The 2022 Women’s European Championships have been rattling along nicely – attendance records have been tumbling as more people become enraptured by the entertaining tournament football on display. I was so enthralled by my last game at Leigh Sports Village that I’ve spent the week watching the ticket resales like a hawk – as soon as some were released for the final round of Group C games, I swooped in and nabbed one for the Sweden vs. Portugal match.
In addition to this game today, I’ve got a ticket to see Italy and Belgium at the Manchester City Academy Stadium tomorrow – well, that’s the plan anyway. The heatwave that has been battering the country all week has kept on going, getting so bad that train lines have been overheating and as a result, the majority of local train services have been cancelled. I’ve got no other reasonable method of getting to Manchester tomorrow other than the train, so if I do end up missing that match (it only cost me a tenner), at least I’ve got this one to watch!
Leigh played host to the Netherlands-Portugal game in the week, with the Dutch – defending Euros champions – running out 3-2 winners in front of a crowd of 7,000 (pretty much a capacity, considering the restrictions in place). While editing this post a few days after the game, I happened upon a BBC article on the game which showcased Leigh as hosts – Dutch FA press officer, Daan Schippers commenting that “I have to be honest and say I had really heard of Leigh before Euro 2022. I know about Wigan next door because they used to have some good Dutch players in the Premier League, but Leigh? Not so much.” Nevertheless, Dutch supporters (and Portugal’s, Sweden’s and Switzerland’s) have taken to the streets of Leigh and partied hard, no doubt helping to swell the coffers of local traders. This for me is another positive of hosting matches in smaller stadiums in locations like this – when else would they get the chance?
Amazing atmosphere on the streets of Leigh as Netherlands 🇳🇱 and Portugal 🇵🇹 fans make their way to Leigh Sports Village for tonight's match! pic.twitter.com/zCl3kDgLms
— Visit Wigan (@Visit_Wigan) July 13, 2022
On arrival at the Sports Village, I headed straight into the Whistling Wren pub for some refuelling – no messing about. The interior is pretty much deserted because everyone is outside, many of them lying down on the grass to catch the sun or cool down. I get a pint of chilly cider and go and stand outside – just to make it clear how warm it is, I’m wearing shorts for the first time this year – so you know it’s pretty serious. Despite the hot and sticky weather, it’s not prevented the many Swedes here from singing and dancing – I don’t know how they do it. As for their side, the permutations are simple – if they avoid defeat, they’re through. As for the Portuguese, the defeat to the Netherlands means that they have to win today and hope the Dutch avoid losing to Switzerland.
The late booking has gotten me a front-row seat – I’m sat on row A of the South Stand, which Is situated behind the goal. In front is the empty terrace, but I can’t see much of it because some photographers are sitting in the way! All of a sudden I understand why these tickets were released late – clearly, they wait to see how many they sell in total before issuing these ‘obstructed view’ tickets! Nevertheless, I enjoy the irony of taking a photo of the photographers and appreciate being so close to the action – I feel like I’m more a part of the action by being at pitch level. I can see what’s in the physio’s bag and everything!
The first twenty minutes are pretty even, not much in the way of clear-cut chances – then everything goes mental. For whatever reason (presumably because they’ve conceded six goals in two games) Portugal have replaced Ines Pereira – who I thought was excellent when I last saw her against Switzerland, despite her wearing tights in 25+ degree weather – with Patrica Morias. Her first meaningful contribution sees her punch away a corner kick – but it drops to the edge of the area where Filippa Angeldahl is stood and she sidefoots the ball in. I’m sat right near this and get a great view – and the players come over and start celebrating.
A couple of minutes later, the referee calls for a water break and the PA takes it upon themselves to play some upbeat, rave-style music. The women in the crowd seem to love it, booging along. The men, less so. ‘Ashen-faced’ is the best word to describe the reactions to what I’m seeing as I look around right now. Sweden think they’ve got a second goal just a few minutes before half-time as a ball is slipped through the defence and an attack slides past Morias – but she’s flagged offside. It takes some time for the Sweden supporters to realise – the game restarts and some are still celebrating! However, they’re able to resume their revelries not long later as a free-kick from out wide is played to the edge of the area and once again, Angeldahl (what a delightful name, by the way!) smashes the ball in. Portugal were too slow to react to the obvious set piece routine – not a single player anywhere near the edge of the area. I did some Googling after the match and learned that ‘Dahl’ – which seems to be a common name in Sweden – means ‘valley’. So ‘Angel Valley’ has just bagged her second goal. How lovely!
Seven minutes have been added on at the end of the half due to Portugal’s Catarina Amado picking up an injury, from which she went off – and Sweden take full advantage of the extra time. Once again, Portugal are all over the place at the back – a mix-up sees an attack bare down on goal, but Morias does well to close down and get her body behind the resulting shot to deflect it out for a corner. It’s going to be the last action of the half and as the ball is swung in towards an attacker, defending centre-back Carole Costa gets her head to it but instead of getting enough contact on it to send it forward, it loops off her head, behind her and into the corner. 3-nil at half-time, all goals coming from a set-piece – all avoidable. They’ve fought back from being 2 down in each of the previous two games (although the Netherlands ended up scoring a winning third goal last time) and now they’ve got 3 goals to claw back – they must be simultaneously both the best and worst team at this tournament for entertainment?
Funnily enough, they do come out for the second half lively enough, with several raids down the Sweden end, without creating much in the way of clear-cut chances. I think we’re seeing the differences on display right there – both sides are equally good at playing in a ‘technical’ sense (i.e., they can do the basics right, kicking the ball about and such), but Sweeden are just tactically better; they can organise themselves better, defending their own area and using the time they have with the ball more effectively.
Sadly, we aren’t in for another epic Portuguese comeback for the third game in a row as the Swedes soon wrap up the win from the penalty spot. An intended chip into the area is adjudged to have hit a defender’s hand and the ref immediately gives the pen. Kosovare Asllani steps up to take it – the former Manchester City attacking midfielder strikes it well enough, just beyond the outstretched hand of Morias and into the corner. There may not be any supporters on that terrace behind the goal to celebrate with, but the throng of yellow in the West Stand more than make up for that – the noise they make as the fourth goal sealed their passage into the knockout stages washed over the stadium. They’ve created a great atmosphere throughout the game, especially with this unique clapping tune – it’s sort of like the Icelandic ‘Thunderclap’ that was prevalent during the men’s Euros of 2016 and has since been copied (dreadfully) by many others.
This is another thing I enjoy about these tournament games – the opportunity to see how unique different sets of supporters are. Having travelled around the country to see football at every ground in the 92, the atmospheres (bar a few) are the same – they sing the same songs, wear the same clothes (looking at you, Stone Island Boys) and people just generally have the same banter. It just isn’t interesting – it feels like crowds ‘go through the motions’, which I think often transmits down to the pitch. Tournament football is different; people here are representing their country in a sense, so they go the extra mile to transmit that. While supporters of both sides here are dotted around the three stands, it's in the West (Portugal) and East (Sweden) where both groups have been concentrated. Portugal have been constantly waving their flags and banging drums, whereas Sweden are dancing around, wearing their bright yellow shirts and chanting. It's nice and good-natured too (thanks to the language barrier, no doubt!), which makes a nice change!
Sweden think they’ve got a fifth when Portugal yet again do not deal with a set piece, and the ball is eventually squeezed in. However, the V.A.R has seen something and after a long wait, the ref cancels the goal, much to the chagrin of the supporters who had once again, expended some energy in jumping around! Portugal do create a couple of opportunities late on – but they either go wide and over, not even close to troubling the Swedish goalkeeper. In fact, people in the crowd are more in danger.
As soon as the PA announced that four minutes of added time, Sweden do get their fifth – and it’s NOT from a set piece! Some quick passing see Stina Blackstenius played into space on the edge of the area, and after taking a touch she hits a looping shot into the top corner – no chance for Morias. It’s a great finish and tops off a strong performance from the Swedes – while they’ve been the beneficiaries of some weak defending at set pieces, they’ve controlled the game and haven’t given the Portuguese any real sniff of a clear-cut chance. Saying that, there’s a Portuguese supporter behind me who screams her head off late in added time as she believes one of her players is bundled over inside the area. Definitely not a foul – the Swedish player was just too strong – but even at 5-nil down, it was good to see such passion from a supporter, I suppose! (I’ve no idea what she said, mind – it was all in Portuguese!)
It finishes 5-0 to Sweden and they along with the Netherlands (who ended up beating Switzerland 4-1 at the same time this match was being played) will go through to the quarter-finals. It’s been another great watch here in Leigh once again – not as competitive as the previous game, but it at least had a near-capacity crowd that created a nice occasion on this extremely hot day. Although this was Portugal’s third straight game here, so I’m not sure how they feel about it!
Sweden 5
(Angeldahl, 21, 45. C.
Costa (OG), 45. Asllani, 54. Blackstenius, 90)
Portugal 0
Attendance: 7,118
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