Asunto: »NT Friendlies

Unofficial U21 World Cup qualification match: Uruguay vs Island

For me, for us, this is one of the most important matches in this season. I think if we can get three points from Uruguay then we qualify to U21 WC.
In Sokker ranking Uruguay is surprisingly behind us, but those rankings doesn`t mean anything. Their players are stronger than ours, because they have been here longer than us. They also have ten times more users than Island.

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In last U21 match Uruguay played against Shweiz and lost 4:0. Good news to us is that their best striker Alonso David is injured. But sad news is that Jon Bjelland, one of our best strikers is also injured.
My tactic against them is almost ready, I have 2 of them. So I`ll pick one...Dewb, who is the manager of Uruguay NT makes different tactics for each match, so it is pretty hard to predict their tactics.

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Most of our best players are in great form.
Good luck to us. Losing against them will be a disappointing for me. I`ll probably will use 90% same line-up as in last match.
(editado)

Tomorrow`s line-up:

Bent Thorsen
Gustav Sveinbjörnsson
Viðar Sæmundsson
Jónharður Kristófersson
Matthías Guðfinnsson
Viktor Stokka
Gerður Petersson
Jón Ingi Emilsson
Reynir Þórhallsson
Olgeir Guðgeirsson
Jørgen Eggen
Even Dybdal
Finn Sjøberg
Atli Már Thomasson
Kent Rønne
Bragi Erlingsson
(editado)

4751268

Check him and you`ll probably say "wow"!:)

I used him last Saturday against Suomi without knowing his skills. He was playing in the bot team.
And now happened what I expected - he went on TL. Because this bot team was given to new manager:)

Happy day!:)

About today`s match. I am going to use a different tactics which was on my mind and saved yesterday. I decided that way, because this previous tactics was bit risky.

I just have to come here, because I saw what magnificent job vilpu did...

Really nice scoutting with bot teams, this is something what every new ountry need's when they get own national team's

Kristinn Sturlaugsson, really nice scoutting...

Thanks for that.

I am so pissed off at the moment. We lost 3:1. What makes me mad, are first two goals.
why our wingers were playing so high.
In some places even as high as strikers.
I didn´t put the so high. I suspect tactical discipline has sth to do with that. I got my lesson this time.

We had 2-3 great chances on the first half, where our players had 1 on 1 chansce against the keeper. We didn`t use them and we lost.

I am sorry for the loss.
(editado)

Line-up against Switzerland

Olgeir Guðgeirsson
Jónharður Kristófersson
Jørgen Eggen
Gustav Sveinbjörnsson
Gerður Petersson
Atli Már Thomasson
Finn Sjøberg
Even Dybdal
Kristinn Sturlaugsson
Jón Ingi Emilsson
Steinar Orrason
Viðar Sæmundsson
Bragi Erlingsson
Reynir Þórhallsson
Bent Thorsen
Matthías Guðfinnsson

First time in this season I am going to use a kamikaze tactics, it means I will big risks in this match. You ask why?
We have nothing to lose tomorrow. We need to win, but it will be difficult, because our opponent is very strong. At the moment we still have theoretical chances to go through to next round in U21 World Cup.

All our most important players are healty. Only Jon Bjelland has a low form, therefore I won`t use him this time.

Good luck to us!

GOOD LUCK ISLAND !!!

Very courageous your tactic, you had nothing to lose and you had to try something.
But your players are not good enough yet, and even though I had to be very careful with my tactic.

I supposed that you're gonna play with a tactic like the one you're using with your club ...
My defense also played very high, resulting in many offside on both sides and in a not very good match ;-)

But Island is improving like the matches against Finland and Uruguay have shown!
Keep going, I wish you all the best for the next games, we'll see us again on March 10th, you'll get much stronger till then and I'm very much looking forward to your improving and to the game! ;-)
(editado)

Very courageous your tactic, you had nothing to lose and you had to try something.
But your players are not good enough yet, and even though I had to be very careful with my tactic.

I had to take my chances, we had nothing to lose. I know it was bit risky to use this kind of tactics against opponent who is stronger than us. Your strikers were with high def skill? I am just wondering how did they take ball from some of our defenders - for example from Dybdal and Thomasson.
Good luck to you too for future matches. Give us couple of season and then we are ready to beat you:)

Yesterday I didn´t have time to watch the match and I did it now.
First half was awful. In my NT manager career it had to be the worst 45min I have ever seen. But you can all blame for me doing this kind of tactics.

I used off-side trap tactics because we had nothing to lose and I was just curious how would it work. I am testing those tactics, because next season will start World Cup Qualification phase. This is my aim at the moment, to test different game styles.
Well, back to our match now. We didn`t have any decent chances to open our score in the first half. Shweiz strikers where in some point on the same line with our defenders, The moment our defs got the ball, Shweiz striker took it away and ran towards the goal.

Second half was bit better thanks to Bent Thorsen. He had couple of shots. If Bent would get some pace training, then he could be serious threat th everybody who play against us. He was also man of the match.

Next week we are up against Turkey.
This time it won´t be U21 match anymore.

I agree with you, probably you'd have lost anyway, doesn't matter which tactic you chose because our players are logically better than yours.

As I knew how your tactic was gonna be, I tried to position my stikers very high and not let them run into offside all the time. That worked very well, and since their defender skill is around solid, they could take the ball from your defenders and because my strikers also have enough technique, it was impossible for your defenders to tackle them ...

And especially on the second half you also saw that my winger could use his pace to run down the outline without getting tackled, which means that this defender has not enough pace.

But anyway, you can't have a perfect team within this short time Island is existing ;-)

You're doing a great job, I saw that many players are in great teams and will get maximum training, so it doesn't look bad for the future! :-)

Good luck for the next games!

And especially on the second half you also saw that my winger could use his pace to run down the outline without getting tackled, which means that this defender has not enough pace.

Most of our defenders are slow, but most important, they have really low stamina.

You're doing a great job, I saw that many players are in great teams and will get maximum training, so it doesn't look bad for the future! :-)

This is true, I have done as much as i could. Of course I have to thank all NT players` owners, they are doing good job.

Island fixtures:

27-01-2007: Turkey
03-02-2007 :República Dominicana
10-02-2007: South Africa
17-02-2007: Bolivia
24-02-2007:
03-03-2007: Ireland
10-03-2007: Switzerland
17-03-2007:

Some matches will be against teams on the same level as we are. I can´t only play with the world class NT`s.

Line-up against Turkey:

Jørgen Eggen
Gustav Sveinbjörnsson
Ásgrímur Viggósson
Viðar Sæmundsson
Even Dybdal
Atli Már Thomasson
Gerður Petersson
Jón Ingi Emilsson
Olgeir Guðgeirsson
Robert Strand
Eyþór Hafþórsson
Ingimar Ómarsson
Bent Thorsen
Halfdan Ludvigsen
Matthías Guðfinnsson
Finn Sjøberg

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Tomorrow we are playing a friendly against very strong Turkey. Only thing which amazes me is that Turkey is on the 57. place in world. They have great players, but are so behind. I have to mention the fact, that those rankings doesn`t show a thing.
As I can Turkey has at least brilliant-magical defenders. Their best goalkeeper is at least unearthly in keeping.

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All Island players are in pretty good shape. K.Sturlaugsson is only player I can´t use. He is injured and won´t healty for the match. I am trying new tactic against Turkey. I can only reveal that I am playing again with five defenders. But that is logical and shouldn`t be big surprise to nobody. My aim is to score at least on goal. Hopefully my tactic will work fine. Good luck to us for tomorrow!

Maybe you should use my Bergþór Dagbjartsson, he knows too much about Turkish football. :Pp

I could use him, but he has no technique:)

Btw, what are you training at the moment?

I give him pm for the moment. But I am not talking about his skills, I am talking about his experience in Turkey. :Pp