ULLEVAAL STADION (Dagsavisen): Ever since last year’s cup final, it has been clear from the eyes of the Vålerenga players that they wanted revenge. That wish was not diminished by the way last year’s loss came about, when Thea Bjelde was robbed of one of the finest goals in NM history when her magnificent goal was canceled by VAR, which announced another round of VAR criticism.
This year, as last year, the cup final is the only game the women play in the year with VAR, and as last year, it was rather sloppy in the stands. In contrast to last year’s cup final, Vålerenga entered the final this time with a solid favorite stamp, both in terms of this year’s performances in the league and the Champions League, but also in terms of how bad form Rosenborg has had this autumn.
VIF also had an extra ace up its sleeve this time, in that birthday girl Sara Hørte played for Rosenborg last year. The Bygdøy girl was thus able to secure cup gold two years in a row, and Hørte was also able to score on the game’s first big opportunity when she headed a corner over the goal. Vålerenga dominated the start of the match, before two interruptions with bandages for Janni Thomsen and Ylinn Tennebø broke the rhythm.
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Vålerenga struggled a bit to get the ball down on the ground and get the game started, because when they actually played football, they were superior to Rosenborg. Today’s hosts had no shots, and nothing to contribute, but managed to defend themselves quite well as long as Vålerenga did not start their game. On small surfaces and when the VIF girls were able to set up an attack, you saw the difference in class straight away.
And then there was the birthday girl. Of course, it was Sara Hørte who scored the game’s decisive goal, and it came on her head, which is her greatest strength. That x-factor was a large part of the reason why Nils Lexerød wanted to pick her up in the first place, and the head game is something the 24-year-old is still in training and practicing. It is no coincidence that she was the one in the box and got the nod in Vålerenga’s winning goal.
The Bygdøy girl who played with the boys when she was younger, since she was the only girl in her age group who played football, went through the grades via KFUM Oslo, Øvrevoll-Hosle, and Kolbotn until she got the chance in the Toppserien. The trip continued to Rosenborg, but when her contract expired this summer, there was no doubt. She wanted to return to Oslo, where the country’s best team also wanted her.
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From day one, Hørte stepped in and cemented that place next to Elise Thorsnes, even though she started by making penalties against her former teammates in her Vålerenga debut. It ended in victory, as it often does when Hørte plays. In addition to the cup final last year, Hu also played when Rosenborg inflicted a very rare loss on the VIF ladies at Intility earlier in the season, but after Hørte announced a transfer to Vålerenga, the stopper has not lost a single match that VIF has played in the domestic series and cup .
It may not have been an exuberant Vålerenga team at its best we saw against Rosenborg, but VIF lived up to the favorite stamp to that extent. In usual style, Nils Lexerød’s girls controlled the match, and were in full control. Rosenborg created nothing, and was never close to getting back into the game.
In overtime, Mimmi Löfwenius also came on for his first minute in exactly one year, when the attacker tore his cruciate ligament in last year’s cup final. That put the finishing touches on a perfectly executed revenge, both for Vålerenga, Löfwenius and the birthday girl Sara Hørte, who celebrated her second straight cup gold by scoring.
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Battle facts
National Championship final women Sunday:
Rosenborg – Vålerenga 0-1 (0-0)
Ullevaal stadium, 3017 spectators.
Goal: 0-1 Sara Hørte (61.)
Yellow cards: Selma Sol Magnusdottir, Synne Brønstad, Rosenborg.
Judge: Sarah Fatemeh Zangeneh (Kongsberg Sports Association)
Rosenborg (4-2-3-1): Rugile Rulyte – Matilde Rogde (Andrine Tomter from 81.), Kristine Leine, Mathilde Harviken, Synne Brønstad (Hanna Dahl from 82.) – Selma Sól Magnúsdóttir (Andrea Buberg from 69.), Elin Sørum – Karna Sødahl (Rebecka Holum from 68.), Beate Marcussen, Emilie Nautnes – Ine Berre.
Vålerenga (3-4-3): Tove Enblom – Sara Hørte, Elise Thorsnes, Iselin Sandnes Olsen (Michaela Kovacs from 87) – Janni Thomsen, Linn Vickius, Ylinn Tennebø (Tomine Enger from 90), Sædis Heidarsdottir – Olaug Tvedten (Mawa Sesay from 90), Karina Sævik (Mimmi Löfwenius from 90), Emma Godø (Tilde Lindwall from 87)
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