International performances - FIFA, UEFA and the "mediasphere"

As I surf the football-Internet waiting for today's home encounter with champions AaB let me share with you a couple of links, notes and thoughts on what has happened in the long break since last league game.

FIFA World Cup qualification, 6th of September: Albania vs Sweden 0-0
Oscar Wendt played 77 minutes as a left wing in a three defenders lineup. More: UEFA.com / Albania stifle Sweden challenge, The Local / Sweden draw a blank in World Cup opener.

FIFA World Cup qualification, 6th of September: Hungary vs Denmark 0-0
A dull game with participation of zero current FC København players but several former ones. Good performances by Hungary's Tamas Hajnal and a couple of others. Danish media went nuts after this one - each furious match report inspired the next one to go even lower. A losing battle for most as Ekstra Bladet will always win such a game (except if we'd played a Muslim country I'd have considered Jyllands-Posten a dark horse in the race). More: UEFA.com / Hungary and Denmark share spoils.

FIFA World Cup qualification, 10th of September: Northern Ireland vs Czech Republic 0-0
Had Libor Sionko starting and doing 67 minutes to be substituted by Zdenek Pospech. The Irish goalie "had to get down low to keep out a shot from Libor Sionko" FIFA's match report says. More: UEFA.com / Czechs checked in Belfast opener, FIFA.com / Czech stalemate for Northern Ireland, BBC / N Ireland 0-0 Czech Republic.

FIFA World Cup qualification, 10th of September: Portugal vs Denmark 2-3
A magnificent win with Hjalte Bo Nørregaard on the bench. The players didn't bother with the post-match press conference leading aforementioned media circus into another self-induced week long state of rage. Pathetic if you ask me. For once the tabloid didn't patent the truth but what do I care as long as the players put three points on the table? More: UEFA.com / Denmark pip Portugal at the last.

FIFA World Cup qualification, 10th of September: Mexico vs Canada 2-1
Atiba Hutchinson played all 90 minutes.
More: Mexico beats Canada 2-1 in World Cup qualifier, Knight: World Cup reality check.

FIFA World Cup qualification, 10th of September: Sweden vs Hungary 2-1
This time with Oscar Wendt benched seeing no action.

A meager break of international games to say the least. Speaking FC København.

UEFA Cup, 18th of September: FC Moscow vs FC København 1-2
A strangely slow game except for the second half injury time. Nice to see the team go into overdrive as an extra effort was suddenly needed to clinch all three points. The "Russian News and Information Agency" sums up their nation's teams performances:

FC Moskva, playing in the Russian capital, went behind to a first half penalty in their match against the Danes FC Kobenhavn. A last minute equalizer by Aleksandr Samedov looked to have saved the match for Oleg Blokhin's men, but the Danes struck back in injury time, a header from substitute Libor Sionko earning the visitors a surprise win.

[CSKA and Spartak win away, Moskva suffer home defeat in UEFA Cup]

Blokhin said at the press conference we were "better than Spartak". More: Ajax take applause amid Kalmar clamour.

Junior gives Cliftonville a lesson

Sublime sub Jose Junior put Cliftonville to the sword with two sensational strikes at Mourneview Park last night as FC Copenhagen wrapped up a 4-0 first-leg win against spirited opponents.

[...]

The opening goal came on 21 minutes when Aaron Smyth - playing in an unfamiliar left sided role - missed an interception from Kvist's cross field ball and Sionko squared for Norregaard to convert.

[...]

Nordstrand supplied the pass, Junior miscontrolled his initial touch but regained his composure to spin Declan O'Hara and thunder a drive into the roof of the net - it wouldn't be his last moment of inspiration.

[...]

Zdenek Pospech struck from 30 yards to make it 3-0 with 11 minutes left and the final goal came when Jose Junior claimed possession with his back to goal 20 yards out, flicked the ball up and smashed a delightful scissor kick home.

Friendly and half-naked internationals

Last training before summer break was yesterday's football golf competition. Once again it's Ailton Almeida's butt we see in the pictures at fck.dk - although this time he won! Last time they said it was because he lost!? (Although to admit it I have always been wondering - how could Ailton have lost a ball juggling contest?)

Other players already left to warm up for the EURO 2008. Just take a look at this beautiful sight...

Article from official EURO 2008 website: Sionko strikes twice to cheer Czechs.

Czech Republic - Scotland 3-1

It's all in above link title. Our Czechs helped beat Scotland.

former Rangers FC player Sionko produced a sudden burst of pace in the box to run on to Zdeněk Pospěch's pass and confidently shoot past Craig Gordon.

Neither played earlier this week when Lithuania was beaten 2-0.

Netherlands - Denmark 1-1

Denmark did much better than feared when drawing with the Netherlands. Goalie Jesper Christiansen played because Sørensen was injured warming up and William Kvist Jørgensen did 82 minutes of right back duty. Former players Lars Jacobsen, Christian Poulsen (goal) and former youth player Niklas Bendtner (assist) played too.

Sunday's games

Atiba Hutchinson will play with Canada who host Brazil.

The midfield presents a lot of options with Julian de Guzman of Spain's Deportivo La Coruna, Dwayne De Rosario of the Dynamo and Atiba Hutchinson of Denmark's FC Copenhagen sure to be in the mix.

Canada looks forward to friendly with Brazil
And Denmark will play Poland. Last time we beat them 6-0.

Goodbye...

Yesterday's match was a goodbye to more than just this season.

...Lyngby

Our opponent will play next season in the 2nd best division. Their last game was pretty much like the rest of their season: attacking but losing. Two goals by Atiba Hutchinson who did an inspired effort on the left wing finished them off.

...Marcus Allbäck

Scored his 45th goal on a competent header at Oscar Wendt's sugar sweet cross in his 120th and last game with us. Will be sorely missed! Good luck with Sweden in Austria/Switzerland.

...Michael Silberbauer

Played his 196th an last game - so far. Good luck in Utrecht (the rumor was fact). Hope to see you again some time.

...fan unity

After the game the players didn't go to the "Sektion 12" at the "B" stand to celebrate. But everywhere else. A very strong message that they really didn't appreciate last week's flame throwing. Urban Crew et al are crying their hearts out. According to this fan's comment club director Jørgen Glistrup has said the idea was the player's own entirely, not the club management's.

The official fan club made a similar statement by this banner:

Reads "We are nothing without football". Copyright FCK and Carl Redhead.

Not as bleeding heart fanatical as it may seem the banner is a direct comment to the "Sektion 12" banner we have been embarrassed with for some time now that reads "Football is nothing without us". A welcome humble message to counter the horribly misplaced arrogance of "Sektion 12". The difference between old time fans at "Nedre C" and the new ultra boys at "Sektion 12" is growing.

...2007/08 season

FC København Fan Club members has voted (I forgot) for the player of the year title and chosen Czech Libor Sionko. Well deserved for his hard work up and down the muddy Danish sidelines. Good luck with the Czech Republic in Austria/Switzerland to you and Zdenek Pospech too.

This post was greatly inspired by Politiken's match review. But obviously much better and more insightful ;-)

International friendlies Wed 26

Denmark - Czech Republic 1-1

Zdeněk Pospěch earned another cap at the Czech right back. Libor Sionko put a cross to Kollar's forehead in the 42nd minute for the Czech goal. In the 59th minute left back Niclas Jensen replaced Brøndby's Thomas Rasmussen. William Kvist who did service both at the right back and in midfield nearly made it 2-1 shortly before the end whistle. Ulrik Laursen did not look quite as comfortable as he does in regular Danish league games.

[Koller picks up Czechs in Denmark | Koller gives Czechs draw in Denmark | Honours Even In Denmark | DBU | Olsen's choices systematic]

U21 Denmark - Sweden 0-1

Debut of Mathias "Zanka" Jørgensen.

[Experimental Sweden edge Danes]

Estonia - Canada 2-0

I suppose Atiba Hutchinson was there.

[Fans help friendly go ahead | Estonia defeats Canada 2-0 in men's soccer friendly on snowy pitch | image: President of the Estonian Football Association and football fans clear the field from snow]

Sweden - Brazil 1-0

No mention of FC København players apparent, but a Swedish article quotes Marcus Allbäck he's "close to making up his mind" on transferring to either Spain's Primera Division or Swedish boyhood club Örgryte (Allbäcks val: Till Örgryte eller Spanien).

[Pato breaks duck to sink Sweden | Pato's debutant ball]

Images of Lyngby

1-4 win, goals by Libor Sionko, Zdenek Pospech, Mathias Jørgensen and Jose Luis Junior. League position: First :-)

Pre-season friendlies round-up

The friendly vs Legia Warszawa mentioned below is only one of five. Here is a quick look at the other four.

Today: FC København - FC Nordsjælland 2-2
Almost a reserve team game. José Junior said to have been on fire and scored both goals.

Last Friday: FC København - Viking FK (Norway) 2-2
Marred by intense winds. Ailton Almeida reported to have been very strong compared to last season, and Zdenek Pospech "much better than Lars Jacobsen was" as a friend told me.

Friday the 15th: Djurgården (Sweden) - FC København 1-4
Three goals by the Brazilian strikers and a smiling coach.

La Manga camp: Brann (Norway) - FC København 1-0
Norwegian referee awarded us two red cards which should have pretty much spoiled the game.

Saturday the 1st of March we'll play Stabæk in Copenhagen.

Transfers Update: Second Czech international under way

FC København have left a bid at about 1.2 m€ for 29 years old Czech Zdeněk Pospěch of AC Sparta Praha. Zdeněk Pospěch is a right back which is just what we need. He has played five games with the Czech national team and will travel to Cyprus for their friendly World Cup European Championship warm-up tournament with Greece and Poland.

Sources: Politiken / FCK jagter tjekkisk landsholdsspiller, Bruckner selects 4 uncapped players for European Championship warmups, Zdeněk Pospěch entry at de.Wikipedia.org.