Maria Karlsson: Home sweet home
I love to travel, to be abroad, meet new people and new cultures, to taste new food and get new experiences, and since January all that has been a big part of my life. I’ve really enjoyed my first four months in England and all the new experiences I’ve had and all new people I’ve met.
Last week, Kylla Sjoman and I were in Barcelona and Rome. It was a lovely week with sun, ice cream, sea, tapas, FC Barcelona, new friends, pizza, Colosseum, and espresso. The foreign girls in Doncaster (Kylla, Aine, and I) have had a good time at Ramada Hotel, but Kylla and I didn’t miss the hotel food when we ate home cooked pasta in Italy. It was lovely! In Barcelona, we watched FC Barcelona’s last home game for the season. The game was average, but the celebrations after were the most amazing I’ve ever seen. More than 70,000 people congratulated the Spanish Champions, and I really look forward to tonight’s Champions League game. I feel prepared after being at both Old Trafford and Camp Nou the last months. I hope we’ll see a well played game between two tactical teams that want to attack. (more…)
Birmingham City atop of FA Women’s Super League
Although they’ve yet to face the toughest tests, Birmingham City comfortably sit in first place in the FA Women’s Super League after two games. No matter the result of Thursday’s game between Arsenal and Bristol Academy, Birmingham City will enter this weekend in first place. With Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Liverpool, the Blues improved to 2-0 and have outscored their opponents, 8-0. Doncaster drew, 1-1, with Everton and sit in second place with four points. An Arsenal win Thursday over Bristol Academy would put them in a first-place tie with Birmingham City. (more…)
Maria Karlsson: Super start for Doncaster
I think everyone who has ever been involved with sports can agree with me that winning is great. The feeling you get when you have three points after a football game is awesome, and it’s even better when it’s after the first game, of a new league, in a historic game for women’s football in England. We came out with three points against Lincoln last week and the goal came, well-deserved, from our experienced midfielder Vicky Exley. It was a great game and a really good team effort. It was all about that game. This week we have two new games. First, we play Everton away on Wednesday, and then Chelsea in our first home game, Easter Sunday. I hope that we can be consistent and have the same buzz as we had last week, and that all our Doncaster fans will be backing us up in the stands. (more…)
Maria Karlsson: Start of FA WSL season getting closer
Maria Karlsson at Old Trafford
There are only three days left to the kickoff for FA WSL now! The Belles had a really good session today in the sun at Balby Carr. We’re buzzing and prepared for the first game against Lincoln away Wednesday night. Can’t wait. A lot of players have improved over the last few weeks, and I will give a special shout for our tall striker Millie, only 17, but give her some time, and with her power and vision, she can be really, really good.
My soulmate and friend Sofia has been in town last week and so has the lovely weather. Both make me happy. It’s almost summer in Doncaster, and I love it. Just being out in the sun wearing shorts and a T-shirt makes this time of the year so wonderful. And every year at this time I wonder how I can live in a country where it’s dark and cold six months of the year. Maybe it’s time for a change.
Now that I am living in a new country for the first time, I feel that I should try to visit as many cities as a can. Last Friday, I went to Nottingham to celebrate our captain Katie Holtham turning 25. On Saturday, I went to Manchester for a presentation for various Swedish building companies. I spoke about my football career, my life abroad, and the new FA WSL. After my presentation, I met Aine and Kylla, and we went to the “theatre of dreams,” Old Trafford, to watch Man U vs. Fulham. An amazing stadium, crowd of 75,300 people, glorious weather, excited kids, and happy families all around. I’ll be back!
Soon it’s bedtime for me. Tomorrow is a bright and early morning. It’s time for the launch of the league at Wembley Stadium. All the ambassadors, managers, FA people, media, the league mascot, the girl band, parade, and so on will be there to kick off FA WSL 2011. Here we go…
Maria Karlsson is a defender for Doncaster Rovers Belles and the first Swedish international in the FA Women’s Super League.
Maria Karlsson: Canada + Sweden – Ireland
Maria Karlsson, right, in action against Liverpool in the FA Cup
I have had a very eventful week here in Doncaster. My parents came into town, and it was really nice to see them again. I had a great time showing them around Doncaster and having them meet the people I’ve gotten to know here. Unfortunately the weekend did not end very well when we lost against Liverpool in the FA Cup. We didn’t play to our potential, so Liverpool deserved to win this time. Hopefully this will make us hungry for revenge when the league starts. There is only a week and a half left until we play Lincoln, away April 13th. (more…)
Maria Karlsson: Baptism, FA Cup, and visitors
The last week has gone really fast with a lot of fun on the schedule. Since I came to Doncaster in January, March 13 has been the day that I’ve been waiting for. It was the day for our first competitive game, and moreover, Chelsea away in the FA Cup. It was a massive game for us, and it’s always special to start the competitive season after a tough preseason. It’s now where the fun begins. (more…)
Maria Karlsson: Sisters
After this weekend I feel that the subject for the blog is clear. My sister Sofia, who is two years younger then me, came to Doncaster to visit, and it was such a nice time. I have two sisters, Anna who is three years older than me, and Sofia. They are my sisters and also my best friends. It has been lovely to have ‘Fia’ here in Doncaster. It’s hard to imagine that it’s the same sister that I would wrestle and once furiously shoved into the brand new glass shower door when we were kids. Fia’ and I fought and Anna was the mature older sister who cried because we always teased each
other. I think it was the winning instinct which was born then, and I can now imagine how hard it must been for ‘Fia’ to always be the loser when we played football in our basement when we were young. They were tough games, but in one way or another I always won with one goal. Anna and ‘Fia’ are both living in my home town Gothenburg. That’s good for me, who sometimes lives out of a suitcase in their apartments, is like a second home for me. I feel that I can talk with them about everything, even if sometimes they don’t want to hear all I have to say. (more…)
Liverpool Ladies sign Scottish trio Sneddon, Lappin, and Littlejohn
Liverpool Ladies, the 2010 Northern Division champions, recently confirmed the signings of Scottish stars Megan Sneddon, Suzanne Lappin, and Ruesha Littlejohn one month ahead of the start of the inaugural FA Women’s Super League. All three come from Glasgow City of the Scottish Women’s Premier League. Sneddon, a midfielder, is currently playing for the Scottish Women’s National Team at the Cyprus Cup. Lappin, another midfielder, recently played for Scotland in a friendly in February against Wales. Littlejohn, a striker, scored seven goals in Glasgow City’s 11-0 win last November over Inverness to claim Glasgow City’s fifth Scottish Championship.
Maria Karlsson: Team spirit and teamwork
Teams spirit and teamwork. These two words mean a lot to me. I really believe in team spirit and teamwork and the cliché that a team never is stronger than the weakest link. Do I think like that because I’m usually not the player who determines games by scoring the winning goal? Did I choose to play a team game like football for that reason? How true is this cliché? (more…)
Maria Karlsson: Adapt to a smile
One thing that I’ve come to think about after a couple of weeks here in England is how good people adapt to new settings and faces, simply new conditions. And that’s exactly how I feel here in Doncaster. I know that it’s not usual to live at a hotel for one year. But when you know going to do it, it’s just to adapt. And I think we all do it very well! But one thing that I still think will be very hard to adapt to is the left traffic in this country. According to Google, there are only four countries in Europe that drive on the “wrong” side. Why don’t they drive like the rest of us? I am happy when I pass over a cross walk and they have written “look right” or “look left” on the street. That information (and my friends) has saved me a lot of times. (more…)
Maria Karlsson becomes first Swedish international to sign in FA Women’s Super League
Maria Karlsson, who played nine years in Damallsvenskan, is now headed to England to play for Doncaster Rovers Belles in the new FA Women’s Super League, which begins this spring. The 25-year old central midfielder/defender, who had 154 caps and scored 17 goals during her time in Damallsvenskan, becomes the first Swedish international to sign for a team in England’s new semi-professional league. (more…)
FA announces fixtures for Women’s Super League
This morning, the Football Association announced the first seven games for each club in the new FA Women’s Super League in England. The first games are scheduled for Thursday, April 14, 2011. The league runs through August and will take a break during the Women’s World Cup. Also, five matches will air live this season on ESPN. Here’s the list of matches:
| Date | Match | Kick-off | Venue |
| Thurs 14 April 2011 | Birmingham City v Bristol Academy | 7.45pm | Stratford Town FC |
| Chelsea v Arsenal | 7.45pm | Tooting & Mitcham FC | |
| Lincoln Ladies v Doncaster Rovers Belles | 7.45pm | Lincoln United FC | |
| Liverpool v Everton | 7.45pm | Skelmersdale United FC | |
| Wed 20 April 2011 | Everton v Doncaster Rovers Belles | 7.45pm | Marine FC |
| Liverpool v Birmingham City | 7.45pm | Skelmersdale United FC* | |
| Thurs 21 April 2011 | Arsenal v Bristol Academy | 7.45pm | Boreham Wood FC |
| Chelsea v Lincoln Ladies | 7.45pm | Tooting & Mitcham FC | |
| Sat 23 April 2011 | Bristol Academy v Liverpool | 6.30pm | WISE Campus |
| Sun 24 April 2011 | Birmingham City v Lincoln Ladies | 5.00pm | Stratford Town FC |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles v Chelsea | 2.00pm | Keepmoat Stadium | |
| Arsenal v Everton | 2.00pm | Boreham Wood FC | |
| Thurs 28 April 2011 | Arsenal v Birmingham City | 7.45pm | Boreham Wood FC |
| Sat 30 April 2011 | Lincoln Ladies v Everton | 3.00pm | Lincoln United FC |
| Sun 1 May 2011 | Bristol Academy v Doncaster Rovers Belles | 2.00pm | WISE Campus |
| Liverpool v Chelsea | 2.00pm | Skelmersdale United FC | |
| Wed 4 May 2011 | Bristol Academy v Chelsea | 6.30pm | WISE Campus |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles v Liverpool | 7.45pm | Keepmoat Stadium | |
| Everton v Birmingham City | 7.45pm | Marine FC | |
| Lincoln Ladies v Arsenal | 7.30pm | Lincoln United FC | |
| Sun 8 May 2011 | Chelsea v Birmingham City | 2.00pm | Tooting & Mitcham FC |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles v Arsenal | 2.00pm | Keepmoat Stadium | |
| Everton v Bristol Academy | 2.00pm | Marine FC | |
| Liverpool v Lincoln Ladies | 2.00pm | Skelmersdale United FC | |
| Thurs 12 May 2011 | Birmingham City v Liverpool | 7.45pm | Stratford Town FC |
| Bristol Academy v Arsenal | 6.30pm | WISE Campus | |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles v Everton | 7.45pm | Keepmoat Stadium | |
| Lincoln Ladies v Chelsea | 7.30pm | Lincoln United FC |
FA Super League news: Birmingham City announce roster, Hofstra’s Amy Turner signs with Doncaster
Monday, nearly five weeks after playing in the NCAA Division 1 tournament in the U.S., Hofstra University center back Amy Turner signed with the Doncaster Rovers Belles of the new FA Women’s Super League. Turner played for the club before leaving in 2009 to attend Hofstra. Meanwhile on Tuesday, Birmingham City announced its 18-player roster, which includes former Chicago Red Stars forward Karen Carney.
