Jessica Landström

Jessica Elin Maria Landström (born 12 December 1984) is a former Swedish football forward who has represented the Sweden women's national football team at the 2008 Olympic Football Tournament, the 2009 UEFA Women's Championship and the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. At club level she has played for Damallsvenskan teams Djurgårdens IF, Hammarby IF DFF, Linköpings FC and Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC. She has also played for 1. FFC Frankfurt of Germany and Sky Blue FC of the United States.

Jessica Landström
Landström with Frankfurt in 2011
Personal information
Full name Jessica Elin Maria Landström[1]
Date of birth (1984-12-12) 12 December 1984
Place of birth Nacka, Sweden
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Forward
Youth career
1995–1997 Lira Luleå BK
1998–1999 Vallentuna BK
2000 Täby FF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2004 Djurgårdens IF[lower-alpha 1]
2005–2007 Hammarby IF DFF
2007–2009 Linköpings FC 39 (23)
2010 Sky Blue FC 9 (0)
2010–2012 1. FFC Frankfurt 29 (9)
2012 Djurgårdens IF 15 (6)
2013 Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC 19 (0)
National team
2005–2007 Sweden U-23 9 (3)
2007–2012 Sweden[2] 64 (19)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

After starting her career with four years at Djurgårdens, Landström played for Hammarby IF DFF as a forward from 2005–2007. A few weeks after her debut and first goal for the Swedish national team, she was signed by Linköpings FC to replace the departing Frida Östberg.[3] The transfer multiplied her salary by nearly six times; when with Hammarby, she made about $500 a month, whereas she reportedly banked up to $3,000 playing for Linköpings.[4] She intended that the transfer would help to secure her spot on the national squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Landström scored 11 goals in 17 games in 2008 and decided to stay with Linköpings for the 2009 season,[5] in which the club collected a league and cup "double". She scored against Umeå in the 2–0 Swedish Cup final win.[6]

In November 2009 Landström signed a professional contract with American WPS team Sky Blue FC.[7] After starting three of nine appearances for Sky Blue, Landström negotiated a release and accepted a two-year contract from FFC Frankfurt in July 2010. She criticised the American club for a lack of leadership and expressed the hope that playing in Germany would provide better preparation for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.[8]

Landström agreed a deal to return to Djurgårdens in April 2012, but with Frankfurt still in the UEFA Women's Champions League, the German club insisted on her staying until the end of their season[9] before she was eventually allowed to complete the move.

When Djurgårdens were relegated at the end of the 2012 season, Landström transferred to Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC. She was signed as a direct replacement for Christen Press, Göteborg's top goalscorer who had departed for Tyresö FF.[10] After leaving Göteborg, Landström did not play in 2014 but was training with former club Hammarby ahead of the 2015 campaign.[11]

International career

Landström's "dreams were crushed"[12] when she was overlooked for the youth national teams, after finishing as top–scorer in a regional Under–15 tournament. She debuted for the senior Swedish national team against Denmark on 8 November 2007, starting at forward and scoring her first international goal in a 4–2 win.[13] She had also played for the U21/23 national team.

Landström with her World Cup bronze medal

She was included in coach Thomas Dennerby's squad for the 2008 Olympic Games. It was her first major championship and she wanted to learn from playing alongside first choice strikers Lotta Schelin and Victoria Sandell Svensson.[14] Landström played in four games in China, and retained her place in the national squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2009, where she played twice.[15]

At the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Landström scored the winning goal in the group stage win over Colombia,[12] as Sweden reached the semi final. She featured as a substitute in Sweden's 3–1 defeat to eventual winners Japan in Frankfurt. Sweden secured third place by beating France 2–1 in Sinsheim, though Landström remained an unused substitute.

Landström was named as an alternate for the Sweden squad at the 2012 London Olympics but did not play.[16]

Playing style

In signing Landström for Sky Blue FC, the American club's general manager Gerry Marrone said:[7]

Jessica is the prototypical target: she can play with her back to the goal, is commanding in the air and a big physical presence. This season in Sweden, she was one of the leading goal scorers, and more importantly, scored some big goals in big games.

Personal life

Landström is lesbian and came out publicly in November 2008, to acknowledge the support she had received from her partner.[17] Before turning professional, she had studied for a master's degree in mechanical engineering.[17]

Honours

Club
Djurgårdens IF
Linköpings FC
1. FFC Frankfurt
Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC

Individual

Footnotes
  1. 2003–2004 as Djurgården/Älvsjö.

References
  1. "Goalscorers" (PDF). UEFA. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  2. "Damlandslagsspelare 1973–2014" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  3. Anders Nilsson. "Jessica Landström till LFC". linkopingfc.com. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  4. Mats Bråstedt. "Löneklippet". expressen.se. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
  5. "Jessica Landström stannar i Linköping" (in Swedish). Expressen. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  6. Dutt, Sujay (14 October 2009). "Linköping beat Umeå for Swedish Cup". UEFA. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  7. Sky Blue FC (30 November 2009). "Sky Blue FC Adds Swedish International Jessica Landström". Women's Professional Soccer. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  8. Av Jens Brandberg (21 July 2010). "Landström bryter kontraktet - klar för Frankfurt" (in Swedish). Expressen. Archived from the original on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  9. "1. FFC Frankfurt rejects Jessica Landström early release from contract to join Djurgårdens". Women's Soccer United. 8 April 2012. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  10. "Landström in for Press at Göteborg". UEFA. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  11. Bråstedt, Mats (8 January 2015). "Landström funderar på en comeback" (in Swedish). Expressen. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  12. "Sweden's striking duo". FIFA. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  13. Johan Lundell. "Sverge körde över Danmark". SVT.se. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  14. Thorén, Petra (6 August 2008). "http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/os2008/article11478333.ab" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 4 May 2015. External link in |title= (help)
  15. "Jessica Landström". UEFA. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  16. "Women's Olympic Football Tournament London 2012 – List of Players Sweden" (PDF). FIFA. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  17. Magda Gad (18 November 2008). "Jessica Landström, Årets nykomling" (in Swedish). QX. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  18. http://www.difarkivet.se/dif_sm_guld_seniorer.pdf
  19. http://fogis.se/fotbollsgalan/tidigare-vinnare/ovriga-utmarkelser/
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