The Icelandic national team in football lost 3-2 against Israel in a friendly game in Tel Aviv yesterday. The game had a terrible start for Iceland but two of the youngest players managed to help the team strike back.
Another Icelandic football team, playing at the national stadium in Iceland. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
“The score was 2-0 for Israel after only 13 minutes and then they scored the third goal in the 27th minute, so it looked pretty bad,” Iceland’s coach Ólafur Jóhannesson told Fréttabladid after the game. “But we managed to strike back in the second half and save face.”
Israel scored the first goal after Indridi Sigurdsson of Iceland lost the ball and the second after the ball was simply grabbed from Hermann Hreidarsson, who was serving as sweeper. Omer Dameri scored both goals—it was his first national game for Israel.
“The first two goals were a given—plain beginners’ mistakes,” Jóhannesson commented. Sigurdsson and Hreidarsson are two of Iceland’s most experienced players.
“We were in trouble. The Israelis play a light and efficient game and know how to stretch out the team. We changed the strategy in the second half, played further back on the field and tightened the center. Then we were more successful,” the coach described.
Alfred Finnbogason scored his first goal for the Icelandic team yesterday and played a big part in the second goal as well, which was scored by Kolbeinn Sigthórsson.
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