HAMILTON, New Zealand. – A much-changed Sweden side reached the Women’s World Cup last 16 with a perfect record after Rebecka Blomqvist’s second-half header and substitute Elin Rubensson’s 90th-minute penalty helped the Swedes beat Argentina 2-0 on Wednesday.
Blomqvist met Sofia Jakobsson’s cross with a fantastic header in the 66th minute to put the third-ranked Swedes firmly on course to advance as Group G winners, with Rubensson sealing the win with a superbly taken spot kick.
“We had to have some patience,” Blomqvist said. “Argentina defended well and closed off a lot of spaces. We felt at halftime that if we just continued doing what we were doing we’d break them down, and more space opened up towards the end.”
Sweden next faces holders United States in a blockbuster clash in Melbourne on Sunday– a rematch of the Olympic quarterfinals in 2021 when the Europeans won 3-0 en route to the final.
“The USA is a very strong team, very good at championships. They show that year after year,” added Blonqvist, saying Sweden was not favorites for the tie.
“We have, in my opinion, good self-confidence and we will go in wanting to win that game, but we won’t underestimate the USA.”
Having already secured qualification after winning their first two games, Sweden only needed a point to top the group and coach Peter Gerhardsson made nine changes to the side that thrashed Italy 5-0.
In Wellington, Thembi Kgatlana scored a last-gasp winner to give South Africa its first-ever Women’s World Cup win with a 3-2 victory over Italy that sent it through to the last 16 of the tournament at the expense of its opponents.
Striker Kgatlana struck two minutes into stoppage time to set up a clash with the Netherlands in Sydney on Sunday and broke the hearts of the Italians, who had only needed a draw to progress.
Italy had appeared to salvage the draw it needed when Arianna Caruso scored from a corner in the 74th minute but was left to rue what could have been after a series of late missed chances.
“They fought like warriors,” said an emotional coach Desiree Ellis, who was a founding member of the South Africa women’s side in 1993.
“They fought like the heroines that we know that they are. They fought to be historically remembered and they’ve made history not just getting our first win but going to the round of 16 and that is freaking amazing.”
The Italians had opened the scoring when Karabo Dhlamini tripped Italy forward Chiara Beccari just inside the box in the 10th minute and Caruso put the penalty into the bottom left corner of the net.
South Africa equalized in the 32nd minute through an own goal from Benedetta Orsi, who did not check where goalkeeper Francesca Durante was before making a back pass.
