Rosenborg - Vålerenga 2-1
By Endre Bakken, 1 September 2008, 20:00
The game got unneccessarily exciting at the end, but due to an an outstanding first half RBK secured the win.
LONG TIME NO SEE: Dorsin celebrating the leading goal together with Tettey.
Photo: Tor-Inge Langberg/uavisa.no
"It is nice having backs that score. We need people who know ho to do that," Erik Hamrén said after both Dorsin and Lustig had secured a goal each.
The match exploded after fifteen minutes. Didier Konan was preferred to Besart Berisha, and should have given RBK the lead: The collaboration with Per Ciljan Skjelbred was finished with a shot in the post.
A minute later a corner turned into two giant chanses: A header from Lustig was saved on the line, and Konan was unable to score on the rebound. In the next attack Mikael Dorsin took responsibility, and headed in a pass from Marek Sapara.
"I was a bit nervous in the beginning, but it turned out fantastic. The team played well, and I scored and was able to send off several crossballs," Dorsin said smilingly, who went straight into the starting eleven after having been bought back from Cluj.
Lustig won most of the head duels as usual, and also scored his first goal for RBK. Sapara was responsible for the corner. The heading was saved by Kristofer Hæstad, but the ball had been in.
Konan should have increased the lead, when he within seconds got to his third and fourth chance: both shots went straight onto goalkeeper Troy Perkins.
Andreas Nordvik replaced Vadim Demidov, who was injured. The aforementioned almost scored on a header following a Sapi free-kick.
The second half was much more boring. A new header from Nordvik and a long shot from Roar Strand were the only things RBK created despite owning the game.
Rune Jarstein helped Vålerenga into the game right before the end: he boxed into the air, and Bengt Sæternes could easily score. VIF eyed an opportunity and could have equalized when Dorsin fell.
"As long as we had any energy left we dominated everything. We should have gotten 3-0 several times. Our lapse could have been punished. But we need to remember that VIF didn't play a game on thursday. That considered, we did well," Hamrén explained, referring to Djurgården.
Match facts
ROSENBORG
2-1
Vålerenga
Mikael Dorsin 19
Mikael Lustig 35
Bengt Sæternes 87
Sunday 31. August 2008 20:00 Tippeliga, Lerkendal stadion
18 295 attendants
Rosenborg [4-4-2] Rune Jarstein - Mikael Lustig, Kris Stadsgaard, Vadim Demidov (Andreas Nordvik 34), Mikael Dorsin - Per Ciljan Skjelbred, Marek Sapara, Alexander Tettey, Roar Strand (Abdou Traoré 78) - Steffen Iversen (Besart Berisha 69), Didier Konan
