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Thursday, October 9, 2014

2014 GREENLAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

Greenland's national championship finals took place in Nuuk from 4-9/8/14, and marked the 80th anniversary of the foundation of one of the nation's oldest clubs, NÛK; as NÛK were designated as the host club for this year's competition, they were exempt from competing in the regional qualification rounds, which were held during July in various locations across the country.There were one or two surprises during the qualification rounds, and a little bit of history was made by a hitherto unheralded team.

NORTHERN ZONE (AVANNAA): Ummannaq was the host village for this year's qualification round in the northern reaches of the giant island, with UB-68 and FC Malamuk keeping the local flag flying against Eqaluk 56 from Ikerasak, and Upernavik sides UB-83 and Kingmek 45. FC Malamuk qualified for the national finals, although the results sequence is, despite attempts to recover the missing scores, incomplete.


UB-83 1:3 UB-68
FC Malamuk 2:1 Eqaluk 56
Kingmek 45 5:2 UB-83
FC Malamuk 4:1 UB-68
Kingmek 45 : FC Malamuk
UB-68 : Eqaluk 56
UB-83 : FC Malamuk
Eqaluk 56 : Kingmek 45
UB-68 1:8 Kingmek 45
Eqaluk 56 : UB-83


DISKO BAY ZONE (DISKOBUGT): A little further to the south in Qeqertarsuaq, but still north of the Arctic Circle, another qualification group was already under way with one of the participating teams feeling that they had a point to prove.

Illulisat side Nagdlúngduak 48 were disqualified from last year's championship for fielding an ineligible player, but were more than ready to redeem themselves against local rivals I-69, T-41 from Aasiaat, Kugsak 45 from Qasigiannguit and host club - and national champions - G-44.

They started off as they meant to go on, simply demolishing T-41 10:0 before going on to thrash I-69 9:0 in the local derby. I-69, who qualified for last year's tournament courtesy of
Nagdlúngduak 48's slip-up only to finish bottom of their group, had a simply disastrous regoinal tournament this time around, drawing against T-41 and losing heavily in the other three matches. I-69 finished bottom behind T-41 on goal difference, with T-41 making a good fist of it in their other two fixtures.

Perhaps fittingly enough, the final fixture in the regional competition saw a 0:0 draw between G-44 and Nagdlúngduak 48, with the latter finishing top on goal difference, and both teams qualifying with room to spare. Kugsak 45, however, gave the eventual group winners an almighty scare in their group game, with

Nagdlúngduak 48 squeaking through by the odd goal in five.

16/07/14 Nagdlúngduak 10:0 T-41
16/07/14 I-69 0:7 G-44
17/07/14 Kugsak 45 2:1 T-41
17/07/14 Nagdlúngduak 9:0 I-69
18/07/14 G-44 4:1 Kugsak 45
18/07/14 T-41 1:1 I-69 
19/07/14 Nagdlúngduak 3:2 Kugsak 45
19/07/14 T-41 0:2 G-44
20/07/14 I-69 0:5 Kugsak 45
20/07/14 G-44 0:0 Nagdlúngduak

CENTRAL ZONE (QEQQA): In Manitsoq, last year's champions B-67 were up against fellow Nuuk side IT-79, S-68 from Sisimiut and host club Kâgssagssuk. SAK, another team from Sisimiut, and GSS from Nuuk were originally included in the draw but apparently scratched from the tournament just before it commenced.

B-67 went through comfortably, winning all three matches, but the real drama was reserved for the final match between Kâgssagssuk and IT-79. A draw would have seen Kâgssagssuk qualify for the national championship play-offs behind B-67, but a late goal saw IT-79 go through instead, qualifying for the final stages for the first time in the club's history; a fitting way to celebrate the club's 25th anniversary and ensure a place in the sun for the capital's Cinderella club.

Pity poor S-68; they were game, but were also simply outclassed in their three matches, and were annihilated 13:0 in their final match against B-67. It was the heaviest defeat suffered by any side during the regional stages, and it was also a warning shot across the bows for any team contemplating wresting the national title from B-67's grasp.


23/07/14 IT-79 7:1 S-68
23/07/14 Kâgssagssuk 2:3 B-67
24/07/14 IT-79 0:6 B-67
24/07/14 Kâgssagssuk 6:0 S-68
25/07/14 S-68 0:13 B-67
25/07/14 Kâgssagssuk 0:1 IT-79

SOUTHERN ZONE (KUJATAA): K-1933, hailing from Qaqortoq, were hosting the 2014 preliminary round in southern Greenland, and were up against N-85 from Narsaq, Nagtoralik 45 (Paamiut) and Eqaluk 54 from the town of Tasiusaq.

It was a closely-fought tournament, with Eqaluk 54 eventually qualifying ahead of Nagtoralik due to goals scored; however, Nagtoralik claimed that they were the victims of some biased officating during the game against Eqaluk 54. They had scored a goal which the referee had originally given, but the linesman had flagged for offside, and, after a consultation between both officials,the goal was ruled out. Two Nagtoralik players were also sent off during the match. 

According to a report carried in the Sermitsiaq newspaper, referee Isak Fredriksen received threats from an unknown member of staff from the losing team, who had allegedly advised the referee to leave Qaqortoq or face being beaten up. Nagtoralik appealed the result, but this was dismissed by the GBU's tournament committee. They decided to issue a protest via the GBU's board of directors (as provided for under Paragraph 10, Section 5 of the GBU Rules and Regulations), but this was also dismissed.

20/07/14 N-85 1:1 Nagtoralik 45

20/07/14 K-1933 2:2 Eqaluk 54
21/07/14 N-85 2:6 K-1933

21/07/14 Nagtoralik 45 1:2 Eqaluk '54
22/07/14 Nagtoralik 45 2:1 K-1933
22/07/14 N-85 2:2 Eqaluk '54

EAST GREENLAND (TUNU): Three teams took part in qualification early in July (dates unknown): ATA from Tasiilaq, TM-62 from Kulusuk and K-64 from Kuummiut. K-64 qualified for last year's national championship, but fared badly both on and off the pitch. This time around, they finished bottom of the three-team qualifying group, which saw TM-62 scrape through in what was a fiercely-fought group, with very little in it between the three teams.

ATA 0:1 TM-62
K-64 2:3 ATA
TM-62 3:2 K-64

QUALIFIERS: NÛK (hosts), B-67, Eqaluk 54, FC Malamuk, Nagdlúngduak, G-44, TM-62 and IT-79 

It should be noted that TM-62 were forced to withdraw from the final tournament due to financial constraints a few days before it commenced;their place was eventually taken by Nagtoralik, runners-up in the Southern section.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: The results were obtained via the Sermitsiaq and KNR websites, and also via social media. A request has been forwarded to the GBU to provide the remaining results; the above article shall be updated, and shall include group tables, as and when said results are forwarded.








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