Three teams – Häcken, Hammarby and Linköping – are still in the gold rush with two rounds left in the women’s Swedish football league.
Only Häcken has everything in his own hands for the weekend. A victory in the series final against Hammarby at the Tele2 arena on Sunday would mean that the SM gold is complete.
The big match has been one of the talking points even during the last national team meeting.
— You notice that it’s very… not sensitive, but that it’s a suppressed mood. You notice that there are two games left. They are very focused on being here and now, says Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, formerly in Häcken but now in Chelsea.
There is also a repeat of the cup final at the same arena last spring. Hammarby’s 3-0 victory then gives a certain confidence, even though it favors Häcken in the table, Hammarby back Jonna Andersson thinks.
“We played an incredibly good match against them, although they have probably seen it again and know what worked and what didn’t,” she says.
— But hopefully we have a confidence that is very good from that match and that performance.
Matches clash
However, the fencers are not thinking much about the cup final now.
— In that case, only as lighter fluid. We played a really bad game. So it wasn’t that they outplayed us even though we played a good match, but we weren’t involved from the start, says Häcken attacker Anna Anvegård.
For BK Häcken, two heavy games await at the same time on Sunday. In addition to the women’s series final away from home, the men play at home against gold-chasing Malmö FF.
This means that both club officials and supporters are forced to opt out of one of the matches.
— It’s fucking sad that it happens like that. Because if we secure the gold, you want to celebrate with your fans. It’s really bad, says Anna Anvegård.
— It is clear that the ultimate would have been that we never played on the same day. But the last two games, there was a pretty big chance that both of us would be at the top, so you could have perhaps predicted that.
In addition to Häcken and Hammarby, Linköping, who face table jumbo IFK Kalmar away on Sunday, are also still in the hunt for gold.
— It’s incredibly cool. I think it was really, really fun to follow the women’s league this year and the tight battle that exists, says Magdalena Eriksson, now in Bayern Munich but previously in both Linköping and Hammarby.
“Nice bets”
Linda Sembrant played one season in Häckenvreträdaren Göteborg FC. Now the Juventus defender rather believes in Hammarby.
“They have had an interesting venture for a long time, it would be fun if they go all the way,” she says.
Others are a little more uncertain.
— It feels like the two teams have invested the most in the women’s league, which makes the match extra special. I like the efforts of both teams, says Kosovare Asllani.
— Two fine bets. Hard to decide who will win, no idea.
— You must say one. Say Häcken and they will get theirs, says Sembrant.
— The hedge has a bit of an advantage. I say Häcken, but “Bajen” has done very well. Hammarby also deserves to win, says Asllani.