This Saturday afternoon it is time for the consolation final, the game that actually no country wants to play. However, both England and Sweden can look back on a great World Cup, and this is the last chance for them to finish on the podium.
England:
The disappointment was great, after last Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat in the semi-final against United States. In the first half The Lionesses hardly got involved and with a 2-1 deficit they still managed to get away with it. After the tea, the team of national coach Phil Neville came out of the dressing room as reborn. England took the initiative and also seemed to come alongside through Jill Scott, although the VAR put a stop to it. Five minutes before time, Captain Steph Houghton was able to call for a penalty, but she was unable to cash in on this opportunity. It was the third time this tournament that the English ladies killed a penalty, and this time it definitely killed them. “I can’t blame my players,” Neville said. “They gave everything.”
Missing a final place was of course a big disappointment, but the English will once again give everything on Saturday afternoon to seize the bronze medal. “We want to go home with something tangible,” says star player Ellen White. “Of course we would have preferred gold, but a bronze medal is still a fantastic achievement.” There is also a lot at stake for White personally on Saturday afternoon, because with six goals she is the top scorer of this World Cup together with Alex Morgan. Thanks in part to her goals, England managed to win all of its group matches. She is also the third player in the history of the World Cup who managed to score in three consecutive knockout duels.
Sweden:
Sweden was the big surprise in the semi-finals, after the Scandinavians managed to stunt twice in a row against Canada (1-0) and Germany (1-2) in the eighth finals and the quarterfinals. Also against the Netherlands, Sweden did not fail to show itself, although it was unfortunate that the Dutch squad team Sari van Veenendaal managed to keep its goal clean with various strong saves. A slider from Jackie Groenen in the extension eventually decided this blood-curdling squatter in favor of the Netherlands, and immersed the Swedish players in deep mourning.
Like England, Sweden naturally wants to end up on the podium, although I can imagine that the country has got through a bit physically. Not only has Sweden had a day less rest, it also has an extension in its legs. In addition, it is questionable whether star player Kosovare Asslani can come into action on Saturday afternoon, after being injured from the field in the semi-final against the Netherlands. The fact that she already received seven offenses in this tournament – the highest number of all players at the World Cup – does indicate how much threat she poses. Along with deep striker Stina Blackstenius, Asllani is by far the best player in Sweden.
