Icelandic Soccer Player Is European Champion with Lyon

Icelandic soccer player Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir sealed the victory for Lyon last night with her goal when Lyon beat Wolfsburg 3:1 in San Sebastián, Spain, thereby winning the Women’s European Champions League.

This is the fifth year in a row that Lyon wins the title. According to Morgunblaðið , Sara Björk was regarded among the game’s best players. Lyon’s first two goals were scored by Eugénie Le Sommer and Saki Kumagai.

Sara Björk is the first Icelander to score during a European Champions League final, and the second Icelander to be on a team that wins the European Champions League. In 2009, Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen was the first Icelander to do so with Barcelona.

Incidentally, Sara Björk signed for Lyon from Wolfsburg in July, after playing for four years with Wolfsburg.

“It’s hard to describe my feelings at this point,” she stated after the game, “but accomplishing this was a dream come true for me, personally. Only two months ago, I was celebrating the German title with Wolfsburg. The feeling at the end of the game was unbelievably strange. It was really sweet, but I’m wiped out - mentally and physically. Becoming a European champion and winning the Champions League has been my dream since I first entered professional soccer.”

After scoring the goal, she wasn’t sure how to react. “There were such strong emotions when I scored. I wanted to show Wolfsburg respect by containing my celebration.”

She is pleased with her performance in the game, and she has been quick to adjust to her new team. “It’s easy to adjust to such a fantastic team, being surrounded by such good players,” she stated. “I’ve been received very well by the team, and that is really helpful.”