The Swedish soccer ladies have more or less decided the first World Cup playoff drama of the fall.
Admittedly, it was only 1-0 at half-time away to 94th-ranked Lithuania on Friday.
But before the return in Solna on Tuesday, Blågult has 5-0 behind it.
Thank a certain Felicia Schröder for that.
The talk before the autumn WC playoff, which is decided in two double meetings, had been about two things:
● Sweden's woeful World Cup qualifiers this spring, where Tony Gustavsson's national team missed the direct ticket to Brazil and were unrecognizable.
● And then Felicia Schröder's goal drought.
To say that the Swedish world eight bounced back to their former glory is perhaps taking in too much. Anything other than a win against Lithuania would have been a resounding failure.
But Sweden was able to take its third victory in Gustavsson's eleven attempts and Schröder had to - finally - break his national team record.
- It's a bit of a nightmare when the goals don't come, so it was incredibly nice to score today, says Felicia Schröder to SVT.
- I think it's best when I don't think too much and just drive.
The 19-year-old has scored goals in Häcken, decided the European Cup and had a successful start at the new club Real Madrid after the summer's record transfer. But she had not succeeded in the national team.
Tony Gustavsson admitted before Friday that he used Schröder in the wrong position, too far down the lane as a "tie" - instead of as a central forward.
Now Sweden's biggest future name had to start at the front in what on paper was a classic 4–4–2 formation, where center back Nathalie Björn was back as captain after injury while spring team captain Stina Blackstenius was poked in the attack in favor of Evelyn Ijeh.
Schröder got his first position after just five minutes. In the 22nd minute, the Lithuanian goalkeeper then saved a great opportunity from the talent - and in the subsequent sequence came the opportunity that gave Sweden a penalty.
Hedge star Anna Anvegård, for the first time in one of Gustavsson's starting elevens, was kicked down by the home team's Loreta Rogaciova. That Felicia Schröder would take the penalty seemed obvious - and then the goal jubilation erupted in Kaunas.
After eight goals in eight games in Real Madrid, the first national team goal came in international match number twelve.
- It's confidence, of course, to have started so well at Real, Schröder had told SVT before the match.
Midfielder Julia Zigiotti Olme said earlier this week:
- We go in knowing that we are the better team in all positions. And we will show that too.
Sweden dominated the first half in total, had eleven corners to Lithuania's only and should have scored more goals.
But the second came instead 13 minutes into the second half.
Goal scorer, again: Felicia Schröder.
Front player - as so many times in Häcken: Anna Anvegård.
Once she got started, the Real star didn't seem to be able to stop either. Four minutes later, Felicia Schröder had made it 3-0, this time after a pass from Matilda Vinberg.
- I just wanted to continue, says Schröder to SVT.
A subbing Blackstenius then scored 4–0, and Amanda Ilestedt (who replaced Björn at half-time according to plan) 5–0.
The return at Strawberry arena will now be more or less a matter of form. After that, a final, decisive, double meeting for a World Cup place awaits – against the winner of the meeting between the Czech Republic and Scotland.
