Sweden took third place in the World Cup against Australia in the small final played in Brisbane this Saturday August 19 (2-0). A logical result, as Sweden was more in control, even if it can thank the VAR, author of a welcome boost in the first period.
Published on: 08/19/2023 – 12:13
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At the start of this match for third place, this Saturday, August 19 in Brisbane, Sweden and Australia had enough to draw satisfaction from this World Cup. The former reached the last four after getting rid of the United States and Japan. The latter obtained, in front of their public, the first ticket for the semi-finals of a World Cup in their history before being eliminated by England.
The challenge was therefore to leave with the bronze medal and a smile, in addition to the satisfaction of the work accomplished. And in this little game, it was the Swedes who were the best (2-0). A result that somewhat dampened the good mood of Brisbane Stadium, packed with more than 50,000 spectators, obviously committed to the cause of his national team.
VAR tipped the match
In a fairly balanced first half, it was a VAR call that marked the first major turning point in this meeting. The referee raised his hand to the headset: Clare Hunt fouls Stina Blackstenius in her area. A cruel mistake, a kind of involuntary tripping that tripped the Swedish striker, who was so restless throughout the match.
The penalty confirmed, it was Barcelona’s Fridolina Rolfo who took it brilliantly (30th) to open the scoring. We could deduce that a simple detail and the VAR has sealed. But that would be an insult to the work of Mackenzie Arnold, author of a great performance in her goals, very skilful on her line. She repelled a cross shot from (2nd) at the very start of the game, then repelled a strike from Angeldhal (45th + 2) at close range.
VAR didn’t determine the match, but tipped it. Since in the second half, Sweden took advantage of the score to proceed against by sequences. That’s where the break came from. Blackstenius, found on a good deep ball, cleverly gave back to Kosovare Aslani, who triggered in one touch at the entrance to the surface for the 2-0 (62nd).
The tenure of Matildas star Sam Kerr at the forefront of the attack didn’t change anything. Today, Sweden was simply stronger. Under the eyes of an Australian public, stayed a few minutes in the bays of the stadium to dry the tears of its players, and remind them of the beauty of their journey.
