Women’s World Cup: Third Place Ain’t Too Bad for Australia But Not Really for Sweden

Sweden vs Australia

Sweden and Australia will look to put their semi-final disappointment behind them when they meet for the third-place play-off game of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which will be held on Saturday afternoon at Suncorp Stadium.

The Swedes will try to win third place once more after they were defeated by the Spaniards in the semi-finals with a 2-1 scoreline, while the Aussies were beaten by England in the other semi-final matchup with a 3-1 tally.

Depending on which side you’re on, the 2023 Women’s World Cup has been either a failure or a success.

For Sweden, it is considered a failure because it means that they’ll miss out on the big prize once again. But for Australia, it’s considered a success because they will have their best finish in this tournament either way.

Talking Points

Blomqvist relishing her off-the-bench role

Alex Ilestedt is still Sweden’s top scorer in this tournament with four goals, but right behind her is Rebecka Blomqvist with three goals despite mostly coming off the bench.

Ilestedt’s goals mainly came from set-pieces, which the Swedes have weaponised here in the Women’s World Cup. In stark contrast, Blomqvist’s goals are from open play, adding another dimension to their overall attack.

In the quarter-finals, Sweden had fewer shot attempts against Spain. After Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono gave Spain a 1-0 lead during the 81^st minute, Blomqvist came off the bench and scored the equaliser seven minutes later.

Blomqvist’s goal gave the Swedes a sense of relief, but that didn’t last long, as Olga Carmona scored the dramatic late winner to send Spain through to their first Women’s World Cup final.

Sweden didn’t appear to pick up any injury issues against Spain, so head coach Peter Gerhardsson should have plenty to choose from once again.

Regardless of who he chooses to lead up front, the fact remains that Blomqvist is more than capable of recording goals, either as a starter or coming off the bench. We wouldn’t be surprised if Blomqvist would draw level with his teammate Ilestedt in terms of goal count this Saturday.

Kerr back at her best

Against England, Sam Kerr got her first start in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and she made it count by scoring one of the best goals in the tournament with her equaliser piercing through the net from 25 metres during the 63^rd minute.

Even if they eventually lost to the reigning Euro champions, Kerr’s goal gives Australia a moment to remember, even in defeat.

For those who wonder why Kerr only got to start for the first time, the reason is because she injured her calf during warm-ups before their opener against the Republic of Ireland.

She came off the bench for the first time against Denmark in the Round of 16, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Hayley Raso may be the team’s leading scorer in this tournament with three goals, but the eye test says that the presence of Kerr makes Australia undoubtedly stronger in the final third.

History

Sweden, which finished third in two of the last three Women’s World Cups, will play in the third-place play-off once again, while this is the first time that Australia have reached this far.

In 2019, Australia went as far as the Round of 16, losing to Norway via penalty shootout. But prior to that, they went as far as the quarter-finals in three straight editions of this competition (2007, 2011, and 2015).

As for Sweden, their best finish in this tournament was placing second in the 2003 edition of this tournament, losing to Germany in the final.

These two teams last met in a friendly in November, where Australia hammered Sweden with a 4-0 scoreline as Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord (brace), and Mary Fowler all found the back of the net. That was the Aussies’ only win against the Swedes in their head-to-heads across all competitions.

Betting Tip

The Women’s World Cup 2023 odds predict a tight third-place battle between Sweden and Australia. Sweden were given the slight edge at 2.45, while Australia weren’t far behind at 2.51, and a draw was priced at 3.20 in the 1X2 market.

Either way, SBOTOP football fans can expect goals from this contest, making Total Goal 2-3 at 1.81 your best bet, while Over 2.50 at 1.94 is also another bet to think about.

Both nations will want to exit this tournament with a bang, so they will put on a show by giving us our dose of Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights this weekend.

 

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