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Two European titans face off on Tuesday for a spot in Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final in Sydney. Spain compete in their first Women’s World Cup semifinal after demonstrating the passing-heavy style the country has become known for as well as a solid rotation of attacking talent. Sweden, meanwhile, have taken a variety of approaches en route to the penultimate stage of the tournament and have developed a habit of taking out giants along the way. The match will likely serve as a showcase for two contrasting styles from two teams that are, without a doubt, good enough to win the whole thing.
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Here’s what you need to know before the first of two World Cup semifinals.
Viewing information
- Date: Tuesday, Aug. 15 | Time: 4 a.m. ET
- Location: Eden Park — Auckland, New Zealand
- TV: Fox | Live stream: fubo (Try for free), Fox Sports app
- Odds: Spain +116; Draw +220; Sweden +230
Storylines
Spain: Spain have long been considered a team on the rise in women’s soccer and have finally delivered on that promise with their first semifinal berth at a major international tournament. The team is well known for their preference to possess and pass, as well as an ability to score — Spain have scored 15 goals in five games Down Under. Look to Aitana Bonmati and Jennifer Hermoso to convert that possession into meaningful attacking plays and 19-year-old Salma Paralluelo to potentially make an impact off the bench like she did in the team’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands.
It has not been a perfect World Cup campaign for Spain, though. Though Alexia Putellas returned to play in April following an ACL tear, the Ballon d’Or winner appears not to be fit enough to play 90 minutes and has only started two games so far. The team also sometimes cannot translate their possession and passing stats into goals, as was the case against the Dutch — they had 28 shots but only five on target and undeformed their expected goals tally of 3.4.
Sweden: A smooth group stage gave way for a notably difficult knockout stage draw, when they had to face the U.S. women’s national team and Japan in successive matches. Sweden passed each test thanks to a wide-ranging skillset. Against Japan and their group-stage opponents, they dominated in possession while letting their ability to score goals on set pieces do the talking. In their round of 16 win over the USWNT, meanwhile, they were happy to absorb pressure as goalkeeper Zecira Musovic made 11 saves to keep the score 0-0 through 120 minutes.
Sweden could repeat the tactic against a possession-first Spain, but that strategy comes with drawbacks. They had nine shots but just one on target against the USWNT and may look to improve upon that in the semifinals should Spain dominate. The matchup forces the question, though: Can Sweden strike twice with a strategy that frequently plays to the opponent’s favor, or will they need to showcase another set of skills to come out on top?
Prediction
Both teams have the ability to neutralize each other through different attacking approaches so expect a closely contested battle. Extra time might be in the cards here, but Spain have better options off the bench to close this one out before penalties. Pick: Spain 2, Sweden 1 (AET)
