Ørjan Berg was back from his six months of injury. The midfield veteran celebrated by scoring the first goal in the friendly match against Tromsø.

Berg was injured on 19 September last year, when Olivier Occean hit him hard in his left knee during the 0-3 loss against Odd Grenland. After more or less failed restitutional training, followed by surgery and a new, long period of training, the 37-year-old-to-be this afternoon could finally dress up in the RBK shirt and run out on the artificial grass of the Abra hall.

Ørjan crowned his comeback by taking RBK into the lead, almost singlehandedly, ten minutes before half time: The playmaker distributed the ball out to Øyvind Storflor out left. Storflor passed his man and sent the ball back to Berg, who, after first having shot straight at Knut Borch, put the rebound into the net behind the goalkeeper.

"I didn't feel the pain, and it was delightful to be back," a well satisfied Ørjan Berg said after the match.

RBK still has two friendlies to go before the season starts (at home against Bodø/Glimt and away against Viking), and so, Ørjan hopefully can reach good shape in time for the premiére against Aalesund on 10 April.

The coaches did try out some variations with today's team against TIL. As many as six of the probable first 11 were lacking: Bjørn Tore Kvarme (groin), Daniel Braaten (groin) and Roar Strand (needing rest) weren't even in the squad, while Vidar Riseth, Jan Gunnar Solli and Frode Johnsen all were reserves.

This opened for Per Ciljan Skjelbred and Erik Hoftun from the start. Captain Hoftun was joined by a now well Miika Koppinen, and the newly composed defender duo did well against Ole Martin Årst and Kim Larsen. Hence, Riseth/Kvarme have good back up - and strong competitors!

As for the match, it was literarily split in two with regards to RBK. The first half was at times good, while the second half was more or less dead; the RBK players obviously were looking forward to a well deserved Easter holiday.

Towards the end, Frode Johnsen came in, and last year's top scorer needed only three minutes to increase the lead: Yet again, Storflor was the waiter, and Johnsen came at the far post and hammered the pass in with a powerful volley kick. What class!

The next leg for RBK is, as mentioned, the friendly against Bodø/Glimt on 28 March. That match is to be played outside, at the Lerkendal Park next to the stadium, but will be moved indoors if the Gods of Weather wants it that way.

Match Details

ROSENBORG	2-0	Tromsø
Ørjan Berg 35 Frode Johnsen 78

Monday 21 March 2005 15:30
Friendly, the Abra hall, Malvik

Rosenborg [4-3-3]
Espen Johnsen - Christer Basma, Miika Koppinen, Erik Hoftun, Ståle Stensaas (Mikael Dorsin 59) - Per Ciljan Skjelbred (Jan Gunnar Solli 65), Ørjan Berg, Fredrik Winsnes (Alexander Tettey 81) - Alexander Ødegaard (Frode Johnsen 75), Harald Brattbakk, Øyvind Storflor

Yellow card RBK: none