Francis de Vries (Auckland FC | A-League)

YoungHe.\rt

coochiee

Helsingborg (15th) host Värnamo (13th)
De Vries starting for Värnamo at LB

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/05/21/sweden/allsvenskan/helsingborgs-idrottsforening/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/3730891/

2nd last game before Swedish league has a 1 month summer break.

Edit - Värnamo (13th) come from 1-0 down to win 4-1 away. Great result for them against one of their likely relegation battler rivals. They go up to 12th. 
Full game de Vries.

Assisted for the equalizing goal too. Nice little cross to help setup the comeback. Like you say, an important win against a fellow relegation scrap contender too.

From Flying Kiwis. de Vries's lovely assist in this game. Actually watching Young Heart's full highlights above some nice goals in this one.

Wonder how much of Värnamo's team still remain along with de Vries from when they were in the 3rd tier. One of my favourite Kiwis overseas stories.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd7I7C0DsVm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again

Värnamo (13th) host top of the table Hammarby
de Vries starting

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/05/29/sweden/allsvenskan/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/hammarby/3730904/

Edit - upset 1-0 win for Värnamo (up to 12th). Full game for de Vries who will go into the AWs squad happy. Him, Kirwan & Tuiloma likely the last to join up.

Swedish top tier returns from it's 1 month, mid summer break.
Värnamo (12th) travel to Kalmar (6th).
de Vries starting.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/06/27/sweden/allsvenskan/kalmar-fotbollsforening/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/3730910/

Edit - full game in a 1-0 loss. Värnamo stay 12th. Next one of those important almost relegation battler 6 pointers, away to 13th placed Varbeg.

Varberg (12th) beat Värnamo (13th), 3-0. Two teams swap positions on the table.

No de Vries in match day squad, and perhaps unsurprisingly Värnamo's equal worst result by losing margin, season to date. Made worse by being against one their likely relegation survival rivals.

de Vries does seem a very important part of their team (captain?). If Värnamo do get relegated, must be a good chance that another Allsvenskan club, would sign him up. 

Värnamo (13th) host GIF Sundsvall (14th). Another of those almost crucial already relegation 6 pointers for Värnamo

de Vries still out injured.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/07/11/sweden/allsvenskan/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/gif-sundsvall/3730926/

Edit - finishes as a 1-1 draw. Värnamo stay 13th

From Flying Kiwis. Bad luck for de Vries, but that backup LB role to Libby with AWs in Sept, could open up now to a host of contenders.

Skellingaryg.nu: “It can be noted that Francis De Vries is long-term injured and Oscar Johansson is also missing from the team as well as previously injured Netinho”

Small note from a Värnamo matchday blog delivering some very bad news. Elsewhere in their game recap it was mentioned amidst a sweep up of those same injured players that: “Francis De Vries is more seriously injured and there may not be a game at all for him this year”. The ol’ Google Translate machine doesn’t always offer the most accurate renditions of these things but that sure sounds like trouble.

Not sure what the injury is but he had missed last week’s match before again being absent for a 1-1 draw with Sundsvall in that latest fixture. FDV had well and truly established himself as the first choice left back at the club despite his team having just been promoted to the top flight, however now it appears he may not feature again this season. Gutted. Värnamo are currently three points clear of the relegation playoff spot nearing the halfway stage of the season so it’s gonna be tough work to stay up.

Seems de Vries is being sorely missed. Best wishes to him with his ACL recovery. Seems a popular guy.

Djurgården (who go top of the table) thrash Värnamo (13th), by 5-0.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/07/16/sweden/allsvenskan/djurgardens-fotbollsforening/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/3730931/

Flying Kiwis confirm the bad news. Also a long write up this week in FK on Stamenic. Worth a look.
https://theniche-cache.com/football/2022/7/19/flying-kiwis-july-19

Bad news: since last week’s rumours, it’s been confirmed that Francis De Vries will miss the rest of the season after scans revealed a torn ACL injury. Did the damage during a training session and he himself has confirmed to Swedish media that he won’t be back in 2022. Awful for FDV given what great form he was in, settling in beautifully to the top division in Sweden.

Värnamo are going to have their work cut out to stay in the Allsvenskan and losing FDV only makes that harder. The three games he’s missed so far have been three of their worst, with 3-0 and 5-0 losses bookending a 1-1 draw against a rival relegation team whom they’d hoped to defeat. IFKV have moved to sign another left back in Albin Lohikangas, a 23yo brought in from Gefle. The impression seems to be that he’s there to hold the fort for De Vries who remains the preferred option but you never know how these things go while you’re out long term. Plus FDV is also off contract at the end of this year.

Värnamo (13th) lose 2 - 3 to AIK (3rd). Värnamo  one spot above the drop zone.

Their last 5 games is 1D & 4L. de Vries obviously being missed. 

Bit of controversy in Allsvenskan circles about the AIK game. Värnamo have brought in central defender Robin Tihi on loan from AIK, and due to a lack of replacements (De Vries injury not helping at all), there was no real chance to skip him for the game against his parent club. Tihi would, unfortunately, go on to cost Värnamo the game with two inexplicable errors.

The first was an own goal from the edge of the box, poking it past the 'keeper. The second error saw him take the ball past his 'keeper, before losing possession to former Man' City, Celtic and Feyenoord (among others) striker John Guidetti, who laid the ball off to be tapped in. This inevitably led to calls of  Tihi match-fixing, as he is an on-loan AIK academy product, and AIK are firmly in a title race; two points behind table-topping city rivals Djurgården, with Häcken, Hammarby (another Stockholm rival) and Malmö also within three points of the top.

Of course, the idea of intentional sabotage has been rubbished by Värnamo, as their sporting director and head coach have spoken publicly about their trust in the young defender. Unfortunately for the kid, he did get a bit of abuse, maybe not so much from Värnamo fans, but possibly more so from AIK's rivals' fans. This media mountain of a molehill, combined with not winning since their May 1-0 home victory over Hammarby (five games), has them in a bit of downward slide. They're now only three points above Helsingborg in the relegation playoff spot through 15 of 30 games, and with no De Vries it could be a tough second half of the season.

Here are the highlights of the AIK game to make your own mind up on the incidents.

carlind

Bit of controversy in Allsvenskan circles about the AIK game. Värnamo have brought in central defender Robin Tihi on loan from AIK, and due to a lack of replacements (De Vries injury not helping at all), there was no real chance to skip him for the game against his parent club. Tihi would, unfortunately, go on to cost Värnamo the game with two inexplicable errors.

The first was an own goal from the edge of the box, poking it past the 'keeper. The second error saw him take the ball past his 'keeper, before losing possession to former Man' City, Celtic and Feyenoord (among others) striker John Guidetti, who laid the ball off to be tapped in. This inevitably led to calls of  Tihi match-fixing, as he is an on-loan AIK academy product, and AIK are firmly in a title race; two points behind table-topping city rivals Djurgården, with Häcken, Hammarby (another Stockholm rival) and Malmö also within three points of the top.

Of course, the idea of intentional sabotage has been rubbished by Värnamo, as their sporting director and head coach have spoken publicly about their trust in the young defender. Unfortunately for the kid, he did get a bit of abuse, maybe not so much from Värnamo fans, but possibly more so from AIK's rivals' fans. This media mountain of a molehill, combined with not winning since their May 1-0 home victory over Hammarby (five games), has them in a bit of downward slide. They're now only three points above Helsingborg in the relegation playoff spot through 15 of 30 games, and with no De Vries it could be a tough second half of the season.

Here are the highlights of the AIK game to make your own mind up on the incidents.

 Two awful pieces of defending, but if its deliberate he's disguised it well.

Great result for Värnamo (13th) grabbing a 2-1 win away to Hammarby (4th). 
Winner in 93rd min.

Värnamo (13th) host top of the table Djurgården

Edit - a 0-0 draw

Värnamo (13th) travel to AIK (4th)

Edit - a 2-2 draw

Varnamo (13th) host Elfsborg (10th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/08/21/sweden/allsvenskan/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/idrottsforening-elfsborg/3730972/

Edit - a 1-1 draw 

Häcken (1st) beat Värnamo (13th), 4-1.
Värnamo 4 pts above relegation spots with 10 games left

Top tier Värnamo travel to GAIS (1st in 3rd tier, South - same league as a host of Kiwis) in a 2nd round Swedish Cup tie.

Edit - GAIS with a 3-1 win, in ET.
Being knocked out of the Cup comp probably a good thing for Värnamo as they concentrate on top tier survival.

Värnamo (13th) host Helsingborg (15th). A relegation battle 6 pointer.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/05/sweden/allsvenskan/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/helsingborgs-idrottsforening/3730990/

Joy for Varnamo. A 95th min goal for a 3-2 win and big boost to their hopes to stay up

6 pts clear of relegation zone with 9 games left

Värnamo (12th) travel to Sirius (10th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/10/sweden/allsvenskan/sirius/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/3730997/

An important 3-2 win and Varnamo now sit a nice 8 pts above the relegation spots. 8 games left

Varnamo (11th) host Varberg (13th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/17/sweden/allsvenskan/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/varbergs-bois-fc/3731008/

A 1-0 win Varnamo sees them 11 pts clear of the drop zone with 7 games left. Looking safe. Their 3rd win in a row

Värnamo (11th) host Mjällby (9th).

Värnamo win and they go 10 pts clear of the drop zone. That would almost make them safe with 6 games left.

1-0 win for Varnamo. That should see them safe from the drop now

Värnamo (10th) travel to Malmö (4th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/10/09/sweden/allsvenskan/malmo-fotbollsforening/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/3731024/

A 0-0 draw. Varnamo 10 pts above drop zone with 5 games left.

Malmö (one of the heavyweights of Swedish football) were coming off a midweek Europa League game against Union Berlin, so good time for Varnamo  to play them.

Varnamo (10th) host Kalmar (4th). A win for Varnamo could basically confirm them as safe from relegation with 4 games left.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/10/15/sweden/allsvenskan/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/kalmar-fotbollsforening/3731031/

Varnamo lost 1-3. 

Still look pretty safe, 9 pts above relegation playoff spot (and 15 pts clear of automatic relegation spots) with only 4 games left.

GIF Sundsvall (16th & last) host Värnamo (10th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/10/19/sweden/allsvenskan/gif-sundsvall/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/3731040/

Varnamo win 2-1 and that basically ensures they stay up with still 3 games left.

Well done to them after their first season ever in the Swedish top flight. Hopefully they retain de Vries when he returns from injury.

If he comes back ok, should be fine as he was captain before the injury by memory.

Varnamo (10th) host Norrkoping (11th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/10/24/sweden/allsvenskan/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/ildrottsforening-kamraterna-norrkoping/3731047/

A 1-1 draw. Survival for Varnamo officially confirmed with 2 games left

Varnamo (10th & nothing really to play for now) travel to Degerfors (13th & desperately trying to avoid relegation playoff spot)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/10/29/sweden/allsvenskan/degerfors-ildrottsforening/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/3731050/

A 0-0 draw

Varnamo (10th) finish their season by hosting Goteborg (8th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/11/06/sweden/allsvenskan/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-varnamo/ildrottsforeningen-kamraterna-goteborg/3731062/

Varnamo finish the season with a 1-4 defeat. Down to 10 men from 57 mins. But big picture is they finish 10th, 6 ptrs above the drop zone. Their first season ever in the Allsvenskan

Häcken were league winners.
https://us.soccerway.com/national/sweden/allsvenskan/2022/regular-season/r67029/

Hopefully de Vries's rehab is going well.

coochiee

Varnamo finish the season with a 1-4 defeat. Down to 10 men from 57 mins. But big picture is they finish 10th, 6 ptrs above the drop zone. Their first season ever in the Allsvenskan

Häcken were league winners.
https://us.soccerway.com/national/sweden/allsvenskan/2022/regular-season/r67029/

Hopefully de Vries's rehab is going well.

Season for the underdogs in Sweden. This was BK Häcken's first ever Allsvenskan title, and made all the more surprising by the fact they're probably only the fourth biggest club in Gothenburg, behind IFK (who Häcken beat 4-0 away to win the league), GAIS (Dan Keat's old club, who now sit in the third tier) and Örgryte (who are lower half in the second tier). They only finished two places and four points above the relegation-playoff last season. Party time in Hisingen.

Värnamo staying up with basically two full time non-playing football staff members, while Helsingborg who went up with them (big club who even won Allsvenskan in 2011) went straight back down. Häcken winning the league, while Malmö finish 7th. Great fun.

Next season will be tougher though. Värnamo won't have the surprise factor they did this season, and their star striker, Marcus Antonsson, is linked with a move to IFK Norrköping. He scored 20 of their 34 league goals, and that will be very difficult to replace if he does go.