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For a stadium that hold just over 51,000 people, the just under 6000 crowd virtually could have a row of the stands to themselves. Yet for this level of football, it was a decent enough turnout and perhaps a lot of that was curiosity value - who could ever know when the Faroe Islands would be in the position ever again?
If anyone, especially the Italians, had failed to realise the will to win and potential of this Faroese side, then just two minutes into the game they were given a severe warning as Damgaard delivered a cross into the box which Berg latched onto but the keeper managed to get his body in the way and Italian blushes were spared. That this had the makings of a classic encounter was underlined a couple of minutes later when de Sanctis came close for Italy, but Holst held the ball well.
Berardi had another chance for Italy on eight minutes, but his effort was well over the bar. Six minutes later Italy were almost in front, as Berardi set up Conti, but even though his effort was deflected by Damgaard, Holst somehow managed to hook it away. The ball only fell to Conte, and as Larsen failed to win the tackle Conte found Orlando but thankfully for the Faroes his effort was poor and the chance was missed.
Damgaard almost made amends on 18 minutes, but his header was tipped over the bar by Italian keeper Esposito. Four minutes later, Berg had another good chance but this time the tournaments top scorer found himself off balance and the effort went over the bar and wide of the target. De Sanctis saw a header over the bar a few minutes later, and it seemed that surely a goal must come and eventually it did. This time Berg was the creator as he jinked passed the Italian defence and flicked over a cross to Damgaard and to the delight of the tiny crowd of Faroese supporters the Fremad Amager right winger headed the ball beyond Esposito and against all the odds, the Faroes were leading the mighty Italians.
Both sides created further chances, but with the keepers in fine form no further goals arrived before the referee brought the first half to an end and the Faroe Islands stood 45 minutes away from being crowned as the best Under 19 side in Europe.
The Faroes dressing room at half time was alight with exctiment and disbelief. It was very hard for any manager in this situation to calm his young lads down, and remind them there was still another forty five minutes left. They had won nothing yet, and they would win nothing unless they kept their feet firmly on the ground, kept their concentration and kept on playing the way they had done in the first half. It was certainly obvious that this young Faroese side were every but matching their Italian counterparts, and that in itself was more than an achievement.
And indeed the Italians, not oblivious to the headlines in the morning papers if this result stood, came out with a renewed determination in the second half, and it's fair to say were the dominant side as Olaf could only try his best to calm his under pressure kids and encourage them to hold out against the battering they were enduring. Indeed such was Italian dominance, that it was the 84th minute before the Faroes created another clear cut chance, but Damgaards effort to seal the victory was off target, deflected by an Italian defender but the resulting corner came to nothing.
As the match entered the dying seconds, so the Italians continued to press, desperate for the equalizer that their second half dominance probably deserved, but that any true neutral did not want to see. As the match entered the final minute of regulation time - with three minutes to be added - literally only seven seconds remained when Italy won a corner which saw keeper Esposito rush into the box. Whether it was the keepers presence, or the sheer nerves of trying to see out the final few seconds but as the corner came over, the Faroese defence seemed to freeze for a split second and as Antonelli soared high above the Faroes defence, the ball looping almost tragically into the goal behind Holst, Italy had waited until the bitter end before rescuing themselves from humiliation.
It was one of those moments when you had to think to yourself 'did that really happen?' but the sad fact was, it had happened and as the three extra minutes played out, so we were into an extra half an hour and it had to be wondered now how a dejected and forlorn Faroese side, their chance of glory ripped so cruelly away, could ever survive and find the willpower to now to re-win a match that was already in the bag.
It was more emotional exhaustion that physical, and Olaf was aware that the Italians, having snatched that oh so late goal, would be on a high as the first half of extra time got under way. There was no doubt his kids had done themselves and their country proud, but surely they deserved to leave here with the trophy and having matched the Italians before they would simply need to raise their game that bit more again and find the goal that would surely bring them success.
Trying to find inspiration from somewhere, the young Faroese side started extra time in explosive style and in the 93rd minute, Joensen played a superb ball through to Kjaerbo in the Italian area, but Esposito's save was as spectacular as the wingers shot and the match stayed level. Antonelli came close for Italy a few minutes later and it was clear both sides were going for the goal that would surely kill their opponents off for good.
De Sanctis had a chance for the Italians on 102 minutes, but his effort was woeful. On the counter, the Faroes pushed forward as Kjaerbo won the ball deep and played it forward to Berg, who sent it out wide left to Joensen. Morten Clausen got in on the move, recieving Joensen's pass, feeding the ball into the area for Berg who was able to head the ball down for the on rushing and still going full back Joensen. It was a decent enough effort, but the end product didn't do the build up any justice as the full backs effort went wide of the goal.
The first fifteen minutes ended, and the second period came and went with little more to tell about as both sets of players tired themselves out and we had to endure the the drama of a penalty shoot out.
Anders Berg, who had had a fairly quiet match, was first up for the Faroes and cooly slotted the ball home to ease the pressure and allow a bit of relaxation for the support.
Martinelli stepped up for Italy, and had little problem in sending the ball home to bring the shout out level.
Aki Joensen was next up for the Faroes, and another calmly, efficiently taken penalty which made you forget the fact that these were mere teenagers, not yet mature and established professionals.
The man who had broke Faroese hearts in normal time, Roberto Antonelli, was next up but any hopes that his moment of glory had come and gone were dashed as he easily scored and the pressure was back on the minnows.
Morten Clausen stepped up confidently for the third Faroese penalty, struck the ball well enough - then watched in horror as it clipped the post and went behind. As the youngster held his head in grief he could only hope he hadn't just handed the trophy to the Italians.
Luciani was next up for Italy, knowing that if he scored then the Faroes were under real pressure and he never looked like missing and suddenly the Italians were looking like winners.
Morten Larsen had the fourth Faroese kick, knowing that he had to score or his side would need a major miracle. Larsen looked nervy and unbalanced as he hit his effort well over the bar and the Italians were now just a kick away from their 4th Under 19 title.
It fell to Davide Ferraro to wrap up the trophy, and even if he missed the Faroes would still have to score their last and the Italians would have to miss theirs. Ferraro though didn't miss, and as his shot hit the back of the net, the young Faroese players sank to their knees in tears. It had been a monumental effort, but in the end all they had to show for it was a great deal of pride and self esteem. They would be back for sure, but right now it seemed that the world had ended.
Once more unto the breach. The Champions League walls refusing to come down, it was hoped that this time, more experienced, more battle ready, the Champions League playground would finally be opened to IBV. Time was running out, and if truth be told Olaf was already starting to think that he had just about achieved as much as he could here and if he didn't crack Europe pretty soon, it might be time to move on.
The 1st Qualifying round draw took IBV to Northern Ireland to take on Glentoran. A healthy crowd of four and a half thousand in Belfast saw early goals from Christian Holst and Einar Petersen wrap up a comfortably easy away win for the Icelandic Champions, and made the 2nd leg pretty much a formality. A 23rd minute goal in the return from Jan Ingi Petersen sent the match beyond Glentoran's reach, but the Irish weren't for giving up and five minutes from half time they were level on the night - a goal that would have been oh so precious if this had been the first leg. It wasn't the first leg though, and despite IBV playing well within themselves, a last second penalty from Horg gave them a win on the night and all round a comfortable enough ride into the 2nd round.
The 2nd round promised to be a deal tougher with Israeli's Maccabi Haifa as opponents. With the first leg at home this time, it was important to build a decent lead to take to Israel, but as the match wore on it seemed that Haifa were going to be just too tough to break down as they sat everyone behind the ball and played for the draw. It might have worked too, if it wasn't for the Italian referee who decided to award IBV a penalty on the hour which Horg converted. Six minutes later though, careless defending from the Icelanders as Haifa made a rare attack saw the Israeli's level, and more than happy to head back to Israel with a job well done, a draw and more importantly a vital away goal.
Once more IBV faced European elimination before the thing had really gotten underway and it seemed that they just could not bridge this impossible chasm. A goalless first half in Israel meant that Haifa still led on away goals, and although they still didn't look like a side capable of threatening much, their stubborn defensive line up was working wonders. Six minutes into the second half, the walls really did start to crumble for the Israeli's as Christian Holst scored a fine goal and suddenly the shoe was on the other foot. Now Haifa had to attack, and being unprepared to do so they left huge gaps at the back and as they ran out of steam so Andrew av Flotum bagged a rare hattrick in the final seven minutes to leave the home side flabbergasted and the visitors totally flattered. It was nevertheless a triumph and whatever waited now, at least there was still the UEFA Cup to fall back on.
The 3rd round draw as always going to be tough, and Dutch side AZ would prove no exception. It was, possibly, a winnable tie - IF the IBV players were at the top of their game for the whole 180 minutes. Yet it was clear from the outset in the first leg in the Netherlands that AZ were a quality side, and 36 minutes into the match they took the lead. A second goal six minutes after half time had IBV reeling, and their chances were in tatters. As the home side sensed victory though, they took their foot off the pedal, and with fifteen minutes left Christian Holst got the goal that left the match in the balance and gave the Icelanders a great chance of reaching the Promised Land. Ten minutes into the second leg, and those dreams turned to mere illusion as AZ took the lead in Iceland, cancelling out the away goal and leaving IBV with an unsurpassable peak. Try as they might, they found that AZ were simply too good and although they had at least gone further this time, they nevertheless crashed out of the Champions League.
There was, of course, still the little matter of the UEFA Cup for which the 1st round draw was eagerly awaited - only to find Spanish giants Valencia standing in the way. If you don't believe you can win, you won't and this one looks impossible.
Originally posted by Peacemaker7:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by HD:
How does that 4-1-2-3 look? Are the wingers out wide, or in the middle pushing wide?
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