It says something about Norwegian football when quality players like Erik Botheim, showed up with a Hat Trick yesterday, and Tobias Heintz does not get a place on the national team.
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Tobias Heintz became the hero for Blåvitt. The Norwegian accounted for four goals in the 5–4 win against VSK. The 27-year-old from Moss came to the club on a free transfer from CSKA Sofia just over two years ago and is now referred to as one of the best in Allsvenskan.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Heintz says to TV4.
The game had barely started before IFK Göteborg was in the lead against Västerås SK – after only 13 seconds of play at Hitachi Energy Arena. Shortly after kick-off, Noah Tolf knocked the ball up to Tobias Heintz, who came through alone to make it 1-0. A dream start for Blåvitt.
And it was going to be even more fun for the away IFK supporters. In the eighth minute, Heintz made it 2-0 – after being nodded forward by Sebastian Clemmensen – and one minute later, Adam Bergmark Wiberg took care of a long ball from Rockson Yeboah to make it 3-0. It was his first goal for Blåvitt in Allsvenskan.
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However, VSK did not give up and reduced twice – in the 27th and 30th minutes. First, Karl Gunnarsson met a cross and scored, then Mikkel Ladefoged nodded in a corner kick to make it 2-3. Suddenly, the nerves were in the game again.
Blåvitt then continued to get a payoff. In the 36th minute, Bergmark Wiberg played Heintz, who became a hat trick scorer to a 4-2 lead at halftime.
“It was really nice, and time to score a goal. It was good, Bergmark Wiberg said to TV4 during the break and continued:
“It was an incredibly good start. It feels like we’ve played a lot of games where we’ve been on our toes in the first few minutes, but could have had a better result. Against Mjällby last time we could have scored three goals in the first 20 minutes, but then we weren’t efficient enough. Today we were, and that was good.
VSK goalscorer Karl Gunnarsson, on the other hand, was critical in the break.
“Too bad, quite simply. We created too little and had too little ball in their half of the field. We also defended far too poorly. We didn’t put the first pressing and we didn’t defend behind our defensive line. It was far too bad, he said in the same broadcast.
Coach Alexander Rubin was on the same track after 45 minutes of play.
“It was a total nightmare (the start). I have never encountered anything like this, and from that it was of course strong to get into the game. We also did a number of weak actions out there, which we are of course very disappointed about. But now there are 45 minutes left. We are part of this and will continue to drive,” he said.
Shortly after the break, VSK countered with another reduction goal. Substitute Axel Taonsa, who replaced Ladefoged in the first half, was cold in front of goal to make it 3-4. VSK then pushed for an equaliser, and in the 66th minute Taonsa made it 4-4. Suddenly, it was tied on the scoreboard – despite the home team’s nightmare start.
VSK went for a fifth goal, but it was Heintz who got to cheer again. In the 79th minute, the Norwegian scored his fourth goal to make it 5-4.
“Very elegant,” said TV4 expert Vicki Blommé about the goal.
VSK then continued to chase and had a shot in the crossbar through Herman Magnusson, but in the end Blåvitt won 5–4.
“It’s perfectly fine,” Heintz says to TV4 and laughs.
“It’s an incredible feeling. What a match! It was incredibly important for us with three points. It’s incredibly good,” he continues.
About the fact that Blåvitt first lost to 4-4, he says the following:
“We let them in far too easily in the game. It was not good. They have a lot of physicality in their team, and it’s difficult to be there one hundred percent all the time.
Bergmark Wiberg praises Heintz
Adam Bergmark Wiberg praises Heintz.
“I saw a comment on Instagram where someone had written: ‘Adla Heintz’. You just have to agree. He’s an incredible player, and we get along very well – we hang out a lot off the pitch as well. It’s a lot of fun,” he says afterwards.
He ranks Heintz highly in an Allsvenskan context.
“Very high. He’s a fantastic player. You know how good he was from last season, and he just hasn’t gotten the points he deserves this year. He’s a fantastic player, and that went without saying today.
Billborn: “One of Allsvenskan’s absolute best”
IFK coach Stefan Billborn is also impressed with Heintz’s performance.
“He is one of Allsvenskan’s absolute best players. It’s good to have him in our team. When things got choppy, he stepped up and scored four goals. It’s unbelievable,” says the coach.
The VSK player’s despair
VSK’s Simon Gefvert is disappointed afterwards.
“I don’t know what to say. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry – or what to feel. It is usually said that a match can have many faces, and it really did today. Of course, it’s extremely tough to lose, and that we conceded the goal at the end,” he says to TV4.
