Total Pageviews

Thursday, August 8, 2013

I-69 TAKE THE 2013 GREENLAND WOMEN'S TITLE

The Greenlandic town of Ilulissat may be better-known for its nearby glaciers and playing host to innumerable TV crews from all corners of the world covering the effects of global warming than it is for anything else, but local club I-69's women's team put the town on the map for an entirely different reason last weekend by winning the Greenland national women's championship play-offs after defeating NÛK 2:1 in an entertaining final.

As with the men's tournament, the women's competition's final stages are played out at a central venue, and this year's get-together took place in the village of Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island, home to local club Disko 76, who had won the competition once before back in 1994. 

Five teams took part in a round-robin competition this year, with the top two teams progressing to the final, while those teams finishing in third and fourth places had to make do with a play-off for third place. Apart from I-69 and Disko 76, IT-79 and NÛK, both from the national capital, Nuuk, and FC Malamuk, this year's most northerly representatives from the village of Uummannaq, completed the line-up.

Since Disko 76's win in 1994, no club apart from NÛK or I-69 had won the Greenland women's national championship..and the recipe would be repeated this time around, too.

I-69, pre-tournament favourites to lift the trophy, certainly showed their credentials in the group stage, thrashing IT-79 9:0, remaining undefeated throughout, though NÛK ran them close, just the one goal in favour of I-69 separating the two teams in their group match. 

The other Nuuk team, IT-79, were to have a desperately unhappy tournament, finishing bottom with no points, no goals scored and 24 conceded. FC Malamuk were to fare little better, though they did record one win against hapless IT-79, which was enough to take them through to the third-place play-off, where they were to meet the tournament hosts on 3/8/13, having lost 5:0 to them the day before in the final group match.

FC Malamuk were to lose the battle for third place against Disko 76, though the result this time round was a lot closer than that of the day before, finishing up 3:2 to the hosts, with local girl Arnarissoq Møller being named as player of the match. It was Disko 76's third third-place finish in four years (with a fourth-place finish in 2011).

The final itself, between I-69 and NÛK, who were hoping to add to their eight national title wins, took place later the same day, and it was a revenge mission for I-69, as they had finished second to NÛK in the final group phase in 2011 and lost 3:1 to them in the final in 2012. I-69 had to work hard for their eleventh title, coming from a goal down to defeat the team from the capital to be crowned national women's champions.

There was to be some consolation for NÛK as Laila Platou was named player of the tournament, and the most technically-gifted player on show. Karo Dahl, meanwhile, from Disko 76, was named as the most determined player of the tournament. NÛK were to have five players named in the tounament's Best XI, but the most important accolade - that of national champions - was heading up north to Ilulissat, thanks to the girls in yellow. 

There is, of course, always the chance that the men's team could make it a double celebration as they have also qualified for the final stages of the men's competition, to be held during the next fortnight or so, but the ladies have set an impressive benchmark, and good luck to them, too.

Please find below the results, and other, miscellaneous, information relating to the 2013 Damernes GM.




ROUND-ROBIN STAGE

29/7/13 16:00 I-69 5:0 FC Malamuk
29/7/13 18:00 IT-79 0:5 Disko 76
30/7/13 16:00 I-69 1:0 NÛK
30/7/13 18:00 FC Malamuk 4:0 IT-79
31/7/13 16:00 I-69 4:0 Disko 76
31/7/13 18:00 FC Malamuk 0:7 NÛK
1/8/13   16:00 I-69 9:0 IT-79
1/8/13   18:00 Disko 76 0:6 NÛK
2/8/13   16:00 IT-79 0:6 NÛK
2/8/13   18:00 FC Malamuk 0:5 Disko 76



TEAM
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
PTS
GD
I-69
4
4
0
0
19
0
12
19
NÛK
4
3
0
1
19
1
9
18
DISKO 76
4
2
0
2
10
10
6
0
FC MALAMUK
4
1
0
3
4
17
3
-13
IT-79
4
0
0
4
0
24
0
-24


THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF

3/8/13   13:00 Disko 76 3:2 FC Malamuk

FINAL 

3/8/13   15:00 I-69 2:1 NÛK


WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT'S FIRST XI

GOALKEEPER: Rasmine Berthelsen (NÛK)
DEFENDERS: Bebiane Johnsen (I-69); Andrea Andreassen (NÛK); Maannguaq Kristiansen (I-69); Laila Brandt (Disko 76)
MIDFIELDERS: Aili Paneeraq Pedersen (NÛK); Berthe Uppernanngitsoq (I-69); Laila Platou (NÛK); Karo Dahl (Disko 76)
FORWARDS: Arnaq B. Egede (NÛK); Panu B. Grønvold (FC Malamuk)


-----------------------------------------------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Much of the information included in the article came from the GFB (Grønlands Boldspil Union), the national TV station KNR and the Sermitsiaq newspaper; many thanks to all.



Tuesday, August 6, 2013

2013 NATWEST ISLAND GAMES RESULTS



Bermuda completed a predicted double at the 2013 NatWest Island Games last month when the host island took gold for the first time in their history in both the men's and women's football competitions.The men's team defeated Greenland 1:0 in the final thanks to a penalty in the 88th minute.

The women's competition was also decided from the spot, with the hosts defeating Greenland 5:4 on penalties after a 0:0 draw after 90 minutes.

Both competitions suffered from a paucity of teams taking part: Bermuda, Greenland, the Falkland Islands and Frøya took part in the men's competition, while Bermuda, Greenland and Frøya's neighbours Hitra participated in the women's section.

Bronze medals were apparently awarded to the Falkland Islands team, though this will not appear in the official records; only the winners and runners-up will get a mention in the medal-list.

The Falkland Islands did, however, have the consolation of winning the Small Nations Cup when they defeated Frøya 2:1 in their group match.

Please find below the list of results from both the men's and women's competitions at the 2013 NatWest Island Games.



MEN'S COMPETITION

ROUND-ROBIN STAGE

14/7/13 20:00 Bermuda 3:0 Greenland (NSC)
14/7/13 20:00 Frøya 1:2 Falkland Islands (BAA)
15/7/13 20:00 Bermuda 8:0 Falkland Islands (NSC)
15/7/13 20:00 Greenland 12:0 Frøya (BAA)
17/7/13 18:00 Falkland Islands 0:9 Greenland (NSC)
17/7/13 20:00 Bermuda 8:0 Frøya (NSC) 


TEAM
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
PTS
GD
BERMUDA
3
3
0
0
19
0
9
19
GREENLAND
3
2
0
1
21
3
6
18
FALKLAND ISLANDS
3
1
0
2
2
18
3
-16
FRØYA
3
0
0
3
1
22
0
-21


THIRD-PLACE MATCH

18/7/13 18:00 Falkland Islands 6:0 Frøya (BAA)

FINAL

18/7/13 20:00 Bermuda 1:0 Greenland (NSC)

WOMEN'S COMPETITION 

ROUND-ROBIN STAGE

14/7/13 18:00 Bermuda 5:1 Greenland (NSC)
15/7/13 18:00 Bermuda 6:1 Hitra (NSC)
16/7/13 18:00 Hitra 1:4 Greenland (NSC)

TEAM
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
PTS
GD
BERMUDA
2
2
0
0
11
2
6
9
GREENLAND
2
1
0
1
5
6
3
-1
HITRA
2
0
0
2
2
10
0
-8


PLAY-OFF

17/7/13 18:00 Greenland 2:1 Hitra (BAA)

FINAL

18/7/13 18:00 Bermuda 0:0 Greenland (NSC) 
Bermuda won 5:4 on pens.