Hanna Bennison comes from the bench for Sweden’s key victory against Switzerland | Ladies’ EC 2022
Sweden took an important step towards maintaining its 100% record to reach the knockout stages at the European Championships with a hard-fought and convincing 2-1 victory over Switzerland in lukewarm conditions on Bramall Lane.
Goals from Fridolina Rolfö and a late winner from substitute Hanna Bennison ensured that it was Peter Gerhardsson’s team that got closer to the quarter finals, against a team that fought hard until the end and suffered from stomach ailments earlier this week.
The result felt cruel on the Swiss who had two valid penalties within a minute of each other just before Bennison struck – but got neither. Now they need a good result against the Netherlands to be able to reach the last eight.
For the Swiss, the chance came to capitalize already in the eighth minute when Magda Eriksson was judged to have taken Noelle Maritz down in her own penalty box.
Upon closer inspection, Judge Marta Huerta de Aza changed her decision. It would not be her last controversial conversation during the half; another eight minutes later and this time it was Sweden’s No. 9, Kosovar Asllani, who claimed that a stray hand had taken the stick out of her shot on goal.
The Blue-yellow did not let the chaotic start trace their attack. Instead, they plowed on through Stina Blackstenius. She had the first real chance of the match in the 20th minute with a fiery, low shot on goal. Her teammates took it as a call to action and soon brought up their own individual allegations.
Rolfö seemed to take it especially personally on the Swiss left wing. The Swede easily passed her marker, Maritz, and followed up galloping runs towards the village line with an inviting cross.
On more than one occasion, this game pattern almost led to goals for Sweden. If there was even a tab of hope, it came via Ramona Bachmann. At the rare moment when Switzerland left its own half borders, it was her quick thinking that led to moments of promise.
After half an hour, she almost punished a sloppy back pass among Swedish defenders, which gave a nice save from Hedvig Lindahl. Although Bachmann could not punish the mistake, she gave her side a much-needed glow in the face of an inexorable Swedish attack.
On the other side of the half, Gerhardsson’s team increased the pressure, looked for the Swiss back four and finally got the first goal of the match. It was Rolfö again, who slipped away from Maritz in a routine way, and slid the ball into the lower corner – all while the grass was still drying from the half-time sprinklers.
Pay attention to the drama. Two minutes after the restart, the Swiss equalized through Bachmann. A majestically curled effort from the edge of the box managed to dodge the Swedish slopes and the points were once again even.
Through Bachmann’s goal, Switzerland began to attack more centrally and for a while it paid off. But for a team that had spent the week battling a rapidly spreading, gastrointestinal disease, they seemed far too willing to dive into stomach-churning moments on their own defensive half – like allowing possession to be reversed so Bennison could whip in an electric shot. from the edge of the box to make it 2-1 in the 80th minute.
The whole movement that built up to the goal was a perfect expression of the collective Swiss achievement. Encouraging in the moment, but blinded defensively by a superior Swedish attack.