It looked as said good – for about ten minutes.
That long worked the high, Swedish pressure on La Rosaleda against the world's most passing skilled national team.
But when the match was over, Tony Gustavsson had received a beating that was called decent in his first national team match as the association coach for Sweden.
0–4. This is the deficit that Blågult will have to try to turn around in the return match at Gamla Ullevi at the beginning of next week.
Superb free kick
One of the Spanish stars, Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey, spun up Filippa Angeldahl outside the Swedish penalty area and was pulled down in the ninth minute. Another, Barcelona star Alexia Putellas, stroked the free kick into the crossbar.
Our first ten minutes are damn good. Then comes a free kick that becomes 0–1 in a completely magical way. Goals affect matches. It wasn't enough today, Spain is too good, says new coach Tony Gustavsson.
A couple of minutes after the free kick, Selma Paralluelo seemed to get a penalty – and potentially a red card for Amanda Ilestedt – when she was chopped down in the penalty area. That time, Sweden was saved by the fact that it was offside.
Missed chance
Paralluelo got up a while but was substituted out in the 27th minute. Five minutes later, her replacement Clàudia Pina slammed in 2–0.
Then Sweden held tight, but only for three minutes. Pina threw herself forward on a cross and pushed the ball – into the crossbar. The rebound landed in front of Putellas, who could easily roll in 3–0.
After the break, Sweden got better control of the game and maybe it would have become a match if Stina Blackstenius had utilized the chance she got in the 51st minute – but the reduction did not come.
"Can sound strange"
Instead, it got even worse in stoppage time. Jennifer Falk made a couple of really sweaty saves at the end of the match, and thus kept some life in the semifinal.
But when Clàudia Pina got a last chance, she could not withstand Falk any longer. The 24-year-old knocked in 4–0 – and probably took out any remaining tension.
It stings a little extra with that goal in stoppage time, says Gustavsson and continues:
Despite a 0–3 deficit against Spain away, it may sound a little strange, but I actually think the courage the players show in the second half is good.
Now, most things suggest that Sweden will have to focus on a match for third place against the loser in the other semifinal in the Nations League. There, Germany has a grip on the final spot after 1–0 at home against France on Friday evening.
