Tuesday’s cup match against AB was supposed to have been played at Helsingør Stadion, but was moved to Gladsaxe Stadion, as neither of the two stadiums in Helsingør was match-ready. Thus FC Helsingør were nominally the home team, despite the match being held in AB’s territory. But AB was not especially hospitable on the day, as the Academics could leave the pitch with a 2-0 victory, after a match that was rich in fighting spirit, and somewhat less polished football.
It was the “away team” from AB that had the most of the play from the start of the match. There was a lot of play in midfield and around the FCH box, without it really becoming dangerous. FC Helsingør were looking to counter, and young Lucas Lodberg up front came close a couple of times to getting free, but AB defended well.
After just under ten minutes, FCH came close for the first time. Jonas Henriksen took a long throw into AB’s box. Douglas was close to getting up, but an AB defender got his head to it.
Two minutes later FCH won a free kick on the edge of AB’s box. Ricki Olsen stepped up and struck a very well-executed free kick toward the far corner, but the ball went narrowly wide.
Shortly after, Ricki Olsen found Lucas Lodberg out on the right with a good through ball. Lodberg tried to square the ball to Douglas, but an AB defender got a saving foot to it in front, and the ball went out for a corner that came to nothing for FCH.
After 18 minutes, Matheus dribbled forward with the ball over a couple of occasions and set off toward goal with a couple of players on his back. Matheus laid the ball off to Ricki Olsen, who sent in a good cross toward the far post, where Douglas stood free, but the AB defense got across in front and headed the ball away from the big Brazilian.
Four minutes later AB got away down their right wing. A sharp cross was delivered into the space in front of Mikkel Bruhn, where an AB player was ready to score. But at the last moment Emil Erbas came back, blocked the shot and cleared the ball out of the box. A crucial foot from Erbas, who played his first FCH match in the starting 11.
After half an hour FCH launched a counterattack. Douglas received the ball centrally and played it out to Lodberg, who, under pressure from a defender, tried to turn the ball in at the near post. The ball hit the side netting, to the great frustration of the FCH fans in the stands, who for a brief moment thought it was in. Good action by the two front runners.
The next ten minutes were marked by a midfield stalemate, with many duels, fouls and misplaced passes from both sides. We had to wait until the 42th minute before the next big chance appeared. After a good build-up, Ricki Olsen cut across the pitch on the edge of AB’s box and laid the ball off to Frederik Bay on the left wing. The full-back sent in a sharp cross to Emil Erbas, who rose higher than his marker and headed at goal. The FCH fans, standing right opposite the AB goal, held their breath, but Erbas’ fine header hit the crossbar. FCH’s clearly best chance in the first half.
The next three minutes passed without decisive incidents, and the teams went into halftime with 0-0 on the scoreboard.
The second half began as the first ended: Lots of close contests and fouls, and not many open chances. Matheus had a couple of fine actions around the box, but AB defended well. After six minutes Daniel Norouzi fought his way to a free kick on the edge of the box. Ricki Olsen stepped up again, but sent the shot a meter or so over the goal.
But after 10 minutes of the second half, AB found the breakthrough. After an FCH set piece, Seejou King broke away on a counterattack. It actually looked as if Frederik Bay could keep up with him long enough for the FCH defense to get back into position, but despite some good recovery runs, Mikkel Bruhn had to concede when Seejou King from about 30 meters unleashed an unstoppable shot into the far top corner. A superb goal that FCH unfortunately could do nothing about.
0-1 AB
Slightly more than five minutes later, FC Helsingør were caught on another counter. Albert Nørager burst forward, cut inside centrally and rounded his man in the box, and fired high and hard into the net from close range, where Mikkel Bruhn could not block the shot.
0-2 AB
The coaching staff reacted promptly to the two goals, bringing on both Nikolaj Hansen and Lucas Haren in place of Lodberg and Jonas Henriksen. After just a couple of minutes Haren was already close, when he rounded his man on the right side and delivered a good cross toward Douglas, who, however, had difficult working conditions for most of the match, and once again could not get a shot on goal.
Shortly after, though, it was incredibly close for the big Brazilian. In some scrappy play, Norouzi slipped the ball through to Douglas, who was completely free on the left side of the box. He shot immediately, but AB goalkeeper Fischer stretched his 47 frame all the way and blocked the shot. Huge chance for FCH.
FC Helsingør managed to push the pressure further up into AB’s half, and the Academics were busy defending for the next ten minutes, but FCH found it difficult to really play through the compact AB lines.
AB were most dangerous on the counter in the phase leading up to the end of the match, but the FCH defense, goals notwithstanding, put in a good performance in open play. Young Hans Christian Bonnesen impressed with a disciplined display that certainly did not reveal that he was playing his first FCH match from the start.
FC Helsingør pushed forward, but AB stood firm and even forced Mikkel Bruhn into a fine save in stoppage time, when yet another counter led to an AB player getting free in the box, and Bruhn had to produce a fine foot save to prevent AB from sealing the match for good.
But FCH could not get the ball into the net, and time inexorably ran out for the Helsingør side, who had to accept that this year’s cup run was over almost before it had begun, as the referee blew the final whistle after the mandatory three minutes of added time.
FC Helsingør’s next task will be away against FA2000 at Frederiksberg Stadion. It is on Saturday 10 at 13.45
FCH: Bruhn, Bay, Bonnesen, Henriksen (Hansen 58’), Olsen, Matheus, Erbas (Willumsen72’), F. Christensen, Norouzi, Lodberg (Haren 66’), Douglas
