PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Sweden is still licking its wounds after the loss.
But here is another nightmare message for Blågult.
– It is extremely tough, national team goalkeeper Zecira Musovic admits.
It didn’t go well at all for Sweden against Spain in the World Cup semi-final. Despite a late equaliser, Blågult fell hard with 2-1 in the absolute final stage of the giant shocker.
Blue-yellow nightmare
The loss against Spain would have also usually meant that Sweden missed the upcoming Olympic tournament, but the qualification format has been changed. But here comes a nightmare message for Sweden – because it will be extremely tough to reach the summer Olympics in Paris in 2024.
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Europe only gets three places for the women’s Olympic football and as France is the host country, there are only two places left to be settled. But it is no longer the World Cup that determines which countries go to the Olympics, but instead the Nations League steps into women’s football in the fall and takes over the function as an Olympic qualifier.
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Musovic’s words
Sweden therefore needs to win its Nations League group and then the four group winners meet in a playoff where the two teams that reach the final also qualify for Olympic play.
– There will be as many tough matches as possible here this autumn. We have really stepped up on that front as well and it will be matches that count, which is something that I love. To play competitive matches when it matters and not to knead training matches for a whole year, says the national team goalkeeper Zecira Musovic to Sportbladet.
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Sweden once again faces Spain in the Nations League group as well as Italy and Switzerland and only one team advances to the playoffs. Therefore, there is growing concern that the blue-and-yellow soccer ladies may miss the Olympic games until next summer.
– It is extremely tough. I think we’ve made it to every single championship, but you shouldn’t forget the tough road. And you shouldn’t… It will require an extreme amount. You have to win the group and then you have to win a semi-final, so it’s an extremely long road. But I feel somewhere one step at a time. I want that medal (WC bronze) first. Then we have to take on the next challenge, says Musovic.
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