TFT Issue 171!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
07 Vestur Sorvagurvs HB Torshavn – home win at 2/1.
Today’s featured game is the Meistaradeildin game between newly-promoted 07 Vestur Sorvagur and giants HB Torshavn. On paper, you’d expect HB to win this game and the odds reflect that. However, I don’t see it being anywhere near as cut and dried as that.
07 Vestur Sorvagur are battling relegation because they’re defensively suicidal. They simply concede too many goals, basically. However, when playing at home, they have a remarkably good goalscoring record – they’re actually the fifth highest scoring home side in the division. Then again, with old Clayton Soares up front, that’s no real surprise – he’s a good attacker. Akelsen brings experience to the right flank and Diedhoui provides the muscle in midfield so 07 Vestur Sorvagur are not without good points. Their problem at the back tends to be inexperience with only Jon Nielsen possessing any kind of knowhow. Hell, two of his accomplices – also named Nielsen (it’s a common name in the Faroe Islands!) – are only eighteen so it explains a lot. However, this side really does score goals – they’ve only failed to score in two home games this season and one of those was against Meistaradeildin revelations B36 Torshavn.
Let’s examine what has happened on the two other occasions when 07 Vestur Sorvagur have encountered good sides at home this season, though – that should give us a better insight here. They’ve hosted both EB/Streymur and NSI Runavik and to be fair, they lost both games. They were outclassed by better teams and that’s simply what happens, unfortunately. However, that’s not the end of the analysis because I feel it’s important to note that 07 Vestur Sorvagur didn’t baulk at the prospect of facing better sides. They know their only strength is to attack so they attacked both sides and would you believe it – they bagged five goals over those two games. Goalscoring is simply what they do and they have matured as the season has progressed, even to the extent where they’re improving their displays away from home. I don’t know if it’ll be enough to keep them in the Meistaradeildin but I’m impressed enough to go with them here.
Now, if you know Faroese football at all, you’ll know that HB Torshavn’s midfield is their strongest area. Benjaminsen – no idea why he’s still there, despite his advancing years – very good central midfielder and leader of the team. Samuelsen – lethal pace and trickery on the right wing. Poulsen – great level of creativity. Those three underpin how HB Torshavn perform as a whole. However, their huge problem is that their attack is pretty poor, by their standards. Only old av Flotum scores goals for them and it’s got them into a scenario this season whereby they could even be relegated. Take into consideration their match at home against NSI Runavik a few days ago, for example. They dominated possession in the second-half after being outplayed in the first-half and created extremely little, only testing NSI Runavik from set pieces and long range. In the final third, this HB Torshavn side is woeful and that’s a huge problem. Additionally, winger Samuelsen was stretchered off last match – he’s very unlikely to feature in this game – so this side is now devoid of pace and dribbling. Without that, they’re predictable and poor. Just look at their away record! They’ve scored five goals in six away games this season, which is the joint worst record in the Meistaradeildin. For a huge club, that is absolutely abysmal and they know it, hence the appointment of Clementsen as boss.
Clementsen can’t work miracles, though – he can only work with what is there and what is there is not great. They need to make some signings when the season ends or they face a similarly disappointing season next time around. However, I’m much happier to look at the current situation rather than the variants in future because at the moment, HB Torshavn are sitting ducks. They can have all the possession they want but if they’re not scoring goals then they’re not a threat, in my opinion.
I’ve watched HB Torshavn a few times in the past couple of months and they always look the same – vulnerable at the back, ineffectual in the final third. They’re dangerous if you sit off them but 07 Vestur Sorvagur won’t do that. The hosts are in-your-face, quick, and gung-ho – the exact opponents HB Torshavn hate to face.
With the above in mind, I can’t help but feel that 2/1 on a home win is very long here. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not a banker – but it’s definitely worth a punt because the hosts do score goals and HB Torshavn’s name is no longer enough to strike fear into fellow Faroese sides.
Verdict: 07 Vestur Sorvagur to win at 2/1.