5-0 win against Vålerenga
Head coach Ståle Solbakken named an unchanged startingline-up from FCK’s 5-0 win on Monday, as the club warmed up for the first gamein the Cope del Sol tournament.
by Joe Short
Although the team was the same, the environment was certainly different. A balmy 13ºc met the players in southern Spain, compared to the bitter Danish winter endured earlier in the week. The tournament isacting as a mid-season warm up for the club as the squad prepares for their first competitive match of the spring against Chelsea come February.
Action was scarce in the opening phases of the game, until Zdenek Pospech chose his moment to bound forward. The right back exchanged aneat one-two with Christian Bolaños in the Vålerenga box and slotted there sulting finish coolly past LarsHirschfeld to give FCK the lead.
Czech effort almost doubles lead
Muted celebrations were all Pospech received, as the Lions quickly praised him on a job well done and got back to their formations. Indeed, they needed to be alert, as their Norwegian opponents pushed hard after the goal. Johan Wiland got down well to prevent Luton Shelton from finishing,while at the other end Pospech almost doubled his tally with one of his prolific long-range strikes that crashed off the crossbar to safety.
As the first half progressed Copenhagen began to takecontrol of the game. Therefore it came with some surprise when Morten Berre nipped in behind Oscar Wendt on a corner to equalise for the Tippeligaen side. The scores were even for only two minutes however, as FCK immediately turned up the pressure. A MartinVingaard corner swooped in on 43 minutes and found César Santin, unmarked, who tapped in possibly the simplest goal he will ever score.
Grønkjær’s immediate impact
Whereas Solbakken opted to completely overhaul the starting XI against Vejle on Monday afternoon, the half time whistle brought no such action this time. Only one change was made at half time – Vingaard for Jesper Grønkjær – and the veteranwinger needed little time to make his mark on the game. Dame N’Doye tricked hisway past two defenders to play Grønkjær in, who placed the ball home with easeto make it 3-1.
Although the majority of play was with the Danish champions, Wiland still kept himself warm: most notably with a spider-like save just before the hour mark. The stop proved worthwhile, as five minutes later Santin got his second of the game.Grønkjær played a wonderful cross-field ball to Pospech on the right, whoattacked the box and passed across to Bolaños. The Costa Rican showed his usual flair by dummying a shot, selling the defender so that Santin had the goal allto himself.
Cinco thanks to Zohore
Solbakken continued with various substitutions as the match progressed, one of whom –Kenneth Zohore – made thorough use of his appearance. The KB protégé lined up a free kick with four minutes on the clock remaining, which deflected off a loneVålerenga boot to spin into the opposite corner of Hirschfeld’s goal.
The 5-1 scoreline will no doubt have pleased Solbakken, as his squad looks to increase the intensity of their play ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash with Chelsea. The desire to go forward down both wings will be a certain plus pointfrom the afternoon’s performance, while the defense looked resolute bar Vålerenga’s opportunistic goal.
