Ulrika Karlsson (footballer)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anna Ulrika Olsson[1] | ||
| Birth name | Anna Ulrika Karlsson | ||
| Date of birth | 14 October 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Österfärnebo, Sweden | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Österfärnebo IF | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Strömsbro/Sätra IF | |||
| 1995–2000 | Bälinge IF | ||
| 2001 | San Diego Spirit | 1 | (0) |
| 2001 | Carolina Courage | 0 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Umeå IK | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 1995–2001 | Sweden[2] | 45 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 May 2013 | |||
Anna Ulrika Olsson (née Karlsson; born 14 October 1970) is a Swedish former football goalkeeper. She played for Bälinge IF and Umeå IK in the Swedish Damallsvenskan and spent time with San Diego Spirit and Carolina Courage while contracted to Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) in 2001. Nicknamed "Ucka", Karlsson represented Sweden at senior international level, winning 45 caps between 1995 and 2001.
Karlsson joined Bälinge IF in 1995. She would train with her local Swedish Football Division 5 male team and commute to Bälinge, more than a hundred miles away, for matches.[3]
The owners of Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), a new professional league in the United States, signed Karlsson and compatriot Kristin Bengtsson to a contract in 2001. Both players were drafted to San Diego Spirit in the 2000 WUSA foreign player allocation.[4]
Karlsson kept goal in San Diego's first match, but was then replaced in the team by Jaime Pagliarulo. During the first season, Karlsson and Bengtsson were traded to Carolina Courage, for Bente Nordby and Wen Lirong.[5] The move to Carolina was not a success, as Karlsson was unable to dislodge Kristin Luckenbill from the starting goalkeeper position.
Karlsson decided to move back to Sweden and joined Umeå IK ahead of the 2002 season.[6] At Umeå Sofia Lundgren was the established goalkeeper. Lundgren played in the 2002 UEFA Women's Cup Final, with Karlsson on the substitutes' bench.
When Lundgren injured her knee in 2004, Karlsson was recalled to the team.[7] She played in the UEFA Women's Cup quarter-final defeat to Djurgården/Älvsjö, making "a string of fine saves" as holders Umeå lost their title.[8] With Lundgren back to full fitness, Karlsson left Umeå IK ahead of the 2005 season.[9] She was linked with a further comeback in May 2005, when Lundgren had more knee trouble.[10]
