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The opening ceremony takes place in the stunning Ullevi Stadium where all the participating nations are paraded, yet, compered as it was on this occasion by the Swedish equivalent of Terry Wogan and a fifteen year old teen pop star no one had ever heard of, the occasion tested the patience of even the most loyal Europhile!
Though we dominated the first half of our opening game against the Swedish side, Alvsborgs, they were well organised. We were considerably weakened by the loss of one of our players who was to take no further part in the competition and the game ended in a goalless draw.
Our next game against SVE92, a club side from Paris that went on to the latter stages of the competition, saw some tireless play in midfield and Harry MacDonald in goal was outstanding but were unable to create any significant chances and we lost 1-0.
The matches come thick and fast and we were out again later that same afternoon – this time against IFK Valla. Playing on a tidy pitch in front of a small crowd, we were unable to penetrate the opposing defence and the game ended goalless.
The goal drought finally ended against Lundsby, another tough Swedish side. Thunder, rain and lightening provide a spectacular backdrop to two excellent goals from Walters.
The same day, we were pitched against another Swedish side, Masthuggets. A late kick off due to some unnecessary objections about the match ball ignited passion that, up until now, had lain dormant. Our Scandinavian friends were given the opportunity to muse over the condition of the ball as they picked it out of the back of their net – twice! Good goals from Green (Captain) and Cox secured us a much needed victory.
Although spirits were high for our next match against Bosnia-Sarajevo, within minutes we had leaked a soft goal. Bosnia-Sarajevo were not playing sophisticated football but their route one strategy was working very effectively with their oversized striker eluding his markers. Two nil down at half time; all looked lost and spirits were low. However, Will Hooker brought on as an early substitute in the second half pulled one back. As we threw everyone forward for the equalizer, we were left vulnerable at the back and an opportunistic counter attack sealed our fate: final score, 3-1.
It was a disappointing conclusion, yet our participation in this Youth World Cup has lots of positive ramifications for the continued development of football at Marlborough. |