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Archive for May, 2006
Fótbolti.net predicts: 1st place – FH Hafnarfjördur
FH Hafnarfjördur have won the Icelandic Premiership title in the last two years and have been by far the strongest team in the league.
They should be as strong as ever this season despite losing players such as flamboyant Danish striker Allan Borgvardt to Norway, midfield playmaker Heimir Gudjonsson who has retired, Jónas Gardarson to Fram and Audunn Helgason to a serious injury.
The club have signed Sigurvin Ólafsson from KR Reykjavík who on form is probably the best midfielder in the league but he has been poor in the last couple of years at KR Reykjavík.
New Danish signings are questionmarks, striker Allan Dyring is a good player but defender Peter Matzen is unknown quantity. Losing Borgvardt and Gudjónsson could put a dent in the team. Gudjónsson was the leader on the pitch, it will remain to be seen who will take over the role as the leader. Ólafsson could be the one.
Borgvardt was a great goalscorer for FH and alongside Tryggvi Gudmundsson last year, they two were an awesome partnership upfront – Borgvardt scoring 13 goals in 15 league games while Gudmundsson scored 16 goals in 17 league games. But who will help Gudmundsson with the responsibility of scoring goals this season?
Allan Dyring is capable of scoring goals but there is a doubt he will make the same impact as Borgvardt did. Despite all of this, FH are the best team in the league by some distance.
Strengths: The team now knows how to win. They have a quality manager, good board and great supporters. The club will probably not have as much feriority over the other teams this season as they did last season but they will still win the league.
Weaknesses: The club needs a leader out there on the pitch and losing a great goalscorer like Allan Borgvardt is a blow. Center back Tommy Nielsen who is one of the best defenders in the league has been having some injury problems while defender Audunn Helgason and Sverrir Gardarson have been having serious injury problems.
Players to watch: Tryggvi Gudmundsson is the player to watch for FH, he is a great goalscorer. Full back Gudmundur Sævarsson is another player who has caught the eye. But its hard to single out individual players because the team unit is so strong.
Key player: Has to be Danish center back Tommy Nielsen – he will be a key player this season. Gudmundsson also has to chip in with his shares of goals.
Source: Fótbolti.net
Thordarson close to striker swoop
Notts County manager Gudjon Thordarson is close to snapping up Norwich City's striker Peter Thorne.
Talks between the two clubs have been ongoing in the last few days and Thordarson hopes to have the 33-year-old signed by the end of the week.
Thorne who has previously played under Thordarson, at Stoke City, scored one goal in twenty-one appearences for Norwich City last season.
Thordarson was left frustrated last week after failing to bring Darlington striker Akpo Sodje to Meadow Lane.
The 26-year-old had agreed to join Notts County but later instead opted for League One outfit Port Vale.
Eidur Barca bound?
Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen is a transfer target for Barcelona as their manager Frank Rijkaard bids to replace Swedish striker Henrik Larsson.
According to Spanish newspaper Daily Marca, Gudjohnsen is one of the names put forward by Rijkaard to the Barcelona board along with Villarreal's Diego Forlan, Real Zaragoza's Diego Milito as well as Juventus duo David Trezeguet and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Chelsea forward has been linked with a move to Premiership duo Manchester United and Newcastle United in the past week.
According to Gudjohnsen's father and agent, Arnór Gudjohnsen, the striker is weighing up his options and that he could make a decision over his future by the end of the month.
"There are a few options for Eidur, but nothing concrete yet.
"There is interest from Spain and England and something could happen in the next few days.
"There have been so many clubs linked and Eidur is looking into all his options as he has to take into consideration a lof of things like his family," Gudjohnsen snr told Sky Sports News earlier today.
Thorgeirsson relieved by injury let off
Fylkir goalkeeper Fjalar Thorgeirsson has been ruled out for two weeks after a suspected cruciate ligament injury turned out to be a minor knee injury, reports Fótbolti.net.
"I expect to miss the next two games and then go on from there," Thorgeirsson told Fótbolti.net.
KR Reykjavík run rule over Croatian midfielder
Icelandic Premiership club KR Reykjavík are giving a trial to Croatian midfielder Mario Cizmek, reports Fótbolti.net.
The 30-year-old played for NK Inter Zapresic in the Croatian Premiership last season and has had previous spells at Israeli club Hapoel Petach Tikva and Croatian club NK Zagreb.
KR Reykjavík manager Teitur Thordarson is expected to decide whether to offer Cizmek a contract or not, in the next few days.
Finnbogason back in action for Celtic
Iceland U-21 international Kjartan Henry Finnbogason played for Celtic which took part in a 7-a-side competition in East Hong Kong at the weekend, reports Morgunblaðið.
The 19-year-old striker scored three of the four goals scored by Celtic and was also awarded the best goal of the competition.
Celtic progressed from a group which included Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, Hong Kong FC and Chinise side Shanghai Shooters but were later knocked out of the competition in the knockout stages.
18-year-old flamboyant midfielder Theodor Elmar Bjarnason also played for Celtic which fielded a young side.
The competition was a delightful end to the season for Finnbogason who has been out for nearly ten months with two consecutive metatarsal injuries.
FH Hafnarfjördur continue solid start to the season
Icelandic Premiership champions FH Hafnarfjördur continued their solid start to the Icelandic Premiership by beating rivals Valur 2-0 away yesterday.
Fótbolti.net predicts: 2nd place – ÍA Akranes
Football is a part of the culture in Akranes. ÍA Akranes always plays football the same, with passion and power. The club is one of the most succesful club in the history of Icelandic football. The workethic is tremendous and the youngsters they put in the side are always outstanding. Their current manager is also a strong steadfast character who knows how to succeed in football.
Strengths: The three muscateers are back; Arnar Gunnlaugsson, Bjarni Gudjonsson and Toddi Gudjonsson have been three of the best Icelandic footballers in the past few years and they will make ÍA Akranes stronger.
The club has however lost their captain Gunnlaugur Jónsson to rivals KR Reykjavík while Reynir Leósson and Finnbogi Llorenz have also left. Leósson and Gunnlaugsson were the first choice center back pairing last season so losing those two is a big blow. New signing Árni Thor Gudmundsson from First Division club HK Kópavogur has been bought as a replacement for Jónsson and he seems solid enough to plug the holes in the defence.
Weaknesses: Losing the center back pairing could prove a major blow as those two are extremely experienced players. Defending could prove a real problem for ÍA Akranes this season.
Players to watch: Seeing the two Gudjonsson brothers and Arnar Gunnlaugsson in the yellow of ÍA again will be a delight. The youngsters such as Ellert Björnsson and Helgi Pétur Magnússon could also have a good season.
Key players: The three old boys returning will be the key to ÍA Akranes´s season but if Árni Thor Gudmundsson handles himself well in defence, he could prove a key player in defence.
Source: Fótbolti.net
Gudjohnsen snr: No Man Utd talks
Eidur Gudjohnsen's father and agent Arnór Gudjohnsen told Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið today that no discussions have taken place with Manchester United about the Iceland international being part of a deal which would take Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to Chelsea.
English tabloid newspaper News of the World reported yesterday that Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon met Nistelrooy's agent Roger Linse in Paris last Wednesday to secure a deal to bring the want-a-way Manchester United striker to Stamford Bridge.
"These stories are just rumours, for now, and there have been no discussions with Manchester United on Eidur's behalf.
"The odds on Eidur leaving Chelsea have certainly increased and we hope his matters will be resolved before the World Cup starts on June 9th.
"It is of course very interesting that a club of Manchester United's stature is being linked to Eidur, but there are however, more big clubs interested," Gudjohnsen snr told Morgunblaðið.
