First goal of Gothia Cup 2019!

It only took him one minute and 30 seconds to find the back of the net. Erik Bengtsson from Nättraby GoIF scored the first goal of Gothia Cup 2019. “It feels great, and hopefully I can score again in the upcoming games”, he says.

The first match of this year’s tournament was played between Scottish Ralston Rovers and Swedish Nättraby GoIF on Åkeredsvallen, just outside the centre of Gothenburg. An early goal for the swedes made it look as it was going to be a one-sided story, but it turned out to be real thriller. After the final whistle a tired, but happy, Erik Bengtsson, or “Bengan” as the teammates call him, was eager to catch his breath and drink some water.     
“It was a tough game, but if we play as we did in the first half, I think we’ll be alright. I think we can go far in the tournament”, he says.

But it’s not only the football that counts. The trip to Gothenburg with his friends is also important.
“It’s great to be here with the team. We help each other to get the right feeling and to have a good time”, says Erik Bengtsson.

Nättraby GoIF was two goals up early in the second half, but Ralston Rovers fought back. As the only team from Scotland in this year’s tournament, it seemed as if they wanted to make an impact. And they did. Two quick goals and the Scotland boys were back in it. Just seconds after, an almost miraculous save from goalkeeper Bradley Mallon kept them in the game. Unfortunately for Ralston Rovers, Nättraby GoIF had the last say and won the game with three goals to two. But Bradley Mallon’s spirit was still high.
“We need to keep our heads up, we got two more games in the group stage and we’ll do our best”, he says.