Allsvenskan Round 16
It has been a crazy couple of weeks in the Allsvenskan as the 16 teams all played at least four games in a two-week span with some playing five and others six or even seven.
The difference in schedule came down to which stadiums were available and which were part of the 2013 UEFA Women’s European Championship, of which Sweden is the host country. Over the two week-span running from July 1 through July 16, four different teams – AIK, Göteborg, Helsingborg and Malmö – held first place for at least one day.
Malmö currently sits atop the standings with 32 points from 16 matches. Helsingborg is second with 31 points in 15 games, meaning HIF still has a game in on hand on the rest of the league. AIK and Göteborg are tied for third with 29 points while defending champions Elfsborg and Kalmar are tied for fifth with 27 points.
Åtvidaberg sits in sixth place with 26 points while Mjällby is eighth with 24. From there the point totals drop off as BK Hacken is ninth with 20 points, followed by Norrköping with 19, Djurgården 16, Gefle 14 and Halmstad 13. Östers sits in the relegation playoff spot with 13 points while Brommapojkarna and Syrianska are the bottom two teams in the standings.
Elfsborg, Helsingborg, Göteborg and Gefle have also had European matches, with Elfsborg opening its Champions League while Helsingborg, Göteborg and Gefle are all in the Europa League.
Helsingborg, despite going 1-2-1 in its last four matches, continues to hold the trump card in the race for the Lennart Johansson trophy, thanks to its game in hand. HIF makes up that game July 24 in Halmstad but prior to that match, faces IFK Göteborg at Gamla Ullevi in a match some in the Swedish media are already saying could decide the title. Both sides have started bulking for their July 28 tilt. Helsingborg signed 19-year-old Ghana starlet Ema Boateng to a four-year contract on the advice of its current Ghanaian striker David Accam. HIF also picked up Norrköping striker Imad Khalili, whose contract with Peking expired July 1. The moves should bolster what is already to the top offense in the league.
Göteborg, meanwhile, which boasts the top defense in the Allsvenskan, worked to patch the holes injuries have punched in its back line. Starting center backs Kjetil Waehler and Mattias Bjärsmyr have missed considerable time this season along with midfielders Pontus Farnerud, Ludwig Augustinsson and Joel Allansson and striker Hannes Stiller. The Blavitt’s 2012 spending spree actually allowed for a New York Yankees-type injury situation as Göteborg had enough depth to overcome the loss of four starters and its two main substitutes in Allansson and Stiller. To help bolster the midfield and defense Göteborg snapped up Danish international defensive midfielder Lasse Vibe. The 26-year-old Vibe can play either central defender or center midfield, giving IFK manager Mikael Stahre some flexibility.
The moves should also help both sides as they enter European competitions. Helsingborg and Göteborg each have designs on reaching the group stage of the Europa League, where prize money can literally fund a club for an entire year.

Round 16 Results:

Malmö 4, Åtvidaberg 0
MALMÖ – Markus Eriksson fired Malmö into first place in the Allsvenskan as he had two goals and an assist to led the Blues to a 4-0 win over Åtvidaberg July 14 at Swedbank Stadium. Eriksson staked Malmö to a 2-0 lead, then set up Erik Friberg for a 3-0 lead. Emil Rosenberg notched the final goal. Jiloan Hamad had a pair of assists for Malmö.

Helsingborg 3, Östers 0
HELSINGBORG – Christoffer Andersson scored twice but received a red card and one-game suspension as he led Helsingborg to a 3-0 win over Östers July 15 at Olympia Stadium. David Accam put HIF in front after 37 minutes. Helsingborg gained a man advantage after 56 minutes when Denis Velic received a red card after being booked for a second time in the match. Andersson then scored twice before he, too, got a red card for two bookable offenses in the match. His second yellow – that earned him the red – was for excessive celebrating after he scored his second goal. Andersson will miss Helsingborg’s July 24 with Halmstad.

Mjällby 2, Djurgården 0
SÖLVESBORG – Mjällby notched its seventh win of the season, knocking off Djurgården 2-0 July 16 at Strandvallen. Robin Stromberg and New Zealand international Craig Henderson scored for Mjällby.

AIK 2, Syrianska 1
SÖDERTÄLJE – AIK held on for a 2-1 win over Syrianska July 14 at Södertälje Football Arena. Kennedy Igboananike scored in the 14th and 49th minutes to stake AIK to a 2-0 lead. AIK defender Alexander Milosevic received a red card in the 71st minute, reducing the Gnaget to 10 men. Syrianska went on the attack but could only manage an 88th minute goal from Dinko Felic.

Brommapojkarna 2, Göteborg 1
VÄLLINGBY – Last-place Brommapojkarna upset an under-manned IFK Göteborg with a 2-1 win July 13 at Grimsta IP. Bromma jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Mauricio Albornoz and Gustav Sandberg. Göteborg got a goal back from Robin Söder at the 62-minute mark but could not find an equalizer.

Kalmar 1, BK Häcken 0
GÖTEBORG – Kalmar notched a 1-0 win over Häcken July 13 at Rambergsvallen. Melker Hallberg scored the lone goal of the match two minutes into second-half stoppage time.

Elfsborg 2, Halmstad 2
BORÅS – Elfsborg rallied from a two-goal deficit to grab a point in a 2-2 draw with Halmstad July 13 at Borås Arena. Mikael Boman and Gudjon Baldvinsson scored first-half goals to put Halmstad in front. Sebastian Holmen started the comeback as he struck at the 66-minute mark. Marcus Rohden scored the equalizer four minutes from time.

Gefle 2, IFK Norrköping 2
GÄVLE – Gefle and Norrkopking played to a 2-2 draw July 14 at Stromvallen. Simon Lundsvall put Gefle in front after 23 minutes. Imad Khalili tied the match 11 minutes later. Alexander Faltsetas put Gefle back on top in the 72nd minute but Luxembourg international Lars Christian Krogh Gerson tied it a minute from time.