Two mistakes were all Elfsborg needed to pull off a 2-1 win over Djurgården March 31 at Borås Arena in both team’s season opener.
DIF fielded a completely different side from the one that battled relegation last year and the new-look team was dominant for much of the match. About the only thing Djurgården couldn’t do was get the ball past Elfsborg net minder Kenneth Höje. Elfsborg acquired the Norwegian as a last-second loan player from Start in Norway after Markus Stuhr-Ellegaard went down with an injury. The Boras side might just want to keep him, if his first performance is any indication of his talent level.
Djurgården fired 14 shots on goal and Höje handled all but one. He came up key on two late-game saves against DIF goal scorer Marc Pedersen. DIF, in fact,made just two mistakes, both in front of goal and both with Anders Svensson lurking. The Elfsborg captain jumped on a poor back pass to left-foot a goal past Kasper Jensen in the 24th minute. A minute into first-half stoppage time, Victor Claesson intercepted another errant pass and hit Svensson, who again left-footed the ball past Jensen.
Pedersen made the score 2-1 in the 67th minute but Höje stood firm to give Elfsborg the win
by Chipp Reid