by Rainer Fussgänger
Round 14 of the Damallsvenskan saw four games that had more than 1,000 spectators which makes Sweden a little more optimistic less than a year before the EURO 2013. Malmö and Tyresö continue to win and not it’s unexpected the championship will be decided between those two sides.
Vittsjö GIK vs Kristianstad 2-1
Attendance: 1572
Vittsjö: own goal 59′, Danesha Adams 84′ (PK)
Kristianstad: Susanne Moberg 34′
Kristianstad dominated the game, but Vittsjö scored the goals. That’s the summary Vittsjö’s Coach Thomas Mårtensson gave after the match. However, it is strong of Vittsjö to come back with a victory in this derby of Skåne after they lost 1-5 to Tyresö just a few days earlier. It demonstrates that Vittsjö is determined to fight for a top position behind Malmö and Tyresö.
Kopparberg/Göteborgs FC vs Umeå IK 5-0
Attendance: 463
Göteborg: Sara Lindén 35′, Christen Press 62′, Christen Press 64′, Anita Asante 76′, Amanda Edgren 90′
Göteborg jumps up and down this season, wanted to compete with Malmö and Tyresö, but lies far too much behind after 14 matches. However, they had a meeting and swore themselves now that they want to try to win every match to come despite the fact that the qualification for Champions League is out of reach. Christen Press scored her goals # 11 and # 12 this season and came closer to leading Anja Mittag of Malmö. Yael Averbuch gets a lot of good reviews for being the best player on the pitch in this match. Umeås team captain Emma Berglund was sent off in the last minute because of saying things to the referee.
AIK vs Djurgården 0-1
Attendance: 567
Djurgården: Jessica Landström 53′
Both Stockholm teams look like they will go down to Division 1 next year. While AIK could have come closer to Örebro and moved away from Djurgården, it was really Djurgården’s last chance. And Jessica Landström decided the match with her header in the 2nd half. The young team of AIK seems to have problems in matches they are supposed to win while they can play free and easy against the top teams. After this, all in all not very attractive match both AIK and Djurgården are four points behind Örebro and Jitex.
KIF Örebro vs Jitex 1-0
Attendance: 1027
Örebro: Sanna Talonen 57′
Örebro was close to bankruptcy four days before the game. The club desperately needed 400,000 Swedish crowns (approx $55,000) to carry on. The city of Örebro guaranteed that money on the same day and finally the people of Örebro showed their solidarity with KIF. More than 1,000 came to see the game against Jitex and many of them never attended a women’s soccer game before. Örebro won a close game thanks to a goal by Finnish striker Sanna Talonen and now they and Jitex have both 13 points. Jitex lost their Finnish international Annica Sjölund after 12′. Later, it turned out that Annica suffered an ACL and will be away for many months to come.
Piteå IF vs Tyresö FF 1-5
Attendance: 2203
Piteå: Jennifer Nobis 22′
Tyresö: Kirsten van de Ven 15′, Kirsten van de Ven 30′, Madelaine Edlund 31′, Caroline Seger 59′, Caroline Seger 78′
Tyresö seems unstoppable right now. Both Marta and Vero are close to their 100% and that makes Tyresö very strong. Piteå players were disappointed losing 1-5, they thought that the game was a little closer than the result seems to say, but it is evidence that there is a huge difference in the league.
Linköpings FC vs LdB FC Malmö 3-5
Attendance: 1863
Linköping: Manon Melis 35′, Jonna Andersson 54′,own goal 70′
Malmö: Ramona Bachmann 7′, Anja Mittag 63′, Anja Mittag 73′, Anja Mittag 83′, Ramona Bachmann 85′
Linköping was good. They equalized Malmö’s leading goal and they took the lead twice. But Malmö always came back. Anja Mittag was pretty much invisible in the first half and Göteborg’s Christen Press had scored two goals earlier and seemed to close in the gap to the top scorer. Mittag though showed why she is the most dangerous forward of Damallsvenskan this year. She was served by Bachmann and most of all big talent Elin Rubensson and scored her goals # 15-17 and turned the game in Malmö’s favor before Bachmann sent the ball into the net from about 25 meters to make it 5-3 for the defending champions. Bachmann and Mittag are Malmös equivalent to Marta and Vero. Many things point to that we’ll get a very important game in the last round of Damallsvenskan in November when those four ladies will meet in Malmö.