Toppserien Christmas crackers

As Coca-Cola would have you believe, holidays are coming, which of course means one thing family arguments over a table of poultry the Nordic leagues have wrapped up and, it will be a long cold lonely winter. But it does mean we can look back at the 2019 season in various leagues, namely Toppserien and the ludicrous weekly bangers that are scored in Norway.

Because we know everyone loves lists and no one is sick of them by this time of year, we’ve put together an official unofficial AllforXI run down of our favourite seven goals from the 2019 Toppserien season. Even though everyone in Norway loves a strike from range (not least the excitable commentators) as is usually reflected in the Goal of the Round voting, we’ve tried to mix things up and find the best, including those that failed to win the fan’s weekly vote.

7. Cesilie Andreassen vs Klepp

The match that pretty much took Klepp out of the running for second, the Tractor Girls were two goals to the good and cruising when Cesilie Andreassen decided to upset the applecart. The only player this season to have two goals nominated for goal of the round (a shortlist of three), for the first and second of her devastating hat trick. Although it was her first of the day that won the vote, we think her second – a cheeky side-footed volley – is more worthy of the plaudits.

6. Havana Solaun vs Fart

At six, we’re keeping it Klepp but looking at one of the best goals scored by (not on) the Tractor Girls this year and the scorer is one that will be familiar to NWSL fans: Havana Solaun. Simply written as, “Whaaa” in our notes, her improvised finish gave Klepp the third of their rout against Fart.

5. Synne Jensen vs Sandviken

Having gone a little overboard with signings over the winter, most were expecting Sandviken to take the league by storm and give LSK a real fight for the title, unfortunately for Sandviken, their new signings needed time to gel and they were left chasing their first match of the season. A goal down but looking for an equaliser, the hosts were left exposed deep into stoppage time when Synne Jensen latched onto a ball over the top and chipped it over Nora Gjøen with so much sauce she needed to wash her hands afterwards.

4. Natalie Nielsen vs Kolbotn

The match between Fart and Kolbotn in April was nuts, league newcomers Fart took the lead twice only to lose and there were gooooals. After Karina Sævik had scored a ridiculous equaliser (more on that later), Natalie Nielsen decided the normal thing to do was take aim from 20-yards. The midfielder isn’t known for her goalscoring but remember, Toppserien loves thunderbolts from range, and with little warning Nielsen had perfectly picked out the top corner leaving Kolbotn needing two (which they managed because, as said, the game was nuts).

3. Julie Adserø vs Lyn

Constantly losing their best players each season, things have been looking bleak and bleaker for Toppserien mainstays, Trondheims-Ørn. Coming into this season many were looking at them as a team in danger of sliding down the table and submitting to their fate – especially with the possible triple-relegation to make way for a smaller league from next season. Yet, Ørn continued on, plucky as ever, drawing inspiration from everywhere possible and in a six-pointer against a youthful Lyn team showed their experience with Julie Adserø’s solo goal rightfully earning the acclaim.

2. Karina Sævik vs Fart

And it’s back to [one of the many bonkers games of the season]: Fart 2-3 Kolbotn. A goal down in Vang, Kolbotn raced out of the blocks at the start of the second half allowing 23-year-old Sævik to loft the ball diagonally across the box and let it deliciously drop into Lene Lauve’s goal. (All the truncated madness from the match can be found here).

1. Karina Sævik vs Avaldsnes

Viral? Check. Voted as the best goal of the season? Check. Absolutely outrageous? You betcha!

So what do you think of our list, is there anyone we left out? Any goal we gave too much credit to?