Sweden coach rips U.S. players
The USA will meet a blast from the past in its second and most crucial Women’s World Cup group game against Sweden on Friday.
The blasting, however, seems to have begun a few days early.
Sweden coach Pia Sundhage, who led the USA to gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics before returning to her homeland, made a series of strong and potentially stinging comments about her former players in an interview published Tuesday in The
New York Times.
Several of her players also hyped up the clash, insisting they would have no fear about facing the higher-ranked and higherprofile Americans.
Sundhage is a fascinating and unconventional figure who is never afraid to speak her mind. While most coaches adopt a diplomatic policy regarding their former players, Sundhage let rip.
She singled out three key players, starting with U.S. captain and central midfielder Carli Lloyd, whom she said was “a challenge to coach” and could be among the worst players on the team at any time when she doubted the coaching staff ’s faith in her, according to the Times.
Sundhage referred to Hope Solo, whose domestic violence controversy came to the fore again this week, describing the goalkeeper as one of the most challenging players she had ever worked with “especially when it comes to trouble.”
The 55-year-old Swede also commented on veteran forward Abby Wambach, who started and played a full 90 minutes in the team’s 3-1 victory Monday against Australia. Sundhage insisted the USA’s all-time leading scorer would be relegated to the bench if she was still coaching the team.
Beating Australia was a huge boost for the Americans, but with two games remaining in Group D, the top spot is by no means assured. Four years ago, the USA lost to Sweden in its third group match and was pushed into a tough part of the knockout brack- et, where it had to overcome Brazil before reaching the final.
This time a second-place spot in the group likely would mean Brazil again, this time in the eastern outpost of Moncton, a sixhour flight from Winnipeg.
The USA will be a favorite Friday, but Sweden is highly confident. According to midfielder Emma Berglund, Sweden’s players have no sense of a “fear factor” when facing the Americans.
“Not any longer,” Berglund said. “They are good players; they have a good team. You have respect for them, but it is good to mentally see them as humans.”
“We know we can beat them,” teammate Carola Soberg added. “They are human, too.”
Goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl conceded the Swedes would need to respond strongly after a draw against Nigeria.
“We have beaten them before, and when you’ve been there once, you can do it again,” she said.