Sweden playmaker Kosovare Asllani said she was sick of crying tears of championship failure after her side was knocked out of the Women’s World Cup semifinal by Spain on Tuesday.
The Swedes had gone behind in the 81st minute in Auckland before Rebecka Blomqvist’s equaliser in the 88th minute looked to have set up extra time.
But two minutes later Spain scored again, sealing a spot in the decider and handing Sweden its fourth defeat in five World Cup semi-finals.
Highlights: Spain vs Sweden FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 semifinal
“I’m so tired of crying championship tears,” a bitterly disappointed Asllani said in a televised interview, wiping tears from her eyes throughout.
Sweden has not won a major tournament since the inaugural Women’s Euros in 1984. Since then it has lost three times in the final of the Euros and lost the Olympic final to Canada after a shootout two years ago.
Its sole visit to the Women’s World Cup final in 2003 also ended in defeat.
“I don’t think people understand the energy and the passion that is behind this. It really sucks, we dreamed of a World Cup final,” Asllani said.
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“I’m so proud of this team, where we are today and how we have performed in this tournament. We deserved to be in the final, but that’s how football is.”
Sweden coach Peter Gerhardssson struggled to put his disappointment into words, but both he and defender Magdalena Eriksson were clear about wanting to win the third-placed playoff on Saturday, where they will meet either Australia or England.
“Tonight we can mourn, tonight we can be sad, disappointed, but from tomorrow, we look forward,” Gerhardsson said.
“We knew that we had two matches left in the tournament when we made the semi-final, now there’s a third-place playoff and we still have a chance to win a medal, and we’re going to go for it, 100%.”
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