"There were moments last weekend when Viking's latest must-win game at Fredrikstad seemed to turn on a coin toss. The chances came thick and fast; both goalkeepers were forced into acrobatic saves; on the stroke of half-time, the Fredrikstad forward Henrik Skogvold unleashed a shot that cracked the underside of the bar and seemed to defy the laws of physics by spinning away."
"In the 71st minute, as the massed ranks of away fans in dark blue held their breath, the odds finally went in their favour: Zlatko Tripic, the captain, arced an inch-perfect cross to the back post, where Henrik Falchener, Viking's towering centre-back, nodded in to set off an explosion of noise and send thousands of fists into the air in unison."
"In 2017, after years of heavy spending and lacklustre results, they were relegated from Eliteserien and ended up close to bankruptcy, surviving after a last-minute push from investors, sponsors and the local municipality. Attendances were low, enthusiasm had ebbed and there was a feeling in Stavanger, the city at the heart of Norway's hugely lucrative oil industry, that the club had badly lost their way on and off the field."
Viking faced a tense must-win match at Fredrikstad with numerous chances, acrobatic saves and a half-time shot that rattled the underside of the bar. In the 71st minute Zlatko Tripic delivered an inch-perfect cross and Henrik Falchener nodded in the winner, sending away fans into rapturous celebration. A victory in the final match at home against Valerenga would secure Viking's first league title in 34 years, with Bod/Glimt starting one point behind but holding a vastly superior goal difference. The club recovered from a 2017 relegation and near-bankruptcy by overhauling management, prioritising young local talent and rebuilding ties to the community.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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