The table was set for a heavenly blue SM gold on Saturday afternoon in Västerås. All that was required to secure the Allsvenskan gold already now, in the 27th round, was a win away against the bottom team.
But it didn't turn out that way. The match ended 1–1.
It's probably been the problem for the past two weeks, everyone thinks you just go to Västerås and win easily, says MFF's team captain Anders Christiansen to Max.
"Fighting for their lives"
Even though Västerås is the bottom team, Christiansen points out that the match picture has been even in many of the newcomer's loss matches.
They're fighting for their lives, which we're also doing, but at the other end of the table, says the Dane.
There were thousands of MFF supporters on site in Västerås, but the gold celebration will have to wait.
We feel a great responsibility for all our supporters who come here and we would have liked to win together with them today, says Christiansen.
It looked for a long time like it was going Malmö's way.
On a sunny autumn day at Hitachi Energy Arena, the match began somewhat tentatively in the first quarter. Then Malmö's Hugo Bolin got the ball at his feet and set the party in motion. The newly crowned national team debutant cut in from his left flank and fired a shot that Johan Brattberg let rebound. Then Erik Botheim stepped forward and pushed in 1–0.
MFF went to the break with a lead. But maybe VSK should have gotten a penalty? After half an hour of play, Mattéo Ahlinvi was knocked down in the penalty area, but the referee chose to let it go – to the home team's great disappointment.
Västerås – which is fighting for its Allsvenskan survival – created a lot of pressure in the second half. In the end, it paid off. Pedro Ribeiro stepped forward on a goalkeeper's rebound and equalized 1–1 in the 65th minute.
Champions in a jacket?
Malmö then shifted into an extra gear to score a gold goal. But Västerås stood firm and shot down Malmö's presumed party.
A gold party that could become a reality already on Sunday when the Allsvenskan second-place Hammarby meets third-place Djurgården. A draw in the Stockholm derby and Malmö becomes Swedish champions in a jacket.
If either team wins the derby, the battle for the SM gold will live on for another round. Then MFF can secure the SM gold on their own strength at home against IFK Göteborg on Monday, October 28.
