Wahala full ground for Herning yesterday evening as FC Midtjylland, wey dem dey call FCM, do wetin nobody expect. Dem dey lead Sønderjyske 2-0 for inside MCH Arena, but before you know, dem just collapse like old building for last ten minutes. Na 2-2 dey end, and dis one don scatter mesterskabsdrømmene for midtjyderne.
How e start? FCM come strong from beginning. Aral Simsir open score for 12th minute with fine goal wey pass through Sønderjyske defender leg. Dario Osorio, dat Chilean boy, even test keeper Marcus Bundgaard with one long shot before dat. FCM dey control game well well.
Second half, Osorio come show class again. For 57th minute, dem do quick counter after corner, Simsir pass ball deep, Osorio collect am, beat Simon Wæver with style, then roll ball pass Bundgaard for 2-0. Victor Bak nearly make am 3-0 with powerful shot wey just miss small.
But na here wahala start. For 67th minute, Julius Emefile commit penalty for box. Lirim Qamili take am, but FCM keeper Elias Olafsson save am! Dem think say FCM go hold am, but Sønderjyske no gree.
Last ten minutes na pure drama. Mohamed Cherif reduce score to 1-2 for 82nd minute after Tobias Klysner cross. Four minutes later, Sefer Emini kick ball inside net for 2-2, but VAR come cancel am after long check. Before fans finish complain, Olti Hyseni dribble pass defenders for 88th minute and score real 2-2 equalizer. Na so FCM throw away three points wey dem suppose collect.
Coach Mike Tullberg face reporters after match with heavy heart. “Na not good enough,” im talk. “We lose match for last 20 minutes.” Im even admit say im substitutions no work well. “When I look back, maybe na there something dey. I put too many players wey no fully ready.”
FCM captain Mads Bech no hide im frustration. “Bad. Na poor finish. We waste chance after we lead 2-0. We no correct am, and na simply too poor,” im tell TV 2 Sport.
For Sønderjyske side, celebration dey full ground. Hyseni, wey score equalizer, talk with joy: “Today show di faith we get for whole team. We don show am all season. Nothing dey stop us.” Qamili add say: “Na our culture. We believe all di way, even when dem press us down.”
TV 2 football expert Mads Junker talk say im dey worried for FCM. “Dem dey look afraid and fragile. When Sønderjyske score 1-2, FCM look like team wey dey scatter,” im yarn. Im criticize Tullberg substitutions as “worst substitution game I fit remember from FCM.”
Now di table don change. Before dis match, FCM dey hope to put pressure on AGF, dem main rival for title. But with only one point from dis game, AGF get chance to go seven points ahead if dem beat Viborg FF on Monday. With just seven matches remain for season, dis draw don make FCM work plenty harder.
FCM fans wey fill MCH Arena show dem anger with loud whistling after final whistle. Dem don lose faith for championship dream. Dis na third straight home match for Superliga without win for FCM – something wey never happen before for Herning.
Di team don collect only two points from first three championship round matches. With injury problems wey dey affect squad, and di energy wey dem get before don disappear, di road to title don become mountain to climb. As commentator Dan Hirsch Sørensen talk: “Hard to see how FCM go recover from dis duck against Sønderjyske.”
Now FCM fans go dey pray for Viborg to help dem on Monday – something wey never happen often. Irony full dis football life. Di team wey normally be dem rival now become dem only hope to stay close to AGF for title race.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
