Linköping send signal to Europe
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Article summary
Linköpings FC coach Magnus Wikman was delighted with the Swedish side's smooth progress through the qualifying round and believes the European debutants are capable of lifting the trophy.
Article top media content
Article body
Both the Swedish sides to compete in the former UEFA Women's Cup, Umeå IK and the club formerly known as Djurgården/Älvsjö, reached the final at the first attempt, and European newcomers Linköpings FC are off to a good start after winning through the UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round.
Comfortable progress
Runners-up behind two-time European champions Umeå IK last year in Sweden, Linköping are making their UEFA competition debut as the revamped competition now allows entries to the teams finishing second in the top-eight ranked leagues. To join Umeå in the 32-team knockout phase, Linköping needed to win qualifying round Group 5 on home soil, and after beating Moldova's FC Roma Calfa 11-0 and Northern Irish side Glentoran Belfast United 3-0, they defeated Romanian champions CFF Clujana 6-0 on Tuesday night, Ida Brännström scoring a hat-trick to take her mini-tournament tally to nine goals.
Stronger
Linköping coach Magnus Wikman will discover his side's Round of 32 opposition on 14 August, with the home leg on 30 September and return seven days later, and was pleased with his side's decisive victory. "Frankly, I expected a tougher game," Wikman told uefa.com. "But we were much stronger physically and exploited that by scoring three goals from set-pieces, two from corners. Our opponents didn't show much in attack; they created a few dangerous situations at the end of the match, but by then everything was decided."
Ambition
Wikman's side trail Umeå by two points in this year's Damallsvenskan, currently on hiatus for UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™, and he is determined that Linköping will still be involved in the UEFA Women's Champions League when the 2010 Swedish season begins. "We have a goal of reaching the quarter-finals," he said. "I think this team are able to win the competition, but we don't know who will stay with us for next year; maybe somebody will move to the United States. However, there are no teams who we will give an easy game."
