Frøs Arena

The sky is grey in the first picture, a flat expanse of overcast cloud. In the second, it has broken, showing patches of blue and white, and beyond the fence the sea is calm and grey. This distance to the water is the defining feature of the place, a reminder that the pitch is not just in a town but at its edge.

The ground itself is artificial. It is a uniform green, the white lines sharp against it. The surface does not look like grass that has grown and been cut; it looks manufactured, laid down to be durable through the winter. The stands are low, a simple structure with a roof, and behind them the land rises steeply into a hill. The grass on the slope is shorter than the pitch, trampled by the wind.

There is a difference between this and a stadium built for a tournament. This is a community pitch, surrounded by a high fence and a few buildings. One is a dark shed with a sign that mentions fish export. The other is a white house with a dark roof, parked cars in front of it. The flags on the poles are red and yellow, flying low because the wind is strong.

The players are small figures against the landscape. They wear blue and maroon shirts, running on the artificial turf. The ball is small and white. The goalkeeper is in green. They are not performing for a huge crowd; the stands are almost empty. The game is local, played under the open sky, with the sea and the hill watching from behind.