Undefeated with an impressive score of 78:0, yet lacking the coveted title of champions
This season is nuts: The goalkeeper doesn't let any balls pass, the attackers score and score. Not a single game is lost. But the ladies of the Swedish team Angelholms FF will not be named champions. They now have an unbelievably weird tale to tell.
The women's soccer squad of Angelholms FF is making headlines following an oddly peculiar season. The team managed to win every one of its 18 games in the sixth-tier "Division 4 nordvästra Skåne" and achieved a mind-blowing goal difference of 78:0 - yet, they didn't win the title. After 15 victories and three draws, one point was all that was needed, which Ljungbyheds IF secured for the championship and direct promotion.
"This was insane," coach Ulf Johansson told "Aftonbladet": "I'm so proud because many tried to break the zero." In the final five league games, he noticed how opponents changed their strategies to score at any cost. "That they lost was almost irrelevant to them."
But keeper Nellie Bengtsson managed to maintain her clean sheet throughout. "In some games, it was a bit boring," she said with a grin. The 17-year-old found excitement in scoring a penalty - and checking out the net after each game. There, the unusual record of 15 wins and three draws of the Swedes became a sensation, with numerous media outlets in Sweden and abroad reporting on the strangeness.
"It's fantastic," Bengtsson told Norwegian broadcaster NRK, "it feels completely surreal that this has become such a big thing. This has never happened before, and it's really bizarre."
Statistics experts are reminded of AC Perugia, who went undefeated in Serie A in 1978/79 but only finished as runners-up. Or CD Ourense in Spain, who won all 30 games in the fifth tier in 1967/68 but failed in the promotion playoffs. For Angelholm, there could still be a happy ending: If Bengtsson manages to keep a clean sheet in the decisive playoff game for promotion on Sunday.
The Angelholms FF women's soccer team, despite having an exceptional season with 15 wins and three draws, ended up second in their league due to a single point difference. Despite their impressive run in 'Division 4 nordvästra Skåne', they missed out on the championship to Ljungbyheds IF.
Despite the unexpected outcome, goalkeeper Nellie Bengtsson's exceptional performance, including maintaining a clean sheet throughout the season, has gained significant attention, making headlines in both Swedish and international media.
