Those worried that FH Hafnarfjördur would take the excitement out of the Icelandic title race by striding away early on were given hope after they were defeated 4-1 at Valur Reykjavik.
The champions and pre season favourites, who won 6 of their 1st 7 games, suffered the setback against the side expects to be their closest challengers last Wednesday. "We did not deserve anything from this game and got nothing," FH coach Ólafur Johannesson admitted that after his 1st defeat since 20 August 2006. "We were not ready and it backfired on us. Valur were much more ready and we didn′t have a chance the whole game."
Johannesson′s frustrations contrasted with Valur counterpart Willum Thor Thorsson, who said, "We played against a team who were streets ahead of everyone for the past few years, so there is nothing else to do however have given our all." One of the 4 Valur goals came from Helgi Sigurdsson which put him on top of the goalscorers list with 7 from 8 games as Valur moved to within 4 points of Hafnarfjördur. Still, it is only good enough for 3rd place after Keflavik registered a 1-0 win over Fylkir to remain 2nd with 17 points.
There was another 1st at the KR-völlur stadium when KR Reykjavik, who expects to finish in the top three, won their 1st match of the season. Gudmundur Petursson′s last minute strike gave them a 2-1 triumph against 2nd from bottom Fram Reykjavik, closing the gap at the foot of the table to a single point.
KR gave their young skill the chance to revive their fortunes, with Petursson capitalising by scoring whilst goalie Stefan Logi Magnusson saved a penalty. "This is our 1st win this season and gives us self-confidence however we must work hard for more and every game now is like a game in the finals," commented KR coach Teitur Thordarson after the game.
01 July 2007
FK Makedonija Skopje came back from a 1-0 1st-leg deficit to oust Ethnikos Achnas FC, FC Dacia Chisinau overcame FK Baku in a dramatic penalty shoot out and KS Vllaznia shocked highly-fancied NK Zagreb as 10 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1st round games were decided on Saturday. To see a full list of competing clubs and fixtures, click here.
FK Makedonija Skopje 2-0 Ethnikos Achnas FC (agg, 2-1)
Makedonija will play PFC Cherno More Varna in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2nd round after recuperating from a 1st-leg deficit against Achnas thanks to 2 goals by Macedonian U21 international Aleksandar Stojanovski. The forward struck either side of half time to overhaul the Cypriot outfit′s 1-0 1st-leg lead and set up a tie against Bulgarian opposition in the next round. Makedonija levelled aggregate terms after 13 minutes when Stojanovski drove in an angled shot from 15 metres and, even though the visitors twice came close to silencing the home crowd before the break through Christos Poyiatzis and Zoran Stjepanović, Stojanovski scored the deciding goal midway through the 2nd half, finishing off substitute Ismail Ismaili′s cross from close range.
FC Dacia Chisinau 1-1 FK Baku (agg, 2-2, Dacia triumph 4-2 on penalties)
A repeat of the same score line as last weekend in Azerbaijan had taken this enthralling contest to extra time and then penalties, and the side from Moldova held their nerve in front of their delirious home fans to set up a testing 2nd round meeting with Swiss Super League side FC. St Gallen. Dacia had earlier taken the lead on the quarter hour mark when Valeriu Onila pounced to make it 2-1 on aggregate however Amiran Mujiri levelled on 71 minutes with a well-taken shot for the Azerbaijani visitors, who almost stole a winner a minute from time only to be denied by a spectacular Mihail Moraru save. After extra time produced no goals Baku missed 3 spot-kicks to allow Maxim Andronic, who scored an own goal last week, to claim hero status with the winning penalty.
KS Vllaznia 1-0 NK Zagreb (agg, 2-2, Vllaznia triumph on away goals)
Midfielder Arlind Norra will be grabbing all the headlines in Albania Sunday after scoring the goal that knocked their much-fancied Croatian opponents out of the Intertoto Cup on Saturday night. Norra struck on 26 minutes to level the tie on aggregate and, along with his team-mates, then set about testing Miroslav Blazević′s side, who, inspite of boasting a string of international players, would not find a way past their obdurate hosts. Zagreb had placed good stock in a UEFA Cup run this season however instead it is Vllaznia, who lost 2-1 in Zagreb last week, who can now look forward to an exciting 2nd round meeting with Turkish giants Trabzonspor as a due to the away goals rule.
FC Zestaponi 2-0 FC Tobol Kostanay (agg, 2-3)
Inspite of a valiant 2 goal triumph in Georgia, Zestaponi fell only short of the 3 goals required to take this tie into extra time as their opponents from Kazakhstan won through on the strength of their 1st-leg success. The home side were always going to be up against it however a headed 3rd minute goal from a corner by centre back Ediki Sadjaia gave them early hope of a comeback. 8 minutes before half time and partisan optimism transformed into real belief as the hosts struck again when forward Gaga Chkhetiani connected with Gilvan Vieira′s centre. After the interval Tobol defended in numbers and could have scored themselves on the break through Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev however Zestaponi came closest to scoring again and forcing extra time when Shalva Gongadze and then Chkhetiani fired wide. Tobol held on, though, to face FC Slovan Liberec of the Czech Republic in the next round.
OFK Grbalj 1-1 AFC Gloria 1922 Bistrita (agg, 2-3)
Gloria have won the right to meet Israeli club Maccabi Haifa FC in the next round after grinding out a 1-1 draw against Grbalj in Montenegro. The Romanian side had taken the lead 5 minutes before half time when Cristian Coroian scored from close range after a delightful pass on the counterattack from Cosmin Tilinca. However, the hosts drew level within 3 minutes when Milos Djalac headed Luka Pajović′s pinpoint left wing cross past Anton Tatarusanu in a frenetic spell before the break which also saw Gloria forward Dorel Zaharia hit the post from the edge of area. The match remained delicately poised and in the 2nd half European debutants Grbalj were much the better side. Indeed the Montenegrin side could have levelled the tie on aggregate however for Tatarusanu, who made 2 brilliant reaction saves late on, 1stly from defender Goran Grujić′s header and then Dragan Bosković′s follow-up.
FK Maribor 2-1 Birkirkara FC (agg, 5-1)
The 1st half dismissal of Thomas Paris did little to help the cause of a Birkirkara side already 3-0 down from the 1st leg and once the Slovenian hosts had taken the lead early in the 2nd half the result was never really in doubt. Maribor were without Croatian midfielder Martin Pregelj, who had signed for NK Inteblock Ljubljana earlier in the day, however Dejan Mezga made light of his absence by scoring the opening goal 8 minutes into the 2nd period when he was 1st to the rebound from a Marko Popović shot repelled by Bernard Paris. To their credit the Maltese visitors pulled a goal back within 3 minutes when Roderick Briffa′s lay off was thundered in from distance by Michael Galea. However, 12 minutes from time Matej Vracko completed the scoring following good work by Popović, to set up a 2nd round match with FK Hajduk Kula of Serbia.
FK Slavija Sarajevo 3-2 UE Sant Julia (agg, 6-4)
For the 2nd time in a week Slavija completed a 3-2 triumph against their Andorran opponents in a match which also followed exactly the same scoring pattern as last Saturday′s encounter. The Bosnia-Herzegovnian club once again raced into a 2 goal lead, this time thanks to goals by Bojan Jamina on 21 minutes and Sretko Vuksanović midway through the 2nd half, before Sebastian Varela′s header (70) and a penalty by Argentinian forward Alejandro Romero (85) brought the visitors back into contention. However, Vuksanović′s 2nd goal of the match deep into added time dashed any last expects of Sant Julia taking the match into extra time and ensured that Slavija will now play FC Otelul Galati of Romania in the 2nd round.
Cork City FC 0-1 Valur Reykjavik (agg, 2-1)
Cork City fell behind to a 1st half goal at Turner′s Cross however the side from the Republic of Ireland managed to hold out defiantly against their Icelandic opponents, whom they defeated 2-0 last weekend, to set up a 2nd round contest against Hammarby of Sweden. Helgi Sigurdsson struck for the visitors on 20 minutes after pouncing on a loose ball in the penalty area to reduce the aggregate deficit to one goal. However, all attempts to score the vital 2nd proved beyond the Urvalsdeild outfit, whose bad night was compounded when Sigurbjörn Hreidarsson was sent off for a late challenge on Liam Kearney with 2 minutes of the match remaining.
KÍ Klaksvik 1-2 Hammarby (agg, 1-3)
A penalty by Paulinho early in the 2nd half effectively finished Klaksvik′s expects of a recovery on home soil as their Swedish opponents in the end ran out comfortable winners over the 2 legs. Hammarby added to their solitary goal from last weekend′s fixture when midfielder Haris Laitinen struck after 34 minutes and even though the hosts were back in the match soon afterwards thanks to defender Kaj Ennigard′s effort (37) the Brazilian′s spot-kick 10 minutes after half time put paid to any further expects of a Faroese comeback. The Allsvenskan club will meet Cork City FC of the Republic of Ireland in the 2nd round.
SK Slovan Bratislava 3-0 FC Differdange 03 (agg, 5-0)
The side from Slovakia added 3 more goals to the 2 they scored in Luxembourg last week to complete an uncomplicated 5-0 aggregate triumph against Differdange. Lubomir Meszaros′s goal shortly before the half hour mark set the ball rolling before Miroslav Poliacek (56) and Jakub Sylvestr (78) rounded off the scoring. Slovan will expect to face a sterner test than that put up by the Division Nationale club in the 2nd round, though, with SK Rapid Wien of Austria standing between them and the chance of UEFA Cup football next season.
24 June 2007
FC Tobyl and SK Slovan Bratislava are among the sides happiest with their UEFA Intertoto Cup 1st round 1st leg results whilst Cliftonville FC were frustrated by 10 man FC Dinaburg as uefa.com rounds up the action from the opening day. To see a full list of competing clubs and fixtures, click here.
Cliftonville FC 1-1 FC Dinaburg
Cliftonville FC came from behind to level thanks to a debut goal by Ciaran O′Connor however would not defeat 10 man FC Dinaburg at Solitude. Jurijs Sokolovs put the visitors in front after 20 minutes, finishing off a cross from Zaur Kaziev following a defensive error by Declan O′Hara. O′Connor, a recent signing from Glenavon FC, equalised 5 minutes before the break when he followed up a rebound after Chris Scannell′s shot was saved. Dinaburg were then reduced to 10 men only before the hour when Alexey Kostenko was dismissed after tangling with Barry Johnston however the Latvian club held firm.
FK Baku 1-1 FC Dacia Chisinau
An own goal 10 minutes from time by Maxim Andranik gave FK Baku a well-earned draw against Dacia Chisinau. The visitors had taken the early initiative, putting Khalidou Sissoko under constant load in Baku's goal, and the Senegalese goalie was almost beaten 5 minutes before half time when Valentin Onila caught him off guard with a long-range header which drifted wide. Onila soon broke the deadlock, though, scoring with a fierce volley before the break. Baku poured forward in the 2nd half however struggled in front of goal, their best chance coming when Dzhamshid Magerramov crashed a shot against the crossbar from distance. Andranik came to their rescue when he turned a right wing cross past his own goalie and Farid Guliyev could have secured a home win in the closing stages had his 85th minute header not flown wide.
Ethnikos Achnas FC 1-0 FK Makedonija Skopje
Cypriot side Ethnikos Achnas FC will take a narrow advantage into the return leg in F.Y.R. Macedonia inspite of missing a number of chances against Makedonija. Captain Christos Poyiatzis scored the only goal from the penalty spot on 7 minutes after goalie Ljupco Kolev had brought down Zoran Stjepanović, even though the home side spurned a series of clear chances to put the tie beyond their Macedonian counterparts, who fielded a team consisting mostly of players from their U21 national squad. Slovenian forward Patrik Ipavec saw his shot come back off the post midway through the 1st half whilst there were further misses from Poyiatzis, Panayiotis Engomitis and Damir Suljanović in the 2nd period.
FC Tobyl 3-0 FC Zestaponi
FC Tobyl completed a convincing home triumph against their Georgian visitors however had to wait until the 2nd half before breaking through. The 1st period was a cautious affair even though Nurbol Zhumaskaliev, Ruslan Baltiev, Ulugbek Bakaev and Sergei Skorykh all threatened for the home side. The visitors′ only clear-cut chance came at the start of the 2nd half when Gogi Pipia′s grazed the bar however Tobyl soon responded with a goal, Nurbol Zhumaskaliev reacting 1st to a rebound from a Kairat Nurdauletov set-piece. That goal came on 63 minutes and the 2nd followed 2 minutes later, Baltiev finishing in style from Zhumaskaliev′s corner. Azat Nurgaliev then set up the 3rd, providing a pinpoint cross which Bakaev tapped in.
NK Zagreb 2-1 KS Vllaznia
Zagreb were forced to come from behind to carve out a narrow advantage against their Albanian visitors, who had taken a 3rd minute lead when Arlind Nora struck following a corner. The home side drew level from a similar source 13 minutes later, however, Safet Nadarević the scorer, and Zagreb in the end turned their dominance into a lead in the 64th mintue as Tomislav Labudović found the net, the game′s 3rd goal from a corner. Both sides finished the game with 10 men as Franc Ahi of Vllaznia was dismissed in the 73rd minute before the Croatian side lost Krunslav Lovrek to a red card a minute from time.
FC Differdange 03 0-2 SK Slovan Bratislava
Slovan will be confident of reaching the next round after a narrow triumph at Differdange. Mizoslav Poliacek gave his side a deserved lead on 32 minutes before his replacement Pavol Sedlak doubled the advantage 9 minutes after half time, 4 minutes after coming on. Differdange, playing at AS Jeunesse Esch's ground, had taken the game to their visitors after the break however squandered several chances and now the team from Luxemburg have it all to do in the return leg at the Slovan Stadium.
Hammerby 1-0 KÍ Klaksvik
Hammarby scrambled a scrappy triumph against KÍ before 1,633 spectators in Sweden. The home side had taken the lead as early as the 3rd minute with new recruit Charlie Davies scoring his 1st goal for the club. Those expecting the floodgates to open after the early breakthrough were to be disappointed, however, as the visiting Faroese club held out. "Of course it′s a disappointment," mentioned Hammarby coach Tony Gustafsson. "We should have scored more goals however it′s hard against a side that is only focused on defending."
Sant Julia 2 – 3 FK Slavija Sarajevo
Sant Julia showed good resolve to claw back a 2 goal deficit with 2 goals in as many 2nd half minutes only to fall foul of Darko Spalević's late winner. The home side held Slavija at bay during the 1st half however went behind when Varela put through his own net only before the hour-mark. Buoyed by their lead the visitors scored again 3 minutes later through Vlastimir Jovanović however the hosts bounced back into contention when Pepe (64) and then Luis (65) surprised their Bosnia-Herzegovnian visitors. With 6 minutes left on the clock, however, Spalević dented Andorran expects with a deft strike to take a slender lead into the return leg.
FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk 4-1 FC Ararat
2 goals by Aleksandr Klimenko helped FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk take a major step towards the 2nd round with a comprehensive triumph against FC Ararat. The hosts had taken the lead midway through the 1st half when Aleksandr Yurevich crossed for Aleksei Rios to head in from point-blank range and soon afterwards, Rios almost doubled the lead only to see his goalbound effort scrambled off the line. Shakhtyor′s leading scorer Klimenko had 4 presentable chances to score before the break, only to fall short on each occasion, whilst Ararat′s lone forward Marcos Pizelli made the most of his only chance a minute before half time, launching on a solo run before cutting in from the right, dribbling past 3 defenders and equalising from 16 metres. Shakhtyor were more ruthless after the break, though, regaining the lead on 58 minutes through Maksim Gukailo before Klimenko twice scored after fine approach play by Aleksandr Novik and Mikhail Martinovich.
Valur Reykjavik 0-2 Cork City FC
2 away goals in Laugardalsvöllur puts Cork City in the driving seat for the return leg of their 1st round match against Valur Reykjavik. The visitors had taken the lead after only 5 minutes when Colin O′Brien fired in the opening goal from 23 metres out and there were chances for either side in an eventful match as the hosts pressed forward in search of an equaliser. Cork scored the all-important 2nd midway through the 2nd half when Liam Kearney found the net direct from a free kick whilst Valur failed to reduce the arrears.
