One of the most tense evenings in the history of the European campaign of Tottenham Hotspur thus far saw the Floodlights of the Aspmyra Stadion in the Arctic Circle as the club almost fell victim to a major upset in the European Champions League against thousands of results at the hands of a Bodo/Glimt team managed by a spirited coach in the Finnish Iron Maiden. The 2-2 goal scored only by a last-minute dramatic equalizer matches the story of a hard-working evening as the players overcame performance aspect having some crucial Spurs revival. It is a fighting spirit that saw them recover two goal deficit to characterize a defining resilient moment in the side of Thomas Frank.

They cleared the starting whistle with the Norwegian champions no doubt in the game to make up the numbers. With a scorching pace of play, and with a sound strategy in mind, Bodo/Glimt instantly put the Spurs defence on the backfoot, and with a worried expression. Tottenham backline which has been mentioned many times this season to be steady proved gapey and unable to comfort with the absence of surrender and equal measures press of the home team. The red flags were raised in the very beginning, yet the decisive moment was made at the 27 th minute thanks to the highly skilled player, Jens Petter Hauge. With a gap of space outside of the penalty area, Hauge came off with a crisp curling kick that sailed over the head of Guglielmo Vicario, sending the local spectators delirious and providing the groundwork to a potential giant-killing.

The aim appear to alarm Tottenham, though unhappily it did not cause them to proceed promptly to right, themselves. Rather, they went back and, while Bodo/Glimt controlled the speed and the ground, the pressure mounted up once again upon the English side. The punishment was doubled only a decade later. With another instance of miscommunication during defense, a lapse in clearing the lines, Hauge pulled up in good position to score another time, and did not miss the opportunity, getting his brace and giving the hosts a two-goal lead. The two goal deficit at the half-time break was not so much a benefit to the Norwegians as a canyon to a shaken Tottenham squad. England was humiliated on a great scale here, and it had the appearance of being as Thomas Frank accompanied his men down the tunnel at the break, when, one cannot but think, some couplet succeeding footsteps were traded on the meaninglessness of the so-called reply to the initial mishap.

Anything, though, sparked off the second-half Spurs comeback. Tottenham appeared with a clearly changed mental state they played quicker, more violent, and most importantly, played with and energy which previously had been in terribly poor taste during the initial 45 minutes. The shift that Frank made tactically (to make the wing-backs pushes higher and simplify attacking methods) nearly instantly started to crest the compact Bodo/Glimt defence.

The confrontation came in the 89 th minute and was dramatic. As Tottenham zoned over the Glimt penalty box, there was a scramble stretching forward to the goalmouth. A shirked cross was bedlam, and in the resultant confusion a ball fluttered frantically off in such a state of desperation as would have distressed any shot-averse Bodo/Glimt player, and rolled with agonising velocity into the net as a self-own goal. It was the most miserably unfortunate that the brave hosts should thus conclude but the consummation of a most essential Spurs revival among the teams at Tottenham. The ugliness of the relief that was carved on the faces of the Spurs players was physical, an extreme expression of recognition that they have escaped a massive European gunshot.

Although the last 2-2 is not the performance that any club of the caliber should display, it nonetheless improves on the outcome under the circumstances. It says much about the team, its strength and personality, that they were able to set up a full Spurs turnaround, two goals down, against a team that was playing at its best. This fact keeps them well in the fray in a difficult Champions League group. However, Thomas Frank and his team members will find much to worry about with regards to the initial lack of fighting spirit and defensive ineffectiveness shown in the first half. Although the team showed that they can also end with the goal, the important lesson of this Arctic adventure is that so dramatic a Spurs comeback never should have to happen.

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