The Daily Scoop


Captain Califf Eyes Fast Return by Poul-Henrik Worm - July 9, 2007

Aalborg defender Danny Califf is optimistic that he will be able to shake off a hamstring tweak to appear in their Intertoto Cup decider against Finnish side FC Honka Espoo. Califf's team debut as skipper came in the second round 2-2 away opener, but it would only last 27 minutes before he had to come off the field. "On my first sprint of the game, I just felt my hamstring really tighten up," Califf told American Soccer Daily. "I played for another 25 minutes or so, but I felt like if I made another big sprint, there was a chance that it would really go and then we'd have a big problem." The injury causes no immediate concern for the Californian, who is confident he will be back in action soon. "I'm certainly hoping that I'll be able to play on Saturday," said Califf. "We're going to take it pretty slow because it's one of those things that can re-injure itself very quickly and go from bad to worse. But I think it's not going to be a long setback."	Califf models his new armband.(photo: AaB A/S)
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Back from Copa América action, where he wore the captain's armband against Colombia, the center back was given the same honor for his club team. Califf takes over from veteran goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, who recently signed with English Championship side Leicester. "It's a really big honor," he shared. "Especially, taking it after Jimmy having been here for so long." "I've got big shoes to fill, I think, and I'm not going to try and replace him by any means. I'm just going to try and keep doing what I'm doing, and take on a little more responsibility as far as the team goes." As a field player, Califf believes that he does have an advantage as captain that his predecessor did not. "The goalie is so far removed from the play, so I think it'll be a bit easier having someone who is right there in the thick of things to sort out any problems," he stated.