Viking - Rosenborg 0-1
By Endre Bakken, 24 July 2008, 07:29
The matches this week decides how interesting this fall will be for Rosenborg. The victory in Stavanger secured three vital points.
Photo: Thomas Karlsen
"It was a very important game to win. Leaving here with three points felt really, really good," Erik Hamrén told TV2.
Steffen Iversen and Vadim Demidov were back from injuries, but played like nothing had happened. Iversen scored the winning goal, while Demidov played on the midfield for the first time in two months, and helped RBK end their streak of letting in goals in 22 league away games in a row.
Fredrik Stoor was placed on the bench because he had been in negotiations with Fulham and not at practice. Roar Strand substituted him on the right back and did a good job. This resulted in Demidov being moved to the midfield, which again lead to Andreas Nordvik being placed in the central defence for the third match in a row.
Nordvik, who started his first league game this year, came into focus two times during the opening minutes, when he put Alexander Lund Hansen to the test with bad passes. The second choice goalie, who in the absence of Rune Jarstein had his debut for Rosenborg in the league, missed on the first, but saved by using his left foot. The second try some minutes later hit Nicolai Stokholm's back, but luckily continued towards the midfield.
After the shaky beginning RBK struck. The successful midfield from May and June were reunited, and their one-twos were back with them: Per Ciljan Skjelbred elegantly passed to Alexander Tettey, who should have scored alone with Thomas Myhre. Right after that Didier Konan had a good finish.
It was an exciting half, where the game waved back and forth. Viking tried hard, and both Martin Fillo and Alexander Ødegaard hit the goal post.
Instead Steffen Iversen scored following some nice one-two's: From the right side, facing the wrong direction, he lobbed the ball above himself and his watcher. Marek Sapara returned it, and Iversen finished a clever run by scoring.
Unfortunately, Iversen, who is struggling with his thigh, had to throw in the towel just after the break. Something which created problems for Rosenborg in two ways: The team was without any typical goal getters, while Viking got much too much room to play on corners.
The home team struggled with their play, but got some corners after the break. Most of them were good, and Viking got very close to an equalizer twice: Roar Strand had to save on the line, when debutant Lund Hansen boxed a corner towards his own goal. There after Peter Ijeh headed right outside of the goal.
RBK were able to take care of the balls that went along the ground. Nordvik impressed everyone with his tackles, and Alejandro Lago wasn't the most agressive defender for once. Viking weren't allowed to play how they wanted, and at the end Rosenborg got close to another goal, when Sapara, with his left foot, shot the ball towards an empty net after eeper Myhre had joined a Viking corner. The poor attempt however stopped on the five meter mark.
"Viking were good in the second half, put pressure on us and created the most chances. We struggled especially on set pieces," Iversen concluded.
"We were somewhat lucky. Let's hope this was the day it all turned around," Iversen said, who hopes to be able to play the last and deciding match against NAC Breda in the Intertoto this Sunday.
