Last season Rosenborg made history as the first ever team to go through a domestic season without losing, while they had one single defeat in the 2009 season (after the league title had already been won). 1 defeat in 63 games – with two league championships - seemed to signal that the club was about to embark on another long and complete domination of Norwegian football. Instead, they are second from bottom after 3 games, their first point at home against last Lillestrøm being a mixture of the absolutely ridiculous and sublime. While their fixtures has not been the easiest, there is something more fundamentally wrong with Jan Jönsson; an defensive backbone that has been ripped out through departures and replaced with lesser quality, a loss of literally decades of experience in Roar Strand and Steffen Iversen, and a midfield that is struggling to find the right balance both in formation and personnel.
Rade Prica almost bailed them out after scoring all 4 goals in the game against Lillestrøm, after being 3-1 down with 30 minutes to go. But Rosenborg shot themselves in the foot in injury time, allowing a late equaliser from Frode Kippe. Maybe more worryingly, it was the first time since June 2002 they had a home attendance of less than 12 000. They still have a squad and first XI good enough to challenge for the title, but an away game to a very confident Fredrikstad team has suddenly become more significant than anybody would have thought before the season.
The beatable league
As if wanting to make sure that Rosenborg’s unbeaten season last year would not be repeated, Norwegian teams have gone out of their way to be inconsistent this season. With Vålerenga losing on the Friday and Brann the following day, the last two unbeaten teams faced each other last Sunday. Tromsø lived up to their stereotype – solid – and dispatched Start 2-0, leaving them top of the league and the only team still unbeaten. After 3 rounds. A trip to what is probably the weakest team in the league this season, Sogndal, awaits them this weekend. In any normal season, the expectation would be for their unbeaten run to be extended, but you won’t find me putting any money against a home win. Nothing is what it seems so far this season, and there would be no major surprise if the last unbeaten team in Tippeligaen 2011 falls this Sunday.
Boring, boring Lillestrøm
Solid defensively. Lacks creativity going forward. Relies on set-pieces to score chances. Henning Berg as a manager. All the indications from the last few seasons pointed to another underwhelming, slightly boring season from Lillestrøm. Instead they are on one of the most ridiculous runs in you’ll ever see. A 7-0 away win to Stabæk was followed by an equally head-scratching 4-1 loss at home to Bergen.
Not content with that swing in performance between matches, they decided to again defiantly laugh in face of consistency away to a wounded Rosenborg side. After taking both a 1-0 and 3-1 lead, they collapsed in the last 30 minutes and let Rade Prica put the home side in front with under a minute to go. There were always going to be one last twist with Lillestrøm, with the captain Frode Kippe securing a 4-4 draw in injury time after a corner. Typical. Next up is an away game to their fiercest rivals Vålerenga, maybe the most hateful game in the whole of Norwegian football. After 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss, with a 12-8 goal difference, Henning Berg would surely be happy with a simple, boring 1-0.
The old guys still have it
The first round of Tippeligaen was symbolised by youth, most noticeable by the four teenage players who all got on the score-sheet. Obviously annoyed by these pesky kids, a much older generation of Norwegian strikers showed that they will be just as important for their respective teams this season. Erik Nevland has somehow become 33 years old and opened his account off the season against the team managed by his (very briefly) former strike partner at Manchester United, a certain Mr. Solskjær. Ole Martin Årst is now a respectable 36 years but is still very much the leading man at Start, slotting home the opening goal from the spot in their 5-1 demolition of Strømsgodset. Frode Johnsen is a year older and marked his return from the J-league with one of Odd Grenland’s four goals away to Sogndal.
However, the Godfather of Norwegian strikers is undoubtedly Sigurd Rushfeldt. At an very impressive 38 years, he has had his eye on Harald Brattbakk’s all-time league scoring record for the last couple of seasons. A goal in each of the last two games against Molde and Start has taken the Tromsø striker to 165 goals, one behind Brattbakk. In 277 games that is a very impressive achievement, Brattbakk’s 166 in 256 showing what an incredible effective and ultimately underrated striker the former Celtic player actually was. Rushfeldt will surely overtake him this season, but was is less certain is when Rushfeldt will call it a day, especially with his Tromsø side having a generation of players that is now more than capable to win the club’s first ever league title.
Week 2 results: (please excuse the formatting isssues)
Vålerenga 2-0 Ålesund
Fegor Ogude 28
Bojan Zajic 61
Attn: 13 476
Fredrikstad 0-1 Viking
Tomasz Sokolowski 79
Attn: 9 005
Molde 2-2 Tromsø
Papa Pate Diouf 17 Sigurd Rushfeldt 3
Davy Claude Angan 56 Kara 59
Attn: 8782
Haugesund 4-2 Sarpsborg 08
Jacob Vittrup Sørensen 19 Ole Christoffer Heieren 78
Thomas Braathen Sørum 48 Joachim Jørgensen 81
Erik Lundanes Josvik 60 (OG)
Nicola Djurdjic 67 (pen)
Attn: 4727
Sogndal 1-4 Odd Grenland
Eirik Bakke 43 Torgier Børven 3
Jone Samuelsen 60
Frode Johnsen 71
Erik Midtgaarden 84
Attn: 3042
Start 5-1 Strømsgodset
Ole Martin Årst 10 (pen) Alexander Aas 90
Espen Fjone Børufsen 53
Espen Hoff 55
Kim Andre Madsen 62 (OG)
Rolf Daniel Vikstøl 82
Attn: 7507
Rosenborg 1-2 Stabæk
Mushaga Bakenga 6 Jørgen Paulov Hammer 2
Gilles Ondo 75
Attn: 12 125
Lillestrøm 1-4 Brann
Anthony Ujah 29 Kim Ojo 7
Diego Guastavino 10
Zsolt Korcsmar 43
Birkir Mar Sævarsson 69
Attn: 7416
Player of the Week: Diego Guastavino, Brann
Week 3 results:
Stabæk 1-0 Vålerenga
Stefan Strandberg 38 (OG)
Attn: 11 053
Brann 0-1 Fredrikstad
Celso Borges 5
Attn: 15 501
Strømsgodset 2-0 Odd Grenland
Ola Kamara 37
Jo Inge Berget 71
Attn: 5109
Sarpsborg 08 1-0 Sogndal
Jo Nymo Matland 2
Attn: 4084
Tromsø 2-0 Start
Mostafa Abdellaoue 72
Sigurd Rushfeldt 78
Attn: 4 328
Aalesund 1-0 Haugesund
Demar Phillips 19
Attn: 8963
Rosenborg 4-4 Lillestrøm
Rade Prica 27, 62 (pen), Erling Knudtzon 16
70, 89 Trond Olsen 46 (OG)
Nosa Igiebor 50
Frode Kippe 90
Attn: 11717
Viking 2-2 Molde
Erik Nevland 30 Davy Claude Angan 4, 78
Valon Berisha 36
Attn: 10 105
Player of the week: Rade Prica, Rosenborg
Top Scorers:
5 goals: Anthony Ujah, Lillestrøm
4 goals: Rade Prica, Rosenborg
3 goals: Sigurd Rushfeldt, Tromsø
Nosa Igiebor, Lillestrøm
2 goals: Bojan Zajic, Vålerenga
Espen Hoff, Start
Mushaga Bakenga, Rosenborg
Kim Ojo, Brann
Celso Borges, Fredrikstad
Jo Nymo Matland, Sarpsborg 08
Demar Phillips, Aalesund
Ola Kamara, Strømsgodset
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