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 2023 Damallsvenskan season is over! Hammarby won the league by the narrowest of margins – they finished on the same points total as Aivi Luik‘s BK Häcken, prevailing with a goal difference of +44 (as opposed to Häcken’s +43).
While Häcken finished the season strongly with a 4-0 home win over fourth-placed Piteå IF, it wasn’t enough to flip them back into the gold medal position. Hammarby’s 2-0 away victory over Chelsie Dawber‘s IFK Norrköping ensured a title for the team that Kyra Cooney-Cross called home for much of 2023.
Hammarby fans would like a word with those who say “no one cares about women’s football” as they storm the field to celebrate with their players gold.
Absolute scenes after a 38 year wait for the league title. The passion. pic.twitter.com/VTaUiH1XpW
— SHE scores bangers (@SHEscoresbanger) November 11, 2023
Häcken will be rueing a run of average post-Women’s World Cup results which saw them squander a comfortable lead at the top of the ladder. They will now look ahead to the remainder of their Champions League campaign.
Luik played a full game for Häcken as they took home silver medals, but Dawber wasn’t in Norrköping’s matchday squad, having opted to make her way home.
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The final game of the competition also marks a period of transition for the three Aussies who have spent 2023 in Vittsjö GIK colours. A 2-0 away victory over Örebro was a bittersweet affair as the team finished fifth, with all three playing full minutes as Katrina Gorry scored from the penalty spot and Charli Grant picked up a late yellow card. Why bittersweet? Both Charli Grant and Katrina Gorry have announced their departure from the club.
Amy Sayer found her way into the Viaplay Team of the Round after her performance for Kristianstad DFF in their 3-3 away draw against Angie Beard‘s Linköping FC. It was a good season for both clubs, finishing sixth and third respectively. Both Aussies played full games.
It didn’t take long for Beard to return home.
Finalomgången avklarad ✅
Det här är “Veckans Elva” enligt Pär Lagerström 🔝🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/2N9EUGLgbG
— Viaplay Fotboll (@ViaplayFotboll) November 14, 2023
Results
Ladder
The Danish title race is heating up as we head towards the end of the Kvindeliga‘s first phase. After the weekend’s games, plus the midweek fixture between HB Køge and Brøndby, only two points separates leaders Brøndby (22 pts) from the teams in second, third and fourth (FC Nordsjælland, Køge & Kolding, all on 20 pts).
On the weekend, Køge hosted Nordsjælland and defeated them 1-0. Daisy Cleverley entered play in the 78th minute for Køge, while Deborah-Anne de la Harpe was an unused substitute and Claudia Bunge wasn’t selected. For Nordsjælland, both Winonah Heatley and Malia Steinmetz started, with Heatley playing a full game and Steinmetz being replaced on 84 minutes.
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AGF travelled to Brøndby, losing 2-1. There was great news for Ally Green as started, played 73 mintues and scored her first AGF goal – the strike was nominated for Goal of the Round! Matilda McNamara was suspended after a red card in the previous fixture.
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Then in midweek, Køge suffered another defeat, this time losing at home to Brøndby. Once again, de la Harpe was an unused sub and Bunge wasn’t in the matchday squad, while Cleverley came off the bench in the 73rd minute.
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Larissa Crummer entered the game at halftime in Brann Kvinner‘s penultimate 2023 league fixture. Her team would go on to lose 3-2 away to sixth-placed Lyn.
Brann’s final game of the season – against third-placed LSK Kvinner – is a dead rubber as neither side can change positions on the ladder.
While their 2023 Toppserien action is drawing to a close, Crummer and company will still have plenty of Champions League action to look forward to after next week.
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Results
Ladder
Although the 2023 Besta Deild Kvenna competition (rebadged last season from the Úrvalsdeild) kicked off on April 26th, as yet no Aussies have signed up to compete. If the situation changes, the Aussies in Nordic Football wrap will be sure to cover it!
Follow all our coverage of Aussies and Ferns Abroad here, and read more of our Nordic coverage here.
