Four Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland) are hosting Aussie players this year. Read on to see how they fared during the past week!
Toppserien gold medallists, Tameka Yallop‘s Brann Kvinner, along with bronze medallists Ally Green‘s Vålerenga, have kicked off their Champions group play-offs campaign. With the 2022 season over, the balance of the remaining competition weeks are filled with two parallel sets of playoffs, one to determine Toppserien representation in the Champions League, and another – the Relegation group playoffs – to determine which teams join the top four to contest the 2023 Toppserien competition.
In the Champions group, each of the top four teams plays in a home-and-away series. The group winner qualifies directly for the Champions League, while the second-placed team enters the Champions League playoffs system.
A goal in the first minute couldn’t prevent Vålerenga from losing 2-1 to Brann. Yallop wasn’t on the Brann teamsheet for the win, but Green put in a late appearance for the home side.
The Relegation group is made up of the bottom six teams from the Toppserien, and the top two teams from Division 1. The teams play each other once, and the top six teams then play in the 2023 Toppserien.
Karly Roestbakken‘s LSK Kvinner started the playoffs well, winning 4-0 over Tromsø. Roestbakken continues to recover from foot surgery and was not on the card.
There were plenty of Aussies involved in Round 19 of the Damallsvenskan over the past week!
Aivi Luik may not have been available for BK Häcken, but Emma Checker was busy in defence during her 90-minute performance for Umeå IK as they succumbed 5-0 away. Häcken remains in fourth place, while Umeå continues their dalliance with the bottom three.
Pacesetters FC Rosengård suffered just their second loss of the season, going down 2-0 away to Hammarby. Of the Aussies, Elise Kellond-Knight started for Hammarby, as did Teagan Micah for Rosengård. Hammarby substitutes included Kyra Cooney-Cross – who played the last half hour – and Courtney Nevin, who didn’t make it onto the pitch.
Hammarby remain fifth, just behind Luik’s BK Häcken.
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Remy Siemsen scored her first goal for AIK in their 6-2 loss to third-placed Kristianstads. The goal came with just two minutes remaining, and Siemsen went on to play the full 90 minutes. Alas, AIK continues to hold the ladder up.
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Finally, sixth-placed Vittsjö GIK enjoyed a solid 3-0 away win over Djurgarden (tenth). All three Vittsjö-based Aussies including Charli Grant and Clare Polkinghorne started and played a full game, while Katrina Gorry scored the final goal of the game one minute into added time.
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Results
Ladder
While none of the three teams featuring Aussies won in Round 15 of the Úrvalsdeild, second-placed Breiðablik managed to draw 1-1 away to ladder leaders Valur. Melina Ayres was not in Breiðablik’s game-day squad which saw American Cyera Hintzen – who played with Perth Glory in the last A-League Women’s season – score for Valur, denying the visitors all three points.
A little earlier in the week, an Ayres-less Breiðablik drew 0-0 with IBV in their Round 14 catchup game.
Fourth-placed Thróttur Reykjavík (featuring Gema Simon) was defeated 3-2 at home by Keflavik, who sit three rungs below them on the ladder. Simon started and played the full 90 minutes.
After a month off the competitive field, Susan Phonsongkham and Margaux Chauvet‘s KR Reykjavik played twice inside five days this week. The first – also a Round 14 catchup game – was a heavy 6-0 home loss against Valur, where Phonsongkham played the first 31 minutes, and Chauvet was an unused substitute.
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In the second, Phongsongkham played 83 minutes and Chauvet took the field near the hour mark in KR’s 2-1 away loss to fellow cellar dwellers Afturelding. KR’s task was made no easier after a red card was shown with almost 40 minutes remaining.
Results
Ladder
Matilda McNamara played another full game, but unfortunately AGF Aarhus are still looking for their first league win of the Elitedivisionen campaign. Sofie Bloch’s late strike would end up being a consolation goal as AGF lost 2-1 at home to league leaders HB Køge.
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We’re delighted to see Winonah Heatley racking up the minutes. The Queenslander played the whole game as FC Nordsjælland earned a 1-1 away draw against Sundby – a late own goal gave the Tigers a share of the points. Heatley played well enough to be named in the league’s Team of the Week!
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Heatley backed that up with another start in FC Nordsjælland’s midweek Cup win over second-tier Odense Q. A 3-1 triumph away from home means Heatley’s side are through to the fourth round of the Cup.
Fortuna Hjørring have been busy recently. They were the only top division side engaged in Cup action over the recent international break, defeating third-tier ASA 4-1 on the road – neither Angie Beard nor Indiah-Paige Riley were involved.
Beard returned to the starting lineup on the weekend, playing 90 minutes as Fortuna went down 2-1 at home to Thy ThistedQ. Riley was not selected, presumably due to her exertions and travel during the international window.
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However, Riley was named in the starting XI on Wednesday as Fortuna ran riot, defeating second-tier Dalum / Næsby 10-1 in the Cup. Beard also earned a starting berth.
Follow all our coverage of Aussies and Ferns Abroad here, and Aussies in Nordic football here.
