On Wednesday evening, FC Helsingør met Hvidovre IF in the cup, and after an intense battle it was the Helsingør players who could celebrate moving on to the next round. But it took extra time and a penalty shootout before arms could be raised toward the cold autumn night sky.
For the first quarter of an hour, FCH were in control of the game. Hvidovre were mainly dangerous from the corners they won, but created little in open play. Already after three minutes, FC Helsingør had their first big chance, when debutant Matheus Lieria dribbled free and was brought down right on the edge of the box. Tobias Christensen took the free kick, but it went narrowly over.
In the seventh minute, FC Helsingør had another huge chance. Tobias “Toby” Christensen played a ball in behind, and after a couple of good touches Daniel Stückler finished from distance, but his fine long-range effort hit the post. After 11 minutes, Toby then had a fine long-range shot, which Hvidovre’s goalkeeper had to punch away for a corner, and the two subsequent corners were not really dangerous.
In the 20th minute, Helsingør won another free kick just outside the box. This time it was Mathias “Malte” Johannsen who stepped up, and he struck hard and accurately, but unfortunately the shot went just wide of the post. A minute later, Stückler was played through and fired hard and low, and Hvidovre’s goalkeeper had to stretch again to make the save.
Hvidovre came a little more into the match as the game went on, but FCH repelled most of it in the strongly performing back three. They did, however, have a handful of long-range efforts, but Aris Vaporakis was in position for the shots that were on target.
After 38 minutes, against the run of play and chances, Hvidovre had two huge opportunities. A Hvidovre striker was sent through on goal alone, but Daniel Jørgensen covered so the shot was taken from a bit too far out and went wide. A minute later, Hvidovre won a free kick on the left side, and it was played high into Helsingør’s box, where a Hvidovre player rose highest, but fortunately for FCH the header hit the crossbar.
That was the last big chance of the half, and FCH could go into the break with an edge in both play and chances, but also with a feeling that Hvidovre were perfectly capable of matching them, and that HIF in fact had had the biggest chance of the half.
After the break, the picture was the same for the first quarter of an hour: lots of possession for FCH, but not many clear chances. The game became a little more physical, and there were quite a few stoppages for free kicks, as well as players having to bite into the grass. That suited Hvidovre best, and seemed a deliberate game plan from Per Frandsen’s troops. After 55 minutes, FCH lost the ball in midfield, a quick pass went out to the wing and was crossed into the box, but the ensuing header fortunately went just over the goal.
After that it was Hvidovre who pressed, and they created a couple of good chances from a few dangerous long-range efforts. The Helsingør players had trouble establishing themselves, and after an hour the coaching staff took action and brought on Essam Salamoun for Tobias Christensen, who had faded a bit out of the game after otherwise having played a good first half.
After 70 minutes, FCH had their first big chance of the second half, when a well-delivered corner from Malte found Morten Hegaard in the box, but the big defender headed just wide of the far post.
At the end of the 2th half, Hvidovre began to look more tired, and Helsingør started to press to land the knockout blow. In the 82th minute, Matheus turned well on his defender and cut into the box, where his powerful shot forced the goalkeeper into a good save. Shortly after, Daniel Stückler also had a good move, as he cut in from the edge of the box, but his curling shot toward the far corner was punched away by Hvidovre’s goalkeeper, who was busy in the dying minutes of the second half.
The regular time ended 0-0, and the two teams therefore had to go into extra time. Matheus Leiria showed several glimpses of his technical ability, and after three minutes found Daniel Stückler in a good counterattacking position. The striker shook off his marker, but his finish was too weak and went straight to the goalkeeper.
When the clock reached the 100th minute, Hvidovre’s quick winger on the right flank got free and played a low cross in that was centimeters away from finding an onrushing striker, but a generally strong-performing Aris Vaporakis got his fingers to the ball. Still clearly Hvidovre’s best chance in over half an hour.
Right after the second half of extra time had been kicked off, Frederik Bay drifted out to the right wing and played a low cross to Stückler. Unfortunately, the striker narrowly missed the post once again, but it was a really nice chance.
After 110 minutes, Kvist dribbled into the box, where the ball was tackled away, and from the resulting corner Morten Hegaard was once again close to heading the ball into the net, but the ball would not go in.
Hvidovre mostly lurked on the counterattack, and they came close to a big chance with five minutes left, when a cross from the wing was played so high that Aris could not get up to it. The ball dropped to a Hvidovre player in the box, but the shot was blocked at all costs.
That allowed time to run out, and the teams had to prepare for the penalty shootout.
Hvidovre won the toss and therefore started. They scored confidently with their first kick. When Malte then missed, the clouds gathered over Helsingør’s cup campaign.
Hvidovre scored to 2-0, after which Daniel Stückler reduced to 2-1 with a cheeky finish.
Then former Superliga profile Kim Aabech had to take a penalty for Hvidovre, but Aris Vaporakis read his “panenka” and saved it. Hegaard could therefore equalize to 2-2 with his next penalty.
However, Hvidovre scored their next penalty, and when Matheus Leiria saw his effort saved, Helsingør were once again on their way out, with the score at 3-2 after the first four penalties.
Aris therefore had to save to keep Helsingør in the match, and that was exactly what he did, as Hvidovre’s Lazarevic saw his penalty saved. William Kvist confidently scored to 3-3
That left it level after the first five penalties, and the teams had to go into the all-or-nothing round. Hvidovre missed their first penalty, and Frederik Bay could therefore decide the match with his kick. He struck it so hard and high that the ball hit the underside of the crossbar, but it went in, and FC Helsingør thereby knocked out a hard-fighting Hvidovre side and are ready for the next round in the cup.
FCH: Vaporakis, Johannsen, Hegaard, Jørgensen, Fioretos, Ohlander, Christensen, Bay, J. Henriksen, Lieria, Stückler
subbed on: Salamoun, Kvist,
Photo: Torben Sørensen, Kalabas.dk
