Lina Hurtig’s controversial final spot-kick saw Sweden eliminate reigning champions, USA 5-4 on penalties after 0-0 draw in Round of 16 at 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Despite having stuttered their way through the Group Stage, USA enjoyed the better opportunities of this goalless draw, as Lindsey Horan saw a 34th minute header saved in the first half.
Alex Morgan saw two late second-half headers denied by Zecira Musovic, as Sweden dug deep defensively to frustrate the reigning champions throughout including in extra-time, which resulted in a tense penalty shootout.
Two players from both teams failed to score within the opening 10 penalty kicks but Kelley O’Hara’s miss with USA’s seventh spot-kick proved costly, as Hurtig duly sent the Swedes through with the 14th and final penalty kick amidst a VAR check.
USA Manager, Vlatko Andonovski post-match praised his players for displaying “grit” and “resilience”, despite climaxing in their “cruel” exit.
Sweden will now travel back to Auckland, New Zealand for their Quarter-Final tie against 2011 winners, Japan on Friday 11 August at 9am UK Time.
Having made two changes from their goalless draw against Portugal as Lynn Williams and the suspended Rose Lavelle dropped out for Emily Sonnet and Trinity Rodman, USA endured a nervy start defensively against an aggressive fast-paced Swedish attack.
Morgan however could of put the reigning champions in front in the second minute as she broke on the counter-attack, yet was indecisive in deciding when to shoot and ignored Rodman who had plenty of space inside the box.
Rodman turned provider five minutes later as she teed up Sophia Smith who was unable to find space to shoot, although the subsequent sloppy clearance was rifled wide of the near-left corner by Andi Sullivan.
Sweden meanwhile struggled to create many clear-cut chances through the first half, whilst their quality set-pieces were comfortably dealt with by Alyssa Naher.
Rodman saw two further chances to put USA ahead denied by Musovic just before the half-hour mark, as the Americans continued to grow into the game on the counter-attack.
Horan produced the best chance of the first-half in the 34th minute as she headed towards goal from a corner-kick, only for the header to richoet off the crossbar and behind despite Musovic’s effort to save it.
USA subsequently finished the opening half on top despite neither team finding a breakthrough goal before half-time.
Upon the restart, Sweden began with the same intensity of which they began the first half but neither team were able to create a clear-cut chance, until Horan rifled wide of the right corner via deflection from Emily Fox’s cutback pass in the 53rd minute.
Smith meanwhile continued to lack sharpness to take advantage of US attacking moves as she met a deep cross in the 62nd minute, but was unable to keep pace and line up a powerful shot as Musovic came out and made a comfortable save.
The 22 year-old’s struggles continued in the 72nd minute as she latched onto substitute, Lynn Williams’ pass to the goal line but her cutback pass was cleared, before she then slipped as she lined up a shot barely a minute later which Musovic saved.
Further woe for Smith came in the 80th minute as Naomi Girma played a deep cross forward into the box, from which she attempted a chipped shot towards the near-left corner but Musovic was well-positioned to make a comfortable save.
Sweden meanwhile continued to defend resiliently as manager, Peter Gerhardsson resisted making changes until the 82nd minute, when he substituted Kosovare Asllani and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd for Lina Hurtig and Sofia Jakobsson respectively.
His changes almost paid off as Jakobsson broke forward in the 85th minute but her shot was comfortably gathered by Naeher, just moments after Morgan almost put USA ahead from a long through ball but found the side-netting albeit offside.
Just like in the Group Stage, USA’s messy end product continued to rear its ugly head as Morgan saw two last-gasp headers saved by Musovic, as neither team found a winner which meant that this game became the first knockout tie of this tournament to go to extra time.
Like at the start of both halves, Sweden began extra time on the front foot but it was USA who enjoyed the better opportunities first, as Morgan unleashed a 96th minute shot but Musovic saved before Sullivan rifled over two minutes later.
Sweden’s luck almost ran out in the 101st minute as Smith played across for Williams who unleashed a powerful shot, only for Musovic to make a crucial block with a right-handed punch which Horan duly met but her attempt was blocked for a corner which was twice cleared.
USA however took heart from that chance and threatened again in the 107th minute as Williams teed up Smith with a pass into the box, yet Musovic once again made a crucial save before she blocked Julie Ertz’s strike from a sloppy corner clearance to keep Sweden in the game.
Musovic’s heroics continued as she blocked Williams’ 111th minute shot on the turn, after the US forward picked up Smith’s short pass into the box.
Eventually neither team found a breakthrough goal which resulted in the tie going to penalties, just like in their last knockout meeting albeit at 2016 Olympics which Sweden won on that occasion to stun the then defending Olympics champions.
Sullivan, Fridolina Rolfö, Horan, Elin Rubensson and Kristie Mewis scored the opening five penalties with USA 3-2 ahead when Nathalie Bjorn rifled her spot-kick over the bar but Meghan Rapinoe followed suit for the Americans who could of opened a two-goal lead.
Rebecka Blomqvist’s spot kick was saved by Naeher whilst Smith blasted her penalty over the bar but Hanna Bennison converted for Sweden, which sent the tie to sudden death, with Naeher and Magdalena Eriksson both converting their teams’ sixth spot-kicks.
Kelley O’Hara then hit USA’s seventh spot-kick onto the right post which allowed Hurtig to smash the winning penalty down the middle, although Naeher got a touch which caused VAR to step in to duly confirm that the ball had crossed the line to spark wild celebrations amongst Swedish fans.
This penalty shootout success also marked Sweden’s first troumph at a World Cup via penalties, having lost their only previous such shootout to China in 1995 at the Quarter-Final Stage.
USA meanwhile have suffered their earliest-ever exit at a World Cup, having reached the semi-finals in each of their last eight appearances at a Women’s World Cup.
Netherlands meanwhile beat South Africa 2-0 in the earlier kick-off with goal from Jill Roord and Lineth Beerensteyn, which set up a Quarter-Final tie against Spain in Wellington on 11 August with the winner set to face Japan or Sweden in the first semi-final on 15 August in Auckland.
Teams
Sweden: Zecira Musovic, Nathalie Bjorn, Amanda Ilestedt, Magdalena Eriksson, Jonna Andersson, Filippa Angeldahl (Bennison 97′), Kosovare Asllani (Hurtig 82′), Elin Rubensson, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Jakobsson 82′), Stina Blackstenius (Blomqvist 112′), Fridolina Rolfo
Substitutes: Jennifer Falk, Tove Enbolm, Linda Sembrant, Stina Lennartsson, Anna Sandberg, Madelen Janogy, Lina Hurtig, Sofia Jakobsson, Rebecka Blomqvist, Caroline Seger, Hanna Bennison, Olivia Schough
USA: Alyssa Naeher, Emily Fox (O’Hara 120′), Julie Ertz, Naomi Girma, Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett (Mewis 120′), Andi Sullivan, Trinity Rodman (Williams 66′), Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan (Rapinoe 99′)
Substitutes: Ashley Sanchez, Sofia Huerta, Kelley O’Hara, Lynn Williams, Alyssa Thompson, Savannah DeMelo, Alana Cook, Meghan Rapinoe, Casey Murphy, Aubrey Kingsbury, Kristie Mewis
Referee: Stephanie Frappart (France)
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