Sara Thunebro

Sara Thunebro

Sara Thunebro, August 2011
Personal information
Full nameSara Kristina Thunebro
Date of birth26 April 1979
Place of birthSträngnäs, Sweden
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
Eskilstuna United DFF
Youth career
IK Viljan
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–1998Gideonsbergs IF
1999–2001Djurgårdens IF
2002Älvsjö AIK
2003–2009Djurgårdens IF[lower-alpha 1]230(19)
2009–2013FFC Frankfurt56[1](6)
2013Tyresö FF21(0)
2014–Eskilstuna United DFF
National team‡
2004–Sweden[2]114(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:11, 13 December 2013 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:11, 13 December 2013 (UTC)

Sara Kristina Thunebro (born 26 April 1979) is a Swedish football defender who plays for Damallsvenskan club Eskilstuna United DFF and the Swedish women's national team. Thunebro previously played for Tyresö FF and Djurgårdens IF of the Damallsvenskan, as well as FFC Frankfurt of the Frauen-Bundesliga. Since making her international debut in 2004, Thunebro has won over 100 caps and represented her country at the 2009 and 2013 editions of the UEFA Women's Championship. An attacking left-back, her trademark on the field is her white headband.

Club career

Thunebro began playing at the age of six, eventually rising to the youth club Viljan IK. She advanced through the Damallsvenskan to one of the top tier teams Djurgårdens IF. With Thunebro on the team, they won the Swedish Championship in 2003 and 2004. Djurgårdens also won the Swedish Cup during the 2004 and 2005 seasons in order to qualify for the UEFA Women's Cup. In 2005 Djurgårdens reached the final but were beaten by Turbine Potsdam.

After twice being voted the best defender in Sweden, Thunebro joined FFC Frankfurt in 2009. She extended her contract with the German club for another two years in April 2011.[3]

After playing only three games in the first half of the season she left Frankfurt in March 2013 to join Tyresö FF in Sweden. She aimed to get more match practice ahead of the 2013 Women's Euro in her home country.

After one season at Tyresö she moved on again, to newly promoted Damallsvenskan club Eskilstuna United DFF. In announcing the transfer in December 2013, Thunebro admitted she moved to be based closer to her family.[4]

International career

A 3–0 defeat to the United States in January 2004 was Thunebro's first appearance for the senior Swedish national team. She had already collected 32 caps at Under–23 level, eight at Under–19 and 10 at Under–17.[5] She remained on the fringes of the squad but was left out of the selection for UEFA Women's Euro 2005. Thunebro travelled to China for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup but made just one appearance during Sweden's exit at the group stage. Returning to China for the following year's Olympic football tournament, Thunebro had become a regular starter in the team which reached the quarter finals.

Thunebro playing for Sweden in 2013

By 2009 Thunebro was an important part of an in–form Swedish team who were enjoying victories over Germany, Brazil and the United States. "Each year I've taken small steps forward," she explained. "I feel in great form now, but I haven't reached my peak yet."[6] At UEFA Women's Euro 2009 Sweden reached the quarter finals only to be eliminated by Norway.

At the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany Thunebro won a bronze medal with Sweden, who were beaten by eventual winners Japan in the semi final. Third place secured Sweden's qualification for the 2012 Olympic football tournament in London. In September 2011 Thunebro announced her intention to retire from international football after the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 tournament in her home country.[7]

After the tournament, Thunebro relented and was selected by national coach Pia Sundhage for Sweden's 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification campaign.[8]

Personal life

Thunebro enjoys playing golf and rides a motorcycle. Throughout her career she has not employed an agent.[9] Part of the reason she wears her trademark headband is to allow her grandmother to pick her out on the television.[10]

Honours

Club

Djurgårdens IF

Individual

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 2003–2006 as Djurgården/Älvsjö.

References

  1. ↑ Bundesliga statistics at Framba.de
  2. ↑ "Damlandslagsspelare 1973–2011". Svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  3. ↑ Nora Kruse (5 April 2011). "Sara Thunebro verlängert in Frankfurt" (in German). WomenSoccer.de. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "Tyresö tappar landslagsspelare till Eskilstuna" (in Swedish). Damfotboll.com. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Dam: Sveriges VM-trupp" (in Swedish). Svenskfotboll.se. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  6. ↑ Sujay Dutt (18 August 2009). "Thunebro says Sweden are soaring". UEFA.com. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Thunebro focusing on the future". FIFA.com. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  8. ↑ Wihlborg, Niklas (3 September 2013). "Sjögran får plats i landslaget" (in Swedish). Sydsvenskan. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  9. ↑ Hellsten, Carl Magnus (28 June 2013). "Sara Thunebro - En EMinent motståndare" (in Swedish). Golf.se. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  10. ↑ Juchem, Markus (3 May 2011). "Sara Thunebro, die Spätberufene" (in German). WomenSoccer.de. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  11. ↑ http://www.difarkivet.se/dif_sm_guld_seniorer.pdf
  12. ↑ http://fogis.se/fotbollsgalan/tidigare-vinnare/ovriga-utmarkelser/

External links