A recap of the fourth gameweek in Sweden’s 2012 Damallsvenskan, also featuring photos from Kristianstad’s 1-0 win over Djurgården.
By Rainer Fussgänger
KIF Örebro vs Kopparberg/Göteborgs FC 0-6
Attendance: 449
Göteborg: Lisa Ek (Christen Press) 13’, Anita Asante 47’, Lisa Ek (Sara Lindén) 52’, Christen Press (Linnéa Liljegärd) 67’, Christen Press (Sara Lindén) 72’, Sara Lindén (Linnéa Liljegärd) 83’
The current season has started like a nightmare for KIF Örebro. After losing the opening match, 7-0, in Tyresö, Göteborg scored six goals at Behrns Arena. Without coach Torbjörn Nilsson, who was still in hospital after being dog bitten a couple of days ago, the Göteborg squad took a severe revenge for their surprising loss to Vittsjö. Christen Press has established herself as one of the leading goalscorers of the league. Missing the Vittsjö game because of joining the USWNT in training camp in Florida, Press has scored five goals in three matches and showed no signs of jetlag. Örebro has to seriously think about how it could happen that the team breaks apart like that in two of four matches. They desperately need SWNT centre back Sara Larsson to return from injury.
Djurgården vs Kristianstad 0-1
Attendance: 485
Kristianstad: Kosovare Asllani 64’
If it does not look good for Örebro, it is even worse for Djurgården. Four games, zero points, and only 16 shots on goal. Vittsjö’s Sofie Andersson has 16 shots on goal alone. For Kristianstad, Djurgården was the right team to match, because they came with only one point to Stockholm, but left with four. The only goal was scored by Kosovare Asllani, who left the pitch with stomach cramps 10 minutes before the final whistle. Although not feeling good even before the match, Asllani was a permanent danger for the Djurgården defense.
“If there is one thing I should not be content with it’s that we only scored one goal. We dominated the game during the whole 90 minutes,” coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir told me while her team celebrated the first victory as if they had won a final. Djurgården would need an injection of two experienced players on their midfield, while waiting for Jessica Landström to come back to Sweden.
Vittsjö GIK vs Piteå IF 2-1
Attendance: 1,106
Vittsjö: Sofie Andersson (Emma Sjödahl) 18’, Sofie Andersson 44’
Piteå: Jennifer Nobis (Hanna Pettersson) 77’
Sofie Andersson is without a doubt the player of the first four matches in Damallsvenskan. Scoring in every single match, having scored in 19 consecutive matches now if we include Söderettan’s season 2011. After having played for Kristianstad she was not good enough to stay in that roster, went down to division 2 and now comes back stronger than ever. Jennifer Nobis who scored her fourth goal, reducing for Piteå wrote afterwards in her blog that she had expected Vittsjö to be stronger. The match was quite even with Piteå having the better start, but once you give Sofie Andersson an opportunity these days, she will surely score. The 26-year-old is on a winning streak. After four games, Vittsjö has already collected more points than both Hammarby and Dalsjöfors, who were relegated last season.
Jitex BK vs Tyresö FF 1-3
Attendance: 863
Jitex: Elin Sandgren (Leena Puranen) 32’
Tyresö: Madelaine Edlund (Marta) 31’, Madelaine Edlund (Marta) 36’, Kirsten van de Ven 47’
With only 18 minutes played, Tyresö’s Caroline Seger jumped up for a header in her own penalty box and landing bad on her left feet. “I thought that my foot was broken,” she said afterwards. She was immediately transported to a hospital where a sprain of the left foot was diagnosed. As expected it was not an easy game for Tyresö, but Marta gave Madelaine Edlund two assists for her first goals of the season and the individual class of Tyresö finally gave the victory. Coach Stefan Fredriksson gave a special compliment to Marta, who is working hard both attacking and defending.
Linköpings FC vs AIK 0-0
Attendance: 534
After four matches, Linköping seems to have the same problem as last year – scoring goals. Although forwards like Manon Melis and Lisa DeVanna have been added to the roster, Linköping was not able to get in one single goal against AIK, who defended themselves heroically. After 32 minutes, Louise Fors missed a PK for Linköping, wasting the biggest chance of the match. Linköping has definitely to raise themselves before meeting Vittsjö in their next away game.
Tuesday’s match:
LdB FC Malmö vs Umeå IK 7-1
Attendance: 731
Malmö: Anja Mittag (Katrin Schmidt) 21′, Anja Mittag (Lina Nilsson) 29′, Sara Björk Gunnarsdottir (Anja Mittag) 31′, Anja Mittag (Therese Sjögran) 42′, Elin Rubensson 63′, Therese Sjögran (Anja Mittag) 68′, Anja Mittag (Elin Rubensson) 85′
Umeå: Jenny Hjohlman (Tuija Hyyrynen) 66′
There can be little doubt that Marta draws most attention in Damallsvenskan this season. After tonight’s performance, there can also be little doubt that German Anja Mittag is by far the most valuable player of the league so far. Another world class performance with four goals and two assists against Umeå IK by Mittag put her at the top of the scorer’s list with now seven goals and three assists. Umeå was completely outplayed this evening and suffered the highest loss in their history in the first Swedish league. “Maybe 7-1 was a little too much,” Mittag said politely and modest, and Ramona Bachmann who had her best game for Malmö yet, added: “We knew that they would try to play a lot in the midfield and we forced them to make mistakes.” Very busy and successful in winning balls was second German Katrin Schmidt. Mittag and Therese Sjögran seem to have found each other and at least tonight the championship seems to be a battle between first of all Tyresö and Malmö with Göteborg close behind.
Rainer Fussgänger, of Germany, lives in Sweden and has followed the Damallsvenskan for eight years now. Living in Stockholm with three clubs (Djurgården, Hammarby, and Tyresö) around the corner, he is lucky to see a lot of games. You can follow Rainer on Twitter @ffschweden and check out his website at http://ffschweden.wordpress.com.