PHOTO: Bildbyrån
It wasn’t a perfect farewell for Caroline Seger.
Sweden lost a two-goal lead against world champion Spain in Málaga, and now await a nervous playoff qualification to stay in the A division.
The 3–5 loss was a difficult end to an equally difficult autumn.
What a football match it was at the La Rosaleda stadium. For a long time it went in blue-yellow tones. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd fixed a Swedish corner after twelve seconds. When the match clock ticked up to 38 seconds, it was 1-0 to Sweden.
Kosovar Asllanis corner was spliced against the far post of Linda Sembrant. There stood Julia Zigiotti Olme who in his 27th international match scored his first national team goal.
Close to four goals
On the bench could Caroline Victory do nothing but laugh. On Sunday, the 38-year-old announced that this national team gathering would be her last, and she couldn’t have gotten off to a better start to her last night with the gang.
The article continues below.
She would soon have the opportunity to pull on the smiley lines more. Selma Paralluelo although headed in 1-1 in the eleventh minute on a superb cross from Olga Carmona. But this was the away team’s half.
Sweden chose to line up with a five-back line – or three backs and two wings if you like – and it was a success during the first 45 minutes of the match. Just three minutes after the Spanish equaliser, Kosovare put Asllani 2–1. It was a particularly fancy football goal.
Stina Blackstenius slotted the ball perfectly behind the Spanish defenders and Asllani thanked the eminent forward play by deliciously chipping the ball past the goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez.
In the 29th minute they were both on the move again. Asllani stressed out a drop in the Spanish penalty area and the ball eventually ended up with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd who found Blackstenius who poked in 3–1.
Sweden also got off to a flying start in the second half, when Rytting Kaneryd again found Blackstenius with a pass. This time the crossbar stopped the Arsenal striker from scoring a fourth Swedish goal.
Sweden’s race
It could have killed the excitement. In the 51st minute kicked Athenea del Castillo life in the match instead, by reducing it to 2-3 on another fine cross from Carmona, in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
Since Italy at the same time went towards a clear victory in their match against Switzerland (3–0 in the end), it was clear that Sweden would have to win to avoid the playoff in February.
It didn’t work out. Spain’s pressure grew and grew – it did not immediately diminish when the Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati was replaced after an hour of play – and in the end Sweden did not resist.
Jennifer Falk made some really sweaty saves, but on Mariona Caldenteys projectile in the 78th minute, she had no chance. The Barcelona midfielder took the ball down on his chest in the penalty area, let it bounce once – and then thundered in 3-3 at the crossbar.
Stina Blackstenius had a good chance to give Sweden the lead immediately afterwards, but the finish was lame. In the next attack, it was instead another Spanish goal celebration.
Third loss
Fiamma Benítez made the majority of the 15,896 in the stands cheer when she was released with Jennifer Falk and coolly lifted in 4–3. In the 89th, Caldentey also made it 5–3.
In just a few months, Sweden has suffered three really heavy losses against Spain. In the World Cup semi-final last summer, Spain decided in the final minutes, and in the Nations League premiere at Gamla Ullevi in September, the match-winning Spanish goal came in extra time.
On Monday, the playoff game in the Nations League will be drawn. Then it will be decided which team from the B division Sweden will face in February, in a double match for a place in the top division in the upcoming EC qualifiers.
What do you think of Sweden’s effort tonight? Share the article and have your say!
READ MORE: The teammate reveals what Zlatan Ibrahimovic never dared to tell himself – how Ibra tricked the police with three words
Sign up for our newsletter
Share