Is this not a penalty?

MELITA GROUNDS, GIDA LEAGUE: FC SCANDINAVIA VS. LA VALLETTE  5-1.

Although FC Scandinavia (FCS) won comfortably 5-1 in their season opener against La Vallette on Sunday, there was plenty of drama. In the main roles: The referee and alleged Hollywood actor Lars Johansson.

Text by All-In Translations. Photos by Sarah Hoof

Lars Johansson got a yellow card for diving. Perhaps not a correct decision? Photo by Sarah Hoof.

These where the dramatic highlights from the first GIDA league game of the season:

15 minutes: Lars Johansson delivers a cross into the La Vallette box and the the ball clearly hits the hand of a defender. The referee points to the spot while several La Vallette players protest loudly. Johansson takes the penalty himself and puts it low to the right of the keeper. 1-0 for FCS.

25 minutes: Niklas Petterson is on his way through the La Vallette defense and gets a brutal knee high tackle from the La Vallette goalkeeper (who also takes the ball). The referee points to the spot – again. The La Vallette goalkeeper and his teammates show their frustration with the referee who obviously refuses to listen. Johansson puts it low again, this time to the left of the keeper. 2-0 for FCS.

35 minutes: Play of the day! Per Hertz stops a counter attack attempt from La Vallette after a corner for FCS and brings the ball down right. He finds Thomas Lindberg with a precise cross into the middle and Lindberg puts the ball high into the net with his left foot. Beautiful!

52 minutes: Johansson is through on goal and goes past the keeper, but the keeper hooks Johansson with his right arm and Johansson goes to the ground. A clear penalty but apparently the referee feels he needs to compensate for having awarded FCS with two penalties already. He gives Johansson a yellow card for diving!

63 minutes: David M. Barmwell dribbles nicely outside the La Vallette box but his shot is saved.

70 minutes: Thomas Lindberg comes close with a header from a corner.

73 minutes: La Vallette crosses in from the right and an attacker gets to the ball first and scores on La Vallette´s first real chance of the day. 3-1.

77 minutes: Niklas Petterson sends Johansson through and Johansson lobs the ball beautifully over La Vallette’s goalkeeper, just like the notorious goal getter he is.  4-1.

80 minutes: Debutant Jacob Nielsen and Barmwell combine nicely on the left. Nielsen puts the ball into the open goal. 4-1.

82 minutes: FCS goalie Carl Ahlvik makes a very good save.

FCS striker Lars Johansson was of course happy with three points and three goals when the game had ended, but firmly refused any speculations towards him being "a Hollywood actor" inducing a penalty in the situation when he was booked for diving.

"It´s outrageous. If anyone should have gotten a card in that situation, it should have been their goalkeeper", he told All-In Translations.

Our picture (above) also clearly shows contact between the goalkeeper and Johansson´s leg.

Johansson has been the FCS and GIDA league top scorer two years in a row, and had the following comment regarding this year´s FCS squad.

"We have lost a few key players but we also have some good new players. I have high hopes, it´s looking good", he said.
 

Fining system?

FCS got four yellow cards, at least one of them for profanities towards the referee. A popular solution to this problem in many clubs is to introduce a fining system for bookings as a result of referee complaints, but  FCS captain and chairman Johan Nyberg does not feel this is necessary.

"We are not complaining as much as we did last year. We just have to accept the decisions the referees make, even though it is very difficult some times," Nyberg commented.
 

Succesful debuts

One of the new good players Johansson is referring to is goalkeeper Carl Ahlvik, who made an impressive debut in the FCS goal.

"It was never very busy for me today, but I got the chance to show some skills a few times", Ahlvik commented.

Another debutant, Jacob Nielsen, crowned his performance with a goal from his left back position.

"It was a nice pass from David (M. Barmwell) which left me with an open goal. It was one of those situations when you start thinking uh-oh, it´s going to be embarrassing if I don´t score here. But luckily I managed to get the ball into the net", Nielsen said.

The next match for FCS is on Sunday (October 16th) at 9:45 AM CET at Melita Grounds against Birnapa. All-In Translations will be back with stories, player ratings and pictures on Sunday afternoon.

         Lars Johansson (left) and Tomas Lindberg discussing the situation where Johansson was wrongly booked for diving.