Women's World Cup - Group F
ChileChile0SwedenSweden2

Chile 0-2 Sweden: Europeans score two late goals in Women's World Cup match

By Michael EmonsBBC Sport

Two late goals gave Olympic Games runners-up Sweden a winning start to their Women's World Cup campaign as they finally ended Chile's resistance in a rain-affected Group F match.

A lightning storm in the second half saw the players taken off the pitch for 40 minutes before Kosovare Asllani shot into the roof of the net in the 83rd minute to give Sweden a deserved lead.

Substitute Madelen Janogy scored a fine individual goal, dribbling past several Chile players, to add a second in the fifth minute of injury time.

The Europeans had earlier been frustrated by Chile goalkeeper Christiane Endler, who made a spectacular one-handed stop on the line to keep out Nilla Fischer's close-range glancing header.

Sweden, beaten 2-1 by Germany in the 2016 Olympic Games final in Rio, had 24 shots and 69% of possession against a Chile side who were playing in their first match at a World Cup finals.

However, the Swedes were wasteful in front of goal with Elin Rubensson heading at Endler and Stina Blackstenius firing over and then heading off target when unmarked six yards out.

Blackstenius again headed wide and Chelsea defender Magdalena Eriksson curled a shot over before the players were taken off the pitch in the 72nd minute because of thunder and lightning, after the first half had been played in glorious sunshine.

Chile, ranked 39th in the world, 30 places below the Europeans, again had to soak up pressure when the game restarted with Endler making another fine save by tipping over Sofia Jakobsson's shot from the edge of the penalty area.

But the Paris St-Germain goalkeeper was finally beaten with seven minutes left, before Janogy took advantage of some tired Chile players to double Sweden's advantage.

The South Americans repeatedly gave the ball away, did not win a corner and only had one weak shot on target.

Karen Araya had two speculative 35-yard efforts, with one shot narrowly off target and the other held by Hedvig Lindahl, the goalkeeper who played her final game for Chelsea last month.

Storm
Mexican referee Lucila Venegas took the players off in the 72nd minute because of a storm in Rennes

Chile's winless run continues - the stats

  • Chile women's national team are still winless in all competitions in 2019 - nine matches (drawn three, lost six). Their last win came back in November 2018 (3-2 v Australia).
  • Since Brazil won their first ever Women's World Cup match back in 1991, beating Japan 1-0, each of the other four sides from South America playing in their first such match have all lost without scoring (Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile).
  • Sweden have won a Women's World Cup match for the first time since July 2011 (2-1 v France in a third-place playoff game), ending a run of four such games without a win (drew three, lost one).
  • Sweden's starting XI in their narrow victory over Chile had an average age of 29 years and 138 days, the oldest they have named in a Women's World Cup match in what was their 34th game at the tournament.
  • Kosovare Asllani's opener for Sweden was their 20th attempt of the match and just their fifth on target. It was her 33rd strike for her country, but her first World Cup goal.
  • Madelen Janogy has scored in both of her last two appearances for the Swedish national side having not scored in any of her first three games at senior international level.
  • Chelsea left-back Magdalena Eriksson won her 50th cap for Sweden.

'We're very happy' - what they said

Chile coach Jose Letelier said: "It was a really tough game for our team.

"We've been following Sweden as an opponent. We've looked at our physical fitness and this has been quite complex for our team. This created a difference between the teams and we've really had to look at all types of situations.

"Our players gave their all throughout the entire game. Of course, it was a difficult game and unfortunately, during the last 10 minutes the result changed."

Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson said: "We've been following Chile for many matches now and there are some very skilled players, not least their goalkeeper, so we knew this would be a tough match.

"We saw how they played tactically against the Netherlands and also the match against Germany - they scored one goal on a corner, and one on a free-kick. They never constructed much play, so we knew this would be a tough match.

"They're a tactically skilled team and we're very happy that we won."

What's next?

Sweden take on Thailand at 14:00 BST in Nice on Sunday, 16 June, before Chile face reigning world champions the United States three hours later in Paris.

Line-ups

Chile

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Endler
  • 15Galaz
  • 3GuerreroBooked at 78mins
  • 18Sáez
  • 17Toro
  • 8Araya
  • 10AedoSubstituted forSotoat 84'minutes
  • 4Lara
  • 20Zamora
  • 9UrrutiaSubstituted forLópezat 59'minutesBooked at 90mins
  • 21Balmaceda

Substitutes

  • 2Soto
  • 5Díaz
  • 6Soto
  • 7Rojas
  • 11López
  • 12Campos
  • 13Grez
  • 14Pardo
  • 16Pinilla
  • 19Huenteo
  • 22Durán
  • 23Torrero

Sweden

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Lindahl
  • 4Glas
  • 5Fischer
  • 3Sembrant
  • 6ErikssonBooked at 67mins
  • 23RubenssonSubstituted forJanogyat 81'minutes
  • 17Seger
  • 10Jakobsson
  • 9Asllani
  • 18RolföSubstituted forHurtigat 65'minutes
  • 11BlacksteniusSubstituted forAnvegardat 65'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Andersson
  • 7Janogy
  • 8Hurtig
  • 12Falk
  • 13Ilestedt
  • 14Roddar
  • 15Bjorn
  • 16Zigiotti Olme
  • 19Anvegard
  • 20Larsson
  • 21Musovic
  • 22Schough
Referee:
Lucila Venegas Montes
Attendance:
15,875

Match Stats

Home TeamChileAway TeamSweden
Possession
Home31%
Away69%
Shots
Home5
Away24
Shots on Target
Home1
Away6
Corners
Home0
Away11
Fouls
Home10
Away13

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Chile 0, Sweden 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Chile 0, Sweden 2.

  3. Booking

    Paloma López (Chile) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  4. Post update

    Kosovare Asllani (Sweden) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Paloma López (Chile).

  6. Goal!

    Goal! Chile 0, Sweden 2. Madelen Janogy (Sweden) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Kosovare Asllani.

  7. Post update

    Kosovare Asllani (Sweden) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Paloma López (Chile).

  9. Post update

    Attempt missed. Francisca Lara (Chile) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Paloma López.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Linda Sembrant (Sweden).

  11. Post update

    Daniela Zamora (Chile) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  12. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Lina Hurtig (Sweden) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kosovare Asllani with a cross.

  13. Post update

    Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Javiera Toro (Chile).

  15. Post update

    Attempt missed. Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Anna Anvegard.

  16. Post update

    Attempt missed. Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Kosovare Asllani.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Chile. Rocío Soto replaces Yanara Aedo.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Lina Hurtig (Sweden).

  19. Post update

    Su Helen Galaz (Chile) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Goal!

    Goal! Chile 0, Sweden 1. Kosovare Asllani (Sweden) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Anna Anvegard.

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1France11004043
2Norway11003033
3Nigeria100103-30
4South Korea100104-40

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Spain11003123
2Germany11001013
3China100101-10
4South Africa100113-20

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Brazil11003033
2Italy11002113
3Australia100112-10
4Jamaica100103-30

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1England11002113
2Argentina10100001
3Japan10100001
4Scotland100112-10

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Canada11001013
2Netherlands11001013
3Cameroon100101-10
4New Zealand100101-10

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1USA1100130133
2Sweden11002023
3Chile100102-20
4Thailand1001013-130
View full Women's World Cup tables