Final Game

   As we went into our final game, we knew we needed to win. Unfortunately, the game ended in a tie, which meant that we would not be advancing into the higher league. The mood after the game was somber to say the least. Many girls were crying and visibly upset, others were angry and pounded their fists into the ground. I was in shock and didn't quite want to believe that all our hard work seemed to be for nothing. The second half of the season started off so promising that I believed we would make it into the top league with no trouble at all. We did have our fair share of problems throughout the season. Of the 20 girls that had started the season, only 10 remained. Many had torn their ACL's or had some other sort of injury. Also, we played multiple games with one substitute because girls had become sick during the week. I can't even imagine what would have happened if Marissa and I hadn't come over when we did.
   I know everyone felt upset after the game, but I think Marissa and I felt even worse because we felt responsible. They brought us to Sweden to accomplish a goal, and we failed to meet it. We had one job to do and we couldn't get it done. I know the girls didn't blame us, and some even tried to say it was a good thing that they didn't move up, but there was still an overwhelming feeling that we had let everyone down.
   Since our team didn't move up into the higher league, that means there is no chance for us to return. There is no money to bring in Americans because we won't be getting more sponsors. It was so hard to say goodbye to our new friends and coaches. After 3 months I really felt like we were starting to form connections with the team and it would have been fun to come back and play for a whole season.
  As for now, I am not really sure what I will do next.  I have moved back to Tampa and am working part-time for my mom at a catering company. There would still be an opportunity for me to return to Sweden, just not with Kungsbacka. The Swedish league also doesnt start until March, so there's a chance I wouldn't know if I was returning until a week before I would fly out. Right now I am just enjoying being in warm sunny Florida for the winter. It's been a while since I've experienced clear blue skies and 70 degree temperatures in November.
  Even if I don't return to Sweden to play soccer, I definitely plan on returning to visit. Sweden was filled with some of the nicest and welcoming people that it would be hard for me not to return.

One Game Left

   Our last 2 games have been disappointing, to say the least. Both games were ones that we should have won, but lost instead. Now we find ourselves in a position where it is crucial to win our game tomorrow. If we win, there is a good chance that we will finish in the top 6 and be able to move up to the higher league next season. If we lose, there is an opportunity to maybe play a relegation game to decide if we move up or not,  but a win tomorrow would be the best outcome. All week we have talked about how we should feel both focused and excited going into the game. The team we are playing is in second place, so it will definitely be a challenging game. There has been a lot of energy and hard work during our training sessions this week from the whole team. Tomorrow will be a test to see if we have what it takes to move up next season.

A Tie is better than a Loss

   We had yet another challenging game this weekend. We left early Saturday morning to make the four hour bus ride to our game against  Östers . When we arrived we took a short walk on the field. It was a very impressive stadium. The girls on the team informed us that up until today, only the men's team had played in the stadium. Consequently, instead of the crowd attendance of about 50 people for a women's game, there was now going to be close to 1,000. They even had a section of about 20 guys who chanted, sung and heckled us all game.
   We started the game off very slow, and they managed to score within the first five minutes. The second goal came from my cross into one of my teammates, who then passed the ball into another one of our teammates who easily scored. It was a good goal that came from a lot of possession on our part. Their second goal came from a low shot that our keeper barely missed, then hit the post and slowly rolled into the goal. It's hard not to keep your head down when it feels like every time we score a goal, we just get one scored on us too. We were putting a lot of pressure on them in the last 15 minutes and it managed to work. Marissa managed to break free from one of their defenders and shot the ball in the upper left corner. It seemed like the ball was moving in slow motion as we waited to see if she would score. The ball barely missed the keeper's reach and dropped below the crossbar in perfect timing. We scored in the 86th minute and managed to keep the tie until the whistle blew.
  It was a good tie for us, but of course we would have liked to win. This upcoming weekend we have free, so hopefully that will give some of our injured players a chance to recover and play out the final three games.

Action shots from the game. 

Good header, not the best face. 

The stadium we played in. 

4 Games Left

   On Saturday, we lost to IFK Norrkoping in a game that we should have won. The score was 2-3 and they were even a man down for the majority of the game. They scored within the first 15 minutes off of a header from a corner kick and we were down 1-0. Shortly after, we were fouled in the box and got a penalty kick while their defender received a red card and was out for the rest of the match. We scored our penalty kick, but then with 5 minutes left in the half, they scored off a 1v1 with our center back. In the second half we came out with a lot of momentum and scored to tie the game up. Unfortunately, after a scuffle in the box where we just couldn't clear the ball, they scored late in the game and ended up winning. We had many chances through out the game, including a break away that ended in a shot that hit off the post. I think I prematurely cheered twice during the game, only to realize the ball had barely ricocheted off the post pr crossbar. All in all, it was a very disappointing way to lose the game. The weekend before we tied the number one team and were fighting for every ball the whole time. It seemed like during this game, we expected to win and just didn't come out with the energy that we needed.
  We only have 4 more games left so each one is extremely important. The table is so tight, with only a a few points separating the top teams. Hopefully we can win tomorrow, and then we have off next weekend so it will give us a chance to rest and get some of our injured players back.

Mallbacken IF vs. Tölö/Kungsbacka DFF

       The week before we played Mallbacken, training went on as usual, but in the back of our minds we knew that we were going to be playing the first place team in our league on Saturday. We also had a semi-final district cup game to play on Tuesday. The team was in the second division so we were able to rest some of the starters. We won the game without much of a problem, but unfortunately, one of our starters and also one of the girls who scored against Mallbacken in the spring, sprained her knee in the cup game. She attempted to train over the next couple of days, but it was no use, she was going to have to miss the game.
    On Saturday morning, we all met at the train station to board the bus for the 5 hour drive to our game. It was 6:45 a.m. so my thinking was a little hazy, but it seemed like our bus looked a little empty. When we stopped at our first rest stop of the trip, the absences on the bus were explained for. The starting left midfielder was at at wedding, Frida was not there due to her knee injury, the starting center midfielder was sick, as was our head coach. Our only 2 substitutes were a girl who had joined our team that week and our back-up goal keeper. As if the game wasn't going to be challenging enough, now we were down 3 starters, 1 coach and a full bench.
    The game proved to be difficult as we had predicted. The first half was off to a great start when we scored in the first 12 minutes. It was good to get an early goal and let out a little sigh of relief. The rest of the half was difficult, but we managed to fend them off and our goal keeper only had to make a couple of saves. The second half was a different story. They came out with a vengeance and started to break us down. The relentless attack from Mallbacken, along with our inability to keep any sort of possession, resulted in a goal for them in the middle of the second half. We were visibly tired and made our only substitution of the game shortly after the goal. I was thankful when the final whistle blew and the final score was 1-1. It was the 3 points we wanted, but it was good to get 1 point against a team at the top of the table.
   After the game I was excited to see a former Gator teammate Katie Fraine. We were only able to chat shortly, but it was great being able to see her. She has been in Sweden since the beginning of the season so it was interesting to hear how she was liking it. She said her team is located in a very small town. That was apparent to me from our drive there. As we neared the field, the roads became smaller as they cut through woods, mountains and alongside lakes. It seemed like we were going to be lost in the woods before we finally turned a corner and saw the field surrounded by fences and nets. Katie explained the fences were there in order to keep the moose off the field. Besides being in such a small town, Katie said she was having a good time. We arranged to meet up in Gothenburg after my game on Saturday, so we will have a better chance to catch up and exchange stories of life in Sweden.

Took a quick picture after the 1-1 tie. 

Gators in Sweden. We couldn't resist haha. 

   Once everyone had showered and boarded the bus, we drove about 20 minutes to the restaurant where we would be eating dinner. Before the game, our manager walked around and asked everyone, fish or meat for dinner. I was in the middle of napping so I didn't inquire into exactly what the meal entailed, but quickly answered meat and went back to sleep. When we got to the restaurant, it turned out to be a cozy hotel with a spacious back porch overlooking a picturesque lake. We were led down a flight of stairs to a private room with a long table set with lighted candles and cold pitchers of water with lemon. They served us salad and bread as soon as we sat down. Next came our meals of fish and meat. The fish turned out to be a cold salmon with broccoli and carrots. Then came my meal. When they placed it in front of me I thought it looked delicious; it looked similar to the giant meatballs that our frequently served where we eat lunch. But I was quickly told that they were not meatballs, but in fact, they were moose, or in this case, mooseballs. I was hesitant to try them but they actually turned out to be quite good, and even had the same consistency as a meatball would. The meat wasn't tough at all and even had a good flavor. The girls on the team thought it was strange that Marissa and I had never had moose before, but then our manager made a good comparison He said that it was probably similar to me eating alligator in Florida. As soon as he said this, the girls were shocked that we eat alligators and wanted to know what they tasted like. After dinner, we continued our drive and arrived back in Kungsbacka around 11:30 p.m.
      This weekend we have a home game at 4 p.m. It will be nice to win and get another 3 points!


   

Island Adventures Part 2

    After touring the lighthouses and the islands from afar, we took the RIB boat in for a closer look and docked at the main island. A few of the passengers were staying the night in the cabins, and the rest were spending the day on the island like us. Stefan helped some of the guests to their rooms and then met us back at the main building, which is used for different events by the companies holding retreats there. From the outside the building looks like an old worn down house, but once you're inside you realize that the whole interior has been refurbished. When you enter the building there is a staircase straight ahead, with a kitchen to the right and a dining area to the left. Upstairs is a cozy loft with candles and over-sized couches. There is even a little nook with a seating area near a window that you have to hunch over to get to.
   When we got done exploring the old house, Stefan had set up a spread of food for us. There was cheese, butter, some sort of condiment that you squeezed out of a tube and tasted like a sweet mayonnaise, and meat that looked like and tasted like a stick of salami, but with a consistency more like pâté. Then he pulled out 2 different herring dips. One looked like a white tartar sauce and the other looked like someone scooped   out algae and pieces of herring straight from the ocean and tried to call it a dip. Despite having a less than appetizing appearance, both dips actually tasted pretty good. I wouldn't go to the store and buy them, but they were still fun to try. 

The 2 different herring dips

    Once we finished our lunch, we decided to go kayaking. We had seen a few seals laying on some rocks as we neared the island, so we decided to try to paddle out to them. As we started paddling toward them, they started jumping off the rocks and into the water. We were still pretty far away from them so it was hard to tell where they went, but soon little heads started popping up around us. We had paddled about halfway to them before they jumped off the rocks and met us. They didn't come up close enough to touch, but they were definitely very inquisitive and kept an eye on us. I had only ever seen seals at SeaWorld so it was definitely an experience for me to see them up so close. Stefan said that normally there are hundreds of seals on those rocks in early June and July, but we were there in late July so we only saw about 20. 

The tiny dark spot that is a little right of the center is actually a seal head. They were so hard to take a picture of because they kept popping up for a second and then going back under the water. 

Marissa and I kayaking. 

Relaxing in the kayaks. 

   After we were done kayaking, we went back to the main island. From there we were able to tour a couple of the lighthouses and go to the very top. There was an amazing view of the entire island from the top. In the late afternoon we packed up and headed back to the harbor. 
    The next weekend, we were invited out on a boat by another one of our teammates. This time we only went about 15 minutes from the harbor and stopped at one of the closer islands. When we neared the island, we threw in the anchor and secured the boat by wedging a hook into a crevice of a rock. We unloaded our necessities from the boat, which included towels, folding lawn chairs, and a lunch basket. Lunch consisted of    slices of flat bread with different flavored cheeses that came in a tube. There were 3 different flavors; bacon, ham and salami. We also had a thermos of coffee and peaches. 
    Our first activity when we got there was to go exploring. It was like a game trying to find the different rocks that connected and would lead you higher up to the top of the island. There were also little paths that lead you down to the water, although we didn't go in. For one, it was very cold, and two, there were red jellyfish all over. We were told that there are 2 different types of jellyfish; red and blue. The blue ones are harmless, and the red ones will sting you. We did put our feet and legs in. The water is so cold and crystal clear that it seems like it is coming from a natural spring. Even when you take your hands out of the water, it doesn't feel salty and dry like it does from the salt water in Florida.

Marissa and I at the harbor after boating to the island. 

   It was kind of strange to see so many boats docked at these rock islands and people sitting in lawn chairs everywhere. It is not the typical islands I am used to where you pull up to a beach and lay out on your towel on the sand; you pull up to a massive rocky island and sit in a lawn chair on top of a giant boulder. Although it was not what I am normally used to, it was still a lot of fun and a cool experience. 

Island Adventures Part 1

    In the weeks before I was planning on arriving in Sweden, I kept a constant watch on the weather there. The forecast seemed to remain a consistent 60 degrees and raining in the weeks leading up to my arrival. When I actually stepped off the plane, I was shocked to see the sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid 70s. Our teammates informed us that this was the first good week of weather they had in Kungsbacka all summer, and it was already late into July. I tried to take advantage of our opportune timing by going down to the harbor as much as I could. It was nice being able to lay out on the grassy spots of the small island in between the rocks, but I soon longed to be out on one of the dozens of boats that were constantly going back and forth from the harbor.
     Luckily, on our day off, Marissa and I were invited out to an island by the owners of the hotel we stay at. They own the hotel on the mainland, but they also rent a few buildings on an island off the coast, about a 20 minute boat ride from the harbor. They take people to the island by a rigid inflatable boat, or RIB boat, which is the type of boat you see used a lot by the military and the coast guard. People generally spend the night on the island for a day or two and then are picked back up by the boat when they are ready to leave. A lot of companies also hold conferences there.
   Our tour guide and captain of the boat for the day was Stefan, who is the owner of the hotel and also the father of Antonia, a girl on our team. On the way to the main island, we stopped near a few smaller islands with lighthouses on them. Stefan told us a story about one of the islands in the 1800's, which was only about 50 yards long and 30 yards wide. The island consisted of a lighthouse operated by 2 men. There was also a small house on the island for the men's 2 families. When the children would play outside they had to tie a rope around their waists so they wouldn't fall into the water. Can you imagine living with close to 12 people in such a small vicinity, and the only way to leave was by boat?

The island that 2 families lived on. Talk about close quarters. 

   Another area we stopped at was a lighthouse located in front of the main island. Right next to it was about a 10 yard section of pebbles that formed a tiny island. Stefan said that at that spot, 2 different water currents collided and pushed the pebbles together. Every time he goes there, the pebble island will change sizes, and at some times of the year it is almost none existent. Then about 10 yards to the left of this little island, the water gets dramatically deeper and is the start of a reef that continues to the main island and then to the other side of the island. The main island is also made up of the same type of rocky pebbles as the tiny island. Stefan said that after the ice from the iceage melted, these rocks remained and came to form the island.

To the right of the lighthouse is the tiny pebble island. Farther back to the right is where the main island begins. 

   Now on this island, there is a lot of history of different lighthouses being built and torn down. It was probably the most vital spot for the lighthouses since the reef stretched out along the coast of the island and caused hundreds of shipwrecks. When the fog was so thick that the lighthouses' signals could not be seen, they would set off 3 cannon shots as a warning for the ships not to come any closer. It took many different men to manages the lighthouses and cannons, so the island was soon populated the families and children. They even needed a teacher to come at one point.

One of the newer lighthouses that operates automatically. 

An example of the rocks that make up the base of the island. Some parts toward the center  of the island managed to start growing grass and other vegetation.

2 of the older lighthouses that are no longer used. We climbed  up the inside and at the very top is  a place where people can sit and hang out with candles and seat cushions. 

Automatic lighthouse. 

A hot tub on the island! 

View of the island from the top of a lighthouse. Way out in the distance you can see  the lighthouse with the tiny pebble island I mentioned earlier. 

  Today, the remaining houses are rented by the hotel, but maintained by the government in order to preserve the original state of the buildings. Half of one of the buildings is rented out to a bird watching association, which tracks birds all year long. A special species of birds originally only known to live in the cliffs of Norway have made their home on this island too. It is the only place they are found in Sweden. They look kind of like seagulls, but have softer features and are much cuter.

This is where most of the birds from Norway live. You can see one in the corner of the middle window of the lighthouse. 

The other stone lighthouse. Marissa and I think that the birds stopped hear on the way back to Norway because the rocky outer structure of the lighthouse reminded them of the rocky cliffs they lived on in Norway.