The game at the end of the rainbow

Linköping FC v. LdB FC Malmö, Damallsvenskan Round 16
29 augusti 2010, Folkungvallen
Weather: Rainy, cold, but perversely with sunshine throughout
Goals: 5' Manon Melis (passning Frida Nordin) 0-1; 37' Linda Forsberg (passning Frida Nordin) 0-2; 57' Josefine Öqvist 2-1
Warnings: LFC Josefine Öqvist 25'; LdB Amanda Ilestedt 85'

What a fun game this was to watch! Last year's champions Linköping had been the only team to take points away from league-leading LdB FC, a 0-0 draw back in spring. LdB played a nice calm possession game; they looked quite competent and in control. LFC also played very well, and have been buoyed by the return of Kosovare Asllani, but there was not quite the fine level of control that LdB showed. LFC's goal came in part from a defensive miscue, while both of LdB's goals looked a little more planned.

The first goal, a nice individual effort by Manon Melis, came after seven passes that worked the ball up the field cleanly and efficiently; Melis then got past her defender at the top of the box and sent the ball on the ground past a diving Sofia Lungren, who had come out a couple steps once it was clear that Melis had turned the corner on defender Maja Krantz. The second came from a cross by Frida Nordin, in from the right corner; midfielder (and very tall person) Nilla Fischer was there in the goal to take a swipe at it with her head, but when she missed, Linda Forsberg on the near post swept the ball neatly in with her right foot.

Linköping's goal came when Josefine Öqvist pounced on a very weak back-pass from Forsberg; she showed some speed and nice skill to touch the ball past LdB's keeper Thora Helgadottir. Forsberg can be seen gripping her head in horror as the ball slides into the net. In the 80th Linköping has a good chance to tie it up on a freekick, but the ball misses Öqvist's foot by inches. She spins and stamps in frustration.

The oddest thing about this game is that it appeared to have driving heavy rain for the whole time, and yet, and the same time, the shadows were long and sharp and clearly the sun was shining. Finally, during that freekick at he end of the game, the camera shows the view from LdB's goal, and we can finally see the large rainbow against the dark clouds. Unfortunately rainbows are notoriously hard to capture on camera, but it must have been very nice for the LdB defense to look at. Let's hope it's a good omen for next year; surely LdB, with six games left, will finish in either first or second place (probably first), and represent Sweden in the Champions League.