Revitalized Sweden pose serious threat to England

ZURICH -- There's been plentifulness of speech astir England's 4-0 triumph implicit Sweden successful the semifinals of Euro 2022 this week. At Bramall Lane it was England's day, a lucifer immortalised by Alessia Russo's backheel goal, and a show which teed up their finest day, triumph against Germany successful the last astatine Wembley. But immoderate speech of that lucifer having immoderate plaything connected Thursday's Euro 2025 quarterfinal successful Zurich has been unopen down.

Leah Williamson, England's skipper 3 years ago, volition pb them erstwhile again. It was standing-room lone astatine England's spectacular basal astatine the opulent Dolder Grand edifice conscionable extracurricular the hubbub of Zurich erstwhile she spoke to the media connected Tuesday. She reflected connected triumphs past, anticipation of glory successful the aboriginal but besides the size of the task facing England close now.

The teams person played each different doubly since, some matches ending successful draws with Sweden the unluckier. So England are nether nary illusions astir the size of task. A radical of the Lionesses, including Williamson, watched Sweden's 4-1 dismantling of Germany connected Saturday and they came distant impressed. "I bash deliberation Sweden merit a small spot much recognition," Williamson said.

In the Sweden camp, they person been grooming successful acold much mean surroundings, distant from the UEFA recommended list. They're astatine a fittingness centre successful Cham, a municipality 30 kilometres northbound of Zurich, called "On Your Mark." The rooms are minimalist, and the facilities not arsenic extravagant. But Sweden prioritised ease: the players locomotion from their facilities onto the grooming pitch, wherever Nathalie Björn volition person a playlist acceptable for them. They inactive person the customary excavation table, play simulator and different distractions -- but the crystal rink is off-limits.

That's not to accidental the full setup hasn't had its teething problems, similar adjunct manager Magnus Wilkman having a country adjacent to gathering work. "I person a operation tract successful the surviving room, an space grinder successful the room and a crane that is controlled from the headboard," helium said. "They commencement moving astatine a 4th past 5 each morning. If you unfastened the blinds, you tin shingle hands with the feline successful the crane."

England volition beryllium good alert however hard this crippled volition be. Sweden took the bronze medal successful the 2023 Women's World Cup (including knocking retired the United States connected penalties successful the circular of 16) and they are connected a 16-match unbeaten run. At Euro 2025, Sweden are 3 wins from three, sealed by that ascendant triumph implicit Germany which secured apical spot successful the radical and a day astatine the Stadion Letzigrund.

Peter Gerhardsson is inactive the caput coach, thought this 4th large tourney successful complaint of the Blågult will beryllium his last. But this is simply a precise antithetic Sweden side.

Sweden person 4 players nether the property of 25, compared to 2 successful 2023. Forward Ellen Wangerheim is breaking done and Hanna Lundkvist is much established having missed the past World Cup with an ankle injury. But acquisition is inactive astatine their core. They person an mean of 68 caps per subordinate successful the squad, compared to England's 41.3. Stalwarts specified arsenic Hedvig Lindahl and Caroline Seger person stepped aside, portion legends similar Linda Sembrant, Magdalena Eriksson, Kosovare Asllani (now connected an unthinkable 202 caps), Stina Blackstenius, Fridolina Rolfö and Sofia Jakobsson remain. That does person its benefits: the much caps you have, the higher up the pecking bid you are for picking rooms.

They are heading toward the twilight years of their planetary careers, but younker is being brought done astatine the aforesaid time. Smilla Holmberg, the 18-year-old right-back from Hammarby IF, was sensational against Germany and has caught the oculus of her teammates. "It's inspiring erstwhile specified a young subordinate goes retired and plays with specified courage," Johanna Rytting Kaneryd said.

This Sweden squad is physical, blessed to play connected the counterattack and speedy to displacement the shot wide. They've completed much crosses than immoderate different squad astatine the Euros (89, which is 14 much than Germany successful 2nd place), emotion trying to isolate the full-backs into one-vs.-one situations and person made the joint-most fouls. Chelsea's Rytting Kaneryd is integral to this. She's been keeping a adjacent oculus connected England's Lauren James successful grooming backmost astatine her club, and is lethal astatine crossing from the byline but besides cutting wrong and turning full-backs wrong out. Her link-up with Filippa Angeldahl is cardinal to Sweden's gameplan portion it remains to beryllium seen whether Gerhardsson sticks with Rolfö, who missed their opener done injury, connected the near helping oregon Madelen Janogy, aft she played against some Denmark and Poland.

Leading the enactment is Arsenal's Blackstenius, who Williamson knows precise good from nine training. "Stina is an incredibly almighty footballer," Williamson said. "She's truly intelligent with her runs. She's a large subordinate and she has been for galore years now. Her acquisition speaks for itself."

The defence is anchored by Björn and Eriksson, who missed their archetypal 2 matches, with Jennifer Falk successful extremity (Zecira Musovic was archetypal prime but announced successful February she is pregnant.)

England cognize the threats and they are anticipating plentifulness of battles successful the air. "Definitely, it's 1 of their main threats," Williamson said. "And they are bully astatine it and it's thing that we've had a look at. Obviously you privation to effort to halt the crosses, but we are each prepared for the conflict successful the air."

On Sweden's physicality, Williamson added: "Again, 1 of their main strengths I deliberation that comes with discipline. They're large athletes and they nutrient large athletes arsenic a country. I deliberation we are too. It's a bully conflict successful that sense, but yeah, thing that we indispensable beryllium prepared for."

Ella Toone has an oculus connected their transitional play. "We watched Sweden the different night, they looked truly good, a precise bully counter-attacking team," she said.

England are much-changed since that gathering astatine the past Euros. Much-loved and palmy unit similar Jill Scott, Ellen White, Fran Kirby, Rachel Daly and Mary Earps person gone. But England are keen to speech up Sweden's strengths, the feeling being their rivals person been flying nether the radar a touch.

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Kelly: 'Everyone is acceptable for their moment'

Chloe Kelly speaks up of England's quarterfinal against Sweden successful the Women's European Championship.

"We've spoken astir Sweden's erstwhile tourney history, it's incredible," Williamson said. "They're relentless erstwhile it comes to tourney football. They're conscionable a precise organized team. They enactment hard, we cognize their characteristics, truthful it'll beryllium tough.

"They enactment truthful good together. [They] don't needfully person to person a brainsick standout menace present oregon determination due to the fact that everybody plays their role. They are hard to hole for successful that sense. Their subject of wanting to implicit the occupation connected the transportation makes them a unsafe side."

In the Sweden camp, there's besides a driblet of astonishment astatine however they haven't seen their sanction mentioned successful the aforesaid enactment arsenic different perceived favourites. "I deliberation you tin ne'er number retired Sweden successful a championship, we person had bully results earlier and everyone knows that," Rytting Kaneryd said. "A title is peculiar successful galore ways and we are beardown there.

"But it's clear, look astatine Spain, they person had perfectly fantastic matches and scored immoderate goals. Now that we've scored 4 goals against Germany, possibly we volition beryllium much dangerous. It doesn't consciousness similar radical speech astir Sweden that mode and I don't cognize why. We've ever been a spot of an underdog. I decidedly deliberation teams are starting to announcement america and consciousness similar they mightiness not privation to look us."

Asllani has hinted this whitethorn beryllium her last tournament. Others whitethorn travel suit, but this is nary "Last Dance" for them. Playing for Sweden is addictive for truthful many, which explains their respective centurions.

And the Swedish fans are enthralled by this run, with the team's allocation of tickets sold retired successful an hour. Gerhardsson said the enactment has astatine times taken his enactment away, portion the players provender disconnected it. "We ne'er thought it would beryllium arsenic large arsenic it is," Rytting Kaneryd said. "It's a truly bully motion that we person the enactment from Sweden."

There'll beryllium a partition of yellowish awaiting England, and the Lionesses volition consciousness the claustrophobia of the Blågult's support. Amid each the subplots, there's a quarterfinal to win.

When a manager announces pre-tournament it's to beryllium their last competition, it's uncommon they'll cognize successful beforehand erstwhile their past lucifer volition be. We've already seen 2 managers bow retired successful Denmark's Andrée Jeglertz and Netherlands' Andries Jonker aft subpar performances. But Gerhardsson has kept the vessel afloat and headed successful the close direction. When helium does measurement away, helium volition retrieve games similar the 1 successful Sheffield, but helium hopes the champion representation is yet to come.

"It didn't spell good for america [at Euro 2022] due to the fact that they scored 4 goals, but that is history," helium said. "Now it is simply a caller crippled if we are going to conscionable England. We are going to constitute a caller history, a amended history, a bully history."