Sweden recovered from their
opening defeat to score a crucial 1-0 win over Korea DPR at Philadelphia's
Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday 25 September. In one of the matches of the
finals so far, Victoria Svensson¡¯s 7th-minute strike was the only goal of an
evenly fought, high-quality Group A encounter.
The Europeans join the Asians on three points but
will now be favourites to qualify for the quarter-finals as they take on Nigeria
in the final group game on Sunday while Korea DPR must face USA.
The Swedes hit out with the keener verve in the early going. Sneaking in
behind the Korean defence, Victoria Svensson got on the end of Malin Andersson¡¯s
looping ball and slammed her right-footed volley home to put the bright
Scandinavians up with her second goal of the finals (1-0, 7¡¯).
"Today we really needed to come out and take control of the game from the
start, and that is exactly what we did," said Bud Light Player of the Match
Svensson."
Korea DPR began to control the game in the middle of the park as the half
wore on. But despite settling into their trademark rhythm, they knew they were
up against far sterner opposition than Nigeria this time around.
Hanna Ljungberg was really in the mood. Winning the ball, she rounded two
flat-footed Korean defenders to force Ri Jong Hui into a diving save with a shot
from the edge of the box (15¡¯). And from the resulting corner, Svensson somehow
pulled her open volley wide of the post (16¡¯).
Not long after, a Ri Kum Suk free kick had Swedish keeper Caroline Joensson
diving low to keep it out. She needed to hold on, as the Korean strikers were
laying in wait. The final 15 minutes of the half saw the Koreans find their feet
a bit more, surging into attack (19¡¯).
But Linda Fagerstroem should have doubled the Swede lead after some fine
interplay with Ljungberg and Svensson. But her final touch was lacking and Ri
Jong Hui gathered the shot with no problem.
And Svensson fired a shot near the death that had Ri scrambling to keep it
out. Somehow though, Ljungberg failed to put the rebound away (46¡¯).
Despite a raft of chances near the end, the Swedes had to settle for a slim
1-0 heading into the locker-room.
The Swedes came out from the interval flying high. Malin Mostroem laid the
ball into the path of Andersson, who flashed her rocket of a shot just over the
bar from the edge of the box (48¡¯).
After a slight lull in the action, Ljungberg and Svensson linked up yet
again. But the first-half goal scorer scooped her shot over the bar from eight
yards out ¨C much to the relief of the stretched Koreans (56).
But just one minute later the Asians nearly got the crucial equaliser when Ri
Kum Suk took advantage of a defensive mix-up and slammed a ferocious shot
against the Swedish crossbar (57¡¯).
With midfield clutter beginning to overtake any real attacking, Svensson beat
her marker and unleashed a heavy drive that slipped just wide of the Korean post
(71¡¯). Just one minute later, Ljungberg broke free only to be denied at the last
by Ri in the Korean goal (72¡¯).
The Swedes continued to prod and probe. After a massive scramble in the
Korean penalty area, Ljungberg stretched out her left leg and poked the ball
agonisingly against the post (76¡¯).
Not done yet the Koreans pressed on. Ri Kum Suk raced in at the far post and
nearly sneaked in the equaliser with her head from a long, looping ball (80¡¯).
And in perhaps the most comical scramble of the finals, Swedish keeper
Joensson came racing off her line and slapped at the ball in vain three times.
But with the goal gaping, Jin Pyol Hui could not find the back of the net (83).
In the end, one was enough for the Swedes as they looked good and grabbed
their first three points of the finals.
"We set out to take charge of the match from the outset," said Sweden coach
Mariki Domanski Lyfors after the match, "and we did just that. This was a match
for survival. And the match against Nigeria will also be one for survival."
