Four Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland) are hosting Aussie players this year. Read on to see how they fared during the past week!
Round 2 of the Toppserien playoffs saw some success for Aussies in the Championship playoffs, but not so much in the Relegation playoffs.
In the Championship group, Ally Green‘s Vålerenga enjoyed a strong 5-0 away win against Stabaek, but did so without Green’s input as she looked on from the bench. Tameka Yallop played 69 minutes in Brann Kvinner‘s home 1-1 draw with Rosenborg. The draw is good news for third-placed Vålerenga as it allows them to close the gap on the top two (Brann and Rosenborg), who both started the playoffs with a small head-start in points by virtue of their season results.
Brann was also involved in Champions League action midweek, a 1-1 home draw against Swedish champions FC Rosengård. Yallop did not see action off the bench, but Teagan Micah played the full match for the visitors.
LSK Kvinner suffered a disappointing 2-0 home loss against Arna-Bjørnar in the Relegation Group. Both teams are placed in the top half of the group after two games. Karly Roestbakken is still on the road to recovery in a squad that looks very different from earlier this year.
In Sweden, the past week contained Round 19 of the Damallsvenskan, Svenska Cup and Champions League action.
It was a busy week for BK Häcken, with a 3-0 Cup win against Jitex, a 2-1 away league win over Eskilstuna United and a 2-1 away loss to French powerhouse PSG in Champions League qualifying. Aivi Luik played full games as a central defender in the latter two games.
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Emma Checker‘s Umeå IK had a mixed week, first winning 6-0 in their Cup game against Sundsvall, then losing 1-0 at home in the league against Pitea. Checker was on the bench for the loss and didn’t see any game time. The result leaves Umeå in the relegation zone, and after a post this week from the club regarding a financial crisis, let’s hope that the newly promoted team can navigate this tough period.
Teagan Micah’s FC Rosengård won their Cup game 8-0 against Eskilsminne, and in the league defeated Kalmar 6-2 at home. Micah played 90 minutes against Kalmar and in the aforementioned Champions League game against Norway’s Brann Kvinner.
Episode 41 of the Their Pitch podcast showcased Micah this week and is highly recommended.
Hammarby was brought back to earth this week, losing 3-1 away to second-placed Kristianstad. Kyra Cooney-Cross played a full game, while Elise Kellond-Knight came on in the 64th minute, as did Courtney Nevin in the 69th minute (picking up a yellow card thereafter). Hammarby then earned a 1-0 Cup victory over Div 1 side Norrkoping, with Nevin involved in the lead-up to the goal.
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Remy Siemsen scored her second league goal for AIK and played a full game in their 5-1 away loss to Örebro. They tasted success a few days earlier, defeating Sollentuna 2-1 in the Svenska Cup.
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Finally, Vittsjö GIK had a one-sided 9-0 Cup win against Bergdalens, but then lost 2-1 in the league to second-placed Linköping. All three Aussies (Charli Grant, Clare Polkinghorne and Katrina Gorry) played 90 league minutes in the week that Grant celebrated her 21st birthday.
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Results
Ladder
Third played fourth in Round 16 of the Úrvalsdeild, but Gema Simon and her Thróttur Reykjavík did not gain any ground on Stjarnan after their 2-0 away loss. Simon played 54 minutes.
Susan Phonsongkham played 90 minutes and scored from the penalty spot in KR Reykjavik‘s 5-3 home defeat to Selfoss. Margaux Chauvet looked on from the bench, also witnessing Phongsongkham’s 21st-minute yellow card.
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Finally, Melina Ayres was an unused substitute in second-placed Breiðablik‘s 3-0 home victory over Afturelding.
Results
Ladder
Matilda McNamara has had another busy week. The South Australian played the full 90 minutes as AGF Aarhus suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat away to Sundby. Silké Bonnen’s 88th minute strike means AGF have only one point after the first five rounds of the Elitedivisionen season.
However, there was better news in the Cup on Thursday – AGF progressed to the next round after a 4-0 away victory against Team Viborg. McNamara once again played a full game.
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Meanwhile, there was an Aussie reunion at Nord Energi Arena, with Fortuna Hjørring (Angie Beard & Indiah-Paige Riley) hosting FC Nordsjælland (Winonah Heatley). Camilla Kur Larsen’s hat trick took Fortuna to a 3-0 win and the Hjørring outfit now sit in third place. Beard and Heatley played full games, while Riley started and played 73 minutes.
Beard also featured in a post-match interview for Fortuna Hjørring socials.
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Follow all our coverage of Aussies and Ferns Abroad here, and Aussies in Nordic football here.
