It will be a nervous autumn for the Swedish women's football team.
After 0–0 at home against England, Sweden is forced to play a playoff for a spot in the European Championship next year.
A big disappointment, says Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Sweden's women's national team has never missed two consecutive championships. But the goalless conclusion of the European Championship qualifying round means that the threat still hangs over Blågult.
0–0 in Gothenburg means that France and England take the two direct spots to the European Championship next year. Sweden, third in the group, instead has to gear up for the playoff in the autumn. There, two wins in double matches – the first in October, the second in November–December – are required to reach the European Championship.
A big disappointment. It's just emptiness that we couldn't win this match in front of our incredible fans, at home and with the whole setting that was. It just feels crap, says defender Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
New attendance record
To secure a European Championship spot on Tuesday, a win was a must. But Sweden had a hard time creating pressure against the reigning European champions.
The first half was tight overall. England had most of the ball, Sweden tried to rely on counter-attacks. Neither team managed to create any scoring opportunities worth mentioning, possibly with the exception of Georgia Stanway's long-range shot in the 37th minute, which narrowly missed Zecira Musovic's post.
It's two good teams meeting, two world-class teams. You knew it would take a very good performance to score, but then also win the match. That's what we needed to do. Very sour, of course, not to score in this match, says Musovic.
Madelen Janogy didn't get her way as a central striker and was substituted at halftime. Evelyn Ijeh, who made her national team debut against France as recently as Friday, replaced her. But the 22-year-old also had a hard time unlocking the doors.
The first 40 minutes weren't good enough to say that you're going to win the match, says national team coach Peter Gerhardsson to SVT.
With half an hour left, the national team coach made two more substitutions, bringing in Hanna Bennison and Rosa Kafaji.
A few minutes later, the latter broke through the English defense, and when Leah Williamson made a sliding tackle, Kafaji could easily have fallen and argued for a penalty. But the 21-year-old stayed on her feet and had to settle for a corner.
Chose to stand up
In that moment, I just thought I wanted to score and stand up. Someone with a bit more experience might choose the other option, but I chose this now, says Kafaji to SVT and continues:
I thought I would stand up to score, but it didn't happen.
The attack got going for Sweden, and on Gamla Ullevi's packed stands – 16,789 was a new attendance record for a women's national team match at the arena – the yellow-clad fans began to sense it, well aware of what a late winning goal would likely mean.
England backed off more and more, Sweden forced the issue but had a hard time creating more than a few half-chances.
Filippa Angeldahl tested from distance in the 83rd minute, but England's goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was able to save the heavy shot with some effort.
In the final minutes, Peter Gerhardsson made a last-ditch effort: in came Sofia Jakobsson and Nathalie Björn.
But nothing helped.
Sweden leaves the qualifying round with two draws against the reigning European champions. A fine record, but no great comfort on this Tuesday evening.
On Friday, it will be drawn who Sweden will face in the autumn playoff.
