France v. Sweden 160711

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Ten-Man Sweden Fend Off France For Third

by Jeremy Ruane

Sweden survived the sending-off of striker Josefine Oqvist half-way through the second half to fend off France 2-1 and claim third place at the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals on July 16, in front of a sell-out 25,475-strong crowd at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena in Sinsheim.

The French suffered first half injuries to star playmaker Louisa Necib and goalkeeper Berangere Sapowicz inside the opening half-hour of play, after both sides had chances to open the scoring inside the first five minutes.

Swedish star Lotta Schelin strayed offside when she put the ball in the net, seconds after the French had gone close from a Necib corner, which Gaetane Thiney flicked on at the near post. The ball ricocheted off a Swedish defender straight to goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.

With UEFA seeding for the 2012 Olympic Games at stake, as well as third place, there was plenty to play for in this encounter, and a lively open affair resulted, with the French central defence looking particularly suspect as Sweden pressed for an early goal in the opening quarter hour.

They survived, and created an opening in the twentieth minute through Sonia Bompastor, whose deep cross from the left picked out Camile Abily. Her control of the ball was delightful, but her shot was blocked by Sara Thunebro.

Seconds later, another booming Bompastor cross had Sweden in trouble, Abily again the recipient. She whipped the ball back into the danger zone, right into the stride of Bompastor, who was steaming into the area. She let fly, only to see the ball cannon to safety off Charlotte Rohlin.

Sweden came surging back, Oqvist storming down the right past two players before tempting Sapowicz with a teasing cross-shot. The goalkeeper held onto this one, but had looked suspect under the high ball prior to this delivery.

She didn't get a chance to deal with another, for in the 29th minute she picked up an injury as Sweden opened the scoring which saw France's 'keeper leaving the fray on a stretcher. Sara Larsson's wicked angled through ball from half-way found Schelin darting in behind the French rearguard, and as Sapowicz advanced she deftly clipped the ball past her and into the net.

Sapowicz landed awkwardly in her vain attempt to keep the shot out, an effort which prompted her premature departure. But while she was receiving treatment, the French had another injury concern to address, Necib having been clattered into by Larsson moments prior to the goal, a foul which went unpunished and which rendered the French star's World Cup over sixty minutes earlier than planned, due to a knee injury.

So the French were forced to make a double substitution just after the half-hour mark. They made light of the enforced changes initially, Abily seeing a shot blocked before Thiney fired the rebound wildly over the bar in the 33rd minute.

Two minutes later, French captain Sandrine Soubeyrand was forced to scoop the ball to safety after Lisa Dahlkvist got in behind the defence, hurdled the challenge of Wendie Renard and pulled the ball back for Linda Forsberg.

Her poor first touch gave Soubeyrand the chance to clear and spark a counter-attack featuring Bompastor and Thiney. They combined to present Elise Bussaglia with a chance, the midfielder evading an opponent before rattling the post from twenty yards.

Four minutes before half-time, Bussaglia unleashed a thirty-yarder which Lindahl saved to her left, after which Sweden twice went close in as many minutes. A thumping header from Rohlin flashed over the bar following a Thunebro corner, while Schelin was only denied by Renard's despairing tackle as she latched onto a pass from Rohlin.

In stoppage time, a stray Soubeyrand pass was swooped on by Therese Sjogran, who sent Schelin searing through the French defence like a hot knife through butter once more. She duly let fly, only to see Deville batter the ball to safety - a fine save by the substitute custodian.

France came out all guns blazing in the second half, and could have been level after just 35 seconds of play. Eugenie Le Sommer played the ball wide to Necib's replacement, Elodie Thomis, who drilled in a low cross intended for Abily.

She went down in the area under a challenge from behind by Dahlkvist, but referee Seitz turned a

blind eye to French pleas for a penalty - they had a strong case.

Instead, they had to wait another ten minutes before equalising. Bussaglia slipped Thomis through the offside trap with a peach of a pass which the striker despatched unerringly into the net from the edge of the penalty area - 1-1.

Sweden sought a swift riposte through Sjogran, but Deville gathered her free-kick and launched a quick counter-attack, throwing the ball out to Thomis, lurking near half-way. She slipped through the gears and tore past two opponents before linking with Bussaglia, Soubeyrand and Le Sommer, whose cross for Abily was thwarted by Larsson, whose no-nonsense defending earned her FIFA's Player of the Match award.

In the 64th minute, Dahlkvist played Oqvist in through the inside left channel, leaving her with Deville to beat. The striker did everything right, drawing the 'keeper before stylishly lifting the ball over her, only for the post to come to France's rescue. Deville gleefully grabbed the rebound, much to Oqvist's despair.

Back came France, Bompastor and Thiney linking on the left before playing in Thomis, who evaded a challenge in the box, only to be thwarted by the fast-closing Lindahl - the experienced 'keeper had a sound game.

In the 67th minute, Oqvist rampaged down the right this time, initially giving Bompastor the runaround. The fullback came back at her opponent, managing to get in a clearance which ricocheted off Oqvist and landed invitingly for Dahlkvist.

While Renard was blocking the midfielder's shot, Oqvist and Bompastor were in a tangle, and the Swede put the boot in, leaving the fullback in agony. Unfortunately for the striker, the referee's assistant witnessed the entire incident, and when the ball was next out of play, referee Seitz came across and rightly brandished the red card at the popular blonde.

Every time she touched the ball after this incident, Bompastor copped cat calls galore from the crowd, who were clearly unaware that the some-time model had kicked out at her French opponent. Bompastor didn't deserve the jeers, and thankfully didn't allow them to affect her game.

Down to ten, Sweden were faced with a rearguard action. Le Sommer was denied by both substitute Maria Hammerstrom and Rohlin initially, as a grandstand finish unfolded, with both teams throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of a winning goal.

It came in the 82nd minute, and was well worth the admission money. Sjogran's corner to the near post was cleared to the edge of the penalty area, where Hammerstrom was lurking. She evaded one challenge outside the box, then another just inside it, before hammering an unstoppable drive into the top near corner of the net - an absolute belter to put the Swedes ahead 2-1.

Cue an onslaught from France, and Sweden defending defiantly throughout the remaining minutes, including the additional five which were added, seemingly to test Swedish nerves to the absolute limit.

Rohlin's superb defending denied Thomis as she looked to capitalise on a Bussaglia through ball, while Lindahl twice denied headers from Georges following Soubeyrand corners. Sweden then survived a clear hand-ball offence by Thunebro, as she controlled a Bompastor cross in the penalty area, while in stoppage time, Le Sommer played Thomis through with just Lindahl to beat, only for the 'keeper to save bravely at the speedster's feet.

The final whistle signalled despair for France and delight for Sweden, who were presented with their third place medals by FIFA President Sepp Blatter in a ceremony concluded in a hail of gold-coloured ticker-tape, with just over twenty-four hours remaining until the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals conclude in Frankfurt with the presentation of the prized trophy to either Japan or the USA.

Sweden: Lindahl; Svensson, Larsson, Rohlin, Thunebro; Forsberg (M. Hammarstrom 62), Fischer (Sembrant, 72), Dahlkvist, Sjogran; Schelin, Oqvist (sent off, 68)

France: Sapowicz (Deville, 32); Franco (Pizzala, 84), Georges, Renard, Bompastor; Abily, Soubeyrand, Necib (Thomis, 32), Bussaglia, Thiney; Le Sommer

Referee: Kari Seitz (USA)

2011 Draw