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.
KR Reykjavík celebrate win over rivals
KR Reykjavík beat fierce rivals ÍA Akranes 2-1 in a hard fought match yesterday evening.
17-year-old striker Gudmundur Reynir Gunnarsson gave KR the lead in the 20th minute but former Bolton and Leicester striker Arnar Gunnlaugsson levelled the game seven minutes later from the penalty spot.
Prolific striker Grétar Hjartarson scored the winning goal for KR six minutes into the second half.
Tempers were high and two players got sent off in the second half; Hjartarson got a second yellow for a rash challenge on ÍA goalkeeper Bjarki Gudmundsson. Gudmundsson however got sent off late in the game for elbowing KR striker Rógvi Jacobsen.
Fótbolti.net predicts: 3rd place – KR Reykjavík
KR Reykjavík have signed two quality players in ÍA Akranes captain, center back Gunnlaugur Jónsson and Fylkir striker Björgólfur Takefusa.
KR Reykjavík played boring and un-productive football last season. It seems like there was something wrong with the players attitude.
The club has brought in a new manager in Teitur Thordarson who has brought professionalism and work ethic to the club.
Thordarson has the pedigree to bring success to the club having enjoyed a succesful career as club manager in Norway and Sweden as well as being the national manager of Estonia and managing Tallin. He’s a very experienced manager.
Strengths: KR Reykjavík is the most succesful club of all time in Icelandic football, 24 league titles and and ten times winners of the Icelandic clubs proves that. The expectations at KR are sky high and they are often to much for some of the players.
At this moment in time the club has four quality strikers in Grétar Hjartarson, Rógvi Jacobsen, Björgólfur Takefusa and Gardar Jóhannsson. Hjartarson is probably the best striker in the league. The goalkeeper Kristján Finnbogason is very experienced and that counts a lot.
The arrival of Gunnlaugur Jónsson in the heart of the defence will also prove vital as he is one of the best Icelandic center backs.
Weaknesses: KR Reykjavík have had poor seasons by their standars in the last few seasons and that could lie heavy on the clubs shoulders.
There are no weaknesses in the side as such but I feel the side lacks pace in the middle of the park. The midfielders often opt to pass sideways which slows down their forward play. If Thordarson managed to get his ideas through to his players the club will have a succesful season.
Players to watch: If midfielder Bjarnólfur Lárusson (formerly at Walsall) can control his temper and stop collecting yellow and red cards he will be usefull. Hjartarson has to have a good season after a poor last season as he is quality (says alot that was chosen by the Iceland manager to play Trinidad and Tobado in February with the likes of Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen and Fulham striker Heidar Helguson).
Key Players: Kristján Finnbogason and Gunnlaugur Jónsson are the key players in the KR Reykjavík side.
Source: Fótbolti.net
16-year-old Illugason scores on Premiership debut
Breiðablik continued their impressive start to the Icelandic Premiership as they romped to emphatic 4-1 win over ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar today.
American defender Jonah Long gave ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar the lead in the 20th minute by scoring straight from a corner kick.
Norwegian defender Stiig Haaland equalized for Breiðablik in the 38th minute.
The score remained 1-1 at the interval.
The home side, Breiðablik, proceeded to control the second half from start to finish with striker Marel Baldvinsson proving a real handful for the ÍBV defence as he went on to net a brace, scoring in the 61st and the 70th minute.
It was however sixteen year old Viktor Unnar Illugason, making his Premiership debut today, who grabbed the headlines. The striker came on as a late substitute and went on to score in the 90th minute to make the score 4-1 to Breiðablik, becoming one of the youngest ever players to score in the Premiership. The talented youngster slotted the ball past ÍBV´s keeper after beating the offside trap.
Illugason is regarded as one of the most talented young strikers to come out of Iceland for a long while and it will be interesting following his progress in the Premiership this season.
Fylkir beat Grindavík to go top of the Premiership
Two games were in the Icelandic Premiership last night. Keflavík beat Víkingur 2-1 at home while Fylkir enjoyed a 2-1 win over Grindavík. Fylkir have started the season in good form and currently top the league with 6 points from the first two games.
Mourinho ready to let Eidur go
Chelsea manager José Mourinho today revealed he is ready to listen to offers for Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Mourinho said he is ready to make sacrifices for the good of the team as he bids to keep the Chelsea squad well-balanced.
"The position with Eidur is that he is a great football player," hailed Mourinho.
"We want to keep him but we are open to speak with clubs about him if they show a real interest in him."
Gudjohnsen’s availability is likely to spark widespread interest throughout the Premiership and across the continent.
It is believed that Manchester United, Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers are amongst those interested in the 27-year-old.
Source: Sky Sports
Notts County miss out on Sodje
Notts County manager Gudjon Thordarson has failed to bring striker Akpo Sodje to Meadow Lane, reports Nottingham Evening Post.
The Darlington forward met Thordarson last week in Nottingham and agreed a deal, promising to sign when he returned from holiday.
But his agent has now told Notts County that the 26-year-old will not be joining. It is understood he has a move lined up to League One side Port Vale.
"We have been chasing players but, not only that, we had an agreement with one and he broke it.
"It has upset me because he came in with his agent and his girlfriend and we agreed everything.
"He wanted to wrap things up as he was going to Nigeria for a wedding or some family event and he said he was going to get things sorted at the Darlington end and then come in and sign.
"He was one of a few I was chasing so we have to move on and keep going with the others. The work does not stop," Thordarson told Nottingham Evening Post.
Fylkir suffer goalkeeper blow
Fylkir have suffered a major blow to their start of the Icelandic Premiership campaign with the loss of goalkeeper Fjalar Thorgeirsson because of a suspected cruciate ligament injury, reports Dagblaðið.
"I didn´t twist my knee. I was sliding towards the ball but two seconds later the opposing player slammed against my knee.
"So much for protecting the goalkeeper," dissapointing Thorgeirsson told Dagblaðið yesterday.
