The first part of Her Football Hub’s detailed outlook on the 2022 season of the Damallsvenskan introduced some favoured teams in the title race. Despite their standings, they can all be challenged by squads from further down in the table.
Continuation: mid-table teams
Linköpings FC: Back to previous Damallsvenskan glory?
Linköpings FC faces a tough challenge on their way to reclaim one of the top spots in the league. They lost important players after the previous season, such as their top goal scorer of 2021, Kanu Uchenna. She netted an impressive 14 times for Linköping in 2021.
For the new season, the club signed Saori Sakarada. The Japanese player can play both in midfield and offense and was part of her country’s squad at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
By signing 18-year-old midfielder Johanna Svedberg, Linköpings’ squad continues to rely on a mix of promising talents and experienced players. Swedish defender Nilla Fischer is one of the latter ones. The extension of her contract was of great importance for the club as they try to re-build on previous success.
Embed from Getty ImagesHammarby: The big Damallsvenskan comeback
After promoting at the end of 2020, Hammarby made their first season back in the Damallsvenskan a successful one. They managed to retain their place in the Swedish top flight and continue to be ambitious. To play an even better season in 2022, the team from the South of Stockholm made several promising signings.
Amongst those was Finnish striker Adelina Engman. She had previous spells in the WSL and the D1 Arkema. The club set another exclamation mark with the signings of Australian internationals Kyra Cooney-Cross and Courtney Nevin.
The new players make great additions on Hammarby’s way to higher table spots in the 2022 season. The side is certainly one to keep in mind.
Securing their spots
KIF Örebro
There is definitely some potential in the young squad of KIF Örebro. However, this has not always been reflected in previous placements and results.
Despite this, many first team players extended their contract until the end of 2022. Örebro also made some notable new signings. One of them is English midfielder Katie Lockwood, who joins the Swedish side from Appollon. Another promising arrival is Canadian winger Lisa Pechersky.
Örebro have established themselves in the lower part of the Damallsvenskan table since their promotion in 2017. Their main goal will be to retain their spot in the Swedish top flight.
Djurgården
Stockholm side Djurgården shares this aim. After the departure of their captain Sheila van den Bulk, who made impressive 71 appearances for the club, they had to cover a big loss.
It is, however, a big boost that key players, such as American forward Hayley Dowd and South African midfielder Linda Motlhalo, have extended their contracts until 2023. New signings include the experienced defender Sanna Kullberg and midfielder Tore Almqvist.
AIK Fotboll Dam
AIK’s main problem during the previous season was their shaky defense. They conceded 48 goals in total, which was the highest amount of all teams in the league. Their offense didn’t provide good numbers either. The club registered only 14 goals in the 2021 season.
As a result, many players left AIK in winter. The Stockholm side reacted with the signings of midfielder Agnes Nyberg and defender Jeannie Nordin, among others. It remains to be seen if the club can improve their performance in 2022.
Piteå IF
Many expect Piteå to fight against relegation this year. They lost their first choice goalkeeper Guro Pettersen, whose stunning goal from the middle of the pitch was voted goal of the 2021 Damallsvenskan season. However, with the signing of Amanda McGlynn from Gotham FC, the team has a new safe pair of hands between the sticks.
Another five players left Piteå at the end of 2021. To make up for the departures, the club signed some younger players, some of whom already had experience in the Damallsvenskan.
With the addition of three newly promoted teams to the league, Piteå faces, however, tough concurrence in the battle against relegation.
Newly promoted: IF Brommapojkarna (BP), IFK Kalmar & Umeå IK
Embed from Getty ImagesWith BP, yet another Stockholm side is joining the Swedish top flight. Having been relegated in 2014, the team is now back in the first division. After eight years in the second league Elitettan, the club now has to adapt to a higher level of football. Therefore, BIP strengthened their squad with a mix of players, who played in the Damallsvenskan before, and promising youngsters. The side‘s opening game couldn‘t be tougher, as they travel to Malmö to play reigning champions FC Rosengård.
IFK Kalmar stands out as a team with many international players. Before the start of the season, the club signed several youngsters. For some of them, it is their first professional contract. As many of the new signings are potential starters for Kalmar, the squad might not be rehearsed enough to compete with the league’s top teams. However, the season will be a great opportunity for Kalmar to develop.
With Umeå, a well-known club returns to the league. The former home to world-class players, such as Marta, won the Champions League in 2003 and 2004. However, in 2016, the side was relegated to the Elitettan. There, Umeå finished the previous season as champions with 16 points ahead of the second placed team. They enter the Damallsvenskan with a largely unchanged squad.
The signings of several international youth players gives the team more depth and exciting prospects.
Conclusion
Some of the teams might seem like the clear favourites in the fight for the Kronprinsessan-Victorias-Pokal. Nevertheless, the 2022 season of the Damallsvenskan will be a competitive one. Many clubs have strengthened their squads with exciting talents and experienced players.
No team should be underestimated, as there is a lot to play for. Thanks to the extended number of participants and the new broadcast deal, the new season will be bigger than ever before. The audience has a lot to look forward to once the league kicks off on March 26th.
The opening game between Hammarby and Eskilstuna takes place at the famous Tele2 Arena in Stockholm and starts at 14:00 CET.
