BACK TO EARTH ON KOLBOTN TURF   2nd May 2009

After a hectic three game schedule in the first weeks of the League we had had the last two weeks without a match. The respite was not good for us and our lack of match fitness really showed. Team Strommen lost to Kolbotn 1 - 0 yesterday evening.

Even though we have been training and practicing there is nothing like a game to keep you sharp, and in this match, we were anything but. Of course, the other team also had the same period of rest, so my excuse sounds rather lame even to my ears. However, I don't really know what else to say.

We lost to Kolboltn by a single goal yesterday, and the loss stung. The Kolboltn team plays on grass, well bits of it anyway, in between the dirt, while our team is used to playing at our home ground on field turf. On Kolbotn's bumpy grass, we just could not get our touches under us.

If we want better results, we are going to have to train a little more on grass, as the reaction we had to it yesterday was plain frightening. This should not detract from the Kolbotn team's performance. They ran their butts off and they harassed us constantly. But, make no mistake about it; we lost this game and they did not win it except on the scroeboard where it counts.

Their joy in defeating us was a good indication that they had not really expected to win. As the final whistle blew, they had a pile and ran around in a circle while singing. I made sure to watch. I don't ever want to hear or see anything like that again.

We could have won the game even with our inept performance. We had some great scoring opportunities in the game, two of which I still I can't believe didn't go in. But, that is how things happen sometimes. The worst part is the fact that we played as individuals and we never supported one another.

While I was visiting Sweden last week, I watched a match between Sweden and Brazil's women's teams. One of the main reasons Sweden was able to demolish Brazil was that they played the game as a team and ran for one another, while Brazil relied on their stars to get the job done, and they never played as a unit. It was interesting to watch this happen. It was not so interesting to be playing in a game where the same thing happened to us.

Now it is back to the drawing board for the Club and there is not much time to sulk or prepare, as we have another game on Tuesday, this time against Fortuna Alusund, bottom of the table.