RECAP: MIDWEEK DANISH CUP ACTION David Smith - Thursday, September 24, 2009
Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjælland stormed past First Division leaders AB Copenhagen while Marcus Tracy saw wrap-up time in Aalborg's win over Thisted FC.
AB Copenhagen 1 - 4 FC Nordsjælland
Michael Parkhurst and the Wild Tigers shook off their weekend blues to easily put down nearby rivals AB Copenhagen to reach the Danish Cup round of 16.
The former New England Revs player and his teammates clearly had the upper hand from the beginning, however it took a bit of clumsy defending moments before the half-hour mark to open the floodgates.
Working his way within the box, Bajram Fetai was felled by Peter Benjaminsen, giving team captain Nicolai Stokholm the opportunity to step up to the spot and fire the Wild Tigers into the lead.
After the goal, momentum shifted quickly in the visitors' favor, with Nordsjælland adding another trio of goals in the barely ten minutes following.
Summer addition Pierre Bengtsson made it 2-0 with a long-range blast in the 37th minute, then was followed two minutes later by Stockholm's second goal of the afternoon.
Swedish striker Rawez Lawan then put the game far out of reach in the 41st minute, putting the Wild Tigers up by four goals when he was on the receiving end of a slick pass from Fetai.
With the game wrapped up, Nordsjælland sat back slightly after the break allowing their hosts more room in which to operate, however AB could only turn take one goal back, a 54th minute shot from Nicolai Jorgensen to bring the final score to 4-1 in favor of the visitors.
Parkhurst and his teammates will find out their fate for late-October's fourth round in the coming days, but must first turn their eyes back to the Superliga for Saturday's challenging trip to Odense BK.
Thisted FC 0 - 3 Aalborg BK
Marcus Tracy took the field as a late substitute for Aalborg, however the forward's presence up front was hardly needed as the victory over their hosts Thisted FC was already under wraps long before he set foot on the field.
Aalborg took the lead in the tenth minute when Lasse Nielsen headed home a corner from Louay Chanko, then doubled their lead 14 minutes later with Thomas Gaardsøe pouncing on a deflected save from Thisted keeper Mikkel Petersen and sending it into the net for the 2-0 lead.
Star forward Jeppe Curth then brought Aalborg's lead to three goals five minutes into the second half, connecting on a pass from Henrik Dalsgaard to put the game effectively out of reach.
Tracy took the field in the 80th minute for goalscorer Curth, but with the game already wrapped up his chance to make any mark on the game was limited, and the score stayed as is, sending Aalborg to the next round.
Tracy is a long-shot to take the field for Aalborg on Sunday when they try to do their part climb back into first place as reigning champions Copenhagen pay them a visit.
Notes
Danny Califf and Midtjylland already passed through to the next round, defeating their lower league hosts Brønshøj one week before by a 3-1 scoreline.
American midfielder Floyd Franks started for Second Division West team Blokhus FC, but their visiting Superliga opponents Brøndby IF were too much as they were knocked out of the competition by a 2-0 score.
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