Hedvig Lindahl

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Hedvig Lindahl

Lindahl as goalkeeper for Sweden in the 2011 World Cup
Personal information
Full nameRut Hedvig Lindahl
Date of birth (1983-04-29) 29 April 1983
Place of birthKatrineholm, Sweden
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current clubKristianstads DFF
Number1
Youth career
1987–1994Gropptorps IF
1994–1996Baggetorps IF
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1996–1998DFK Värmbol
1998–2000Tunafors SK
2001–2003Malmö FF
2003→ IF Trion (loan)
2004–2008Linköpings FC
2009–2010Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC
2011–Kristianstads DFF
National team‡
2002–Sweden[1]91(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 May 2013.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 May 2013

Rut Hedvig Lindahl (born 29 April 1983 in Katrineholm, Sweden) is a professional football goalkeeper who plays for Kristianstads DFF in the Damallsvenskan. She previously played club football in Sweden for clubs including Malmö FF, Linköpings FC and Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC. Since making her international debut in 2002, Lindahl has accrued over 90 caps for the Sweden women's national football team. She has kept goal for Sweden at the UEFA Women's Championship, the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Olympic Games. Lindahl was the Swedish women's goalkeeper of the year in 2004, 2005 and 2009.[2]

Early career

At the age of 13 Lindahl decided to focus on becoming a professional football player. Previously Lindahl had played both as a forward and a goalkeeper, but decided to focus on the latter position. Lindahl, who was raised in Marmorbyn, was selected to play on the Sörmland team. This was a temporary team where the best age group football players in Södermanland were selected to play.[3]

Lindahl's national team career began in 1998 when as a part of the Sörmland team she participated at the Elite Girls Camp in Halmstad. There she was selected for the Allstar Team, where the best football players born -83 participated. Each 15-year-old footballer was measured on a five-point scale. Lindahl received rarely awarded full marks; five out of five.

Club career

Lindahl started her club career at Gropptorps IF, outside Katrineholm in Södermanland, a boys' team. Lindahl then played for Torp IF, DFK Värmbol and Tunafors SK.

Lindahl playing for Göteborg

She moved into the Damallsvenskan with Malmö FF Dam in 2001 after being scouted by Malmö and Sweden national youth team coach Elisabeth Leidinge.[3] During her three seasons at Malmö, Lindahl faced strong competition from the national team goalkeeper at the time Caroline Jönsson. She finished the 2003 season on loan to IF Trion,[4] then spent five seasons with Linköpings FC, joining Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC in 2009.

Despite 21 shutouts in 43 matches during two seasons with Göteborg, coach Torbjörn Nilsson did not renew Lindahl's contract. Instead she moved to ambitious Kristianstads DFF in time for the 2011 season.[5]

International career

Lindahl was on the U21 national team as of 1998 and subsequently progressed to the full Swedish women's national team.

Despite her position as second goalkeeper at club level, Lindahl gained the confidence of the then national team coach Marika Domanski Lyfors, which led to Lindahl's 2002 debut in the senior women's national team and a silver medal in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Lindahl has indicated that her senior international debut came in January 2002, a 5–0 win over England in a behind closed doors match in La Manga. Proud of her debut "clean sheet", she has expressed irritation at reports which sometimes confuse that match with Sweden's 6–3 win over England at the Algarve Cup six weeks later.[3]

After moving to Linköpings and securing first team football at club level, Lindahl began to compete more equally with Caroline Jönsson and Sofia Lundgren for appearances at international level. She understudied Jönsson at the 2004 Olympics. By the time of UEFA Women's Euro 2005 in England, Lindahl was Sweden's first choice goalkeeper and played in all three group games, as well as the extra-time semi final defeat to rivals Norway.

Incoming national team coach Thomas Dennerby retained Lindahl and she featured at both the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2008 Olympics in China and UEFA Women's Euro 2009 in Finland. She remained Sweden's number one goalkeeper for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, where Sweden came third, and the 2012 London Olympics.[6]

In September 2012 Lindahl suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for Kristianstads.[7] She was recalled to new coach Pia Sundhage's national squad in May 2013, ahead of UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden.[8]

Personal life

Lindahl suffers from vitiligo and has to apply high factor sunscreen before and during matches. She married wife Sabine in 2011.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Damlandslagsspelare 1973–2012" (in Swedish). Svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  2. ↑ "Lindahl: Casillas is the best". FIFA.com. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Hedvig Lindahl" (in Swedish). Svenskdamfotboll.com. 21 March 2006. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Hedvig Lindahl får inte stå i IF Trions mål ikväll" (in Swedish). Damfotboll.com. 16 June 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  5. ↑ Lindmark, Stig (11 May 2011). "Hedvig Lindahl stortrivs i Kristianstad" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  6. ↑ "Women's Olympic Football Tournament London 2012 – List of Players Sweden". FIFA. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  7. ↑ "Målvakten Hedvig Lindahl är skadad" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  8. ↑ "Hedvig Lindahl tillbaka i landslagsmålet" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 
  9. ↑ "Hedvig drömmer om OS-guld" (in Swedish). Hemmets Journal. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013. 

External links

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