Rosenborg - Costuleni 3-0. Copa del Sol is over

Yes, we were already out of the tournment before this match, but we played very well indeed. I could see how the team has really enjoyed it. The line-up was the usual 4-3-3, with the three forward that were Mikkelsen, Riku and Soderlund, like the first match against Astra. 
We had several opportunities throughout the course of the match. Such occasions we have had playing a very fast game ( a kind of game that has become the prerogative of Rosenborg) , in an offensive way and running a lot on the wings, but in the meantime we did not neglected the defensive phase. The Costuleni had only one opportunity to score with a header from a corner kick , but the defense has been able to clean up. Rosenborg on the other hand had two great occasions with Soderlund , the better of the first half according to me , which attempted to score with a header in the middle of the penalty area , and later took the bar with a powerful shot . In the second half there was no match : Rosenborg covered well all over the field , with numerous entries inside the area of the midfielder and building a good game, based (after Bille entered) on a filtering passes. The Danish has been able to juggle the ball in midfield , playing behind the wings forward , Sørloth and Riski.
Mr. Hansen has therefore changed, in the course of the match, the line-up , playing with a 4-3-1-2 , which allowed the construction of all three goals . Since Bille came in the Rosenborg has shown more dangerous.

The first goal was scored by Strandberg. There was a corner kick, Strandberg headed the ball and scored the 1-0. Since then only the Rosenborg seemed to play the match. 
The second goal was scored by Bille: Helland took the ball in the area, then passed the ball behind to Bille that shoted a powerful kick and the keeper couldn't do anything to save the ball. 
The action that led to the third goal was started (just for a change) by Bille, who fed the ball to Helland, that made a lob and scored easily.

We made three goal in almost ten minutes, then the match went over: the Costuleni didn't anything to score and Rosenborg controlled the game. 

We went out of the tournment because Astra won against AIK (we would come out of the tournament because we had also lost the head to head against the Astra), but we had played a good match, we won easily, I've to admit, and I liked the way the players played. I'm a bit doubtful about the red card to Strandberg, I didn't understand very well why the referee did it. 

I know that this matches (pre-season friendly matches) are not very important (they aren't important at all) but indeed (like all the other friendly matches all over the world, of course) they're very important to understand what kind of line-up is better to win the matches of our league, or to win in Europe, in order to go in Europa League. I think that the newcome Riski will be very usefull. I'm very doubtful (and I was already the last season) about Soderlund as first string, but Mr Hansen played in this few friendly with him as regular. I'm very happy that Chibuike didn't leave us in this transfer market, because he's very important as playmaker, but also as halfback. With a 4-3-1-2 we are more dangerous on the wings, thanks to players that run a lot, and are able to overcome the opponents easily (like Helland) and with this line-up we're very dangerous also with Bille that is more free to create the actions and make opportunities to score. Chibuike is able to run, create opportunities and intercept balls. The only great problem that I saw also the last season, is that we get tired in the last league matches. This year, then, there is also the World Cup, which will see us without key players such as Mix and Gamboa. We must be careful not to waste our energies at once, in the first few games (this is a task that must be able to do the technical staff),  and it is essential to buy some important reserves in the summer market. Lastly, I think this should be the line-up:






                                            Orlund

Gamboa                 Strandberg         Reginiussen              Dorsin
                            (Moe)                                                (Skjelvik)  

         
     Chibuike                             Mix                                 Svensonn
                                                                                   (Strandberg)                                   

                                             Bille
Helland                                                                   Riski                         
(Soderlund)                                                             (Mikkelsen)

Copa del Sol: Rosenborg - Astra Giurgiu, first defeat

Who is the blame? The third red shirt or the players? 

I think I've an answer. We were wrong in the interpretation of the match. The early stages of the game were not so bad, but we were weak  and they were more physically strong and determined than us. In fact the opponenents had the first opportunity, caused by an error in defence (so many mistakes in this match in defence, we tried to play the ball above us in the penalty area, or near it, in order to have a counter-attack, but instead we lost the ball and made the opponents have opportunities). Fortunately they erred the shot, and Orlund made a save.

We have continued to leave too much space for opponents, like in a corner kick, where they tried a shot from the border of the penalty area and they made an off target shot.

We reacted with Skjelvek, that took the ball neat the border of the penalty area and passed the ball to Svensson that made an assist in the penalty area for Soderlund, that missed the shot.

In this first half it was clear that we were good at taking ball to the opponents, in our 3/4 half field, but we were slow in the counter-attack phase, we missed the ball in their 3/4, because they were quick to place themselves in defence, and they closed all the spaces. We played a poor play, we were not determined, and the only two players that were moving and were doing well were the newcomer Riku Riski and Gamboa, that will have a good second half.

In the second half we made substitutions. In Bille and Dorsin, out Soderlund and Skjelvik.

But in the second half we were still not determined, the Astra instead was in the match. Bille tried to made an assist but Mikkelsen wasn't able to take the ball and go to score. The Astra was determined more than us, in fact they scored with Seto. Our defence were motionless, static, and Seto, instead of pass the ball, tried to shot, Orlund didn't expect that shot and couldn't make a save. 

We were so slow in attack, the opponents gave us many meters to advance but we stopped in their half field, and the only one that tried to move and create opportunity was Riku Riski, but the others were stopped, and didn't make anything to help him. The other one that tried to make opportunity was Gamboa, that tried to shot, starting from the lateral bands and going to the center, like Riku did all along the match, then kicked the ball, but he took the internal post, and the ball went through the borderline but didn't enter in the goal.

It was clear that we had to try to play in the lateral bands, Mr Hansen indeed standed in Helland for Mikkelsen, in order to create opportunity with Riku, also making corner for Bille. It didn't happen. As usual we were very good to overcome the midfield, but we were wrong to create opportunities, playing in the middle and not passing the ball to Riski or Helland. The only one that tried to do this was Gamboa.

Finally, there wasn't a good match, at all, and I think if we don't change our line-up we can't win. We have to play in the lateral bands, that's clear, and that's why we bought Riku, to overcome the opponents on the wings, and cross in the middle for the head of Bille. The same Helland has to do, with his speed, but we still go on this way, and according to me, we still go to lose. Ok, Astra is a good team, but we've to return in Champions League, and in this way, we will not enter in the Europa League, next summer. How can we go on?

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