18 corners – just one goal: “To create more”

Sweden's women's national football team still has good confidence in fixed situations, according to national team captain Tony Gustavsson. "Really good", even.

- This is our signature. And it has not been damaged in any way. Not internally, anyway, he says.

But several former corner specialists are missing from the World Cup playoff squad that takes on Lithuania on Tuesday evening in a return meeting in Solna.

Sweden won the away meeting in Kaunas last week with a comfortable 5-0 and already has one foot in a final, decisive, double-header for a World Cup ticket in December.

But despite the great victory, there is potential for improvement.

Not least in fixed situations.

There was a time – not least in the WC 2023 – when a Swedish corner almost always meant a clear goal chance.

Against 94th-ranked Lithuania on Friday, it was a bit so and so.

Out of 18 Swedish corners, there was only one goal, in a second wave in the 82nd minute when Amanda Ilestedt headed in the final score after a cross from Filippa Angeldahl.

- Eight corners stuck to the first defender. So basically we have to get the ball in where it needs to be. In 18 corners, we must create more, Gustavsson states crassly, but also pays tribute to Lithuania's goalkeeper Meda Seskute:

- She was very good in the air. We gave her a little too much space and time to come out.

In Monday's training, a lot of focus was put on corners.

- It has been every training session at this camp. We work a lot with details, says Manchester United professional Hanna Lundkvist.

Tony Gustavsson further explains:

- We have given a little more time to the "servers" to grind and rehearse.

- It could be that a corner kicker holds his arm up a little shorter and has a quick strike - and then you have one second less time to get into the right area and find the right timing between corner kickers and runs.

The previously safe "server" Jonna Andersson was first poked, and then quit, in the national team. Kosovar Asllani is injured.

But the national team - which only won three of the past year's eleven games - scored in set pieces against both Denmark and Italy in the World Cup qualifiers last spring, points out Tony Gustavsson.

- Anna Anvegård hits corners in Häcken and has a fantastic foot. Matilda Vinberg beats them in Tottenham and has a fantastic foot, says the national team captain and also enumerates corners in Smilla Holmberg, Amanda Nildén, Anna Sandberg and Rosa Kafaji.

- So I'm not worried.

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