The Greenlandic town of Ilulissat may be better-known for its nearby glaciers and playing host to innumerable TV crews from all corners of the world covering the effects of global warming than it is for anything else, but local club I-69's women's team put the town on the map for an entirely different reason last weekend by winning the Greenland national women's championship play-offs after defeating NÛK 2:1 in an entertaining final.
As with the men's tournament, the women's competition's final stages are played out at a central venue, and this year's get-together took place in the village of Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island, home to local club Disko 76, who had won the competition once before back in 1994.
Five teams took part in a round-robin competition this year, with the top two teams progressing to the final, while those teams finishing in third and fourth places had to make do with a play-off for third place. Apart from I-69 and Disko 76, IT-79 and NÛK, both from the national capital, Nuuk, and FC Malamuk, this year's most northerly representatives from the village of Uummannaq, completed the line-up.
Since Disko 76's win in 1994, no club apart from NÛK or I-69 had won the Greenland women's national championship..and the recipe would be repeated this time around, too.
I-69, pre-tournament favourites to lift the trophy, certainly showed their credentials in the group stage, thrashing IT-79 9:0, remaining undefeated throughout, though NÛK ran them close, just the one goal in favour of I-69 separating the two teams in their group match.
The other Nuuk team, IT-79, were to have a desperately unhappy tournament, finishing bottom with no points, no goals scored and 24 conceded. FC Malamuk were to fare little better, though they did record one win against hapless IT-79, which was enough to take them through to the third-place play-off, where they were to meet the tournament hosts on 3/8/13, having lost 5:0 to them the day before in the final group match.
FC Malamuk were to lose the battle for third place against Disko 76, though the result this time round was a lot closer than that of the day before, finishing up 3:2 to the hosts, with local girl Arnarissoq Møller being named as player of the match. It was Disko 76's third third-place finish in four years (with a fourth-place finish in 2011).
The final itself, between I-69 and NÛK, who were hoping to add to their eight national title wins, took place later the same day, and it was a revenge mission for I-69, as they had finished second to NÛK in the final group phase in 2011 and lost 3:1 to them in the final in 2012. I-69 had to work hard for their eleventh title, coming from a goal down to defeat the team from the capital to be crowned national women's champions.
There was to be some consolation for NÛK as Laila Platou was named player of the tournament, and the most technically-gifted player on show. Karo Dahl, meanwhile, from Disko 76, was named as the most determined player of the tournament. NÛK were to have five players named in the tounament's Best XI, but the most important accolade - that of national champions - was heading up north to Ilulissat, thanks to the girls in yellow.
There is, of course, always the chance that the men's team could make it a double celebration as they have also qualified for the final stages of the men's competition, to be held during the next fortnight or so, but the ladies have set an impressive benchmark, and good luck to them, too.
Please find below the results, and other, miscellaneous, information relating to the 2013 Damernes GM.
ROUND-ROBIN STAGE
29/7/13 16:00 I-69 5:0 FC Malamuk
29/7/13 18:00 IT-79 0:5 Disko 76
30/7/13 16:00 I-69 1:0 NÛK
30/7/13 18:00 FC Malamuk 4:0 IT-79
31/7/13 16:00 I-69 4:0 Disko 76
31/7/13 18:00 FC Malamuk 0:7 NÛK
1/8/13 16:00 I-69 9:0 IT-79
1/8/13 18:00 Disko 76 0:6 NÛK
2/8/13 16:00 IT-79 0:6 NÛK
2/8/13 18:00 FC Malamuk 0:5 Disko 76
THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF
3/8/13 13:00 Disko 76 3:2 FC Malamuk
FINAL
3/8/13 15:00 I-69 2:1 NÛK
WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT'S FIRST XI
GOALKEEPER: Rasmine Berthelsen (NÛK)
DEFENDERS: Bebiane Johnsen (I-69); Andrea Andreassen (NÛK); Maannguaq Kristiansen (I-69); Laila Brandt (Disko 76)
MIDFIELDERS: Aili Paneeraq Pedersen (NÛK); Berthe Uppernanngitsoq (I-69); Laila Platou (NÛK); Karo Dahl (Disko 76)
FORWARDS: Arnaq B. Egede (NÛK); Panu B. Grønvold (FC Malamuk)
-----------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Much of the information included in the article came from the GFB (Grønlands Boldspil Union), the national TV station KNR and the Sermitsiaq newspaper; many thanks to all.
As with the men's tournament, the women's competition's final stages are played out at a central venue, and this year's get-together took place in the village of Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island, home to local club Disko 76, who had won the competition once before back in 1994.
Five teams took part in a round-robin competition this year, with the top two teams progressing to the final, while those teams finishing in third and fourth places had to make do with a play-off for third place. Apart from I-69 and Disko 76, IT-79 and NÛK, both from the national capital, Nuuk, and FC Malamuk, this year's most northerly representatives from the village of Uummannaq, completed the line-up.
Since Disko 76's win in 1994, no club apart from NÛK or I-69 had won the Greenland women's national championship..and the recipe would be repeated this time around, too.
I-69, pre-tournament favourites to lift the trophy, certainly showed their credentials in the group stage, thrashing IT-79 9:0, remaining undefeated throughout, though NÛK ran them close, just the one goal in favour of I-69 separating the two teams in their group match.
The other Nuuk team, IT-79, were to have a desperately unhappy tournament, finishing bottom with no points, no goals scored and 24 conceded. FC Malamuk were to fare little better, though they did record one win against hapless IT-79, which was enough to take them through to the third-place play-off, where they were to meet the tournament hosts on 3/8/13, having lost 5:0 to them the day before in the final group match.
FC Malamuk were to lose the battle for third place against Disko 76, though the result this time round was a lot closer than that of the day before, finishing up 3:2 to the hosts, with local girl Arnarissoq Møller being named as player of the match. It was Disko 76's third third-place finish in four years (with a fourth-place finish in 2011).
The final itself, between I-69 and NÛK, who were hoping to add to their eight national title wins, took place later the same day, and it was a revenge mission for I-69, as they had finished second to NÛK in the final group phase in 2011 and lost 3:1 to them in the final in 2012. I-69 had to work hard for their eleventh title, coming from a goal down to defeat the team from the capital to be crowned national women's champions.
There was to be some consolation for NÛK as Laila Platou was named player of the tournament, and the most technically-gifted player on show. Karo Dahl, meanwhile, from Disko 76, was named as the most determined player of the tournament. NÛK were to have five players named in the tounament's Best XI, but the most important accolade - that of national champions - was heading up north to Ilulissat, thanks to the girls in yellow.
There is, of course, always the chance that the men's team could make it a double celebration as they have also qualified for the final stages of the men's competition, to be held during the next fortnight or so, but the ladies have set an impressive benchmark, and good luck to them, too.
Please find below the results, and other, miscellaneous, information relating to the 2013 Damernes GM.
ROUND-ROBIN STAGE
29/7/13 16:00 I-69 5:0 FC Malamuk
29/7/13 18:00 IT-79 0:5 Disko 76
30/7/13 16:00 I-69 1:0 NÛK
30/7/13 18:00 FC Malamuk 4:0 IT-79
31/7/13 16:00 I-69 4:0 Disko 76
31/7/13 18:00 FC Malamuk 0:7 NÛK
1/8/13 16:00 I-69 9:0 IT-79
1/8/13 18:00 Disko 76 0:6 NÛK
2/8/13 16:00 IT-79 0:6 NÛK
2/8/13 18:00 FC Malamuk 0:5 Disko 76
TEAM
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
PTS
|
GD
|
I-69
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
19
|
0
|
12
|
19
|
NÛK
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
19
|
1
|
9
|
18
|
DISKO 76
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
10
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
FC MALAMUK
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
17
|
3
|
-13
|
IT-79
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
24
|
0
|
-24
|
THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF
3/8/13 13:00 Disko 76 3:2 FC Malamuk
FINAL
3/8/13 15:00 I-69 2:1 NÛK
WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT'S FIRST XI
GOALKEEPER: Rasmine Berthelsen (NÛK)
DEFENDERS: Bebiane Johnsen (I-69); Andrea Andreassen (NÛK); Maannguaq Kristiansen (I-69); Laila Brandt (Disko 76)
MIDFIELDERS: Aili Paneeraq Pedersen (NÛK); Berthe Uppernanngitsoq (I-69); Laila Platou (NÛK); Karo Dahl (Disko 76)
FORWARDS: Arnaq B. Egede (NÛK); Panu B. Grønvold (FC Malamuk)
-----------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Much of the information included in the article came from the GFB (Grønlands Boldspil Union), the national TV station KNR and the Sermitsiaq newspaper; many thanks to all.
