Sweden’s 2-1 win over South Africa may have been too close for comfort but was no cause for concern, veteran Kosovare Asllani said, with a tricky Italy team awaiting it in its second Women’s World Cup group-stage affair on Saturday.
Amanda Ilestedt’s 90th-minute winner saved the 2003 runners-up from embarrassment on Sunday against underdog South Africa, which is ranked 51 rungs beneath it.
Asllani said while the effort was beneath Sweden’s best, they were “more than satisfied” with the win in a wide-open tournament.
Also Read: FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: Argentina’s quest for first win goes on
“This World Cup is harder to predict than any World Cup so far. There are so many teams that have developed greatly,” she told reporters on Friday. “I’m generally very impressed with the so-called ‘underdog teams’.”
Sweden has finished third on three separate occasions at the World Cup and is hoping to avoid heartbreak on the global stage yet again after a shootout defeat by Canada in the Olympic final two years ago.
Its opening effort in New Zealand was one they can build on, said coach Peter Gerhardsson, who focused the long break between matches on “tactical discussions.”
He expects an unpredictable and physical Italy to keep them on their toes in Wellington after the 16th-ranked team beat Argentina 1-0 in their tensely fought opener in Auckland on Monday.
Also Read: Colombia’s Linda Caicedo: teenage World Cup star ‘touched by God’
“They change around sometimes, adapting to the lineup of their opponents. They’re also flexible sometimes in terms of the players they use. Some teams are sometimes easier to know (the lineup),” he said, via a translator.
Sweden beat Italy on penalties in their last meeting at the 2022 Algarve Cup.
“They had a lineup that we felt was somewhat adapted to our game plan, making it somewhat more difficult for us,” said Gerhardsson. “It’s a skilled team … especially bearing in mind that they are physical.”
(This news is published through a syndicated feed courtesy SportsStar – The Hindu)
