Iceland boss names his team in PUB
HALLGRIMSSON JOINS FANS IN BOOZER AND GIVES THEM LINE-UP
SUMMARY
B Dolan (Nirl) bt J Henderson (Sco) 6-4, J Cullen (Eng) bt M Razma (Lat) 6-3, G Price (Wal) bt J Klaasen (Ned) 6-3, D Labanauskas (Lit) bt J Clayton (Wal) 6-5, J Wade (Eng) bt R J Rodriguez (Aut) 6-4, D Webster (Eng) bt C Reyes (Spa) 6-5, S Whitlock (Aus) bt J Wattimena (Ned) 6-3, S Bunting (Eng) bt Pjacques (Eng) 6-3. (USA unless stated, par 70): (a) denotes amateurs B Harman 64 66, Z Johnson 63 68, M Jones (Aus) 65 66, R Henley 66 65.
unless stated, par 71): G Lopez (Mex), M Lee (Kor), C Matthew (Sco), M Jutanugarn (Tha), N Hataoka (Jpn), M Lee (Aus), L Salas, A Ashok (Ind), S Changkija , A Ernst , B Marchand (Can), M Martin, B Altomare, H Joo Kim (Kor).
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72): L Bjerregaard (Den) 72 72 67, S Hend (Aus) 71 67 73, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 69 71, M Kaymer (Ger) 72 68 71, C Paisley 72 71 68, A Rai 69 71 71, N Geyger (Chi) 70 69 73, M Korhonen (Fin) 71 72 69. New Zealand L. ICELAND boss Heimir Hallgrimsson has come up with a novel way of getting his message across to the fans – he meets them down the pub.
Hallgrimsson, who has taken the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup to the brink of the last 16, joins supporters for a pre-match pint before every single home game.
The part-time coach, part-time dentist then proceeds to tell them what his team will be before going through his tactical plan and even the team talk he will give to the players.
It was an idea Hallgrimsson, 51, came up with six years ago when he was assistant to Lars Lagerback and Iceland were being watched by crowds of fewer than 500.
But he kept going into the Olver Bar across the road from the Laugardalsvollur Stadium in Reykjavik when he got the top job in 2013.
Hallgrimsson, the man who masterminded England’s downfall at Euro 2016, explained: “A team like ours needs to make the most of every little advantage – and that means getting the fans right behind us.
“The players and the supporters have to be as one. They are our 12th man.sensitive
“That’s why I go to the bar before home games to explain my plans and to tell them that we need their help. It’s a shame I can’t do the same thing in Russia.”
Only 30 fans were present when Hallgrimsson first walked into the bar before a friendly against the Faroe Islands in 2012.
Now more than 800 cram into the pub before home games after agreeing to the request not to take pictures or divulge any of the sensitive information Hallgrimsson gives them.
“So far there have been no leaks,” he added. “We trust the fans and they trust us to play.”
Around a 10th of Iceland’s 350,000 population will be in Rostov on Tuesday when Gylfi Sigurdsson (left) and Co battle Croatia in the final group game.
Hallgrimsson added: “This World Cup must not be the finishing line, but one more step in our progress.
“In Iceland, we play while we study or do another job.
“The players know it is unlikely that football alone will give them a big income.
“But it means our players play football because they love it. I do not want that to change.” England L,
Toronto L, Barrow L; Sheffield 6, Featherstone 40. London Skolars 28, North Wales Crusaders 36; West Wales 6, Whitehaven 66.
Argentina L, Scotland L; Australia 16, Ireland 20; Canada L, USA L; Japan 28, Georgia 0; New Zealand 49, France 14; South Africa TM, England TM.
M Rybarikova (Svk) bt B Zahlavova Strycova (Cze) 7-6 (7-1) 6-4, (4) P Kvitova (Cze) bt M Buzarnescu (Rom) 6-3 6-2.
(1) M Cilic (Cro) bt N Kyrgios (Aus) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4), N Djokovic (Ser) bt J Chardy (Fra) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
T Maria (Ger) bt S Kenin (USA) 6-2 2-6 6-4, S Stosur (Aus) leads (3) A Sevastova (Lat) 6-5.
(1) R Federer (Swi) bt D Kudla (USA) 7-6 (7-1) 7-5, B Coric (Cro) bt (4) R Bautista Agut (Spa) 2-3 ret.