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 final round of the Toppserien playoffs has been played and with that, the league campaign is over.
Julie Dolan medallist Fiona Worts once again only saw action in the last minute of LSK Kvinner‘s home 2-0 win over Asane. In her departing message for fans of the club (translation recommended), Worts alluded to post-Covid difficulties.
Spissen vender tilbake til Australia og Adelaide United. https://t.co/W3TIAsDtgl
— LSK Kvinner (@LSKKvinner) October 31, 2022
“It’s definitely been a challenge. Of course, I didn’t expect to lose that many months of the season due to the aftermath of covid, especially as I had just gained good momentum on the field, but that’s the way it is sometimes”.
Worts scored 7 goals in her 14 appearances for LSK, helping the team earn a Toppserien place for 2023. She now heads back to Adelaide United for the 2022-23 A-League Women’s campaign.
In the Champions playoffs, the top two positions had already been decided but that didn’t stop an element of feeling creeping into the game between Brann Kvinner and Vålerenga. The referee brandished one red card apiece to both teams (second yellows on both occasions) as the teams drew 1-1. Ally Green watched on from the Vålerenga bench and Brann’s Tameka Yallop is recovering from ankle surgery.
❤️🤍🏆 pic.twitter.com/hPst1c4aRQ
— SK Brann Kvinner (@skbrannkvinner) October 30, 2022
Brann captain Tuva Hansen (who also plays in the Norwegian national team backline) was named Toppserien player of the year.
The Vålerenga team was awarded silver medals after finishing as league runners-up.
Sølv i Toppserien 2022!🥈
📸 Nicholas Noreng pic.twitter.com/xS14Py194a
— Vålerenga Fotball Kvinner (@VIFDamer) October 30, 2022
The NM Cup Final will be played this weekend (November 5th) between Brann Kvinner and Stabæk.
At the end of the Damallsvenskan‘s second last round – Round 25 – Aussies are sitting in the top two and the bottom two, as well as in positions 5 and 6.
FC Rosengård enjoyed a 3-0 home victory over Djurgarden, with Teagan Micah in goals for the duration. The win confirmed Micah’s team as gold medallists!
The Swedish champions 👇#viärFCR #fcrosengård pic.twitter.com/YG7xlnA1DD
— FC Rosengård (@FCRosengard) October 31, 2022
Elise Kellond-Knight and Hammarby have mutually agreed (translation recommended) that next week’s season closer against Vittsjö GIK will be her last game for the club, even though there is a year to run on the contract. Kellond-Knight first played for Hammarby in 2018, then rejoined them two years later when it appeared that she was well on the road to recovery from an ACL injury. Complications returned her delay to the pitch, so it was with much joy that KK rejoined the team in the back half of this season.
“I have really enjoyed my time in Hammarby and the special culture that exists around the club with all the loyal and vocal supporters.
“I am grateful to have been able to work with all the fine people in Hammarby and I will miss wearing the green and white jersey”.
I söndags gjorde @elise_kk8 sitt sista framträdande hemma på “Kanalplan”. Stort tack för insatserna i den grönvita skruden och lycka till framöver, Elise! 💚#Bajen pic.twitter.com/wznH1GBlZ3
— Hammarby Fotboll (@Hammarbyfotboll) November 2, 2022
It will be interesting to see Kellond-Knight’s next move. She took the field in the 11th minute of a frustrating home 0-0 stalemate against Örebro. This was Hammarby’s first draw of the season. Kyra Cooney-Cross received a second successive Player of the Match award, while Courtney Nevin did not see time off the bench.
Matchens Lirare respektive V.I.B:are i sista hemma för året, @kyracooneyx och Simone Boye 👏
Vi tackar varmt 3StepIT och Sefina Pantbank för stödet säsongen igenom!
📸 @isopeter | #Bajen pic.twitter.com/Nuo2NnU2aG
— Hammarby Fotboll (@Hammarbyfotboll) October 29, 2022
Vittsjö recorded a 2-1 away victory over Piteå and crept ahead of Hammarby on the table by goal difference. Katrina Gorry unleashed a trademark 25 metre rocket in the second half that was narrowly tipped onto the bar, and supplied the free kick that led to the winning goal. Clare Polkinghorne and Charli Grant joined Gorry in playing the full 90 minutes of the win.
Polkinghorne and the club jointly announced this week that she has signed on for another season in red and blue.
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Remy Siemsen exited AIK‘s 7-1 away loss against Aivi Luik‘s BK Häcken within a minute of Luik’s entry to the game in the 83rd minute. The loss leaves AIK at the foot of the table, and Häcken in second.
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Finally, Umeå IK plunged into the automatic relegation zone – where they join AIK – after losing 2-1 at home against IF Brommapojkarna. Brommapojkarna currently sits ahead of Umeå on goal difference after this important win. As mentioned last Nordic Wrap, Umeå is no longer able to call on the services of Emma Checker.
Results
Ladder
Matilda McNamara played a full game for AGF Aarhus in the Elitedivisionen last weekend and it was a memorable outing for the whole team. AGF surprised top half side Thy ThistedQ, winning 6-1 to move off the bottom of the ladder – their biggest win since May. McNamara earned her third Team of the Week selection and was also named in the Team of the Month!
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Fortuna Hjørring won their third consecutive game on Sunday, as Joy Omewa’s double and Sofie Lundgaard’s penalty took them to a 3-1 triumph over KoldingQ. Angie Beard played the full 90 minutes and Indiah-Paige Riley played the first 82 minutes of the contest. See below for highlights of the game.
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Unfortunately, the news wasn’t so good for Winonah Heatley. She was an unused substitute as FC Nordsjælland lost 4-0 away to HB Køge, a result that leaves the Tigers in sixth, hovering just above the relegation playoff zone.
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It’s always good to see players getting international call-ups and this week had good news from both sides of the Tasman. McNamara will head back to Australia, hoping for a senior international debut against either Sweden or Thailand, while Riley will link up with the Football Ferns for their two game series with South Korea.
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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.
