It's Spring (technically), and temperatures in Sweden are now (sometimes) above freezing. Time once again then for Damallsvenskan to emerge provide us with a crocus-like bright spot of beauty and color amidst the accumulated grime and filth that winter always leaves behind. We start the season off with Supercupen, the (recently invented) traditional first game of the year, played by the league title holder and cup holder. Today's game therefore features LdB FC (wearing their new hyper-graphicked jerseys) against KIF Örebro (in their traditional red and blue), with Palmqvist officiating. On TV4Sport right now, for them as gets it. League play proper begins on April 9.
("Young and fine and soft and tender, the boy from Ipenema comes dancing..." how about a quick report while I'm on hold?) The game ended 2-1 for LdB, with KIF scoring a really nice goal at the start of the second half, and then LdB equalizing late, then going ahead in stoppage time. Fotbollkanalen has highlights of the game, after a short Ikea ad. Också finns det en sammanfattning, som ibland händer. Not a bad game, for the first of the season. However, Sarah Storck, after scoring LdB's equalizer, was injured during the game-winning goal, and says (herself, in the newspaper, so take with grain of salt) that she may be out for 3 or 4 months. I will not be pleased, should that come to pass.
Wow. That makes some of the early MLS kits look downright fashionable. The original LA Galaxy jersey as modeled by Andrew Shue.
Awww, darn. I was getting all excited on Twitter at hearing about Sara Björk signing for the Cream Team. Now I feel sad. Those jerseys are sad. Hope WPS isn't watching. http://fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?action=viewStory&id=106151
I wonder who the designer knicked the "design" from this time? Chuckleworthily enough, a quick google for "Ulrika Geidne" turns up a Major Swedish Scandal*. Her winning entry for a cover design for a songbook for the (unbelievably ) popular sing-a-long TV show "Allsång på Skansen" was disqualified after it was discovered that the design had certain similarities (i.e. was a complete theft) of a poster for a flower festival in Zürich in 1928. I presume we can find the original design for LdB's shirts somewhere in the 80s. * Sweden isn't big on drama. It's a quiet place, give or take the occasional suicide bomber.
No no, they are some sort of gang identification symbols. I was very worried when Sarah Storck left the peaceful haven of Uppsala for the rough-and-tumble streets of Malmö, and I was afraid that this sort of thing would happen. I referred to this handy PDF from the San Antonio police department, and this one from Jersey, which list several indications. I have learned from them, for instance, that Storck was 'courted in'; that based on color choice and Nilla Fischer's dog paw print tattoo, LdB are probably some subset of 'Bloods'. Why oh why do people join Damallsvenskan teams? The motives are all too familiar: security, protection and a sense of belonging; financial opportunities; peer pressure; thrill seeking...
That's a fun watch, by the way. Elsewhere I've seen the landscape behind her described as 'bleak' which I think is an understatement; definitely Bergman-esque. I don't understand them at all. Maybe they are practicing skånska, LdB's special 'gang' language. [taunt]
LdB get wacky in Turkey. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLmCySsMbw8&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Energy with LdB FC 2011.mp4[/ame]
That was fun, and much better than last year's video. It even has a plot, as these sorts of things require to be successful, and it certainly has a tragic ending (unless you're fan of a certain WPS team). Nilla 'Wafer' Fischer looks like she has put on some muscle mass.
I'm alarmed by the gratuitous eye-brow raising. I'm worried I'm going to develop a facial twitch as a result. I giggled manically during the market scenes...but then I guess the Wafer/Brigitte may just have that impact on me! What a strange market though. All of that fruit, veg, rugs and knocked off branded hoodies 'n' stuff and then some random, shiny, new nike footballs. And I'm really not comfortable with the fact that they let 'Cow's Arse' Melis skoot about at speed on those cobbles, in her boots. Flirting with disaster, if you ask me. Which you won't.
The first match of the season, Kopparbergs/Göteborgs v. Tyresö, will be televised on TV4 at 2pm CET on Saturday. (Call me whiny, but couldn't they have thought about Champions League semis when they scheduled it? )
The Curse of Bälinge strikes again; Sarah Storck of LdB (Bälinge '08) will be out for the season, after tearing her ACL in the game-winning play, but in a really meaningless game. Sigh. You'd think that would be enough to scare off anyone who even had the misfortune to have anything to do with Bälinge, but no: in this season preview, with pictures of all coaches and quotes from all teams, Johanna Frisk of Tyresö mentions that her team now has no fewer than 4 ex-Bälingare, namely herself, Maja Åström, Josefina Öqvist, and Emilia Appelqvist. The last named is "a little too young" to have played with the first three; however, as a survivor of the 2008 campaign, she is surely the most traumatized. (brrr, flashbacks)
No, it's a way of saying she makes Brigitte Nielsen look like a wasp-waisted poser. In other news, it looks like many teams have their own little studio productions this year, which is nice, and I hope they can keep up with the promos and shorts. For starters, I recommend Kopparbergs/Göteborg's Studio KGFC. The current bit (Del 2) features Lisa Ek with some amazing hair (using up several nation's legal limits of mousse), and, if you make it through that, you get a rare interview with Jane Törnqvist.
Finally she speaks: an interview at the Hammarby site with one of Söder's most recent immigrants, Mami Yamaguchi. She's looking forward to seeing, and playing against, her old teammates from Umeå IK in Sunday's premier match. She got offers from several other clubs, offers that probably would have paid her better, but "t felt right to choose Hammarby, I like both the people and the club's philosophy." In other news, Djurgården's 'home' opener will be at Östermalms IP instead of Kristineberg IP. Entry is free (they probably figure you've gone through enough trouble already, if you manage to get yourself all the way over there).
Two questions, if I may: Does she really wear # 99 on her jersey ? And did she win the CL with Umea - I thought they lost in the final ?
Am trying to write up a review of the home opener but, as often happens, my Duties are interfering with my Pleasures. But I can at least provide you with a quick answer to the first question, which is yes she does. (Prior inhabitant, Kicki Bengtsson)
Damfotboll.com just published an interesting summary of this year's players from other countries, sorted by team: Dalsjöfors GoIF US 1 Djurgården ISL 4, NL 1, RUS 1, FIN 2 Hammarby GER 1, JPN 1, US 1, FIN 3 Jitex NOR 2, ISL 1 KIF Örebro ISL 3, NIG 1, FIN 2 Kopparbergs/Göteborg 0 Kristianstads DFF ISL 4 LdB FC Malmö FIN 1, AUS 1, ISL 2, DK 1, NL 1 Linköpings FC AUS 1, DK 2, NOR 2 Piteå IF NIG 1, N 1, CAN 1, IRL 1, US 1 Tyresö FF DK 1, NL 1, GER 1 BRA 1 Umeå IK FIN 3, NIG 2, SUI 1. 14 Icelanders. They could field an entire national team and still have some substitutes. Finland, with 11 players, would have to do without anyone on the bench.
Who's the German playing for Hammarby? I don't see a German sounding name on their HP. http://www.hammarbydamfotboll.se/in...nt&view=category&layout=blog&id=19&Itemid=144
It pretty much is the Icleandic and Finnish national teams, last I looked (Algarve Cup) both had more player playing in Swedish teams than playing in their national leauges and over 60% of the starters of both WNTs play in Sweden.
Svenskfotboll.se has an interview with Mami Yamaguchi, as well as a YouTube clip at the end of her showing her skills.
Details on the first Hammarby game, for them as are interested. I plan to do a weekly summary of the league in English again this year, at another site. For the past couple years, I've tried to keep up a per-round summary of the results for league in this forum, either here or in a thread Upstairs. I dunno... is that actually useful to anyone? Feel free to pm me with opinions.
