Beata Olsson

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Beata Olsson

|image = IK Uppsala - Linköpings FC - 2020-09-27 Beata Olsson 3 (cropped).jpg

|image_size =

|alt =

|caption = Olsson with Uppsala in 2020

|full_name = Beata Karin Eleonora Olsson{{FBref}}

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|01|31|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Stockholm, Sweden

|height = 165 cm

|position = Striker

|currentclub = Kristianstads DFF

|clubnumber =

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 =

|collegeyears1 = 2021

|college1 = Florida Gators

|collegecaps1 = 7

|collegegoals1 = 8

|collegeyears2 = 2021–2023

|college2 = Florida State Seminoles

|collegecaps2 = 66

|collegegoals2 = 27

|years1 = 2015–2017

|clubs1 = Enköping

|caps1 = 35

|goals1 = 43

|years2 = 2018–2021

|clubs2 = Uppsala

|caps2 = 72

|goals2 = 23

|years3 = 2024

|clubs3 = AIK

|caps3 = 19

|goals3 = 6

|years4 = 2025–

|clubs4 = Kristianstads DFF

|caps4 = 0

|goals4 = 0

|nationalyears1 = 2016–2018

|nationalteam1 = Sweden U-17

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 = 10

|nationalyears2 = 2018

|nationalteam2 = Sweden U-18

|nationalcaps2 =

|nationalgoals2 =

|nationalyears3 = 2019–2020

|nationalteam3 = Sweden U-19

|nationalcaps3 = 15

|nationalgoals3 = 13

|nationalyears4 =

|nationalteam4 = Sweden U-23

|nationalcaps4 =

|nationalgoals4 =

|medaltemplates =

|club-update = 9 November 2024

|nationalteam-update = 8 March 2020

}}

Beata Karin Eleonora Olsson (born 31 January 2001) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Damallsvenskan club Kristianstads DFF. She played collegiately for the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles, winning the 2021 and 2023 national championships with the Seminoles. She represented Sweden at the youth international level.

Early career

=Enköping=

Olsson was born in Stockholm and raised in Enköping.{{cite news|url=https://www.aikfotboll.se/nyheter/beata-olsson-klar-for-aik-fotboll-2024-01-06|title=Beata Olsson klar för AIK Fotboll|date=6 January 2024|publisher=AIK Fotboll|language=sv|trans-title=Beata Olsson ready for AIK Football|access-date=18 August 2024}} She started out with FC Djursholm before joining local Division 2 club Enköping [men]. She made the first team at the age of 14 and scored 43 goals in 35 games between 2015 and 2017, with the last season at Division 1 level.

=Uppsala=

Olsson was signed by IK Uppsala Fotboll ahead of the {{ill|2018 Elitettan|sv|Elitettan 2018|lt=2018 Elitettan season}}. She made her club debut on 10 February 2018 in the first round of the {{ill|2018–19 Svenska Cupen (women)|sv|Svenska cupen i fotboll för damer 2018/2019|lt=Swedish Cup}} and scored in the second minute of the match, though Eskilstuna came back to win 2–1. She made her Elitettan (second-division) debut on 15 April as a 71st-minute substitute in a 5–0 win against {{ill|IF Böljan|sv|lt=Böljan}}. She scored her first Elitettan goal on 24 May to extend the lead in the 15th minute of a 2–0 win against Västerås BK30. She ended her rookie season with two goals in 18 appearances.

Olsson made an impact at Uppsala in the {{ill|2019 Elitettan|sv|Elitettan 2019|lt=2019 season}}, scoring 12 goals in 24 games. In the pivotal last game of the season on 27 October, she scored the last goal in a 3–1 comeback win against Hammarby which secured Uppsala's narrow promotion to the top-division Damallsvenskan for the first time.{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/sport/fotboll/uppsala-chockade-hammarby-klart-for-damallsvenskan|title=Uppsala chockade Hammarby – klart för damallsvenskan|date=27 October 2019|last=Grefve|first=Daniel|publisher=Sveriges Television|language=sv|trans-title=Uppsala shocked Hammarby – through to the top women's league|access-date=18 August 2024}} On 27 June 2020, she scored her first Damallsvenskan goal in the 91st minute of the first game of the 2020 season to defeat Djurgården 3–2.{{cite news|url=https://www.goal.com/en-bh/news/boakye-scores-molthalo-sent-off-as-djurgarden-bow-to-uppsala/1913phj65wpot1pn12l45u3xdy|title=Boakye scores, Molthalo sent off as Djurgarden bow to Uppsala|last=Ahmadu|first=Samuel|date=27 June 2020|website=Goal|access-date=18 August 2024}} She tallied five goals in 21 matches in her first top-division season. After the season, Uppsala was relegated back to the Elitettan.{{cite web|url=https://fbref.com/en/squads/8a314045/2020/IK-Uppsala-Stats|title=2020 IK Uppsala Stats|website=FBref.com|access-date=11 October 2024}} Following her first college season at Florida, Olsson spent the summer with Uppsala and scored four goals in nine games during part of the {{ill|2021 Elitettan|sv|Elitettan 2021|lt=2021 season}}.

College career

=Florida Gators=

Olsson spent her first college season with the Florida Gators in spring 2021. She said she chose Florida because it had warmer weather than Sweden. She played well despite the Gators coming second last in the Southeastern Conference, leading her team with seven goals and adding five assists in eight games.{{cite news|url=https://www.fsunews.com/story/sports/2021/10/10/transfer-beata-olsson-leads-seminoles-goals-scored-season/6079582001/|title=Sophomore sharpshooter elevates undefeated 'Noles|last=Tisnes|first=Gabe|date=10 October 2021|website=Florida State University News|access-date=18 August 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.gatorsports.com/story/more-sports/2021/08/18/tony-amato-leads-new-era-florida-gators-womens-soccer-program/8180062002/|title=Tony Amato leads new era for Florida Gators soccer|last=Festo|first=Alan|date=18 August 2021|newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat|access-date=18 August 2024}} When head coach Becky Burleigh retired, she transferred to the national powerhouse and rival Florida State Seminoles. She has said she was not fully aware of the rivalry between the schools.

=Florida State Seminoles=

Olsson slotted well into Florida State's free-flowing offensive and was the team's top scorer with 14 goals in 20 games in fall 2021. She scored two times in a rout of former team Florida, including one off a bicycle kick that made SportsCenter{{'s}} top plays.{{cite news|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/2021/09/02/beata-olsson-florida-state-seminoles-fsu-uf-gators-soccer-mark-krikorian-goals-yujie-zhao/5646344001/|title=Beata Olsson's skill on display in Florida State soccer's win vs. Florida, her former team|last=Fernandez|first=Andre C.|date=2 September 2021|newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat|access-date=18 August 2024}} She scored her third brace of the season in a 2–2 draw to North Carolina, which helped Florida State place second in the conference before winning the ACC tournament.{{cite news|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/2021/11/11/fsu-soccer-florida-state-seminoles-university-florida-transfer-beata-olsson-sweden-ncaa-tournament/6337824001/|title=Beata Olsson has elevated Florida State's attack during another prolific soccer season|last=Fernandez|first=Andre C.|date=11 November 2021|newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat|access-date=18 August 2024}} She scored three goals during the NCAA tournament, including a golden goal to defeat Michigan in the quarterfinals, as the Seminoles won the national championship.

Despite her head coach changing again, with Mark Krikorian replaced by Brian Pensky in 2022, Olsson stayed at Florida State along with most of her teammates, many of whom had like her considered transferring.{{cite news|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/2022/09/02/seminoles-soccer-what-beata-olsson-asked-before-making-decision-return-fsu/7934501001/|title=Florida State soccer: Beata Olsson decided to return after peppering Brian Pensky with questions|last=Kassim|first=Ehsan|date=2 September 2022|newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat|access-date=18 August 2024}} She started every game and contributed six goals and three assists in her junior year, helping get to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to North Carolina.

After helping Florida State go undefeated to win the ACC regular-season title, Olsson played especially well as a senior in the 2023 postseason.{{cite news|url=https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-soccer/2023/10/31/23940137/florida-state-sports-notebook-seminoles-pittsburgh-panthers-women-soccer-postseason-tournament|title=Florida State Sports Notebook: End of Regular Season Edition|last=Joffer|first=Prince Akeem|date=31 October 2023|website=Tomahawk Nation|publisher=SB Nation|access-date=18 August 2024}} She scored the second goal against Pittsburgh in the ACC tournament semifinals and assisted Onyi Echegini for the winning goal against Clemson in the conference final.{{cite news|url=https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-soccer/2023/11/5/23947457/no-1-fsu-soccer-wins-the-acc-championship-over-no-7-clemson-tigers-florida-state-seminoles-women|title=No. 1 FSU soccer wins the ACC Championship over No. 7 Clemson|last=Joffer|first=Prince Akeem|date=5 November 2023|website=Tomahawk Nation|publisher=SB Nation|access-date=18 August 2024}} She then recorded a goal or assist in each of the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament. She added one goal and two assists in Florida State's dominant 5–1 performance against Stanford in the championship game, capping an undefeated season with her second national title.{{cite news|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/2023/12/05/fsu-soccer-dominates-stanford-in-ncaa-womens-national-championship/71794628007/|title=Historically great FSU soccer team dominates great Stanford team in championship|last=Kassim|first=Ehsan|date=5 December 2023|newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat|access-date=18 August 2024}}

Professional career

=AIK=

After graduating from college, Olsson signed with Damallsvenskan club AIK Fotboll on 6 January 2024 on a one-year contract with an option for an additional year. She scored on her club debut on 9 March, a 2–1 win against KIF Örebro in the first round of the Swedish Cup.{{Soccerway|516835}} AIK struggled at the start of the year but finished the season with seven games unbeaten. Olsson scored five league goals during that span and was named Damallsvenskan Player of the Month for October.{{cite news|url=https://www.obosdamallsvenskan.se/article/mzfasmk-15l1/view|title=Beata Olsson är Månadens Spelare|date=2024-11-07|publisher=Damallsvenskan|access-date=2024-11-09|language=sv}}{{FBref}} She scored her first top-flight brace in the first half of a 4–0 win over Trelleborg on 2 November.{{cite news|url=https://swedenherald.com/article/important-aik-points-and-bp-secured-the-contract|title=Important AIK points – and BP secured the contract|date=2024-11-02|website=Sweden Herald|access-date=2024-11-09}} On 23 November, she scored against Umeå in the second leg of the relegation playoffs, which allowed AIK to remain in the top league 2–1 on aggregate.{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/sport/fotboll/aik-vann-kvalrysaren-mot-umea|title=AIK vann kvalrysaren mot Umeå IK|date=2024-11-23|publisher=Sveriges Television|access-date=2024-11-24}}

=Kristianstads DFF=

Olsson joined fellow Damallsvenskan club Kristianstads DFF at the end of 2024.{{cite Instagram|postid=DDhMpygSNF_|last=Olsson|first=Beata|date=2024-12-13|user=beataolsson|title=Done deal ✍🏼|access-date=2025-01-16}}

International career

Olsson played for the Sweden youth national team from the under-17 to under-23 level, scoring 19 goals in 44 appearances. She scored six goals during the 2018 UEFA Under-17 Championship qualification stage and eight goals across the 2019 and 2020 UEFA Under-19 Championship qualification events.

Style of play

Olsson plays as a striker. She is quick, creative in the box, and a good finisher.

Honors

Florida State Seminoles

Individual

All-ACC second team: 2021
All-ACC third team: 2022, 2023
ACC all-tournament team: 2022, 2023

Sources:{{cite web|url=https://seminoles.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/beata-olsson/1886|title=Beata Olsson – 2023–24 – Women's Soccer|publisher=Florida State|access-date=18 August 2024}}