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Norway (home), Bosnia (away) Euro 2008 Qualifiers, matchdays 7 & 8
Perhaps one match that gave some hope of picking up some prestige - and some valuable points - was the home game against Norway. Then again, perhaps not. The Norwegians were going well in this campaign, and were top of the group. Even so, there was a feeling that Faroes could surely pick up at least a point.
The only changes to a familiar by now line up to the Faroes fans, was the introduction of new IBV signing Bardur Jensen, who had been promoted from the U-21 squad. Jensen had made his footballing debut in the unlikely city of Minsk in Belrus. The 20 year old right winger had failed to make much imact for Dinamo Minsk, but upon arrival in Iceland, he had done well enough for IBV to merit inclusion in the full international squad.
The hopes and aspirations of the small Faroese support though were once more shattered, as just eight minutes into the match Norway were ahead. The Norwegians were dominant, and the Faroese players had battle hard to survive, and try to pick up any scraps in front of goal. On 26 minutes, Jensen celebrated his first full international cap with a fine goal, and the stadium went wild as Faroes were level. Norway thoough clearly looked a much better side, and there was no way the Faroese defence could hold out for the rest of the match and indeed they couldn't as Martin Andresen sent them into the lead on the hour. Faroes continued to try and level the match again, but it simply wasn't going to happen and in the end another brave effort was to end a narrow and cruel defeat.
The match in Bosnia was another brave struggle, but a 33rd minute penalty for the Bosnians, which made the score 2-0, effectively ended the match and in injury time debutant Pauli Nielsen, just turned 17, put the ball into his on net. There was, incredibly, still time for Christian Holst to bag a consolation, but in the end the record books would show yet another Faroese defeat and the side sitting rock bottom of their group.
Ingi and Olaf felt that, although in many ways things were actually going quite well, yet there would need to be some changes. One of the biggest problems was that the youth set up in Iceland was poor. In fact, it was non existant. Olaf thought was reluctant to leave IBV so soon, and in the end they managed to compromise. Ingi applied to Danish First Division side, Fremad Amager, newly relegated from the top division. In order to relieve some of the pressure at international level brought on by the acquisition of a club job, Ingi brought Olaf in to manage the Faroese U-19 side. Whether these changes would have any effect, only time would tell but it was hoped that the better youth set up in Denmark would allow the younger Faroese players a chance to develop better.
Of course, they also had to be convinced to actually come to the club......
It was time once more for the annual assault on Europe. The target, as ever, was to reach the group stages - a feat that would allow IBV to buy Icelandic football. Probably. Once again though, the draws for the 1st and 2nd round meant that progress even to the 3rd round stage - and a guaranteed UEFA Cup fall back - would be far from easy.
The first round, for which IBV were once again seeded, saw Azerbaijani side FK Umid Baku draw to play the Icelandic Champions, with the winners then set to face Ukranian side Dinamo Kiev. Which most certainly was not an easy task, although the Azerbaijani's should be overcomable by an IBV side who surely were improving and had gone thirty league games without defeat.
Yet the Champions League is rarely going to give you an easy ride these days, and so it proved in the first leg of the first round in Vestmannaeyjar as Umid grimly tried to hold onto a goalless draw. This was a match which was frustrating to watch for the IBV support, as Umid sat everyone behind the ball and failed to create a single shot on goal for the entire match. It was one of those games where one side had dominated so much, and created so much with nothing to show that it felt inevitable that the other team would snatch an undeserved goal.
On 70 minutes though, the Umid game plan became unstuck as they were reduced to 10 men and just two minutes later Christian Holst finally found a way past the keeper and the relief around the stadium was tangible. Two minutes later, Bardur Jensen grabbed a second to make the trip to Azerbaijan all that much easier to face. In the end, IBV had 62% of the possession and had created 23 chances on goal, fourteen of which had been on target. It had seemed a goal would never come, and perhaps if the referee had not produced that red card it wouldn't. Who knows?
The second leg stil carried a degree of nervousness. All it would need was an early Umid goal and things might start to get a bit tricky. As it was, just eight minutes into the game and Stefan Gislason's first ever goal for IBV put the tie beyond reach. Flotum then proceeded to make absolutely sure with a hattrick and late goal from Gunnarsson made it an emphatic passage through the the second round for the Icelandic club, and gave them a bit of hope that they might be able to match Kiev.
There was once again a high level excitement as the famous Dinamo Kiev arrived in the tiny Icelandic town. Confidence was high that IBV could take something from this game, but that condfidence was torn apart after just six minutes when the Ukranians took the lead. IBV more than matched their more illustrious opponents, but luck in front of goal deserted them and the match was to end in an unlucky 1-0 defeat.
That of course meant that the 2nd leg was going to need a monumental effort, but although Olaf's side battled bravely, the breaks just never looked like coming and just after the hour Kiev took the lead on the night and the tie was now just too much for IBV to cope with. It was a brave try, and in both legs they had more than matched Kiev, but in the end it simply wasn't to be and once more Olaf had to watch as his team unluckly tumbled out of Europe.
With the club having finished 11th out of 12 teams in the Danish Premier Division, and therefore suffering the embarrassment of relegation, it was clear to Ingi that the players he inherited simply weren't good enough. Plus the fact he wanted to sign as many Faroese as possible of course. There already were two Faroese players at Fremad - The highly promising 16 year striking talents of Anders Berg and Peter Damgaard.
The goalkeeping situation, Ingi decided, was woeful and so in came four new faces for that position, with 17 year old Dane Christian Christiansen remaining as the no 1 choice for the under 18 side. First choice for the full team would be 24 year old Faroese international squad member, Berint Andreasson who so far had failed to gain any caps due mainly to the excellence of IBV keeper Nielsen. Another Faroese keeper, 20 year Bardour Mortensen also joined the club as back up, with 19 year old Danes Christoffer Haagh and Morten Sorensen coming in as reserves.
At right back, 19 year old Dane Semir Cankusic comes in from AaB, and there are a few other players who can act as back up, although none of them are Faroese. The left back role is taken by uncapped 21 year old Faroese player Kristian Hojgaard who had just emerged from NiF youth squad in the Faroe Islands and looks to be a decent prospect. Eighteen year old John Hansen, who has 10 Faroese U-21 caps already to his name is amongst the back up for this position and can also play in the center.
The central defence is occupied by another emerging home grown Faroese talent - seeing as most of the Faroese youth want to emerge in Iceland or Denmark for some reason - in 21 year old Uni Kjaerbo from TB. He is partnered by 21 year old Danish U-21 capped Anders Kure.
The defensive midfield role is taken by 17 year old Morten Clausen, who boasts 3 Faroese U-21 caps and he is backed up by the vastly experienced 33 year old Faroette, John Hansen. Two John Hansens, there's only two John Hansens......
The midfield duo consists of another 17 year old Faroese U-21 cap Aki Joensen who should be partnered by the talented 22 year old Ukrainian U-21 cap, Sergiy Rozhok. There are of course other players who can play, but as none of them are Faroese we won't mention them unless they actually do something of note.
Up front we have the Faroese 16 year old duo of Peter Damgaard and Anders Berg who certainly offer some hope for the future of Faroese football. The 'odd man out' up front of the regulars, is 24 year old Dane Peter Benjaminsen.
Certainly, it is a very young group of players, and most of the Faroese contingent will probably have to wait until the next World Cup campaign to make the breakthrough to the full squad. Unless of course they prove to be so good that they simply have to be chosen!!
The Faroese Squads - Part One, The Full International Squad
The 'new era' would get underway in late August, early September of 2007. With Olaf in charge of the U-19's and Ingi taking more direct control over the U-21 side, it was hoped this would be the next step in turning the Faroes into a side that could at least compete with the 'lower level' countries. It was generally accepted that the Faroes would never win the World Cup, but it was hoped that they could at least cause the odd shock and be able to beat those diddy teams - like England - on a regular basis.
For the full squad there were only a few changes to the now established line up, and it would be up to those in the other two squads to show they were good enough to break through - and there were certainly one or two kids who probably should be here in the not too distant future.
Gunnar Nielsen (20), has now gained sixteen full caps for the Faroes, and the IBV keeper is fully established as the number one choice for his country. Even in the heavy defeats, Nielsen has preformed admirably and could rarely be blamed for many of the goals. Back up is provided by 24 year old Fremad Amager keeper Berint Andreasson, who has yet to be capped at any level but is nevertheless a fairly competant keeper. Third choice is 21 year old Kaj Samuelsen, also uncapped, who plays for Faroese side Sumba - one of the few home based players in the squads.
At right back is IBV's 14 times capped 24 year old Simun Joensen who has been an unsung hero for his club. He hasn't quite managed to pull it off at international level, but he is without doubt a decent player. And decent is about as good as it get for the Faroes. Back up is provided by another 24 year old, in the shape of Jon Roi Jacobsen. The Esbjerg player has been capped 23 times for his country, but finds himself only a fringe player under Ingi's command.
Left back is a problem area, in terms of depth at least. There is no doubt 26 year old IBV player Mortan I Horg is a good player, and he has performed well for club and country, picking up 16 full caps so far. Finding a back up was never easy, but the emergence of 18 year old John Hansen, who has been capped 10 times at U-21 level, is certainly a boost and the Fremad Amager player is promoted to the full squad for the first ever time, although chances are he will switch places with Kristian Hojgaard, who finds himself in the U-21's this time round.
In the center of defence, 26 year old Leon Kjaerbaek has been fairly unsuccessful for his club and for his country. He is certainly living on borrowed time, and unless there is a dramatic improvement in his performances, he is unlikely to be part of the next campaign. 21 year old Fremad player Uni Kjaerbo is likely to get the nod beside Kjaerbaek, as he has been in decent form for his club, albeit not at exactly the highest level. 24 year old David Privas though, who has nine caps, has left his club and currently jobless which doesn't help his chances of playing, 31 year old Johan Byrial Hansen of AC Horsens, who has 25 caps, is surely on his last legs as an international player as is 32 year old Hans Frodi Hansen (20 caps). The last of the 'old guard' to be trotted out. Ronnie Svalbard (27), who has been capped three times, is also a player who has been unimpressive for his country and could be on his way out.
The defensive midfield role is held by 21 year old IBV player Einar Petersen, who has 11 caps. Petersen is a fine players who handles himself well and hasn't let down club or country. Back up Henning Jarnskor (34), is on the verge of retirement and looks unlikely to add too many more his 44 cap total, whilst 33 year old Fremad player John Hansen is also on his way out.
20 year old IBV player Johan V Gunnarson, who has 14 caps, is one of the key midfield players and is likely to be partnered by 23 year old Jann Ingi Petersen who has 27 caps. Both players have performed well for their club, but have found the going tough at the international level. Both though are players in whom Olaf and Ingi have a lot of confidence. Nineteen year old B36 player Bjarni Thomsen comes into the full squad, as does 21 year old Valur player John Danielsen. Neither player has been capped at any level, and it remains to be seen if they have what it takes. 31 year old Claus Jorgensen, now at AB in Denmark, is another of the old guard and is also surely on his way out after being unimpressive.
If there is one area where the Faroes appear to be strong at full and U-19 level, it is possibly up front although this is also an area where the U-21 squad is weak. Christian Holst (25) is without doubt the current hero of the Faroese national side. The IBV forward certainly knows where the goal is, having provided near enough a goal a game for his club, and ten goals in seventeen internationls is an impressive record when playing for such an unfancied country. Bardur Jensen (21), is a relative newcomer to the full squad and has picked up just 2 full caps so far. He is though a talented player, but it still remains to be seen if he is talented enough at the highest level. Andrew av Flotum (28), makes up the forward line but although he has been impressive for his club, IBV, he has only found the net twice in 30 matches for his country and the truth is that really isn't good enough. Gudjon Adalsteinn Gudmundsson (21) has also only managed 2 goals for his country, but to be fair has only gained 11 caps, whilst 21 year old Arnold Poulsen, who has 4 U-21 caps and is on his way to Fremand at the end of the year, gets his first sniff of the full squad.
Whilst it's fair to say, despite the current position of the full team in their qualifying group, that there has been a definate improvement in the Faroese national side, one are which seems to have come unstuck is the U-21 side. Of course when you think the full side has 11 players still eligible to play at this level, it gives you an idea that there is talent there. But a country with such a small pool of footballing talent will find it hard to provide players for all levels. As Olaf took direct charge of the Under 21's for the first time, they had not won a match since a 1-0 win in Cyprus on the 8th of October 2004 - almost three years ago. And it is therefore no surprise to find them sitting plumb bottom of their current group, having lost all eight matches.
IBV back up keeper Heini Kristiansen (21) is the first choice for the U-21s. A decent keeper who is being kept out of regular first team football by Nielsen, it might well be to his benefit to find a new club. Bardour Mortensen (20) is the back up keeper at Fremad, and is also a fairly good keeper, but again needs to get more first team football in order to develop. Twenty year old Ronnie Djurhuss, who is still based in the Faroes with Gi, completes the keeping team. None of the three keepers are what you would call World class, but they are all fairly decent youngsters.
At right back, Tordur Mortensen (20), who plays for FH, has two full international caps, and is a competent player, even if he has found it a bit of a struggle for his club this season. 20 year old Aki Petersen of Ki provides the back up, and can also play in the centre, but the truth is he is not really very good at all.
Fremad left back Kristian Hojgaard (21) certainly has come on since joining the Danish First Division club, and looks a sure bet to make the full squad the next time the squads are selected - provided he shows what he's capable in the next two games. Back up is provided by 16 year old Heini Samuelsen of Fylkir, but although he is still young it's already clear that he is unlikely to make the full squad. 19 year old Andre Falfoss, who plays for B36, can play on both sides. He already has five U-21 caps, but he is simply not good enough and is only marking time till the younger players come through and depose him.
In the centre, 18 year old Everton centre back Johan Davidsen is sent back to the U-21's after a less than glorious full team debut. There is still hope that he can develop and become part of the full squad in the future. Pauli Nielsen (17) of Fram is his partner. Not the greatest centre half you'll ever see, but considered good enough to make the step up from the U-19's. Asbjorn v Gunnarsson (20) is a distinctly poor player who has no chance of making it at the full level, Teitur R Joensen (20), is a decent enough player with 8 U-21 caps, but is unlikely to play much part at full level.
The defensive midfield role is taken by Fremad's promising 17 year old Morten Clausen. With 4 U-21 caps already, he is proving that he certainly does have some talent, although he is likely to find himself back in the U-19 squad for the upcoming UEFA U-19 qualifying tournament. Back from the fairly useless Jan Elttor (20) and the even worse Ronnie Hansen, also 20.
Another 17 year old Fremad players, Aki Joensen takes one of the midfiels roles. Whilst not considered to have quite the natural talent of his team mate above, he is nevertheless a decent young player with bags of potential. Birgir Petersen (20), is quite a poor player, but will have to start the match. Marco Holst (19), and Gisli Sveinbjornsson (20) are both very poor players who really shouldn't be here but there are no other options.
Up front, Macclesfields Matthew Bunting (20) takes the main striking role, but he is likely to be overtaken by Anders Berg who has far more talent if truth be told. Manchester City attacking midfielder Christian Mouritsen (18) is give a role on the wide right of the attacking three. He is a decent player, with a good finish and might well be around the fringes of the full international scene. 21 year old Mallberg Olsen completes the forward line, but he is a fairly useless player when all is said and done. 19 year old Levi Hansen completes the U-21 squad which is two players short of the 26 as they travel to Azerbaijan looking for the elusive win.
Whilst the full and under 21 squads were off to Azerbaijan and then returning home to face Israel, the Under 19's first two matches under Olaf's* control would be at home to Costa Rica and Spain. The Spanish match in particular would be a tough test for a squad composed largely of 15 and 16 year olds. The future of Faroese football began here, and there were to be sure a few players who gave real hope to the tiny nation.
Fifteen year old Berger Holst of Volsunger will be handed the No 1 jersey. It's going to be tough for emerging keepers, as Nielsen is still young himself and is sure to be around the international scene for a long time. Holst though has all the makings of a very good keeper himself. 16 year old Frank Pedersen of Vejle already has 2 U-21 caps, whilst the third keeper is 15 year old Hans Pauli Thomsen of Vikingur. Thomsen is perhaps not quite as good as the other two, but there is very little between them and all three could be decent enough keepers in time.
At right back, 15 year old Ronnie Danielsen, who plays for Fylkir will be first choice. Still lacking a lot of all round ability, but like all of this squad he has plenty of time to learn. 16 year old Arnold Jarnskor of Vikingur is the back up, and is certainly not any worse a player than Danielsen. Jarnskor can also play at left back, a role taken for the time being by FH's Jakob Justesen, 16. Although he has decent physical attributes, he doesn't seem to have a great deal of skill and it seems unlikely he will make it through.
In the centre, IBV's Morten Larsen (16), is another of those players who seems to have a great deal of potential. He can also play at left back, and a defensive midfield role and such versatility can only be good for his chances of making it in the game. 17 year old Janne Peltonen of Lynbgy will partner Larsen, not quite the same level of potential but could be a reliable and solid player. Allan Danielsen (15), Janus Thomsen (16), Kari Djurhuus and 15 year old Bogi Jakobsen provide the back up. There is little to choose between the four, who all fairly decent, if far from brilliant.
The defensive midfield role is taken by 16 year old Hallur Joensen, and back up is provided by some players already mentioned. The other midfield roles are filled by IBV's Thomas Overgaard who at 17 is one of the older players in the squad. His chances at IBV have mainly been limited to sub appearances, but he is still a player in whom there is a lot of hope. 15 year old Jan Poulsen of Prottur partners him, and he certainly looks to be a player with a decent level of talent. Mortan Andreasen (15), Henrik Bak (16), and Roi Mohr Poulsen (16) are the back up. All players who may or may not make it at the full level, the problem being that it's not always easy to tell when they are not playing first team football.
Up front is where the great hope of Faroese football lies, in the boots of Fremad's Anders Berg. The 16 year old has scored seven times in seven matches this season for his club, and certainly looks to be a player who can light up Faroese football and it should not be too long before he makes his full international debut. The problem is, he might be being built up just too much - can he handle the pressure? Fellow Fremad player Peter Damgaard (16) partners Berg on the right, with 18 year old Kaj Kjaerbo, the oldest player in the squad, playing out on the left. Krisian Poulsen (15) and Allan Holm (15) provide the cover through the middle, whilst the wide roles are covered by Magni Danielsen (15), Runi Holm (15) and Rasmus Nissen (15).
Of course it probable that most of these players will fade away and not be heard of again, but there are surely one or two that will make the grade and might even go on to be known world wide. But we won't hold our breaths on that one.
I reckon that the decision to have Ingi and Olaf take a more hands on role on the junior squads will have a great effect on the promotional prospects to the full international team.
It's an excellent read and I hope you can take them far
The under 19's were first to get underway, as the Costa Rican U-20 side provided Olaf's first opposition for his extremely young squad. Having said that, it was fair to point out that Costa Rica were also fielding a young side, and indeed this could easily have been an U-17 fixture. The match, watched by just 636 people, got off to a blistering start as Anders Berg proved his potential with a fine opener on 23 minutes, and then proceed to score again on 23 and 40 minutes. Left back Jakob Justesen added a 4th and it was an ecstatic Faroese side who went into the interval. As expected, the second half was far more laid back, but substitute Rasmus Nissen did grab a fifth, and all in all an excellent debut for the new manager. Berg picked up the man (or should be say boy) of the match, with Hallur Joensen and Jan Poulsen also being particularly outstanding.
Over in Kazakhstan, the U-21 side looked to somehow put behind the three year drought of wins, but despite not playing too badly they were to go in at half time trailing by 1-0. The main reason they did so was probably that the attack simply isn't strong enough. Nine minutes into the second half though, midfielder Mouritsen fired in an excellent goal, and although the balance of play dictated that the Faroes deserved to win nevertheless they ended up with a draw, and so ended a run of 15 successive defeats - the last time a Faroes U-21 side had been unbeaten was over two years ago when a 1-1 draw was gained with Ireland. Progress or false dawn, only time would tell.
So far, the only points the full Faroese side had taken was in the 2-1 home win over Azerbaijan. It was hoped the return trip would see another point come to the Faroes in what had really been a fairly dissapointing campaign so far. Just three minutes had passed when 33 year old John Hansen, who had announced his decision to retire soon, thundred in a superb goal to show that it's not just the youth who can shine. Azerbaijan put up a battle, but the Faroese side was playing well and five minutes from half time Flotum grabbed a valuable second. For once the Faroes made their goal chances count, as just a minute after half time Gunnarsson made it 3-0 and just before the hour mark Horg scored from the penalty spot. It was the kind of performance that could usually only be dreamed about, and four minutes from time Gunnarsson hit a sublime 30 yard shot past the Azerbaijani keeper to round of a superb team performance - this was more the kind of thing we were really looking for!
With the Costa Rica result still throbbing through the veins, the young Faroese were set for the much more glamourous - and tougher - match with their Spanish counterparts. Just how tough was shown as Spain took the lead after just 13 minutes from the penalty spot. Both sides had their moments after that, and although the Spanish had some promising, technically gifted players, they were by no means outplaying their hosts. With nineteen minutes left, Anders Berg once more showed his huge promise as he pulled the match level and just two minutes later - and not to be outdone - Damgaard brought the house down as his fine strike sent the Faroes into a stunning lead.
That lead though wasn't to last, and just two minutes later the Spanish were level throught the rather quaintly - if perhaps stupidly - named Potato. A draw of course would still be a great result against one of the best footballing nations in the world, but it wasn't to be. With just two minutes left, Bergus Holst was beaten by a 35 yard rasping shot and the Spanish rather cheekily left with a fully undeserved win. Yet even in defeat, the promise had been shown and there was great excitement regards the upcoming UEFA U-19 tournament.
The U-21's quest for that elusive win continued at home to Israel. But despite some good performances from Davidsen, Pauli Nielsen and Clausen, the match was to end in a goalless draw. Still, it was an improvement and certainly the players had performed a lot better and it would surely only be a matter of time before that win came.
Israel's full side had a score to settle - the last time they had visited Faroe they left with their tails between their legs and a 5-0 humiliation. After the great result in Azerbaijan, the Faroes sensed a great chance to gain three more points and salvage some pride from their campaign. Less than a minute had gone though when the Israeli's were ahead, and just five minutes later it was 2-0 and all the Faroese dreams were in tatters again. As Israel added a 3rd on the half hour, this was just like a performance of old, and the watching crowd must have been wondering just where the hell the so-called improvement was.
Six minutes into the second half, Israel had a 4th and it was really turning into a nightmare. The Israeli's though now seemed to content to play out time, allowing Faroe to come more into the match and sixteen minutes from time, Christian Holst netted his 11th international goal. It was way too late for a comeback though, and it may well be that its time to ditch the deadwood and bring in some more youth in the remaining games. Its not as if there is really anything to lose.
Only one new face arrived at IBV for the 2007 season, the already mentioned 21 year old Bardur Jensen who would play wide right. There was little point at this moment in unsettling a winning side - although on the other hand it could be argued that familiarity breeds contempt. The retention of the Upper League Cup possibly put paid to that theory for now, but it would remain to be seen if the players managed to overcome any complacency as the season progressed.
The League campaign started away to an FH side whose manager had been making noises in the media about dislodging IBV from the top of the pile. A scintillating ninety minutes later, IBV had come away with a superb 3-0 win, and the FH manager was left with egg all over his face. He certainly didn't like that. It was a harsh warning to the other side in the Premier League that IBV were not about to give up their crown, and wins over Keflavik (3-0) and Fram (4-1) merely served to underline that point.
A slight blip in a 0-0 home draw with IA perhaps gave any would be title challengers hope, but a run of six straight league wins soon put paid to that hope and even despite a draw with Keflavik it was abundantly clear that the Icelandic title was going nowhere else. The League season was, almost, perfection - a third draw, this time 0-0 with KA, was the only other 'blemish' as IBV extended their run to an incredible forty league matches unbeaten and a third successive title was theirs by a sixteen point margin that in a ten team league was overwhelming.
Towards the end of the season, young Faroese defender Pauli Nielsen (17) was signed on a free after leaving Fram where he had not been given a proper chance. With youngster Morten Larsen being introduced to the first team, it was looking good for the Faroes.
The one tournament that had eluded Olaf so far was the Icelandic Cup, mainly due it has to be said, to the Icelandic FA being stupid bastards and not cancelling cup ties for internationals. Once more the early rounds were overcome with relative ease, Haukner and Leikner - both lower division sides - doing their best to cause an upset, but failing miserably in the end. The Quarter Final saw Valur vanquished by an impressive 4-0 and in the Semi Finals it was FH once more. The FH side who were to overthrow IBV, yet had so far been utterly humiliated on each meeting. Once again, the FH management had to hide their faces behind their scarves as IBV ran out easy 3-0 winners to book their place in the Cup Final.
The fixture list had been kinder this year, avoiding international dates and for the final Olaf had a full squad to choose from. That was of course bad new for opponents Vikingur, but just 17 minutes into the match the underdogs were to take the lead and going in at half time it seemed that perhaps there really was Cup jinx on Olaf. Seven minutes after the break though the match was level, Horg from the penalty spot. Vikingur tried hard to regain the lead, but the overwhelming supermacy of IBV eventually won the day as late goals from Holst and substitute Kaagh won the day, and IBV had completed an impressive domestic treble - unbeaten.
Yet there still remained that annoying little trifle to overcome - The Champions League.
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