In front of 506 spectators, AB Gladsaxe played today at a sun-drenched Gladsaxe Stadium against the 2nd division no. 3, which is currently Aarhus Fremad. The game ended 1-1 after AB leading at half-time. The match gave the debut to AB’s No. 88 O’Vonte Mullings, who showed samples of his speed. In relation to the match against Esbjerg, Søren Ilsøe and Emiliano Gomes were in the starting line-up. Mark Garly Pedersen took his place on the bench, Ahmed Hassan was out of the squad with an injury, and Flamur Dzelili was also out of the squad with illness.
A disappointed head coach David Roufpanah said after the game: “Right here after the game, it’s hard to be objective. There are many emotions in the body, and I first have to watch the match on video. But I feel like we lost two points today. Unlike Esbjerg, we start the game with really good energy. We have really good control in the first half. The times we lose the ball, it doesn’t become dangerous. When we lose the ball, we run a lot and together regain the ball. In the second half, I think we should take more initiative than we do. Then they get a goal out of nothing. In the open game, we are very good and don’t get any goals against us. They get a really stupid goal, but afterwards we create really good chances that should have resulted in goals. So I really feel like we’re losing two points. We can be satisfied with many of the things we do and we have great chances – but we really want to win – not least at home.”
AB gets off to a good start, and already after 4 minutes, Yushi Yamaya shows great energy and is close to getting completely free for a big chance. Several chances arose, and after 18 minutes, Tim Freriks runs with the ball towards the back line, rounds a defender and shoots the ball into the goal for a 1-0 lead. AB is in control of the game, but the last thing is just missing. Aarhus Fremad was kept in tight rein by the AB defence. The central defence with Adrien Koudelka and Daniel A. Pedersen played very solidly and with great foresight and closed off well.
After the break, spirits are high in the stands for the first home game of the spring. However, it only lasted 2 minutes, then Aarhus Fremad’s Frederik Grube sent the ball towards goal, and it went over Albert Gaub-Jacobsen and into the goal to equalize 1-1.
Aarhus Fremad was more in the game in the 2nd half, but it was AB who had the most and the biggest chances. Tim Freriks gets a great chance after 71 min. after a cross from Rasmus Brodersen, but unfortunately the goalkeeper manages to get hold of the ball. Then Aarhus Fremad got a free kick a few meters outside the box well out on the right side. The referee didn’t say anything, as the ball was placed 4-5 meters further in the middle in a more favorable position for a shot. The ball came through the wall, but Albert Gaub-Jacobsen was ready. Aarhus Fremad gets a couple of quick changes in the last minute of the game, but the defense tackled to a corner, which nothing came of it. Christian Wagner has a very big chance in extra time, but again the goalkeeper is first on the ball.
Captain Daniel A. Pedersen said these words about the match: “It’s a bit of an empty feeling, because I actually feel that we should win the match. I think that for large parts of the game, we have a really good handle on them, they don’t really create anything, and their goal is a cross. On the other hand, we have many chances – at least more chances than them. Disappointing that we didn’t win the game, because it was in our hands. Seen from the back, I think we have a really good handle on them. So we just need a little more quality in the finishing and in the last pass to create even more and bigger chances and put them in. Now we have played two games where we feel we should have gotten points in Esbjerg and won the game today.
It’s against two of the top teams in the series, so it looks good, but we need to have some wins. It doesn’t move that much with a point.”
The starting line-up was:
16 Albert Gaub-Jacobsen (goalkeeper)
3 Erik Lindell
4 Adrien Koudelka
5 Rasmus Brodersen goes out and Mark Garly Pedersen comes in.
6 Daniel A. Pedersen
8 Darren Sidoel
10 Tim Freriks
15 Søren Ilsøe
17 Yushi Yamaya goes out and O’Vonte Mullings comes in.
22 Ágúst Hlynsson 28 Emiliano Gomez goes out and Christian Wagner comes in.
The next match is away from home, when AB plays against Skive IK at 14:00 on Saturday 23 March.
