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Just over the halfway point

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

At the top of the table, we’re starting to see a three-way race for the title between Helsingborg, Elfsborg and AIK.

For the second year in a row, Helsingborg reaches the halfway point of the season on top of the league and seemingly unassailable having lost only one game. However we all thought the same thing this time last year. Despite dropping plenty of points early in the season, Elfsborg find themselves in second and only three points behind, and they’ve finally found some consistency. AIK has also been resurgent in recent weeks. In their last five matches, they’ve recorded 15 goals and five wins. As for Helsingborg, they’ll have to defend their lead without Alexander Gerndt, Marcus Nilsson and anyone else they might loose before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

Gais and Gelfe continue to defy all preseason expectations. Gais are fourth and are bringing much joy to long-suffering fans with their Barcelona-esque football (at least as close as an Allsvenskan club can get to playing Barcelona-esque football). Gelfe’s high position continues to rely on a solid impenetrable backline, so they’re probably concerned that they’ve conceded six goals in their past two games.

Häcken are also enjoying a healthy run of form. Thanks to Mathias Ranegie, they’ve scored more goals than any other team, however until now their backline was letting them down. With the return of key defender Tom Söderberg, they’ve finally stemmed the flow and rising up the table as a result.

Malmö FF continues to underachieve and look like a shadow of the young dynamic side they were last season. Injuries have taken their toll, and since Rikard Norling replaced Roland Nilsson as manager, they’ve only won two matches out of five. Their Champions League campaign has gotten off to a fair start after a 3-1 aggregate win over HB Tórshavn of the Faeroe Islands, but their next match against Glasgow Rangers won’t be as easy.

At the bottom of the table, the season looks as good as over for Halmstad. Since my last post they haven’t been able to add to their solitary win. Mjällby, Syrianska and IFK Norrköping are stuck down there with them, however Djurgården has managed to turn their form around and pull themselves clear.

In the Europe League Häcken, Elfsborg and Helsingborg have all managed to progress to the third qualifying round, with Örebro being the only Swedish team to be knocked out.

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Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

The 2010 Allsvenskan season began way back in mid-March with IFK Göteborg and Elfsborg being the early favourites.

IFK’s 3-0 win over Kalmar in the opening match of the season, and Elfsborg’s 6-0 thrashing of Halmstad in week two, seemed to confirm the bookies’ predictions.

Meanwhile in the opening round Malmö were held to a 0-0 draw away to Gais, and Helsingborg only just beat Brommapojkarna (BP) at home thanks to a goal in extra time, with neither game giving any indication of the season that lay ahead.

Yet it didn’t take long for Malmö and Helsingborg to assert their dominance, which they’d go on to maintain all season. After six rounds, Helsingborg and Malmö were first and second respectively, leading up to a much-anticipated Skåne derby in late April.

Helsingborg completely outplayed Malmö, winning 1-0, and became the outright favourites from that point onwards. Meanwhile AIK and IFK, who were first and second respectively in 2009, sat in the relegation zone seemingly incapable winning.

Week seven was a turning point for many clubs: AIK recorded their first win, Malmö suffered their first defeat, and Åtvidaberg scored their first goal! Midfielder Haris Radetinac had the honour of ending the 575 minute-long goalless streak but unfortunately two own-goals meant their opponents Djurgården ended up winning 2-1.

While Åtvidaberg struggled all year, fellow promotion winners Mjällby were the season’s overachievers and spent most of the year in the top six, playing an attractive attacking brand of football seldom seen by newly promoted clubs.

At the end of May, the Allsvenskan took a long summer break to make way for the World Cup. At that point Helsingborg had only lost one game all season, due to a freak goal against Kalmar, and had a five-point lead over second placed Malmö. They looked unbeatable and passed Malmö it was hard to find a potential challenger.

AIK, IFK and Kalmar were in the bottom half of the table, while Elfsborg were way too inconsistent. Örebro and Mjällby were overachieving as it was, and it was questionable whether they could even keep their top four places, let alone win the league. Even if Helsingborg didn’t end up on top at season’s end, it seemed clear in May that the title would end up going to a team from Skåne.

When the season resumed in July, Malmö came out firing. They won six games in a row including 3-0 over third placed Örebro and a 1-0 win over Elfsborg. Helsingborg dropped points against Häcken and the gap between the two narrowed. By the time the two sides had to play each other again in the second Skåne derby, it was effectively a championship play-off. This time Malmö were the superior team, winning 2-0, and it became clear the power balance had shifted.

What followed was a gripping title race with many twists. In early October, Helsingborg lost their first home game of the season to Gais, while Malmö increased their goal difference with a 3-0 thumping of Trelleborg. However a fortnight later Helsingborg became the first team all season to beat Elfsborg in Borås, winning 1-3, while Malmö lost at home for the first time all season, going down to Kalmar 0-1.

Both sides kept matching one another for wins and went into the last game of the season on equal points, however the momentum was with Malmö who had a huge advantage in goal difference. They went into the final match at home to Mjällby, with their confidence high having scored eight goals in the previous two matches, and knowing a win would almost certainly guarantee the title.

Malmö’s final performance was clinical as they brushed Mjällby aside to clinch the club’s 16th title, and celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary in style. Meanwhile Helsingborg were held to a scoreless draw against Kalmar, and will always look back on 2010 as the one that got away.

Here’s a quick review of each team’s 2010 season, listed in order of their final ranking in the Allsvenskan table.

Malmö FF

Summary: Easily one of the best sides all year but spent most of season second best to Helsingborg. After the summer break they went on an eight-game unbeaten run, which soon saw them overtake Helsingborg. Once on top, they refused to move and were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary with yet another league title.
Highlight: Obviously clinching the title at home in the last game of the season.
Lowlight: Losing to Kalmar in October, the club’s only lose at home all season, and at the time could have potentially cost them the title.
Verdict: Worthy winners, and unlike past champions they did it in style, playing attractive attacking football. It is great to finally see the SM-Guld go to an exciting young team. 5 out of 5.

Helsingborg IF

Summary: Undefeated for the first twelve games of the season, Helsingborg were very much the early pace setters. Their backline looked impenetrable and as we entered the summer break there was every chance they were going to run away with it. Instead they buckled under the pressure being applied by Malmö. They lost games to Häcken and Gais, which proved vital in a tight premiership race.
Highlight: Completely outplaying Malmö 2-1 in the first Skåne derby of the season back in April would have been the point at which most fans dared dream of winning the league.
Lowlight: Losing to Gais at home, their first and only lose of the season at home, was arguably the point where they lost the league.
Verdict: The first half of the season was flawless but some poor performances in the second half means this will always be the one that got away. Ordinarily 65 points in a season would win the league, but not this year. 4.5 out of 5.

Örebro SK

Summary: After losing a few games early in the season, Örebro steadied and just got better as the season went on. Even losing key target man Kim Olsen in the summer failed to slow them down, and they had secured European qualification with a handful of games to spare.
Highlight: Beating Helsingborg 3-0 in late August proved to themselves and everyone else that they deserved to be title contenders.
Lowlight: Early in the season Örebro lost to Mjällby and Gais, and there was very little to suggest they’d be challenging for the title later in the season.
Verdict: Örebro were an effective solid unit that keep getting stronger. Finishing third is a fantastic result for the club, who are reminiscent of Kalmar as they built up a title-winning squad prior to 2008. Could be one to watch in 2011. 4.5 out of 5.

Elfsborg

Summary: Elfsborg started in spectacular fashion with a 6-0 win over Halmstad, but it would prove to be their only win for the first five games of the season. For all their talent Elfsborg often failed to take their chances, recording an incredible 11 draws.
Highlight: Beating Halmstad 6-0 was the biggest win of the year and made the club worthy title favourites.
Lowlight: Losing 5-1 to IFK Göteborg would have hurt, but losing 3-0 to Örebro killed off their slim chances of winning the league and suggested they were never going to get higher than fourth.
Verdict: Yet another season of underachievement and missed opportunities. 3 out of 5.

Trelleborg FF

Summary: Trelleborg started slowly, winning only one match in their first ten, and the season looked set for another grim relegation battle. However they managed to slowly turn things around, losing only four games of their final 17, and gradually moving back up the table all the way to fifth.
Highlight: Winning four games in a row midseason was a record for the club, and begun a revival that pushed them into the top half of the table.
Lowlight: Losing 3-0 to fellow strugglers Åtvidaberg suggested they’d struggle for a win all season.
Verdict:: Trelleborg were very much the quiet achievers, and they got better as the season wore on, winning their final four games. One can only wonder how much further they would have gone if it weren’t for their poor start. 4 out of 5.

Mjällby AIF

Summary: Mjällby took everyone by surprise in the first half of the season, and went into the summer break in fourth spot. However when the season resumed, they went into a slump that saw them win only one match in the next ten. A 3-0 win over Djurgården helped turn things round and they finished the season strongly.
Highlight: Beating Malmö 4-2, a week after beating Elfsborg. This was the point where their success could no longer be dismissed as a fluke.
Lowlight: Losing to Helsingborg in September stretched a winless streak to five games, and it looked like their season was disintegrating.
Verdict: Tremendous season for the small club playing in the Allsvenskan for the first time in 25 years. They weren’t afraid to play attacking football, and made some inspired signings, such as Dutch striker Mostapha El Kabir. 5 out of 5.

IFK Göteborg

Summary: The season started in spectacular fashion with a 3-0 win over Kalmar, suggesting they were right to be favourites. When Blåvit played well they were excellent. They scored some big wins and won by three goals or more on seven occasions. But when they were poor they were awful, winning only three games before the summer break.
Highlight: Take your pick: beating west coats rivals Elfsborg 5-1, or getting revenge on AIK winning 4-0.
Lowlight: Losing to 2-1 to Åtvidaberg, who hasn’t won a game all season, came at a time when it looked like they had just gotten their season back on track.
Verdict: On paper, IFK are arguably the strongest side in Sweden, and some performances proved it. But overall they were huge underachievers. 2.5 out of 5.

BK Häcken

Summary: With three straight wins to open the season, 2010 was looking bright. But it was followed by an eight game winless streak and Häcken spent most of the season in midtable.
Highlight: Beating IFK Göteborg, the big-time Charlies from south of the river, for the second year in the row would have been satisfying.
Lowlight: Getting torn apart 5-1 by the same opponents later in the year.
Verdict: Not quite as spectacular as last season, but Häcken were still a decent side despite a shoestring budget, and overall played better than the sum of their parts. 3 out of 5.

Kalmar FF

Summary: Along with AIK and IFK, Kalmar had a poor start and didn’t win a match until Gameweek 9. But from there they went on a seven-game undefeated streak to lift themselves back into title contention. When they couldn’t maintain it, they were doomed to midtable.
Highlight: Beating Helsingborg, even if it was from a freak goal, restored some confidence put their premiership campaign back on track.
Lowlight: Losing 0-3 to AIK, who at that point hadn’t won a game all season.
Verdict: While they’re not as strong as their title winning 2008 side, there is still some talent on Kalmar’s books, they should have done a lot better. 3 out of 5.

Djurgården

Summary: Djurgården fans will claim the mantle of “bäst i stad”, but it hides the fact that this was very much a season of mid-table mediocrity. They spent most of the season hovering above the relegation zone before finding some form in mid-August, where four wins in a row pushed them into the top half.
Highlight: Beating AIK twice in one season was always going to please long-suffering fans, especially the second victory which put their much hated rivals back into the relegation zone.
Lowlight: Losing 3-0 to Häcken at home would have made fans fear another relegation battle.
Verdict: Considering they were nearly relegated last season, 2010 was a big improvement, but otherwise there wasn’t much to get excited about. 3 out of 5.

AIK

Summary: Despite being the defending champions, AIK were woeful in 2010. They only won two games for the first half of the season, and spent most of the year in the relegation zone. Luckily the fixture list was kind, and an easy run home let them win their last three games to pull themselves to safety.
Highlight: Beating IFK Göteborg in the Super Cup (Sweden’s version of the Community Shield) meant they at least got a trophy, and at the time it gave no indication of the travesty to follow.
Lowlight: So many to choice from…where do you start?
Verdict: Absolutely atrocious. 0.5 out of 5.

Halmstad BK

Summary: Halmstad were capable of the odd performance, such as 4-0 win over Åtvidaberg and 3-0 win over Gais, but for the most part they struggled.
Highlight: Beating Åtvidaberg 4-0 helped restore some confidence and negate the battering to the goal difference inflicted the previous week (see Lowlight).
Lowlight: Losing 6-0 against Elfsborg was the biggest defeat inflicted on anybody and set the tone for much of the season.
Verdict: Expectations were never high and there were few positives that could be taken from this season. 2 out of 5.

Gais

Summary: While Gais were never spectacular they at least managed to pick up some points early on. Losing Wanderson during the summer robbed them of a lot of their attacking flair and they struggled to score goals all season. In the end they survived not so much because of any effort from themselves but because those below them failed to catch up.
Highlight: Beating Helsingborg away was an unexpected three points and made their relegation battle significantly easier.
Lowlight: Conceding three goals in the final 12 minutes at home to Trelleborg, after absolutely dominating for most of the match.
Verdict: Typically Gais. Often playing well but rarely scoring and frequently conceding goals late in games. If matches were 80 minutes long, Gais would be much higher up the table. 2 out of 5.

Gelfe IF

Summary: Gelfe won three of their first five matches to earn a respectable midtable position, but this was followed by four consecutive defeats and they struggled from that point onwards.
Highlight: Beating AIK early in the season made it three wins in the first five matches, and suggested Gelfe could have been this season’s overachievers.
Lowlight: Losing Alexander Gerndt to Helsingborg midseason. He would go on to score another 12 goals, become the Allsvenskan’s leading goal scorer, and could have made the difference between relegation and survival if he stayed.
Verdict: Struggled all season and never looked likely to escape relegation. 1.5 out of 5.

Åtvidaberg FF

Summary: Åtvidaberg started slowly and looked doomed to be relegated very early on. They didn’t even score a goal until Gameweek 7. They never went higher than 12th, and yet still had every chance of surviving right up until the second last game.
Highlight: Beating IFK Göteborg 2-1 for their first win of the season. It gave fans hope that they might survive despite such a poor start.
Lowlight: Conceding two own goals against Djurgården to blow a 1-0 lead. You know nothing will go right with results like that.
Verdict: Struggled all season but this was always expected. 1 out of 5.

Brommapojkarna

Summary: BP started well and at one stage threatened to be this season’s overachievers. However after beating Mjällby 1-0 in late July, they wouldn’t win another game for the rest of the season, and rapidly dropped to rock bottom.
Highlight: Beating Halmstad 1-0, which took the club to fifth, their highest position all season.
Lowlight: Losing 4-1 to Åtvidaberg, who had barely won a game up until that point, was the first suggestion that BP didn’t have what it takes to stay up.
Verdict: Very ordinary and deserve to be relegated. 1 out of 5.

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D Day

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Here it is. This Sunday, at 4.30pm the 30th and last round of Allsvenskan 2010 kicks off with the title poised between Malmö and Helsingborg. Obviously the two games to watch will be Malmö v Mjällby and Helsingborg v Kalmar. The two sides are both on 64 points but Malmö have managed to build up a goal difference of 10 over Helsingborg so its fair to say that if they win on Sunday, they’ll win the title. However working against Malmö is the fact that Helsingborg’s opponents have nothing to play for. Mjällby on the other hand still have a chance of qualifying for Europe in the off chance Elfsborg slip up at home to Gais.

Åtvidaberg’s 2-1 lose Mjällby last Monday night ensures they’ll finish the season in the relegation zone and came as great relief to Halmstad, Gais and AIK. The three can now go into the last game of the season knowing there is no risk of going down. There is little hope for BP, while Gelfe and Åtvidaberg’s only chance of staying in the Allsvenskan is to finish 14th and hopefully survive a play-off against Sundsvall.

Gelfe will be playing away to IFK Göteborg, who seemingly have nothing to play for yet manager Jonas Olsson may think differently as his job seems to be on the line. Considering they started the season as title favourites, 2010 has been a big disappointment for Blåvit. Putting further pressure on his job is the fact that Lars Lagerbäck is looking for a new job and has made it known he’s keen to work in the Allsvenskan. What better club than one of the best supported in the country, and at least on paper, strongest squads? Today he even made it publicly known that he’s “always liked IFK” which is effectively saying he’d take the job if it were offered. The powers to be at IFK have hardly given Olsson their full backing either – when confronted with questions on Olsson’s future, they’ve only come back by pointing out he has a year left on his contract. Not much of an endorsement. A poor performance against Gelfe might be all they need to make a switch.

In other news, the Royal League might be back as soon as this winter. For those new to Scandinavian football, this was a short-lived knockout competition involving the top four sides from Sweden, Norway and Denmark. It was forced to shut down in 2007 due to an inability to find a sponsor, but there is a chance of bringing back if they include teams from other countries who also have a preseason during the winer. Such as Russia, Finland…and eh, Faroe Islands?

This morning Aftonbladet also ran an article claiming the SM-Guld trophy, the same one that Malmö and Helsingborg are playing for this weekend, has a deep secret. Allegedly the text “Bajen Forever” has been engraved on the inside of the trophy ever since Hammarby won it in 2001. No doubt an engraver somwhere in either Malmö or Helsingborg can expect a call on Monday morning.

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Two Games Left

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Since the last update, the title race between Malmö and Helsingborg remains the same, although it has taken some unpredictable turns. In early October, Helsingborg lost their first home game of the season to Gais, while Malmö increased their goal difference with a 3-0 thumping of Trelleborg. However a fortnight later, after the international break, Helsingborg became the first team all season to beat Elfsborg in Borås, winning 1-3. Meanwhile Malmö lost their first home game of the season, going down to Kalmar 0-1. Both sides recorded healthy wins this weekend, meaning the title race will go down to the last weekend of the season. As it stands both sides are level on points but Malmö’s goal difference is better by 8 goals. Helsingborg must play Halmstad away and Kalmar at home. Malmö have BP away and Mjällby at home. Keep November 7th free because the last game of the season is going to be a corker!

Swedish football also made a rare appearance in the British media last week, although unfortunately for the wrong reasons. An article on AIK’s recent hooligan problem featured on the Guardian’s football website. Like many of the people who posted comments after the article, I think Sweden’s supposed ‘problem’ has been hugely exaggerated…but I suppose when the quality of football isn’t worth writing about you’ve got to find something else to write about instead. Having said that, within days of the article’s publication AIK away fans were accused of physically threatening Halmstad players, suggesting they’re not too fussed about adverse publicity abroad.

AIK have spent of the season in the relegation zone, but by winning their last two games, they have managed to pull themselves free. Which is more than can be said for BP who look almost certain to go down. Gelfe’s 1-0 win over fellow struggles Gais last Sunday has given them slim hope but with games against Djurgården and IFK Göteborg, they’ll struggle to get the points to pull themselves up. Åtvidaberg, AIK, Halmstad and Gais will all be desperately trying to salvage any point they can in the next two games to avoid the relegation play off.

Regardless of who ends up going down, we at least now know who will be replacing them with the Superettan season concluding last weekend. Syrianska, the club started by Syriac immigrants in Södertälje back in 1977, won the competition and will be playing in the Allsvenskan for the first time in their short history. Due to their Syriac roots, they’ve built up a cult following that extends all over the world, and no doubt their fans will add some much-needed colour to the top division next season.

IFK Norrköping, who have been on top most of the season, will also be promoted. Unlike Syrianska they have a long history in the Allsvenskan, and played their as recently as 2008. GIF Sundsvall will get the chance to win promotion through a play-off against the third last team in the Allsvenskan.

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The Home Straight

Friday, October 1st, 2010

HIF eller MFF? The neck-and-neck title race between Helsingborg and Malmö continues with neither side managing to pull away, and the obvious question everyone is asking is who is most likely to prevail? Both teams have near perfect home records: no loses and one draw. Of their five remaining games, each have two matches against clubs in the top half of the table. Pushing things slightly in Helsingborg’s favour is the fact that they have three homes games remaining, while Malmö have two. However Malmö also have a 6-goal advantage over Helsingborg, and despite one less home game, they also have a marginally better draw. In a couple of weeks Helsingborg play away to Elfsborg, another club who haven’t lost at home all season, and the result of that game could decide the title.

Do Örebro still have a chance? Fourth placed Elfsborg are now 15 points behind the Skåne duo, meaning their season is well and truly over, but Örebro still have a mathematical chance of winning their first ever title…for now. Apart from a home match against the frightfully inconsistent IFK Göteborg, all their remaining fixtures are against teams in the bottom half of the table. You wouldn’t put money on it…but its not impossible.

Can AIK avoid absolute humiliation? There will be plenty of people who will be happy to see AIK get relegated, but they’re probably going to be disappointed. Three of their next five opponents are currently in the bottom five, while the other two, Djurgården and Elfsborg, have nothing left to play for. The relegation battle remains ridiculously tight, with as many as seven teams still at risk. But how often does a defending champion go down the very next season? They’ll scrape enough points together to make it.

Will IFK Norrköping clinch promotion? If Sundsvall doesn’t win this weekend, IFK Norrköping are guaranteed top division football next season. Sitting on top with a six-point lead over the third-placed Sundsvall, they’ll guarantee promotion if they win and Sundsvall don’t, or if the draw and Sundsvall loose. But with a goal difference better by seven, a win will make it very hard for them not to play in the top division next season. Historically IFK Norrköping are one of the most successful clubs in Sweden. After WWII they won eleven titles in the space of twenty years, and  have been home to some of Sweden’s finest players including Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. They’ve hit hard times since the 1960s, but this could be the first step back to their glory days.

Does anyone still play with two strikers? The other night I nearly froze while watching Gais v Häcken at Gamla Ullevi, and I couldn’t help notice that both sides went with 4-2-3-1 (or 4-2-1-3) formations, which seems to be the in thing since the World Cup. This would come as no surprise for those that watch elite leagues such as the Premier League or La Liga, but when two struggling relegation-threatened clubs from Gothenburg, are doing it you know 4-4-2 is well and truly dead. In fact just about every club in Sweden is going wide with one upfront, using either 4-3-3- or some variation of 4-2-3-1.

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This Week in Swedish Football

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Big Zlats can’t stay out of the news and it feels like every summer he is the subject of intense transfer speculation. Despite scoring 21 goals, including the winning goal against Real Madrid, it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t wanted at Barcelona before the season even ended. At one stage rumours were suggesting Manchester City were offering him an incredible £500,000 a week (or some other obscene figure) but the more grounded rumour turned up to be the correct one and Sweden’s greatest player now plays for AC Milan.

Having previously played for Juventus and Inter, the move means Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have played for all three of Italy’s biggest clubs. He also follows in the footstep of the legendary Swedish trio Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm (collectively known as Gre-No-Li) who in the 1950s dominated Italian football. When Zlatan won the Serie A top scorer in 2009 he become only the second Swede to do so. The first was Gunnar Nordahl who won it five times in six seasons, so Zlatan has his work cut out for him.

Meanwhile back in Sweden Zlatan’s old club Malmö have overtaken Helsingborg at the top of the Allsvenskan. It would be unfair to accuse Helsingborg of chocking since they’ve only lost one game in their past six, but Malmö are well and truly in the midst of a purple patch. They’ve won their last six games including a 3-0 over third placed Örebro and a 1-0 win over Elfsborg. All this is leading to a classic Skåne derby when Helsingborg go down to Malmö on September 15, which will effectively be a championship play-off.

Down at the other end of the table the relegation battle is wide open. Åtvidaberg and Gelfe sit rock bottom but both are only one win away from pulling out. Gais, in ninth spot, are only three points clear. The season’s overachievers have been sucked back down the table too. Before the summer break Brommapojkarna went as high as fifth and threatened to qualify for Europe. Having only earned one point in their last five matches, they’re now sitting precariously about the drop zone. Mjällby, another unfancied club that have surprised many, have only won one match in their past seven. Their tremendous start to the season means they should be safe, but the competition is so even and clubs so closely bunched together that they are one of the few clubs that are. Even Djurgården in sixth could still feasible go down.

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Game Week 18

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

The Allsvenskan has been back in action for four rounds now, and to be honest very little has changed. Helsingborg and Malmö still lead, AIK are still struggling, and IFK Göteborg and Elfsborg look way too inconsistent to change anything.

In the first round of matches after the World Cup Helsingborg lost to struggling Häcken 2-1 and the prospect of them chocking looked possible, yet Malmö also lost their match to AIK. In the past four matches Malmö have managed to narrow the gap to three points. They’ve won their last three games including a 3-0 demolition of third placed Örebro, so a knife-edge title race is looking like a very real prospect.

IFK Göteborg have also returned from the break in great form. They’ve scored 11 goals in their past four games, including a 5-1 hiding against Häcken. However they also lost 1-0 away to Halmstad and are a massive 18 points behind Helsingborg with only twelve games left to play. Kalmar and Elfsborg have also only notched up two wins each since the season resumed, and the gap between them and the Skåne duo is only getting bigger.

In short, the prospect of any team being able to dislodge either Helsingborg and Malmö from the top two spots looks increasingly unlikely.

One of the quiet achievers of late has been Trelleborg. Admittedly they lost to Kalmar last weekend, but just prior to that match they had recorded four straight wins in a row. This was actually the longest run of wins in the Allsvenskan in the club’s history, and yet due to the evenness of the Allsvenskan, they are still only a couple of points clear of the relegation zone.

On the continent, only two Swedish clubs remain in competition. After losing to Norway’s Rosenburg, AIK have been demoted from the Champions League into the Europa Cup, and will play Levski Sofia of Bulgaria. Elfsborg will play Napoli. If either team wins, they’ll qualify for the group stages, which for a Swedish club would be a notable achievement.

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Sweden’s Biggest Wins in Europe

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Tonight AIK, Sweden’s sole representative in this season’s Champions League, will play Jeunesse d’Esch of Luxembourg. In case you missed it, the two sides played in Stockholm last week, with AIK managing a 1-0 win, the sole goal coming from a defensive mistake. There is every chance AIK will loose this tie, which will surely mark a new low in Swedish football. It is for this reason why I think it is a good time to look back to the good old days when Swedish teams regularly punched above their weight. Obviously the highlights for Sweden have been Malmö playing in the 1979 European Cup final, and IFK Göteborg winning the UEFA Cup in 1982 and 1987. But seeing as both campaigns are already well documented, I just want to highlight some other noble performances outside of trophy winning seasons. Below are five big games when a Swedish club competed against the best of them.

Chelsea 1-1 Atvidaberg (Atvidaberg win on away goals), Stamford Bridge, Cup Winners’ Cup 1971.

The Guardian recently placed this tie amongst the top six biggest upsets in European club football history. Chelsea were the reigning champions having lifted the Cup Winner’s Cup the previous season. Åtvidaberg were a bunch of part-timers from some tiny Swedish town no one had ever heard off, and brushing them aside should have been a formality for Chelsea in their quest to retain the cup.

In the first leg Atvidaberg managed to hang onto a 0-0 draw at home, thanks to a solid organised backline, and by using similar tactics they managed to maintain a clean sheet for the first half at Stamford Bridge too. Soon after half-time Chelsea finally broke through Åtvidaberg’s determined defence and scored. Yet their failure to convert possession into goals over two ties meant that when Åtvidaberg managed to take their one and only chance to score in the 68th minute, they had beaten Chelsea on away goals.

IFK Göteborg 2-1 Barcelona. September 1994, IFK Göteborg 3-1 Manchester United, November 1994. Both Champions League Group Stage.

Every major tournament has a “Group of Death”, and in the 1994 Champions League that group was IFK Göteborg’s Group A. With Barcelona, Manchester United and Galatasaray, most Blåvit fans would have been happy with a couple of respectable draws and hopefully avoid coming last, and predictably enough their campaign started with a 4-2 lose at Old Trafford. Yet IFK not only went on to avoid coming last but even topped the group. A fortnight later they beat Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona 2-1 at Ullevi, and then followed it up with two 1-0 wins over Galatasary. Next was Manchester United, who arrived in Gothenburg knowing that they couldn’t afford to lose if they wanted to qualify for the quarterfinals. Yet IFK rose to the occasion winning 3-1, and then went on to hold out for a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou to finish top of their group.

In the quarterfinals IFK lost to Bayern Munich on away goals, but it was still a remarkable season in Europe, and IFK fans still don’t tire of reminding you that they beat Barcelona and Manchester United in the same season. Jesper Blomqvist, one of IFK’s star players, would later be signed by Sir Alex Ferguson and was part of his treble winning team in 1999.

Helsingborg 1-0, 0-0 Internazionale, August 2000, Champions League qualifying.

In 1999, Helsingborg won their first title in 57 years, and thus qualified for Europe’s premier club competition. After dispensing with BATE of Belarus with relative ease, HIF were drawn against Inter Milan and it was generally assumed their run in Europe was about to come to a swift end.

Yet Helsingborg did what Swedish clubs seem to do best: dig in and ride their luck. Despite dominating possession and creating all the chances, Inter couldn’t break Helsingborg and their first leg at Olympia looked destined to be a scoreless draw. Yet in the 82nd minute, the Inter backline were completely caught off guard by a high awkward cross (which appears to be miskicked) that Mikael Hansson managed to finish brilliantly to sneak in a 1-0 win.

In the second leg at San Siro, Inter again created all the chances yet even when open goalmouths beckoned, they couldn’t score a goal. Inter’s Alvaro Recoba was awarded a last-minute penalty, which would have taken the tie into extra time. But a brilliant save from goalkeeper Sven Andersson denied them, who dived and clipped the ball as if he had physic powers telling him the exact spot the ball was heading too.

Inter manager Marcello Lippi was sacked shortly afterwards, while Andersson went on to become a Helsingborg legend. Today he is a goal keeping coach at the club.

In the Group Stages Helsingborg didn’t quite meet up to the standards set by IFK in 1994/95, but they did manage a respectable five points against Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Rosenborg. They finished last, but as the club like to point out on their website in their attempts to maintain a positive spin, they did take at least point from each of their opponents.

Trelleborg 3-2 Blackburn Rovers. UEFA Cup, 1994.

In 1994, Blackburn weren’t the relegation battlers they are today. Jack Walker had just bought the club and was spending millions building them into a premiership contender. Ewood Park had been renovated, Kenny Dalglish was appointed manager, and record transfer fees were being paid to sign the likes of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton.

Having finished second the previous season, Blackburn had qualified for Europe for the first time. Trelleborg had also qualified for the first time, and both clubs would later look back at the mid 90s as their heyday. But that’s were the similarities end. While over Jack Walker had spent over £30 million on his Rovers, Trelleborg cost about £300,000.

But in a classic example of functionality triumphing over flair, a sold and well-organised Trelleborg completely nullified the threat of Shearer and frustrated the Blackburn attack. In the 71st minute Fredrik Sandell scored the game’s only goal, leading to a 1-0 win. “It is the biggest moment of my career – the biggest of all our careers,” claimed Trelleborg manager Tom Prahl at the time. “A 2-0 defeat would have satisfied us. To win 1-0 is unbelievable,”

In the second leg Trelleborg held on for a 2-2 draw, and went on to lose to Lazio in the next round. Having been relieved of the “distraction” of European football, Blackburn went on to win the English Premiership in 1995.

Åtvidaberg 3-1 Bayern Munich, European Cup, 1973.

In 1973 Bayern Munich was on the rise to being one the greatest teams in the world. With a squad boasting the talents of Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier and Gerd Muller, they had just won two Bundesliga titles, and their first obstacle in their quest for European dominance was Sweden’s Åtvidaberg FF.

Despite knocking Chelsea out of the Cup Winners’ Cup two years earlier, no one really expected lighting to strike twice, especially after Bayern dispensed with the part-timers 3-1 in the first leg.

But when Åtvidaberg hosted Bayern at home in the second leg, they had nothing to lose and played accordingly. Conny Torstensson scored twice as he and his teammates completely outplayed their German opponents. By the 75th minute Åtvidaberg were up 3-0 and on the cusp of the greatest upset in European Cup history. But a goal from Ulrich Hoeneß was enough to take the tie to penalties, where Bayern eventually prevailed.

Åtvidaberg’s Conny Torstensson still got to play in that season’s European Cup final. So impressed were the Bayern Munich hierarchy with his performance that night at Kopparvallen that they soon signed him, and he remained a key player in a squad that went on to win three European Cups in a row.

UPDATE: In Luxembourg last night AIK managed to ride out a 0-0 draw, meaning they’re one step closer to playing the likes of Barcelona and Inter Milan. In the next round they’ll play Norwegian champions Trondheim Rosenborg.

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The Window Reopens

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

One of the unheralded bonuses of a World Cup is that it gives football fans and the media something to focus on in the preseason. In non-World Cup/European Championship years, we’re forced to spend the summer listening to tedious will he/won’t he transfer gossip, 95% of which ends up amounting to nothing. Despite the Fabergas-Barcelona story (or more accurately non-story) occasional rearing its head, we’ve pretty much been allowed to focus on actual football. But this Thursday the transfer window opens up again and it won’t be long until we’re reduced to gossiping like schoolgirls.

For the Allsvenskan, this is one of two times in the year where the league gets robbed of its meagre talents. Clubs from the rest of Europe, most notably Holland, will use their inflated wealth to buy up players at will, not unlike Scandinavians buying up alcohol on international ferries.

The first player to get poached has been Elfsborg’s Emir Bajrami, who was bought by FC Twente back in May. Bajrami’s 30 million kronor price tag is the highest for an Allsvenskan player since Ajax forked out 80 million kronor for Zlatan Ibrahimovic back in 2001.

Bajrami’s teammate Denni Avdic is also likely to tread the well-worn path between the Eredivisie and the Allsvenskan. With 12 goals Avdic is the competition’s most productive goal scorer, and like Bajrami he has managed to force himself into the Swedish national team. Other talented young Swedes who are also likely to picked up include Malmö’s Guillermo Molins, Kalmar’s Tobias Eriksson, Häcken’s Tom Söderberg, Trelleborg’s Viktor Noring, and BP’s Miiko Albornoz.

Being the standout team thus far this season, Helsingborg’s squad will no doubt attract some unwanted attention, and they may struggle to hang onto talented youngsters Joel Ekstrand, Rasmus Jönsson and Marcus Nilsson.

As was the case last winter, most of the media attention will be on Gais’ Wanderson do Carmo. This was an ongoing transfer saga last winter too, and it is quite remarkable that he hasn’t bee bought already. Wanderson wants to leave, Gais want to sell him, and there are plenty of clubs who want to buy him…you can’t get conditions more conducive for a transfer. And yet when the winter break passed, nothing had happened apart from a meek last-minute bid by Feyenoord, which quickly collapsed when their cheque bounced.

One would imagine Gais would be looking to finalise a deal quickly this time around, yet the rumour mill has been unusually quiet and I personally wouldn’t put it past the Gais board to once again fail to sell the competition’s most saleable player. If Arsene Wenger wants to keep Fabergas, maybe he should be taking notes.

IFK keeper Kim Christensen, obviously disappointed to have been overlooked for the Danish World Cup squad, has moved to FC Copenhagen in the hope that playing in the capital might help him get noticed by selectors. Örebro’s big target man Kim Olsen has also decided to return to Denmark. AIK’s turbulent season continues with the squad haemorrhaging players. Over the summer the club have lost Miran Burgic, Jorge Ortiz and Martin Mutumba, while Sebastián Eguren returns to Villareal.

All this before the transfer window has even officially opened.

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Midseason Summary

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

After fourteen rounds, we’re now at the exact halfway point of the 2010 Allsvenskan season, which will now go on hiatus for six weeks or so while we all watch the World Cup. Here are the key talking points of the season thus far.

1. Helsingborg will need to seriously choke not to win the title this season. They’ve only lost one game (against Kalmar due to a freakish goal), and in total have taken 35 out of a possible 42 points. Any thought of missing their talisman Henrik Larsson has proven completely unfounded. They’re backline looks impenetrable, having conceded only six goals all year, while Mattias Lindström and Ardian Gashi offer plenty of attacking flair in the middle. They currently have a five point lead over second-place Malmö, and having comprehensively outplayed their Skåne rivals in their only meeting, the title looks as good as theirs.

2. The title will end up in Skåne. Even if Helsingborg self-destruct, only Malmö is in a position to overtake them. Third-place Örebro are ten points behind and haven’t been nearly as consistent enough to mount a title challenge. Mjällby are punching above their weight as it is, and will consider this season a huge success if they’re still in the top six. Based on current league form, Kalmar are one of the better sides in the Allsvenskan, but a failure to win a single game in their first eight matches means they are a whopping 16 points behind Helsingborg. Elfsborg have enough depth and talent to push into the top three, but again they’ve dropped too many points and will need Helsingborg choke if they’re to win the title.

3. AIK are a joke. No defending champion has ever performed so badly the following season. Having won the double last season, they’ve spent most of this one in the relegation zone. At first it seems just a bad patch, and felt like just a matter of time before AIK regained their form, not unlike Kalmar and IFK. But as the season has dragged on, AIK just keep losing, including heavy 4-0 defeats to both IFK and Elfsborg. Many fans may delight in seeing Sweden’s most aligned club suffer, but keep in mind that as defending champions, they’ll be representing Sweden in the Champions League this year. The biggest victim from the Solna calamity could be Sweden’s UEFA co-efficient.

4. Now is not a great time to play football in Stockholm and Göteborg. Not only is AIK anchored in the relegation zone, but Djargården aren’t fairing much better and are looking at a season of mid-table mediocrity at best. Meanwhile Stockholm’s third club, Hammarby, are stuck in the Superettan with a quick return looking increasingly unlikely.

In Göteborg the bragging rights have been with Gais fans, who have been chanting “bäst i stan” for the past month. But in ninth position with only four wins, it’s a claim they can only make by default. IFK Göteborg, who were initially title favourites, have only won three matches and are currently third last. Häcken have only won one match in their past eleven, and may have to contemplate relegation if things don’t improve dramatically. In fact the highest placed club from either of Sweden’s two biggest cities is the highly unfashionable IF Brommapojkarna.

5. Every season proves the Allsvenskan is the most equalitarian in Europe. The competition is so even that every season some tiny obscure club, recently promoted, only needs to notch up a couple of wins and suddenly finds themselves in the top four. Last season it was Häcken; this season that club is Mjällby. With a population of only 1,500 people, it’s a minor miracle that the tiny Blekinge village can even produce a top division football club. Yet half way through the season Mjällby sit in fourth spot and threaten to qualify for Europe. Wins against title contenders Malmö and Elfsborg suggest Mjällby have more than luck on their side, and could still be in touching distance of the title at season’s end. Where else but Sweden could a club from a tiny, sparsely populated fishing village contemplate playing in Europe, while the biggest club in the competition, from the nation’s capital, is forced to starve off relegation?

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