The FIFA Women’s World Cup is underway and is currently in the knockout stages. While a few nations have already been sent packing, Sweden are not one of them and they are captained by AC Milan star, Kosovare Asllani.
The Milan player played a crucial part in helping her team defeat Japan during the quarterfinal game between Japan and Sweden at the tournament, which the Swedes won 2-1.
She played a crucial role for the Blågult as she constantly put pressure on Japan’s backline, thus forcing their normally composed and organized defense into making mistakes as she pulled them out of shape.
Asllani has started all four matches for Sweden during this tournament and has, so far, played a total of 304 minutes during this tournament. She’s also registered one assist for the Blågult.
During the group phase of the tournament, the Swedes topped their group by defeating Italy by a score of 5-0, and who have current Milan players and club teammates, Valentina Cernoia and Laura Giuliani, on their roster.
Asllani has also managed to make headlines both on and ofF the pitch during the competition. During a press conference earlier in the week, the Swedish skipper was asked about the current state of the US Women’s Soccer Team after their defeat to Asllani’s team.
Kosse bluntly told people to stop ‘Talking s**t’ about the US and to have a little more faith in them.
Shortly before the quarterfinal match against Japan, Asllani conducted an interview with American footballer, Tobin Heath, on the RE—Inc show, which Heath co-hosts with her fellow athlete, Christen Press.
There, while speaking to her former PSG team-mate, she expanded on her previous statements and explained just how much of an impact the USWNT have had on women’s football globally.
AC Milan player and Sweden captain, Kosovare Asllani, on that that question she was asked about the #USWNT, how the team are pioneers who have also inspired players in Europe with both their play and activism #USA #SWE
'Don't talk shit about them' pic.twitter.com/p4ykHrgpeU
— (Stephanie) 🇮🇹 🇺🇸 🇨🇴 🇯🇵 (@statsandedits) August 7, 2023
After the Swedes defeated the USA and knocked out Japan, they helped make history, as – for the first-time in a long while – the current edition of the Women’s World Cup will be won by a team that has never won it before.
Asllani and Sweden will most certainly be hoping that it’ll be theme. Sweden will play their next opponents, Spain, in the semifinals of the tournament. The match will take place next Tuesday and kick-off time will be at 09:00 CEST.
Asllani is so good. As soon as she left the game Japan took over. It was the same last tournament. When Asllani isn’t on the field Sweden loses their game almost completely. For 70 minutes Japan almost had nothing. But then Asllani left with Rolfö and Japan took oven. We were lucky to come away with the win today. Our goalkeeper is very overrated. If Japan would’ve have motmre luck they would have scored at least two goals.