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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Sweden make Germany pay for Carlotta Wamser's handball to top Group C
It was a fixture that had promised a show and it delivered. Sweden embarrassed Germany after Carlotta Wamser's bizarre handball save reduced Christian Wück's side to 10 players and handed them a two-goal deficit that would grow to three. Jule Brand had put Germany ahead early on before Stina Blackstenius levelled and the teenage full-back Smilla Holmberg gave Sweden the lead. Then came Wamser's incomprehensible save with her hands to deny Fridolina Rolfö, who converted the resulting spot-kick before Lina Hurtig scored Sweden's fourth late on. There may have been only top spot to play for, with both teams already qualified, but it was still a game that mattered, from a momentum point of view and in terms of whom they play next. With the winner facing second place in Group D, probably England, and the runner-up playing the winner of Group D, likely to be France, there is little difference in the quality of quarter-final opposition. However, finishing top has put Sweden in the kinder side of the draw, only facing Spain, the favourites, if they reach the final. Peter Gerhardsson said: 'I don't know,' when asked if it was a statement win. 'We know when we came into this tournament that we only take one step at a time,' said the Sweden coach. 'First Denmark, then Poland, then Germany. Now we have a quarter-final. I am not a dreamer thinking of winning the gold medal … Maybe it is a dull answer but that is how I work.' There is history between Germany and Sweden: they met in the quarter-final of the 2019 World Cup in France, Sweden emerging the victors, before going on to beat England in the bronze-medal match. Generally, though, fortune has favoured the Germans. They had 21 wins and two draws in 31 meetings before kick-off at the Stadion Letzigrund and had not lost to Sweden in the six times they had met at the Euros, including the 1995 and 2001 finals, winning five and drawing once. They also met in the 2003 World Cup final, which Germany won thanks to a golden goal. It was far from a foregone conclusion that history would repeat itself though. Poland put up an impressive fight against Wück's side, while Denmark could feel aggrieved they had not walked away with at least a point after a controversial winner for Germany gave them all three points in Basel. In a frenetic start both teams fired warning shots within minutes of kick-off. It was a sign of things to come and in the seventh minute Germany took the lead. Wamser threaded the ball to Brand, who had left Jonna Andersson for dead and slotted past Jennifer Falk. The majority German crowd roared, but they were soon drowned out by the block of yellow behind Falk's goal. Wück's team had considerable success on that right-hand side, Andersson and her teammates on the left-hand side for Sweden looked as if they were running through treacle when attempting to track the runs of the players in red, but Germany could not capitalise. They were punished soon after. Blackstenius received the ball just inside the Germany half and was given all the space in the world to run into on the right before she slipped the ball past Ann-Katrin Berger and in. A chaotic second for the Swedes followed, as 18-year-old Holmberg's energetic run into the box from the right was unchallenged until Sarai Linder stuck out a foot and the ball took a strange double deflection off the defender and then the young full-back, and flew in. The Blågult should have extended their lead twice in quick succession, first when Blackstenius curled a left-foot effort over and wide and then when Berger's poor ball out from the back was leapt on by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who went through one-on-one but inexplicably chose to square instead of shoot, allowing Germany to clear. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion An almost identical move yielded the goal that would put them two clear. Rytting Kaneryd's pull-back was met by Rolfö this time, the Barcelona player fired goalwards and Berger was at sea but the ball was pushed wide by the hands of Wamser. It was a ludicrous decision from the full-back, who received a straight red and will miss their quarter final. It was even more foolish given Wamser came into the side after the medial ligament injury suffered by Giulia Gwinn that ruled the Germany captain out of the tournament. 'The red card was decisive,' said Wück. 'After the penalty and with one player less on the pitch it was clear that we could not come back against this Swedish team. In the second half changing the system I imagined we could get another chance or two, but with one player less and the quality of the Swedish team it was almost impossible to fight them.' The sting was taken out of the game in the second half, but a late effort from Hurtig put the cherry on top of a clinical performance for Sweden, the forward, who has joined Fiorentina from Arsenal this summer, tapping in Rytting Kaneryd's ball into the middle. It was an uplifting win for Sweden, who despite looking defensively frail at times remain one of the tournament's most promising teams. Meanwhile, Germany must regroup and find a way to cope without their first- and second-choice right-backs.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Better to lose now than in knockout round, says Germany's Berger
ZURICH, July 13 (Reuters) - Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was none too pleased with her side's 4-1 humbling by Sweden on Saturday, but said the one consolation was that they were still in the tournament, finishing second in the group and advancing to the quarter-finals despite the heavy defeat. The Germans, who had defender Carlotta Wamser sent off in the 32nd minute for a handball that resulted in a penalty, still progressed to the last eight, where they will face the winners of Group D (either France, England or Netherlands). "I'd rather take a blow now than in the quarter-finals, because then you can't make a comeback anymore," Berger told reporters. "Sometimes in football... it's good to lose, to really know how it is to lose, a real pain, and that sometimes it's just not enough to perform like that." The Germans started brightly and took the lead in the seventh minute but the Swedes hit back five minutes later and proceeded to cause problems for their opponents by creating overloads in wide areas and becoming more direct in their play. The 34-year-old shot-stopper was disappointed by how her team played on the night but said that the performance would not define the eight-time champions as they seek to win a trophy they last lifted in 2013. "It's an opportunity for us. We know how we can play football," she explained, adding that she had no preference for a quarter-final opponent. "Every team is a huge opponent for me. Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland or whatever. For me, the European Championship is one of the hardest tournaments and I just hang in there and that's why, no matter who faces us, they have to fear us."
CNA
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
Better to lose now than in knockout round, says Germany's Berger
ZURICH :Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was none too pleased with her side's 4-1 humbling by Sweden on Saturday, but said the one consolation was that they were still in the tournament, finishing second in the group and advancing to the quarter-finals despite the heavy defeat. The Germans, who had defender Carlotta Wamser sent off in the 32nd minute for a handball that resulted in a penalty, still progressed to the last eight, where they will face the winners of Group D (either France, England or Netherlands). "I'd rather take a blow now than in the quarter-finals, because then you can't make a comeback anymore," Berger told reporters. "Sometimes in football... it's good to lose, to really know how it is to lose, a real pain, and that sometimes it's just not enough to perform like that." The Germans started brightly and took the lead in the seventh minute but the Swedes hit back five minutes later and proceeded to cause problems for their opponents by creating overloads in wide areas and becoming more direct in their play. The 34-year-old shot-stopper was disappointed by how her team played on the night but said that the performance would not define the eight-time champions as they seek to win a trophy they last lifted in 2013. "It's an opportunity for us. We know how we can play football," she explained, adding that she had no preference for a quarter-final opponent. "Every team is a huge opponent for me. Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland or whatever. For me, the European Championship is one of the hardest tournaments and I just hang in there and that's why, no matter who faces us, they have to fear us."
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Germany Fall to Sweden 4-1 After Wamser Red Card
GERMANY'S hopes of topping Group C crashed after a red card for defender Carlotta Wamser that was the deciding factor in the team's 4-1 defeat by Sweden, coach Christian Wueck said after their final group game at the Women's Euros. Following a bright start, capped with a goal from Jule Brand, Germany were second best for most of the match at Zurich's Letzigrund stadium. Sweden hit back with two goals before Wamser handled on the goal-line in the 31st minute. She was sent off, and Sweden's Fridolina Rolfo scored from the spot. 'The red card was decisive in us not coming back,' said Wueck. 'I think after the penalty, after the 3-1 and one player less on the pitch it was clear that it would be very, very difficult for us to come back against this Swedish team.' He had thought Germany might still get chances in the second half. 'But the quality of the Swedes is of course almost impossible to combat with one player less,' Rolfo said. Germany did not make enough of their first 15-minute spell and struggled with Sweden's counter-attacking, he said. The Swedes scored again in the second half to win 4-1 and top Group C. Germany finished second to qualify for the quarter-finals, where they will play France, Netherlands or England, depending on the outcome of Sunday's Group D matches. 'We wanted to win this game, we clearly went into this game wanting to finish first in the group,' Wueck said. 'And that's why we're a bit down now. 'Again, of course you have to look at the game, you have to take the positives out of it, you also have to clarify and analyse the negatives with the players,' he said. 'But I think we were outnumbered for 60 minutes. You can't forget that either.' - REUTERS
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Red card decisive in 4-1 loss to Sweden, Germany coach says
GERMANY'S hopes of topping Group C crashed after a red card for defender Carlotta Wamser that was the deciding factor in the team's 4-1 defeat by Sweden, coach Christian Wueck said after their final group game at the Women's Euros. Following a bright start, capped with a goal from Jule Brand, Germany were second best for most of the match at Zurich's Letzigrund stadium. Sweden hit back with two goals before Wamser handled on the goal-line in the 31st minute. She was sent off, and Sweden's Fridolina Rolfo scored from the spot. 'The red card was decisive in us not coming back,' said Wueck. 'I think after the penalty, after the 3-1 and one player less on the pitch it was clear that it would be very, very difficult for us to come back against this Swedish team.' He had thought Germany might still get chances in the second half. 'But the quality of the Swedes is of course almost impossible to combat with one player less,' Rolfo said. Germany did not make enough of their first 15-minute spell and struggled with Sweden's counter-attacking, he said. The Swedes scored again in the second half to win 4-1 and top Group C. Germany finished second to qualify for the quarter-finals, where they will play France, Netherlands or England, depending on the outcome of Sunday's Group D matches. 'We wanted to win this game, we clearly went into this game wanting to finish first in the group,' Wueck said. 'And that's why we're a bit down now. 'Again, of course you have to look at the game, you have to take the positives out of it, you also have to clarify and analyse the negatives with the players,' he said. 'But I think we were outnumbered for 60 minutes. You can't forget that either.' - REUTERS
