Friendly #3: Halmstads BK v. Fulham

http://www.fulhamfc.com/MatchAndTeam/Ma ... dAway.aspx

Fulham were held to a 2-2 draw by Swedish battlers Halmstad on Thursday evening, with the Whites unable to add to Zoltan Gera’s double strike.

Caretaker manager Ray Lewington fielded a strong starting line-up, with eight of those involved in last season’s UEFA Europa League Final.

Back on European shores for the first time since that memorable night in Hamburg, the Whites started positively in an attempt to build upon their impressive pre-season form.

Play that was rewarded with a goal after just eight minutes, with last year’s Player of the Season, Zoltan Gera, and heading in Simon Davies’ deflected shot following some clever play from Bobby Zamora.

Fulham certainly dominated the early proceedings with Danny Murphy looking sharp; the captain dictating the play and probing balls in to the final third.

Zamora lost his marker before being denied by a brave tackle from Halmstads captain Johnny Lundberg from one such pass, while Davies forced Karl-Johan Johnsson into a decent low save, again from some positive play from our skipper.

At the other end, Halmstads did have their moments, with Emil Salomonsson blasting a free-kick into the Fulham wall and Marcus Olsson thwarted superbly by a last ditch intervention from Stephen Kelly.

Tenth in the Swedish Allsvenskan and one competitive game back from a summer break during the World Cup, the hosts by no means looked a push over; with competitiveness and determination coursing through their play.

And it was from such endeavour that the home side levelled, with David Stockdale spilling Salomonsson’s strike from distance into the path of Joe Sise, who gladly accepted the invitation by lifting the ball into an empty net on 24 minutes.

The 20-year-old showed his attacking prowess again moments later, ghosting on to Anel Raskaj’s slipped pass to finish low and to the left of Stockdale to give Halmstads the lead.

Sise then turned creator, skilfully slipping the attention of Aaron Hughes before dinking the ball into the path of Olsson, who forced a fine reflex save from the Fulham shot-stopper with an angled drive from the left.

Fulham closed the half to a hopeful appeal for a spot-kick when Zamora went down under Tomas Zvirgzdauskas’s challenge. The Whites certainly had their moments, with further goals expected after the interval.

But it was the hosts that came out racing, with Amir Kujovic rattling the Fulham bar with a swerving strike from the edge of the box and Alexander Prent firing wide with a volley.

 

Random side note, American Ryan Miller plays on Halmstads.

There are also a bunch more photos on Halmstad's website.

http://www.hbk.se/extra/news/?module_instance=2&id=6828

 

Do you think he's proposing a new song to sing at games?

 

nice

 

I believe all World Cup players are given 21 days off after their last game in the World Cup.

 

Anyone know the status of AJ? He doesnt seem to have been involved in any of these friendlies.

 

Where was it mentioned? Did I miss it in a friendly thread? I also looked up the AJ injury thread. I need to know so I can fully assess the progression of my dementia.

Edit - never mind. It was in the transfer gossip thread while I was away. Too bad. I was hoping for two Johnsons again.