Scoutmania

Samsung völlurinn (Garðabær, Iceland). Stjarnan met UMF Afturelding in the closing game of Matchday 16 in the Besta deild karla (highest tier in Iceland), and won it at the end by the final score 4-1.

Both teams took their stable places in the middle of the table, as Garðabær based home team Stjarnan was in the 6th position (with twenty one points collected) before the match, while UMF Afturelding on the guests’ side, from the town of Mosfellsbær, was waiting for the clash from the 7th place (with its nineteen points) – so the pre-match predictions indicated a tense game.

Stjarnan, led by Jökull Elísabetarson, started the game in 4-1-4-1 formation. Dominant and confident short passing and ball possession based game was the priority, with taking the advantages of the team’s mobility by lots of positional changes and off-ball movements in the midfield, as well as in one row up. The pressing (regarding of its intensity) was especially increased in the second half, as they knew that for the opponents, who were reduced to ten men, will take a lot of energy to defend. Former Icelandic international player Samúel Friðjónsson (who played in the Number 6 position) delivered long throw-ins (from both sides), which definitely turned to be promising and supportive actions.

UMF Afturelding, coached by Magnus Már Einarsson, opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation. They took the lead early in the match, but from the 40th minute, the main focus had to be on the strong and elevated defending, as the team was being down to ten men. With a tactical change made immediately (in the 42nd minute), the coach has indicated that his plan is to keep the 4-defender back line. As Friðjónsson on the opposition side delivered long balls to the middle by throw-ins, this kind of ‘weapon’ was also available for UMF Afturelding – left winger Hrannar Snær Magnússon was the one who used them, to offer support for the team’s offensive play. The guest team should be praised for their great attitude, and also for keeping the lead with one player less, for a considerable period of time.

UMF Afturelding took the lead in the 11th minute, by the deflected (right-footed) shot of Þórður Gunnar Hafþórsson (0-1). In the 51st minute (with being reduced to ten men), away player Hrannar Snær Magnússon had an opportunity to increase the lead to two goals, but this chance was missed. In the 55th minute, Adolf Daði Birgisson, right midfielder of Stjarnan, equalized the score from very close (1-1). Fifteen minutes later, the advantage was with the home team – striker Andri Rúnar Bjarnason found the opposition net by his header (as you can see by the two images below), with the great assist of Benedikt Warén (2-1). In the 75th and 84th minutes of the game, Stjarnan’s two substitution players Guðmundur Baldvin Nökkvason (central midfielder) and Örvar Eggertsson (right winger) also rattled the net (3-1 & 4-1), so the home team has collected all the three points at the end, by a significant difference.

(Stjarnan striker Andri Rúnar Bjarnason with his goal – 2-1 for the home side)

Although the match was not particularly aggressive, the referee Sigurður Hjörtur Þrastarson had to show the yellow card ten times – in addition, the red card once.

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