FC Nordsjælland lost 3-1 to FC Copenhagen in the U19 Cup Final, despite going in 1-0 up at half-time. The game had few moments of quality in the first-half but opened up a lot more in the second, with both sides putting some good moves together and creating chances. FC Nordsjælland started the game in a 3-4-3 formation that developed into a more fluid 4-3-3 system in the second-half. FC Copenhagen operated in a structured 4-4-2 system and performed well in the second-half, getting back into the game early and not allowing FC Nordsjælland a way back into the contest after that.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, re-watch
- D – Below average in this match
Maxwell Woledzi
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Ghanaian
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 02/07/2001
- Current Club: FC Nordsjælland
- Career: Right to Dream Academy (Y), FC Nordsjælland
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Woledzi started the game in the middle of the back three before moving to the left-sided centre back in the second-half and put in a strong defensive performance in this game. Standing at 6’2, he is a tall, athletic defender who dominates aerial duels and possesses good recovery pace to cover balls in behind.
He defended aggressively throughout this game, showing a good reading of the game coupled with the speed and strength to get in front of opponents high up the pitch to intercept passes and win possession back. He also defended his box well and used his frame to good effect to make some important blocks in front of goal. However, he was slightly too flat when defending 1v1 and needs to improve his body position which will allow him to react quicker to the movements of his opponent. He was also too lethargic at times when bringing the line up and, as a general point, could do with more adding slightly more urgency to his game.
On the ball it was definitely a game of two halves, he was guilty of taking too much time on the ball in a first-half that was littered with misplaced, inaccurate passes but improved massively in the second-half and showed his ability as a ball-playing centre-back in a possession-based system. He moved the ball on quicker and was accurate with his passing, able to progress the ball through the lines and step into midfield to put the team on the front foot with forward passes.
Rating – A2
Woledzi definitely has very good physical and technical attributes and, especially at U19 level, has shown the ability to be a dominant ball-playing centre back. The psychological side of his game still needs some work, though, and cutting out the moments of lethargy and the lapses in concentration will be important as he looks to establish himself in the first-team.
Andreas Bredahl
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 17
- Date of birth: 13/03/2003
- Current Club: FC Nordsjælland
- Career: FC Nordsjælland
- Position: Centre Forward
- Secondary Position: Left Wing
- Preferred foot: Right
Bredahl is a tall, powerful centre forward with a good turn of a pace and a very well-developed physique for his age. He scored the opening goal of the game with a composed chip over the goalkeeper before being substituted five minutes into the second-half having generally struggled for service, with both teams finding it difficult to build attacking momentum in the first-half.
He held the ball up well, showing good strength to hold off opponents and bringing others into play effectively with some nice passes out wide. He was quite isolated at times so his first touch and hold-up play was important in allowing support to arrive and provided a good outlet to relieve pressure with FC Copenhagen attempting to create and sustain attacks.
He varied his attacking movement between dropping deep to link the play and playing off the shoulder of the last defender and looking to receive passes in behind the defence. He possesses the acceleration to exploit the space with the right service, as shown by his goal which was the result of Bredahl recognising the space left in behind by FC Copenhagen’s high line and making an intelligent off-the-ball run which was found by an excellent pass from deep.
Rating – A2
Bredahl has a very well-rounded skillset for a centre forward is already extremely well-developed at just 17. He was not able to influence this game as much as he would have liked but he still managed to show glimpses of his technical ability as well as his proficiency in front of goal with a clinical finish.
Leo Walta
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Finnish
- Age: 17
- Date of birth: 24/06/2003
- Current Club: FC Nordsjælland (Y)
- Career: HJK Helsinki (Y), FC Nordsjælland (Y)
- Position: Central Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Walta played in the central midfield pivot with Andreas Garly in the first half, impressing with his ability on the ball but struggling with the defensive responsibilities before moving into a more advanced position in the second half which seemed better suited to his abilities.
He is a very technically gifted player but his small stature, standing at 5’7, and lack of physicality make it very difficult for him to assert himself in midfield battles against taller and stronger opponents. However, he was reliable in possession throughout with his efficient and accurate passing, showing a good first touch to create space and get the ball out of his feet before getting his head up and finding a teammate, often with a short forward pass.
His press resistance was very effective as FC Copenhagen looked to crowd out the midfield, using his very low centre of gravity well to retain the ball under pressure and showing good close control to evade challenges. He also has very good spacial awareness, constantly scanning the pitch to give himself a good picture of the game which allows him to move the ball on creatively with one-touch passes or turn out into space to open up the play.
Rating – A2
Walta was one of the most technically gifted players on the pitch and is definitely one to watch out for as he looks to be a player with huge potential. He is only 17 so is still developing physically and will need to do so if he is to be successful in central midfield at first team level.
Oliver Tølbøll Rimmen
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 07/05/2001
- Current Club: FC Nordsjælland
- Career: FC Nordsjælland
- Position: Left Wing
- Preferred foot: Right
Tølbøll Rimmen captained the side and was given a free role in the first half which saw him drift across the front line, making him difficult to mark and allowing him to be available to receive passes all over the pitch. He was the main creative threat for FC Nordsjælland, constantly looking to make things happen and being positive and direct on the ball before being substituted midway through the second half.
He was most effective when receiving the ball on the turn and driving forward into space before looking to play a pass into the path of either Bredahl or Nnamani. He had the right ideas in possession and showed good vision to see the runs in behind but did not quite have the execution in this game. He was attempting difficult passes and should be encouraged in his creativity but needs to work on his end product as too often the final pass was just not quite accurate enough.
He is a strong ball carrier with the ability to move quickly with the ball at his feet and progress the play through congested areas of the pitch. He can protect the ball very well and was able to retain possession under pressure by using his close control and balance as well as his deceptively good upper body strength which allowed him to hold off opponents.
Rating – B1
A good performance in a game that needed a dynamic ball-carrier to inject some energy and look to get the ball into the final third. Not quite the finished product yet, though, and will need to work on the final pass that will see him maximise his technical ability and create more chances for his teammates.
Emeka Nnamani
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 04/11/2001
- Current Club: FC Nordsjælland
- Career: FC Nordsjælland
- Position: Right Winger
- Preferred foot: Right
Nnamani played on the right side of the front three and grew into the game after barely touching the ball in the first half. He found some nice pockets to receive the ball in the right half space but he didn’t seem to have a clearly defined role in the opening stages and so was largely anonymous as he struggled to find the best position to impact the game from.
He was far more involved in the second half as he began to hold his wide position to receive the ball in space before cutting inside and looking to create a shooting opportunity. He was a lot more effective from these areas, showing an ability to use both feet and becoming FC Nordsjælland’s biggest goal threat in the second half with a couple of good efforts from the edge of the box.
His two footedness made him difficult to defend against and he showed good close control to create space in tight areas but we did not see much of his pace or dribbling ability throughout this game. He was slightly too telegraphed with his passes at times which made it easy for the defence to intercept and he would benefit from adding more disguise and subtlety to his game.
Rating – B1
Nnamani is a player who can spark into life and show individual flashes of brilliance but he needs to balance this with some more efficient and functional play that sees him influence the game throughout.
Target Scouting 