shannon2007

Albania v Faroe Islands
European Championship Qualifiers - 13th October 2010

Four days after the fantastic win over Russia for which there had been little time to celebrate, it was off to Albania where a win would surely set the Faroes on course for the Euro Finals. The Under 21's, usual, had their time in the spotlight first, with the U19's involved in their own Euro Qualifying campaign which ruled them out of a trip to Albania. Not that many of them were really complaining about that you understand.

There was a growing confidence about the U-21 side, for so long neglected and a laughing stock and just seven minutes of the match in Albania passed when that confidence was boosted further as 18 year old Kristian Poulsen sent a warning to the big boys that he was nearing readiness for the top team with a fine goal. Albania though are no mugs, and although like the Faroes they will never be the best side on the planet, they have some useful players and it was little surprise when they levelled the match on the half hour. It was turning into an entertaining game for the 3300 crowd, but the home support was be dissapointed when Poulsen bagged a second on 69 minutes before Erion Morina sent the ball into his own net eight minutes later and the Faroes U-21's now sat proudly top of their qualifying section. Things have certainly changed!

With a lot to play for now, the big boys set out to take all three points against an Albania side who had been humped 4-0 in Russia in their only match so far in this campaign. Yet if the Faroes boys were expecting this to be an easy ride, they were in for a huge surprise. The Albanians had started well against a sluggish looking Faroese eleven, and it wasn't against the run of play when they took the lead on 19 minutes. Things were just not going right for the men from the north, and nine minutes after the break it was to get even worse as Albania doubled their lead.

Such deficits had been clawed back before, and with Anders Berg misfiring, off he came to be replaced by Peter Damgaard, as Gudmundsson replaced the ineffective Arnold Poulsen on the right wing. Neither player though was able to inject the missing flair and for once this was to be a performance that would not make anyone proud. A dissapointing night, as the unbeaten run finally comes crashing to an end, but you can't win them all.

As Ingi though contemplated the thoughts of a missed opportunity, and the end of a glorious run, spare a though for his brother, whose Iceland team went down 2-1 in Bosnia and looks unlikely to make much impact on this tournament. Its going to be a long hard slog for Olaf, who might just be thinking that he should have stayed with his brother. Then again, after the Albania result, mibbe not!

shannon2007

2010 UEFA U-19 1st Qualifying Round - Faroes
Faroe Islands v Georgia, Spain & Romania

Even with home advantage, big things were not really expected from the current crop of under 19 players. Perhaps it was being unfair, but compared to the side which had reached the UEFA U19 Final, this side simply didn't - compare that is. Yet this was the group of players that Faroes had, and the job was there to be done. Twenty minutes into the opening match with the Faroes the youngest player on the park, 15 year old Runi Joensen of Icelandic club KR slotted the ball home from the penalty spot. Joensen is a decent player and at 15 has plenty of time to develop. His problem will be always being compared to those who came before.

A fairly dull match in which neither side looked particularly competant but the 12 yard effort was enough to ensure that the Faroes at least got some points from this adventure. Romania and Spain had drawn their opening match, which temporarily at least left the Faroes top of the group. Spain were up next though, even if they too had a squad that certainly didn't seem to have anyone worthy of mentioning. Even so, this was Spain and this would be a huge test for the Faroese kids. The first half was almost totally dominated by the Faroes, but in front of goal things seemed to go awry far too often and come the half time whistle the match was still goalless. Such a result would be acceptable of course, but two minutes into the second half right winger Magnus Poulsen finally broke the deadlock. Poulsen is a fairly decent 18 year old and may, if he's very lucky, one day gain full international honours.

As the match progressed, so Spain started to impose themselves, but they too found that once the target was reaches they just couldn't get the ball into it. The Faroes were living dangerously, barely coping with the Faroes attacks and on 67 minutes Martinez was through on goal and looked certain to score, only to be brought crashing to the floor by Kristian Rasmussen almost on the line of the penalty box right in front of goal. The referee had no alternative but to red card the Faroese youngster and Spain had what was a virtual penalty. Fortunately the wall did it's job and the slender lead remained.

The danger was far from over though as Spain went for the jugular and were winning far too many free kicks around the edge of the area. On an another day those might have gone in and the Faroese would have had only themselves to blame for a dissapointing defeat. As it was though, the Spanish seemed to lack a decent dead ball expert and despite second half total domination, it was the Faroes minnows who took the points - and secure a place in the second round.

With Romania having also certainly qualified thanks to a 3-0 win over Georgia, the match against them was never going to be as intense. The Romanians though did looked a decent outfit and after another goalless first forty five minutes, it was they who took the lead seven minutes after the restart. The lead was fully deserved against a Faroes side who were clearly tiring and seemed to lack interest - reflected by the fact that only 140 people had bothered to turn up for this match.

18 year old Gunnar Joensen did level things after 77 minutes, but just as it looked like a nice unbeaten tournament, an injury time Romania strike gave them the three points and the privelege of being group winners. Nevertheless, a decent performance from the Faroese and in the 2nd phase they will now take on Bosnia and Italy at home before travelling to Denmark. Certainly the youngsters have their work cut out and with matches against France for the bigger teams running pretty near by, it's unlikely - although not impossible - that any of the players in the other squads who are still eligible will be spared.

shannon2007

Faroe Islands - Star Profile
Christian Holst (2011)

Christian Holst was born on the 25th of December 1981, in the town of Svendborg in Denmark. He started his footballing career in his home town of Svendborg where he plated thirty league matches in two seasons, showing his eye for goal by finding the net seventeen times. A move to Lyngby followed in 2004, where Holst became a bit of a cult hero as he banged in 37 goals in 51 league matches and chose to play for the Faroe Islands at international level.

After two successful seasons at Lyngby, Holst was tempted by the Danielssen revolution and for the incredibly modest fee of £30,000 made the journey over the seas to Icelandic club IBV, where for four seasons he became a star figure in the Icelandic league scoring almost a goal a game and helping IBV to impressive and unprecedented success. Four league titles later, Holst followed boss Danielssen back to Denmark to sign for the biggest club in the land, KC Kobenhavn for a massively increased fee of £750,000.

Success with the Danish giants has not been guaranteed and the goals have not been coming as readily as they once were, yet he remains an influential and well liked player for both club and country. At 28 years old, Holst is now one of the elder statesmen of the Faroes side and has bagged 19 goals in 38 international appearances to date which considering the quality of the side he is playing for is fairly impressive. By the time of the next World Cup in 2014, Holst will be in his early thirties and will probably view that as his last chance to help his country make their mark on football's biggest tournament. Retirement though is far from his mind at the moment, as he gears up for the mouthwatering home match with former World & European Champions France in June of this year.

shannon2007

Faroe Islands - Star Profile
Aki Joensen (2011)

Like a few of the current Faroese squad, Aki Joensen was not actually born on the Faroe Islands. Instead, his birth came in Reykjavik, Iceland on the 11th of January 1990. Starting his career at Prottur in 2006, he made only seven apearances for the Icelandic club the following season, as they set about seeking to be promoted from the First Division having been relegated the previous season. Yet such were the performances of this youngster, who is still only 20 years old, that he was brought into the Faroes U-19 squad and £70,000 was enough to tempt Prottur into selling their starlet to Danish club Fremad Amager. A side managed at that time, of course, by Ingi Danielsen.

Still only 17 years of age, he made a decent enough name for himself by making 28 appearances in the side that won promotion back to the Danish Premiership. Going in the top league was a little tougher, but halfway through the 2008-09 season Joensen left Fremad and made his way to Kobenhavn in a £350,000 deal. He has been a solid, although far from regular starter in the side and is a player who has bags of talent but tends to use that to bring out the talent in those around him and as such tend to often be a much overlooked player.

Certainly, as he looks over his current Icelandic squad, Olaf Danielssen must curse the day he persuaded his teenage protegy to pull on a Faroes shirt instead of that of his birth place.....

shannon2007

Faroe Islands - Star Profile
Gunnar Nielsen (2011)

At 24 years old, and with 33 full international caps, goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen is one of the most experienced players in the Faroes squad. Another player born not in the Faroes, but this time in Denmark, Nielsen chose to play for the Faroes probably because it would have seemed he would have little chance of playing for the country of his birth. In fact though it's probably fair to say that Neilsen could hold his own with any of the current Danish international fold keepers. Denmarks loss though has most certainly be the Faroes huge gain.

Nielsen started his career with Danish side Frem, but had not made any first team appearances for them when he was snapped up by Olaf Danielson for his IBV side for the princely sum of £5000. Ever consistant between the sticks, he rarely had a poor match and his move to Kobenhavn in 2008 for £350,000 was hardly a surprise, following his mentor across the seas.

Life though since the departure of the Danielsens from the Danish club scene has not been good for Gunnar, and just over halfway through the Danish Premier League season he has managed just two league appearances from a possible seventeen. Current Kobenhavn manager Kent Nielsen prefers instead to go with 32 year old Danish never had been Jesper Christiansen and it may well be that Gunnar decides that he needs to move clubs to keep his international career alive - especially with at least a couple of young hopefuls coming through the ranks who certainly look capable of wearing his gloves...

shannon2007

Faroe Islands - Star Profile
Anders Berg (2011)

Every generation seems to produce one player who for whatever reason stands out from his peers. Except in Brazil where the buggers get hundreds of such players. But, ignoring the greedy Brazilians, the current player of that ilk in the Faroes squad is without doubt Anders Berg. It is probably justifiable to say that, in terms of sheer and blatant skill, players such as Aki Joensen and Thomas Overgaard are well ahead of Berg. Yet if football is about one thing, it's about scoring goals and that is what Berg excells at.

Not only was Anders Berg not born in the Faroe Islands, he has only ever been there on international duty. Born in Greve, Denmark on the 16th of September 1990, Berg is a product of the Fremad Amager youth system and as such was at the club before the Danielssens had even been thought of. Well, not quite. It was an astute bit if persuasion when the Danielsen entourage persuaded the gangly teenager to pull on the white shirts of the Faroes rather than the red of Denmark for whom he could surely have been a decent enough squad player.

Berg's first season in professional football was hardly spectacular, making only three appearances for a Fremad Amager side who were battling, unsuccessfully, relegation from the Danish Premier League. His two goals in those matches though at the very least showed he just may have potential. The arrival of Ingi Danielsen the following year allowed that potential to flourish as Berg banged in 25 goals in 31 league and cup matches for his club, and also made his full international debut, scoring four times in his two caps. Halfway through the 2008-09 season he too made the journey to Kobenhavn, for a fee of £1.5M. A spectacular start to his career there, with sixteen goals in thirteen league appearances endeared him to the Kobenhavn support and helped him on his way to Faroese legend. His ratio in the past two season has not been quite so impressive but his sixteen strikes in the twenty one match European run of 2009-10 proved that he certainly does have what it takes.

At the still tender age of just 20 years old, ten goals in eighteen full internationals is as good a record as anyone and it will surely only be a matter of time before the youngsters is tempted to greater European league and then we will see what he is really made of...

shannon2007

UEFA U-19 Championships 2011
2nd Qualfying Round (25th-29th May)
Faroe Islands v Bosnia (H), Italy (H), Denmark (A)

Three years ago the Faroe Islands under 19 side had reached the Final of the UEFA tournament, only to bravely lose to Italy on penalties. That side was hailed as the best young side the Faroes had ever produced, and it was doubtful if they could ever achieve anything even close to that run again. Three years later, the U-19's have once more reached the 2nd qualifying round and seem to have a squad of players that, although perhaps not quite on the level of their predecessors, looks to have a fair bit of talent.

Three years ago, Bergur Holst was in between the sticks for the Final, having just turned 17. Holst is still the first choice U-19 keeper, although this will be his last tournament at this level. Having already played once at U-21 level, Holst is undoubtedly a decent keeper and is widely tipped to go on and replace Gunnar Nielsen as the Faroes number one in the next few seasons. Nineteen year old Jakup Petersen is certainly not a bad keeper, but seems to be faced with always having to compete with Holst, a battle he is unlikely to win. Third choice Hans Pauli Thomsen is in the same boat and is probably on a par with Petersen. The big problem for the future U-19's squads is that all three of these keepers will be too old and it remains to be seen if there is anyone else who can replace them adequately.

Another player who played in that Final, and who has been drafted back into the U-19's for this stage is right back Ronnie Danielsen. Floating around the fringes of the full side, the Kobenhavn player does have two full caps to his name but was not expected to play any part in the upcoming match with France and so it seemed prudent to use him here.

Sixteen year old Bohi Mohr is one of the 'new' breed at U-19 level. If he can emulate the player who played this position in 2008, Morten Larsen, then he will be doing well. At 20 years old Larsen has 12 full caps to his name and is an accomplished left back. Mohr is a decent player, but is not considered to be in quite the same class as Larsen.

Both centre halfs back in 2008, Pauli Nielsen and John Hansen, have gone on to gain a few full caps each but neither could be considered to have been spectacularly successful, even if they should both be around the full squad for the foreseable future. The class of 2011, Kristian Rasmussen has been capped at U-21 level and is a reasonable but far from brilliant player whilst his partner Allan Danielsen, who has also gained one U-21 cap, is considered to be the better player.

Birgir Joensen and newcomer to the squad Kaj Petersen are the back up full backs. Right back Joensen is a decent player who has been capped at U-21 level 4 times, but Petersen at just 16 is untested at this level. Back up in the middle comes in the shapes of Kari Djurhuus who seems to have been around the U-19 squad for ages but doesn't look like progressing once he is too old, which will be after this tournament. Runi Olsen who is competant but not brilliant, Oli Kjaerbo who also reasonable and is likely to partner Olsen in the next campaign unless anyone younger makes the breakthrough, and Bogi Jakobsen who has also been capped at U-21 level.

Perhaps the strongest area of the current U-19 side is the midfield. Mortan Andreassen, who boasts 4 U-21 caps, was on the bench against Italy but will captain the side this time around. He is certainly developing into a decent player and should gain full caps in the future. In a slightly different tactical line up, the midfield in 2008 consisted of Aki Joensen, who has gone on to become a key player in the full national side and is regarded by many as the best player ever to wear a Faroe Islands shirt, in technical skill at least. Jan Poulsen, who has been capped four times at full level, but has been recalled to the U-19's for these three games. Poulsen is a good player and should gain many more caps in the future. The third member of the midfield three years ago was Morten Clausen who has become an established figure in the full squad and his 'place' if you like is taken this time by Magni Danielsen, who was on the bench three years ago. Magni is another good player who has gained one full cap. Such is the depth of talent around though in the midfield that he might not add that many caps in future as might be expected.

Midfield back up comes from Bardour Poulsen who is 17 and Mortan Danielsen also 17.

The wide right forward role in 2008 was occupied by Peter Damgaard, who has gone on to win fifteen full caps but has yet to find the net at this level. This time around 18 year old Magnus Poulsen starts in a slightly wider right role, but 19 year old Kristian Joensen is at least Poulsen's equal and it will a good tussle to see which one can hold his place.

On the left three years ago was Kaj Kaerbo whom it is safe to say has been the least successful of that side as he has fallen out of contention on the national scene. Kim Joensen may not be the fastest winger in the west, but is a decent player backed up by either Kaj Petersen who likes to think he can be a full back or a winger, and the two footed Kristian Joensen. There is also 17 year old Bjarni Joensen on the right, but he only seems to have lightening pace and not a lot of skill.

Up front last time in the central role was of course Anders Berg. There is no Berg this time though, and filling those boots was never going to be easy and the weight of expectation might well ruin many a young striker for years to come. Petur Hojgaard has been capped four times at U-21 level but has been a spectacular failure there and although he is possibly the best teenage striker eligible to play for the Faroes, he's still not really very good. 17 year old Bogi Hentze is largely untested at this level but seems reasonably promising and the same can be said of 16 year old Birgir Nielsen. None of this trio though can be said to be anywhere near the same class as Berg.

The class of 2008 was of course younger, and perhaps if the class of 2010 have one thing over their counterparts it is that fact that the squad is older and more experienced with many of the players playing in their last U-19 event. Nostalgia is a dangerous thing, but it would seem fair to say that the class of 2008 is still, in terms of skill and potential, way ahead of the current crop.

shannon2007

UEFA U-19 Championship 2nd Qualifying Round Cont.

With home advantage for the matches with Bosnia and Italy, there was a great deal of hope that this could be a winnable group for the Faroes. Bosnia had beaten Azerbaijan, Israel and Norway in the first qualifying group, which although not the most impressive trio was still a fairly decent performance. Its always hard to judge form though for these matches, and for 27 minutes there was really nothing to seperate the teams as they sussed each other out. The Petur Hojgaard put his donkey tag behind him with a fine strike and the 422 supporters in Gota were more than happy.

It took just six minutes for the Faroes to add to their lead, a blistering thirty yard drive from captain Mortan Andreasen and when the half time whistle came things were looking very bright for Ingi's side. With 22 minutes left to play, Kim Joensen sealed the points with a third and ten minutes later Kristian Joensen put the icing on the cake. The scoring wasn't quite over yet as 17 year old substitute Bogi Hentze laid his claim to being the new Anders Berg and the match was won in some considerable style.

Next up were Italy, who had been the side to rob the Faroes of glory in 2008. A 3-2 opening win over Denmark set this match up nicely and even though Italy had their huge reputation, revenge was in the air. Perhaps as expected, this was a far from thrilling match in terms of goals and certainly came nowhere near matching the opening matches for these teams. There was only one goal in the end, and it came on the 34th minute from the boot of Magni Danielsen.

The win was well recieved, but qualification was not assured as the side travelled to Denmark as only the group winners were priveleged to make the Finals. Just seven minutes into the match Denmark were ahead and when they went two up from the penalty spot just after the half hour, things were looking bleak. In truth this was a very tired performance from the Faroese youngsters and with 12 minutes left Denmark completed the rout.

Faroes, Italy and Denmark all finished level on 6 points and in the end it was Denmark who went through based on the fact that excluding the Bosnia games they had the best goal difference of the three. I think.

BarryLFC

Sucks.

retired_sandeep.ghoman

Definitely the best story here.

It's made me follow your lead. I'm managing HK in the first division as well as the Faroes. I can't get any of the "big names" though.