans Pauli Thomsen, defender Jakob Justensen, midfielder Bjarni Thomsen and striker Allan Holm. Mind you, the fact is that unless there were a spate of injuries then none of those players had much chance of playing anyway and so there weren't really missing out on much.
The tournament for the Faroes started at the Abe Lenstra Stadion in Heerenveen, against near enough local rivals Norway. The Norwegians had not been overly impressive in qualfying. Having been runners up to Spain in 2006, and having reached the finals again in 2007 albeit going out at the group stages, it might be expected Norway should have a decent enough side. In their first qualifying group they did beat Poland 2-1, but then drew 1-1 with Kazakhstan before losing 2-1 to Wales. Friendly defeats at the hands of Portugal and Croatia were not exactly the prefered build up for the second qualfying stage, and there despite a decent 1-0 opening win against Turkey, they proceeded to draw 2-2 with both Slovakia and Georgia. It was little surprise therefore that Olaf's pre-match team talk was along the lines of 'we can take these buggers'.
Yet Norway were not an overly bad side having gotten this far, and it seemed the young Faroese were a little bit overwhelmed by such an occasion and at half time the match remained goalless. With England and Italy to come, it had to be expected that if either Norway or the Faroes wanted to progress beating the other was a must. Eight minutes into the second half, and the impossible dream was on as Anders Berg smashed home the opening goal. Norway still looked dangerous, but truth was that it seemed only a matter of time before the Faroes wrapped up the points, and with 15 minutes left it was Berg again who pounced and the points were with the Islanders.
With England and Italy drawing 2-2, the Faroes sat proudly on top of their group. England were up next, and a win here - as stupid as such a thought might sound - could very well see the Faroes into the Semi Finals depending on the other result. England were the current UEFA U-19 Champions, having defeated this seasons hosts the Netherlands 2-1 in last seasons Final. They had of course beaten the Faroes back in 2006 in a friendly, but this would be a much harder task against a much improved minnows side. Avoiding the need for the first qualifying round then, England had won all three of their 2nd qualifying round matches against Croatia, Nothern Ireland and Albania. They were surely expecting to sweep past the Faroes but on 23 minutes any lingering complacency was completely knocked out of them as that man Berg sent the Faroes into a sensational lead. Perhaps not quite as sensational as that San Marino goal, but not far off it. With the English reeling, it took only four minutes for the Faroes to add a second, this time newly signed Fremad Amager player Kaj Kjaerbo getting the glory. The English were stunned and were thankful to get to half time only 2-0 down. Two minutes into the second half, the referee tried his best to help them as he red carded Morten Larsen and then eight minutes later goalkeeper Bergur Holst had to go off with an injury that would keep him out of the final group match. Even so, and despite wave after wave of pressure, the English just could not break down the Faroese defence and in the end Olaf's boys had pulled off a result that would send shock waves around the footballing world.
As the news came through that Norway had held Italy to a draw, so the Faroes had reached the Semis and the match with Italy was effectively meaningless for them. Frank Pedersen replaced Holst in goal, and a handful of other changes were made, including leaving Anders Berg and Aki Joensen on the bench. In a first half which Italy dominated, they finally broke the deadlock a minute from halftime. The Faroes were not being greatly outplayed by an Italian side who desperately needed the win, but it seemed they would never score. Just before the hour, Joensen and Berg were sent on, and with six minutes left it was Joensens cross into the box that Italian defender Davide Ferraro knocked passed his own keeper and the Faroes looked like pinching a draw. Italy though were not about to lie down, and just two minutes later a ridiculous pass back from Rasmus Nissen which Pedersen had no chance of getting to, was latched onto by Giovanni de Sanctis and the points went to Italy.
The Faroes though had still done enough to win the group and whilst Italy would take on France in the Semi Finals, the Faroes would take their dreams to the hosts. It promised to be a tension and drama filled occasion that could only end in buckets full of tears.
2008 UEFA Under 19 Championships Semi Final The Netherlands versus the Faroe Islands Wednesday 23rd July 2008 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven. Attendance 3748
For the Dutch, there was real sense of anticpation about this match as they forsaw their passage into the Final and with home advantage, their eventual lifting of the trophy. For the Faroese, there was simply an air of unreality, of disbelief and of unmitigated joy. Forget David versus Goliath, this was - on paper at least - the most mismatched event since...... well since ever.
The Netherlands, although without doubt one of Europes most technically gifted footballing nations, have never won the European U-19 title. That this is a stunning fact is highlighted even more when you realise that the likes of Scotland, Ireland - and even England - have. Last year they had reached only their 4th ever final and their first in 37 years since losing to East Germany in 1970. As hosts this time around, they had no need to qualfiy and so it was a bit difficult to fully determined their level. A friendly win over Ireland and a draw with Turkey was all they had to go on as they entered the tournament to face Bosnia, Wales and France. Whilst the Bosnians held their hosts to a 1-1 draw, and Wales were only overcome by a single goal, the French were to prove too good as the Dutch went down 1-0 and scrapped into the Semis.
Yet despite that, it would have been foolish of the Faroes to come into this match as anything less than rank outsiders, even despite their glorious win over England. The Dutch had reputation and home advantage - the Faroes had nothing. Yet on the other hand, if the Dutch themselves treated this match as a mere formality to be passed on their way to the Final, they would surely only have to look at that England result and realise that - especially at this level of the game - anything can happen in football.
The match itself got off to a sluggish start, as both sets of players got used to the fact they were playing in an International Semi Final. The first real chance of the match wasn't created until the 16th minute, and it fell to Anders Berg but his effort went narrowly over the bar. Nevertheless a warning to the Dutch that this was not going to be a walk in the park. A couple of minutes later, Overgaard was booked for a foul on Verdouw, which seemed innocuous at the time but was to have dire consequences for the Faroes player and for his team.
With 22 minutes gone, the referee adjuged that Overgaard was pulling a Dutch player by his shirt and decided to produce a yellow card. Overgaard, having already been booked, realised that his match was over - and so was the IBV man's prospects of playing in the Final should the Faroes achieve the unbelievable. Olaf's reaction to such an incredible piece of adversity was simply to pull Peter Damgaard back into the midfield, and leave just two players up front and simply hope for the best.
The match itself was nothing to write home about until the half hour mark when Kjaerbo broke free down the left wing, swung a cross intowards Berg and despite being surrounded by four defenders the youngster rose majestically above them all to send the Faroes into a sensational lead. It seemed this young man only had to touch the ball, and it lead to a goal and it his growing reputation was certainly coming to no harm in this tournament. Five minutes later Berg again headered the ball towards goal, but this time a defender managed to get in the way and the score remained as it was.
Half time came and went, and the Dutch made a change to their line up. It mattered little. Ten minutes into the second half, during another dull period of passing play for the Dutch, a careless pass bounced off Peter Damgaard and broke to Berg who had acres of space as he raced clear of the Orange defensive line and the Dutch fate was sealed as he brilliantly lofted the ball beyond the keeper and the ten man minnows had one foot in the door of the Final.
Riled by such audacity, the Dutch tried to hit back creating chances on the 64th and 65th minutes, but they lacked the will power, fire power and dare it be said, skill, of their less worthy opponents. Such dire finishing was not long in being punished, as on 67 minutes Withoud tripped Berg out on the right wing, deep inside the Dutch half. The Dutch player received a booking which meant he would have missed the Final - but that was about to become irrelevant anyway.
Danielsen played the ball out left to Kjaerbo who played a delicate little pass into the path of Berg and with the skill worthy of any top player, the youngster devastatingly completed his hattrick, and amidst the most incredible of emotional scenes, the Faroe Islands were into the Final of the UEFA U-19 Cup. It may not be the World Cup Final - at least not yet - but as Italy overcame the French to set up a rematch of the group game, who would now bet against the Faroe Islands causing possibly the biggest upset in footballing history?
2008 UEFA Under 19 Championships - Final
ItalyversusFaroe Islands Saturday 26th July 2008
De Kuip, Rotterdam. Attendance 5792
Ok, so perhaps a Faroese win being the greatest footballing upset of all time was being a tiny bit over the top. This, after all, was not the World Cup Final, or even the European Championships. Well, it was the European Championships, but for kids. It's easy to forget that many countries have enjoyed a modicum of success at teenie weenie level that has failed to transpire into any level of success at all at full level. Remember Scotland have won this.
Exactly.
Yet even so, it cannot be understated the achievement that the Faroes had so far attained. It was certainly remarkable, and even if it did never transpire into any measurable success at the higher levels, this is one Under 19 Championship that would now surely never be forgotten, if only for the emergance onto the near world stage of a certain Anders Berg, who would surely sooner rather than later find the big guns of Europe wanting to steal him away.
It would be easy for a nation like Italy to look at their opponents in this match and sneer. Quite apart from their successes in World Cups and European Championships, they had won this tournament three times in the past. Coming into this Final, the Italians had not lost at Under 19 level in regulation or overtime since a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Germany in a Friendly in 2006, and in competition since a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Belarus a year earlier. Indeed, it was in that same qualifying section back in 2005 that the result was obtained that will ensure that any complacency the Italians might feel will be firmly kept under control. They did, after all, lose 2-1 to the Faroes then.
A penalty shoot out defeat to eventual winners England in the Semi Finals last time around and an impressive qualifying campaign in which Hungary, Romania and Belarus were swept aside with consumate ease saw Italy arrive in the Netherlands as favourites to lift the title for the 4th time. Another draw with England and a draw with Norway hardly set set the dams alight, and it took everything they had to overcome a plucky Faroese side and reach the last four where a hard fought 1-0 victory was gained over France.
Yet history is one thing, and the present is another. You cannot take history into a match, only the present and although most people still believed that at the end of the day Italy would prove just too good, no-one was ruling out the possibility of a Faroese win. No one was stupid enough to predict it either.
With Thomas Overgaard missing through suspension, his place would be taken by 16 year old IBV club mate Jan Poulsen. It was as strong a line up the Faroes could put out, and most of the starting eleven would one day play for their country at full level - if they hadn't done so already. Probably.
The line up that would go down in Faroese folklore then was:
4-1-2-3:
GK Bergur Holst (16) Volsungur
RB Ronnie Danielsen (16) Fremad Amager
LB Morten Larsen (17) IBV
CD Pauli Nielsen (18) IBV
CD John Hansen (19) Fremad Amager
DM Morten Clausen (18) Fremad Amager
CM Jan Poulsen (16) IBV
CM Aki Joensen (18) Fremad Amager
RW Peter Damgaard (17) Fremad Amager
CF Anders Berg (17) Fremad Amager
LW Kaj Kjaerbo (19) Fremad Amager
Subs: Frank Pedersen (GK) (17) Valur, Allan Danielsen (16) IBV, Mortan Andreasen (16) Fremad Amager, Magni Danielsen (16) Fremad Amager, Rasmus Nissen (16) Fremad Amager, Johan Davidsen (19) IBV, Kristian Poulsen (16) KA
And for most of these players, there was always rhe knowledge that, even if they failed they would still get another couple of chances. But you can never beat your first time.
I've been a silent reader for a while now, but i have to congratulate you on that achievement! It would be an achievement to get the full Faroes side to the final of the Uefa U19 championship - let alone only the u19's!
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