Two crucial European Championship qualifying matches await for Sweden's women's national team.
At the same time, the majority of the players are not in match form.
It feels like something has been created that is not particularly good, says national team coach Peter Gerhardsson.
In the middle of the foreign pros' vacation, Sweden will play two crucial European Championship qualifying matches against France and England.
Players and leaders in the Swedish women's national team have previously criticized the European Football Association (Uefa) for the planning, but eyebrows are still raised when the schedule is mentioned.
This window is a bit awkwardly placed. If we only had Allsvenskan players, it would have been okay, but we don't, says national team coach Peter Gerhardsson.
The majority of the 19 foreign pros have not played with their club teams for a long time, and the last national team gathering was the double match against Ireland over a month ago.
"Not optimal"
Left-back Jonna Andersson is, however, one of seven Damallsvenskan players in the squad, and all of them played a match on Friday.
It's not optimal, neither for us in Damallsvenskan who are going on vacation and those who have had a vacation. I personally think it's nice to come in with match form, says Hammarby defender Andersson, who has started all four European Championship qualifying matches so far.
How difficult is it to play a national team match without being in match form?
It's difficult, but somehow you get into it pretty quickly. Somehow it's in your spine, says Andersson.
Andersson is the only Damallsvenskan player to have secured a starting spot in the qualifying matches. The other nine outfield players in the four matches have been foreign pros.
It's not a disadvantage that the Damallsvenskan players have played a match recently, but at the same time, quality will always decide who gets to play, according to the national team coach.
It's not just about replacing someone because they play in Allsvenskan. You have to compete here, and then you have five substitutions to make, says Gerhardsson.
Bayern München gathered the team
He likes that German Bayern München – with Swedish center-backs Magdalena Eriksson and Linda Sembrant – gathered their team and resumed training a week before the big club's national team players were due to leave for the European Championship qualifying matches.
I wish all clubs had done that, says Gerhardsson.
The national team held a mini-camp at Bosön on Wednesday to Friday last week, but no major tactical exercises could be carried out because only ten players were present.
Then we had very many offensive players. We couldn't train much backline because we didn't have any defenders there, says Peter Gerhardsson.
Daniel Kihlström/TT
Facts: Match form in the squad
TT
Of the women's national team's 26 players in the squad for the European Championship qualifying matches against France and England, 19 of them play abroad. For the majority of the foreign pros, their club seasons ended some time ago, and the last national team gathering (double matches against Ireland) was held at the end of May and beginning of June.
Hanna Lundkvist in American San Diego played her last competitive match in the NWSL league on Saturday – then national team teammate Sofia Jakobsson sat on the bench for the entire match. Elin Rubensson sat on the bench for the entire match for Houston on Saturday.
Häcken players Jennifer Falk (goalkeeper), Rosa Kafaji, Josefin Rybrink, Anna Sandberg, and Felicia Schröder, as well as IFK Norrköping's My Cato, played in Damallsvenskan on Friday.
The top two teams will qualify directly for the European Championship in Switzerland 2025. The third and fourth teams will have to play playoffs in the fall. To qualify for the European Championship via playoffs, two double wins are required.
The standings in Sweden's group after four of six rounds:
- France, 9 points (+2 goal difference), 2) Sweden, 7 points (+3), 3) England, 7 points (+2), 4) Ireland, 0 points (–7).
Remaining matches:
July 12: France–Sweden (9:10 pm, Dijon), England–Ireland (9:00 pm).
July 16: Sweden–England (7:00 pm, Gamla Ullevi), Ireland–France (7:00 pm).
