Ljungberg hoping for last laugh

By Chipp Reid

When Swedish champions Umeå IK arrived in France for Friday's second leg of their UEFA Women's Cup quarter-final against Toulouse FC, coach Richard Holmlund went through a strange ritual, checking the closets and wardrobes in his hotel room just to be sure he would stay dry through the night.

Practical joker
Holmlund's unusual routine shows it is not just the opposition who have reason to fear Hanna Ljungberg. The 2002 Swedish Player of the Year once crammed herself into a wardrobe with team-mate Therese Kapstad just to dump a bucket of water on her coach. "The funny thing is we could hear him and the assistant coach laughing about how they threw water on us," Ljungberg said. "We must have been in there for three hours, waiting. But, we got him."

Form and fitness
Ljungberg's sense of humour, however, is not the main reason why she is so feared. The Swedish international striker has scored a record 39 goals in the Damallsvenskan this season - and 64 overall in 2002 - leading Umeå to their third consecutive league title and second successive double. She puts her form down to a return to full fitness. "I was healthy all year," she said. "The last two years I had a lot of injuries, but this year I played almost every game. I think that is why I had so many goals."

Staying focused
Ljungberg and Linda Dahlqvist were on target in Umeå's 2-0 first-leg win but she insisted the return match would not be easy. "They are a really good and tough team," she said. "We're 2-0 up right now, but anything can happen. We have to be prepared."

Winning mentality
That should not be a problem. No matter how many accolades Ljungberg receives or how many trophies Umeå collect, the players and coaches always insist they can do better. "I'm a real bad loser," Ljungberg said. "I think that's one of the things that makes me always want to work harder and get better. I really hate to lose and I think that is something the whole team shares."

Looking ahead
Should Umeå progress they face a likely rematch in the semi-finals against FFC Frankfurt - the side who beat them in last year's final. Ljungberg last year's final through suspension and the memory of the defeat remains a spur. "We as a team didn't play that well," she said. "I think that made us want to play even better this year."

Holders hold advantage
Frankfurt take a 2-0 lead into their home leg against HJK Helsinki. The Finnish side will be without the experienced Terhi Uusi-Luomalahti after the 28-year-old defender suffered a knee injury in the first leg and HJK coach Timo Lounio knows another tough test is in prospect. "We must be very careful with the Frankfurt strikers, they are very dangerous," he said. However, he has not given up hope, adding: "If we get the first goal, that will make Frankfurt nervous."

Scandinavian affair
In an all-Scandinavian affair in Denmark, Norwegian Women's Cup winners SK Trondheims-Ørn visit Fortuna Hjørring having drawn 2-2 at home. "It's true that the odds are not in our favour but by coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the first match that we have plenty of stamina and I am convinced we can win in Denmark," said coach Trond Norsteien. The other quarter-final sees Arsenal LFC at home to Russia's CSK VVS Samara with a 2-0 lead from the first leg.