Bente Nordby
Encyclopedia
Bente Nordby is a former Norwegian football goalkeeper, who last played for Olympique Lyonnais
in Lyon
, France. She played with the Norwegian Women's National Football Team
from 1991 to 2007.
s, an achievement that only U.S.
player Kristine Lilly
shares. Nordby is also the second most-capped international women's goalkeeper of all time.
On 24 January 2008 Nordby announced her retirement from the national team.
, Bente Nordby began her club career with Raufoss/Vind. She later joined SK Sprint-Jeløy of Norway's Toppserien where she played until the end of the 1995 season. Ahead of the 1996 season, the team Sprint-Jeløy was replaced by Athene Moss
, where she played until 2000.
Nordby, paired with fellow Norwegian Hege Riise
, was the first pick in the 30 October 2000 WUSA
Foreign Player Allocation Draft, having been chosen by the Carolina Courage
.
Nordby played the first half of the 2001 season for the Courage, but was later traded to the San Diego Spirit
. In July 2001, the Spirit released Nordby due to the league's salary cap. In total, she played 14 matches of a 21-match season for the two clubs, earning a 1.73 Goals Against Average for the season.
After returning to Norway, Nordby joined Kolbotn in 2002, where she went on to win the Norwegian league that same year. She continued to play with Kolbotn until the end of the 2004 season. She then signed with Asker FK in December 2005. While playing with Asker, she won the Norwegian Cup in 2005, her first and only year with the club.
In early 2006, Nordby signed a 2-year contract with Djurgården/Älvsjö
in Sweden's Damallsvenskan
league. In 2007, Nordby won the Damallsvenskan Goalkeeper of the Year Award.
On 27 November 2007, it was announced that Nordby would be signing an 18-month contract with Olympique Lyonnais as cover for their regular goalkeeper, Véronique Pons, who is out with a long-term injury.
In June 2009 the Norwegian national team trainer Bjarne Berntsen announced that Bente Nordby had retired from Olympique Lyonnaise and would not be joining Norway's squad for the 2009 European Cup tournament. After retiring she joined Lillestrøm SK as the team's goalkeeper coach.
In 1991, Nordby was the reserve Norway keeper for the 1991 Women's World Cup held in China, in which Norway won Silver. She was also part of the Norwegian squad that won the 1993 European Championship
, as well as the Algarve Cup
in 1994.
Nordby became the starting goalkeeper for Norway in 1995, replacing long-time GK Reidun Seth
. In the 1995 Women's World Cup
, she allowed only one goal in six matches, helping lead Norway to their first-ever Women's World Cup title, with a 2-0 defeat of Germany.
In 1996 she won a Bronze medal at the Atlanta Summer Olympics
. Nordby was also the starting keeper for Norway as they won the Algarve Cup in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
In the 1999 Women's World Cup, Norway placed fifth overall, having lost to China in the semifinals, 5-0, then to Brazil in the Bronze Medal match.
She won Olympic Gold with the Norwegian National Women's Team on 28 September 2000 at the Sydney Summer Olympics
.
Bente Nordby originally announced her retirement from international football in late 2002. However, her retirement was short-lived as she decided to make herself available to the national team once again in the Spring of 2003. She was later named to the roster of the 2003 Women's World Cup. Despite losing 1-0 to the U.S. in the quarterfinals, Nordby won the Player of the Match Award, after stopping a penalty kick taken by Mia Hamm
. Norway finished the tournament seventh overall.
Due to their low placement in the World Cup, Norway failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.
In 2005, Nordby was the starting keeper as Norway claimed silver in the European Championships
, falling to Germany 3-1 in the finals.
She was named to the FIFA Women's World Stars squad in April 2007, as not just the starting goalkeeper, but as co-captain with U.S. player, Kristine Lilly
. The match was an exhibition match to open the draw for the 2007 Women's World Cup in China.
At the 2007 Women's World Cup in China, Norway placed fourth in the tournament, losing to the U.S. in the third-place match. After the tournament, Nordby was named to the FIFA All Star Team.
She has also been nominated for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Nordby's final match for the Norwegian Women's National Team was on 27 October 2007 in Stavanger, Norway. In that match, Norway defeated Russia 3-0, in a European Championship qualifier.
She officially announced her retirement from the national team in January 2008.
, coming out
in a Se og Hør article in 2005. She currently resides in Lyon with her partner, Dorte Dalum Jensen, a Danish teammate in Olympique Lyonnais.
Her hometown is Raufoss
, Norway and she has an older brother and younger sister.
Olympique Lyonnais (ladies)
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is a French women's football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. Lyon currently play in the Division 1 Féminine and are the defending champions having won the league for five straight seasons.The club was formed as...
in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France. She played with the Norwegian Women's National Football Team
Norway women's national football team
The Norway women's national football team represents Norway in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, are former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams...
from 1991 to 2007.
Career
Nordby is the second-most capped player ever for Norway with 172 international appearances. Only Hege Riise has more, with 188. She has appeared in all five FIFA Women's World CupFIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
s, an achievement that only U.S.
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
player Kristine Lilly
Kristine Lilly
Kristine Marie Lilly Heavey is a retired American soccer player who last played for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer and was a member of the United States women's national soccer team for 24 years...
shares. Nordby is also the second most-capped international women's goalkeeper of all time.
On 24 January 2008 Nordby announced her retirement from the national team.
Club career
A native of GjøvikGjøvik
is a town and a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik.In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality...
, Bente Nordby began her club career with Raufoss/Vind. She later joined SK Sprint-Jeløy of Norway's Toppserien where she played until the end of the 1995 season. Ahead of the 1996 season, the team Sprint-Jeløy was replaced by Athene Moss
FK Athene Moss
FK Athene Moss is a Norwegian women's football club from Moss. It is named after Athena in Greek mythology.It was founded in 1996, replacing SK Sprint-Jeløy which was a former successful club from Moss. Athene Moss played in the Toppserien until 2001, when it was relegated...
, where she played until 2000.
Nordby, paired with fellow Norwegian Hege Riise
Hege Riise
Hege Riise is a female footballer from Norway.-Club career:Riise started playing football at age 6 and played in a boys' team until age 14....
, was the first pick in the 30 October 2000 WUSA
Women's United Soccer Association
The Women's United Soccer Association, often abbreviated to the WUSA, was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the United States...
Foreign Player Allocation Draft, having been chosen by the Carolina Courage
Carolina Courage
Carolina Courage were a professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Fetzer Field on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in 2001, and then at the soccer-specific SAS Stadium in Cary, North Carolina in 2002 and 2003. The team began play in 2001; the...
.
Nordby played the first half of the 2001 season for the Courage, but was later traded to the San Diego Spirit
San Diego Spirit
The San Diego Spirit was a professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego in San Diego, California. The team began play in 2001...
. In July 2001, the Spirit released Nordby due to the league's salary cap. In total, she played 14 matches of a 21-match season for the two clubs, earning a 1.73 Goals Against Average for the season.
After returning to Norway, Nordby joined Kolbotn in 2002, where she went on to win the Norwegian league that same year. She continued to play with Kolbotn until the end of the 2004 season. She then signed with Asker FK in December 2005. While playing with Asker, she won the Norwegian Cup in 2005, her first and only year with the club.
In early 2006, Nordby signed a 2-year contract with Djurgården/Älvsjö
Djurgården/Älvsjö
Djurgårdens IF is a football club from Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The club was established when the women's divisions of Djurgårdens IF and Älvsjö AIK merged in 2003, forming a new club owned to 51 % by Djurgården and to 49 % by Älvsjö...
in Sweden's Damallsvenskan
Damallsvenskan
The Damallsvenskan, Swedish for ladies' all-Swedish, is the highest division of women's football in Sweden. It is also referred as to the women's Allsvenskan, this term being used alone to refer to the men's division....
league. In 2007, Nordby won the Damallsvenskan Goalkeeper of the Year Award.
On 27 November 2007, it was announced that Nordby would be signing an 18-month contract with Olympique Lyonnais as cover for their regular goalkeeper, Véronique Pons, who is out with a long-term injury.
In June 2009 the Norwegian national team trainer Bjarne Berntsen announced that Bente Nordby had retired from Olympique Lyonnaise and would not be joining Norway's squad for the 2009 European Cup tournament. After retiring she joined Lillestrøm SK as the team's goalkeeper coach.
International career
Bente Nordby made her debut for the senior Norwegian Women's Football team on 30 August 1991, in New Britain, Conn. posting a 1-0 shutout against the U.S.In 1991, Nordby was the reserve Norway keeper for the 1991 Women's World Cup held in China, in which Norway won Silver. She was also part of the Norwegian squad that won the 1993 European Championship
1993 UEFA Women's Championship
The 1993 UEFA Women's Championship, also referred to as WOMEN'S EURO 1993 was a football tournament that happened between 1991 and 1993 . The final games was held in Italy. The UEFA Women's Championship is a regular tournament involving European national teams from countries affiliated to UEFA, the...
, as well as the Algarve Cup
Algarve Cup
The Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football . Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious women's football events, alongside the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football...
in 1994.
Nordby became the starting goalkeeper for Norway in 1995, replacing long-time GK Reidun Seth
Reidun Seth
Reidun Seth is a Norwegian footballer, world champion and olympic medallist, a football goalkeeper and a goalkeeper trainer.She debuted for the Norwegian national team in 1984, and played 71 matches for the national team....
. In the 1995 Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup 1995
The FIFA Women's World Cup 1995 was held in Sweden and won by Norway.-Venues:-Teams:As in the previous edition of the FIFA Women's World cup, held in 1991, 12 teams participated in the final tournament...
, she allowed only one goal in six matches, helping lead Norway to their first-ever Women's World Cup title, with a 2-0 defeat of Germany.
In 1996 she won a Bronze medal at the Atlanta Summer Olympics
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....
. Nordby was also the starting keeper for Norway as they won the Algarve Cup in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
In the 1999 Women's World Cup, Norway placed fifth overall, having lost to China in the semifinals, 5-0, then to Brazil in the Bronze Medal match.
She won Olympic Gold with the Norwegian National Women's Team on 28 September 2000 at the Sydney Summer Olympics
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...
.
Bente Nordby originally announced her retirement from international football in late 2002. However, her retirement was short-lived as she decided to make herself available to the national team once again in the Spring of 2003. She was later named to the roster of the 2003 Women's World Cup. Despite losing 1-0 to the U.S. in the quarterfinals, Nordby won the Player of the Match Award, after stopping a penalty kick taken by Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female,...
. Norway finished the tournament seventh overall.
Due to their low placement in the World Cup, Norway failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.
In 2005, Nordby was the starting keeper as Norway claimed silver in the European Championships
2005 UEFA Women's Championship
The 2005 UEFA Women's Championship, also referred to as WOMEN'S EURO 2005 , was a football tournament for women held from 5 June to 19 June 2005 in Lancashire, England. The UEFA Women's Championship is a regular tournament involving European national teams from countries affiliated to UEFA, the...
, falling to Germany 3-1 in the finals.
She was named to the FIFA Women's World Stars squad in April 2007, as not just the starting goalkeeper, but as co-captain with U.S. player, Kristine Lilly
Kristine Lilly
Kristine Marie Lilly Heavey is a retired American soccer player who last played for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer and was a member of the United States women's national soccer team for 24 years...
. The match was an exhibition match to open the draw for the 2007 Women's World Cup in China.
At the 2007 Women's World Cup in China, Norway placed fourth in the tournament, losing to the U.S. in the third-place match. After the tournament, Nordby was named to the FIFA All Star Team.
She has also been nominated for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Nordby's final match for the Norwegian Women's National Team was on 27 October 2007 in Stavanger, Norway. In that match, Norway defeated Russia 3-0, in a European Championship qualifier.
She officially announced her retirement from the national team in January 2008.
Personal
Nordby is openly lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
in a Se og Hør article in 2005. She currently resides in Lyon with her partner, Dorte Dalum Jensen, a Danish teammate in Olympique Lyonnais.
Her hometown is Raufoss
Raufoss
Raufoss is the municipal centre of Vestre Toten, a municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway, 10 kilomenters south of the larger town Gjøvik. It has approximately 6,000 inhabitants. The largest employer is what was earlier Raufoss Ammunitions factory, now split into several sub companies...
, Norway and she has an older brother and younger sister.