FH - HK (04-08-2021)

 

(you are correct, this is not the ticket from this game -- see below)

 

Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar (FH) is one of the many teams in the top division, the Úrsfeldeild karta (or, more commercially, Pepsi-deild karta, that is from the capitol Reykjavik, although many are from small towns that have become absorbed by the Capitol city more recently. This is also the case for FH, which is situated in Hafnarfjörður, in the southern part of the city. I am taken to the game by an Icelandic professor, who is a board member and knows absolutely everyone at the club. We arrive more than an hour early and I meet everyone, from the chairman to the coach.

 

Like most Icelandic clubs, FH has an indoor stadium and a outdoor stadium. Kaplakriki stadium is really nice, as the pitch is a bit lower than the rest of the ground, giving it a valley feeling. There is one big, covered stand and one smaller uncovered stand (which is not used for today’s game). The stadium holds 6,000, of which 3,500 can be seated.

 

There are no real tickets, as you pay through an app. I get a ticket from a recent European game as a souvenir (see above). There are some 600 people, I guesstimate, mostly dressed in black winter clothes, a decent mix in terms of ages and gender. There are also some 100 away supporters from HK (Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs), a team from a town just south of Reykjavik, so they only had a 10 minute drive. The drums and chants come from a small group of young FH kids (ca. 12 year old).

 

In the first minute HK loses the ball and a great through ball is finished cool by the striker: 1-0. An incredible start. Two minutes later HK has a very good chance but the weak header from about 5 meters goes wide. In the 6^th minute an FH defender just gives the ball away outside of the box and with one pass the HK striker can put the ball past the goalie: 1-1.

 

After the crazy start it become a bit more boring. But in the 17^th minute a HK cross is missed by everyone except for a player at the end, who finishes from close up: 1-2. What a crazy game. In the 30^th minute FH comes back, however. An attack over many players in the box, never really under control, is finished with a deflected shot: 2-2

 

Overall, the movement and formation of both teams are weak, the passing is really poor. And this despite the really beautiful real grass pitch. What surprises me is the theater, big dives, and loud shouts over little to nothing (particularly by HK players). More Southern than Northern European.

 

FH has completely imploded. They have so many poor passes, particularly by defenders at dangerous spots. The game is getting testy now, in part because the referee doesn’t communicate well. In the first minute of extra time, HK puts a winger alone in front of the goalie, he gets around him, and scores in tight space: 2-3. This is also the half time score.

 

 

It takes almost ten minutes in the second half for the first good attack, but this one, from the visitors, is deadly. An excellent cross is headed in from close range (poor defending) and the score is 2-4.

 

As the rain intensifies, attacking gets harder and defending easier. In the 66^th minute a low cross of FH hits a sliding HK player’s arm. Home fans get very angry that FH doesn’t get a penalty and I think they are right. A minute later a rebound is shot in the top corner, but the HK goalie makes a beautiful safe. After that it gets messier and testier with fewer real chances. The quality of the game has gone down even further. Everything is so predictable and defensive.

In the end, 2-4 is also the final score. A remarkable result after a 1-0 lead in the first minute. The experience was quite enjoyable, however. FH has a nice, small town club atmosphere.