Rosenborg - Lyn 4-1
By Håvard Lindheim, 5 November 2004, 09:42
Frode Johnsen directed the league final of all times. Vålerenga won 3-0 against Stabæk, but to no avail; Rosenborg won the league on more scored goals.
LET THE CHAMPAGNE FLOW: No reason to be cautious with the fine drops in Trondheim tonight!
What a finish the Tippeliga 2004 got! Ten minutes before time at Lerkendal and Ullevaal, it was 3-1 to Rosenborg and 1-0 to Vålerenga, and RBK looked to be champions on a better goal difference. But in three short minutes, VIF scored two, and had the gold in their hands. At Lerkendal, the seconds ticked towards full time.
"In the end, I tought, 'Ok, then, so Vålerenga wins.' We had regained their lead, but then they got this 3-0 goal. With only minutes to go it seemed heavy," Frode Johnsen said in the dressing room after the match.
But Johnsen and his team mates refused to give in. In the 89th minute he broke free and headed a pass from Ståle Stensaas into the net. Lerkendal exploded in sheer joy!
"I was quite sure to score on that chance. Only one man marked me," smiled Johnsen, who also became the league's top scorer with 19 goals.
Yes, the Telemarking - who had 16 goals before this match - could tick off three more in the final match; only Jan Derek Sørensen destroyed what could have been a real hat trick.
Rosenborg had control throughout the game, but had to struggle to get to he first goal. The first half ended with nothing; Robbie Russell came closest with a throw (!) who entered the post and went outside. At Ullevaal, Vålerenga had taken the lead, and then they were champions at half time.
After the break there were a party at Lerkendal. First, Daniel Braaten. Lyn tried to clear off a pass from Stensaas, but the ball ended right at Braaten's foot, who made a safe score from seven metres.
Then Frode Johnsen had his time. The first score came when he headed a corner kick from Øyvind Storflor into the net.
Sørensen's goal came immediately after this; sleepy, sleepy!
But Johnsen had no plans to stop. 3-1 came after a long throw from Russell; Johnsen won a head duel, and managed to get the ball in after it had landed on the ground.
A minute before full time, the final goal came and settled the gold fight. However, it remained two minutes of the match at Ullevaal, and the RBK players followed it on a small TV monitor in the players' tunnell. The result was 3-0 to Vålerenga - and the cheers could start at Lerkendal!
"I am very happy on behalf of the club and not least the supporters. But still, I think that I am the most happy," Ola By Rise beamed after Football President Sondre Kåfjord had given Erik Hoftun the cup.
