History Follow Up: Ljungberg and Bouhaddi
In my fun facts post a couple of days ago, I mentioned that I wanted to find out more about the potential hard feelings between France and Sweden that Foudy commented on after Jossan Oqvist was given a red for kicking Sonia Bompastor in the stomach. The brief comment left me wanting to know more, but with little to work on I would need to stumble across the story to learn more. While doing research for the post on Pia, I found just what I needed: a name. Ljunberg to be exact.
Hanna Ljungberg played her first game for Sweden’s national team at the age of 17 in 1996. In 2009, after a 129 game and 72 goal international career, she announced her retirement from soccer. She is one of the most colorful players in the sport and is a national hero back home. By 2003 she was a top contender for World Player of the year, coming in 3rd behind Birgit Prinz and Mia Hamm. While playing she was a part of several Swedish championship teams, and was a major contributor to the success of her teams.
Football is my life. For me, [it] is a philosophy of life, much more than a sport.
In 2004, Ljungberg tore a ligament during training and throughout the rest of her career battled injuries. In 2006, the collision between her and French goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi Algarve Cup forced Ljunberg to slow down, and a few years later she bowed out.
The 2006 game against France was viewed by the French coach, Elisabeth Loisel, as a practice match to give her girls experience. With a young squad and a few players unable to play, she wanted to get a good game in against a strong Swedish team.
Sweden was known for scoring early, which was evident by the pressure they placed on the French defense from the beginning. Still, the French held strong, not letting any in during the first half. In the 51st minute, Lota Schelin took a ball in and was able to slide it in past Bouhaddi.
About 23 minutes later, disaster struck. A Swedish ball came sailing over the French back line, and Ljungberg, with one defender on either side, looked like she was going to win the ball. Bouhaddi charged out of her box to make the challenge. She came in with her head down and collided with Ljungberg midair. Ljungberg was immediately taken to the hospital with a severe concussion and fears that her jaw was broken.
Sweden took the game and placed 3rd in the Algarve cup, but two players walked away from the game with major impacts on their career. Ljungberg’s injuries forced her to slow down in the final years of her career. On the other side, a young keeper had tarnished her name, and may have ruined her career as a result of her aggressive play.
As a 16-year-old, Bouhaddi played as the French goalkeeper in the U-19 European Women’s Championship. She was a crucial part in their defeat of Norway in the final. In early 2004 she made her debut on the French national team, and was named the starting keeper for the UEFA Women’s Euro tournament in 2005.
Despite her experience and history with the team, she did not make it to the 2011 World Cup, apparently due to the fact that Bouhaddi and Sandrine Soubeyrand, the French captain, hate each other. Whether or not this is a reflection of Bouhaddi’s questionable character, her dirty play or just a mutual internal conflict, France was left with two subpar goalkeepers.
Maybe France was frustrated with its mediocre performance, or maybe French players just like to play dirty when theythink they can get away with it, but in the 68th minute when Sonia Bompastor kicked Josefine Öqvist and was kicked back, Foudy commented on the possibility of hard feelings between the players lingering from the 2006 game.
After looking into the issue, I don’t think that is the case. Sure the memory existed, but I think that in general Sweden is a classy team while France likes to test the boundaries of dirty play. Bompastor was obviously the initiator of the conflict on the field and should have been sent off; instead, Sweden received its first ever World Cup red. Sweden remembers what happened, but they did not go for blood in the game to retaliate for things of the past. Though Öqvist shouldn’t have retaliated, Bompastor got what she asked for.
I think the mentality of Swedish players is commendable. They always appear to look on the bright side, and the fact that a team like Sweden received their first red card in the WWC this year shows that they like to play clean.
After her injury, Ljungberg made a comment that was the epitome of the Swedish mentality:
I felt I had the upper hand as we both ran towards the ball – I would reach the ball first, head it over the keeper and score. I really didn’t feel I was doing anything dangerous. I don’t understand what Bouhaddi was thinking the way she went in head first… She probably just timed it wrong.
She gave the French keeper the benefit of the doubt and moved on. It seems the Swedes always take the more optimistic view. I will be interested to follow the team more closely in the future.
-HD
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