RØA Home ground ......................... Røabanen Location ................................ City of Oslo (Eastern Norway) Seasons in Toppserien ......... 20 (every season since 2001) Best performance ................. Winners 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 Best NM Cup performance ... Winners 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 Last season .......................... 6th place / Quarter-final in NM Cup Coach .................................... Geir Nordby [Team Picture] GK - Linn-Mari Nilsen DF - Frida Lyshoel DF - Sarah Suphellen (new from LSK Kvinner) DF - Synne Masdal DF - Kamilla Aabel DF - Katrine Jørgensen (capt.) DF - Mathilde Harviken (new from Fart) MF - Oline Fuglem (new from Kongsvinger) MF - Linn Huseby (new from Lyn) MF - Ragne Svastuen MF - Julia Arnesen MF - Vilde Birkeli MF - Anya de Courcy FW - Ingrid Kvernvolden FW - Hanna Terry, USA (new from Limhamn Bunkeflo) FW - Frida Haugen FW - Vilde Fjelldal FW - Tuva Espås FW - Rebecka Holum FW - Birgitte Bjørlykhaug Røa, based in the posh Holmenkollen area in Oslo, were a powerhouse in the Norwegian game about 10-15 years ago, winning ten league and cup titles between 2004 and 2011. National team players flocked to the club. Nowadays, Røa rarely feature where the excitement is; at the top or bottom, but instead sit comfortable in mid-table every year. Geir Nordby has coached Røa since 1997 and is still in charge, but has been forced to accept Røa's fading reputation in the Norwegian game. There is tough competition between the many Oslo clubs for the best talents, and Røa come up short and have to settle for second string players much too often. Nicknamed the Dynamite Girls, Røa were (well, still are) reknowned for physical football and have had a long line of tall and athletic players over the years, who have been relentless in battles. "It should hurt to play against Røa", has been the message to opponents. Coach Nordby prefers 4-3-3 with long diagonal balls out to the wingers, and then crossing it to a powerful centre-forward. In recent seasons, Røa have been a great club to be for strikers who shine in one season before leaving. Lisa-Marie Utland scored 17 Toppserien goals in 2017, Svava Rós Gudmundsdottir 14 in 2018 and Synne Jensen 16 last season. May be Vilde Fjelldal will become this season's underdog top scorer. Røa's most exciting player is Rebecka Holum though, an unpredictable winger who can create much on her own. They need her in top form in order to achieve anything this season. Røa lost the strong Belgian midfielder Justine Vanhaevermaet to LSK Kvinner, and defensive midfielder Ina Skaug to Vålerenga along with Synne Jensen. First choice goalkeeper Kirvil Odden terminated her contract (unknown reason) about a week ago, so Linn-Mari Nilsen is the club's only keeper now, but she is just as good as Odden. But they need a new back-up. The talented midfielder Maria Hiim, who was so good at Klepp a few years ago, has decided to retire temporarily at 22. Two years of injury problems at Røa, and barely playing at all, forced her to make a decision to get back to square one. Energetic midfielder Marita Iversen, who made a short come-back last season, once again retired. Bad news. Røa have made three major signings. Central defender Sarah Suphellen was understandably offloaded at LSK, where she wasn't good enough. She will start all over at Røa. Linn Huseby is a good midfield signing from Lyn and Swedish-American, Hanna Terry from Limhamn Bunkeflo, is also a solid recruitment. Highly rated teenage defender Mathilde Harviken from Fart signed on deadline day, which gives Røa a bit of optmism that the club still haven't lost all of its attractiveness after all. Still, I think the transfer window has made Røa look a tad weaker than last season when they finished sixth. A season on the bottom half of the table looks likely. Prediction? 8th place. Results in pre-season friendly matches: 24 Jan: Kolbotn 1 - 0 Røa 26 Jan: Røa 2 - 0 Øvrevoll Hosle 31 Jan: Stabæk 0 - 2 Røa 08 Feb: Lyn 2 - 6 Røa 18 Feb: Røa 7 - 0 Hønefoss 26 Feb: Røa 4 - 0 Klepp 20 Jun: Røa 2 - 1 Kolbotn 27 Jun: Vålerenga 4 - 0 Røa 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - Arna Bjørnar 5 - 6 - 7 - Avaldsnes 8 - Røa ------------------------------ 9 - ------------------------------ 10 -
KLEPP Home ground ......................... Klepp Stadion Location ................................. Kleppe, suburb of Stavanger (Rogaland county, South-Western Norway) Seasons in Toppserien .......... 34 (all seasons) Best performance .................. Winners 1987 Best NM Cup performance .... Winners 1989 Last season ........................... 3rd place / Round of 16 in NM Cup Coach ..................................... Nick Loftus (Scottish) [Team Picture] GK - Adelaide Gay, USA (new from Kvarnsvedens IK) GK - Kristin Rage GK - Amalie Kolnes DF - Tuva Hansen (capt.) DF - Susanne Vistnes DF - Marthine Østenstad DF - Anette Jensen DF - Marte Leine DF - Aleksandra Sikora, POL (new from Juventus) MF - Marie Andresen MF - Nicole Stanton, USA (new from Chicago Red Stars) MF - Miriam Byberg MF - Julie Austdal MF - Sofie Bjørnsen MF - Ingrid Nødland MF - Kaja Karlsen FW - Madeleine Mellemstrand FW - Matilde Rogde FW - Elisabeth Terland FW - Tameka Yallop, AUS FW - Hege Hansen FW - Isabella Hayes, ENG (new from Amazon Grimstad) Klepp, one of three ever-present clubs who have never been relegated from Toppserien, have emerged as the top club in Rogaland county after Avaldsnes have declined in recent years. The derby games between them is always a big occasion with a lot of prestige. Klepp finished third last season and will probably aim just as high this year, but the squad doesn't look stronger compared to 2019. Quite the contrary. The successful coach Olli Harder resigned after last season, and found himself a job as assistant coach in men's Level 2 league football instead. He took over after the 2016 season when Klepp were a bottom club, and has since guided them to a 4th place (2017) and 2nd place (2018) before 3rd place last season. Harder is now replaced by his assistant over these last three years, Nick Loftus, a Scotsman. He intends to keep Klepp's 3-4-3 formation developed under Harder. Whether Loftus still has the player material for this formation remains to be seen. The midfield in particular looks inexperienced and fragile. There have been some notable changes to the squad since last year. The veteran Gry Tofte Ims (48 caps for Norway) has retired after seventeen straight seasons at Klepp. Amanda Frisbie signed for Madrid CFF, Lena Soleng Hansen signed for Uppsala in Sweden, and the very good goalkeeper Lindsey Harris returned to America. Apart from a few local girls promoted from youth teams to the senior squad, there are four major signings this year, including two Americans. The goalkeeper Adelaide Gay from Swedish club Kvarnsveden and midfielder Nicole Stanton from Chicago Red Stars. A late and very good summer signing was Polish wing-back Aleksandra Sikora from Juventus, who should fit well into Loftus' system. The former national team forward Hege Hansen, who turns 30 in October, also returns to the team this season after giving birth. Less than 30 minutes before midnight on deadline day, Klepp also signed the speedy forward Isabella Hayes from Amazon Grimstad, one of the best players in the Level 2 league in recent seasons. The Australian international, Tameka Yallop (Butt), is still around, but currently injured and that is a big blow for Klepp. She is ready for a fourth season with the green shirt, and is the stand-out, established player in the team alongside defender Tuva Hansen, the captain, who is often included in Martin Sjögren's Norway selections. Another player worth mentioning is 19 y.o. Elisabeth Terland, one of Norway's greatest attacking talents, who was injured much of last season, but has looked promising recently. 2020 can be her breakout season. Watch out for her. Prediction? 6th place. Results in pre-season friendly matches: 16 Feb: Klepp 2 - 1 Bryne 26 Feb: Røa 4 - 0 Klepp 20 Jun: Avaldsnes 0 - 0 Klepp 27 Jun: Amazon Grimstad 0 - 2 Klepp 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - Arna Bjørnar 5 - 6 - Klepp 7 - Avaldsnes 8 - Røa ------------------------------ 9 - ------------------------------ 10 -
SANDVIKEN Home ground ......................... Stemmemyren Location ................................. City of Bergen (Vestland county, Western Norway) Seasons in Toppserien .......... 27 (incl. every season since 2015) Best performance .................. 2nd place 1996 Best NM Cup performance .... Winners 1995 Last season ........................... 4th place / Quarter-final in NM Cup Coach ..................................... Patrik Hansson (Swedish) [Team Picture] GK - Oda Bogstad (new from Arna Bjørnar) GK - Nora Gjøen-Gjøsæter GK - Sandra Stavenes (new from Arna Bjørnar) DF - Malin Sunde (new from Rosenborg) DF - Guro Bergsvand (new from Stabæk) DF - Marte Hjelmhaug DF - Ingrid Ryland DF - Synne Raa DF - Kristina Grøndal DF - Ingrid Stenevik DF - Anna Lan Lysebo MF - Marina Jensen MF - Ida Holm Neset MF - Ingrid Spord (capt.) MF - Elise Kvinge MF - Lisa Naalsund MF - Madeleine Veivåg FW - Mathilde Sangolt FW - Vilde Hasund (new from Lyn) FW - Vilde Venglo FW - Kennya Cordner, TRI FW - Maria Brochmann Sandviken used to be a prominent club in 1990s before fading into mediocrity for many years. But in recent years they have professionalized the club structure and now look more and more like West coast Norway's future powerhouse. Last season's fourth place was their best for many years, and they were the best club in Bergen. They followed LSK Kvinner closely on the table for two thirds of the season before running out of steam towards the end to finish fourth. Sandviken shocked many when they signed most of city rivals Arna Bjørnar's best players before last season, only to see several of them move abroad after the World Cup. 2020 however, has been a relatively quiet transfer window for Sandviken, but another Arna Bjørnar player was signed this winter; Oda Bogstad, Norway's NT back-up goalkeeper. Personally, I don't think she is better than Nora Gjøen who has been there for years, but good depth now anyway for that position. The defence is also solid. Sandviken have kept a clean sheet in seven out of eight pre-season games. Ingrid Stenevik is the rock of that central defence, one of the best still uncapped players in Toppserien. The defence has been strengthened with Malin Sunde from Rosenborg and Guro Bergsvand, one of the best players from the Stabæk team which were relegated last season. The most remarkable high quality signing this winter is the winger Vilde Hasund from Lyn, who is in contention for the Norway squad. There was a bit of drama behind the scenes when the player who had Hasund's position last season, Camilla Ervik, suddenly terminated her contract at the fear of less playing time, and instead signed for Arna Bjørnar across town on deadline day. The board at Stemmemyren was not amused. Sandviken have a good mix of young, old and prime age players, and a strong bench which should take them quite far this season. There are a handful players who are of real top quality. Veteran full-back Ingrid Ryland can still outperform most colleagues in Toppserien. Ingrid Spord and Lisa Naalsund in central midfield are both close to Sjögren's Norway squad, as is the already mentioned Hasund. The forward partnership is also top notch. Maria Brochmann is the big and strong target centre-forward causing chaos against most opponents, and Kennya Cordner from Trinidad, the quick and clever goal-scorer. Cordner was Toppserien's top scorer last season with 17 goals. Coach Patrik Hansson is building a strong squad going into his second season in charge. There is much optimism around the club, and rightly so when you look at the player material. If the key players perform to their usual standards (and stay at the club), there is no reason why Sandviken shouldn't finish top 3. Prediction? 3rd place. Results in pre-season friendly matches: 09 Feb: Sandviken 3 - 0 Avaldsnes 12 Feb: Sandviken 7 - 0 Åsane 16 Feb: Stord 0 - 5 Sandviken 19 Feb: Sandviken 7 - 0 Loddefjord 24 Feb: Sandviken 1 - 0 Rosenborg 27 Feb: Sandviken 3 - 0 Vålerenga 20 Jun: Arna Bjørnar 0 - 0 Sandviken 27 Jun: Avaldsnes 2 - 3 Sandviken 1 - 2 - 3 - Sandviken 4 - Arna Bjørnar 5 - 6 - Klepp 7 - Avaldsnes 8 - Røa ------------------------------ 9 - ------------------------------ 10 -
You became wise enough to mention both her married name and her maiden name. This way, any confusion is avoided: bravo!
ROSENBORG Home ground ........................ Koteng Arena Location ................................ City of Trondheim (Trøndelag county, Middle Norway) Seasons in Toppserien ......... 34 (all seasons) Best performance ................. Winners 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003 Best NM Cup performance ... Winners 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 Last season .......................... 7th place / Semi-final in NM Cup Coach .................................... Steinar Lein [Team Picture] GK - Kristine Nøstmo GK - Birthe Christiansen (new from Byåsen) DF - Mali Næss (capt.) DF - Ina Vårhus DF - Maria Olsvik DF - Solfrid Hofset DF - Marita Olsen DF - Kristine Minde (new from Wolfsburg) MF - Cesilie Andreassen MF - Elin Sørum MF - Rakel Engesvik MF - Siw Døvle MF - Laura Gashi MF - Emilie Bragstad MF - Emilie Joramo MF - Julie Blakstad (new from Fart) FW - Elen Melhus FW - Marit Clausen FW - Maiken Bakke FW - Celine Nergård (new from Fløya) FW - Siri Berg-Johansen FW - Sara Fornes FW - Karoline Hernes (new from Byåsen) FW - Lisa-Marie Utland (new from Reading) Rosenborg are preparing for their first ever season after merging with Trondheims-Ørn. The yellow and blue uniform of Ørn is replaced with Rosenborg's classic black and white, but they still play at Ørn's old arena and with the same squad of players. There is no doubt that Rosenborg are one of the big winners on the transfer market this pre-season. Rosenborg is the strongest brand in Norwegian football, and I seriously doubt established national team players like Kristine Minde and Lisa-Marie Utland would have left Germany and England and signed for the club had it still been named Trondheims-Ørn. Despite some strong signings this summer, Rosenborg have a lot of catching up to do. Ørn finished seventh last season and not much indicates Rosenborg will be challenging for the Toppserien title this year. Are they even good enough for top four? I have my doubts. Even for clubs with big resources, it takes time to reach the top. Just ask Vålerenga. Goalkeeper Kristine Nøstmo was the only Ørn player from last season who aspired for a place in Norway's NT squad, but she turned down a spot after a dispute with a fitness coach regarding her weight. She is the best ball distributor of all goalkeepers in Norway. Enormous length on goal-kicks. Four key players from last season are unfortunately out now for various reasons. Maria Olsvik is pregnant, Elen Melhus and Maiken Bakke are long term injured, and promising defender Malin Sunde was transferred to Sandviken. Kristine Minde won't be available for Rosenborg until early in August. A very interesting signing is Celine Nergård, who was Player of the Year in the Level 2 league last season, and was wanted by every major club in Toppserien. At only 20, she still managed to score over hundred goals for the northern club Fløya over the last few years. Can she deliver in Toppserien? Time will tell. Lisa-Marie Utland is a proven goalscorer though and should knock in at least 10-12 goals. Ørn only scored 26 goals in total last season, barely a goal per game, so a goal poacher has been high on the priority list for Rosenborg and coach Steinar Lein, now in his second season. Two other players worth mentioning are 18 y.o. midfielders Emilie Bragstad and Julie Blakstad. Bragstad is very tall (188cm / 6 ft 2), and was on UEFA's list as one of ten European youngsters to watch out for in 2020. She can play on pretty much every central position in the team, and naturally is a big danger on set-pieces. Blakstad was voted Young Player of the Year in Toppserien last season and was signed from Fart on the transfer deadline day. She was wanted by many top clubs, but opted for the Rosenborg project. There are a lot of question marks regarding Rosenborg this year. How good can they be in their inaugural season? Prediction? 5th place. Results in pre-season friendly matches: 13 Feb: Rosenborg 2 - 1 KIL/Hemne 24 Feb: Sandviken 1 - 0 Rosenborg 27 Feb: Arna Bjørnar 0 - 0 Rosenborg 07 Mar: KIL/Hemne 2 - 2 Rosenborg 20 Jun: Lyn 0 - 2 Rosenborg 27 Jun: Stabæk 2 - 0 Rosenborg 1 - 2 - 3 - Sandviken 4 - Arna Bjørnar 5 - Rosenborg 6 - Klepp 7 - Avaldsnes 8 - Røa ------------------------------ 9 - ------------------------------ 10 -
Am I wrong or Rosenborg is the only club, among the ones you've presented so far, without even a single international player?
Yes, the only so far. Rosenborg (or T-Ørn as it was last year) had a Jamaican, Lauren Silver, before the World Cup, but none since then. There is one more club without foreign players in Toppserien this year, which I will present later today.
KOLBOTN Home ground ......................... Sofiemyr Stadion Location ................................. Kolbotn, suburb of Oslo (Viken county, Eastern Norway) Seasons in Toppserien .......... 26 (every season since 1995) Best performance .................. Winners 2002, 2005, 2006 Best NM Cup performance .... Winners 2007 Last season ........................... 8th place / Quarter-final in NM Cup Coach ..................................... Aleksander Olsen [Team Picture] GK - Siri Ervik (new from Stabæk) GK - Hildegunn Sævik GK - Marianne Sandnes DF - Maja Nordahl (capt.) DF - Anja Rasmussen DF - Nikola Orgill, AUS (new from Canberra United) DF - Selma Pettersen DF - Sara Hørte DF - My Haugland Sørsdahl DF - Marit Bratberg Lund DF - Hedda Øvestad DF - Ingrid Elvebakken MF - Noor Eckhoff (new from Lyn) MF - Thea Sørbo MF - Guro Møller MF - Nathalie Jørgensen MF - Sara Idris MF - Tone Pirisi MF - Tonje Pedersen FW - Synne Christiansen (new from Vålerenga) FW - Johanne Fridlund (new from Grei) FW - Rikke Nedreaas FW - Jenny Norem FW - Eline Hegg FW - Julie Klæboe FW - Tanja Myrseth Kolbotn were a dominant club in Norway about fifteen years ago, attracting top players from all over the country, but in recent years they've turned into a recruitment club. It's a destiny they share with another former successful Oslo club, Røa. Clubs without a traditionally strong men's team will have increasing problems to stay competitive in the future. Vålerenga and LSK are nowadays the clubs in the Oslo region who can offer the best facilities and opportunities, and Kolbotn have been forced to accept this harsh reality. But Kolbotn still have a great reputation as a club where players can grow and develop, so talented kids and teenagers still flock to their youth teams. Many of them turn into very good Toppserien players. The 2020 squad is very young. Last season, Kolbotn were surprisingly enough a top team before the World Cup break, but when Karina Sævik and Aurora Mikalsen went abroad and Isabell Herlovsen got injured, they collapsed on the table and looked in danger of being relegated for a while. I predict 2020 will be a back-against-the-wall season for Kolbotn and new coach Aleksander Olsen, who prefers a high pressing 4-3-3 system, and has never worked in women's football before. Kolbotn have been in Toppserien for 26 consecutive seasons, and they need all those survival skills to extend that run to 27, because the player material looks thin and unproven. The two new forward signings, Synne Christiansen and Johanne Fridlund, have been around several Oslo clubs in the top two divisions without making a big impact in Toppserien. However, there are a few players who deserve some attention here. Left-back Marit Bratberg Lund probably has the best left foot in the league. Great power and accuracy on passes and even free-kicks. Kolbotn must take advantage of that foot on set-pieces and defender Sara Hørte's height in the penalty box. Bratberg Lund is on Martin Sjögren's radar and is close to a call-up for Norway. Noor Eckhoff in midfield is a quality allround player who will cover for Nora Eide Lie, who was transferred to LSK. Another one to watch is Eline Hegg, 19 y/o this summer, who is a quick-footed, skillful player who can play anywhere in midfield or attack. I suspect she will be used as winger by new coach Aleksander Olsen. New Australian signing, Nikola Orgill, has made a positive impression in the warm-up games. At 27, she is one of the "old" ladies of this team. No Toppserien club have played more warm-up matches than Kolbotn this year (12), but they have only one win in the last eight matches since January, and that was against a team from the lower divisions. Prediction? 9th place - relegation play-offs Results in pre-season friendly matches: 11 Jan: Kolbotn 3 - 0 Grei 24 Jan: Kolbotn 1 - 0 Røa 26 Jan: Vålerenga 0 - 0 Kolbotn (2-4 on pens) 31 Jan: Sarpsborg 0 - 11 Kolbotn 14 Feb: Lyn 2 - 1 Kolbotn 15 Feb: Fart 6 - 2 Kolbotn 26 Feb: LSK Kvinner 3 - 0 Kolbotn 04 Mar: Stabæk 1 - 1 Kolbotn 13 Jun: Kolbotn 0 - 3 LSK Kvinner 20 Jun: Røa 2 - 1 Kolbotn 23 Jun: Vålerenga 4 - 1 Kolbotn 29 Jun: Kolbotn 3 - 1 Øvrevoll Hosle 1 - 2 - 3 - Sandviken 4 - Arna Bjørnar 5 - Rosenborg 6 - Klepp 7 - Avaldsnes 8 - Røa ------------------------------ 9 - Kolbotn ------------------------------ 10 -
LYN Home ground ......................... Kringsjå Stadion Location ................................. City of Oslo (Eastern Norway) Seasons in Toppserien .......... 3 (every season since 2018) Best performance .................. 10th place 2019 Best NM Cup performance .... Round of 16 a bunch of times Last season ........................... 10th place / Second round in NM Cup Coach ..................................... Ole Johan Aas [Team Picture] GK - Karen Sneve GK - Kirvil Odden (new from Røa) GK - Mari Hasselknippe DF - Trine Skjelstad Jensen DF - Joanna Bækkelund (capt.) DF - Emilie Bølviken DF - Sofie Tunes DF - Emilie Closs DF - Oselin Olsen MF - Hedda Foslie MF - Julie Jorde MF - Anna Palm MF - Cathinka Tandberg (new from Stabæk) MF - Ingrid Bakke MF - Emma Godø MF - Selma Hernes MF - Maria Hustad (new from Medkila) MF - Kristin Haugstad (new from Amazon Grimstad) FW - Camilla Linberg FW - Runa Lillegård FW - Jenny Olsen FW - Anna Aahjem FW - Monica Isaksen FW - Una Søyland Lyn are well-known for mass production of youth national team players. Because of the club's good connections to the education system, they can offer girls from all over the country elite level football with top quality coaching whether you are in high school or university. Caroline Graham Hansen grew up playing for Lyn, but before the club achieved promotion to Toppserien. 2020 is Lyn's third season in Toppserien. They survived the both previous seasons by winning the relegation play-offs. Now with only ten clubs and no major signings made, and several big departures, can they still stay up? I don't think so. Their squad for sure doesn't look much weaker than Kolbotn's, and they have achieved some decent results in the pre-season games which must have given them some optimism, but I still feel they are too light-weight. They have a decent pair of goalkeepers in Kirvil Odden (ex-Røa) and Karen Sneve (who had a nightmarish U19 Euros last year though...), and also two talented centre-backs in Trine Skjelstad Jensen and Joanna Bækkelund, but the midfield looks feeble. Their three new signings are coming from the lower divisions, not other Toppserien clubs. Big problems also regarding forwards. One major setback is the knee-injury to Runa Lillegård suffered in April. She scored ten Toppserien goals last year, which was the main factor to Lyn staying up, but Lillegård might miss the whole season now. She can't be replaced. The influential Huseby twins are gone as well. Linn across town to Røa and Camilla to Sweden (Djurgården). And the productive winger Vilde Hasund had a Norway NT call up last year before leaving for Sandviken this winter. Camilla Linberg is now Lyn's biggest profile, a creator more than a goalscorer. She is well-known for her ball juggling skills. If she quits football, she could probably get a job in a circus or something showing off her outrageous tricks. She had two of Toppserien's best assists last season, both scored by Lillegård btw. But still, another season around the relegation zone beckons for Lyn. They've had a knack earlier of starting well and pick up some points before ending with a loss of form in the second half of the season. They can't afford to do that now in a compact ten club league. Prediction? 10th place - Relegation Results in pre-season friendly matches: 25 Jan: Lyn 2 - 4 Mallbacken 08 Feb: Lyn 2 - 6 Røa 14 Feb: Lyn 2 - 1 Kolbotn 26 Feb: Lyn 1 - 2 Avaldsnes 07 Mar: Lyn 7 - 0 Fart 13 Jun: Lyn 1 - 1 Vålerenga 20 Jun: Lyn 0 - 2 Rosenborg 27 Jun: Lyn 0 - 3 LSK Kvinner 1 - 2 - 3 - Sandviken 4 - Arna Bjørnar 5 - Rosenborg 6 - Klepp 7 - Avaldsnes 8 - Røa ------------------------------ 9 - Kolbotn ------------------------------ 10 - Lyn
VÅLERENGA Home ground ......................... Intility Arena Location ................................. City of Oslo (Eastern Norway) Seasons in Toppserien .......... 9 (every season since 2012) Best performance .................. 2nd place 2019 Best NM Cup performance .... Beaten finalists 2017, 2019 Last season ........................... 2nd place / Beaten finalists in NM Cup Coach ..................................... Jack Majgaard Jensen (Danish) [Team Picture] GK - Hannah Seabert, USA GK - Jalen Tompkins, USA (new from Colorado Boulder) DF - Tina Dalgård DF - Stine Ballisager Pedersen, DEN DF - Andrine Tomter DF - Maruschka Waldus, NED DF - Cathrine Bott, NZL (new from Vittsjö) DF - Ingibjörg Sigurdardottir, ISL (new from Djurgården) DF - Svanhild Sand MF - Janni Thomsen, DEN (new from Aarhus) MF - Sigrid Heien Hansen (new from Kolbotn) MF - Emilie Østerås MF - Sherida Spitse, NED (capt.) MF - Ina Skaug (new from Røa) MF - Dejana Stefanovic, SRB MF - Victoria Ludvigsen MF - Mia Huse MF - Tine Karstensen FW - Celin Bizet Ildhusøy FW - Marie Dølvik Markussen FW - Ajara Njoya, CMR FW - Isabell Herlovsen (new from Kolbotn) FW - Rikke Marie Madsen, DEN FW - Synne Jensen (new from Røa) Having finished runners-up in both the league and cup last season, Vålerenga's natural target in 2020 is to dethrone LSK Kvinner. Based only on player material, they look more than capable. This is Toppserien's most experienced squad, based on diversity and international caps. Jack Majgaard Jensen, a Dane, is the new coach. He has previously had success in Sweden with Rosengård and has big ambitions with Vålerenga. The team didn't impress this winter or during pre-season games at La Manga, but they've improved drastically these last few weeks after the corona break. Now Vålerenga have stepped up a gear and look like real title challengers. The Oslo club have kept all key players from last season and also signed new ones. With Champions League football also on the fixture list for the first time, Vålerenga have been forced to build a bigger squad as they aim for success in three competitions. International players in defence like Icelandic Ingibjörg Sigurdardottir, New Zealander Cathrine Bott and Danish wing-back Janni Thomsen have been added. Stine Ballisager Pedersen had a break-through season last year as a rock in central defence, and her performances have made her a regular starter for Denmark. Pedersen's Dutch defensive colleague Maruschka Waldus is somewhat similar. The midfield is a strong part with Dutch captain Sherida Spitse pulling the strings with her combative style and accurate long range passes and shots. Vålerenga signed Kolbotn's captain Sigrid Heien Hansen this winter, and she has settled well into the team alongside the skillful Serbian Dejana Stefanovic, who gets better and better. Victoria Ludvigsen is out this season with pregnancy. Vålerenga can choose from a big selection of potential match-winners or goalscorers up front. Isabell Herlovsen is back at the club after her feud with former coach Monica Knudsen, who now holds an administrative role at the club. But there is a big question-mark regarding Herlovsen's fitness. At 32, she is more and more injury-prone. A potential "super-sub" role looks likely. Cameroon star Ajara Njoya is both a creative provider as well as a decent goalscorer. We should see even more from her now in her second season at the club. Synne Jensen was excellent at Røa last season (second best goalscorer in Toppserien), and has started well for Vålerenga scoring goals in the warm-up matches. The speedy Danish international, Rikke Madsen, may not score a lot, but from the wing she causes lots of problems. Same goes for the half-Cuban striker, Celin Bizet Ildhusøy, who is the club's biggest young prospect. Marie Dølvik Markussen was hailed as one of the greatest ever talents in Norwegian woso as a teenager, but at 23, we still wait for that big break. She has so much to offer. Prediction? 2nd place. But this was almost 50/50 for the title. It could go down to the wire. Results in pre-season friendly matches: 24 Jan: Øvrevoll Hosle 0 - 5 Vålerenga 26 Jan: Vålerenga 0 - 0 Kolbotn (2-4 on pens) 31 Jan: Vålerenga 0 - 2 Kopparbergs Göteborg 08 Feb: Fortuna Hjørring 1 - 1 Vålerenga 15 Feb: Stabæk 1 - 0 Vålerenga 27 Feb: Sandviken 3 - 0 Vålerenga 07 Mar: Vålerenga 3 - 0 Amazon Grimstad 13 Jun: Lyn 1 - 1 Vålerenga 23 Jun: Vålerenga 4 - 1 Kolbotn 27 Jun: Vålerenga 4 - 0 Røa 1 - 2 - Vålerenga 3 - Sandviken 4 - Arna Bjørnar 5 - Rosenborg 6 - Klepp 7 - Avaldsnes 8 - Røa ------------------------------ 9 - Kolbotn ------------------------------ 10 - Lyn
LSK KVINNER Home ground ......................... LSK-Hallen Location ................................. Lillestrøm, suburb of Oslo (Viken county, Eastern Norway) Seasons in Toppserien .......... 34 (all seasons) Best performance .................. Winners 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Best NM Cup performance .... Winners 1992, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 Last season ........................... Winners of Toppserien / Winners of NM Cup Coach ..................................... Hege Riise [Team Picture] GK - Ida Norstrøm GK - Idun-Kristine Jørgensen DF - Karly Røstbakken, AUS (new from Canberra United) DF - Nora Egenes DF - Ina Gausdal DF - Emilie Woldvik DF - Cathrine Dahlström, SWE (new from Hammarby) DF - Malin Brenn DF - Mia Authen MF - Heidi Ellingsen MF - Nora Eide Lie (new from Kolbotn) MF - Cathrine Dekkerhus MF - Isabell Bachor, GER MF - Justine Vanhaevermaet, BEL (new from Røa) FW - Emilie Nautnes FW - Emilie Haavi (capt.) FW - Andrea Wilmann (new from Arna Bjørnar) FW - Mimmi Löfwenius, SWE (new from Lyn) FW - Sophie Haug FW - Simona Koren, AUT (new from Växjö) LSK Kvinner have won the last six editions of Toppserien, and must therefore be considered favourites yet again. But this time the quality of the player material is questionable. I get the feeling that LSK 2020 are an example of a team that is stronger than the sum of its individual parts. The club have lost Fiskerstrand, Moe Wold, Engen, Reiten, Åsland, Skinnes Hansen plus Anja Sønstevold a few days ago. That's seven Norwegian NT players in less than a year! International players, some of unknown quality, are brought in as replacements. Coach Hege Riise is used to dealing with this problem of players leaving, and has previously shown great skills in finding the right players with the right abilities as missing pieces in the LSK machine's familiar 4-2-3-1 system, but even she must be uncertain whether LSK can retain the title with this squad, and get a decent run in the Champions League on top of that. The defence is very young. Cathrine Dahlström, a seasoned campaigner from Damallsvenskan, was signed to give the backline some much needed experience. Emilie Woldvik and Malin Brenn are two of Norway's best young defenders. Woldvik made her NT debut at Algarve in March and Brenn, at 21, is the new stand-in LSK captain this season when Emilie Haavi isn't playing. Ina Gausdal is valuable as well with her ability in the air and combative skills. Based on pre-season friendlies, the defence is no weak part in the team. The midfield is pretty much new compared to last year. Hard to evaluate it. Cathrine Dekkerhus has made her umpteenth comeback, but it remains to be seen whether she can win a starting spot - or stay fit. Nora Eide Lie will likely take Ingrid Engen's position from last year as holding midfielder. The tall Belgian, Justine Vanhaevermaet, impressed at Røa last season and should shine even more in a better team this year, but her debut will have to wait a few weeks as she suffered a wrist injury in a warm-up match recently. The German veteran Isabell Bachor is always reliable, but is 37 after all. Heidi Ellingsen is back from a long term injury. Hard to tell where she stands now. Who will score the goals? There was a time a few years ago when LSK scored 70-80 goals a season. Not anymore. LSK scored "only" 51 goals last season. Centre-forward Sophie Haug has stagnated a bit lately. Andrea Wilmann, Emilie Nautnes and the now fit Emilie Haavi are all typical wingers who can chip in with 6-8 goals a season. May be it's up to the new Austrian signing Simona Koren to fill the Guro Reiten role. That won't be easy. Anyway, beating LSK will be tough for everyone, both physically and especially mentally. Prediction? Champions again. Even if I think Vålerenga's squad looks a bit stronger on paper, I'm picking LSK based on gut feeling and by acknowledging the embedded winning culture they've developed over many years. LSK won by four points last season. Can be even closer now. Results in pre-season friendly matches: 02 Feb: LSK Kvinner 1 - 0 Kopparbergs Göteborg 23 Feb: Avaldsnes 1 - 1 LSK Kvinner 26 Feb: LSK Kvinner 3 - 0 Kolbotn 13 Jun: Kolbotn 0 - 3 LSK Kvinner 27 Jun: Lyn 0 - 3 LSK Kvinner 1 - LSK Kvinner 2 - Vålerenga 3 - Sandviken 4 - Arna Bjørnar 5 - Rosenborg 6 - Klepp 7 - Avaldsnes 8 - Røa ------------------------------ 9 - Kolbotn ------------------------------ 10 - Lyn
Here are the fixtures this weekend for the opening matchday: Today: 19.45: Rosenborg vs LSK Kvinner (on NRK2) 4 July: 11.30: Røa vs Arna Bjørnar 13.00: Avaldsnes vs Lyn 14.00: Sandviken vs Vålerenga 5 July: 15.00: Klepp vs Kolbotn
I guess you're right that it's basically a toss-up for the title between Vålerenga and LSK-Kvinner: how long can LSK-Kvinner keep functioning at best while losing their top players? If Vålerenga can find the right chemistry and a continuity of results, they could very well end Lillestrøm's club reign. Of course, Champions' League it something new for them and it could drain some energy from them if they aim at doing well on the international stage. Were going to see.
When I read the name of Isabell Bachor I always remember her last minute equalizer in the Olympic semifinal 2004 against USA. 16 years later and she is still active.
This can be the watershed season. There was a survey done among all Toppserien players this spring, and there is much uncertainty about LSK's strength after all these departures of top players. "Only" 34.9% of the players think LSK will win Toppserien 2020. Vålerenga had 26.5% and Sandviken 18%. Minor percentages for other teams. I hope we get a real championship race with several teams involved this season. Bachor is a quality player still in her mid thirties. She seems to find joy with game at her age and don't wanna quit. She came here at 30 years of age and now speaks fluent Norwegian. She is also coaching some youth teams.
Bauser, thanks for these informative summaries - gives us an insight we would never see otherwise! Many appreciations! Always wanted Cathrine to be a bigger part of Norwegian football. Still glad she is trying to play and still around!
Rosenborg 1 - 1 LSK Kvinner 0-1 Mimmi Löfwenius 11 1-1 Julie Blakstad 79 Toppserien 2020 kicked off with a draw on a rainy and cold Friday night in Trondheim. Both teams looked a bit rusty and it wasn't the best of nights for showpiece football. 18 year old Julie Blakstad, who signed for Rosenborg on deadline day, saved a point for the home team with a goal from a solo effort made possible by a goalkeeping howler from Norstrøm. Blakstad, who turned down an offer from Chelsea in January, hadn't even had a training session with Rosenborg before she came on and made an instant impact tonight. And the historic first ever Toppserien player ratings from NTB (1-10): RBK (4-2-3-1): Nøstmo 4 - Næss 5, Bragstad 5, Vårhus 5, Olsen 4 (Hofset -) - Joramo 6, Sørum 4 - Nergård 3 (Blakstad -), Andreassen 7, Døvle 4 (Utland 4) - Clausen 3 (Fornes -). (Blakstad didn't play long enough to get rated. You have to play at least 30 mins.) LSK (4-2-3-1): Norstrøm 3 - Røstbakken 5, Brenn 6, Gausdal 5, Woldvik 8 - Bachor 6, Ellingsen 5 - Wilmann 6, Eide Lie 5, Haavi 5 - Löfwenius 6 (Haug -). Full game available on NRK (shouldn't be geoblocked according to the info)
Match video on NRK TV (seems to have no geoblock) ▷ I går – Rosenborg - LSK Kvinner https://tv.nrk.no/serie/fotball-toppserien-kvinner/202007/MSPO32500120/avspiller
Neither team looked in much form. LSK carried the better of the game but their play in the final third was soft. The game seemed like a mid-pack battle from previous years. It will be interesting to see if anyone gets out of the gate with sharpness and purpose.
TOPPSERIEN 2020 – 1st Matchday We have already mentioned the Rosenborg vs LSK game, so here are the other matches from this opening weekend. I’m pondering whether to keep the player ratings or just forget about them for future summaries. Personally, I like them. Røa 0 - 1 Arna Bjørnar 0-1 Rikke Nygard 42 Young Nygard promised she would add more goals to her game this season, and delivered on day one. Top clubs in Europe sure didn’t lose interest in her after this performance. RØA (4-4-2): Nilsen 5 – Lyshoel 4, Harviken 4, Aabel 6, Fuglem 5 (Masdal -) – Jørgensen 4, Birkeli 5, Holum 5, Terry 5 (Espås -) – Huseby 4, Fjelldal 4. A-B (4-3-3): Micah 6 – Takle Eide 5, Gloppen 6, Lövgren 6, Brummel 5 – Nygard 6, Bjelde 5, Haugland 6 – Jåstad 4 (Ervik -), Abrahamsen 5, Laupstad 6 (Mo -). = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Avaldsnes 5 - 2 Lyn 0-1 Emma Godø 16 1-1 Elise Thorsnes 29 2-1 Rash Ajibade 42 3-1 Ylinn Tennebø 45 3-2 Trine Skjelstad Jensen 48 4-2 Olaug Tvedten 55 5-2 Elise Thorsnes 61 Lyn appeared just as toothless as many predicted, even if Avaldsnes got an early scare. Still, we have to give credit to Avaldsnes for some very good goals. AVA (4-3-3): Esson 4 – Utvik 4, Enlid 5, Decker 5, Dahl 6 – Norheim 4 (Arnesen -), Tennebø 5 (Sørensen -), Tvedten 6 – Ajibade 5, Thorsnes 6 (Østenstad -), Svandal 4 (Sørenes -). LYN (4-5-1): Hasselknippe 3 – Bølviken 3, S.Jensen 5, Bækkelund 3, Olsen 3 (Haugstad -) – Foslie 3 (Tunes 3), Palm 3 (Closs -), Hernes 3 (Tandberg 4), Søyland 3 (Aahjem 3), Linberg 4 – Godø 4. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Sandviken 3 - 2 Vålerenga 1-0 Vilde Hasund 18 2-0 Kennya Cordner 42 2-1 Sherida Spitse 61 3-1 Lisa Naalsund 78 (pen) 3-2 Sherida Spitse 86 The big game this weekend between LSK’s two biggest challengers. Great entertainment and lots of goalmouth action between two attack-minded teams. Sandviken’s new signing Vilde Hasund was an instant success with a goal and assist. Vålerenga benched Njoya from start which I found a bit odd. Vålerenga’s title ambitions have been given a wake-up call. There is more to this league than just LSK. SAN (4-4-2): Bogstad 4 – Ryland 7, Stenevik 6, Bergsvand 6, Raa 5 – Veivåg 5 (Hjelmhaug -), Spord 5, Naalsund 7, Hasund 8 (H.Jensen -) – Cordner 7 (Veglo -), Brochmann 5. VIF (4-3-3): Seabert 5 – B.Pedersen 4, Waldus 6, Sigurdardottir 5, Tomter 5 – H.Hansen 4, Spitse 8, Stefanovic 4 (Ildhusøy 4) – Madsen 4, Jensen 3 (Njoya -), Markussen 3 (Huse -). = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Klepp 0 - 0 Kolbotn I expected Klepp to win this, but Kolbotn are resilient. To @Lechus7 we can inform that Sikora made her debut and received a pretty good rating on her wing-back, among the three best in her team. KLE (3-4-3): Gay 6 – Østenstad 5, T.Hansen 7, Aune 5 (Austdal -) – Sikora 6, Stanton 5, Andresen 5, Jensen 5 – Bjørnsen 5 (Skretting -), H.Hansen 5, Terland 5 (Hayes -). KOL (4-3-3): Ervik 5 – B.Lund 6, Nordahl 5, Hørte 5, Orgill 6 (Elvebakken -) – Eckhoff 6, Holmen 5, Pirisi 5 – Hegg 6, Klæboe 5 (Myrseth -), Fridlund 5 (Jørgensen -). TOP SCORERS 2 – Elise Thorsnes (Avaldsnes) 2 – Sherida Spitse (Vålerenga) 1 – Rikke Nygard (Arna Bjørnar) 1 – Rasdeedat Ajibade (Avaldsnes) 1 – Olaug Tvedten (Avaldsnes) 1 – Ylinn Tennebø (Avaldsnes) 1 – Mimmi Löfwenius (LSK Kvinner) 1 – Emma Godø (Lyn) 1 – Trine Skjelstad Jensen (Lyn) 1 – Julie Blakstad (Rosenborg) 1 – Kennya Cordner (Sandviken) 1 – Vilde Hasund (Sandviken) 1 – Lisa Naalsund (Sandviken) ASSISTS 2 – Hanna Dahl (Avaldsnes) 1 – Linnea Laupstad (Arna Bjørnar) 1 – Elise Thorsnes (Avaldsnes) 1 – Nora Eide Lie (LSK Kvinner) 1 – Camilla Linberg (Lyn) 1 – Iselin Olsen (Lyn) 1 – Emilie Joramo (Rosenborg) 1 – Kennya Cordner (Sandviken) NEXT MATCHDAY 10 Jul: Kolbotn vs Avaldsnes 10 Jul: Vålerenga vs Røa (live on NRK) 11 Jul: Arna Bjørnar vs Klepp 11 Jul: Lyn vs Rosenborg 12 Jul: LSK Kvinner vs Sandviken
Unless she was slightly injured I find it very odd too: along with Spitse I guess she should be one of the players Vålerenga should rely onto to really fight for the title.
Sandviken looked good and played well together. I expected more quality and poise from Vålerenga, they have work to do if they want a medal. Cordner missed so many goals I lost count. She could have had a half-dozen.
It's about time to congratulate the national champions abroad this summer: Germany - Bundesliga: Ingrid Engen and Kristine Minde (Wolfsburg) England - FA WSL: Maren Mjelde, Guro Reiten and Maria Thorisdottir (Chelsea) France - D1 Feminine: Ada Hegerberg (Lyon) Spain - Liga Iberdrola: Caroline Hansen (Barcelona) Danish League: Laila Himle (Fortuna Hjørring)
Stine Hovland has just confirmed on her social media accounts that she is leaving AC Milan. Rumours have been going around about her joining PSG. Now we'll see how much truth there is to that.