Sweden v Thailand

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Sweden v Thailand

Sweden Advance To Last Sixteen

by Jeremy Ruane

Sweden advanced to the knockout stages of the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals at the Stade de Nice on 16 June, comfortably accounting for an improved Thailand 5-1 in front of 9,354 fans, the smallest attendance at France 2019 to date.

The Swedes set out their stall early, with Kosovare Asllani heading over the bar in the third minute. Three minutes later, they opened the scoring, the flying figure of Linda Sembrant powering home a header made possible by Elin Rubensson's pinpoint free-kick.

Fridolina Rolfo then took centre stage for the Swedes, cutting in off the right before letting rip - Thai goalkeeper Waraporn Boonsing was right behind it - then dribbling through five challenges in the penalty area, only to thrash her shot narrowly past the far post, a piece of individual magic which deserved far better fate.

Thailand fired their first shot in anger on the quarter hour, Miranda Nild sending an eighteen-yarder soaring over Hedvig Lindahl's goal. From the resulting goal-kick, Sweden counter-attacked, with Asllani being denied by Boonsing.

The Swedish star had better fate three minutes later. Anna Anvegard played the ball across to Lina Hurtig, whose header was splendidly saved by Boonsing, flying to her left. Asllani prevented the ball from going for a corner, then side-stepped a defender before drilling her shot between the recovering figure of Boonsing and her near post.

Asllani continued to lead the Swedish charge. Six minutes later, Natthakarn Chinwong's timely tackle denied her initially, but Anvegard and Rolfo combined to pick up the pieces and play in their team-mate seconds later, only for Asllani to direct her volleyed lob over the bar.

Sweden continued to dominate proceedings throughout the remainder of the half, although Thailand did offer the occasional threat, primarily via captain Kanjan Sung-Ngoen.

Three minutes before half-time, the European side turned that dominance into a further goal, a deserved one for Rolfo, who latched onto a loose ball and side-stepped a challenge before thundering a twenty-five yarder into the top left-hand corner of Boonsing's net, the shot proving too hot for the goalkeeper to handle.

The scorer was then denied by the goalkeeper sixty seconds later, Rolfo's last act of note in the match as she was withdrawn at half-time. Her replacement, Madelen Janogy, made an instant impression, although not one which resulted in a goal.

She came desperately close to scoring, however. From a throw-in, Anvegard and Asllani combined to present the newcomer with a shooting chance, with all present stunned to see her snapshot cannon off the face of Boonsing back into play. Hurtig latched onto the rebound, but drilled her shot on the turn into the back stanchion.

Boonsing was seeing stars after that denial, but was quickly back in harness to see a powerful header from Hurtig hurtle past the post following a

Magdalena Eriksson corner, then save Hanna Glas' curling effort, as the fullback let fly after cutting in off the right flank.

Caroline Seger - central to all that was good about Sweden's possession play - linked up with Asllani in the 65th minute to present Janogy with her next opportunity, but Silawan Intamee's timely challenge foiled that opening.

The Thai midfielder was soon in action at the other end of the park, beating an opponent after latching onto Nild's penetrating pass. Intamee got no further, however - Lindahl had no intention of conceding a goal in this match.

Sweden were intent on scoring more, however, and netted their fourth goal ten minutes from time. Eriksson and substitute Olivia Schough worked a one-two on the left which resulted in the former picking out Hurtig with a cross which she headed home in fine style from eight yards.

Schough looked to make it five soon afterwards, working a one-two with Rubensson before slamming a shot into the side-netting. Thailand's response saw them race down the other end of the park and earn the biggest cheer of the day by scoring a goal of their own - the perfect response to those critics who, after their thrashing by the USA five days ago, suggested that Thailand didn't deserve to grace this stage.

Having gone close via a similar raid moments earlier, Sung-Ngoen had only one thing in mind when latching onto Taneekarn Dangda's through ball as the game entered stoppage time, and duly set sail for goal before hammering a shot between Lindahl and her near post which left the 'keeper beaten all ends up - 4-1.

That didn't impress the Swedes too much, so they went back down the other end intent on restoring their four-goal advantage within the time remaining. They were afforded the chance to by the Video Assistant Referee, with Chinwong harshly adjudged to have used her arm to block a Hurtig header, when it was clearly a case of the ball striking her already outstretched arm.

There was no intent on Chinwong's part, but she was booked for her contribution to the game's final act, which saw the well-performed Rubensson fire home from twelve yards with the last kick of the game.

With this win having secured their passage into the next round, Sweden now take on the USA in four days with the finishing order in the group on the line, while at the same time, Thailand will make their final appearance at France 2019 when locking horns with Chile.

Sweden: Lindahl; Glas, Fischer, Sembrant, Eriksson; Rubensson, Asllani, Seger (Schough, 69); Hurtig, Anvegard (Larsson, 77), Rolfo (Janogy, 46)

Thailand: Boonsing; Phancha, Chinwong (booked, 90), Sornsai, Srangthaisong; Dangda (booked, 45), Intamee (Chuchuen, 89), Khueanpet, Nild, Thongsombut (Srinamee, 56 (Waenngoen, 81); Sung-Ngoen

Referee: Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda)

Group Matches