Damallsvenskan kicks off [R]

Discussion in 'Women's International' started by hagabo_i_exil, Apr 11, 2006.

  1. Dandal

    Dandal Member

    Jul 20, 2002
    Sweden
    Club:
    --other--
    Re: two games

    I was humbly suggesting the more unrealistic one. Don't you spend enough time at Bigsoccer already??
     
  2. jocasta

    jocasta Member+

    Oct 11, 2003
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Re: two games

    I would absolutely love to come to Sweden and see Damallsvenskan games more often. On the other hand, one of the benefits of being in America is that I can respond to difficult questions like "Don't you spend enough time at Bigsoccer already??" by invoking my constitutional rights against self-incrimination.
     
  3. jocasta

    jocasta Member+

    Oct 11, 2003
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Why oh why indeed? I don't give a fig that she is leaving Umeå of course; however, my understanding is that she is quitting completely. The implications for the national team next year are potentially dire. Who exactly is going to replace her? Dandal observed that Lotta Schelin could at least in theory, and there's no doubt that Schelin had a great year and is improving, but she has still not, in my opinion, shown us anything at the national level, and 2007 is very, very close now.
     
  4. hagabo_i_exil

    hagabo_i_exil Member

    Apr 27, 2004
    london
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    That is correct.
    Good question, however, Sjöström has had little time on the pitch in the NT, and except for that heel against England, she hasn't been as prominent in the NT as in Umeå.

    Schelin did score a few deciding goals 2006, so I'm hoping she'll develop nicely 2007.
     
  5. Dandal

    Dandal Member

    Jul 20, 2002
    Sweden
    Club:
    --other--
    On the national team, Lotta Schelin already has replaced Anna Sjöström. Their appearence in the five meaningfull 2006 matches looks like this:
    April 22, Czech republic: Lotta started, played 90, scored 2 goals. Sjöa started, played 73 minutes.
    May 7, Portugal: Lotta started, played 88, scored 1 goal. Sjöa came off the bench at 77.
    June 18, Belarus: Lotta started, played 90, scored 1 goal. Sjöa played 90.
    Aug 26 Iceland: Lotta started, subbed after 72. Sjöa came off the bench at 78.
    Sep 24, Czech republic: Lotta started, played 90. Sjöa never came off the bench.
    In the first 3 matches, Lotta played in a forward position, filling in for injured Hanna Ljungberg. The two last matches Sweden have started with the trusted Hanna-Vickan combo and Lotta has played winger. Sjöa has played winger in all her matches.

    I am aware that there are two different schools when fans are picking a team. Or maybe rather picking on the coach. Either the coach throws out trusted players without any regard for their superior skill and experience to replace them children. Or he just clings on to the old useless has-beens and never gives young talents a chance.

    But I think Dennerby has been handling the generation change well so far. Sjöström has been nicely faded out over the season and probably wouldn't have made the cut for the 2007 team. At least not as a starter.

    Btw, even in the Portugal match, when Sweden was severly handicapped by injury, Fagerström and Sjögran was prefered on the wings and Dennerby played the never before seen and never to be seen again forward duo Lotta-Ludde. They rocked! Albeit against Portugal, but still.
     
  6. hagabo_i_exil

    hagabo_i_exil Member

    Apr 27, 2004
    london
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    We are in agreement on this, actually. She has seldom been a starter, she played her way into the Euro 2005 starting 11 but wasn't there to begin with. She might have been subbed in but she was never truly a star in the NT. Apart from that heel against England, of course.
     
  7. jocasta

    jocasta Member+

    Oct 11, 2003
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Well, I have not been so fortunate as to see the WWC qualifying games, but I am more than happy to take your word for it. I guess I thought she had been having a pretty decent season with UIK. Well, there, my question about who's going to replace her has been answered! And I had forgotten about Sjögren.

    As someone who followed the US program also for the last decade or so, believe me I am well aware of the danger of keeping old and injured players around too long... which is why you've never heard me a single peep out of me about the quiet departure from the national team of certain other players, even though it breaks my heart.

    Besides, I suppose the important thing is that if Sjöström wants to stop, then for her own and everyone else's sake she better stop.
     
  8. nordby1

    nordby1 Member

    Sep 4, 2001
    SAN DIEGO
    Club:
    Lillestrom SK
    Nat'l Team:
    Norway
    Status of QBIK Nigerian trio

    Does anyone know what the current status is of the QBIK Nigerian trio?
     
  9. nordby1

    nordby1 Member

    Sep 4, 2001
    SAN DIEGO
    Club:
    Lillestrom SK
    Nat'l Team:
    Norway
    Jansson new head coach of Qbik

    A few weeks after narrowly avoiding relegation, Qbik signed Janne Jansson as their head coach. Jansson coached Team Strømmen in Norway the previous two seasons, but Hege Riise has now taken over as the head coach of Strømmen after retiring as full-time player on October 28th.

    Here is the link to an article in Swedish about Jansson that was posted on Team Strømmen's website:

    http://www.team-strommen.no/arkiv.php?n_id=79&vis=1
     
  10. hagabo_i_exil

    hagabo_i_exil Member

    Apr 27, 2004
    london
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Re: Status of QBIK Nigerian trio

    The trio is back in Sweden, wanting to play with QBIK again. An agent representing the Nigerian National Team has apologized on the NFA:s behalf and offered to pay three months wages for the three players for the time they were away in an attempt to have QBIK take them back. The chairman of QBIK has turned the offer down which means the trio won't be playing for QBIK in 2007, at least they way things are now.
     
  11. jocasta

    jocasta Member+

    Oct 11, 2003
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    So the retirement of Sjöström was seen as not so bad by those who know more than I do. What about the retirement of Moström as well, and its impact on the national team? Come on, guys, please tell me I am panicking over nothing again.

    (and just saying "Caroline Seger" isn't enough-- she's been less impressive with the national team even than Schelin, to my (again, admittedly very limited) knowledge.)
     
  12. hagabo_i_exil

    hagabo_i_exil Member

    Apr 27, 2004
    london
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Umeå will be fine. We still have Marta, so eventhough we'll maybe score 1 goal less per match, we won't be worse off than perhaps winning the Damallsvenskan with less than 21pts margin.

    Sweden, however, is doomed. There is nobody out there with her speed and work capacity. If they run as fast as they can with the ball, they'll never match Moström's speed and they'll get dead tired after the first 20 mins.
     
  13. secretcode

    secretcode New Member

    Apr 12, 2004
    USA
    :( Very bad news.

    This is a lot of players suddenly leaving, just months before world cup training. What is going on? This is the 3rd retirement so far {though I don't know if Fagerstrom was on the national team, actually}, not counting Andersson last year.

    I can't think of anyone who has the skills that Moström has. Is she saying in the press what her primary reasons were for quitting?
    Also, any guesses who will take over as captain?
     
  14. Sund-fans

    Sund-fans Member

    Jan 27, 2005
    Sundsvall
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Yes, its very depressing news. But here is some Q&A:

    Question: Who will replace her in the NT?
    Answer: Coach Dennerby have been talking about using Josefine Öquist as a speedy midfielder now when Malin has quit. This has already been tested in a friendly against USA.

    Q: Why does she quit?
    A: She has got a opportunity to start a career as a real estate agent at the most prominent estate agency in Umeå. Boyfriend Jesper Jaeger is also in the end of his career as a Hockey pro, so I guess the want to settle down and make plans for the future.

    Q: Who will take over as captain?
    A: My guess is Hanna Ljungberg

    Q: Will Umeå "be fine" (as Hagabo says)?
    A: No UIK will not be fine when they loose both Anne Mäkinen and Malin Moström. The replacements at the bench (Elane and June Pedersen) are fine footballers, but to be able to win UWC and Damallsvenskan 2007 Roland A needs to buy at least one more international star to the midfield.
     
  15. hagabo_i_exil

    hagabo_i_exil Member

    Apr 27, 2004
    london
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Of course they'll be fine. They had 21 points margin against the other teams in 2006. Winning the series by 1 point alone or on goal difference is enough :) Actually I'm just trying to wind people up. Losing the admittedly greatest player in the history of the club is of course a severe blow to any plans of hanging on to the championship. Roland is looking abroad but it's a bit late in the game to find an extremely good mid-fielder. Umeå IK definitely won't play the same way as before.
     
  16. secretcode

    secretcode New Member

    Apr 12, 2004
    USA
    Last I heard, she was already a full time professional athlete, so I can only guess she is just tired of playing. & Unless I am not understanding something about the $$$ benefits of real estate in Sweden, this seems like a funny fit for a world class athlete... though who am I to know!

    But if Malin was in the same position in the USA, I am almost certain she would have had endorsements galore and many offers for work in a related field. She was in an elite group, after all. I don't expect that every single damallsv. player is able to instantly capitalize on their football career, but certainly the top 10 players in the nation? But maybe I am wrong, and being a top, worldclass player in the women's game still does not necessarily translate into instant wealth and job offers thrown at you.
     
  17. jocasta

    jocasta Member+

    Oct 11, 2003
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Öqvist has gotten better, sure, but is she really a playmaking replacement for Moström? I don't know about that. But I can't think of anyone else local either. If UIK wants a nearly exact replacement, they should try to get Aly Wagner. Except for the "hustle" part. Think Moström on sedatives.

    The captaincy question is interesting too. Why do you think Ljungberg in particular?
     
  18. Dandal

    Dandal Member

    Jul 20, 2002
    Sweden
    Club:
    --other--
    This is the beginning of the long anticipated/dreaded retreat of the 77'ers - the generation of players borned 1977, that has been the core of the Swedish national team at least since 2000. Now, Malin isn't strictly a 77, but she was a late bloomer. Victoria Svensson, Hanna Marklund, Caroline Jönsson and Therese Sjögran are yet to retire 77'ers. Karolina Westberg ('78) is also in the same group and so is the even younger Hanna Ljungberg (who on the other hand was the child prodigy and I think made her national team debut before any of the others). All these have 100+ caps and will leave within one or a few years. Just get used to it!

    You might think that at 29 or 30 they are still rather young to retire, but as Thomas Dennerby noticed; it is not all as bad as it used to be. Retirement is from football only, they will all have to find a way to earn a living. It looks a lot like the situation for the players in the then semi-professional Swedish men's league 20-30 years ago. A star's main assett after leaving football is her name - you could see a lot of retiring footballers in the 70's going to car sales or running restaurants, businesses where your name matters. Real estate is another of those - I mean, who would hesitate to buy a used house from Malin Moström?

    Real estate has been a pretty hot sector in the work market the last decade and you can make pretty decent money. And Malin already has a business degree, with which you can get authorization as a real estate agent.
     
  19. Dandal

    Dandal Member

    Jul 20, 2002
    Sweden
    Club:
    --other--
    Just to make it clear: Öqvist will not fill in for Moström. Barring any big player discoveries the next few months, Therese Sjögran will move in to the centre midfield with Öqvist (or, one might hope, a progressing Elin Ekblom) taking her place on the right flank. With Seger and Sjögran in the centre, all the speed will be on the outside. That will alter the game quite a bit, but I think that is the best we can do.

    I believe Hanna Ljungberg will be the elder of the team, but I really can't see someone who has recklessness as one of her major playing carachteristics as a captain. I'm more in favour of someone like Hanna Marklund.
     
  20. Sund-fans

    Sund-fans Member

    Jan 27, 2005
    Sundsvall
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Hanna Marklund should be a good choice too. But I was (maybe wrong) ranking Hanna Ljunberg ahead of her in terms of leadership and authority.
     
  21. secretcode

    secretcode New Member

    Apr 12, 2004
    USA
    Dandal, thanks for your insight.

    Hanna Marklund is a great choice. She is cool under pressure. Maybe also Törnqvist-- she is the captain of DIF I think, and she has been around awhile.
    Is the captain voted by the players or selected by Dennerby?
     
  22. Sund-fans

    Sund-fans Member

    Jan 27, 2005
    Sundsvall
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    The captain is generally selected by the coach.


    BTW
    Happy Holydays!! :)
     
  23. handy

    handy New Member

    Dec 27, 2006
    Maybe.
    But Europe does not have the same attitude about
    women footballer players and how they can
    market their name and their "fame". The way the
    American public buy and spend money is different,
    and they are more open to new and even wacky
    ideas.

    The PR machines also work differently in the US.
    Some aggressive person in America could very well
    package and sell a female athlete and convince
    companies to take a risk in new and innovative ways,
    but that would not work in Europe.

    It would be unusual to see top female footballers
    endorsing products, and even if they did, it is not like
    tennis or skiing where there is so much equipment
    to sell. If anyone has the looks to appeal
    to the public and the companies, it is Moström, but
    what could she market besides soccer balls and
    shoes? Those things do not have the widespread
    sales as a pair of skis or a ski jacket.

    And to answer what dandal said, I would not care if
    Mia Hamm or even Steffi Graf wanted to sell me a
    house. That does not matter. It is just good PR
    for the company that hires them.
     
  24. hagabo_i_exil

    hagabo_i_exil Member

    Apr 27, 2004
    london
    Club:
    Umeå IK
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Yes.

    I would just like to add that Malin Moström has some kind of shoe deal with Puma, but the thing is you can't expect to get a whole heap of money if you make product endorsements in a nation with 9 million inhabitants. She could probably also have gotten a cereal commercial deal or something, but you can't find big money endorsing products in Sweden.
     
  25. DennisM

    DennisM Member

    Dec 10, 2000
    Nya Sverige
    ¨

    I don't know about that. I mean not like in the US or anything but there is some money there. Maybe a deal with a coffee maker(Fika med Malin!) or that guy who makes a lot of Italian food products whose name eludes me at the moment. 9 million and growing!
     

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