With up to ten Australians competing in top level domestic Nordic competitions in 2020, Beyond 90 will be keeping readers up to date with how our players and the teams they are playing in are faring.
Emily Gielnik provided an assist in Vittsjö GIK‘s Round 14 win in Sweden on the weekend, while Katrina Gorry and Clare Polkinghorne enjoyed a win – and a climb to second rung on the Toppserien ladder – at the expense of Teagan Micah and team in Norway.
Aussie involvement in Round 11 of the Toppserien commenced with third placed Rosenborg BK continuing their unbeaten record this season, upsetting second placed LSK Kvinner away 0-1.
Karly Roestbakken started at centre back again, playing a full game for LSK in an assured performance. Roestbakken’s relatives were in attendance and their warm support was evident in the broadcast on 29 minutes, when she brilliantly defused a dangerous Rosenborg attack close to goal. It was a game of few chances, with an untidy LSK midfield touch on the edge of their own area leading to their demise.
Teagan Micah and Clare Polkinghorne played full games for Arna-Bjørnar and Avaldsnes respectively in Arna-Bjørnar’s 0-2 home loss, while Katrina Gorry was substituted for Avaldsnes in the 84th minute. This addition to their recent run of good results sends Avaldsnes into second place on the Toppserien ladder at the top of a logjam for positions two through four.
Nikola Orgill played 82 minutes in Kolbotn‘s vital 1-0 home win over Lyn Lightning, a result which gives them a little breathing space from the bottom two ladder positions.
Round 11 results
(teams with Australian players in the squad are shown in bold)
| Arna-Bjørnar | 0 – 2 | Avaldsnes |
| LSK Kvinner | 0 – 1 | Rosenborg |
| RØA | 1 – 0 | Klepp |
| Vålerenga | 2 – 0 | Sandviken |
| Kolbotn | 1 – 0 | Lyn |
Ladder
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | For | Against | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Vålerenga | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 27 |
| 2 | Avaldsnes | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 23 |
| 3 | Rosenborg | 11 | 6 | 5 | – | 20 | 10 | 10 | 23 |
| 4 | LSK Kvinner | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 22 |
| 5 | Sandviken | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 19 |
| 6 | Klepp | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 11 |
| 7 | Kolbotn | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 17 | -6 | 10 |
| 8 | Arna-Bjørnar | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 16 | -7 | 10 |
| 9 | RØA | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 24 | -14 | 7 |
| 10 | Lyn | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 23 | -13 | 5 |
Emily Gielnik played the entirety of Vittsjö GIK‘s Round 14 1-0 away win against IK Uppsala, providing a headed assist for the winning goal in the 29th minute. The win moves Vittsjö into fifth place on the ladder, a remarkable feat when you consider that prior to Gielnik’s arrival her team was vying for the wooden spoon position.
Round 14 results
| Växjö DFF | 0 – 0 | Örebro |
| Linköping | 3 – 0 | Umeå IK |
| Uppsala | 0 – 1 | Vittsjö |
| Göteborg | 3 – 0 | Eskilstuna United |
| Pitea | 2 – 3 | Kristianstad |
| Rosengard | 3 – 0 | Djurgarden |
Ladder
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | For | Against | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Rosengard | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 7 | 35 | 35 |
| 2 | Göteborg | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 8 | 22 | 32 |
| 3 | Kristianstad | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 21 | 6 | 27 |
| 4 | Linköping | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 26 |
| 5 | Vittsjö | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 21 | 23 | -2 | 19 |
| 6 | Örebro | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 19 | -4 | 19 |
| 7 | Umeå IK | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 23 | -6 | 18 |
| 8 | Djurgarden | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 18 | -5 | 16 |
| 9 | Eskilstuna United | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 24 | -3 | 14 |
| 10 | Pitea | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 25 | -10 | 12 |
| 11 | Uppsala | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 17 | 31 | -14 | 10 |
| 12 | Växjö DFF | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 25 | -19 | 9 |
In a Cup quarter final played last Friday, Angie Beard scored KR Reykjavik‘s first goal in their 1-2 away win vs FH Hafnarfjörður.
The same teams played each other in Round 13 of the Icelandic league just three days later, and this time the tables were turned as FH Hafnarfjörður defeated KR Reykjavik 4-2. Beard played the full 90 minutes in both games.
On the same day, Laura Hughes‘s Thróttur Reykjavik went down 0-4 to Breiðablik. Hughes also played the full game.
Round 14 results
| Valur R | 4 – 0 | ÍBV |
| UMF Selfoss | 2 – 3 | Stjarnan |
| FH Hafnarfjörður | 4 – 2 | KR Reykjavik |
| Fylkir | 4 – 2 | Þór/KA |
| Thróttur | 0 – 4 | Breiðablik |
Ladder
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | For | Against | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Valur R | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 9 | 22 | 31 |
| 2 | Breiðablik | 11 | 10 | – | 1 | 47 | 2 | 45 | 30 |
| 3 | Fylkir | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 19 |
| 4 | UMF Selfoss | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 16 |
| 5 | ÍBV | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 23 | -10 | 16 |
| 6 | Stjarnan | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 27 | -6 | 14 |
| 7 | Þór/KA | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 28 | -12 | 11 |
| 8 | Thróttur | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 30 | -13 | 10 |
| 9 | FH Hafnarfjörður | 12 | 3 | – | 9 | 10 | 29 | -19 | 9 |
| 10 | KR Reykjavik | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 22 | -11 | 7 |
In Round 6 of the Elitedivisionen in Denmark, Indiah-Paige Riley‘s Fortuna Hjørring were beaten 1-0 away against HB Køge, with Riley coming onto the pitch in the 79th minute.
Riley spoke to ESPN about the allure of playing in Europe.
It was a tough away game for Hannah Bacon and her AGF Aarhus team, with Kolding BK beating them 5-1. Bacon started and received a yellow card in the 12th minute.
Round 6 results
| Kolding BK | 5 – 1 | AGF Aarhus |
| HB Køge | 1 – 0 | Fortuna Hjørring |
| Brøndby IF | 3 – 0 | AaB |
| Thy – Thistedq | 2 – 2 | Nordsjælland |
Ladder
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | For | Against | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Brøndby IF | 6 | 5 | 1 | – | 13 | 4 | 9 | 16 |
| 2 | Thy – Thistedq | 6 | 3 | 3 | – | 8 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 3 | Nordsjælland | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 11 |
| 4 | HB Køge | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| 5 | Fortuna Hjørring | 6 | 3 | – | 3 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 9 |
| 6 | Kolding BK | 6 | 2 | – | 4 | 9 | 9 | – | 6 |
| 7 | AGF Aarhus | 6 | 1 | – | 5 | 5 | 16 | -11 | 3 |
| 8 | AaB | 6 | – | 1 | 5 | 3 | 20 | -17 | 1 |
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