Sweden educator Peter Gerhardsson described Amanda Ilestedt as a candidate for the Girls’s Global Cup blonde boot next the high defender scored two times together with her head in a 5-0 thrashing of Italy on Saturday that booked her nation’s berth within the endmost 16. A good duel used to be blown unhidden in a seven-minute charm overdue within the first half of when the Swedes, ranked 3rd on the earth, discovered the web thrice, thru Ilestedt, Fridolina Rolfo and Stina Blackstenius.
Arsenal centre-back Ilestedt bagged her 2d quickly next the interlude to offer her 3 objectives for the match — all headers from corners — together with a overdue match-winner of their opening 2-1 defeat of South Africa.
Change Rebecka Blomqvist rounded out the rout in stoppage week in entrance of just about 30,000 in Wellington.
The Swedes are confident of completing within the govern two in Staff G, turning into the 3rd workforce to retain a playground within the knockout degree next Spain and Japan.
It used to be a flexing of the muscular tissues from probably the most match favourites, who’ve a historical past of near-misses on the Global Cup.
Their set-piece prowess used to be on complete display, with 3 of the objectives coming from left-footed inswinging corners delivered via Jonna Andersson.
Gerhardsson admitted corners are an remarkable a part of his workforce’s assault.
“Set pieces are very much structure and it’s also technique and then it’s courage,” he mentioned.
“The service is very important and Jonna is very good at this and has been doing it for many years.
“And we are hoping Amanda will travel the entire manner and win the blonde boot.”
‘Unreal’ for Ilestedt
Ilestedt was surprised by her prolific start to the tournament after being named player of the match for a second straight game.
“It feels a bit of unreal however I’m more than happy,” she said.
“Possibly I didn’t be expecting 3 objectives however I do know that’s one in all my strengths and it’s one thing we’re operating on a dozen at coaching.”
Sixteenth-ranked Italy, who suffered their heaviest defeat in 14 World Cup matches, went into half-time shellshocked after enjoying the better of the early stages.
Having opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Argentina, their tournament will be over if they lose their final group match against South Africa on Wednesday.
Coach Milena Bertolini conceded they were overwhelmed by Sweden’s physicality after a strong start.
“They’re very sturdy, they’re very bodily they usually’re very professional, particularly with their i’m ready items,” she said.
“They’ve a dozen of guns, a dozen of arrows of their quiver.
“The first half-hour, we actually gave them a hard time… we were a bit fragile mentally because after two goals, we were not able to stay calm.”
Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic used to be examined via two bright early moves from Sofia Cantore, the one alternate to Italy’s forming facet.
Alternatively, the Swedes started to gel and the floodgates opened within the thirty ninth slight when the 1.78-metre Ilestedt leapt to look house Andersson’s pinpoint nook.
Barcelona superstar Rolfo, who used to be a lack of certainty for the sport with a knee niggle, bagged her 2d function of the match when Italy couldn’t sunny from some other nook.
Arsenal striker Blackstenius made it 3 in first-half stoppage week when she stabbed house next Johanna Kaneryd’s go wasn’t cleared.
A jumping Ilestedt scored her 2d 5 mins next the split and, as Italy wilted, Blomqvist went thru on function one on one for quantity 5.
Sweden, who’ve now certified for the knockout section in 8 of 9 Global Cup appearances, will play games their ultimate team recreation towards Argentina in Hamilton on Wednesday.
(This tale has no longer been edited via NDTV body of workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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