Norwegian teams in the qualifying stages of the Euro competitions. Some good wins and some not so good draws for future matches. UWCL - CHAMPIONS PATH Semifinal Vålerenga 1 - 0 HJK Helsinki Sævik 30(p) Final Slavia Prague 0 - 4 Vålerenga Brekken 47, Preus 49, Hørte 76, Sesay 90+1 Vålerenga will play Ferencvaros in the next round. UWCL - LEAGUE PATH Semifinal Brann 2 - 1 Inter Zomers 13, Gaupset 56 --- Vilhjalmsdottir 7 Final Braga 0 - 1 Brann Arnardottir 68(og) Brann will play Manchester United in the next round. UW EUROPA CUP Rosenborg will play PSV Eindhoven.
A quick look at what's going on in the 1st Division at the moment. Next year Toppserien will increase from 10 to 12 clubs, so at least three clubs will win promotion this season. Finishing fourth will give you a play-off shot against the ninth placed Toppserien club. Remember Avaldsnes? They merged with FK Haugesund last year and now look on course to make a comeback in Toppserien. Currently league leaders with six matchdays to go. Haugesund beat AaFk Fortuna 2-1 in the top of the table clash yesterday and are on a run of seven straight wins at the moment. Below the goalscorers: Meryll Abrahamsen (or Serrano as she is called when playing for the Philippines) and Kristina Svandal.
TOPPSERIEN 2025 - Matchday 19 Hønefoss 0 - 1 Vålerenga Sævik 75 Bodø/Glimt 1 - 2 Lyn Cagnina 63 --- Slemmen 26, Røsholm Olsen 55 Rosenborg 1 - 1 Stabæk Berre 18 --- Anderdal 90+3 Brann 3 - 0 Røa Eghdami 53, Lehtola 63, Johnsen 82 LSK Kvinner 4 - 3 Kolbotn Hjelmhaug 4, Nyhagen 12, Tofft 52, Christensen 74 --- Berg 16, Ellingsen 34, Hand 36 TOP SCORERS 16 goals - Olaug Tvedten (Vålerenga) 15 goals - Karina Sævik (Vålerenga) 11 goals - Signe Gaupset (Brann) 9 goals - Jenny Røsholm Olsen (Lyn) 8 goals - Amalie Eikeland (Brann), Monica Isaksen (Brann) 7 goals - Silje Nyhagen (Hønefoss), Mari Nyhagen (LSK), Celine Nergård (Rosenborg) NEXT MATCHDAY (14 Sep) Kolbotn - Røa Stabæk - Bodø/Gimt Brann - Hønefoss Vålerenga - Lyn (24 Sep) Rosenborg 4 - 2 LSK Kvinner (already played)
Ticket sales is going well for Thursday's UWCL match. Norway's attendance record of 15,662 (NOR-USA in 2000) is under attack as expected. The capacity at Brann Stadion is roughly 17,000, so if the record is beaten it won't be by much.
Well, that was annoying. I was prepared for the possibillity we'd lose, but to concede three goals to simple errors...
NM Cup semifinals Rosenborg 3 - 0 Hønefoss Nilsen 76, Sørum 88, Holum 90+2 Vålerenga 2 - 1 Brann Tvedten 70, Thorsnes 79(p) --- Zomers 47 23 November, Cup final: Vålerenga - Rosenborg
2-0 win in the first game since the Euros, Gaupset with a brace. On a sidenote, rarely has the Norwegian football federation been so quick with a highlight upload on YouTube. Usually you have to wait several days and there are still some game highlights that have never made it to YouTube.
Big result for Norway anyway. Feels like a long time ago they bet top opposition, or wasn't it? hehe, bit off topic, but AS Roma women doesn't even post the result on instagram if they lose..
I'm not sure if Japan can be considered top opposition anymore and beating them in a friendly is rather irrelevant. Norway played Japan at the World Cup a mere 2 years ago and lost 3-1. But I will say, it's nice to see Gaupset positively standing out so much given the fact that over 95% of the players called up for this friendly are the same ones that went to the Euros. Imagine getting knocked out by Italy at a Euro (when you could have faced Spain instead for instance) only to then waste a friendly by calling up essentially the same group of players that were defeated by Italy.
Fair enough, but they did demolish said Spain just 2 years ago and been in tight knockout games the last cups. Norway's result since 2019 has on the other hand been abysmal, so I actually think it was a jump in the right direction this years euros. And lets also not forget Italy were one minute away from sending home the eventual euro winners. Women's football is weird and unpredictable
They demolished Spain after both teams had already qualified for the round of 16 and Spain didn't even bother trying in that game. Don't get me wrong, I like Japan, I just don't think they are the force they once were (pre 2018 or so) and if you ask Japanese fans they are likely to say the same thing. I would have been way more impressed if Norway had knocked them out 2 years ago at the World Cup than I am now after this friendly game, just like I would be more impressed if Norway were to beat the likes of Spain, England, France, Germany in a major tournament than beat Japan or any Asian team in a friendly. It's all a matter of context and perspective.
Really good display, I can't remember the last time they beat two top teams back-to-back in friendly games. Gaupset again showed why she can become the next Hegerberg.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6840546/2025/11/27/valerenga-anti-doping-rubber-crumb/ A bizarre story overall.
Two months until Toppserien 2026 kicks off. The league is back to 12 clubs again with a standard round-robin set-up of 22 matchdays for the first time since 2019. Let's take a look at the transfer window so far. Some interesting new entries this year. Haugesund, formerly Avaldsnes, return to the top flight after a few years in the lower divisions. Molde, a major club on the men's side, have finally managed to win promotion to Toppserien after years of trying. The top clubs have yet to make any major signings, but Brann have replaced the hugely unpopular Leif Gunnar Smerud as head coach. He was pretty much fired, but "parted ways" was the official explanation. Laura Kaminski comes in. It will be interesting to see a female head coach in Toppserien. A rare sight. Aalesund Fortuna IN: Thiril Erichsen (Vålerenga), Sanne Lekven (Arna-Bjørnar) OUT: Marie Herdel Pedersen (unknown), Idun Jørgensen (unknown), Abby Kraemer (unknown, Julia Kofler (unknown) Head coach: Martin Lindmark (new) Bodø/Glimt IN: Sofia Hagman (Vancouver Rise), Rachel Kutella (Pogon Tczew), Yuuka Kurosaki (DC Power) OUT: Avery Snead (retired), Synne Moe (Halifax Tides) Brann IN: OUT: Signe Gaupset (Tottenham), Johanna Renmark (Djurgården), Nora Lie Egdhami (Genoa), Rikke Nygard (unknown), Maria Thorisdottir (Klepp), Madelen Brandal-Hansen (Arna-Bjørnar) Head coach: Leif Gunnar Smerud (out), Laura Kaminski (in) Haugesund IN: Hanna Dahl (Rosenborg) OUT: Guro Koll-Frafjord (Bryne) Hønefoss IN: Tine Roen Hermansen (Harestua IL) OUT: Ingrid Haug (Lyn), Martine Skogstad Falkeid (Strømsgodset), Kristin Gumaer (Stabæk), Inger Vadder (IFK Norrköping) Head coach: Martin Lindmark (out), Remi Natvik (in) LSK Kvinner IN: Tilda Råtts (Åland United), Sarah Tofft (Nordsjælland), Ronja Arnesen (on loan, Vålerenga) OUT: Emma Lykke Sjåfjell (unknown), Marte Bjelde Hjelmhaug (retired), Mari Nyhagen (Hammarby) Lyn IN: Ingrid Haug (Hønefoss), Ina Raaum Andreassen (HamKam) Ina Birkelund (Rosenborg), Malene Eide Fredø (Vålerenga), Tuva Lindvik (Grei), Silje Djurhuus (Vålerenga) OUT: Anna Palm (Sogndal), Agnes Stølan (Stabæk), Henny Thorhallsson (unknown), Ragna Thorleifsson (Stabæk), Una Langkås (Røa) Head coach: August Nyland (new) Molde IN: Ilona Walta (Vittsjö), Helmi Vapola (KuPS), Amanda Andradottir (FC Twente), Sigrid Gamst (Kolbotn) OUT: Laura Guldbjerg (Real Oviedo), Mille Aune (Viking), Chiara Messerli (Brøndby) Rosenborg IN: Mari Kristine Vik (Tiller), Karoline Svanes (Åsane), Irene Dirdal (Linköping) OUT: Hanna Dahl (Haugesund), Andrine Tomter (retired), Elin Sørum (Hammarby) Røa IN: Una Langkås (Lyn) OUT: Solvieg Naustdal (Fyllingsdalen) Head coach: Geir Nordby (out), Fredrik Sæland (in) Stabæk IN: Karen Kraft Vistnes (Åsane), Kristin Gumaer (Hønefoss), Emma Rønning (Odd), Agnes Stølan (Lyn), Ragna Thorleifsson (Lyn) OUT: Amanda Johnsson Haahr (retired), Silje Skaara Helgesen (Union Berlin), Thea Loennecken (unknown), Emilie Østerås (AIK), Lena Soleng Hansen (unknown), Fanny Lång (unknown), Andrea Anderdal (unknown), Martine Leonards (on loan, Kolbotn) Head coach: Jan Jönsson (out), Luke Torjussen (in) Vålerenga IN: OUT: Elise Thorsnes (retired), Thiril Erichsen (Aalesund), Michaela Kovacs (Birmingham), Tilde Lindwall (Brøndby), Marika Bergman Lundin (Lazio), Aurela Imeraj (Kolbotn), Olaug Tvedten (Brighton), Malene Eide Fredø (Lyn), Ronja Arnesen (on loan, LSK Kvinner), Silje Djurhuus (Lyn)