Aussies in Nordic football has been a recurring theme over the years and 2023 is no different. Read on to see how Aussies in the Nordic leagues (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland) fared during the past week!
The Damallsvenskan remains a 14 team competition with 26 rounds. Emma Checker (ex-Umeå IK) and Remy Siemsen (ex-AIK) have moved on.
Växjö DFF and IFK Norrköping have been promoted to the Damallsvenskan from the second-tier Elitettan competition, replacing relegated Umeå IK and AIK. Chelsie Dawber is at Norrköping, on loan from her parent club Chicago Red Stars.
Eskilstuna United was not granted a 2023 licence due to its financial standing and has been replaced in the league by Uppsala.
First and second place-getters will gain direct access to the second round of the Champions League qualifiers, while the third place-getter qualifies for the first round.
Fanseat has international streaming rights to all games. 10 euros per month will get you access unless you are based in Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland or Mexico.
The season opened with a Friday night home game for defending Champions FC Rosengård, against Piteå. However, Matildas keeper Teagan Micah was not on the Rosengård team sheet. The home side will feel they should have won the game rather than coming away with a 1-1 draw. Having scored five minutes into the second half, they later conceded off a set piece with just five minutes remaining. The equaliser came courtesy of a mix-up between keeper Somea Polozen and captain Caroline Seger, gifting Piteå’s Hanna Andersson with a headed goal into an untended net.
Aivi Luik‘s BK Häcken was defeated 1-0 at home by Djurgarden – Luik saw action as a substitute in the last ten minutes. Luik and her team will be looking to get their skates on for the next round!
There was an Aussie flavour at Hammarby‘s home game against Vittsjö GIK, even if Kyra Cooney-Cross is the only remaining Aussie on the home team’s books. Courtney Nevin is currently on loan to FA WSL side Leicester City, while Elise Kellond-Knight departed the club towards the end of the 2022 season.
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Vittsjö has retained all three Aussies from last season – Katrina Gorry, Clare Polkinghorne, and Charli Grant, with Grant still on loan from Rosengård.
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With the support of a raucous 6000+ home crowd behind them and a Cooney-Cross Player of the Match performance in front of them, Hammarby took the game 2-0 against opponents who are also fancied to place in the top third of the ladder.
Dawber’s Norrköping finished the first round at home against fellow promoted club Växjö in gently falling snow.
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As Dawber reflects below, it was a historical moment for both herself and her club as she scored their first-ever goal in the league. Norrköping would go on to win 2-1.
Dawber historisk första målskytt för Norrköping i OBOS Damallsvenskan 🤩
Vilken fullträff hon får på! 🤯👏 pic.twitter.com/wGccgomW2C
— Viaplay Fotboll (@ViaplayFotboll) March 27, 2023
On fire on the pitch, looking slightly cold now. Chelsie Dawber talks about her first goal in the Damallsvenskan pic.twitter.com/LKk2uAaTpR
— Kieran Yap (@KaptinYap) March 28, 2023
Results
Ladder
After the winter break, the second phase of the Elitedivisionen season gets underway on the weekend.
In the Championship Round, the top six teams from the first phase (including Winonah Heatley‘s FC Nordsjælland) will play a double round robin series, with the top two at the end of these fixtures earning Champions League qualification.
Meanwhile, the bottom two teams from the first phase play in a double round robin series with the top four teams from the second tier. The top two teams at the end of this stage will earn an Elitedivisionen place for 2023-24. AGF, who boast Matilda McNamara and midseason signing Ally Green in their ranks, will be among the teams fighting for Elitedivisionen status.
Both AGF and Nordsjælland have been involved in Danish Cup action over the past three weekends.
AGF defeated third tier side JAI 5-0 in their quarter final, with Green making her club debut off the bench and setting up a goal (see the end of the below video) – McNamara also made a substitute appearance. Nordsjælland had a much closer contest in the final eight of the Cup, defeating second tier outfit NIF / HG 3-2 in a game where Heatley was part of the starting lineup.
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This led to a semi final meeting over two legs between Nordsjælland and AGF. Nordsjælland were triumphant, winning the first leg 1-0 and the second leg 3-0 to set up a Cup Final showdown with Fortuna Hjørring. Heatley started both games, while McNamara and Green made substitute appearances in the first leg and started the second leg.
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There are some competition format changes (translation recommended) for 2023. The Toppserien playoffs have been replaced by a triple round robin league structure which lasts for 27 rounds. Championship glory goes to the the leader at the end of 27 rounds, while the team in last place (10th) is relegated to the 1. division (second tier). The team that finishes 9th meets the 2nd place team from the 1. division in a home & away two leg playoff, with the winner earning a Toppserien place for 2024.
As usual, the top two place-getters are able to compete in the Champions League.
One free match per round is available on NRK TV, with no VPN required. To watch other games, a paid subscription with TV 2 Sports 1 and a VPN is required.
Tameka Yallop‘s Brann Kvinner claimed both major trophies on offer in 2022, while Kolbotn was relegated and Åsane promoted.
While Beyond 90 followed the 2022 Toppserien progress of Yallop, Karly Roestbakken, Fiona Worts and Ally Green, only Yallop remains for 2023.
Yallop made a successful comeback from ankle surgery in Round 1, playing as part of a front two in Brann Kvinner’s 5-3-2 formation. Her team ran out 2-1 away winners at Lyn.
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Results
Ladder
Our Aussies in Nordic Football wrap will cover the 2023 Besta Deild Kvenna competition (rebadged last season from the Úrvalsdeild) when it kicks off on April 26th!
Follow all our coverage of Aussies and Ferns Abroad here, and Aussies in Nordic football here.
