Match Reports

Icelandic Coca Cola Cup Final - Laugardalsvöllur Stadium, Reykjavik

28 Sept 2002: Fram 1 Fylkir 3 Att: 3,376

GLORY FOR A LOCAL CLUB FOR LOCAL PEOPLE by AndyP

Fram				Fylkir
1	Gunnar Sigurðsson			1	Kjartan Sturluson
3	Ingvar Þór Ólason			2	Valur Fannar Gíslason
5	Eggert Stefánsson			3	Theódór Óskarsson
6	Freyr Karlsson			4	Ómar Valdimarsson
7	Ágúst Þór Gylfason  (C)			6	Sverrir Sverrisson
8	Sævar Guðjónsson			8	Finnur Kolbeinsson  (C)
11	Þorbjörn Atli Sveinsson			9	Gunnar Þór Pétursson
17	Daði Guðmundsson			11	Þórhallur Dan Jóhannsson
20	Bjarni Hólm Aðalsteinsson			15	Björn Viðar Ásbjörnsson
21	Andri Fannar Ottósson			19	Sævar Þór Gíslason
29	Kristján Carnell Brooks			23	Björgvin Freyr Vilhjálmsson
	Subs
4	Ásgeir Halldórsson			5	Hreiðar Bjarnason
14	Andrés Jónsson			10	Kristinn Tómasson
18	Ómar Hákonarson			12	Bjarni Þórður Halldórsson
22	Viðar Guðjónsson			18	Steingrímur Jóhannesson
24	Haukur Snær Hauksson			25	Kristján Valdimarsson

I always like to take in a sporting event whenever I visit foreign lands, so I was well chuffed when I discovered that the Icelandic Cup Final fell during a recent 5 day break in Reykjavik. Local Reykjavik teams, Fram and Fylkir were due to meet in the last game of the Icelandic football season. Fram had finished towards the bottom end of the league, escaping relegation on goal difference, while Fylkir had come second to another Reykjavik side, and Gudjon Thordarson's old club, KR.

Fram are the oldest of the 2 clubs, established in 1908, while Fylkir were only founded in 1967, and played their first senior game in 1972 in the Icelandic Third Division. They first made the First Division in 1989, were relegated in their first season, but gained promotion again in 1993. Once again they went down and returned in 1996 only to go down again! They gained promotion to the now Premier Division in 2000, and finished second earning them a place in Europe. In 2001 they won the Icelandic Cup for the first time in their history. Thirty five years after its establishment, Fylkir is still a club with strong roots in its neighbourhood and the majority of its players and staff are born and bread in Árbær, the suburb of Reykjavik where the club was founded. The 2 league games had ended in a 3-3 draw at Fylkir, and a 3-2 away victory for Fylkir at Fram, so a tight game looked likely.

Not really knowing what to expect I headed down to the stadium a few hours before kick-off to beat the rush for tickets and have a look around. The stadium has two stands down the sides of the pitch, while behind each goal was a small arc of uncovered terracing. The fans sit some way from the action due to a running track around the pitch, and the overall capacity is around 7,000 all seated. Speaking to the ticket attendant in one of the booths outside, I discovered they were expecting about 5,500 for this game, all tickets were 1500 Kr (£11.25), and I could sit anywhere I liked! As it turned out, most fans actually bought their tickets at the ground some 15 minutes before kick-off! With tickets safely purchased, and photos taken I actually went for a walk to find Gunnar Gislason's company Mata HF(photo), which was reasonably close to the stadium. It didn't look much of a building, and apart from a lorry there seemed little sign of life so I chickened out of wandering up and seeking a cheeky interview on spec! I guess I'll never make an investigative journalist!

When the four of us arrived at the ground about 20 minutes before the start of play, we opted to sit with the orange clad Fylkir fans in the main stand. As the new stand opposite was barely occupied I thought the 5,500 expected crowd was looking rather on the optimistic side. As the game was also on live TV, I suppose that didn't help either. Still, the two sets of supporters made a great deal of noise singing their club songs, and the atmosphere was quite buoyant. There was a passionate rendition of the national anthem (complete with two police officers saluting the flag) and the game began.

The opening few minutes were quite scrappy as both teams found their feet, and both adopting a 4-3-3 formation, there was little width to the play. If anything Fylkir started more brightly and on seven minutes produced the first chance, as a cross from the right was headed goal-ward and clutched awkwardly by a nervy looking keeper. Ten minutes later they looked set to take the lead as a corner swung in caused havoc in the Fram box, and the ball bobbed around in a mad scramble, before being hacked clear as a shot looked on. However Fylkir had only a couple more minutes to wait for the breakthrough as on 19 minutes they took the lead. A cross from Sverrir Sverrisson on the left dropped deep to the far post over the defence and Valur Fannar Gíslason looped in an angled shot from 4 yards to make it Fram 0 Fylkir 1.

Fram needed to find some composure and some attacking ambition. On 25 minutes they did produce a corner, which the Fylkir keeper flapped clear under pressure. Two minutes later they missed a glorious chance for an equaliser as the ball fell to an unmarked striker some 16 yards out, but he hopelessly miskicked his shot and it bobbled safely wide. A minute later down the other end a good passing move and build up from Fylkir ended with Björn Viðar Ásbjörnsson putting a shot inches wide of the far post from a tight angled effort from 8 yards out.

Fylkir had their first real scare on 30 minutes when Fram hit the bar from a fine 12 yards volley after a flick on from a free kick on the right. In fact Fram were now beginning to dictate matters and looked much more dangerous. On 32 minutes a good move produced a decent chipped cross from Andri Fannar Ottósson just inside the box on the right, which had to be header out for a corner. Two minutes later Ottósson was involved again as he made a fine run down the right, put an excellent cross behind the defence to pick out the incoming striker who sadly slipped over when he looked certain to score! On 35 minutes a run by Fram on the left was ended by a crude foul that looked in the area and a penalty. However the ref saw differently and awarded a freekick on the edge of the box. The resulting cross produced a header and decent save by the keeper Kjartan Sturluson on the line.

Down the other end on 37 minutes Fylkir were awarded a free kick for a blatant block some 25 yards out. The effort went straight at the wall, but thanks to another foul they had an immediate chance to try again from the same distance but on the other side of the box. This effort was blocked but eventually a chance was built for a decent volley just over the bar from the edge of the area.

Just before half time Fram scored the goal that they had been threatening, but in a somewhat farcical manner! A ball slipped through to a Fram striker just inside the Fylkir half looked to have found him at least 2 yards offside (and I was level with this in the stands) but the flag stayed down. His advance on goal was somewhat pedestrian allowing defenders to get back and force him wide, while the goalkeeper came out to narrow the angle further. When he finally got his shot off it hit a defender sliding in , looped over the wrong footed keeper to the far post where Ottósson was rushing to attempt to head it home. He only managed to collide with the post, but got his head to the ball killing its momentum. As he was still clinging to the post the ball dropped kindly and he hooked it over the line from about six inches with something that resembled a golf putt! There were two good claims for offside in this move, and the scorer was half on the pitch and half hanging off it when he tapped in, but the goal stood, so after 44 minutes it was Fram 1 Fylkir 1! And that's how it finished at half time.

I decided to walk round to the new emptier stand for part of the second half for a different perspective. As I was wearing my Stoke shirt I stood out a bit, and it was only a matter of time before someone starting talking to me. I spent most of the second half discussing the Gudjon Thordarson affair, and the current Stoke Icelandic players. However I did manage to catch some of the action!

In the very first minute of the second half some good work by Fram's Ottósson led to a cross being blocked but it fell for a shot that curled just wide from 25 yards. He was involved again on 51 minutes when put in by a great ball, but the keeper came out to smother his 12 yard effort at close range. Five minutes later though the game had swung away from Fram. Fylkir were awarded a freekick on the right, and the cross swung in by Theódór Óskarsson was met by a fierce header from 6 yards from Sverrir Sverrisson as he ran unmarked into the box. Fram 1 Fylkir 2, 55 minutes gone.

Fykir were now looking the more likely winners, and on 62 minutes a swift break produced a cross from the right to pick out the striker, and he really should have scored but the keeper made a fine save and the rebound shot was headed over for corner. Fram were looking lacking on the attacking front and on 78 minutes Fylkir punished them again and sealed the win. After receiving the ball from a throw-in on the right Björgvin Freyr Vilhjálmsson  crossed and Theódór Óskarsson lost his marker at the back to head home from 6 yards. Two minutes later a Fylkir cross/shot from the left had to be turned out for a corner by the Fram keeper Gunnar Sigurðsson. He had more work to do again in the dying monents as a Fylkir corner fell to Theódór Óskarsson on the edge the area and his shot was beaten away by the keeper. In the final minute Fram had one last chance as they were awarded a free-kick dead centre on the edge of the Fylkir box. Sadly it was driven wide, and the ref soon put his whistle to his lips and blew for full-time. This was the cue for the Fylkir staff and subs to run onto the pitch in wild celebration, and bedlam in the stands where we were amidst the delighted Fylkir fans.

Conclusion

Fylkir were worthy winners in a very entertaining game. The crowd may have been small by British standards but they were noisy and created a great atmosphere. The fans were very well behaved and I counted only 25 police officers present around the ground. Imagine that in Britain! I would say that in general the standard of football was comparable with English Second Division fare, but there were a few exceptions who would grace a higher level of football. Andri Fannar Ottósson impressed me for Fram thanks to his skill and wing play and Sverrir Sverrisson was man of the match for Fylkir, scoring one, making one, and putting in a solid display. The local fella who I spent the second half talking to recommended Sævar Þór Gíslason and Þorbjörn Atli Sveinsson as players who would soon be leaving Iceland for bigger things.

Gossip!!!

I spoke to several Icelandic people about Stoke City during my stay in the capital, and the thing they wanted to know most was my opinion of Gudjon Thordarson. The general consensus of those folk I spoke to was that Gudjon is an exceptional coach who took every Icelandic team he managed to better things, but had "personality difficulties"! Many would like to see him back as the national coach to replace the current incumbent described by one Icelander as an "idiot"! Just to prove what a tight community Iceland is, I met someone who went to school with Brynjar Gunnarsson - "He sat behind me in class, and was quiet and geeky. Always had pursed lips". Meanwhile someone else worked for Brynjar's father, Gunnar and had dinner with him, and showed me his house! Many felt that Bjarni was under tremendous pressure while his father was manager and now we will truly see what a good player he is, while Petur Marteinsson's lack of Stoke appearances produced bemusement, as clearly he is highly rated in Iceland, and many prefer him in the national team before Bolton's Bergsson. I heard more entertaining tales about Gudjon, but I daren't put them in print in case of legal action!!! I will say that he allegedly ignored the nooky ban placed on the players of one of his teams on the eve of an Icelandic Cup Final!!

Click here to view photos of the Final

Some photos of Iceland

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