Protect yourself from Aitana Bonmatí and suffocate Spain. This is Peter Gerhardsson's plan to end the dreams of the red (10h, La1). “We will be insanely aggressive in our pressure across the pitch. We are not going to let any player breathe”. The words of the Swedish Filippa Angeldahl are a declaration of intent and a warning of what awaits Spain today. “We want them to have the ball for as short a time as possible. They have incredibly skilled players like Aitana Bonmatí, who we have to protect ourselves from”, the Manchester City midfielder slides.
Peter Gerhardsson's team has paid close attention to the tough defense put up by the Netherlands. Jackie Groenen's marking of Aitana Bonmatí prevented the blaugrana from displaying all her magic, and the Spanish midfielder even had to leave the field in the last few minutes resentful of a blow that has kept her working on the sidelines in recent days. Yesterday he already trained with her teammates and her presence in the eleven is assured.
If anyone knows her well in the ranks of the Swedish team, it's her teammate at FC Barcelona Fridolina Rolfö, who has shared a team with eight red footballers and is the perfect infiltrator in the rival ranks. “They are players that I know very well. They have asked me all possible questions ”, acknowledged Rolfö. While at Barça she has established herself as one of the best left-backs in the world, with Sweden she continues to play up front. A change in record that she hopes to take advantage of against Spain: "They're not used to seeing me in such an offensive role, so it's probably an advantage for me."
The other proper name of the team is that of Amanda Ilestedt, the team's top scorer with four goals, one behind the Japanese Hinata Miyazawa, already eliminated from the World Cup. All their targets have come from set pieces, the great weapon of the Swedish team, which has thus scored eight of their eleven goals in this tournament.
Sweden is the best ranked nation left standing in this crazy World Cup that has already said goodbye to the United States, Brazil, Germany or Canada. A history of women's football present in all editions, but has only reached the final once (2003), losing to Germany.
They will play their fifth world semifinal against Spain, the last four years ago in France. Something that they hope can play in their favor: “We have the advantage of experience. We have come far in our last tournaments and I am satisfied with the way in which we have used this time”, confessed Asllani. The red is a young rookie in this, but it has in its ranks footballers who have played several Champions League finals, so they also know how to manage big games.
The precedents are not favorable to Spain, which in the eleven times that Sweden has been measured has never managed to win. Although this time the balance is not so tipped and Spain has a license to continue dreaming. "You get goosebumps thinking about how close we are to the final," confessed an emotional Jenni Hermoso who now only thinks about being in Sydney next Sunday: "I want to keep exciting my country, myself and keep doing history with my country.
