Ireland must tune in to stop Swedes’ Caroline
WHEN Sweden knocked USA out of the 2016 Rio Olympics, their defensive tactics so incensed American goalkeeper Hope Solo that she labelled them ‘cowardly’. The Swedes didn’t make many friends on their journey towards that silver medal as coach Pia Sundhage looked to play it safe, despite the wealth of attacking talent at her disposal.
Things have changed under Peter Gerhardsson. They are playing a much more expansive game, evident in the 15-0 win in Georgia on Thursday night that once again drew attention to the chasm between the top teams and the bottom-feeders in women’s football.
However, the side that won a second successive Olympic silver medal in Tokyo, after being defeated by Canada on penalties in the final, was unrecognisable from the one in Rio, even though many of the players were the same. They walloped USA with a much more attack-based game in the opening round when they certainly couldn’t be accused of being cowardly.
That Ireland largely neutralised them in a the World Cup qualifier at Tallaght Stadium last October makes the performance from Vera Pauw’s side all the more impressive.
Even though Pauw has suggested that the Swedes will be much stronger in Gothenburg this Tuesday, where a record crowd is expected, Ireland can take a lot of confidence from a game where – at least – they probably deserved a draw.
Sweden were without their captain, the legendary Caroline Seger (left) in Tallaght, though. The 36-year-old midfielder is the most capped European footballer of all time with over 220 caps. She pulls the strings at the base of midfield. Finding a way of curbing Seger’s passing and playmaking skills will be integral to any game plan that Pauw draws up.
The Swedes drew a lot of flak earlier this week for a marketing campaign devised by Adidas revolving around how to beat them.
A play on Sweden’s reputation as an open and transparent society, it included instructions on the collar of their new shirt about the best tactics to deploy against them.
The shirts, and the how to beat Sweden campaign, were created for the European Championships in England this summer, for which they are the favourites. We might just see why they are so confident on Tuesday evening, but if Ireland can emerge with anything from the game, it will be another sign of how much this team has developed and grown under Pauw’s coaching. It will also put a pep in their step ahead of the crucial week in September when they host Finland and play in Slovakia, which will ultimately decide if they finish second or not.