Four Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland) are hosting Aussie players this year. Read on to see how they fared during the past week!
The second last round of the Toppserien playoffs is done and dusted, with some great outcomes for the Aussies.
Julie Dolan medallist Fiona Worts didn’t see action off the bench during LSK Kvinner‘s 2-2 draw away to Røa. The point keeps LSK in fourth place and out of the Relegation playoffs drop zone. A point or better in the final round against third-placed Asane guarantees LSK’s Toppserien place for 2023.
Det ble dessverre kun ett poeng i går. Vi tar med oss to lekre scoringer inn i treningsuka💛 pic.twitter.com/pj2qWRDXj6
— LSK Kvinner (@LSKKvinner) October 24, 2022
Over in the Championship group, Ally Green‘s Vålerenga belted fourth-placed Stabaek 6-0 at home as Green watched from the bench. The win ensures second place in the group and with no prospect of catching leader Brann Kvinner, Vålerenga will participate in the 2023-24 Champions League qualification playoffs.
Green’s teammate Elise Thorsnes, a name well-known to Canberra United fans for her two seasons with them, was Toppserien’s Golden Boot for the season (excluding the playoffs). Thorsnes has now scored over 200 goals, making her Norway’s greatest-ever goal scorer in top-tier football!
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Winning the Champions playoff group means Tameka Yallop‘s Brann Kvinner gains direct qualification to the 2023-24 Champions League group stage. Brann defeated third-placed Rosenborg 2-1 away as Yallop continues to recover from last week’s ankle surgery.
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With just two rounds left, Damallsvenskan teams are running out of time to improve their ladder standings.
Hammarby recorded a solid 4-1 home win over second-last IF Brommapojkarna. Kyra Cooney-Cross was awarded Player of the Match after assisting the third goal and playing a full game, while Elise Kellond-Knight and Courtney Nevin both entered the fray for the final 11 minutes.
Kvällens matchsponsor, Köket & Gården, utsåg Kyra Cooney-Cross till bästa spelare i #Bajen efter 4-1 mot BP. pic.twitter.com/fAhSv33asf
— Hammarby Fotboll (@Hammarbyfotboll) October 21, 2022
Clare Polkinghorne scored Vittsjö GIK‘s only goal in their 1-0 home victory over Remy Siemsen‘s AIK. Polkinghorne’s goal came in the 39th minute from a Katrina Gorry assist, as all three Aussies in the Vittsjö lineup – including Charli Grant – contributed full match minutes. Siemsen played 76 minutes for AIK.
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Competition front-runners FC Rosengård recorded a fine 2-0 away win over fourth-placed Kristianstad, but did so without the services of Teagan Micah. Micah had played the full 90 minutes in Rosengård’s midweek 2-1 Champions League away loss to Bayern Munich, their group stage opener.
💬 “I’ve really settled into @FCRosengard and I’m on a clear path with them”
After claiming back-to-back Damallsvenskan titles with her club side in Sweden, @TeaganMicah talks about reigniting her love of the game. #WeAreMatildas pic.twitter.com/wVo4M7yDtL
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) October 26, 2022
The domestic league win means that with two rounds remaining, Rosengård have secured the gold medal spot for the second year running!
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Aivi Luik played 53 minutes of BK Häcken‘s 3-1 home win over Piteå. The result keeps Häcken in second spot, just ahead of Linköping on goal difference.
Finally, Emma Checker wasn’t on the team sheet for Umeå IK as they succumbed 4-2 away to seventh-placed Eskilstuna United. This leaves Umeå precariously placed on the edge of the drop zone and needing points in the next two games to guarantee their 2023 Damallsvenskan place.
Checker posted an update on Instagram stating that her time in the Damallsvenskan this year has come to a slightly early end:
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Results
Ladder
Matilda McNamara scored her first Elitedivisionen goal on the weekend, but it wasn’t enough to move AGF Aarhus off the foot of the table as Sofie Hornemann’s 84th minute penalty kick gave KoldingQ a 3-2 win over AGF. Impressively, McNamara has played in every minute of AGF’s league campaign.
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Winonah Heatley enjoyed another 90 minute performance and helped FC Nordsjælland keep a clean sheet, but that wasn’t the most notable part of their home game against Sundby. A stunning 7-0 victory means Nordsjælland have created some space between themselves and the relegation playoff zone – the bottom two teams at the end of the season will be placed into a group with the top four teams from the second tier, and only two of those teams will play in the 2023-24 Elitedivisionen.
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Please enjoy this amazing goal from Nordsjælland’s Jóhanna Sørensen, featuring a dummy that completely fools the goalkeeper!
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Meanwhile, it was double delight for Fortuna Hjørring. Not only did they defeat Thy ThistedQ 3-0 away from home, but they also leapfrogged them on the table and are now in third place. Angie Beard played a full game for Fortuna, and Indiah-Paige Riley also started the game before being subbed on 81 minutes.
Beard and McNamara were rewarded for their efforts with a place in the Round 9 Team of the Week.
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The 2022 Úrvalsdeild competition is over, with mixed fortunes for the four Aussies taking part.
Melina Ayres and her Breiðablik fared best, finishing third overall. Ayres made nine appearances for her team, scoring twice.
Melina Ayres til Breiðabliks https://t.co/RXvuKI1JIQ
— Blikar.is / Íslandsmeistarar 2022 (@blikar_is) April 12, 2022
Gema Simon and Thróttur Reykjavík weren’t far behind, finishing fourth. Simon took the field 15 times for Thróttur.
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KR Reykjavik failed to make the most of their re-entry to the top-tier competition this year, finishing last. They are once again destined for the first division. Susan Phonsongkham however won’t be displeased by her experience, making 14 appearances and scoring 5 goals. For her part, Margaux Chauvet made 13 appearances.
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Ladder
Follow all our coverage of Aussies and Ferns Abroad here, and Aussies in Nordic football here.
