Unlikely Golden Boot contender Ilestedt has Sweden dreaming of World Cup glory

 

Sweden have made it to the World Cup semi-finals for a third of the last four tournaments as Peter Gerhardsson’s side finally look to take the role of bride after years spent being the bridesmaid. 

 

Incorporating another semi-final at last year’s European Championships, this generation of Swedes has so often come so close, but been so far. This year, they have gone under the radar for most of the current tournament, that was until they put in their best performance against Japan to knock out the team that had become many people’s favourites after four swash-buckling wins. 

 

Sweden on the other hand had been distinctly underwhelming. For a core group that has rarely changed over the past few tournaments, something was not clicking for Gerhardsson’s side as they relied on a late winner to get past South Africa. Their second round win over the USA was gritty, but they certainly rode their luck throughout the 90 minutes and most definitely in the subsequent dramatic penalty shootout. 

 

A large part of their success so far in making a run to the semi-finals, which sees them join Australia, England and opponents Spain as potential first-time world champions, has been their secret weapon – set-pieces. 

 

Beyond just set-pieces, new Arsenal centre-back Amanda Ilestedt, specifically. The 5ft 10in defender has four goals in this tournament so far and has bizarrely emerged as a genuine Golden Boot contender, sitting one goal behind Hinata Miyazawa, who is out of the tournament, as are Kadidiatou Diani, Alex Popp and Jill Roord, the other three players on four goals. 

 

Ilestedt’s aerial threat has been evident since the first game of the tournament, with the imposing defender the scorer of the aforementioned late goal against South Africa, which saved the now potential tournament winners from an underwhelming start. 

 

On that occasion, it was Kosovare Asllani's corner from the left she was nodding into the back of the net, but in the second game against Italy, things went into overdrive, particularly when it was former Chelsea full-back Jonna Andersson whipping crosses in from the opposite side. 

 

Ilestedt scored the opener with a near identical goal to her winner against Banyana Banyana, before another Andersson corner caused chaos and led to Fridolina Rolfo turning home a second just minutes after Ilestedt’s first. 

 

Then, as if the Italians hadn’t already had enough of Sweden’s set-piece threat, Ilestedt rose once again just five minutes into the second half to head home another, again from an Andersson delivery. 

 

The combination of the left-back’s incredibly accurate and consistent crossing ability and Ilestedt’s ability in the air has been a problem for several nations so far this tournament, and has become one of the main talking points of the World Cup so far. 

 

After Gerhardsson shuffled the pack with qualification secured against Argentina, the set-piece debate sparked again ahead of their second round clash with Japan, the dominant team of the tournament so far. 

 

But, if there was one chink in Nadeshiko’s armour, it was a lack of height, so naturally the aerial ability of Ilestedt combined with Andersson’s crossing ability become a hot talking point ahead of the match-up. 

 

Ironically, the breakthrough did come from a set-piece, and incredibly it did once again come from the centre-back, but this time it was a recycled free-kick that Japan failed to clear on several occasions, with Ilestedt in the right place at the right time to turn home the crucial opener, but this time with her foot. 

 

Sweden’s exploits can’t be fully pinned on one person, with both Rolfo and super sub Rebecka Blomqvist having scored twice, while Elin Rubensson, Stina Blackstenius and Filippa Angeldahl have all also found the net, but it’s certainly had a huge impact, and not by fluke. 

 

If Sweden go on to win this tournament, Ilestedt may well emerge as an unlikely contender for Player of the Tournament, such is the nature of such a topsy turvy competition, which hasn’t seen any one player put their name on that prospective individual title just yet. 

 

 

She’s certainly already made a strong case for team of the tournament with her impact, but it’s not just at one end she has made a positive impact. Sweden will know in their semi-final against Spain on Tuesday they will see little of the ball, meaning Ilestedt and co. will have to be on the top of their defensive game, and the new Arsenal recruit has shown no signs of faltering at the other end of the pitch either. 

 

She’s made six successful tackles, six interceptions and completed 36 recoveries. Her playing out from the back has also been near flawless, with 291 passes completed – the 15th most in the tournament – and a completion rate of 89%, forming a solid unit with Nathalie Bjorn, Magdalena Eriksson and Andersson, as well as the sensational exploits of Zecira Musovic in goal behind her. 

 

Overall, Ilestedt’s had a remarkable nine attempts on goal this tournament, that’s the same as Frida Maanum and Lynn Williams, and one more than Barbra Banda, Guro Reiten, Klara Buhl and Lauren James. Of the six on target, four have found the net, and who knows, one more and she may just have her hands on the Golden Boot…or should it be the Golden Bonce?!

Unlikely Golden Boot contender Ilestedt has Sweden dreaming of World Cup glory