September 12th, 1990. Landskrona, Sweden. Itrottsplass stadium. Arguably the biggest ever sensation in the history of the people's game is about to be born...
It's 61st minute of the Euro-92 qualifying between amateurs of Faroes and professionals of Austria. It's still goalless.
Finally, Austrians got their golden opportunity to kill the excitement all around. After the long cross by Andreas Herzog, Faroese goalie Jens Martin Knudsen only was able to punch the ball away straight at the feet of Austrian defender Kurt Russ, placed perfectly just outside the penalty area. With an empty goal to aim at, his shot clipped the outside of post.
Russ had hardly risen from beating the ground in frustration when Faroese N7, the elegant Torkil Nielsen, clearly the best player of the game, dribbled and fought his way through the Austrian defence...
The 26 years old timber salesman was an exceptional sporting person. Although playing for a 2nd division club, SÍF from his home village of Sandavágur, population only 700, he was widely regarded in his own country as one of the best footballers. But apart from that, Torkil was a talented chess player and a member of National chess team. Just like Norwegian international striker and chess grandmaster Simen Agdestein at the same period, Torkil combined succesfully two sporting careers. Already in 1982, aged only 18, he represented Faroes in Chess Olympics in Lüzern, Switzerland, which was followed by two participations in OL in Saloniki, Greece, in 1984 and 1988. Three times - in 1984, 1986 and 1988 - Torkil won the Faroese chess title for single players.
It was also Torkil Nielsen, who made the first ever Faroese goal in a FIFA-registered match, scoring in 1-0 friendly victory against Canada in April of 1989.
That particular week was in every way special for this pleasant and modest young man from Western Faroe island of Vágar. Only 48 hours before the game, while in Landskrona, Torkil learned that his girlfriend, Jana Egilstoft, gave birth to their first child, a daugther. The young father could of course not attend her birth because of such an important game for his little country.
...Torkil saved a desperate back tackle by Robert Pecl. Michael Konsel, the Austrian keeper, came out to meet the Faroese genius but in vain. A hard, low, left-foot shot rocketed into the back of the net...
"TORKIL SKORAR!!! EITT-NULL TIL FØROYAR!!!!!!!! TORKIL NIELSEN ÚR SANDAVÁGI!!!". Great emotions expressed here by Árni Gregersen, Sjónvarp Føroya (Faroese TV) journalist, who commentated the game live. Here comes his English-translated commentary of the episode:
"Haha, there is a panic among the Austrians... Her comes a long ball out on the wing... He can nearly reach it, N11 (in fact, it was Andy Herzog, N10). But... Our defender, who was... whom of them... he did a gliding tackle... and so... out with it. A cross, Jens Martin (Knudsen) is up, here comes a shot again - and just outside the goal. The biggest chance so far, yes. N2, Kurt Russ, is regretting, and he has all reasons for that. This was the biggest possibility, I think, for the Austrians so far. N10 crosses inn... Herzog, from outside... and Kurt Russ... so a good shot, but over... it was lucky. And now it's Torkil... (some phrases here are difficult understand because of the commentator's emotions). AND SCORES!!!!!!!!!!! TORKIL NIELSEN SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1-0 TO THE FAROES!!!!!!!!!!! 1-0 TO THE FAROES!!!!!!!!!!! TORKIL NIELSEN FROM SANDAVÁGUR (the village on the island og Vágar, 700 inhabitants)!!!!!!!!! AIJAJAJAJAI!!!!!! THE FAROES HAVE SCORED!!! TORKIL NIELSEN TO 1-0! Oh, that a wild jubilation here! Completely, completely, completely unbeleivable how he managed to pass through all these men here... Helpless they try to drag his feet under him, to do a professional freekick... TORKIL SCORES!!! 1-0 to the Faroes. 1-0 to the Faroes. This goes far over all the expectations. Far, far, far, far over it. So, the Austrians are in panic and are going to make substitutions... They set two fresh men inn, N14 and N15. Peter Pacult was it, who came inn. N10, it is Herzog, who goes out, and the same does... let us see who it is. Here, it is boiling, in Landskrona! Yes, if is has not been a panic among the Austrians, so it is now... Yes, what can you say after such a goal???"
