Sweden will look to exploit its major height advantage over the United States Women’s National Team in their World Cup match on Sunday morning.
The Swedes swept Group G with nine goals, and seven of them came off crosses or corner kicks. It features dominating aerial threats like Amanda Ilestedt, Stina Blackstenius, Nathalie Björn, Magdalena Eriksson, and Fridolina Rolfö. It has fittingly earned the nickname “Corner Kicks FC.”
As noted by Henry Bushnell of Yahoo! Sports, the Swedes will field nine outfield players that are taller than all but two of the United States Women’s National Team projected starters.
To compound America’s problems, the Swedes have a history of success against them. Sweden dealt America its earliest-ever exist from a world tournament in the 2016 Olympics. Then, in the 2021 Olympics, Sweden embarrassed America to the tune of 3-0.
The height advantage is something that America is taking into account ahead of the contest. Co-captain midfield Alex Morgan joked she “has grown a couple inches” in the last couple of days, according to Bushnell.
America’s head coach, Vlatko Andonovski, said that his team has been “analyzing and trying to counter” Sweden’s set piece threat.
“It’s always a massive battle — physically, mentally, everything that goes into it,” American co-captain Lindsey Horan said. “It’s a [Sweden] team that can bring the aerial presence, set pieces, the crossing ability and getting people in the box. I think that’s one thing that we absolutely need to match defensively.”
[Yahoo!]
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