AIK scrapes past Europa FC in what might be the worst game I have ever covered. It had been a long month without photographing football. I was so happy to get back out to a stadium with my cameras and shoot. Unfortunately I was treated to a horrible horrible game. Europa FC is a team from Gibraltar. Gibraltar is not even a country, but rather officially classified as “British Overseas Territories.” Considering this I perhaps should have expected that Europa FC would make a mediocre opponent. But I did not and I learned a lesson that evening.
Europa FC spent 90 minutes fouling very hard and rolling on the floor wasting time. While I did not count I believe that all 11 men on their team took the opportunity to roll around wasting time as if they had been shot. It was without question the most blatant example of unsportsmanlike behavior that I have ever seen in a professional sporting event.
AIK for their part struggled very hard to play against this team. They struggled to break through them and as the match progressed the players became more and more irritated. That they closed the game with all eleven players a bit of an impressive within itself.
Late into the second half I was resigned that AIK would walk away with just one point. Then with just one minute left to play Carlos Strandberg headed it home. There is a good shot of the header bellow. Europa FC who thought they were going to bring home a point were not at all thrilled, but serves them right.
AIK will head down to Gibraltar to play the return leg in a week, and hopefully they can get another victory knocking this horrible team out of Europe.
Thanks for stopping by!