9 augusti 2011, Malmö IP
Weather: Sunshine and then another dramatic purple sunset
Result: 1-1, just like last week
Set the Wayback Machine for ten years ago; it feels like old times, seeing the teams from Umeå and Malmö at the top of the charts. At the start of Round 11, only a week ago, when Umeå hosted LdB, the two teams were placed second and first. That game was a tie at 1-1, so at the start Round 12, with LdB hosting Umeå, the teams were placed first and second. This game also was a tie at 1-1. The less things change, the more they stay the same.
Another thing that did not change was Umeå goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson's trucker-style camouflage ball cap. Now I have nothing against goalkeepers wearing hats, after all, it's just practical, but I confess when I saw it on her head last week, I laughed, thinking that the sun must have come out unexpectedly and so she must have had to borrow a hat from Umeå Idrottsklubben's competitive moose hunting team or something. Because surely she would not choose to wear that hat; it clashes horribly with her red jersey. But this week... the hat was back.
Fortunately, there were plenty of other nice things to watch in this game. As is often the case Manon Melis was a constant threat. She takes a nice run at the goal already in the 15th minute, perhaps accidently handling the ball a little bit, then taking a shot from close range at a bad angle that nearly sends one of the end line ball girls into orbit. Her goal ten minutes or so later was a thing of beauty, taken from just inside the box, crossing just in front of keeper Jönsson, and striking the far net just inside the post. 1-0 to the home team and one might observe that it was some sloppy defending from Umeå that gave her that chance, as she was allowed to receive the ball un-harassed, and even to then run at the goal a few steps to gather momentum and take her time to aim and shoot.
Umeå's goal in the 39th was also a thing a beauty, and nearly a clinic of passing and patience and finishing. The goal-scoring play started all the way back in Umeå's goal box; three passes later, Ramona Bachmann had the ball at midfield and managed through individual skill to take the ball all the way to Umeå's endline, and pass back to Maria Nordbrandt, whose one-touch on the ground into the box was right on target to Hanna Pettersson, standing unmarked less than a meter in front of the goal. LdB defenders raised their hands to call for offside, but clearly she was not. 1-1.
The second half was perhaps played at not quite so high an energy level, although still offered plenty of chances. Melis, standing well-guarded at the top of Umeå's box, provided a fantastic assist to on onrushing Frida Nordin, whose finish went just wide of the post, to LdB's bench's despair. In the 79th minute, Bachmann jogs to get a ball going off the sideline, and takes the chance to eat up the clock a little by juggling it and then passing it to the player taking the throw with her heel; probably it is a coincidence, but the camera cuts to Melis, looking annoyed (see video below). When the game ends, everyone look slightly annoyed; each team knows that they have only given hope to the rest of the field. Still, it was certainly a fair result, and closeness of the current standings ensures that the rest of the season will be interesting. Even if it feels like old times to see these two teams up top, it is nice to see them so even with each other, and also nice to see they no one is blowing out the league by beating everyone else soundly.
Ramona Bachmann shows off her stuff:
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