- Updates from the 8pm BST kick-off at the Stade de Lyon
- Exciting Netherlands side have grown into the World Cup
- Stina Blackstenius: Sweden striker who came in from the cold
- Email Paul here or tweet @Paul_Doyle
Seden have made two changes to the side that shocked Germany. Lina Hurtig replaces the suspended Rolfo, while Nathalie Bjorn comes into midfield instead of Elin Rubensson. Martens is fit enough to start for the Dutch, as expected, but Shanice Van de Sanden has paid the price for her disappointing performances in the tournament so far and been replaced by Lineth Beerensteyn.
Holland: Van Veenendaal; Van Lunteren, Bloodworth, Van der Gragt, Van Dongen; Groenen, Van de Donk, Spitse; Beerensteyn, Miedema, Martens
Hello and welcome to the clash of the in-your-face outsiders. Holland and Sweden came into this tournament without fanfare, ranked eighth and ninth in the world respectively, but here they are duelling to decide who takes on the United States in Sunday’s World Cup final. Will it be Holland, who are appearing in this tournament for only the second time in their history but who are reigning European champions even if they have stuttered since gaining that crown? Or will it be Sweden, who are contesting their fourth World Cup semi-final, three years after reaching their first Olympic final? I don’t know, that’s what we’re here to find out. It’s on!
Maybe the Americans would prefer to face Sweden, since they already beat them 2-0 in the group stages. That, as it happens, is the same score by which Holland beat Sweden when the countries last met – in 2017 – but the Swedes have improved since then under the management of Peter Gerhardsson and have also found a groove in the course of this tournament, following up their defeat by the US with deserved victories over Canada and Germany. But ace winger Fridolina Rolfö picked up yellow cards in both those games so she is suspended for this one; that’s a shame because her conniving with Stina Blackstenius was especially dangerous. The Dutch will still have to be way of Blackstenius, though, as well as a a powerful Swedish collective.
Written by Paul Doyle
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2019/jul/03/netherlands-v-sweden-womens-world-cup-2019-semi-final-live under the title “
“. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
