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.

Wendt in 3 m€ transfer to Genoa?

We have received a offer from Serie A's Genoa Cricket and Football Club [Wikipedia] for our extraordinarily talented left back Oscar Wendt bold.dk reports. Oscar has firmly established himself in the starting 11 this season, relegating Denmark national veteran Niclas Jensen to the reserves. He is also making his mark as a Sweden national.

Personally I'd hate to see him leave. He's one of my favorites right now. Great speed, hard work, killer precise crossing, good ball control and just getting better for every match. Did some center back and left wing duty too. And did good. Luckily, FC København management is reported to have informed the Italians no players are leaving Copenhagen right now. Whew!

(Sources: bold.dk / Italienere vil lægge 20 mio. for Wendt | reuters.com / Lagerback names Sweden squad against Albania and Hungary)

Zanka for Liverpool?

Scout Jakob Friis-Hansen who also tipped Liverpool about Daniel Agger has now told them about our amazing yougster Zanka [info at FCK.dk | Wikipedia | this blog]. According to him they like what they see but would also prefer to let him mature a bit where he is. Phew! Please stay a while, Zanka!

(Source: Liverpool holder øje med Zanka)

Standings and tendencies - 1/7 into the season

30 games already played let me drop a snap shot of how the league is unfolding this season.


Standings with each team's finishing points tendency as a probability distribution. 'X' marks most likely finishing points; line begins at current points and ends at maximum points.

An entirely different picture than last time I shot it. But revealing none the less.

We're doing OK, placed second making up a sort of early title race along with OB and FC Midtjylland. Unbeaten and having conceded only three goals. Followed by Randers and Brøndby in a not too dangerously looking pursuit.

The promoted teams, Vejle BK and SønderjyskE, have done very well so far. Vejle has more points (7) but SønderjyskE has actually managed to draw both us and FC Midtjylland at home (1-1 both).

Esbjerg fB and FC Nordsjælland are in relegation zone and the disappointments for now. They have lost home games to Vejle and SønderjyskE respectively. Both still without wins.

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 vs FC Zenit St Petersburg

This year's first friendly match was played today in Helsingør. You may have heard of the opponent! The result was an unexpected 2-0 win.

The official club site has a match report with starting lineup, substitutions etc. A rather impressive range of youngsters played today but that goes for the Russian team as well. Entirely sans Russian national team players obviously. Only name I recognized was Ricksen. And the ref did miss whistling a penalty for them while handing us one for mysterious reasons. That being said it was a little impressive and/or disappointing from the Russian point of view.

But look at these names: Bertolt, Neestrup, Albrechtsen, Danni Jensen, Zanka, Neestrup, Nikolaj Hansen and Coe. They all finished on the field. Like the commentators said: it was like watching a high school team!