by Rainer Fussgänger
Tyresö FF are the Swedish champions for 2012. They won the big game in Malmö against the homeside LdB FC with 1:0 score after a header from Madelaine Edlund.
And what a game it was! At the stadium, 4,032 spectators delivered a new record for Malmö and 200,000 saw the game on TV4 Sport, which was the most ever to watch a women’s soccer league game on Swedish television.
Tyresö tried to keep the ball and let it roll in the beginning, showing a lot of confidence and the will to win the game and the title. In order to win the championship Tyresö was forced to win. Every other result would have given Malmö their third consecutive title.
After 10 minutes, Malmö managed to establish speedy counter attacks with long balls that were supposed to hurt the backline and give German forward Anja Mittag the opportunities to score. Fourteen minutes in, Anja got an excellent pass from behind and Brazilian international Elaine stopped her in the penalty area by bringing her down. PK for Malmö and what a chance! Anja Mittag took the ball and put it on the point while Marta was giving Tyresös keeper Carola Söberg advice what to do. Anja shot and Carola saved. Afterwards Mittag said that she actually wanted to place the ball in the right corner, but then suddenly shot it to the left side and that was why Söberg could get it.
The match was at a high standard all the way, but no goals were to report until the 82nd minute.
Tyresö established pressure and after a cross from Seger Edlund got a perfect hit and suddenly it was Tyresö that was ahead and moving towards the championship. Malmö threw everything forward which included keeper Helgadottir in a desperate attempt to equalize.
Only three minutes after Tyresö’s goal the Malmö players celebrated the equalizer. Youngster Elin Rubensson had a shot from the right wing and Tyresö’s Carola Söberg did not find her balance and was standing behind the goal line reaching out her hands in front of her body with the ball very close to the post.
The lineswoman said goal while FIFA referee Jenny Palmquist ran to her assistant and talked to her for about two minutes and then decided to overrule her assistant. No goal. Tyresö played home the final five minutes without really being threatened with the Malmö players in shock and the home audience booing and whistling.
Personally, I think that no one can prove that the ball was inside, but nobody can prove the opposite as well. A pity that such a situation occurred and one more reason to really favor goal cameras.
After Palmqvist’s final whistle the Malmö players cried a lot of tears and Tyresö celebrated wildly, first on the pitch and then in the locker room. The season ends with both teams having 55 points (out of 66 possible) and Tyresö winning on far better goal difference.
In the other games, Linköping took 3rd place by winning an easy 4:1 over Umeå. Göteborg comes in 4th with another Yael Averbuch goal, which made the difference aginst Vittsjö, 1:0 was the final result. Fifth place goes to Kristianstad in their best season ever although they lost the final match in Göteborg against Jitex by 1:3. Youngster Mimmi Löfwenius scored twice for Jitex.
After AIK was clear for relegation already after round 21 they will be accompanied by another Stockholm area team – Djurgården who won 4:3 against Piteå (two of Piteås goals were scored by American Jennifer Nobis who has said that she will either end her career or continue playing with Piteå another season), but Djurgården’s win meant nothing in relation to KIF Örebro that defeated AIK by 3:0 in the last game.