England v Sweden

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England v Sweden

Whoever Said Third Place Play-Offs Were Dull?

by Jeremy Ruane

Sweden clinched third place at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals on July 7, edging England 2-1 in an enthralling affair played in front of 20,316 fans at the Stade de Nice.

Starting brightly, the Swedes' early enterprise was rewarded when they opened the scoring in the eleventh minute. Linda Sembrant and Caroline Seger teamed up with Fridolina Rolfo, whose teasing cross lured Alex Greenwood into a mis-timed volleyed clearance which fell perfectly into the stride of Kosovare Asllani.

The playmaker, who was stretchered off the field in the dying minutes of Sweden's semi-final encounter with the USA, let fly with a fifteen yard drive which ricocheted into the net off Carly Telford, England's goalkeeper, who was beaten by the sheer speed of the shot.

After Hedvig Lindahl had dealt with a wild Nilla Fischer back-pass which the 'keeper had to scamper to prevent from going for a corner, Sweden went close to doubling their advantage on the quarter hour.

Nathalie Bjorn played a lovely ball through for Sofia Jakobsson to exploit, the speedy flank player scooting clear of the defence before thrashing a shot goalwards, the ball ricocheting off the near post and out of play via the diving figure of Telford.

Only Lucy Bronze's vital block prevented Asllani from latching onto a Jakobsson cross soon afterwards, but there was no surprise when Sweden doubled their lead in the 22nd minute.

Jakobsson switched flanks on this occasion, and worked a one-two with Stina Blackstenius before cutting into the penalty area and curling home a gem of a shot around Telford and into the far corner of the net - 2-0.

England looked to strike back straight away, Bronze seeing her volleyed effort turned away by Lindahl as Rolfo hobbled off the park, her World Cup ending under an injury cloud.

Her departure caused some confusion in the Swedish ranks, and "The Lionesses" weren't slow in exploiting it. Nikita Parris and Fran Kirby worked an opening in the area for Beth Mead, whose shot was diverted to safety by the retreating figure of Bjorn just shy of the half-hour.

Just after it, England were back in the contest. Jill Scott fed Kirby on the right, from where she scythed into the penalty area before curling a shot around Lindahl and in off the base of the far post in the 31st minute.

Two minutes later, "The Lionesses" drew level, only for the Video Assistant Referee to come to Sweden's rescue. Greenwood and Mead linked up on the left, with the latter delivering an inviting ball into the box for the Golden Boot-hunting Ellie White.

She controlled the ball well before turning Sembrant and driving the ball home under Lindahl's dive. But after the celebrations of White's seventh goal of the finals had subsided, VAR determined that she had inadvertently used her arm to control the ball while turning Sembrant …

The cameras immediately focused on White, who sank to her knees in frustration, this being the third

time she's been denied a goal by video technology at this tournament. When you're co-leading the Golden Boot stakes, such calls leave you wondering if it's meant to be.

Alas for England, it wasn't. Kirby had penalty claims ignored by Russian referee Anastasia Pustovoytova five minutes before half-time, while after a rare Steph Houghton error let in Blackstenius - her lob arced over both Telford and the crossbar, Lindahl denied White by saving with her legs in the shadows of the half-time whistle, the striker having been played in by Parris.

England's pursuit of an equaliser dominated proceedings early in the second half, with Jade Moore thrashing a shot past the post prior to Greenwood and Abbie McManus combining with substitute Jodie Taylor to leave Lindahl in no man's land, only for Fischer to tidy things up for the Swedes.

Kirby was a prominent figure in England's threats during this period, and her one-two with Bronze in the 58th minute saw her low cross, intended for Taylor, being thwarted at the near post by Lindahl, who was beaten all ends up by Kirby ten minutes later, only for Fischer to again come to the rescue for the Swedes.

Just prior to this, Telford had reason to foil a shot from substitute Julia Zigiotti, whose cross to the near post fifteen minutes from time found Telford saving hurriedly at her near post as Blackstenius homed in on the ball.

After Bronze had headed clear to prevent a Jakobsson cross from being capitalised upon by Blackstenius and Zigiotti, England piled on the pressure inside the last ten minutes in search of an equaliser, as they looked to repeat the third placing they achieved at Canada four years ago.

But Sweden's defence stood firm in the face of their onslaught, no one more so than Fischer in the 89th minute. Greenwood's corner was punched out by Lindahl to Bronze, whose blockbuster volley was destined for the back of the net until the central defender positioned herself perfectly to head off the line and preserve Sweden's advantage.

Which could have been extended either side of this effort. Telford was right behind a Jakobsson effort as the Swedes looked to score on the counter-attack, then a swashbuckling run from half-way by substitute Zigiotti saw her get the better of Houghton, only for Telford to deny her with a solid blocked save to her left.

Seconds prior, Lindahl produced her lone save of the half to deny England substitute Karen Carney, whose final shot in anger on a football field anywhere this was. Soon after, she and her team-mates slumped to the ground in despair, Sweden holding on for a 2-1 win which earned them a third podium finish in the last five FIFA Women's World Cup Finals - only the USA boasts a better pedigree in the competition.

England: Telford; Bronze, Houghton, McManus (Daly, 83), Greenwood; Scott, Kirby, Moore (booked, 90); Parris (Carney, 74), White, Mead (Taylor, 50)

Sweden: Lindahl (booked, 84); Glas, Fischer, Sembrant, Eriksson; Bjorn (Ilestedt, 72), Asllani (Zigiotti, 46), Seger; Jakobsson, Blackstenius, Rolfo (Hurtig, 27)

Referee: Anastasia Pustovoytova (Russia)

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