The elite Norwegian league featured more fighting than it ever has before. Norwegians aren’t especially known for being very combative and ‘rule breakers’, but it seemed as though all hell broke loose in a game last night against two huge contenders in the Eliteserien in the domestic league. Were the fans in the right, or did they take it overboard? If you aren’t a fan of VAR, you might agree with these Norwegian die-hard viewers.
Rosenborg vs. Lillestrom in Norwegian League
The game of Rosenborg vs. Lillestrom in the Eliteserien yesterday was abandoned/suspended due to fights and mayhem around the stadium. Other teams played today, with Haugesund coming toa 1-0 win against Viking, Fredrikstad beating HamKam 1-0, and TRomso beating Strømsgodset 1-0. On the same day of the suspended match, KFUM beat Molde 3-2 in a thrilling game. But, Rosenborg and Lillestrom were unable to let bygones be bygones and finish the game at hand.
The protesting and fighting started almost immediately after the initial whistle blew to begin the match, with fans and players both complaining about the VAR system — the Video Assistant Referee system introduced in the game. After just two minutes of playing, where fans threw fishcakes onto the field, players were forced to abandon the game and head into the safety of the dressing room.
After the fishcakes were cleared and the fans settled down, the game restarted once more. However, protests got even worse, with other inanimate objects being thrown onto the field, making it hard for players to run, kick the ball, or even see without being pelted in the face. Since the player’s safety was in danger, the referee called the match over at around 60 minutes into the game.
The troubles all come from introducing VAR into the Eliteserien, to begin with. Many clubs, supporters, coaches, and players think the technology ruins the game and leads to longer decision-making times and slower matches. Therefore, the majority of clubs in the league want to do away with the time-wasting technology. The Norwegian league has faced criticism since adopting the ‘technique’, as a neighboring country, Sweden, decided against using VAR in their domestic leagues. We bet the Swedish fans don’t throw fishcakes onto their fields, too.
Norwegian Eliteserien League & Results
The Norwegian Eliteserien is currently in a tense battle, with almost every team having played 16 matches so far this season. The leading team, Bodo/Glimt, is on top by six points, beating Brann by just two wins. They have scored 36 goals so far this season, which is a hefty number, compared to Brann’s 25 goals and Viking’s 26 goals for fourth place.
Lillestrom, one of the teams in the abandoned match, is currently sitting in seventh place with 20 points, only a mere three points above the relegation zone. Rosenborg sits in 9th place with 18 points. The team in 14th place is within three points of the seventh-placed team, showing just how close the league is this year. Both Lillestrom and Rosenborg are fighting to avoid relegation and make the top four spots this season.
Teams that are currently in danger of relegation include Sandefjord, Odd, and Sarpsborg. Sandefjord is in last with 13 points, but has only played 15 games — this means they can easily catch, and surpass, tams like STromsgodset, HamKam, Kristiansund, Tromso, and Haugesund in the next few games if they earn three points per match. The Norwegian Eliteserien is an interesting league in its own right, with talented players (like Erling Haaland) and close battles. But with the VAR controversy, it got a whole lot more interesting.
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