Both teams started a little cautiously, but after the first five minutes of “feeling each other out”, a little more physicality and a few more close duels came into the game. However, there was still a long way between goal chances, and we had to get to the 11th minute before FCH had an attempt. Matheus was brought down just outside AB's penalty area, but from the resulting free kick Frederik Bay shot the ball a little over.
In the 18th minute, FCH got a free kick on the left side. TK, as usual, went to the ball and placed a fine dead-ball into the far post, where Andreas Holm got highest, but his fine header was blocked in front of goal. Good chance for the captain.
Two minutes later it was no longer possible for the visitors from AB. Lucas Haren, who played his first match for FC Helsingør, found Patrick Olsen out on the right side with a fine ball. Patrick put in a good cross toward Douglas, who finished decisively, but the shot was blocked. The block sent the ball back out into the box, and here Lucas Haren had joined in, and he got to the ball first and placed a secure shot past AB's goalkeeper.
1-0 FC Helsingør
FC Helsingør's attacking play worked well in the match, and after 34 minutes Douglas was played through in AB's box, where a defender went hard into the back of the Brazilian, who was knocked to the ground. Douglas and his teammates strongly appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved it away. FC Helsingør therefore had to settle for going into the break leading 1-0, after dominating most of the first half.
Almost the entire team was changed at halftime, and whether that caused a bit of confusion remains unsaid. At any rate, barely four minutes of the second half had been played before AB equalized. AB's Younes Nielsen took advantage of a lapse in concentration in the FCH defense and broke free on the left side of the box. There he placed a hard, low shot past Mikkel Bruhn, thus equalizing FCH's lead.
1-1 AB
The goal prompted FCH to push a little higher, and led by a well-playing midfield duo in Patrick Olsen and Osama Akharraz, who had been substituted on for TK in the second half, FCH created a number of good attacking combinations on AB's half of the pitch. There was, among other things, a good cross from Patrick Olsen that was centimeters from finding Niclas Willumsen in front of goal, and a fine release by Osama from Nicolas Mortensen, where Osama was unfortunately flagged offside.
But after 70 Helsingør got the reward for the pressure. Osama Akharraz, who seemed very lively in the half he got, received a ball on the left side and made a fine run into the box. There were no immediate passing options for the lively dribbler, so he finished himself. The ball took an AB foot on the way, and the deflection fooled AB's goalkeeper, and Osama could note down a goal in his return.
2-1 FC Helsingør
But unfortunately it took no more than two minutes before AB again drew level with FCH. A long ball forward caught the FCH defense napping. Mikkel Bruhn came out of his goal and blocked the finish, but unfortunately the ball bounced straight back into play in the middle of the FCH box and found AB's Lucas Pedersen, who could easily score.
2-2 AB
FC Helsingør turned up the pressure again, and after 77 minutes Osama Akharraz was close. Trialist Emil Erbas found Osama Akharraz on the left side of the box with a fine ball, and Osama finished toward the near corner. Unfortunately the ball went just over the bar, but it was a fine move by the two.
No more goals were scored in the match, and FC Helsingør could look back on a game where they could have scored one or two more goals, especially in the first half, and where many of the attacking moves in particular looked really good.
Head coach Peter Feher was also fairly satisfied with the match:
– So we're underway. The most important thing for me today was not so much the result, but seeing where the players were in terms of fitness, and that we got some miles in the legs. We play a really fine first half, but in the second half the level drops in line with the many substitutions, as it often does in training matches. We get two fine debut goals from Lucas and Osama, and now we have to go home and analyze the match so we can correct a few things. But all in all a fine training match, with many good actions.
FCH (3-4-3):
1. Half: Anker, Henriksen, Holm, Gregor, Bay, TK, Basse, Matheus, Haren, Douglas, Olsen
2. Half: Bruhn, Fraysse, Jørgensen, Basse, Roepstorff, Olsen, Erbas, Lodberg, Willumsen, Mortensen, Akharraz
Referee: Nicolai Hansen
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
