In this match report, we focus on Fortunan Hjørring in Denmark. The Elitedivisionen is a growing league in Scandinavia and is home to amazing talent. In this match report we focus on their game in the derby against champions HB Køge, especially on their central midfield duo.
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
Sofie Lundgaard
Player Profile
- Nationality: Denmark
- Age: 20
- Date of Birth: 29/05/2002
- Current Club: Fortuna Hjørring
- Career: AaB, Fortuna Hjørring
- Position: Central midfielder
Sofie Lundgaard is a central midfielder who played as the left central midfielder in the 4-1-4-1 employed by Fortuna Hjørring. In the 4-1-4-1 she played close to right central midfielder Caroline Olesen – together they formed a double ten in their 1-0 defeat against HB Køge.
In possession of the ball, Lundgaard is one of the best on the pitch. She has the nerve to always look for an option forward. That is either a through ball to the sole striker or to give a pass to the wide midfielders down the line. In doing so, she progresses play from the middle third to the attacking third and moves up the pitch herself too. She has a good shot and comes in the position to use it.
I would say that off the ball she had a bad game. She is not very good at carrying the ball forward, hence the passing game being strong. In terms of defensive awareness and positioning, her concentration seemed off. That resulted in bad positioning in 1v1s or aerial duels, giving Køge more space in the transition from attack to defence. She is more a proactive defensive-minded player, as she tries to intercept passes rather than tackles.
Rating: B1
Caroline Olesen
Player Profile
- Nationality: Denmark
- Age: 17
- Date of Birth: 03/02/2005
- Current Club: Fortuna Hjørring
- Career: Varde, Fortuna Hjørring
- Position: Central midfielder
Caroline Olesen is a central midfielder who played as the right central midfielder in the 4-1-4-1 employed by Fortuna Hjørring. In the 4-1-4-1 she played close to left central midfielder Sofie Lundgaard – together they formed a double ten in their 1-0 defeat against HB Køge.
It’s impressive to see what the 17-year-old can do on the ball against a very good opposition side. She likes to keep it short, passes short to her teammates, sets up the 1-2 combination, and spots the third man runs for the through ball. Her long-range passing needs work, as her strength is something that needs to develop in the years to come. She loves to arrive in the box and contribute in the last phases of the attack, where she isn’t shy to attack a cross from the flanks.
As the central midfielder she has, she is more complete than her partner in the central midfield. She does very well in the defensive duels both on the ground and in the air and is both a good tackler and interceptor of the ball. What stood out is her quality to defend a 1v1 and regain possession of the ball, making the attacking transition very dangerous.
She is very composed in her attacking ability and takes risks going forward, while she sees the attacking vision. But this is never done without taking into account the defensive positioning.
Rating: A2