The Swedish champions began the match with high pressing and intense aggression, and it took some time for Tromsø to find their footing. However, once they did, they created a couple of opportunities that didn’t result in anything significant. An enthusiastic Kim Marius Aksum pushed Mjällby players forward. The intense match reached a boiling point after half an hour due to a fierce tackle from Jacob Bergström, who was shown a yellow card, though it could easily have been a different color. Minutes later, the best chance of the half came from a well-executed free kick by Elliot Stroud that Tromsø’s keeper, Jakob Haugaard, had to tip over the bar. Tromsø created a few half-chances toward the end of a balanced half filled with tough, physical football.

In the second half, Tromsø started to control more of the game, particularly after 60 minutes when both teams made several substitutions. The decisive moment came in the 78th minute when Lars Olden Larsen had enough time to slot in the only goal of the match. The coaches from both teams, hailing from the northernmost part of Norway, agreed after the game that they enjoyed the physical and intense play. The match-winner commented with a smile that he had perhaps too much time before scoring. Coach Jørgen Vik summarized it all by saying that despite some challenges with the weather, he was very satisfied with the stay, especially with the two intense matches in The Atlantic Cup.

Text: Dag Solheim