Brian Edwards to Sweden?

The reason that Degerfors need a new goalkeeper is pretty amusing. They had a good keeper last season who suddenly at the start of this preseason mysteriously takes three weeks off. The press then finds out that the reason is that he is a contestant on the swedish version of "The Bachelorette" which he didn't tell the club about. Degerfors then makes negative statements in the press about his participation and shortly thereafter the keeper announces his retirement from football due to lack of motivation. That's the wacky world of swedens second division

While that story was maybe a bit off topic, it also shows that Degerfors are probably pretty desperate for a new keeper.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMuagM3iiHE"]YouTube - Intervju med Brian Edwards[/ame]

I found a Degerfors interview with Brian Edwards from yesterday. For some reason they appear to have choosen the guy with the worst english skills in the whole of Sweden to do the interview

Props to the guy though for caring enough to do the homework on the club he is trialing for.

After reading some articles I can summarize that it's him and a finnish goalkeeper fighting over who will be signed. Edwards will play a game this thursday against Åtvidaberg who were relegated from Allsvenskan last season. The other keeper trialing has already played a game (which Degerfors lost 2-3). The club then hopes to be able to make a quick decision at the end of the week who they are signing since they are leaving for a camp in Portugal next week and only want to bring along one of them.

 

Degerfors lost the game 5-2, maybe not the best result for a keeper with only one game to make an impression.

 

Let's hope Brian sticks.

The one thing I always remember him for is being the starting goalkeeper on Wake Forest's National Championship in 2007.

 

Brian Edwards said after the game:
"We weren't ready from the start, our legs were still feeling the busride. Many of our players were missing from injuries and we played against a really good team, but there are still no excuses for the way we played in the first half. Maybe I should have saved some of the goals or maybe I shouldn't but it's always a disgrace to let in five goals. I'm not happy right now, but I just have to move past it. I haven't heard anything about the future, I guess the board need to digest this game first. My time here has been great, I like the club and the other players. I would really like to play here."


Degerfors assistant manager said about Edwards performance:
"He had no easy task considering how many chances we let them create and he can't be blamed for any of the goals. The first three goals were passes from the side where the finisher just had to roll the ball into an empty net. Besides that I think he made a good impression. Good aerial ability and getting the ball out quickly after his saves. He also saved a one on one. Overall it's hard to judge after a game like this."

 

According to his twitter http://twitter.com/brian_edwards_ he seems to at least be going with the team to their Portugal camp where Degerfors will play Olhanense (currently 7th in the Portuguese league):

"heading to the south of Portugal tonight... any good ideas while I'm there???? about 1 hour ago via web"

 

Besides enjoying some nice perks on the Portugal camp, like going to watch a Sevilla home game, Edwards have now also played another game for Degerfors. Reading the reports it sounds like he put in a "Man of the Match" type of performance as Degerfors beat portuguese http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olhanense 1-0.


Brian Edwards commented on the game:
"I thought we played well, especially in defense through the whole game. We covered shots, kept possession and scored a really nice goal. I felt happy with my performance, especially considering the game against Åtvidaberg. I had a good start and got to make some early saves. Also training one more week made me feel more secure with the defense."

Degerfors team captain on Edwards game:
"He had a very good game: good communication, caught all the aerial balls and was quick to start up our game with his nice throws. His teamwork with the defence worked well."

 

Yea just talked him, via gchat, said he played well and the Portuguese team played there most of there first team in the second half. Had a great save off a free kick top corner in the first half. Really excited about the experience so far.

 

He's been offered a contract by Degerfors.

The manager says:
"We've given him a contract offer. We sat down with him yesterday since he's leaving today. He seemed interested and will bring the proposed contract home with him. Hopefully he will sign and join us again next week. We've had two keepers training with us but we consider Brian to be slightly better. He has more top qualities and has impressed us during the Portugal camp. He has played well, gelled with the group, is a good guy and things feel right in every way."

 

He's really excited about, lands in Charlotte sometime later today, to get all the work visas and paper work taken care of then headed back when all of it is finalized.

 

good for him. He must be excited and I'm glad yet another American gets to live out his dream of playing professionally in Europe (or other parts).

 

Degerfors have now made the official announcement on their website that Edwards will arrive on wednesday and sign the contract:

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=sv&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.degerforsif.se%2Fartiklar%2Fdegerfors-if-overens-med-brian-edwards

 

For those of you interested, Brian will be blogging from Sweden, here..
http://www.speak-easysports.com/an-american-in-sweden

The contract is a two year deal, with some nice incentives.

 

Earlier I posted summaries of Allsvenskan (first tier) odds from the bookmakers for teams with Yanks Abroad in them. I figure I'd do the same for Superettan (second tier) so people can get a vague idea what is expected from the teams this upcoming season.

Code:

13) Degerfors:  81.00  (BET365)
11) Degerfors:  75.00  (UNIBET)
11) Degerfors:  55.00  (NORDICBET)
12) Degerfors:  65.00  (BETSAFE)
13) Degerfors:  81.00  (LADBROKES)

 

A tired and jetlagged (as evident by the picture) Edwards spoke with local media after his first training session since returning:

"I had a great week with Degerfors at the Portugal camp. The weather was a little better down there then it is here now, where I live the weather is more like Portugal then here. I left my home in North Carolina on tuesday evening and landed in Sweden around lunch-time. I know we finished mid-table last season but I think and hope that we can get a better result this year."

"Football in the US has grown alot in the last ten years. There's still some way to go but it's bigger then what most europeans think. It's especially big with kids but the bigger sports take them away from football when they get older. It's amazing how Degerfors can have such high attendances for such a small town. When I was here on trial people would come up to me all the time wanting to discuss football. I really like it and look forward to playing at Stora Valla."

 

Edwards played his first full preseason game today since returning. According to reports Degerfors were awful in the first half and went down 0-2 against FC Trollhättan who were relegated from Superettan last year. An article noted that there was nothing Edwards could do to save either of the goals. In the second half however Degerfors came out with a different attitude and fought their way back. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.

 

The two largest newspapers in Sweden released their big 2011 season preview magazines today. They are generally full of poor research and bad player ratings but I still thought it would be a fun thing to post what they say about the americans. Superettan (second tier) isn't given as much space but they write a little bit about it.



He was rated by one of the magazines, the other didn't give out ratings but picked Edwards as one of three key players for Degerfors with the comment "American with good authority who runs his defence well. Good in the air and quick to get the ball forward with good kicks or precise and long throws. Is also heard alot outside the pitch."

 

Edwards played his first competitive game for Degerfors today in the first round of the Swedish Cup. As expected they destroyed fifth tier IFK Mariestad with an 8-0 win. They will now move on to the second round where tougher opposition awaits.

While the swedish first tier start their league play next weekend Edwards will have to wait one additional week for Degerfors first league game in the second tier. The club starts off away against Qviding, a team who were actually promoted only a month ago during the preseason due to another club being relegated for financial reasons. Needless to say they're a team that Degerfors intend to keep below them in this years league table so they will be looking for a strong win to kick off their season.

 

There was a story published today describing how Edwards ended up in Degerfors. The article calls him an "email-american" instead of the expected "video-american" or maybe "youtube-yank" which they had another one of on trial this winter.

The transfer came about because of a swedish guy in Charlotte, North Carolina who came to the US to play college soccer and ended up staying. He used to live near Degerfors and when he read about the previous keeper quitting football during the preseason and knowing Edwards qualities he immediately contacted the club via e-mail which resulted in the successful trial. The guy also says that he hopes to travel home to Sweden this summer to watch Edwards play for Degerfors.

The article predicts that Edwards might become a fan favourite at Degerfors because of his long and precise throws which will be a weapon on their counterattacks and the way he's very vocal in directing the defense. Edwards say in the article: "I like to get the ball into play pretty quickly and my throws are pretty long. Everyone wants to talk soccer here in Degerfors, people come up to me all the time just to say hello and wish me luck."

 

As a side note the previous Degerfors keeper wrote today in his blog that Edwards is now his new favourite player because he appreciated the nice words Brian had said about him in another season preview article about the american keeper (picture seen above, I don't have access to the actual article though).

 

Edwards played his first full 90 minutes of Superettan football today when Degerfors won 1-0 as expected away against newly promoted Qviding.

Edwards commented after the game:
"I didn't mind having a calm game like today, I'll just save up the spectacular saves for when they're more needed. Qviding didn't suprise us, they played just like we had discussed before the game. They didn't have any tall forwards until the end of the game so their long ball strategy seemed strange to me."

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEOhgHBnSh0"]YouTube - Intervju med Brian Edwards[/ame]

Video interview with Edwards on the day after his first league game from Degerfors official site.

 

Edwards has received some criticism after Degerfors 3-3 draw against Öster on saturday.

Local newssite kanon.se writes:
"Brian Edwards stood welded into the ground when Öster scored their first goal, remained passive for their second and failed to box the ball away for the third goal. Without that performance Degerfors would have gotten three points instead of one. I hope that Edwards was suffering from nerves in his home premiere, because if this is his level then Degerfors is in for a long and tough season."

Svenskafans also wrote:
"The end result 3-3 is unbelievable! But there is an explanation and it's about the "last outpost", the guy who were literally standing on the goal line. We had the sense that anything could "drop into" our goal. The manager defending his keeper to the media is understandable, but claiming that he played well is incomprehensible."

 

An early exit and disappointment for Degerfors yesterday after a 0-2 loss against third tier FC Trollhättan in the second round of the Swedish Cup.

However contrary to the previous league game Edwards receives much praise today in the papers. Supposedly he was the one thing that was keeping Degerfors in the game (which might be worrying for the overall team though since they were playing a club from a lower division). The manager commented on Edwards performance: "He saved us in the first half, I also think he was unfairly criticized after the last game".