You could look at these games in a different light as well. USA and Sweden will be more fresh than other teams in the knockout phase that could give them an edge as well. The easy group can often be a double edged sword in that regard.
Ok, you posted this as I was typing and I was on the previous page. As someone said earlier, great minds think alike!
Oddly, Sweden rotated almost nobody (only 2 of 11) for this match. They surely feel that they need the points (and some GD) today. This may imply that they plan to rest starters vs. USA 40' 2-0 Sung-Ngoen dribbles to 15m mid-left, cross toward 8m right post misses wide right. 41' 3-0 Sornsai(?) heads away through arc left. Rolfö collects at 24m arc left, touches to 22m center to open a window past Intamee, shoots left instep bend curving right, off Boonsing's fingertips into back right high. Sheesh! 😳 Fridolina Rolfo couldn't hit this one any better for Sweden's 3rd goal of the first half. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/SOG17od1UX— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 16, 2019
Cool. 3-0 up I would now be thinking of putting on any inexperienced players or strong characters who don't usually make starting 11.
I get the freshness argument but considering the large majority of the best teams have already qualified with a game to spare I don’t think it’s that much of a positive. You want to be tested under pressure at least slightly before a knockout game. It would have been better for both if they had played each other in the first or second game.
43' 3-0 Hurtig taps ball away at box top wide left, Dangda steps on her right foot. Hurtig stays down, stoppage. 45' 3-0 Yellow card on Dangda = 2nd, she misses the match vs. Chile. +1'. 45+1' (of +1') 3-0 Asllani receives at 8m 6-left, spins down to 5m mid-left. Backpass to Anvegård at 9m left post, one-touch shot to 1/4 left, Boonsing catches face-high. HT 3-0. Sweden 19(8)-(0)1 shots(sog) (it was Nild ), 4-0 corners, 0-1 offsides, 5-2 fouls, 20-2 crosses(?) [Flanken], 7-29 clearances, 73% possession, 86% (277/321) - (69/102) 68% passing.
Sigh, my favourite Thai player and her World Cup has basically finished already. Ok, I'll have to hope that she scores in this game! Well, same score as USA at HT, so far, isn't it?
Disagree, playing you're toughest opponent last has to give you better preparation before the knockout rounds begin. If you played your toughest opposition early, you could be tempted to relax more during your first knockout game because of who you played in both fixtures after the tough game, but that's just how I look at it.
Boonsing made a good save... with her face! And she looks ok and very cool. Edit: correction: she's just being medicated. But she looks quite ok anyway.
46' 3-0 Sweden subs in (1 of 3) #7 Madelen Janogy for #18 Fridolina Rolfö. 47' 3-0 Sweden left throw-in at 5m, to #_ at 3m mid-left, header back to 5m 6-left. Asllani runs on, flicks foot low and -- misses? Ball bounces through a defender's legs, continues across to 5m 1/4 left. Janogy front-cuts Srangthaisong, shoots left foot hard, Boonsing blocks with chest (and lips ) point-blank at 3m. Ball reflects out to 13m 6-left, Hurtig shoots wide left into the back left support pole. FACE SAVE! Thailand's goalkeeper is doing everything she can over here... pic.twitter.com/YciHX9Y44a— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 16, 2019 48' 3-0 Sung-Ngoen cross, Thongsombut soft header drops to 6-top 1/3 left, Lindahl gets a touch. 49' 3-0 Brief stoppage: Boonsing gets some gauze applied to her lip(?).
52' 3-0 Eriksson right ck, to 6m 1/6 right. Hurtig twist-heads and half-whiffs, ball glances off her head, off left shoulder, wide right. 53' 3-0 Glas shoots from ~arc top box right to 1/4 right, Boonsing catches. 55' 3-0 Eriksson(?) backpass to Glas receives unmarked through box top right to 3m mid-right, backpass blocked to 2m 3-right and Thailand poke over. 56' 3-0 Thailand subs in (1 of 3) #13 Orathai Srimanee for #12 Rattikan Thongsombut.
57' 3-0 Chinwong volleys a clearance at arc top, ball hits Hurtig squarely in the left jaw. Stoppage, Hurtig stays down, trainers apply ... a protocol? 59' 3-0 Hurtig returns. 63' 3-0 Sung-Ngoen takes ball from Seger, jukes past Fischer(?) at circle top left, continues to 15m wide left. No support in the middle, she turns back and gets closed down, ball poked away. Sweden miss a pass through box top center for #_, Boonsing comes up to 14m and collects. Tactical view of another Thailand attack. Sung-Ngoen does well to win the ball from Sweden. Thailand's midfield didn't come to support fast enough and the attack breaks down. #SWETHA #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/Ghgtu4MAJa— Football Tactics Guy (@footy_tactics_1) June 16, 2019 68' 3-0 Thailand advance up the left past circle top. #_ perfect outside-in ground pass from 30m wide left to Intamee at 9m mid-left. Intamee touches to 7m mid-left, shross blocked by Fischer(?) sliding, ball pops up to 4m 6-left and Lindahl catches it. 69' 3-0 Sweden subs in (2 of 3) #22 Olivia Schough for #17(c) Caroline Seger (and (c)=> Asllani?).
By that point though the game is pretty much a dead rubber. Which risks the case of the intensity not being there during the game. Also I think coming second might be better in this group looking at the likely draw.
Sweden seems to be backing off this half, but I hope they know that if their match vs. US ends in a draw, USA wins the group.
72' 3-0 Janogy receives at box top mid-right, dribbles to 12m 6-right, shoots left foot rising toward right post, off Schough's right (ahem) upper hamstring , over endline right. That's 1 shot on frame + 1 blocked shot 1140265147132448768 is not a valid tweet id 75' 3-0 Sung-Ngoen chases down ball at 1m wide right, cross floats over Nild through 11m 6-left. Thailand recycle, Dangda shoots softly from 25m mid-left, it slowly rolls to Lindahl. 77' 3-0 Sweden subs in (3 of 3) #20 Mimmi Larsson for #19 Anna Anvegård.
Wow, Sung-Ngoen ran so much in this match and made so many good actions happen for her team that she alone would deserve a goal for her incredible effort!
Christine Sinclair - speed? What? I think you have the wrong player. She's one of the best to ever do it, but speed she has not.
See? Nothing to be over-exuberant about when scoring the team's 4th goal against an opponent that does not have enough resources to put up a fightback. *Puts on Liam Neeson's voice* I'm looking at YOU, Megan Rapinoe!
81' 3-0 Thailand subs in (2 of 3) #15 Orapin Waen-Ngoen for #13 Orathai Srimanee, who came on at 56'. Injured after only 25' 81' 4-0 Eriksson plays a give-and-go with Larsson, down wide left to 6m, crosses to 8m 1/4 right. Hurtig outjumps Chinwong(?), heads across mouth past Boonsing's left hand, into back right edge 1/2 high. What a header! Hurtig makes it 4-0 for Sweden after Thailand were hanging tough all 2nd half. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/iBVYC5Ti3n— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 16, 2019 83' 4-0 Janogy(?) crosses from arc top mid-right to 15m center, Schough twist-heads to right post 1/2 high, Boonsing catches.