The Swedish women's football team only managed one point, a 0–0 draw, in the World Cup qualifier away to 33rd-ranked Serbia. Afterwards, the blue-and-yellow players were frustrated and disappointed with their own performance.
And on top of that.
"I think women's football has come further than this. But according to the regulations they are allowed to play here. That is the problem," says Sweden's team captain Kosovare Asllani.
“Of course it has an impact”
The match was played in Stara Pazova, a couple of miles north of the capital Belgrade, at the Serbian Football Association's training facility. It had only one actual stand and was on hybrid turf.
A tactical Serbian move, according to Asllani.
We try to focus on the right things, but it clearly has an impact.
But as I said, it's the regulations that are the problem. If you allow play on a pitch like this, teams like Serbia will take advantage of it. They know they will be strengthened by playing on a pitch that is not of the highest quality, that is bouncy and has no doctor present.
Serbia's Emma Petrovic, born and raised in Skåne, mostly thinks these are excuses from Sweden.
"There's always something to complain about. It's a football pitch, you just have to go out and play. Then whether it's here or in a big arena, come on, just go out and play," says the 23-year-old Malmö FF player.
Revenge next month?
Saturday's match was Asllani's 209th international match. The 36-year-old veteran midfielder hopes it was her last in this type of stadium.
They want to play on pitches like this because here they have a chance to take points off us. Even in some league matches you sometimes meet teams that choose to play on worse pitches to improve their chances.
Would you have won in a regular arena?
You'll see that when we meet them in Sweden.
Sweden–Serbia will be played at Strawberry Arena in Solna on April 18.
