Results
 

Nordic Vikings 2.0 (Scand)

3

V

1

DePuy Blackpool (Eng)

Nordic Vikings (Scand)

3

V

1

Actelion FC (Ire)

 

We were down to our final 4 teams in the Plate competition with teams representing Switzerland, England and the Nordic region.

The first Semi-Final would see DePuy Blackpool take on Nordic Vikings 2.0 in what was a repeat of the Plate Semi-Final from the 2018 tournament in Budapest. Back then DePuy Blackpool won 4-1 against Nordic Vikings (who only had 1 team last year). A repeat of that score would obviously mean a second successive Plate Final.

Nordic Vikings 2.0 were aiming to reach their first JNJ Euro Soccer Tournament final and complete the first of a Semi-Final double header that could potentially lead to an all Nordic Vikings final. DePuy Blackpool and Actelion FC in the other Semi were aiming to prevent that.

Nordic Vikings 2.0 were much improved compared to Nordic Vikings 12 months ago. For example, today Nordic Vikings 2.0 had 4 wins in 5 games compared to 2 wins in 7 games in Hungary. Payraw Farhad in particular was taking advantage of the stronger performance as he grabbed a first half hat-trick here – it took him onto 13 goals for the tournament.

In the second half the result Ben Jones 7th of the tournament meant it was game on again at 3-1 but the goal proved to be too little to late. There was no way back for DePuy Blackpool. Nordic Vikings 2.0 had a European final to prepare for.

 
 
 

The second Semi-Final was Nordic Vikings versus Actelion FC. Actelion FC had played their knockout football in the Cup at last year's tournament but they missed out on the Cup at the last hurdle of their group. It made them one of the favourites to go on and lift the Plate trophy.

Nordic Vikings were a team on the up and up. Their sister squad had reached the Plate Final from the other Semi-Final and they were looking to make it the first “derby” in a Plate Final since JNJ Russia A and B met in the Plate Final of the 2014 JNJ Euro Soccer Tournament, Bratislava.

Both teams had dangerous strikers in their team. Actelion FC had Davide Gruel on 10 goals. Nordic Vikings had Markus Johansson who already 13 goals to his name. As well as a place in the Plate Final being at stake, both players had a potential claim for tournament top scorer.

We were level 1-1 at half-time with both goals coming from their respective team's top goalscorer. In the second half Markus Johansson scored his 15th and 16th goals of the tournament. It powered Nordic Vikings to a 3-1 win, a place in the Plate Final and Johansson himself to the top of the goalscorer charts.

Actelion FC's day on the football field was over. We'd like to thank them for their participation in the tournament.

 
 
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