The Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland) have long been a viable destination for Aussie footballers, and 2021 looks to be no different with over a dozen players choosing the Nordic countries as their playground.
This week a third Nordic league finishes their season, read on to see how our Aussies fared in the penultimate Nordic Wrap of 2021!
The final round of the Toppserien was played on the weekend and while the game between third-placed LSK Kvinner and 2021 champions Sandviken could not affect the standings, there were plenty of interesting subplots.
First to the game itself, which ended as a 0-2 away win to the champions after two first-half goals. Not for the first time, the home side showed a vulnerability defending corners in a crowded six-yard box when conceding the second goal, while for the first, Sandviken striker Maria Brochmann did well to elude her defender as a cross approached.
The home team struggled to make an impact and while Sandviken began to ring in the changes at the hour mark, LSK at two goals down mystifyingly chose not to do so until the final minute, when Karly Roestbakken entered the game alongside debutant Oda Johansen.
The team were presented with bronze medals after the game.
Tusen takk til alle dere som møtte opp i LSK-hallen på lørdag for å sette et herlig punktum på 2021-sesongen💛🖤🥉#viosssammen
📸: @AndreasKBerge / @Kvinneidrett pic.twitter.com/iFZwcMijkr
— LSK Kvinner (@LSKKvinner) November 15, 2021
This was Sandviken’s last game as Sandviken; next year they join forces with powerhouse Bergen men’s club Brann.
Those in the near-capacity LSK Hall would have dearly loved to see two champions of the club play out their final LSK moments in a way that better celebrated their exploits with the team in yellow and black.
Emilie Haavi, LSK Kvinner’s iconic captain and one of the premier talents in Norwegian football, announced in the last week that at age 29 she is looking for a new challenge. Haavi was the team’s primary attacking outlet from the left wing and will be sorely missed, having played 215 games for LSK since 2013, scoring 108 goals. She has represented Norway since 2010, making her senior international debut at 18 years of age.
Midfield stalwart Isabell Bachor – who played 166 games for the club over nine seasons since 2013 and represented Germany 30 times between 2001-2009 – stays on as assistant coach.
There is plenty for the club to ruminate over the offseason with the loss of their two most experienced players and they will be very glad to have the talent of Roestbakken available to them once again in the 2022 season.
Having been announced this week in the Matildas squad to play the USA in Sydney and Newcastle at the end of the month, Roestbakken will be bursting to increase her game-time and match fitness.
Nikola Orgill returned home to Australia in the last week. Orgill has spent the last two Nordic seasons in Norway – first with Kolbotn and then with Klepp – but her 2021 campaign was cut short in July due to injury and she has not played since. The football community wishes Orgill well in her return to the pitch, wherever that may be. Klepp finished at the bottom of the ladder and is destined for the second tier of Norwegian football in 2022.
Round 18 results
Ladder
The 2021 Swedish Damallsvenskan season has concluded. Those Aussies who took a leap of faith by joining the competition must be ecstatic about their decision, especially considering all of them were chosen to join a Matildas camp at some point during the year.
FC Rosengård took out the 2021 trophy as gold medallists after a fine season. Rosengård and second-placed BK Häcken stood clearly ahead of the pack. Teagan Micah arrived partway through the season from 2021 Norwegian champions Sandviken, while Charli Grant was on board for the entire season. Both players have been selected in the Matildas squad to take on the USA in Sydney and Newcastle later this month.
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Like Grant, Dylan Holmes may not have been a regular starter for her Häcken team but there have been many memorable moments, including a Svenska Cup final win. Her 2021 journey is not yet over, with Champions League commitments through to December 16th. Follow Holmes’ Champions League progress with Häcken each week via the Beyond 90 podcast.
Guldet tillhör Gulsvart! 👊 pic.twitter.com/9YSbTtlfoc
— BK Häcken (@bkhackenofcl) May 13, 2021
Clare Polkinghorne enjoyed her time with Vittsjö GIK so much in 2021 that she has signed on for another two seasons. Her team finished a highly creditable fifth and narrowly missed a 2022 Champions League berth. Polkinghorne has also been selected in the latest Matildas squad.
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While chronic knee pain ensured that Elise Kellond-Knight didn’t see much on-field action for Hammarby IF this season, her team finished in seventh place and were as high as third at one point. With two difficult years behind her, things can only look up for Kellond-Knight as she continues her recovery from floating bone and partial nerve removal.
Winonah Heatley‘s Växjö DFF are bound for lower league football in 2022, but it was great to see Heatley finish the season with 51 minutes against Hammarby IF to close out her 2021 Swedish football experience.
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Ladder
The second last round of the Danish Elitedivisionen was played on the weekend … but first, enjoy a moment of delight from Jenna McCormick in this AGF Christmas jumper promotion:
Love that big expression @jen_mccormick 😂😂😂 https://t.co/sl2aFDs03j
— Lisa (@lisa_Ann6654) November 18, 2021
There is no tougher road trip in this league than to undefeated leaders HB Køge, and AGF were unable to alter that ‘undefeated’ statistic in a 2-0 loss. McCormick played the full 90 minutes.
AGF now cannot avoid being part of the relegation playoffs, and come up against bottom side AaB in their final game.
There may not have been free beer available to the crowd this week, but the travelling Fortuna Hjørring supporter base was still in good spirits after their team won 0-2 away to sixth-placed Kolding IF on the weekend.
Clare Wheeler scored her second goal for Fortuna with a 22-meter belter that went in off the underside of the crossbar, while Angie Beard‘s dead-ball delivery led to the first goal by midfielder Janelle Cordia. Wheeler, Beard, and Indiah-Paige Riley all started for the away side, with Beard picking up a yellow card and Riley playing an hour of the match. Alex Huynh was an unused substitute.
The result leaves Fortuna comfortably in second place and a final-round matchup against Brøndby IF awaits them.
Both Beard and Wheeler have been selected in the latest Matildas squad.
Round 13 results
Round 14 games
Ladder
The Úrvalsdeild Kvenna 2021 season is over!
Urvalsdeild Ladder
1.deild Ladder
Follow all our coverage of Aussies and Ferns Abroad here, and Aussies in Nordic football here.
