After the major loss in Málaga on Friday evening – Sweden's biggest defeat in three years – the Swedish women's football team must win by four goals in the return match in Gothenburg on Tuesday to at least take the Nations League semi-final against Spain to extra time.
It's extremely difficult, but not impossible, say the Swedish players.
It doesn't feel like 0–4 reflected the match picture entirely. So if we can get a good start, an early goal would be gold … then it's just a matter of pouring it on at home, says team captain Kosovare Asllani.
Sympathizing with the fans
Sweden's national team coach Tony Gustavsson doesn't sound as convinced. Catching up four goals against the reigning world champion, world number one Spain, is no easy task, according to Gustavsson.
Everyone understands how tough it is to be down 0–4 against Spain at "halftime". But at the same time, it's a match that needs to be played. And regardless of whether we're going to turn it around and win 4–0 or if you should see it as an isolated match, it's still the world number one we're facing at home. We want to win a match against Spain and show that we can measure up to them, he says.
When Clàudia Pina scored the fourth Spanish goal in stoppage time in Friday's match, it marked the end of a heavy first national team match as Swedish national team coach. But Tony Gustavsson mostly feels sorry for all the blue and yellow fans who had been looking forward to Tuesday's return match at a sold-out Gamla Ullevi.
I sympathize with the supporters back home who were looking forward to an exciting match, it's sold out and we're longing to get home to Sweden to play in front of our supporters. That 4–0 goal … it didn't feel good.
"Anything can happen"
While Gustavsson sympathizes with the fans, the Swedish players are planning their revenge. The battle for a final spot is not yet lost, says left-back Anna Sandberg.
Hope is definitely not gone. They make 4–0 against us, in football anything can happen. It's our home ground, it's our fans, it's sold out. Anything can happen, says Sandberg.
Striker Johanna Rytting Kaneryd also refuses to give up:
Of course. The first thought was "damn, we didn't want this". We want to make it to a final. But at the same time, we have to believe in it. There's hope and it's on our home ground. If we can hurt them and keep it tight, then there's a chance.
