Oliver Korch and FC Nordsjaelland head home satisfied
9 June 2024The cross-final between FC Nordsjaelland and Feyenoord has just been played and ended with a winning goal just before the final whistle. As a result, Nordsjaelland is preparing for the battle for the 5th place against PSV. Regardless of the outcome, it has been a successful weekend for the team of coach Oliver Korch (29).
Playing style, game principles, and shifting emphasis
“Our tournament went quite well. The players performed well this weekend and fully in line with our playing style: ‘Our style of play is the playmaker – not the individual player'”, Oliver begins. Nordsjaelland’s specific playing style is built around a number of game principles such as building from the back, applying aggressive pressure, and maintaining composure on the ball.
When discussing expectations before the tournament, Oliver indicates that they knew it would be difficult with opponents of a high caliber. “We did our best to be competitive. Our playing style has served us well. The other teams have better players, but with our playing style, we were able to offer good resistance throughout the weekend,” Oliver summarizes the weekend.
Only in finishing did the Danes falter occasionally, as they managed to score only four times in total, including a gift from the FC Twente/Heracles goalkeeper. Oliver: “We created enough opportunities, but unfortunately, the final pass or finishing touch was sometimes just not good enough.” On the other hand, the defensive organization was quite solid, and few goals were conceded, partly due to good goalkeeping by the Danish goalkeeper.
After the goalless draw against PSV on Saturday, Oliver and his team will face the Eindhoven side again in the battle for the 5th and 6th place. Oliver indicates that they will adjust the game plan somewhat. “We have reanalyzed our match from yesterday and PSV itself, so we will shift our focus in certain areas, both in building up play and applying pressure. But of course, we will do everything to win the match,” says a motivated Oliver. Ultimately, the second encounter between PSV and FC Nordsjaelland ends in a 1-0 victory for PSV, leaving the Danes in 6th place.
Mr. World Cup
Despite somewhat disappointing performances, Nordsjaelland only has praise for the tournament: “It was very nice to be here, and we had a few great days. Just a good organization. But also two top guides (ed. Giso Rijks and Robin Brockötter) who deserve all the compliments.”
That it was a pleasant collaboration between the staff and the two guides is evident when the editor is referred to as ‘Mr. World Cup’ by Oliver’s colleagues. Until a few years ago, he was known as a great goalkeeper talent who made it to the national youth teams. Therefore, Oliver was part of the Danish U-17 squad that traveled to Mexico for the U-17 World Cup in 2011.
“That was a very nice experience to have, although the tournament did not go so well for us. We lost to Brazil and Ivory Coast and drew against Australia,” Oliver looks back. But somewhere along the line, things also went wrong recently, he says: “I am 29 years old, I am a coach and no longer a player, and that is a shame in a way. I would like to pass on to the boys how they should behave off the field. Behavior off the field determines for more than 50% whether they will make it or not. They have to say no to so many things at a young age. That’s unprecedented. I was also a decent talent when I was 15/16 years old, but I didn’t always make the right choices off the field and didn’t put in that extra effort.” Therefore, he wants to protect his own team from the mistakes he made in his career and motivate them to deliver that little bit extra.
Once again, a beautiful story that talent alone is not enough and that FC Nordsjaelland is doing everything possible to help their players make the right choices. The Marveld Tournament was a wonderful opportunity for the Danes to gain international experience, and they return home satisfied with a bag full of new experiences.
