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Sweden playmaker Kosovare Asllani says that she is sick of crying tears of championship failure after her side were knocked out of the Women’s World Cup semi-finals by Spain yesterday.
The Swedes had gone behind in the 81st minute in Auckland before Rebecka Blomqvist’s equaliser in the 88th minute looked to have set up extra time.
But two minutes later Spain scored again, sealing a spot in the decider and handing Sweden their fourth defeat in five World Cup semi-finals.
“I’m so tired of crying championship tears,” a bitterly disappointed Asllani said in a televised interview, wiping tears from her eyes throughout.
Sweden have not won a major tournament since the inaugural Women’s Euros in 1984.
Since then they have lost three times in the final of the Euros and lost the Olympic final to Canada after a shoot-out two years ago.
Their sole visit to the Women’s World Cup final in 2003 also ended in defeat.
“I don’t think people understand the energy and the passion that is behind this. It really sucks, we dreamt of a World Cup final,” Asllani said.
“I’m so proud of this team, where we are today and how we have performed in this tournament.
“We deserved to be in the final, but that’s how football is,” she said.
Sweden coach Peter Gerhardssson struggled to put his disappointment into words, but both he and defender Magdalena Eriksson were clear about wanting to win the third-placed playoff on Saturday, where they will meet either Australia or England.
“Tonight we can mourn, tonight we can be sad, disappointed, but after that, we look forward,” Eriksson said.
“We knew that we had two matches left in the tournament when we made the semi-final, now there’s a third-place playoff and we still have a chance to win a medal, and we’re going to go for it, 100 percent,” he said.
Olga Carmona struck late to lift Spain to a thrilling 2-1 semi-final win over Sweden, and send the Iberians into a first Women’s World Cup decider as the tournament signed off in New Zealand with a flurry of goals.
Wearing the captain’s armband, Carmona’s 90th-minute strike from the edge of the area pinged off the crossbar and into the net two minutes after Blomqvist had levelled the match for Sweden in front of a baying crowd of 43,217 at Eden Park.
Teenager Salma Paralluelo, Spain’s quarter-final hero against the Netherlands, produced magic off the bench again, putting her side in front in the 81st minute and breathing life into what had been a slow-burning, cagey affair. Less than a year after a player revolt against coach Jorge Vilda tore the squad apart, ‘La Roja’ will have the chance to lift the trophy in Sydney on Sunday when they face co-hosts Australia or England in the decider.
“We’re extremely happy. If you go to the dressing room now, it’s incredible how they’re celebrating,” Vilda told reporters.
“We have the final in front of us, we’re going to Sydney and we want to win.”
Peter Gerhardsson’s Sweden bow out after another defeat at the penultimate hurdle, having made the semi-finals in France four years ago and at last year’s European Championship.
Fifteen Spain players had threatened to quit last year if Vilda was not moved on, but on Tuesday his decision to replace playmaker Alexia Putellas with Paralluelo before the hour mark proved decisive as the team beat Sweden for the first time at their 12th attempt.
In a match-up of Iberian attacking flair and Swedish defensive resilience, Spain were the livelier side early on but had nothing to show for it.
Full back Carmona blazed just wide with a low, long-range effort in the 14th minute and midfield dynamo Aitana Bonmati thrashed a wild shot past the same right post from the edge of the area.
However, Sweden finished the half ascendant with a typical salvo of set-piece pressure.
A few minutes from the break, Spain were dealt a fright as Nathalie Bjorn chested the ball down and crossed to an unmarked Fridolina Rolfo in the area.
But the Sweden winger’s volley was well covered by keeper Cata Coll.
Sweden kept up the heat after the break but Paralluelo, named player of the match, wrested back the momentum for the Spaniards.
She came close to breaking the deadlock in the 70th minute when she kept the ball alive with a cut-back pass to Alba Redondo in close.
Slumped on the turf, Redondo swung a leg out but could only put her shot into the side netting.
Eleven minutes later Paralluelo pounced again on a poor clearance, thumping home into the right corner to send Spanish fans into delirium.
“It was a magic moment once again,” said the 19-year-old, who scored in the 111th minute to dump the Netherlands out of the tournament.
“To be able to repeat this is really incredible,” she said.
It looked all over for Sweden as regulation time dwindled but Lina Hurtig headed down to an unmarked Blomqvist, who volleyed home from close range.
The Swedes’ joy quickly turned to despair when Carmona took the ball from a corner, took a few paces forward and unleashed a fierce strike that keeper Zecira Musovic tipped onto the underside of the bar.
The ball bounced down over the line, giving Spain a chance to create more history at their breakout World Cup.
Host nation New Zealand bid a fond farewell to the tournament, having generated a total attendance of more than 700,000 people in 29 matches across four cities. —Reuters
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