Sweden’s Women’s Football Team Claims Third Place in Women’s World Cup for Fourth Time, Australia Finishes Fourth
China News Agency, Beijing – In a battle for the third place in the 2023 Australia-New Zealand Women’s World Cup, Sweden’s women’s football team emerged victorious over the host country, Australia, with a score of 2-0. This victory marks the fifth time that Sweden has secured a spot among the top three teams in the Women’s World Cup.
The Swedish team suffered a setback in the semi-finals, losing 1-2 to the Spanish team. Similarly, the Australian team faced defeat against the England team with a score of 1-3. It was a meeting of two teams seeking redemption in the final battle of the World Cup.
Australia, except for the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991, has consistently reached the quarter-finals in the last three World Cups (2007, 2011, and 2015). However, their best performance in the World Cup has been limited to the quarter-finals. The Australian team has also fallen short of winning a medal in the Olympics, achieving their best result of fourth place. Thus, the battle for third place was considered a chance for the Australian women’s football team to make a breakthrough.
Unfortunately for Australia, they faced Sweden, the “uncrowned king” of the sport. Sweden, a steadfast participant in every Women’s World Cup, has previously emerged as the winner in all three occasions they contested for third place.
From the outset of the game, the Swedish team showcased their overall strength, taking control and posing a constant threat to the Australian goal. In the 27th minute, a Swedish player penetrated the penalty area with the ball and was fouled by an Australian player, resulting in a penalty kick. Rolf successfully converted the penalty, giving the Swedish team a 1-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Sweden continued to press forward aggressively. In the 62nd minute, they launched an attack from the backcourt which ultimately led to a goal scored by midfielder Aslani, extending Sweden’s lead to 2-0. The score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
The Swedish women’s football team has now secured third place in the World Cup for the fourth time, having previously achieved this feat in the 1991, 2011, and 2019 editions. The team has also clinched the runner-up title in the 2003 World Cup and the last two Olympic Games, solidifying their reputation as the “uncrowned king” of women’s football. However, the title of “uncrowned king” may also suggest a sense of regret and frustration for the Swedish team, who have repeatedly fallen short of becoming World Series champions.
The host nation, Australia, finished in fourth place, surpassing their previous best record in the World Cup and matching their best performance in the World Series.
The fate of the World Cup champion will be determined on the evening of the 20th local time when the Spanish team and the England team face off in the highly anticipated final match.