Leigh’s great suffering in the rain: It took a total of 33 attempts and a lot of frustration before Sweden finally booked the long-awaited semi-final ticket against outsiders Belgium. In the end it was also a triumph of experience.
Actually everything went according to plan: In the 25th minute Kosovare Asllani played a very fine pass into the path of Stina Blackstenius and the 26-year-old goalscorer from WFC Arsenal did what was expected of her: she scored to make it 1-0 for Sweden. The Scandinavians’ quarter-final match against outsiders Belgium looked to be going as expected. Alone: The hit didn’t count. Blackstenius had been offside. Very close. At least that’s what the impartial team, including VAR, decided.
Complicated Swedish attacking game
It was a controversial decision – and in Leigh’s cold, rainy stadium somehow lost the spirited attacking game. The feeling that a goal would soon be scored was gone. Sweden remained superior – of course. But somehow absolute conviction was missing.
At half-time, the Swedes had 15 shots on goal, and on average the ball had been touched 20 times before each of those shots on goal. That is much. And sounds like complicated football. In the end there were 33 shots, ten of which were on target. Belgium’s outstanding keeper Nicky Evrard made seven saves. And her team had only aimed three times in the direction of the Swedish box. Not a single one of them hit the target.
Chaotic scene brings victory
Significantly, a chaotic scene brought the decision at the end: After Asllani’s cross, Evrard punched the ball in injury time at Nathalie Björn’s feet, whose shot was blocked and somehow ended up at Linda Sembrant. And the defender finally smashed the ball into the Belgium net.
After the game, keeper Evrard was named player of the match. Their overall performances in this tournament have been tremendous. Surprising, considering the 27-year-old doesn’t play football full-time. She earns her living by renting bouncy castles. The rental business gives her financial stability. At least an interesting concept for a national player.
Concerned about Blackstenius
In the end, however, like her teammates, she has to travel home to Belgium. Deservedly – Sweden were just a size too big for the defensively strong but simply too harmless in the game Belgium team.
However, the winner is worried about the fitness of striker Blackstenius, for example. She had to be treated intensively after the game and has been dealing with more or less severe ailments throughout the tournament. In addition to Blackstenius, a player like Fridolina Rolfö will be important in the semifinals against England on Tuesday (July 26th, 2022). She too will need to step up to do anything against England’s defense centered around the stable Millie Bright.
Triumph of the Experienced
For Sweden, the semifinals should have been only an intermediate step. In the end it was also a triumph of experience. In Sembrant, the goal was scored by a player who, like many of her colleagues, already has a lot of experience under her belt. For the Swedes there are half a dozen players at the tournament who already have 120 or more caps.
First and foremost Caroline Seger, who has played well over 200 times for Sweden. Her star is sinking so slowly, at the Euro she has only been a substitute since the second Swedish tournament game. But this one big triumph, winning the European Championship, is something that the experienced team in Sweden still have in mind.