“Here” was the Maracana, where a capacity crowd watched Brazil outplay a defensive Sweden side only to lose 4-3 on penalties after the match finished goalless following extra time.
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Footloose and fancy free after the whistle, the blue-clad Swedes were anything but before it, with experienced keeper Hedvig Lindahl expertly marshalling a rock-solid defence that erased memories of their 5-1 group-phase defeat to the Brazilians ten days previously and ensured Scandinavian representation in the final of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016.
“If that’s what it takes, I don’t mind”, Lindahl said Tuesday after leading Sweden to a 4-3 shootout win over host Brazil in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament.
Sweden, ranked sixth in the world, will play second-ranked Germany at the Maracana on Friday after they enjoyed a 2-0 win over Canada on Tuesday. However, whether you agree with Solo’s opinion or not, she still has every right to make her views on how she thinks the game of soccer/football should best be played known to the public. She made one stop on Wednesday but it wasn’t enough. Brazil is paying more attention to women’s soccer.
Brazil will play for the bronze on Friday in Sao Paulo against Canada.
“I’m delighted that Pia has put her faith in me, and that confidence is crucial to our tactic of inviting opposing sides on and then hitting them on the counter-attack”, explained Lindahl. Both times, at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games, the United States won in the final. I will not apologise as we dominated the match and tried to find the best way to score.
“It is hard to believe the fact that Sweden are going to be playing in the final – phew”. The result of the major tournament should have to be a gold medal, for the reason that’s a need for women’s football. Marta and Beatriz scored two goals each in that first match.
“Nothing will take the shine off the work we did during the whole year”, Marta told SporTV.
Despite their defensive structure, the first opportunity fell to the visitors, Nilla Fischer’s incisive long ball to Schelin seeing the captain control the pass inside the Brazil penalty area, but her shot was sacked well over the crossbar. A victory in Brazil would give her a third-straight Olympic title.
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Into extra time, Schelin went closest, heading a Kosovare Asllani corner just wide of Barbara’s right-hand post in the first half of the added period before bursting into the Brazilian box in the second period but her shot was sacked well wide.
