Zoom wall takes in soccer match as Danish league resumes

  • People watch the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC via videolink, at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday 28 May 2020. The match is the first to be played after the shutdown due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

    People watch the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC via videolink, at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday 28 May 2020. The match is the first to be played after the shutdown due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Associated Press

  • People watch the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC via videolink, at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday 28 May 2020. The match is the first after the shutdown during the corona crisis and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

    People watch the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC via videolink, at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday 28 May 2020. The match is the first after the shutdown during the corona crisis and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Associated Press

  • Big screens in place prior to the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday 28 May 2020. The match is the first to be played after the shutdown due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

    Big screens in place prior to the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday 28 May 2020. The match is the first to be played after the shutdown due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Associated Press

  • Cardboard 'spectators' in place prior to the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday 28 May 2020. The match is the first after the shutdown during the corona crisis and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

    Cardboard 'spectators' in place prior to the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday 28 May 2020. The match is the first after the shutdown during the corona crisis and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Associated Press

  • People watch the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC via videolink, at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday, May 28, 2020. The match is the first to be played after the shutdown due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

    People watch the Danish Super League soccer match between AGF and Randers FC via videolink, at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, Thursday, May 28, 2020. The match is the first to be played after the shutdown due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and is being played without spectators and with restrictions. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Associated Press

 
Associated Press
Associated Press
 
 
Updated 5/28/2020 3:03 PM

AARHUS, Denmark -- As professional soccer returned to Denmark, fans used Zoom to be part of the action.

Thousands of Danish soccer fans logged into the conferencing software Thursday evening and were transported into the Ceres Park stadium for a league game between AGF Aarhus and Randers that heralded the resumption of the country's pandemic-affected season.

 

While the stadium itself was without fans, the faces of thousands of supporters who joined the Zoom call were shown on giant screens that ran along one side of the field.

Families wearing club shirts and scarves cheered inside their living rooms. Some were seen clenching their fists in joy after Simon Piesinger scored with a lob from 40 yards (meters) to put Randers, the visiting team, ahead in the 36th minute.

Aarhus equalized in stoppage minute and the game finished 1-1.

Ahead of the game, Aarhus described the Zoom wall as the world's first 'virtual grandstand.'

Crowd noise was piped in for the match and there were cardboard 'spectators' in place in the stands.

Games are being played without spectators in Denmark, like in other countries, amid the coronavirus outbreak.

by signing up you agree to our terms of service
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
 

The Danish Superliga has been suspended since the middle of May.

FC Midtjylland, the league leader, plays its first game back on Saturday at home against AC Horsens and is planning a 'drive-in' where at least 2,000 supporters can watch the game from inside their cars outside the team's MCH Arena. Giant screens have been installed in the stadium's parking lot and footage of the fans in their cars is set to be screened inside the arena.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Go to comments: 0 posted
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
 
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.