PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Sweden missed the WC final after a late goal.
After that, the team captain Kosovare Asllani has been criticized.
Now the Swedish national team star is fighting back.
Sweden’s WC semi-final against Spain on Tuesday was quite dramatic in the last ten minutes. At first the Spaniards took the lead after a real cold shower for the Swedes, but the answer would come shortly later.
“Asllani sleeps”
When the hopper Rebecca Blomqvist accounted for a class goal and equalized at 1-1. But just a minute later came the next shock goal when Spain scored the decisive 2-1 goal after a corner variation.
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Spanish full back Olga Carmona had to stand completely free outside the penalty area and spot-kick the ball over Zecira Musovic and into the goal via the bar. In connection with the goal, clear criticism was directed at the Swedish team captain Kosovar Asllani for not acting better.
– They are not awake. Asllani stands and sleeps and comes out late on the player, said the Viaplay commentator Henrik Strömblad in the television broadcast.
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Asllani’s answer
Asllani was still in the penalty area when the short corner was taken and therefore did not have time to cover the shot from the opponent outside the penalty area.
– They scored because Carmona was given too much time to shoot, said the Swedish Arsenal coach Jonas Eidevall in the English BBC broadcast.
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The teammate Fridolina Rolfö can also admit that they relaxed a little too much on the corner that decided everything in the closing stages of the match.
– Maybe that’s how it is in that situation, we need to step on the shooter who takes the finish and we are too late in the reaction. So maybe there is something to it. But I can’t say what it is due to, she tells SportExpressen.
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After the criticism against himself, Kosovare Asllani is now hitting back and explaining what happened in connection with the goal that crushed Sweden’s final dreams.
– They lined up with three players and I always start in the box. We already had one out. So I was in on it. But yes… What to say? She had a dream match, admits “Kosse” after the match.
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