Damallsvenskan Newsblog

Those of you that read the match reports has noticed that Linköping has a new keeper during Hedvig Lindahl's injury: Ellinor Birath. Birath, a 32 year old mother of two, comes from 2nd division Saltängen, but played both in Damallsvenskan and in Sweden's national team before her kids came along.

You might also have noticed the reappearence of Caitlin Fisher on Hammarby's roster. She played for the club this spring, then returned to Massachusetts to play for Boston Renegades in W-league. Unless there is a typo in Hammarby's line-up for the Umeå game, she is now back in Stockholm.

Malmö's Anna Mörstam played her last match for Malmö this season at Jitex before going on loan to her mother club Östers IF (1st division). Two other Malmö FF benchsitters, Mia Westerblad and Vlora Bajraktaraj, has been loaned to Malmö neighbours Husie (1st division) and the 17 year old talent Emelie Ölander has just finished a stint with Älmhult (1st division). To make up for bringing Emelie home, Malmö set up the connection between Älmhult and American forward Annii Magliulo (California Storm), who was on trial with Malmö early this year.

In other Malmö news, their Danish winger Nanna Johansen has decided to extend her contract and will stay with the club the entire season.

And Hammarby has hired longtime defender Annelie Norén as club manager. Smaller clubs hiring office staff seems like a little trend. Mallbacken earlier this year hired Jenny Larsson, also a former player. Probably the greatly increased TV revenues comes to use here.