Analysis: What Matildas must get right to edge Sweden in FIFA World Cup third-place playoff

Australia will likely adhere to their high-octane approach but there are plenty of hurdles to clear in Brisbane. ADAM PEACOCK unpacks the tactical battle ahead in the World Cup third-place playoff.

Australia and Sweden know each other’s strengths well. PIcture: Zhizhao Wu/Getty Images

And so to the consolation prize which, given the emptiness felt by Australia and Sweden this week, appears a difficult assignment to prepare for.

There will be no surprises in this one with both sides to remain faithful to the approach that got them to the final four.

The Matildas will want to play quickly.

The Swedes will look to play smartly.

Sweden got the win when the rivals met in a semi-final at the Tokyo Olympics. Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Tillies’ advantage

Sweden have been fantastic at this World Cup, utilising their strengths of tactical adaptability and players red-lining on commitment.

That said, they are a side that does not boast the weapons to regularly dismantle opponents. Instead, their success has come through thoughtful preparation and rigid execution.

The primary threat they will pose for the Matildas is at set pieces. The Swedes have scored four goals from corners. Just about every other corner has either produced a chance or some form of panic in the crowded six-yard box.

In open play, Sweden relies on a 4-2-3-1 system with the ‘2’ being the defensive midfield duo of Filippa Angeldal and Elin Rubensson, who do a mountain of work to break up play. Going forward they are clever, without being rapid.

Coach Peter Gerhardsson, a long-time friend of Matildas boss Tony Gustavsson, has done an outstanding job to adjust through the knockout stages.

Peter Gerhardsson and Tony Gustavsson have known each other for a long time. Picture: Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Overrun and fortunate to get through against USA, thanks to the best goalkeeping display of the tournament from Zecira Musovic, Gerhardsson changed approach against Japan in the quarter-final to apply an immense amount of pressure through the mid-third of the pitch.

Japan never settled and Sweden deservedly got through 2-1.

The Swedes employed similar tactics against Spain and had them totally off balance, especially in the first half of the semi-final in Auckland with their closing of space. That stopped the technically superior Spanish from ever feeling comfortable on the ball.

It wasn’t until the athletic Salma Paralluelo came on at the hour mark that the game got stretched, and the space the Spanish craved opened up to cause damage.

This is where the Matildas can wrest advantage over Sweden, stretching the play quickly in transition, something the English cynically stopped in the first half.

But to execute it properly against the Swedes requires one key factor: the Australians’ tanks aren’t empty.

Matildas’ heavy workload

There is a high probability the Matildas will adhere to their high-octane approach, but how far can a car go when running on fumes?

Eight of the Matildas have played over 500 minutes and Sam Kerr has clocked 160 minutes in four days after returning from a soft tissue injury. No doubt Chelsea, Kerr’s club and primary employer, will be watching with bated breath should she start again given their season starts in six weeks.

By contrast, only two Swedes, centre back pairing Amanda Ilestedt and Magda Eriksson, have played more than 500 minutes at this World Cup.

So Gustavsson surely has to change some personnel, and he can do so without changing the approach. Emily van Egmond, Tameka Yallop, Cortnee Vine and Charli Grant are all able to step straight into existing positions and excel.

Defender Courtney Nevin and x-factor attacking midfielder Alex Chidiac, too, could be used to great effect.

Up front, though, there are no like-for-like replacements for Kerr or Caitlin Foord. Both caused all kinds of damage the last time the Matildas met Sweden last November in Melbourne. Australia won 4-0 and the attacking duo played through the middle together and ran riot.

But that meeting has watered down relevance to this third-place playoff given the Swedes only arrived in Australia a few days before that game and, after dominating the first 30 minutes, clearly struggled physically.

Who is closest to full capacity for this one will define who ends this magical month on a high with a top three finish.

Originally published as Analysis: What Matildas must get right to edge Sweden in FIFA World Cup third-place playoff