Fagerlund: Europe should take her seriously
GENEVA. Trembling on the bar, a deep sigh of relief.
When the final whistle blows in Geneva, the cameras immediately find Filippa Angeldahl in the winning group.
Today she saved Sweden – and seriously presented herself to the rest of Europe.
The ball is drawn like a magnet to Filippa Angeldahl’s feet, mainly because her teammates make sure it ends up there.
They know that anything can happen then – and that it usually ends happily.
Angeldahl can easily hit a butter pass to a running Rytting Kaneryd or Blackstenius. She drifts elegantly from side to side, like a real spider in its web.
When the 27-year-old midfielder rolls in the redeeming 1-0 goal, with the help of persistent veteran Kosovare Asllani, no Swede is surprised.
Sweden have had better starts under Peter Gerhardsson, but this match is just as valuable compared to other victories over the years. Three points, a nice starting position for the rest.
And the question is whether this won’t be the championship when the rest of Europe finally understands what a skilled footballer Filippa Angeldahl is. Even though she is hardly a newcomer in these contexts.
It’s about time, then.
Then and now
A couple of hours before kick-off, the blue-and-yellow train wound its way through the streets of Geneva.
Passers-by picked up their mobile phones and filmed the sight of the Swedish supporters. Few women’s national teams in the world have better support, loyal enthusiasts who take the time and money (which is certainly needed in a country like Switzerland).
Inside the Stade de Genève, with an impressive backdrop of alpine peaks, a yellow banner was unfurled on one short side.
Anette Börjesson next to Kosovare Asllani, Swedish women’s football’s past and present. “41 years since last time – the gold is coming home,” was written in squiggly letters.
Just Asllani, who made her 200th international appearance, barely had time to take in the tribute before she ended up in a first confrontation with a Dane.
National team captain André Jeglertz had promised that a different version of Denmark would step onto the field, rather than the one that constantly lost the ball in Stockholm and fell with a horrible 1–6.
This was undoubtedly a team with better defensive stability compared to then – but the question is whether the heat actually did not benefit the red and white players initially.
The sweat varnished
It can’t possibly be a coincidence that the worst matches of the European Championship so far have kicked off at 6:00 PM, with temperatures around the 30s.
Sweden struggled to pick up the pace in the passing game, and the quality of the ball touch.
Sometimes it was just too sloppy.
The sweat was a little extra when the referee, Edina Alves Batista, was suddenly asked to run out to her screen and study a suspected penalty situation for Denmark.
Madelen Janogy had been lying flat on the grass, possibly worried about the fact that the ball had touched her arm on the way down.
Does Edina Alves Batista sound familiar? Yes, it was the same referee who provoked feelings of frustration after Sweden’s exit against Spain in the 2023 World Cup semi-final.
Today, the Brazilian was one of the most sensible on the pitch as she stood along the sideline, with Asllani behind her, and a sea of excited Danes on the other side of the screen. On closer inspection, Janogy should have had the free kick with her, something the referee fortunately saw.
Nervous extra minutes
Who knows what would have happened if Denmark had received a free ticket into the match so early.
Now the Swedish players gathered in the locker room at halftime, gulped down some cooling ice slushies, knowing that they – despite 0–0 on the scoreboard – were still a better team than their opponents.
Pernille Harder, who certainly did not miss her injured partner Magdalena Eriksson in the middle lock, made the bar tremble.
The extra time seemed to go by at a snail’s pace, all while Sweden tried to control the Danish pressure. This was made easier by the fact that the defense, not least Nathalie Björn, stood strong.
19–9 in the number of shots in Sweden’s favor is still flattering reading, even if the victory was far from as clear a statement as, for example, Spain’s overrun of Portugal yesterday.
But Sweden has stepped in, and is in, the game.
When Filippa Angeldahl left the field in the final stages of the match, loud cheers rang out through the Stade de Genève.
Could this be the championship’s most underrated player?
When an English colleague gets in touch with appreciative – and frankly surprised – words of praise for the midfielder, it strikes me that Angeldahl hasn’t really been in the international spotlight.
Now you know, Europe.
