Like against France, our back four was abominable. The Swedish players were able to get the better of our defence, while some will critique Hannah Hampton in goal and say Mary Earps would never have, but just remember Earps had a fully fit, strong pre-ACL injury back line at 2022.
No Millie Bright, no Rachel Daly and a great Leah Williamson, but not the best Williamson we have seen.
In extra time, we had four players go down with injuries - Lauren James (though she stayed on and seemed fine, the same with Alex Greenwood) and Alex Greenwood with a shoulder injury.
Hannah Hampton had a bloody nose, and Captain Leah Williamson had an Ankle injury, which forced her off. This was the only injury concern England had. In a post-match interview, she did not mention her ankle at all. She left in a boot; however, she was seen at open training the day before the game.
Unlike against Germany in the last game of the group stage, Sweden weren’t asleep at the beginning of the game and fought and learning from their mistakes.
The first goal by Kosovares Asllani came from a loose pass backwards by Kiera Walsh that Stina Blackstenius capitalised on.
Later, a direct run from Stina Blackstenius exposed a struggling backline depleted on the left, highlighted by a jumbled defensive shape between Jess Carter and Leah Williamson.
No changes were made for England until the 70th minute, which could have been anticipated earlier, in the 60th minute, when most changes typically occur.
In the 70th and 78th minutes, Beth Mead, Michelle Agyemang, and Chloe Kelly were brought on as a response to Sweden controlling the midfield and defence.
Chloe Kelly delivered two quality crosses into the box, which led directly to Lucy Bronze's header to bring England back in the game in the 79th minute, and then the next brought in Beth Mead for Michelle Agyemang to score.
What needs to change
One would hope for a change in the back four and possibly the midfield with Grace Clinton coming in.
However, this is highly unlikely to occur because Sarina Wiegman is known to stick with the same starting XI throughout a competition.
I would want to see Esme Morgan or Niamh Charles in that back four and rest Jess Carter, or bring on a substitute for her and Leah Williamson to manage her minutes, given that she left the pitch in the quarter-finals with an ankle injury.
England needs to be more precise with their passing. Sweden was able to capitalise on loose balls, as retrieving the ball back relatively quickly was crucial; it wasn't those moments that Sweden scored from. There was a lack of communication between the back four and Hannah Hampton, plus a lack of organisation
There needs to be better connections between the front line and midfield. Ella Toone performed well in the Netherlands and Wales games, but the midfielders in the Sweden game seemed to disappear.
Coach Wiegman later called it “one of the hardest games I’ve ever watched”
England needs to start with the same intensity they had against the Netherlands, especially in terms of the need to win and start on the front foot. That need was missing, and they were happy to let Sweden play all over them.
Their focus needs to be on being as soon as the whistle goes to prevent them from falling behind early and having to claw their way back into the game. You cannot do that in knockout football; you need to be on it all the time.
While the likes of Lauren James attempted to be creative, there were flashes of attractive brilliance, but consistency in converting chances, especially from Alessia Russo, was lacking.
Leah Williamson joked that they had been practising penalty shootouts, even if the score at the end of the day did not show that. However, they need to make some changes and practise more, as it could always go to penalties.
Coach Sarina Wiegman's tactical adjustments, particularly the introduction of substitutes, proved crucial in turning the game around against Sweden. England should continue to develop this adaptability and tactical flexibility to counter different opponents and situations.
The "super-subs" played a significant role in the comeback against Sweden, demonstrating the importance of squad depth and the ability to impact the game from the bench. England should continue to utilise this strength effectively in future matches.
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