Rosenborg - Aalesund 2-2
By Håvard Lindheim, 12 April 2005, 11:57
RBK didn't open the season in the way that the coaches, players and supporters had hoped. A late Thorstein Helstad goal saved Rosenborg from a loss.
Rosenborg started hard, and had some good chances in the beginning.
"We started off good, and had we made a goal during the first 25 minutes, the match would have been a different one," Christer Basma told rosenborg.info.
Instead, Eirik Hoseth gave AaFK the lead after Bjørn Tore Kvarme mis-passed the ball, and after that, the Northwesterners solidified their defensive works.
"Then we begin chasing a goal, and loose rythm. In all, we get restless," Basma says.
RBK tried and tried to break through the backwards-heavy AaFK. Passes in through the midfield was tried, and failed. The few times one tried to pass around on the sides, the final passes went wrong.
After an hour, much happened - and fast. First, Roar Strand equalized with a low shot after having broken free at 13 metres. Then Aalesund was awarded a penalty after falling in a duel with substitute Erik Hoftun.
"I think it looked like they ran into eachother. If you give penalties for that, there will be many of the kind as the season goes by," Per Joar Hansen opted.
Rune Johansen placed the penalty into the net, and the rest of the match was a fight against time for RBK. Two minutes into extra time they succeeded: Substitute Thorstein Helstad managed to hammer the ball into the net from close range.
"To see the ball enter the goal was unbelieveable. To put it short, I felt a huge, huge relief the seconds after the goal," Helstad said.
Per Joar Hansen wasn't that disappointed after the draw in his very first league match as Rosenborg boss.
"When the match is played like this was, I am almost satisfied with one point. That one point can be important in the end," Perry said, remembering how last year's league was settled.
