When Linköping visits Rosengård, it’s not just a league final.
For Jessica Wake, 30, who has a past in Linköping, she is special for several reasons.
– Did you feel it would be good? I was naive, says the defender of the national team, who watched the spring meeting from the sidelines.
The day after Rosengård took SM gold last year, Jessica Wik gave birth to her son Lucas. Since then, it has been difficult to return to the football field.
– finally! I also fought. It actually feels so great, I’m not going to stick with it, she says and continues:
– Actually, it wasn’t a problem, but what most people, all specialists and physiotherapists said, is that you need to be patient and that all bodies are different and recover at different rates.
In a candid interview, Wik talked about how difficult it is to stand on the sidelines. But then all of a sudden, within a couple of weeks, it all went downhill. She felt her body was ready again and when the series rebooted and faced Rosengård Piteå, she was back at the start of season eleven for the first time since its premiere last year, against Linköping in particular.
– It’s hard to describe. Did you feel it would be good? I was naive and had higher hopes, so it turns out that the way back is long, but it is very good to be able to train fully without getting hurt.
Do not hope for a repeat
Having played 90 minutes in the victory over Häcken, Wik can say she’s back in earnest. There are no more boxes to check.
– There were physically tough matches, so now it’s just checking the body can handle it, and now I feel fully prepared for everything.
Now Wik Rosengård faces another tough challenge. The second series Linköping will visit Malmö IP. A special match for Wik who started his career at Linköping and took SM gold with the club.
Anyone who remembers the Spring Meeting knows that despite being two of the series’ strongest defenses, it was a story rich in goals as Rosengård drew the longest straw.
– It was great entertainment for the audience. Really, I don’t wish we had that defensive tomorrow. We’ll really try to stay close and build on what we had against Häcken.
Want to take advantage of breaks
The veteran Linkoping defense general is on the same path.
– If we score three goals, this is a game where we should have a stick or three points, you say Nella Fisher.
We know we want to control the game more than last time.
Rosengard lost a lot of routine as captain Caroline Seger was forced to undergo surgery and midfielder Jelena Kankovic was sold to Chelsea.
Also add that substitute captain Emma Berglund misses the series final after receiving a yellow card last time out. Something Linkoping hopes to exploit.
We hope so, but it is clear that there are good players coming. Knack for example. Hopefully, this is something we can take advantage of, says Fisher.
While Rosengård wants to build on the game that worked so well against Häcken, close Playing Area 2 for Linköping and stop archery queen Amalie Vangsgaard, Fischer hopes that Linköping will dare to go out and play his own game.
– I think we should go out and focus on how to play. Focus on our strengths, then we’ll see how the match develops. The plan is to go out and play with great confidence. Take the season we’ve presented so far.
Departure in Malmö IP is 15.00.