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

Four Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland) are hosting Aussie players this year, read on to see how they fared in the past week!

In the Danish Elitedivisionen Championship round robins, Fortuna Hjørring rode the highs and lows over Round 3 and Round 4.

Third-placed Brøndby IF were their Round 3 opponents, and the first half couldn’t have been better for the team in green. All three Aussies featured, with Angie Beard netting a brace and Indiah-Paige Riley a goal of her own. Clare Wheeler was to leave the action at halftime having only recently returned from national team duty. A second half goal to each team meant a strong 4-1 home win to Fortuna, with both Riley and Beard featuring in the league Team of the Round. Beard’s efforts also saw her named Player of the Round.

Just three days later the shoe was on the other foot with Fortuna again at home, this time against leaders HB Køge. There were once again three first-half goals, but this time they were for the visitors. A full 90 minutes by all three Aussies could not prevent Køge from taking the points with a comprehensive 6-1 drubbing.

In the promotion/relegation playoffs, Jenna McCormick‘s AGF Aarhus won their Round 3 encounter 2-0 at home against Varde, with McCormick not yet recovered from an ankle injury.

 

 

Championship playoffs results

Championship playoffs ladder

Promotion playoff results

Promotion playoffs ladder 

 

Both Karly Roestbakken and Fiona Worts entered the field at the same time (the 86th minute) for LSK Kvinner in their Round 4 away Toppserien game against Lyn, a game which saw fourth pitted against fifth.

At this point, the game was deadlocked 1-1 after an uninspired first half by LSK saw them 1-0 down at the break. A stunning final five minutes saw the visitors net twice in stoppage time to post an important 3-1 win.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by LSK Kvinner FK (@lskkvinner)

Vålerenga‘s new signing Ally Green wasn’t on the teamsheet for their 3-0 away victory over Arna-Bjørnar, but she is already liking what she sees in her early days at the club. 

 

Results

Ladder

 

Rounds 3 and 4 of the Damallsvenskan were played over the last week.

Recently returned Matilda Clare Polkinghorne played 69 minutes as Vittsjö GIK lost 4-0 away to Umeå IK in Round 3. The coaching team’s assessment was that they started the game too passively, surrendered a cheap first-half goal, were then unable to make the most of their opportunities at corners, and finally were punished on defensive turnovers.

Vittsjö managed to bounce back in their midweek Round 4 game against Djurgårdens, posting a 1-0 home win. Polkinghorne played the first half, and the game also marked Katrina Gorry‘s first outing for the blue and red, with Gorry playing out the entire match.

Teagan Micah and Charli Grant looked on from the bench as FC Rosengård took the points with a 5-2 away win over Djurgårdens in Round 3.

 

Micah returned to the starting lineup for Round 4 as Rosengård defeated AIK 2-1 at home. Up by two goals at halftime, the home team had to withstand a second-half comeback by AIK but managed to take home the spoils. Grant looked on from the stands, bearing witness to Remy Siemsen‘s strong 82 minute debut for AIK. Siemsen registered an assist by delivering the ball from the left wing for AIK’s goal, just before being substituted.

The result was a fine response by AIK after the weekend’s 3-0 home loss to highly rated BK Häcken, a game that Siemsen watched from the stands. There are no tougher opponents in the league to take on consecutively, and the second-half performance against Rosengård gives the team a basis from which to build.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by AIK Fotboll Dam (@aikfotbolldam)

It was definitely a week for Aussie debuts in Sweden as Courtney Nevin enjoyed a terrific first match of her own for Hammarby, being awarded Player of the Match after their 1-0 home win against Piteå IF.

Nevin continued her good work in Round 4 as Hammarby lost 3-1 away to Linköpings, scoring her team’s only goal of the game. Footage of Nevin’s goal and Siemsen’s assist may be found here.

The impending availability of fellow Matilda Kyra Cooney-Cross will no doubt further bolster Hammarby’s outlook this season.

Finally, Annie Haffenden came on with ten minutes to go in second-tier Växjö DFF‘s 1-1 draw against another undefeated side, Uppsala.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Results – Damallsvenskan

Results – Elitettan

Ladder – Damallsvenskan

 

Ladder – Elitettan

 

Úrvalsdeild karla (

The 2022 Úrvalsdeild Kvenna commences on April 26th, and this week we received word of another Aussie joining the competition:

Melina Ayres will be coming up against two other Aussies when her Breiðablik team (who finished second in 2021) encounters KR Reykjavik (re-admitted to the top flight for 2022).

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

Steffen Moebus
Steffen Moebus
Steffen is a life-long Canberra resident and enjoys covering football in and around his home town, as well as Aussies participating in the Nordic leagues (Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark).
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