Sweden qualifies for China 2007
Sweden - Czech republic 2 - 0 (2-0)
Sweden: Caroline Jönsson Malmö FF - Frida Östberg Linköping FC, Hanna Marklund Sunnanå SK, Stina Segerström KIF Örebro, Sara Thunebro Djurgården/Älvsjö - Therese Sjögran Malmö FF, Malin Moström Umeå IK, Caroline Seger Linköping FC (85 Nilla Fischer Malmö FF), Lotta Schelin Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC - Hanna Ljungberg Umeå IK (62 Josefine Öqvist Linköping FC), Victoria Svensson Djurgården/Älvsjö (77 Therese Lundin Malmö FF).
Goals: 1-0 Hanna Ljungberg (5), 2-0 Hanna Ljungberg (30)
Before the match media tried to build up tension, branding it a do-or-die game. But Czech and KIF Örebro star Pavlina Scasna was closer to the truth when she calmly analyzed "If we play on the top of our ability and Sweden has a really bad day and we get the first goal, we might be able to shake them". Already when Hanna Ljungberg headed in the first goal from a great Caroline Seger pass, it was obvious that none of Pavlina's conditions were there. The Czech side hardly managed a single dangerous attempt on Sweden's goal and, in spite of not scoring at all during the last hour of play, Sweden played an attractive, inventive football with a good game flow. Seger, who has made some rather pale performances lately, did great in midfield and Lotta Schelin showed speed and skill.
Post-match comments were very positive. There has been reason to worry about the national team, but this match showed something else, something that gives great promises for Chine 2007. Coach Dennerby has had two major tasks since he took over last summer: qualify for the World Cup and start the generation change. The first one wasn't really that big a task, but sports writers across the Swedish media gives him praise for the manner in which he performed his second task. Lotta Schelin and Caroline Seger, that got their first taste of the national team under Marika Domanski Lyfors, have now established themselves in the starting eleven while this years newcomers Stina Segerström and Sara Thunebro have impressed. Dennerby himself says that next years squad for the World Cup is pretty much set already, but there is still place for one or two new players.
Aftonbladet: Kina – här kommer vi
SVT: Sveriges damer klara för VM, match clip
Västerbottens Folkblad: Ljungberg sköt Sverige till VM
Västerbottenskuriren: Hanna sköt Sverige till VM
Corren: Fotbollens pigor klara för VM, Svensk seger – och Seger bäst på plan
Dagens Nyheter: Sverige klart för VM, Ljungberg tror på medalj
Expressen: Hannas sköna dubbelsmäll
Göteborgsposten: Dennerby har något stort på gång, Damlandslaget kan packa för VM
Nerikes Allehanda. Stina på väg till Kina, Pavlina är inte på väg till Kina
Sydsvenskan: Landslag i förvandling kan blomma i Kina
TV4: Fotbollsdamerna klara för VM 2007, video clip