Theresa Eslund also played every single minute of the storied 2017 EURO including the final. But she just signed with them in mid-November. If they play half as good as they stickhandle off the field they can be in a quarter-final having gotten out of bed, taken a short drive and played just 90 minutes of football.
Oslo is slowly opening up again after lockdown, and the first full 90 min friendly of the year with Toppserien clubs involved was played today. Stabæk 1 - 2 LSK Kvinner 0-1 Emilie Haavi (pen) 0-2 Camilla Linberg 1-2 Melissa Bjånesøy Camilla Linberg, in her LSK debut, was the big player of the match. LSK clearly the better team, but Stabæk came back in the second half when LSK fielded many reserves. One blemish was the injury to Mimmi Löfwenius. She was carried off the field and the seriousness of the injury is still unknown. Vålerenga are back in full training again, but with only four days until the Brøndby game, they won't have time for a warm-up match. With only 13 outfield players available registered for the CL, it might be risky to play one anyway.
Champions League, Round of 32 -- one-off leg Brøndby 1 - 1 Vålerenga (5-4 on pens) Hasbo 78 -- Stefanovic 16(p) After the long proceedings, what a bitter defeat for Vålerenga against a team they should have knocked-out. A wasted opportunity. Vålerenga should have killed the game off in the first half when Brøndby couldn't get near the ball. Efficiency has often been a problem for Vålerenga and without a centre-forward available in the squad, they had to reshuffle a bit. Madsen and Ildhusøy always struggle with production, so too tonight. The lack of match fitness was obvious in the second half when they invited Brøndby back into the game. From no matches in two months and straight to a 120 minute CL game is a big ask. Now it's back to a seven day quarantine in Oslo..
Great summary as always. Felt bad for Stefanovic. She's not the most mobile midfielder but boy she's brilliant at finding the right place for the ball to go when she has it. There is an element of penalties that's just random and luck. She took a great first one in the first half, fate caught up in the second.
Health authorities open up for friendlies again for all elite clubs in Norway. A maximum of five warm-up matches per club are allowed before the season starts March 20th. One tune-up match played today featuring the other Norwegian representatives in the UWCL: LSK Kvinner 5 - 0 Kolbotn 1-0 Emilie Haavi 2-0 Emilie Haavi 3-0 Sophie Haug 4-0 Isabel Bachor 5-0 Sophie Haug Camilla Linberg was again the stand-out player according to reports, but not on the scoresheet today. Linberg has been given Guro Reiten's old role in the team in the "number 10" position behind Haug up front. LSK are now coached by Knut Slatleim, who was Hege Riise's assistant last year. After the abject performances at the end of last season, when LSK looked like a relegation team with a bunch of injuries, there now seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. This was better than vs Stabæk last week. It will be interesting to see how LSK fare against better opposition in upcoming matches.
Another look at silly season. Arna Bjørnar IN: Milena Kokosz (fw, Åsane), Kamilla Aabel (df, Røa), Miljana Ivanovic (fw, ZFK Mašinac Niš), Gudbjörg Gunnarsdottir (gk, Djurgården), Mia Jalkerud (fw, Djurgården), Marte Hjelmhaug (df, Sandviken), Madeleine Veivåg (mf, Sandviken) OUT: Pia Rijsdijk (fw, Napoli), Augustine Siliki (df, FC d’Ebolowa), Teagan Micah (gk, Melbourne City), Kristina Erman (df, Pomigliano), Kristin Risnes (df, unknown dest.), Åsne Takle Eide (df, retiring), Marije Brummel (df, retiring), Helene Gloppen (df, unknown dest.) Avaldsnes IN: Giovanna de Oliveira (fw, Santos), Rebecka Holum (fw, Røa), Jenny Olsen (fw, Lyn), Sara Pavlovic (mf, Spartak Subotica), Cille Nilsen (mf/fw, Stord), Federica Di Criscio (df, Napoli) OUT: Katrina Gorry (mf, Brisbane Roar), Elise Thorsnes (fw, Vålerenga), Rash Ajibade (fw, Atletico Madrid), Ylinn Tennebø (mf, Vålerenga), Maria Min Xiu Sørenes (mf, Medkila), Julia Molin (df, Glasgow City), Clare Polkinghorne (df, Brisbane Roar), Marthe Enlid (fw, Pink Bari) Klepp IN: Kathrine Larsen (gk, Djurgården), Erin Greening (df, Orlando Pride), Kristina Maksuti (fw, North Carolina Courage) OUT: Marthine Østenstad (df, Sandviken), Tuva Hansen (df, Sandviken), Elisabeth Terland (mf/fw, Sandviken), Nicole Stanton (mf, Chicago Red Stars), Matilde Rogde (fw, Rosenborg), Isabella Hayes (fw, pregnant), Hege Hansen (fw, pregnant), Aleksandra Sikora (df, Gdansk), Adelaide Gay (gk, Nordsjælland) Kolbotn IN: Vilde Birkeli (mf, Røa), Ingrid Kvernvolden (fw, Røa), Marit Clausen (fw, Rosenborg), Lena Soleng Hansen (df, Uppsala) OUT: Nikola Orgill (df, Western Sydney Wanderers), Marit Bratberg Lund (df, Sandviken), Maja Nordahl (df, Lyn), Noor Eckhoff (mf, Melbourne City), Meg Brandt (mf, unknown dest.), Satara Murray (df, unknown dest.), Cecelia Kizer (mf, unknown dest.) LSK Kvinner IN: Mimmi Löfwenius (fw, Lyn), Camilla Linberg (fw, Lyn) OUT: Silje Kittelsen (mf, Fart), Cathrine Dekkerhus (mf, unknown dest.), Heidi Ellingsen (mf, Linköping) Lyn IN: Maja Nordahl (df, Kolbotn) OUT: Mimmi Löfwenius (fw, LSK Kvinner), Camilla Linberg (fw, LSK Kvinner), Mariana Larroquette (fw, Kansas City), Trine S. Jensen (df, unknown dest.), Jenny Olsen (fw, Avaldsnes) Rosenborg IN: Matilde Rogde (fw, Klepp) OUT: Rakel Engesvik (mf, Sandviken), Marit Clausen (fw, Kolbotn), Tina Fremo (mf, Aarhus) Sandviken IN: Marthine Østenstad (df, Klepp), Tuva Hansen (df, Klepp), Elisabeth Terland (mf/fw, Klepp), Rakel Engesvik (mf, Rosenborg), Marit Bratberg Lund (df, Kolbotn) OUT: Nora Gjøen (gk, unknown dest.), Anna Lan Lysebo (df, unknown dest.), Marte Hjelmhaug (df, Arna Bjørnar), Marina H. Jensen (Amazon Grimstad), Madeleine Veivåg (mf, Arna Bjørnar), Synne Raa (df, TIL/Fløya) Stabæk IN: Linn Huseby (mf, Røa) OUT: Ina Kristoffersen (df, Amazon Grimstad) Vålerenga IN: Camilla Huseby (df, Djurgården), Elise Thorsnes (fw, Avaldsnes), Amanda Andradottir (mf/fw, Nordsjælland), Ylinn Tennebø (mf, Avaldsnes) OUT: Sherida Spitse (mf, Ajax), Maruschka Waldus (df, Adelaide City), Mia Huse (mf, Røa), Ajara Njoya (fw, Atletico Madrid), Kine Fløtre (mf, abroad) Noteworthy since the last update: - Arna Bjørnar’s strong centre-back captain Helene Gloppen is leaving the club, and faces possible retirement at 27. With the increased number of training sessions per week this season, she can’t double up anymore with her daytime job. Only chance for her to continue is if a bigger club offers her a better contract. No further news on that yet. - Avaldsnes have signed centre-back Federica Di Criscio from Napoli, the first ever Italian in Toppserien. She has 25 caps for Italy and is a direct replacement for Clare Polkinghorne who went back to Australia. - Klepp have finally picked up a few new players. The forward Kristina Maksuti, a New Yorker who plays international football for Albania and has played in Germany earlier. Klepp have strengthened the defence with another American, Erin Greening from Orlando Pride. We’ll see if this is enough for them to stay up. - Synne Raa, who I thought had a pretty good season at Sandviken, made an interesting transfer move down one division to join TIL/Fløya. This is the big new Northern project in Norwegian woso. A merger between Tromsø IL (traditional elite men's club) and Fløya, with the goal to become the polar circle region's permanent Toppserien club, which has proved problematic so far. We'll see how they fare this season. - I expected LSK and Rosenborg to be a little more active this winter than they have been, but there is a lot of hassle with signing foreigners in the times we live in. Rosenborg may wait until the summer window. They get back three players from injury now who didn’t play a minute in 2020, so they might count as new players in the current set-up. Rosenborg’s first UWCL adventure starts in September, so they might save the top signings for later.
I think it's cool that her Avaldsnes transfer was covered on Italian Sky Sport and that she was an online guest in the show. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10221549743791233
I don't think you can understand Italian, but of course, among a lot of other questions, they asked her about the "climate change" between Roma/Napoli (where she had previously played) and Norway and they were informed about the current temperatures .
Kick-off Toppserien 2021 is postponed. The league was supposed to start March 20, but since friendly matches were put on hold yet again by the health authorities on Friday, teams won't have the required four weeks of full preparation. NFF will have a meeting with authorities this week and come up with a new kick-off date before the weekend. Extra frustrating for LSK, who had to cancel the Rosenborg match just hours away, their biggest test before Wolfsburg. May be there is a blessing in disguise here somewhere, not for LSK, but for the league. The longer the postponement, the more difficult it will be to follow through with this crazy new league system with play-offs. We might go back to a straight forward 18 matchday season like in 2020.
I don't have a subscription but interesting headline/teaser in Aftenposten today. Speaks volumes about the struggles clubs and leaders have taking women's football forward: LSK Women lose at least half a million (kroner) on Champions League success: - A very absurd situation "Before the quarter-finals against Wolfsburg, LSK Women have been in an impossible paradox: If they do not play the matches, they lose money. If they play the matches, they also lose money."
Revenue making in women football is not easy. Men's club inject millions of € into their women teams every season, because they can invest thanks to their revenue. I don't know if there is a business model for women team that makes them competitive and also in the black at the end of season. Some teams in France and England up making money but they are mid or bottom of the table teams with budgets below 1 M€ not 3,5 or 10 M€.
In short, it's the Norwegian health authorities who are causing the problems now. Under normal circumstances, LSK would have made profit in the Champions League. Translated the article: LSK Women lose at least half a million (kroner) on Champions League success: - A very absurd situation Before the quarter-finals against Wolfsburg, LSK Women have been in an impossible paradox: If they do not play the matches, they lose money. If they play the matches, they also lose money. Briefly about the case: - On Wednesday, LSK Women will play the first of two matches in the Champions League round of 16 final against Wolfsburg in Germany. - The "home settlement" is taking place in Hungary due to Norwegian entry restrictions. - The match will be shown on VG+ at 18.15. Charter flights to Germany. Bus directly from flight to hotel. Private doctors. Frequent corona tests. Champions League Round of 16. Charter flight to training camp in Hungary. New round of 16 in the Champions League. Charter flight home to Norway. On Wednesday, Wolfsburg awaits in Germany. The "home settlement" will take place in Györ, Hungary next Wednesday due to coronary restrictions here at home. From the outside, it may sound like a real dream, what LSK Women will experience next week. But inside, it has been a financial struggle to get everything going. - There is a shadow side to this as well. We have had many meetings in recent days around the financial picture, says acting general manager, May Gulbrandsen. At least 500,000 in minus For large parts of the bill, it is LSK Women who are left with. Even before the matches have started, the costs around the round of 16 have exceeded NOK 1 million. For LSK Women must, among other things, cover a week's stay in Hungary, bus drivers, coronation testing of volunteers at the match arena - and not least the charter plane Uefa has ordered them to use. - We do not feel we can do anything other than fly charter. The UEFA protocol is very strict. It breaks the budget a bit, says Gulbrandsen. The bonus from Uefa for participating in the round of 16 is around 750,000 kroner. If the home settlement had taken place in Norway, it would have meant that LSK Women had gone several hundred thousand in plus. - We quickly lose over half a million. It is very critical for us, says chairman of the board Anders Melheim. Now, the Champions League adventure will instead end up with at least 250,000 in pure expenses. It gives blood red numbers in the 2021 budget. - Further games in the Champions League give us red numbers. It means hard work. I want to put it this way: We have to raise money, says Melheim. Discussed cancellation The biggest challenges came as a result of the Norwegian authorities not approving that the return settlement should be played in Norway. LSK Women therefore suggested to Wolfsburg to play only one match. The German opponent did not want that. The proposals to play the return match in Denmark or the Netherlands were met with opposition from Uefa. They demanded that the match be played at Uefa-approved arenas either in Cyprus or in Hungary. When the board of the club saw the costs associated with the return settlement, an emergency meeting was called. They simply discussed whether they had to forgo the entire tournament. - But it is not so simple that we could just drop playing. Had we done that, we would have lost the 750,000 we had budgeted to play. From a purely financial point of view, it made no difference, says Melheim in despair. - It is a very absurd situation. We advance to the Champions League. Then you think that it is good finances for the club, he elaborates. - What happens if you move on and have to play a home game in another country again? - It will be the same scenario again. It's a terribly difficult situation. Will ask for NFF help The chairman of the board is therefore on a courtship hunt with both sponsors and NFF. LSK Women can apply for crisis packages for lost income, but there are no packages for increased expenses. Therefore, he now hopes for help from the NFF. - We hope for a little more help than what the first signals suggested. I will address myself at a high level and hope they can step in. On Tuesday evening, Gro Tvedt Andersen, Director of Communications and Public Relations at the Norwegian Football Association, informs that NFF and LSK Women are in dialogue. - We will contribute financially so that LSK Women can complete the match. We are in dialogue about amounts, she says.
^ Super rep for that. Very insightful into the financial mechanics of the tournament. I was talking to someone yesterday who was angrily lamenting the lockdown and closed businesses. It was then the light went off and I realized there are two camps of people. I'm not worried about not being able to get a haircut or go to the mall or the country shuttering into deeper debt. I'm worried about dying. And when you do you look at things differently. Like Norway we've closed our borders. We can't host here either, teams have to play their home games in other countries. Someone could say the government has caused the problem, but I just see them as being ultra-responsible. It's the virus and it's fast-moving variants which has caused the problem. The real problems would occur if they didn't. I read last night that Texas and Mississippi pulled a 180 and threw open the gates; they turfed their mandatory mask rule and allowed businesses to open 100%. That would do wonders for Lillestrøm and thrill the person annoyed by their inconveniences and economics, but to those worried about dying it's less joyful news. Hard to blame Wolfsburg for turning down the one home game option, pack the box and look for the single strike on the counter or even penalties is a lot easier to pull off in women's football than men's. But that said, William Hill has Lillestrøm at 65-1 to beat Wolfsburg, and the Germans are 1.02 to 1.00 favourites. Meaning you have to bet 50 units (dollars, euros, kroner) on them to make 1. Still considered less chance of an upset then Fortuna Hjørring (90-1) or Fiorentina (100-1).
I don't have any strong opinion on whether Norway has chosen a soft or hard lockdown policy in general. Senior amateur football has been shut down since the corona outbreak last year, and it's understandable with so many people involved. I don't question that decision. But the way the health authorities, and their lack of flexibility, sabotage the miniscule number of teams given the go ahead signal to participate in international club competitions, is frustrating. - You can participate, but only play away games. - You can participate, but we're not allowing you to train properly as a group or play warm-up matches. I would actually have preferred authorities to pull Norway out of the UWCL than the poor middle way solution we now have. For LSK it probably didn't matter anyway against Wolfsburg, but Vålerenga should have beaten Brøndby comprehensively over two legs, even with a few players missing, had they been allowed to train properly instead of doing push-ups in the kitchen.
Very well put. I imagine there was a steep social and financial price to pay for pulling out of European sport en masse so the government opted to go gray area and throw some domestic groups in the lurch. Same thing here there just hasn't been much inequality like we've seen with Vålerenga. Yet. Our national men's team has to play our opening World Cup home qualifier about 2000km away from domestic soil which will be interesting because despite the national association selling tickets there, we as supporters are not allowed to travel out of country to the game.
The BUY TICKETS button is on the association site page for the match but it's now just a dead click that does nothing. Undefeated yet second-place Rosenborg women announced a deficit of a million kroner today. As it is their first year under RBK it will be interesting to see how the economic realities are handled. And Brøndby may have held Lyon to 0-2 today, but they were outshot 31-2 with just 25% possession and a pass accuracy rate of 54%. So somewhere between chasing the ball and spectating.
Champions League - Round of 16 (2nd leg) LSK Kvinner 0 - 2 Wolfsburg (0-4 on agg.) 0-1 Ina Gausdal 43(og) 0-2 Ingrid Engen 45 Two Norwegian goalscorers in a German 2-0 win against a Norwegian club. I suspect this will be the last we see from LSK in Europe for a long, long time. When the UWCL starts up again in September, it will be with Vålerenga and Rosenborg representing Norway. In foreseeable future, these two clubs will have the most resources, they sign the biggest sponsorship deals, have the best facilities and pulling power in the domestic market. Having finished fifth in Toppserien 2020, LSK will need to bounce back, but their squad is fragile. One or two injuries and they drop considerably in quality. Only unproven teenagers on the bench today. Too bad Mimmi Löfwenius missed these Wolfsburg games through injury. Her pace and aggressiveness were sorely missed. It wouldn't have made any difference on the outcome though. In other news, we're still waiting patiently for the announcement of Toppserien's kick-off date this season.
It's the May 1-2 weekend for the women and the men's start date of 5 April will also be pushed. Details of the schedule and Cup to come, but they will be doing a compressed timeline (of the same number of games in a shorter time frame). So if you have a strong 12-18 you should perform well over the season.
Yes, good news to finally have a date to look forward to. Can't wait for May day! The friendlies must start up at the end of March at least. I've never looked more forward to warm-up matches than now. Next week NFF will look at the Toppserien league set-up again. It's very likely the new crazy system with play-offs and relegation league will be scrapped and replaced with a smaller ordinary league format with 18 matchdays like last season. Head of Toppfotball Kvinner, Hege Jørgensen, hinted at that today. By early May, we're already five matchdays behind the ordinary fixture list schedule, which had kick off at March 20, and that is a lot to make up in the fall. NFF also need some buffer dates to move matches to in case of players catching the virus. Sep, Oct, Nov are already brutal with NM Cup and UWCL, now with groupstage, plus the WWC qualifiers.
If they scrap the monkey businesses as hinted it will make for a one-off wild and crazy year. The kind of story when you are old and grey-haired and tell your grandchildren they all laugh and tell you how crazy you all were. Good point about the covid make-up scheduling.
It appears Maren Mjelde took a concerning knock to the knee late in Chelsea's 2-0 win over West Ham yesterday. She had an x-ray after the game that showed nothing but will get an MRI today, likely at Chelsea's facility (imagine having that capability onsite). National team coach Martin Sjögren fears it is ligament or cruciate damage, in which case Norway would be without their captain in World Cup qualifiers which begin in six months.