Two young Matildas become Sweden’s champions – FTBL | Football’s home in Australia – The ladies’ game
The two Matildas won their first Damallsvenskan titles on October 17, 2021 with Swedish FC Rosengård. Their win against Piteå on Sunday secured Rosengård the title despite two rounds remaining of the season.
FC Rosengård Damallsvenskan wins
- FC Rosengård took the title with a 3-2 away win against Piteå.
- Matilda’s Teagan Micah and Charlotte Grant are now Swedish champions.
- The win guarantees FC Rosengård a place in next year’s UEFA Champions League qualifying stage for women.
Grant joined the Swedish side in April this year, ahead of their Damallsvenskan campaign in 2021. Micah followed halfway through the season and joined the Olympics in Tokyo. She had previously been on the Norwegian Toppserien side Sandviken.
Since joining the team, Grant had spent a significant portion of the season as a peripheral player, often appearing as an unused replacement in the talented squad. But she started getting more playing time in the last month and a half and played a number of games, including three as a starter.
Micah became the regular starter in goal on his arrival after former goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé left for PSG. So far, Micah has started and played in seven matches since Damallsvenskan’s Olympic restart at the end of August.
Both Matildas were in the starting lineup for this weekend’s match. Rosengård entered match day 20 with a five-point lead in second place Häcken, for which Matilda Dylan Holmes plays. A win would guarantee Rosengård the title if Häcken did not beat AIK in the match 20 match day.
On the snow-covered day, FC Rosengård was the first to take the lead against opponents Piteå. A cross into the box was found by Olympic silver medalist Olivia Schough who shot it over the goalkeeper and found the back of the net in eight minutes of play.
However, Rosengård’s lead lasted only ten minutes. Anam Imo was able to throw it past Micah and found the back of the net for Piteå to make 1-1.
Rosengård could have added one to the visitors’ lead if his free kick had gone just a little lower. Schough this time provided an assist, in the form of a cruise of the box which Stefanie Sanders then converted and put the guests at 2-1.
Micah was replaced at half time, it is unclear if she had suffered an injury. Ten minutes after the restart, Sofia Wännerdahl was able to chip back goalkeeper Angel Mukasa to equalize the home team.
Rosengård found his game winner, and finally season winner, in the 78th minute. Stefanie Sanders sent a rocket shot from just inside the box to make it 3-2 for the guests. That was the last goal of the match.
When the whistle blew, some Rosengård players on the pitch were initially unsure why their teammates cheered, as they were not aware of the Häcken result that had ended during the second half.
With the lost Häcken points, Rosengård’s win secured them the Damallsvenskan title and qualification for the UEFA Champions League qualifying stage next year. Micah currently has a two-year contract with the club, which means that she will experience at least UWCL qualifiers 2022-23.
IN Aftonbladet after the match interview head coach Renée Slegers said about his win:
“You win a title over an entire season. It’s definitely not today, because I do not think we play that well. But it’s over the entire season.”
SWEDEN CHAMPIONS 💛 @FCRosengard pic.twitter.com/xDOF4RE4E3
– Charlotte Grant (@_charli_grant) October 17, 2021
Grant and Micah are now heading home to Australia for the international break. They both got their names for the upcoming camp to prepare for the friendly matches against Brazil which will be held at Western Sydney’s Commbank Stadium.
They then return to Sweden for the last two rounds of this Damallsvenskan season.
You can find the entire Damallsvenskan schedule with this link.
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