VB-Cup 6/6-09

The Solna Axemen were the toast of Swedish football last Saturday, after retaining the VB Cup for the second year in a row. In what proved to be an exceptionally entertaining tournament, Solna remained undefeated right throughout the competition, before triumphing over Stockholm rivals Södermalm in a hard fought Grand Final.

This year’s tournament was held in the town of Falun in the north of Sweden, and is only the second ever after last year’s inaugural VB Cup in Karlstad. This year’s tournament, which consists of 24 minute, 9-a-side matches between club sides from all over Sweden, was played out by seven teams: Falun, Södermalm, Solna, Bromma, Helsingborg, Port Malmö and Karlstad. In addition the competition also attracted some fringe players from Oslo, Göteborg and Östersund.

The day started with each team playing two group games. Reigning champions Solna Axemen kicked off this year’s cup with a close win over the Helsingborg Saints. With a minute to go the Saints had a two-point lead but then conceding two goals to let the game slip. Meanwhile Bromma Vikings narrowly defeated the Karlstad Eagles by a goal in a low scoring match. In other group matches the Södermalm Blues defeated hosts Falun Diggers, Helsingborg triumphed over Karlstad. Port Malmö accounted for Bromma, and then Solna defeated Falun. The final group match was one of the most anticipated: Södermalm vs. Port Malmö. With both teams highly fancied to reach the Grand Final, this match was always going to have big ramifications for the rest of the tournament, and they did not disappoint. The two sides produced a close hard fought match than could have gone either way. In the end Malmö’s failure to convert cost them and despite nearly twice as many scoring shots (fifteen to Södermalm’s eight), they lost the match by three points.

After the round of group games Solna sat on top of the table ahead of Södermalm on percentage, and consequently earned themselves a spot in the semi finals. Port Malmö, Helsingborg and Bromma, all of whom won one and lost one, took up 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively, while winless Karlstad and Falun took up the bottom two places.

Port Malmö was the next team to progress to the semi finals after dispatching Karlstad, while in the other quarter final Helsingborg accounted for Bromma. Such results were relatively predictable however the third quarter final between Södermalm and Falun came close to producing the upset of the tournament. Competition rules stipulate that teams are penalised with a 5-point handicap for every Australian player fielded. Södermalm’s large Australian contingent, the largest of all participating teams, along with Falun’s vastly inexperienced squad almost entirely made up of native Swedes, meant that Södermalm had to make up for a 25 point deficient before the ball was even bounced. Doggered persistence and a refusal to concede made life difficult for Söder and at half time they found themselves trailing the minnows. But Falun couldn’t maintain their resistance and the Blues ended up winning by 15 points.

The first semi final between Solna and Malmö was another closely fought affair but once again for the luckless Malmö it was the Stockholm team that made the most of their chances and held on for a 3 point win and a birth in the grand final. In the other semi final Helsingborg led for most of the game and a goal half way through the second half almost looked to clinch it for the Saints. But a final push by Södermalm in the dying minutes got them over the line and through to an all Stockholm grand final.

The first half of the Grand Final was dominated by Solna, who took control early and hit Södermalm hard. By half time they held a healthy lead and the game looked as good as over. But to their credit Södermalm came out firing after the break and hit back just as hard. A string of goals and suddenly the Axemen were looking very vulnerable. Solna briefly regrouped and scored a rare second half goal to help gain some breathing space. But Söder refused to concede and kept up the pressure. The final minutes saw some of the most intense football of the whole tournament with players from both sides desperate to keep control of the ball. In the end Södermalm were beaten by the clock. When the final siren went Solna had held onto a two-point lead and thus retained the VB Cup for another year.
It was a classic battle, sure to enter the mythology of the game and live on in the memories of all for as long as they continue to play Aussie Rules in Sweden.

Having gone through the whole tournament undefeated and winning their second VB Cup in a row, Solna have every right to be proud of their achievements and have earned the right to claim the mantle of best club in Sweden. But they will also be painfully aware that very little separated them from Södermalm, Malmö and Helsingborg, and on another day any one of them could have set Solna back. If they want to retain the cup next year then they’ve got their work cut out for them. The game continues to make great strides right throughout Sweden with the standard of football rapidly improving and even more people participating. Soon every club will be looking to knock Solna off their perch.

But until then congratulations Solna Axemen. Also a big thank you to everyone in Falun and Svärdsjö who helped organised a fantastic tournament, and no doubt all participants can express their gratitude for all the hard work that went into making the day such a success.

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Tack till Nic för artikeln!

JS