Hásteinsvöllur in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, home ground of IBV. Graphic: Michael Alesich

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.

Read on for how our Aussies fared in the Nordic leagues this past week.

Round 8 of the Toppserien was played over the weekend, with Round 9 also kicking off late in the week following it. As in Sweden, there is a break for a few weeks after Round 9, with play resuming in early August.

Karly Roestbakken‘s LSK Kvinner kicked the week off with a 1-2 Round 8 away victory against Kolbotn in the rain, with all three goals scored in the first half-hour.

 

Two successive wins under their belts were good preparation for the late midweek Round 9 home game against champions Vålerenga. Vålerenga has recently welcomed Katie Stengel – well known to W-League fans – on a two-year deal, and she lined up in midfield for this game.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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LSK would have won but for this equalizer with 11 minutes to go, which showed that sometimes the Football Gods are just out to lunch…

The Lillestrøm club is still without their Aussie star but Roestbakken is expected to be winging her way back to Norway in the next week or so, hopefully to rejoin training after serving quarantine. Their next game is August 7th against Arna-Bjørnar.

Klepp‘s Round 8 game was away to Avaldsnes on the weekend, but the outing was not a happy one for Klepp as they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat. To make matters worse Nikola Orgill – who had only returned in Round 7 from a couple of weeks away due to injury – appeared to suffer a hamstring strain late in the first half and had to be substituted. 

 

After starting the season with two wins, Klepp has stumbled since, and are now second last on the ladder. Their Round 9 game against Kolbotn is scheduled for the weekend and will be covered in the next Nordic Wrap.

Round 8 & 9 results to date

Round 9 games

Ladder

 

There is currently a break in the Swedish Damallsvenskan competition until mid-August 2021, but at the time of publication last week not all Round 12 games had been played.

Recapping Round 12 games from the last Nordic Wrap:

Elise Kellond-Knight wasn’t on the Hammarby IF team sheet for their Round 12 away game against KIF Örebro DFF – she was joining her Matildas team-mates in Japan – but her team ran out 2-3 winners in her absence. 

 

The win keeps Hammarby in third place with the prospect of facing fifth-placed Eskilstuna United after the break.

Table-topping Charli Grant‘s FC Rosengård was convincing in their 5-0 home win against Växjö DFF, with Grant not on the match card due to travel commitments with the Matildas. The result sees Rosengård maintain a comfortable six-point lead at the top of the table as they look towards a game against Örebro after the break.

 

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Round 12 results

Round 13 games

Ladder

Úrvalsdeild karla (

Emma Checker recorded her first win as UMF Selfoss captain in the Úrvalsdeild Kvenna, with her team back in the winner’s circle after several weeks away from it. Their Round 10 1-0 home win against Keflavik keeps them in third place and is a strong sign, along with their narrow loss against ladder leaders Valur Reykjavík last week, that they are back on track.

Checker played the full 90 minutes and will, together with her team, be looking forward with renewed vigour to their Round 11 game on July 21 against seventh-placed Þór/KA.

   

Round 10 results and Round 11 games

Ladder 


Having completed the 2020 season’s promotion/relegation series as well as the process of selecting teams for the 2021 UEFA Women’s Champions League, there is now a break until the 2021 Elitedivisionen season proper kicks off on August 7th.

Fortuna Hjørring has been busy rejuvenating their team list in preparation for the new season, including a couple of experienced stalwarts from previous seasons to complement the young squad. Indiah-Paige Riley will also be returning, but this time she’s bringing along a few mates:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Follow all our coverage of Aussies and Ferns Abroad here, and Aussies in Nordic football here.

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