Welcome

In the second half, OB had a couple of chances to score the winning goal, but nothing came of this and in the end they had to settle for a draw. This was an improvement on recent results against Brøndby at TRE-FOR Park and OB stayed four points ahead of Brøndby and went six points ahead of FC Midtjylland in the race for 2nd spot.

April 5^th

Precious Victory in Aalborg

OB recorded a precious victory in Aalborg on Saturday, when AaB was defeated 1-0, courtesy of a Peter Utaka-strike after 12 minutes.

OB began well and could have taken the lead after three minutes, when Rasmus Falk found Peter Utaka in front of goal but the striker’s effort was blocked by an AaB-defender.

The hosts got into the game and had most of the possession during the match, but OB were the most dangerous of the two teams, hitting the upright later in the 1^st half.

After the break, OB were pushed back but AaB never found an opening in an OB-defence with Bernard Mendy making his first start for his club. Mendy replaced captain Chris Sørensen as left-back because Sørensen was injured and waiting for an operation and the Frenchman did a good job in an unusual position for him.

Peter Utakas goal proved to be enough for OB to collect all three points and consolidate their position in 2^nd spot in Superligaen.

March 24^th

Late equaliser in Silkeborg

OB came away from Silkeborg with a draw after equalising in extra time from a beautiful Espen Ruud free-kick. OB went behind from a contested penalty, when Anders Møller Christensen was adjudged to have handled the ball after a corner kick in an otherwise rather uneventful match.

The penalty came out of the blue in a match where both teams worked hard to gain control. It was all in vain, however, as neither team managed to control proceedings and clear-cut chances were few. Rasmus Falk came closest for OB in the 1^st half as he combined his way to a good opportunity in cooperation with Peter Utaka, but his shot went into the side netting.

Silkeborg could have gone 2-0 up when Rajko Lekic managed to shoot past Stefan Wessels, but Atle Roar Håland cleared the ball on the line and OB began to put Silkeborg under pressure.

Henrik toft came on for Rasmus Falk with 15 minutes remaining and it was he, who forced Silkeborg to give away a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area in extra time. Up stepped Espen Ruud to curl the free-kick around the Silkeborg wall and into the net for a beautiful goal to the joy of the OB-fans and players. 

March 18^th

Falk to the rescue

As OB prepare for the important visit to Silkeborg on Saturday, they can look back on Monday’s game against Lyngby and reminisce on an important result.

The 2-0 win propelled OB back into 2^nd spot in Superligaen on a cold and damp night at TRE-FOR Park.

OB were in the driving seat for most of the game and created several good chances, but could not break the deadlock until Rasmus Falk came on as a substitute and scored one goal with a quick turn just inside the penalty area and a shot, and forced the second with a shot that rebounded off a goal post and into the back of Lyngby’s keeper and into the empty net.

The goals brought a noisy reaction from the crowd, partly because the fans were starting to worry that OB could not turn their dominance into goals and partly because a young local player was given his chance, took it and became so heavily involved in both goals.

March 10^th

Spring premiere defeat for OB

Casa Arena in Horsens has been an unhappy hunting ground for OB on many occasions. And so also on Monday, March 7^th when the team opened the Spring season 2011.

OB went ahead through a well-taken goal by Bashkim Kadrii on 21 minutes, but AC Horsens equalised on 38 minutes after Espen Ruud was adjudged to have fouled Morten Rasmussen in the penalty area.

Only two minutes before half-time matters worsened for OB as Horsens went ahead 2-1 from a free-kick.

OB came out for the 2^nd half looking for an equaliser and threatened on several occasions. But AC Horsens soaked up the pressure and created some opportunities themselves.

However, neither team was able to score in the 2^nd half, which meant that OB came away with nothing from the encounter.

OB now face Lyngby at home in their next league match on Monday, March 14.

December 7^th

Lively OB batter AaB

It was OB here, there and everywhere, when the first half of the season 2010-11 drew to a close at TRE-FOR Park. In the last Superliga match of the season, OB welcomed struggling AaB to TRE-FOR Park for a potentially difficult encounter. OB had to win to stay in contention for 2^nd spot in the Superliga, while AaB needed three points to lift them off bottom place in the league.

It was OB who started best, putting the visitors under pressure right from the start. And the pressure was duly rewarded when Peter Utaka scored the opening goal after 26 minutes, a header from a free-kick.

The second half was only three minutes old when Hans Henrik Andreasen doubled the lead and from then on, OB took full control of the match. Goals from Peter Utaka, Espen Ruud and Peter Utaka in the space of five minutes made the game safe for OB, and Espen Ruud even added a second and OB’s sixth to the score sheet, making the score line an incredible 6-0.

The game was Thomas Helveg’s final Superliga game of his career, and the right back was duly celebrated and honoured before the match, when he was given a standing ovation by the crowd as he entered the field and presented with flowers by Managing Director Thomas Christensen. During and after the game, the crowd sang his name continuously and the press was queuing to interview a clearly moved Helveg who called the day a “fantastic experience”.

OB now has one game left before the Winter break, a Europa League match away to Stuttgart on December 16^th.   

December 3^rd

So close…

OB’s winning streak came to an end at last Sunday with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Brøndby in Brøndby. The defeat meant that OB, FC Midtjylland and Brøndby now share 2^nd spot in Superligaen before the final round in 2010.

There was not much time to dwell on the result in Brøndby, however, as OB faced Spanish La Liga side Getafe in the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday night in Odense.

Temperatures dropped to below freezing point in the days prior to the match and on match day, it started snowing heavily. Thus, it was a bitter cold night for football, but both team needed a good result to keep their hopes of qualifying for th4e next stage alive. Getafe was the better football team but OB created the biggest chances and even hit the upright in the first half. Unfortunately, Getafe scored to take the lead on 17 minutes to put OB under further pressure.

OB responded well; they kept producing chances in the 2^nd half and even had a goal disallowed before Hans Henrik Andreasen equalised on 90 minutes.

The goal gave OB hope of staying in the competition, only for the hope to be cruelly crushed by a 4-2 win to Young Boys in their match against Stuttgart.

November 23^rd

Second comeback for OB

Monday night was an important night for OB, who entertained FC Midtjylland at TRE-FOR Park in a direct contest for 2^nd spot in Superligaen. Although OB were on level terms with FC Midtjylland as far as the points were concerned, the club started the match in 3^rd spot because of FC Midtjylland’s better goal difference, but the home team came out to the game determined to switch places with the visitors.

Yet it was FC Midtjylland who scored first. The goal did not discourage OB, however. Instead, it spurred on the players and the impressive crowd of nearly 10,000 witnessed a thrilling football match. Unfortunately, OB could not get the equaliser they were looking for and went in to the half time tea a goal down.

Matters became worse early in the second half, when a screamer from FC Midtjylland went in and increased the visitor’s lead. But only minutes later Peter Utaka headed OB back into the game from a good cross by Andreas Johansson. The goal reignited OB, who equalised through an own goal after a Chris Sørensen corner.

The goal lifted spirits on and off the pitch at TRE-FOR Park and the crowd went wild when Espen Ruud hammered the ball into the net with only minutes to go. Although the referee added six minutes extra time, FC Midtjylland could not produce an answer and OB ran out worthy winners of the match, completing an amazing comeback for the second match in a row and moving into 2^nd spot.

November 16^th

OB continues winning ways

OB secured their fourth win in a row on Saturday night in Esbjerg with a Henrik Toft header deep into injury time, after falling behind after less than two minutes.

The early goal gave OB plenty of time to catch up, but the first 25-30 minutes did not look promising. OB struggled to get into their stride, but gradually clawed their way into the game and began threatening the Esbjerg goal from the beginning of the 2^nd half.

The equaliser came on 75 minutes, when Peter Utaka rounded an Esbjerg-defender and played the ball to Kalilou Traoré, who buried the ball deep into the Esbjerg net.

The match was heading for a draw when a Chris Sørensen cross found the head of Henrik Toft, who headed the ball into the net out of reach of the despairing Esbjerg-keeper to earn OB three important points an to joint 2^nd in the Superliga.

The win set up a direct showdown for the 2^nd spot on Monday, November 22^nd when FC Midtjylland visit TRE-FOR Park.

November 10^th

Two defeats and three wins

OB ended October with two defeats, 1-2 against SønderjyskE in Superligaen and 2-3 against FC Nordsjælland in the Ekstra Bladet Cup.

In the game against SønderjyskE on October 25^th, OB went a goal down, but came back to equalise shortly after the interval when Rurik Gislason took the ball from his position on the right wing and in front of goal to drive the ball into the net. Unfortunately, SønderjyskE scored with only 14 minutes left and OB could not get a second equaliser.

Only three days later, OB came up against FC Nordsjælland in the cup. FC Nordsjælland went 2-0 up in the 1^st half, but a spirited comeback by OB saw Kalilou Traoré and Hans Henrik Andreasen score the goals to bring OB level. OB could not hold on, however, and FC Nordsjælland’s third goal eight minutes from time sealed victory for the visitors.

Four days later, FC Nordsjælland and OB met again, this time in Farum in Superligaen. OB were like a different team and pushed FC Nordsjælland back from the kick-off. The pressure paid off after 5 minutes when Johan Absalonsen scored OB’s first goal. Seven minutes later Kalilou Traoré drove the ball hard and low into the net for OB’s second, and on the half hour it was 3-0 to the visitors when Espen Ruud copied Traoré’s effort.

Goals by FC Nordsjælland and OB’s Hans Henrik Andreasen meant the game ended 4-1 to OB and ended all media speculation about crisis in OB.

Further proof came three days later, when OB played Young Boys in the Europa League and beat the Swiss team 2-0 after a good team performance. Again, Hans Henrik Andreasen was OB’s goalscorer, scoring both goals. The win kept OB’s hopes of further advancement in the Europa League alive and installed more self-confidence in the team after one of the best performances of the season so far.

OB’s unbeaten run was extended to three matches on Monday, November 8^th, when a late goal by Peter Utaka secured all three points in a home match in Superligaen against Randers FC and propelled OB to a joint 3^rd spot in the league.  

October 22^nd

Back-to back defeats

OB collected two consecutive defeats in the space of five days after the international break.

Ob Sunday, October 17^th, OB travelled to Copenhagen for a meeting with in-form FC København at Parken. And the hosts showed from the beginning why they are red-hot favourites to retain the league title this season.

OB went a goal down inside the first five minutes and never recovered from that early setback. It was 3-0 at half-time, and with two more goals to FC København, OB recorded their heaviest defeat for a very long time.

On Thursday, October 21^st, OB played Swiss team BSC Young Boys. OB started the game well but were put under pressure, and ended up losing 2-4, the OB-goals coming from Peter Utaka and a penalty converted by Chris Sørensen.

OB are now back in Denmark preparing for a tricky home game against SønderjyskE in the Superliga this coming Monday.

October 5^th

A week of mixed fortunes

OB played well against a below-par VfB Stuttgart in the home game against VfB Stuttgart on September 30^th, but two errors decided the match in the
Germans’ favour. OB went 1-0 down late in the3 game, but an equaliser by Andreas Johansson only seven minutes later raised hopes of at least a draw. However, this was not to be, as a personal error led to Stuttgart’s winning goal.

Four days later, OB travelled to Aalborg to play AaB in Superligaen. The hosts were under pressure in one of the two relegations spots, but a home win could propel AaB to within a few points of OB. An away win, on the other hand, would see OB in 3^rd spot. And OB clawed a 2-1 win and three important points courtesy of two Peter Utaka goals. But it was an even contest, and AaB put OB under pressure and made the guests work hard for the points.

September 28^th

Two wins in a row

Things were shaken up in OB this week. Director Kim Brink, head coach Lars Olsen and assistant coach Viggo Jensen were all sacked by the club before the cup game against local opponents Marienlyst. Uffe Pedersen and Henrik Clausen were installed as caretaker coach and assistant coach respectively and they celebrated victory against Marienlyst in a match, which OB dominated from the beginning. Njogu Demba-Nyrén scored both goals in the 2-0 win, and on Monday, September 27^th, OB collected their second successive win in a week.

This time the opponents were Lyngby at TRE-FOR Park. The visitors had surprised everybody by playing their way to 3^rd in Superligaen, but a strong display saw OB win the tie 3-1 with goals from Hans Henrik Andreasen, Chris Sørensen (pen.) and Rurik Gislason. The win was the perfect overture to the home match against VfB Stuttgart in the Europa League on Thursday, September 30^th.

September 21^st

Defeats in Europe and the Superliga

OB opened the Europa League group stages with a 1-2 defeat in Getafe on Thursday, September 16^th. OB were underdogs against a strong Spanish side but played well and took the lead shortly before half-time, when a low driven Hans Henrik Andreasen free-kick was deflected into the net. However, OB were put under considerable pressure from the start of the second half and a header from close range and a well-taken free-kick secured all three points for the hosts. It could have been a draw when Oliver Feldballe appeared to have been brought down in the Getafe penalty area in stoppage time, but no penalty was given.

Three days later, OB travelled to Silkeborg for a difficult away game in the Superliga. A below par performance meant that OB suffered a 1-3 defeat on a day where almost nothing went right for the team. OB went 1-0 down on 6 minutes, and when Peter Utaka equalised halfway through the first half, it only took Silkeborg a couple of minutes to restore the lead. In the second half, the hosts increased their lead to 3­-1 to secure their first win this season.

OB are in a busy period in the season, with three matches in the remaining nine days of September. The team now faces local league side Marienlyst in the Ekstra Bladet Cup on Wednesday, September 22^nd before having a Monday night game against Lyngby on September 27^th and a home game in the Europa League on September 30^th.

September 15^th

Dramatic changes in OB

It has been a dramatic fortnight in OB. After the win over FC Midtjylland, several players left for international duty and on the very last day of the transfer season, a familiar face returned to the club.

Jonas Troest had left for Turkish football, but returned to OB and a new contract with the club on August 31^st.

Troest returned to the side in the home match against FC Nordsjælland on September 11^th, but he and his team mates could not prevent FC Nordsjælland from recording a rare win in Odense. The match finished 1-0 to FC Nordsjælland after an uncharacteristic performance by OB.

Four days later, on September 14^th, the board surprised everybody by sacking Director Kim Brink, Head Coach Lars Olsen and Assistant Coach Viggo Jensen, with Uffe Pedersen and Henrik Clausen taking over as caretaker coaches. Their first big task will be OB’s first game in the UEFA Europa League group H, where OB play Getafe away on Thursday.

August 31^st

Two important wins for OB

After a shaky start, the season is now picking up momentum for OB. Wins against Motherwell on Thursday and FC Midtjylland on Monday means OB have not lost five games in a row, winning four and drawing one. As a consequence, OB have qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Europa League and moved within 4 points of second-placed FC Midtjylland in Superligaen.

The qualification to the Europa League group stages was secured af a tense and dramatic 1-0 win in Motherwell. OB were 2-1 up after the first leg of the play-offs and came under heavy pressure from the start in Scotland. But a Peter Utaka goal half-way through the first half eased the pressure and the nerves a bit. However, OB came under renewed pressure in the second half, and the pressure intensified when Espen Ruud and Anders Møller Christensen were sent of for their second bookable offences. The latter led to a penalty to Motherwell, but the Scots missed the opportunity and so OB salvaged an important away win and qualification for the Europa League.

OB were drawn against Stuttgart (Germany), Getafe (Spain) and Young Boys (Switzerland) in their group, with the first game away to Getafe on September 15^th.

The home match against FC Midtjylland in Superligaen on Monday, August 30^th, was almost a do-or-die game for OB. A defeat would have left OB trailing FC Midtjylland and F.C. København 10 and 11 points respectively, so a win was crucial in order to keep up with the current top two in the league.

And OB responded to the challenge. Goals by top scorer Hans Henrik Andreasen and last season’s top scorer Peter Utaka secured all three points in a thrilling 2-1 victory. OB have played well in large parts of the previous matches this season, but this time the team stood the distance and ran out worthy winners in the end. Atle Roar Håland was injured, so coach Lars Olsen handed Daniel Høegh his first opportunity in the team. Høegh duly responded with a sound and safe performance and earned praise from his team mates and his coach after the game.

OB now go into a 12-day international break just 4 points behind second-placed FC Midtjylland, but several players will be reporting for international duty: Rurik Gislason is with Iceland, Espen Ruud with Norway and Njogu Demba-Nyrén is with Gambia, while Bashkim Kadrii, Oliver Feldballe, Daniel Høegh and Rasmus Falk Jensen al join various youth national teams in the coming period.

August 26^th

Up and down for OB

The past week has been busy and eventful for OB. Last Thursday, OB beat Scotland’s Motherwell 2-1 on home soil in the 1^st leg of the play-off stage of the UEFA Europa League. The result left OB with everything to play for in the 2^nd leg at Fir Park on August 26^th. OB went 2-0 up and looked set for a priceless win without goals against, when Motherwell scored in injury time and set up a thrilling 2^nd leg encounter. OB captain Chris Sørensen and top striker Peter Utaka scored OB’s goals.

On Sunday, OB travelled to Brøndby in Superligaen. A tense affair saw OB go 2-0 up, but some curious decisions by the referee gave Brøndby a chance to claw their way back into the game and salvage a point courtesy of two late goals, one after a contended penalty and the equaliser after a Brøndby player appeared to have handled the ball.

August 17^th

Win a perfect overture for Europa League

OB got back to winning ways with a comprehensive victory against SønderjyskE on Saturday, August 14^th. Two goals by Hans Henrik Andreasen and a goal by Peter Utaka secured the points against a SønderjyskE side that never really got into the match before it was too late.

Andreasen opened the scoring early in the first half, when he met an inch-perfect cross from Chris Sørensen and headed home from the edge of the 5-yard box. And it was 2-0 for OB after a SønderjyskE corner was cleared into the path of Utaka, who ran from the middle OB’s half past two defenders and the goalkeeper to score his first superliga goal this season.

Hans Henrik Andreasen showed on the half-hour that he is on fire at the moment, when he controlled the ball with his back to the goal, quickly turned and fired through a defender’s legs and into the goal behind a bemused SønderjyskE goalkeeper for OB’s 3^rd goal.

SønderjyskE got a goal in injury time, but it was only to be a consolation goal, as OB stayed in control in the 2^nd half. SønderjyskE never got near to a second goal, and OB were content to keep the home team at bay for the second paert of the game.

The win was a perfect warm up for OB’s crucial UEFA Europa League play-off match at home against Scottish side Motherwell FC on Thursday, August 19^th and OB will go into the match against the Scottish side full of confidence.

August 10^th

OB slip to narrow defeat

OB suffered two injuries and went 2-0 down inside the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s Superliga encounter with F.C. København at TRE-FOR Park, but came back to take control of the match and score two goals to equal matters.

It would not have been unfair if OB had gained a point from the match, but a goal by Dame N’Doye two minutes before the end meant heartbreak for OB and the second league defeat in a row. But OB deserved better from the match. They played the best they have played so far this season, bar the situations, which led to the goals. It is early days yet, and although OB are currently 9^th in the league, there is still time to advance and get involved in the battle for the top spots.
Chris Sørensen and Roy Carroll had to be replaced due to injuries in the 13^th and 26^th minutes respectively, but both players are expected to be back in action shortly. They were replaced by Thomas Helveg, who came in as right back with Espen Ruud moving to the left back position, and Alexander Lund Hansen replacing Carroll and both Helveg and Lund Hansen did well.

OB’s next match is a difficult away match against SønderjyskE on Saturday, August 14^th.

August 6^th
OB up against Scottish opposition
Lars Olsen had asked for an away game in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Play-Offs before the draw in Nyon on Friday. The OB coach did not get what he wanted, as OB were first out of the bowl against Motherwell FC from the Scottish Premier League. The two matches will be played on August 19^th and August 26^th, with qualification to the group stages at stake.
OB have good memories from earlier meetings with Scottish opposition, having defeated Hibernian on the away goals rule in the 2006 Intertoto Cup. The first match in Odense ended in a 1-0 win, and I Tobias Grahn goal in a 1-2 defeat in Edinburgh in the return leg proved priceless. OB went on to qualify for the group stages of the UEFA Cup that season, and the club will wish for a repeat of that feat again this season.

August 5^th
Draw secures further advancement
A 0-0 draw after a disciplined performance against HSK Zrinjski in Mostar secures further advancement in the UEFA Europa League for OB. The hosts has most of the possesion, but OB come closest to scoring a goal when Anders Møller Christensen hits the upright after some good moves and a perfect cross from Hans Henrik Andreasen in the heat in Mostar. OB began the match looking to soak up the pressure from the home team, trying to avoid conceding a goal, which could have spurred on Zrinjski. As the match went on, Zrinjski had to risk more and more and OB gradually got more and more into the game and it would not have been unfortunate if OB had scored a goal. As it were, a draw was enough to secure OB advancement into the Play Off stages of the Europa League, courtesy of the 5-3 home win a week before in Odense.

May 19^th

OB celebrated silver medals in style

OB went to Aarhus for the last game of the season, knowing that 2^nd spot, the silver medals and qualification was ensured regardless of the outcome of the match against AGF. But OB wanted to finish the season with a win, and the game was only six minutes old, when Peter Utaka played a pass through the AGF-defence to Johan Absalonsen, who passed to Njogu Demba-Nyrén for an easy tap-in for OB to take the lead.

AGF had to win to keep their hope of avoiding relegation alive, and the goal sparked a frenzy of activity from the home team, which resulted in a good effort, which hit the underside of the crossbar and back onto the pitch.

AGF did not come closer to an equaliser in the first half, but on 59 minutes, Demba-Nyrén scored again, this time from a corner, which floated in front of goal, where Demba-Nyrén coolly headed the ball in the net outside the reach of the AGF-keeper.

Only three minutes later, OB went 3-0 ahead and effectively condemned AGF to first division football next season. However, this was not on the players’ minds; they focused on the fact that they ended a long season with a win and silver medals and celebrated with their fans long after the final whistle in Aarhus.

May 12^th

OB qualified for Europe

A 2-1 win over cup finalists FC Nordsjælland in a thrilling encounter on Thursday night secured European football at Tre-For Park next season. OB opened well, but could not capitalise on some good moves, and the FC Nordsjælland took the lead against the run of play. However, two goals by Peter Utaka, the first after a fumble by the FC Nordsjælland-keeper and the second after a beautifully timed through-ball by Henrik Hansen made sure that OB took all three points and secured second spot, the silver medals and qualification for next season’s Europa League.

On Sunday, OB played their second home game in four days. This time the opponents were relegation-threatened Randers FC. But Randers FC are the best team of the second half of the season, better than champions FC København, and OB were up for a difficult task.

The home team continued playing the inticing football they showed on Thursday night, but the precision lacked in front of goal. Instead, Randers FC took the lead halfway through the first half. The guests increased their lead on the hour, before Caca pulled one back for OB on 67 minutes. OB’s joy was shortlived however, as Randers scored their third and final goal only one minute later.

OB now have one League game left this season, against AGF Aarhus on Sunday, before embarking on a series of three friendly matches during the rest of May.

May 5^th

Still a lot to play for

A 2-2 draw in the second leg of the cup semi-final means that OB will not be playing in the cup final on May 13^th. 0-2 down from the second leg in Herning, OB had a mountain to climb in the second leg In Odense, and the task was made virtually impossible when FC Midtjylland went ahead after 11 minutes in Fionia Park.

Matters were made even worse when FC Midtjylland increased the lead in the second half, But OB found new strength in the face of adversity and eventually secured a 2-2 draw, courtesy of goals by Henrik Hansen and Peter Utaka.

On Monday, May 3^rd, OB opposed SønderjyskE in a difficult away encounter. Sadly, OB could not live up to their status as favourites. Instead, SønderjyskE went ahead after a corner in the first half and increased the lead late in the game, eventually securing all three points through a 2-0 victory.

OB’s best chance in the match was a triple chance to Njogu Demba-Nyrén, but brilliant goalkeeping by the SønderjyskE-keeper kept the ball out.

OB still has a lot to play for. The team now has three matches to get four points to secure the silver medals. The first one is at home against high-flying FC Nordsjælland on at eight o’clock on Thursday, May 6^th.

April 28^th

Two out of two in the league

On April 20^th, OB went to Silkeborg to prepare for the first leg of the Cup semi final against FC Midtjylland.

The match began well for OB, who created some good moves and chances. The biggest came when Peter Utaka beat the offside trap and surged towards the FC Midtjylland-goal, but his finish was in the side net.

Only minutes from the interval, FC Midtjylland scored and when the hosts scored again eight minutes from the end, they left OB with a mountain to climb in the return leg.

It was back to league action four days later, when OB were at home to Silkeborg. A somewhat scrappy affair was decided by a beautiful goal on 72 minutes. Chris Sørensen took a free kick and floated the ball onto Atle Roar Håland, who flicked it on to Peter Utaka who scored with a header. It was OB’s second win in a row in the league, and together with the other results in the round, it gave OB a nine point lead in the race for 2^nd spot in the SAS Liga, and qualification for the UEFA Europa League.

April 20^th

Two difficult away games

Only three days after the Brøndby game, OB travelled to Aalborg to play AaB. Only hours before departing for Aalborg the day before the match, OB received news that Demba-Nyrén had been handed a two-match suspension for an off-the-ball incident involving him and Remco van der Shaarf in the match against Brøndby.

OB’s bad fortune continued in Aalborg, with the home team winning 1-0 and Johan Absalonsen being sent off towards the end of the match.

On Sunday, April 18^th, OB again travelled to Herfølge for a match, this time in the SAS Liga. And once again, OB defeated the hosts. This time, OB won 2-1, with Hans Henrik Andreasen scoring his first goal of the season to secure all three points. Atle Roar Håland opened the scoring for OB in the first half when he followed up on a set piece and gave OB the lead. But on 67 minutes, HB Køge equalised before Hans Henrik Andreasen headed in OB’s second goal four minutes later.

April 13^th

Success in the Cup, heartbreak in the League

The busy times continued for OB, with a cup quarter final in Herfølge and a league match at home in the space of four days.

On Thursday, April 8^th, OB went to Herfølge to play HB Køge in a difficult encounter in the quarter final of the Ekstra Bladet Cup.

A blunder form HB Køge’s keeper presented Henrik Hansen with a golden opportunity for the first goal on 23 minutes, and the midfielder could have scored another later in the first half. Demba-Nyrén also came close to scoring, but the first half ended 1-0 to OB.

OB was 2-0 up on the hour, when Peter Utaka scored. But on 80 minutes, HB Køge scored, only for Utaka to restore the two goal lead 60 seconds later.

Thus, by winning 3-1, OB qualified for the semi finals and two difficult matches against FC Midtjylland.

Only three days later, OB played Brøndby at home in a crucial and dramatic encounter in the SAS Liga. An evenly contested encounter was eventually decided by a controversial Brøndby-goal with the goal scorer in a clear off-side position.

April 7^th

Costly Easter for OB

The Easter period proved costly for OB, with only one point in two games. On Maundy Thursday, OB met FC København in Parken in Copenhagen for a vital encounter. A win would put OB two points ahead of FC København in the title race, but goals from Atiba Hutchinson and Jesper Grønkjær put paid to OB’s aspirations.

On Easter Monday, OB hosted Esbjerg at home in the SAS Liga. OB put Esbjerg under pressure from the beginning of the match and created several chances throughout the game. Peter Utaka had several good opportunities and Johan Absalonsen hit the upright, but this was the closest OB came to a goal against an Esbjerg-team whose sole ambition was to avoid defeat. But OB could not score, much to the chagrin of the OB players, who knew that the draw would leave them 6 points behind FC København.

On Thursday, OB turn their attention away from the SAS Liga to concentrate on the cup and an away game against HB Køge in Herfølge in the quarter-finals.

OB’s next game in the SAS Liga is at home against Brøndby next Sunday, April 11^th at 6 p.m.

March 30^th

Up and down for OB

It has been a week of ups and downs for OB, but the team still has everything to play for. A win and a defeat leaves OB one point behind league leaders FC København; the two teams meet In Copenhagen on Thursday, April 1^st in a thriller.

On Thursday, March 25^th, OB travelled to Esbjerg for a vital match. A win would open a 9 point gap between second placed OB and third placed Esbjerg.

The hosts opened the scoring on 13 minutes, when a string of good moves resulted in a good finish by Mikkel Vendelbo, who shot past Roy Carroll.

OB equalised nine minutes later, however. Chris Sørensen scored from a free kick to bring OB back on level terms, and in the 65^th minute, Rurik Gislason rifled the ball past Lars Winde in the Esbjerg goal for the eventual winner.

On Monday, OB tried to follow up the good performance in Esbjerg at home against FC Midtjylland.

OB started brightly and took the lead on 29 minutes. Peter Utaka rounded of a good OB-attack by putting the ball in the net. Shortly before half-time FC Midtjylland scored a controversial goal from a corner – controversial because the referee originally awarded OB a goal kick before changing his mind.

In the second half, both teams went looking for the second goal. OB created some good possibilities but cold not capitalise. Instead, FC Midtjylland scored and as they managed to hold on to their lead, OB suffered their first defeat this year, and only the third defeat of the season.

March 23^rd

A win at last

OB got back on track with a convincing win at home against AGF on Sunday, March 21^st. 2-0 was the final score, with goals from Peter Utaka and Caca.

OB reshuffled their team and placed both Esben Hansen and Eric Djemba-Djemba in front of the back four. Rurik Gislason moved in behind Peter Utaka with Caca taking over on the right side of midfield. Espen Ruud was back from suspension to replace Jonas Troest, and Henrik Hansen moved to the substitute’s bench

Both teams started brightly but could not score. Rurik Gislason went close when he narrowly failed to connect with the ball when Peter Utaka whipped a cross in from the right, but the drama did not come from the action in front of goal in the first half.

Rather, injuries to Atle Roar Håland and Eric Djemba-Djemba became the talking point of the first 45 minutes. First, Atle Roar Håland had to be substituted with a suspected broken nose and minutes later Eric Djemba-Djemba twisted his knee and had to leave the match. Håland was replaced by Jonas Troest and Henrik Hansen came on for Djemba-Djemba.

In the second half, OB continued to look for the first goal, and on 57 minutes, Peter Utaka hammered a delivery from Johan Absalonsen into the roof of the net.

The goal seemed to release a lot of energy in the OB-players and their combinations began to flow. Thus it was no surprise that the best move of the day led to the second goal. Esben Hansen played an inch-perfect pass trough the AGF-defence to Peter Utaka, who played the ball to Caca, who scored with an easy tap-in.

Eric Djemba-Djemba now faces at least four weeks on the sidelines recovering from his knee injury, while Atle Roar Håland will have his nose put in place on Wednesday and will have to play with a face mask when he is ready to play matches again.

March 16^th
OB had to settle for draw

OB made a number of changes to the team that drew with FC Midtjylland for the match against SønderjyskE. Eric Djemba-Djemba was back in the team. Replacing Esben Hansen, while Henrik Hansen came in for the inured Hans Henrik Andreasen and Jonas Troest took over from Espen Ruud, who was suspended.

OB had high hopes of securing all three points in their first home match this Spring, when SønderjyskE visited Odense on Saturday. But wasted chances meant that OB had to settle for just one point for the seconds match in a row.

OB began the match brightly and put SønderjyskE under pressure from the beginning of the encounter, creating one chance after another. And the hosts were duly rewarded when Henrik Hansen scored on 13 minutes.

Their joy was short-lived, however, as SønderjyskE equalised only six minutes later. The equaliser only made OB put even more pressure on SønderjyskE and Peter Utaka had the ball in the back of the net on 73 minutes, only to be ruled offside.

After the match, Johan Absalonsen called the result a wake up call, pointing out that draws are costly when F. C. København keeps winning:

- SønderjyskE made it difficult for us and we made it difficult for ourselves by not converting our chances. We cannot continue to play well and only draw, because FCK look really strong. We need to get going and we have to concede that we have not been sharp enough. We need to see this as a lesson and a wake up call. We have to carry on. There are still lots of points to play for.

OB’s next match is at home to AGF on Sunday, March 21^st at 16.00 hrs.

March 9th
OB draw in Spring premiere
OB’s much-anticipated Spring premiere against FC Midtjylland in Herning became just as difficult as predicted by many of the players before the match.
OB went behind after just five minutes and spent the rest of the first half chasing the equaliser, creating a host of chances and putting pressure on FC Midtjylland.
The equaliser came right on the hour when Rurik Gislason forced himself in front of an FC Midtjylland-defender and headed an inch-perfect cross by Espen Ruud into the net.
OB went looking for the second goal, but could not convert and dominance in play and chances into a goal. Instead, FC Midtjylland went in front again on 71 minutes when Frank Kristensen scored his second goal in the match.
FC Midtjylland’s joy was short-lived, however. Two minutes later, OB won a free kick only feet away from the edge of the penalty box. Up stepped Chris Sørensen to take the free kick, and the OB captain curled the ball into the net to make the score 2-2.
Shortly before full-time, Peter Utaka could have secured all three points for OB, when he beat the off-side trap and connected with a through-ball. Unfortunately, Utaka shot into the onrushing goalkeeper’s feet and wasted a brilliant opportunity.
As there were no more goals in the match, OB had to be content with one point from a game where they could have won all three.

March 2^nd

Utaka, Ruud and Gislason away on international duties

The OB-squad is preparing for Saturday’s important away match at FC Midtjylland without Peter Utaka, Espen Ruud and Rurik Gislason who are away on international duties for their respective countries.

While Ruud and Gislason’s absence was anticipated, the call-up for Utaka came as a big surprise, as Nigeria’s match against Congo was originally called off. However, in an about-turn of events, the match was re-arranged, and Utaka was asked with short notice to get on a plane and come home for the match.

Anders Møller Christensen was also asked to join the Denmark squad when Daniel Agger became doubtful, but the OB centre back declined for family reasons.

Utaka, Ruud and Gislason are expected to return to OB immediately of their respective international matches to continue preparations for the match on Saturday.

OB continued the preparations for the FC Midtjylland-match with a training match versus FC Vestsjælland last Saturday. OB won the match 1-0 but controlled events throughout the game, and should have won by a bigger margin. OB created many chances, but had to be content with Peter Utaka’s single strike in the 2^nd half. However, the playing standard was improved significantly compared to the match against Horsens the week before and OB showed that the Horsens result was a one-off fluke.

February 25^th

Sørensen and Utaka sign contract extensions

Since returning from Spain, OB have trained on the artificial turf in Ådalen. Anders K. Jacobsen, Thomas Helveg and Eric Djemba-Djemba received treatment for their injuries throughout the week and Johan Absalonsen was also out for a couple of days during the week.

On Saturday, February 20^th, OB played AC Horsens in a training match at home. Rurik Gislason was absent due to illness, while Anders K. Jacobsen, Thomas Helveg and Eric Djemba-Djemba was unavailable because of injury, but Johan Absalonsen was back from his short injury-spell.

OB started well and created some good chances in the first half. One of these was converted by Peter Utaka, but AC Horsens equalised before half-time. In the second half, OB found it difficult to get their game going. To make matters worse, AC Horsens scored twice to record a 3-1 victory.

On Monday, February 22^nd, OB striker Björn Runström went on loan to Norwegian Tippeliga club Molde for the rest of 2010.

The next day, on Tuesday, February 23^rd, Peter Utaka and Chris Sørensen signed extensions to their current contracts, keeping both players at OB until 2012

February 15^th

OB back from Spain

On Saturday, OB returned from a successful pre-season training camp in Malaga, Spain. In addition to training on grass for the first time in 2010, OB also participated in the inaugural season of the Copa del Sol, a pre-season tournament for the top two teams in Denmark, Norway and Sweden in 2009 and Russian Champions’ League participants CSKA Moscow and Ukrainian UEFA Cup winners Shakthar Donetsk.

OB won its first two group games in Copa del Sol, beating Rosenborg 3-2 and Elfsborg 2-0 before going down 3-1 to CSKA Moscow. OB proved to be the better team in the two matches against Rosenborg and Elfsborg, and Lars Olsen’s team dominated both encounters. Against Rosenborg, Hans Henrik Andreasen scored two goals and Johan Absalonsen forced an own goal for OB’s third goal. In the match against Elfsborg, Demba-Nyrén and Peter Utaka both scored beautiful goals, both lobbing the keeper, Demba-Nyrén after a beautiful pass by Hans Henrik Andreasen and Utaka from a very good through ball by Henrik Hansen.

OB was in control of the first 40 minutes of the match against CSKA Moscow. Peter Utaka scored and Chris Sørensen went close with a thunderous shot that hit the upright, but CSKA equalised from a corner shortly before half-time and went ahead only minutes later. And when the Russians increased the lead again in the beginning of the 2^nd half, it became an uphill struggle for OB. Demba-Nyrén could have narrowed the margin shortly before the final whistle, when Björn Runström was brought down in the penalty area, but the Gambian missed the resulting penalty.

In the play-off for 3^rd place, OB ran into F.C. København. The match was played in torrential rain and Lars Olsen fielded an experimental side. OB went 1-0 down after 15 minutes and F. C. København increased the lead in the 2^nd half before OB mounted a late rally and almost forced the tie into penalties.

OB are now back in Denmark preparing for the first match in the SAS Liga in 2010, against FC Midtjylland on March 6^th in Herning

January 28^th

Pre-season preparations in full swing

Winter has gripped Denmark, but OB’s players are working hard on the training pitch and in the gym to prepare for an exciting second part of the 2009-10 season. OB went on away for the Christmas holidays on top of the SAS Liga and they aim to stay there and win the club’s first league title in 21 years in May.

The squad looks very much like the one that finished 2009, with a few changes. Rune Pedersen’s loan-spell at the club has come to an end and the goalkeeper has returned to Lyngby Boldklub, while young midfielder Matti Lund Nielsen was transferred to FC Nordsjælland. Goalkeeper Alexander Lund Hansen has joined the club from Norwegian outfit Rosenborg and Esben Hansen has returned from a loan-spell at Randers FC.

OB plays their first pre-season match on Friday, January 29^th, against FC Fredericia before going away to Malaga on a combined training camp and participating in the pre-season tournament Copa del Sol. During their stay in Spain, OB will play Rosenborg (Norway), Elfsborg (Sweden) and CSKA Moscow (Russia). All OB’s matches will be shown on Canal9.

After returning from Spain, OB have scheduled three pre-season matches before kicking off the

Spring season: February 20^th at 13.00 v. Flora Tallinn, February 23^rd at 13.00 v. AC Horsens and February 27^th v. FC Vestsjælland (kick-off time to be decided).

2009

December 8^th

OB on top despite defeat

OB stayed on top of the SAS Liga despite a 2-0n defeat at the hands of F.C. København in the last match in 2009. OB went into the encounter knowing that they would remain in top spot for the winter regardless of the result against F.C. København at Fionia Park on Sunday evening. And the home team came out determined to score right from the start of the game. Caca, Johan Absalonsen and Hans Henrik Andreasen all had the chance to give OB the lead, but good saves by the F.C. København-keeper prevented OB from taking the lead inside the first 15 minutes.

Shortly before half-time, F.C. København won a corner. OB could not clear the in-swinging corner and the ball fell to Dame N’Doye, who scored with a header at the back post.

The goal took away some of the optimism from OB and the hosts fought hard to regain their composure from the start of the 2^nd half and put enormous pressure on the visitors’ goal. But F.C. København defended well and OB lacked the necessary sharpness in front of goal.

Instead, F. C. København increased their lead when N’Doye scored his second goal. This effectively decided the game, although OB tried to force a goal and possibly an equaliser. However, F.C. København held on to take all three points and narrow OB’s lead at the top of the table to one point.

November 30^th

OB wins hard-fought victory

The pitch was wet and soft due to rain leading up to the match against HB Køge at Fionia Park, and the visitors were in no mood to lie down and surrender to the SAS Ligas top team. Thus OB had to work hard to get three points from Monday night’s penultimate match in 2009.

The fans had to wait until the 83^rd minute before OB scored. A perfect cross from Thomas helveg found Peter Utaka with plenty of space and time in front of goal and the lethal striker did not disappoint the fans. He coolly hit the ball past a despairing HB Køgekeeper, securing OB a vital, but hard-fought victory.

OB’s last game is at Fionia Park against F. C. København on Sunday, December 6^th. And it looks like it will be in front of a capacity crowd, as more than 12 000 tickets have already been sold.

Honours for Utaka and Sørensen

Peter Utaka and Chris Sørensen were both honoured before the home game against HB Køge on Monday, November 30^th. Utaka received flowers and an award from TV2 as he was named Player of the Month for October, thus making it two in a row as he was also named Player of the Month for October by Onside before the match against Brøndby. Chris Sørensen received flowers from OB for reaching 250 matches for the club.

November 22^nd

Three points from Brøndby-encounter

A good first-half laid the foundations for an important win against Brøndby. OB dominated the first 45 minutes and went ahead, when an opportunistic Peter Utaka scored on 19 minutes. Brøndby threatened to equalise and nearly got a goal when Stefan Gislason hit the post. However, it was OB who increased their lead shortly before half-time. Hans Henrik Andreasen was fouled in the Brøndby penalty area, and Chris Sørensen scored from the resulting penalty.

In the second half, Brøndby scored and pushed hard for an equaliser, but when Johan Absalonsen scored in injury time, OB secured all three points.

November 19^th

Absalonsen on fire

Johan Absalonsen made the most of his chances in the friendly against USA. The OB-winger came on as a substitute in the 46^th minute and scored one goal and provided the cross for another.

Absalonsen made an instant impact when he equalised for Denmark only seconds after coming on. Five minutes later, he provided the cross from the left for Søren Rieks to score.

November 9^th

Djemba-Djemba and Olsen missed out

Eric Djemba-Djemba and Lars Olsen were both nominated for awards at DBU and TV2’s Danish Fodbold Awards on Monday night. The midfielder was in the running for the SAS Liga Player of the Year award, while Lars Olsen was once again a candidate for the Best Coach award. Unfortunately, both Eric Djemba-Djemba and Lars Olsen both missed out as the awards went to Jacob Poulsen and Morten Olsen respectively.

Busy players on international duties

Johan Absalonsen, Anders Møller Christensen, Rurik Gislason and Espen Ruud are all away on international duty this week.

Absalonsen was selected for Denmark’s two friendlies against South Korea and USA on the 14^th and 18^th November and teamed up with the rest of the national team on Monday night. Anders Møller Christensen was called up following Daniel Agger’s withdrawal through injury on Tuesday morning, and Rurik Gislason and Espen Ruud will team up with Iceland and Norway on Wednesday for the matches against Luxembourg and Switzerland respectively this coming Saturday  

Own goal secures three points

An own goal secured all three points for OB against Silkeborg in a close encounter on Saturday. 

OB came to Silkeborg seeking revenge for the 1-3 defeat in late August. Unlike then, OB started slowly, but gradually took control of the match without producing any clear-cut chances. And as Silkeborg were also unable to penetrate the OB-defence, it soon became clear that a repeat of the four goals in August was unlikely.

OB’s best chance came courtesy of Johan Absalonsen. The winger raced through and shot past the Silkeborg-keeper, only for a Silkeborg defender to save the shot just before the ball was crossing the line.

The only goal of the game came after 72 minutes. Again, Absalonsen was involved, when he connected with a trough-ball from Utaka, raced down the line towards and crossed the ball in front of goal, where a Silkeborg defender mishit the ball in an attempt to clear the cross. The ball flew into the Silkeborg goal behind a surprised goalkeeper.

The goal led to increased pressure from Silkeborg and everybody thought they had scored when Rajko Lekic headed the ball towards goal from close range. But a superb save by OB-keeper Roy Carroll kept the ball out, and OB were able to hold on and secure all three points. OB’s next game is away at Brøndby on Sunday, November 22^nd.

November 3^rd

Unfortunate draw with Aalborg

OB had to be content with just one point in Monday night’s encounter with AaB after a first half where OB laid siege to the AaB-goal

OB were looking for a return to winning ways in the SAS Liga after last weekend’s 1-1 draw in Randers and the home team went for AaB’s throat right from the start. Utaka, Hans Henrik Andreasen and Caca all had good opportunities in a first half, where most of the play took place in AaB’s half of the pitch, but good goalkeeping from former OB-keeper Karim Zaza in the AaB-goal kept the score at 0-0.

In the second half, OB kept up the pressure but allowed AaB to get into the game more. This led to a number of AaB-corners, and it was from one of those that OB scored. OB cleared a corner and Johan Absalonsen raced towards the AaB goal from deep within his own half. Absalonsen spotted Utaka and played a through-ball right into the striker’s feet. Utaka carried the ball towards the AaB goal and placed it firmly in the net behind a sprawling AaB-keeper.

Then AaB started chasing the equaliser. And it came when Andreas Johansson shot past Roy Carroll from close range, leaving the OB-keeper with no chance. Later, However, Carroll showed his class when he superbly saved a good, curling effort from AaB. The ball appeared to be going in, but somehow Carroll managed to get to it and push it over the bar.

After the equaliser, OB pushed hard for the winner and Demba-Nyrén had some good efforts. But time ran out on OB, who had to settle for a disappointing draw.

OB’s next game is away on Saturday, November 7^th, against Silkeborg.

October 28^th

Double date with Randers FC

OB played Randers FC twice in the last week, winning one and drawing the other encounter. On Saturday, October 24^th, OB visited Randers for the two clubs’ second meeting in the SAS Liga this season.

OB took control of the game from the beginning and went a goal up on 35 minutes after the best move of the game. Roy Carroll played the ball to Chris Sørensen who played it quickly to Johan Absalonsen. The fast-footed winger took the ball forward and played it into the path of Peter Utaka and the in-form striker coolly slotted the ball into the net for a deserved 1-0 lead for OB.

From the outset of the second half, Randers pushed forward, taking the game to OB, and their hard work was rewarded when former OB-player Søren Berg equalised on 67 minutes, earning Randers FC a valuable point.

On Tuesday, October 27^th, OB was back in Randers for at tie in the 4^th round of the Ekstra Bladet Cup. This game resembled the league game, but this time it took OB just 9 minutes to take the lead. A corner kick from the right was headed on by Hans Henrik Andreasen and when the ball appeared to go out of play for a goal kick, Peter Utaka headed the ball back in front of goal to Caca who headed the ball into the net.

Later in the first half, Peter Utaka turned from provider to goal scorer. A terrible mistake by Randers at the halfway line left Utaka alone in the Randers half. The Nigerian striker raced towards the Randers goal and scored his 16^th goal this season.

As on Saturday, Randers got more of the play in the second half of the game and a few anxious moments followed after Marc Nygaard scored after appearing to have fouled Roy Carroll. However, the goal stood and Randers went seeking the equaliser. It never came, and as no further goals were scored, OB won 2-1 and qualified for the Quarter Finals of the Ekstra Bladet Cup.

October 20^th

Convincing win for OB

Espen Ruud scored his first goal of the season and hot-shot striker Peter Utaka his 14^th to give OB a convincing 2-0 win over FC Nordsjælland on Saturday afternoon.

OB had travelled to Sjælland immediately after Friday’s training to prepare for the important game, and Lars Olsen’s team dominated form the outset and pushed FC Nordsjælland deep into their own half for the first twenty minutes.

The first goal came after a free-kick. Caca, playing instead of Demba-Nyrén, floated the ball into the Nordsjælland penalty area, where Espen Ruud appeared to tap in the loose ball for a deserved OB-lead.

Almost on the stroke of half-time, Johan Absalonsen played a beautiful through-ball to Peter Utaka from well within the OB half. Utaka raced towards FC Nordsjælland-keeper Navakovic and appeared to have lost the ball, but Novakovic fumbled the ball and left Utaka with an open goal and the simplest of tap-ins.

FC Nordsjælland rarely threatened the OB goal. However, the hosts came close to a goal when Nicki Bille hit the upright, but the ball went into play and was cleared by OB.

OB came close to 3-0 in the second half when Peter Utaka and Caca wasted good opportunities, but one sensed that even an OB-team playing at only 80 or 90 % of its capability were never in danger of losing the tie. Thus, the SAS Liga’s top team was able to go back to Fyn with a convincing win under their belt, when the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the game.

October 12^th

OB players on international duties

It has been a quiet week in OB since the home game against AaB. The SAS Liga has taken a break because of the World Cup qualifiers and Rurik Gislason, Peter Utaka, Matti Lund Nielsen, Anders Møller Christensen and Johan Absalonsen are all away on international duties.

Gislason was the only OB-player in action last weekend, when he played and scored two goals in Iceland’s U21 national team’s 8-0 win against San Marino.

Utaka, Møller Christensen and Absalonsen all had to be content with a place on the substitute’s bench when Nigeria defeated Mozambique 1-0 and Denmark qualified for the 2010 World Cup by beating Sweden by the same score.

Rurik Gislason, Anders Møller Christensen and Johan Absalonsen will get a new chance of playing for their countries on Wednesday when Iceland play South Africa and Denmark round up their World Cup qualifying campaign by playing Hungary in Copenhagen.

OB’s next game in the SAS Liga is on Saturday, October 17^th against FC Nordsjælland in Farum.

October 6^th

OB go top

OB went top of the SAS Liga on Monday night after beating AaB 2-1 at home. It was an important match for both teams: A home win would see OB go top, while an away win would see AaB progress to be even with OB and FCK on points.

The importance of the match was evident from the outset. Both teams had great respect for the opponent, but as the game progressed, OB became more adventurous. Yet it was AaB who first went close with a triple chance, but a combination of great goalkeeping by Roy Carroll and great luck kept the ball out.

This seemed to wake up OB and then Peter Utaka produced a masterpiece for the first goal. The Nigerian striker collected the ball in his own half and went for the AaB goal. Johan Absalonsen made a run, which unsettled the AaB-defence, making it possible to play the ball around a defender and make a run the other way around the same defender after which he produced a shot at goal, which went past former OB-keeper Karim Zaza in the AaB-goal and into the net.

Shortly after, Rurik Gislason rifled the ball into the AaB-net again, only for the linesman to wrongly judge Gislason offside.

Thus, OB went in for the half-time tea a goal up. And they came out for the second half looking for the second goal. AaB moved the ball around well but did not produce many clear chances. Instead OB went 2-0 up, when Peter Utaka curled a low cross from Johan Absalonsen into the net via the upright.

Utaka had a great opportunity to make it 3-0, when he ran onto a pass from Espen Ruud, but his shot was high and wide. Instead AaB created a tense ending to the match, when they scored five minutes from time. However, that was the last goal in the match and OB have now gone 14 home matches without losing on home soil.

Djemba-Djemba and Lars Olsen nominated for awards

DBU, the Danish FA, has nominated OB’s Cameroun midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba and coach Lars Olsen for the prestigious awards Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. Whether they win will be revealed at TV2 and DBU’s Dansk Fodbold Award show in November. Former OB-player Christian Eriksen was nominated for the award Best Young Player.

New date for cup encounter

OB’s Ekstra Bladet Cup-match against Randers FC has been moved to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27^th for live broadcasting on the TV-channel Kanal 6.

September 30^th

OB progress in the cup

OB was up against tough opposition in the cup last Wednesday in Fredericia. OB was in control of the game until early in the second half, when 2 Fredericia-goals put OB under pressure. However, OB responded well and after the scare 3 goals in 13 minutes by Eric Djemba-Djemba and Peter Utaka (2) turned the game around again.

And when Johan Absalonsen scored OB’s 4^th goal on 90 minutes, the game seemed over as a contest, but an own goal brought Fredericia back into the game, albeit only for a very short time. Straight from the kick-off, OB capitalised on Fredericias eagerness for an equaliser and scored a 5^th, which secured victory and a meeting with Randers FC in Randers in the 4th round of the cup on October 28^th.

Clean sheet for Carroll

OB-keeper was a happy man after Saturday’s deserved win against FC Nordsjælland. The Northern Ireland keeper kept a clean sheet in OB’s 2-0 win, a goal Carroll had set himself before the game after four games with goals against.

OB started the match brightly and went into the lead when Rurik Gislason scored his first goal for the club after 12 minutes. However, although FC Nordsjælland never seriously threatened the OB- goal, the home side let control of the game go slightly after the goal, and the visitors were allowed to hold on to the ball for long spells during the next 50 minutes.

Them OB tightened th4e grip again and when Johan Absalonsen ran through from inside his own half to score, the match was decided. It was a goal just a beautiful as Gislason’s and the win sent OB top before the rest of the games in the 10^th round of SAS Ligaen.

Next Monday sees OB up against AaB, and after that Rurik Gislason, Peter Utaka and Anders Møller Christensen all join their respective national teams for important World Cup qualifying matches in the coming weeks

September 22^nd

Back to winning ways

OB returned to winning ways on Sunday, when HB Køge was defeated 3-1 in Herfølge. OB began the game well and went in front after 16 minutes, when Chris Sørensen scored from the penalty spot. The goal could have signalled an all-out siege of the HB Køge goal, but for some reason this never happened. Instead HB Køge got back into the game and succeeded in putting pressure on OB.

This resulted in an equaliser only minutes into the 2^nd half, when HB Køge hit the crossbar twice before Fabinho headed the ball into the net.

A Chris Sørensen corner gave OB back the lead. Sørensen found Hans Henrik Andreasen, who headed the ball against the crossbar. From here, it bounced on to the head of HB Køge defender Nicklas Svendsen and into the net.

In injury time, Nicklas Svendsen was unlucky once again, when he tried to clear a cross from the left by Johan Absalonsen. Under pressure from Hans Henrik Andreasen, Svendsen hit the ball low into his own net for OB’s third goal.

OB’s next match is a cup match away against FC Fredericia on Wednesday, September 23^rd at 19.00 hrs.

Peter Utaka, top scorer for OB and in the SAS Liga did not hit the net on Sunday. However, he received a big boost before Wednesday’s cup game, when he was selected for Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying squad for the first time, for the Super Eagles’ crucial World Cup qualifier against Mozambique on October 11^th.

September 16^th

Unlucky OB draw against F. C. København

After two weeks without any matches, it was back to business for OB against F. C. København on Saturday. The two teams met for the first time this season and battled out a draw in Odense, much to the disappointment of the OB players and fans, who felt they should have won the encounter.

F. C. København went ahead after a disputed penalty, but an inch-perfect pass by Atle Roar Håland from well inside his own half to Peter Utaka halfway into the F. C. København half, and a clinical finish by Utaka, saw OB equalise before the break.

In the second half, OB went close on two occasions, when a thunderous shot by Johan Absalonsen hit the post and a good save by the F. C. København-keeper of a good Demba-Nyrén effort hit the upper side of the crossbar.

OB’s next match is on Sunday, September 20^th against HB Køge in Herfølge. Kick off is at 2 p.m.

September 9^th

All quiet in OB

It has been a quiet week in OB. Due to Denmark’s World Cup qualifying match against Portugal, the SAS Liga took a break last weekend.

For Anders Møller Christensen, Johan Absalonsen and Rurik Gislason there was no time to rest, however. The three players were on international duty for Denmark and Iceland respectively, with Anders Møller Christensen in action for the full 90 minutes against Portugal on Saturday. Rurik Gislason played for Iceland’s full national team on Saturday and on Monday, he captained the Iceland under-21’s to a convincing 6-2 victory against Northern Ireland. Not only was Gislason the captain, ha also scored two goals for the under-21’s.

The international break has been good for OB captain Chris Sørensen, who underwent a minor operation in a toe. Sørensen is now back in training and ready for the home encounter with F. C. København on Saturday.

September 1^st

Busy OB

It has been a couple of busy weeks for OB lately. On August 20^th, the club played Genoa CFC in Genoa in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs. Unfortunately, OB could not get the result they were looking for, as Genoa CFC won the match 3-1, OB’s goal coming from a scrambled effort by Rurik Gislason.

Only four days later, the team was in action again, playing Randers FC at home in the SAS Liga and winning 1-0 courtesy of a Henrik Hansen goal.

And on August 27^th, a 1-1 draw with Genoa at Fionia Park sent OB out of the Europa League. An own goal in the dying seconds of the 1^st half gave OB hope of a miraculous turnaround of the previous week’s defeat in Genoa, but an equaliser in the 2^nd  half squashed OB’s dreams.

The final weekend of the transfer period saw some busy action in OB: Keeper Anders Lindegaard was sold to Aalesund in Norway, while Rune Pedersen arrived on loan from Lyngby and Esben Hansen went on loan to Randers FC.

On Monday night, OB could have returned to the top of the SAS Liga, but a 1-3 defeat at the hands of Silkeborg leaves OB in 4^th spot before the international weekend and the home league match against F. C. København on September 12^th

August 17^th

OB beat FC Midtjylland

Roy Carroll made his debut for OB in place of injured Anders Lindegaard in the 1-0 victory over FC Midtjylland at Fionia Park. Carroll only signed for OB on the day of the match, but the Northern Ireland goalkeeper made a good impression in his first match for his new club, coming up with a point-saving save towards the end of the match.

The win came courtesy of a Peter Utaka goal, and OB have now gone 19 competitive matches without losing and the club has won the last 10 home matches, an impressive record. Next up are Genoa CFC in the Europa League on Thursday, August 20^th in Genoa, followed by a home match against Randers FC in the SAS Liga on Monday, August 24th

August 13^th

Three OB-players in international action

Three of the four OB-players selected by their countries for international duties got into action on Wednesday night.

Anders Møller Christensen played the full ninety minutes for Denmark against Chile in Brondby. Matti Lund Nielsen played the whole match for Denmark U21 against Sweden U21 and scored Denmark’s first goal in a 2-4 defeat in Viborg and in Iceland, Rurik Gislason captained Iceland U21 against the Czech Republic.

Espen Ruud was selected by Norway for the World Cup qualifier against Scotland in Oslo, but did not play.

August 9^th

Victory in Esbjerg

OB won the SAS Liga match against Esbjerg 2-1 and are now unbeaten in 18 competitive matches. The first half of the match was a high-paced affair, with chances to both teams. Esbjerg went close on two occasions when first Nicolai Høgh headed across the face of the goal and Tim Janssen powerful header from close range was saved by OB-keeper Lindegaard, who produced a save, which brought back memories of Gordon Banks’ famous save from Pele in the 1970 World Cup finals.

OB’s best chances in the first half fell to Rurik Gislason and Hans Henrik Andreasen. Both put in good headers, but Gislason’s effort flew just wide off the post and Andreasen’s header went into the hands of the Esbjerg-keeper.

OB started well in the second half with Demba-Nyrén missing a good opportunity. Instead, Esbjerg went ahead on 55 minutes, and the hosts could have increased the lead in the minutes following the goal. Fortunately for OB, this did not happen. Instead, the goal spurred OB into trying to get an equaliser, and 11 minutes from time they succeeded. Caca scored a beautiful goal, when he hit the ball hard into the corner of the net from about 30 metres.

The goal marked another turning point in the match. Now OB seemed to have taken control and only four minutes after the equaliser, Demba-Nyrén played an inch-perfect ball to Peter Utaka, who headed OB in front.

As there were no further goals, Utaka’s header secured a happy OB-team all three points from a difficult encounter  

August 5^th

Four players on international duties

Today, Anders Møller Christensen (Denmark), Espen Ruud (Norway), Rurik Gislason (Iceland U21) and Matti Lund Nielsen (Denmark U21) were all called up for international duties next week.

August 4^th

Djemba-Djemba signs contract extension

On Tuesday, Eric Djemba-Djemba signed a one-year extension to his current contract, keeping the influential midfielder with the club until 2012.

OB-director Kim Brink was excited about the one-year extension:

- Eric Djemba-Djemba is on of the biggest profiles in the SAS Liga. We are pleased that he has signed an extension to his contract. There is always a lot of interest in a player like Djemba-Djemba. Therefore, we are naturally very happy that both parties saw great perspectives in signing an extension of the contract.

-I am happy with the contract extension. The club does everything to keep me happy and it is good for my head that I can now concentrate on my job here in Odense. We have some important matches coming up, so it is good for me to get this sorted out and out of my head, so that I can focus on the important challenges ahead, Eric Djemba-Djemba said about the contract extension.

August 3^rd

Controversial draw in Aarhus

OB could have gone top of the league on Monday morning. A win against AGF in Aarhus would have secured OB top spot for the first time this season, but a controversial 2-2 draw ensured that the host stayed on top.

The match was a pulsating and exciting tie. OB felt they should have gone ahead when Hans Henrik Andreasen headed the ball into the net from close range in the 21^st minute, but the referee disallowed the goal. Instead it was AGF who took the lead on the stroke of half-time, when they scored from a dubious penalty.

OB came out looking for an equaliser from the beginning of the second half and they got what they were looking for on 49 minutes. With his back to the goal, Peter Utaka controlled a perfect cross from Espen Ruud, turned and put the ball in the net via the post.

Three minutes later, Utaka turned provider, when he controlled a ball from Johan Absalonsen and laid it off for Demba-Nyrén, who scored with a cool shot along the ground and deep into the AGF goal.

The match took another twist when Johan Absalonsen was adjudged to have kicked an opponent and was sent off. From then on AGF increased the pressure on OB. Just when OB was hoping to get away with all three points, AGF equalised. There were no more goals and the match ended in a stalemate.

July 31^st

OB secures important away win

OB’s first venture into European football this season ended with a 4-3 victory against FK Rabotnicki in the Macedonian capital Skopje. OB went ahead after 20 minutes, when Caca scored the first of his 3 goals in a lively match. Shortly after, however, Rabotnicki equalised and before OB could regain their composure, the hosts went ahead to the delight of the home crowd. But Caca’s second goal nine minutes before half-time meant that OB went in for the break on level terms and in the second half, OB was the better team. Two goals, a penalty from Chris Sørensen and a Caca header, secured an important away win but OB had plenty of opportunities to score more goals as they took control of the match. Instead a goal by Ze Carlos from a brilliantly taken free-kick 16 minutes from the end brought a little excitement into the tie, but with no further goals the happy, but tired OB-players could return to Odense with an important away win in the bag.

After the match, Head Coach Lars Olsen gave his thoughts on the game:

- It was extremely hot for the players on the pitch and you could se that they lacked their usual speed and power. The pitch was uneven, which made it difficult to control the ball in the play on the ground. With that in mind, 4-3 was a good result, yet I am a bit annoyed. We gave away some easy goals and with a bit more concentration we could have scored a couple of goals more. Our chances of progressing to the next round are good, of course. Obviously, it will be a different game at Fionia Park and we must qualify for the next round.

Midfielder Henrik Hansen was not unanimously excited about the encounter:

- First and foremost we must be happy about the away win. But we are not overly excited about letting in three goals. It was very hot in the first half and we did not succeed in closing down their positioning play. This meant that we had to run more than necessary. We must finish the job in Odense and it is not unthinkable that Rabotnicki is a different team away from home. At the same time the climate is different, so it will probably be a different kind of game where we set things straight.

OB plays FK Rabotnicki at Fionia Park at 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 6^th.

July 25^th

OB beat SonderjyskE 3-1

OB extended their unbeaten record to 14 matches with a 3-1 home win over SonderjyskE. Rurik Gislason made his home debut while the other new summer signing took his place on the substitute’s bench.

OB dominated in from the beginning, with SonderjyskE relying on counter attacks. 12 minutes into the first half, OB took the lead when Rurik Gislason found Johan Absalonsen on the edge of the box. The midfielder fired a low, hard shot into the net to give OB the lead.

Unfortunately, it lasted only 4 minutes. Then SonderjyskE equalised with a goal, which was almost at copy of the OB-goal. The equaliser led to increased pressure from OB, which opened up the game, as it led to counter attack opportunities for SonderjyskE.

On 35 minutes, OB took the lead when a corner fell down in a group of players in front of the SonderjyskE-goal. Eventually, Atle Roar Håland managed to poke the ball into the net for his first goal ever for OB and a 2-1 lead.

On 61 minutes, Peter Utaka headed in OB’s third and final goal. A beautiful through-ball from Eric Djemba-Djemba found Johan Absalonsen on the left and Utaka converted his inch-perfect cross from close range.

After the match, a proud and happy Rurik Gislason spoke to OB Online about his home debut:

-It was great to get the game. I was very excited before the match and it is really funny to play with such good players. It also makes it easier for me to play well, the Icelandic players said. He showed the fans why OB was so eager to get him with some exciting Brazilian-type actions in the first half, which earned him the title Man of the Match.

- I try to do my best every time and sometimes this is how it turns out. But it is easier to play when everyone in the team is good at holding on to the ball. It makes it easier for a player like me. It was a great honour to be voted Man of the Match and the fans have also welcomed me. I feel at home already, and that is wonderful, Gislason commented.

Atle Roar Håland scored his first goal ever for OB. And it was a goal the likeable Norwegian had been waiting for a long time:

- I guess you could say that it was about time. It was nice. A ball fell in the area in front of goal and there was a scramble to kick the ball. The goalkeeper saved the first attempt, but then I managed to poke it in, a happy Håland described the goal. He was also happy with the way the game went in general:

- We were in control and we dictated events. We remained in control despite their equaliser and showed in the second half, that we are a better team. It is sometimes difficult to play against a team that comes here to defend. It takes time to break them down but I think we did that well and we were good at keeping hold of the ball, Håland said about the game.

OB’s next match in the SAS Liga is on Monday, August 3^rd, away at AGF

July 24^th

SonderjyskE must not be underestimated

OB play their first home game this season against SonderjyskE late afternoon tomorrow. OB won two of last season’s encounters and drew one, but Head Coach Lars Olsen warns the players and fans against Saturday’s opponents.

- SonderjyskE is a team that will fight for every ball and they will undoubtedly do that on Saturday also. But we must not underestimate them. They are better football players than people give them credit for, Olsen pointed out after Friday’s training session.

The OB coach has made only two changes to the team, which drew 2-2 in Brondby: Jonas Troest is out with a minor Achilles tendon injury, while Johan Absalonsen is back in the squad after serving a one-match suspension 

July 19th

OB draw season opener

OB opened the 2009-10 season with a difficult away game against Brondby. Both teams have ambitions of playing for the top places in the SAS Liga this season, and the match turned into a very intensive, high-paced affair.

OB had the better chances in the first half, going close from a free-kick, which hit the post, but went behind on a disputed penalty in the 39^th minute, only for captain Chris Sorensen to equalize from a penalty just two minutes later.

In the second half a clinical strike from Njogu Demba-Nyrén gave OB the lead on 56 minutes and silenced Brondby Stadium. Unfortunately, OB was unable to hold on to the lead, as Brondby equalised from a free-kick 10 minutes later.

In the second half, Rurik Gislason and Caca came on for OB, Gislason nearly scoring on his debut with a well-taken effort after outpacing several Brondby players from deep within the OB half

After the match, Chris Sorensen gave his view of the opening of the season:

-We have mixed feelings about the match. We had the chances to win, but Brondby also had their chances, particularly in the 2^nd half. We are not quite where we want to be yet, so I guess we should be happy with the draw.

OB's next match is at home to SonderjyskE at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 25^th.

July 17th

OB set for trip to Northern Ireland or Macedonia

In the draw for the 3^rd qualifying round of the UEFA Europe League, OB was drawn against either Crusaders from Northern Ireland or Rabotnicki from Macedonia. The two teams drew 1-1 in the first leg of the 2^nd qualifying round, with the second leg coming up on July 23^rd in Macedonia.

OB director Kim Brink was at the draw for the 3^rd qualifying round in Nyon in Switzerland. He was pleased with the outcome of the draw:

- I am very pleased, considering the alternatives but we know it will not be easy to go through to the next stage. Now we will have to wait and see if we are playing Rabotnicki or Crusaders. Everything is possible after the two teams drew 1-1 in the first match, Brink commented on the draw on the phone from Nyon.

The two legs of OB’s 3^rd qualifying round tie will be played on July 30^th and August 6^th.