Damallsvenskan Newsblog

Tabloid Expressen got hold of Umeå's Ma Xiaoxu just before her arrival in Sweden tomorrow, Monday. She tells the papaer that she got informed about Umeå's interest in late January and wasn't unfamiliar with the name. She knew Umeå is Sweden's leading women's football club and that Marta and Hanna Ljungberg plays there. It is a big step to move to Sweden, but she thinks her young age is an advantage: "When you'tre young you adapt more quickly. It is also easier to learn a new language." She will miss her friends in China, but makes the move to develop as a player. And so far she has not considered a possible extension of her stay in Sweden. "I will think about that in six months".
Expressen: Ma - den största sedan Marta

Göteborgsposten has, as far as I know, the only media representative in Algarve apart from the news agancy TT. And when you're there, you've got to do more stories than just match reports. Player interviews:

Kopparbergs/Göteborg fullback Marlene Sjöberg works as a trainee at Volvo and has spent the time from the end of the Damallsvenskan season last year until a couple of weeks ago interning at Volvo affiliates in North America and Australia. "I could run and work out, but I didn't play football at all during my stay abroad", she explains and she was surprised when Thomas dennerby called her just two days after her return to Sweden. So far she has been brought in for the last 20 minutes or so in the Algarve Cup matches, but Dennerby still seems impressed: "She has been looking very alert". In spite of club and national team assignments, Sjöberg still plans to work full-time the spring and summer. But she hopes to get the opportunity to request a leave of absence for the World Cup.
Göteborgsposten: Sjöberg siktar stenhårt på VM

Therese Sjögran, Malmö FF midfielder, is probably as close to a successor to Malin Moström as we will get. "Of course it is fun, and I feel some expectations", she comments the fact that Thomas Dennerby mentioned her name first when Moström announced her retirement. The 29 year old has played for the national team in 10 years and has over 100 caps, but she still hasn't really settled. "It's been up and down over the years, but it feels great now. I get more responsibility now and I like that." But she doesn't really replace Moström "My role is more of a playmaker, Malin was much more attacking". Thomas Dennerby has no problems pointing to Sjögran's strong sides, but also says "Sometimes it is a little bit too much short-passing and play on small areas. But a technician [like Sjögran] can make magic happen and as a coach you don't want to change that."
Göteborgsposten: Sjögran tar över huvudrollen

Malmö FF's Caroline Jönsson was the first choice for goalkeeper for several years, but 2005 she lost that spot to Linköping's Hedvig Lindahl. "We hadn't done that well in the Olympics the year before and it was a tough period for me. I wasn't completely focused either and sometimes it is important to reflect over if this is worth all the time you put in." Eventually she decided to keep on and regained her starting position last season and since Hedvig Lindahl's injury she is even more important. "My aim is always to be the starting keeper, otherwise I might as well quit."
Göteborgsposten: Jönsson tillbaka i startelvan

Finally the tired journalist does the old twenty-random-questions-picked-from-a-box-celebrity-interview with Victoria Svensson, Djurgården's 29 years old forward. You get to know that her favourite movie is The Shawshank Redemption, but doesn't like horror movies. She isn't much of a party-girl, but preferes to stay home and cook dinner (she is a trained cook). She likes all kinds of domestic work except window cleaning and wants to have two kids.
Göteborgsposten: Victoria Svensson: "Jag gillar inte skräckfilmer"

Finally, US Soccer has brought the former teammates Lotta Schelin and Hope Solo together in front of a video camera. Watch the talk at http://www.ussoccer.com/sights/index.jsp_videoGallery-288-1.html, because you really don't want me to try to summarize that.