IFK Norrköping's women's football team has played the final in the Swedish Cup for the first time. But the first title will have to wait.
Hammarby snatched the trophy after a 2–0 win in front of 13,080 spectators at home at the 3 arena in Stockholm.
It's fantastic. I want to help the team to goals, points, and wins. To be able to give back to everyone in the stands and to be decisive today, it's awesome, says match winner Ellen Wangerheim.
She had a more than pleasant Wednesday, despite the chilly May weather.
First, she was selected in Peter Gerhardsson's national team squad for the decisive Nations League against Italy and Denmark. Then, she decided the cup final with a double.
Suspected offside
The 1–0 goal came in the 12th minute.
Hammarby quickly reorganized and Julie Blakstad found Anna Jøsendal on the left flank. Jøsendal sent the ball behind Norrköping's defense line and Wangerheim, in a suspected offside position when the pass was made, pushed the ball into the net.
It's offside from the images I've seen. But it doesn't matter, it wasn't called offside. But it's a tough one to get naturally, says IFK Norrköping's coach Stellan Carlsson.
His team has started the women's top league poorly with only two wins in eight matches. As recently as on Saturday, they suffered a heavy 1–4 loss at home against Kristianstad.
But in the cup, they have impressed and in the final, the team stood strong and didn't let Hammarby create much beyond the leading goal. With a bit of luck, it would have been 1–1, but Jessica Wik's pass on added time, which Hammarby goalkeeper Anna Tamminen misjudged, hit the crossbar.
Öst in goal
Instead, Ellen Wangerheim struck again after the break, as she has done so often. In the women's top league, the 20-year-old has scored eight goals. In the cup, she has been even sharper.
Seven goals in the three group stage matches, one in the semifinal against Rosengård. And in the final, another two.
In the 69th minute came 2–0. IFK Norrköping tried to clear an incoming pass, but the ball ended up with Wangerheim who tapped it in.
When the final whistle blew, the pitch was stormed by jubilant home fans.
To see the whole stadium rush onto the pitch, it's magical.
When Hammarby won in 2023, it was the women's team's first title in 28 years. Then it was followed up with a league gold. Now the women's top league leader is halfway to a new one.
