Australia v Sweden: Tokyo Olympics 2020 women’s football semi-final – live! | Sport

67 mins: Errors creeping into both teams as the heat, humidity and fatigue takes its toll. Asllani had a great chance to run at Australia’s defence but she can’t control Jakobsson’s pass.

66 mins: That doesn’t mean they can’t spring forward quickly, but not for the first time tonight Jakobsson fails to take the right option on the edge of the box.

65 mins: Australia get a grip on possession after a spell chasing the game, but Sweden are designed for game situations like this and are quick to adopt a low block with bodies behind the ball.

62 mins: Australia deal with the set piece, but again Logarzo is robbed in possession coming out of the back third. Angeldal tries to catch Micah off her line from 30m out, but her effort is off target. The Matildas are looking a tad unsteady.

62 mins: Another corner to Sweden following a tired exit from defence, Logarzo this time at fault. Might be time for Gustavsson to dip into his bench.

61 mins: Foord caught in possession and Sweden earn a corner. It’s a dangerous delivery but there’s a whistle for a Blackstenius block on Micah.

59 mins: A soft free-kick against Yallop changes the momentum and Sweden enjoy a sustained spell of pressure. Jakobsson can’t capitalise though, nor can Asllani and the move evaporates.

57 mins: Raso v Rolfö on Australia’s right has been the duel of the night and the Matilda flyer did well again to set up a crossing opportunity for Kerr to get on the end of, but she doesn’t make great connection. The pressure continues though and Sweden only just get a block in to a Van Egmond drive from the edge of the box, then a Yallop cross from the left. Better from Australia. Sweden don’t look assured when the Matildas up the tempo in the final third.

55 mins: Sweden are back on the ball like they were in that middle third of the opening half, passing the ball nicely between the lines. Australia are again restricted to long balls to the isolated Kerr.

52 mins: Sweden get clear down the right but Jakobsson’s cross is weak and Australia escape. Kennedy then feeds Yallop down the left who picks out Kerr in the box, but a corner is soon overturned with an offside flag. The Matildas need to retain their composure with this series of setbacks.

50 mins: A break in play while Lindahl has her right hand attended to. Chance for Australia to regroup. Gustavsson is up and clapping, urging his side on.

48 mins: Hugely disappointing for Australia. Dreadful luck for Micah who ended up stranded by the deflected shot, the atrocious bounce, the ricochet off the bar in Sweden’s favour… a horror few seconds from the Matildas.

Do they have it in them to fight back?

What on earth happened there? A deflected shot from outside the box spun wickedly off the wet turf forcing Micah to backpedal and tip onto the bar. Australia’s defence couldn’t clear and Rolfö was the fox in the box to hook home very adroitly.

46 mins: Here we go, two teams 45 minutes away from a guaranteed medal…

The teams are back out for the second half. Can Australia maintain their momentum? Can Sweden reestablish their control in midfield? Can someone – anyone – win this in 90 minutes to prevent a midnight finish?

Here’s my half-time Olympic rev-up tune. Turn it up loud.

Adam Kline-Schoder has joined in over the email, and he deserves a half-time analyst’s bonus.

“Although this match has thus far been a bit of a slow burner, it is still intriguing because of the moments of individual quality on display. Rolfö’s and Kennedy’s efforts were lovely, and Kerr’s finish on the volley… well, taking a looping ball over the shoulder and redirecting it past a goalkeeper of Lindahl’s quality takes some doing, even if it was pulled back for a (as you say, slightly questionable) foul.

I think Australia gained their dominance towards the end of the half by putting one and sometimes two more players in the midfield; Sweden outnumbered them in the middle earlier on and that tactical tweak by the Matildas has worked a treat. That said, Sweden are still plenty dangerous on the break, so the Australians would be wise not to push too many women too high too quickly and create chasms between the lines.

Here’s hoping said slow burner catches fire properly in the second half! Enjoy the match.”

Great stuff, thanks Adam.

A frenetic opening 15 minutes, followed by a quarter of an hour minutes of Swedish dominance, ending with one sixth of the game on Australia’s terms. A very entertaining goalless half of football.

45+3 mins: Australia still pushing for the opener. Foord shows great strength to work a half-yard but she can’t find Kerr with the through-ball. The pressure is unrelenting though and Raso is busy on the right to earn a corner. Catley’s delivery is typically excellent and Lindahl can only manage a weak punch as far as Yallop on the edge of the box – and she connects with a half-volley thunderbastard! But it flies over the bar.

45 mins: Australia do not want the half-time whistle. Superb switch from Van Egmond opens play down the left. The ball in from Yallop to Kerr is dangerous and the flick from the striker is only fractionally off target. Sweden are rocking.

43 mins: Another cross – this time from a Catley free-kick on the right – and Kerr finishes on the volley first time! But, oh. The referee’s whistle trilled just as Kerr pulled the trigger. She had spotted an interference off the ball in the melee of bodies near the penalty spot. That will be a major talking point at half-time.

42 mins: Repeat corners for Australia with Kennedy and Kerr’s movement causing havoc in the Sweden defence. A third cross follows, and the Swedes look rattled. The Matildas are ramping up the pressure as the rain begins to tumble in Yokohama.

40 mins: OOOOOOOhhhhhh! Kennedy goes for goal – right-footed, over the wall, curling away from Lindahl – and the Sweden keeper is forced into a smart save to tip the shot over. Excellent strike.

40 mins: More excellent hard work to recycle a second ball near Sweden’s box is backed up by some neat passing to allow Simon a half-turn that ends in a trip. Free-kick to Australia from 22 metres out…

38 mins: Kerr does so much hard running, and yet another thankless sprint into the channel almost pays dividends. The Chelsea striker gets to the ball ahead of Lindahl, but she’s pushed out near the corner flag so is unable to fashion a shooting opportunity. The ball infield is intercepted. Australia have really grown in the last ten minutes or so.

36 mins: Australia have enjoyed territorial advantage for the past five or so minutes now, but Sweden look very dangerous when they get the ball down and play. Blackstenius again carries the ball deep into the Matildas’ defence, but can’t find an end product.

“As if their football was good enough to admire them – another first for Sweden – using recyclable cups for their water break rather than the usual dozens of plastic bottles.” Thanks for the email Charles Antaki.

34 mins: Raso has some rare space wide on the right and after some neat interplay she sends a cross over that Sweden don’t deal with effectively. The second ball is recycled well down the right before heading infield where nobody wants to take responsibility for the shot or killer pass. Eventually another cross comes in, this time from the left, and the moment passes.

32 mins: Another stoppage, this time for Ilestedt, who crumpled in a heap under pressure from Kerr who was contesting a hopeful ball into the channel. After a bit of treatment the No 13 is back on her feet.

30 mins: Australia have grown into the contest over the past few minutes, just as Sweden looked to be turning the screw. There’s still no cohesion going forward, but they are at least seeing more of the ball after a long spell of Swedish dominance. There’s a welcome break in play for both coaches while Raso is attended to after having her hand trodden on by Rolfo.

28 mins: Australia taking an age over a set-piece on halfway, lumping the ball into the box for Kennedy to contest, then hoisting the second ball for the Matildas defender to attack, only for a whistle to curtail the fun.

26 mins: Australia are feeding on scraps at the moment, and it will be so fatiguing in the heat and humidity playing catch-up football. A rare look at the ball soon turns into a cheap concession with a long diagonal too far in front of Simon.

24 mins: There’s Rolfo again! BOSH! The Barca star absolutely smashes the leather off the ball with her left boot from the edge of the box AND RATTLES THE CROSSBAR! The closest either side have come so far as Sweden, and Rolfo in particular, assert themselves.

23 mins: Another cross, this time from Rolfo, after some beautiful skill on the edge of the box, but a teasing left-footed curler is just out of Blackstenius’ reach.

22 mins: Not for the first time tonight a hurried Australian clearance leads to a turnover with Sweden responding in kind with a poor giveaway of their own. Greater composure by the Sweden front three and they’d have a few more chances. They almost find one through more conventional means but a dangerous ball across the six-yard box is sliced away from danger.

20 mins: Gustavsson on the touchline is urging Australia to break at speed down the right, but the passing isn’t crisp enough and play breaks down. Sweden are now looking to control the ball at a slower tempo with Seger growing into the match in midfield.

18 mins: Kennedy has an ambitious pop from long range, but it doesn’t trouble Lindahl. Both teams playing very hurriedly still.

16 mins: Good delivery from Catley but Kennedy can’t get her head on the corner and Sweden break fast. Blackstenius leads the charge and eventually shoots from the edge of the box, but it’s tame and Micah is barely drawn into a save.

14 mins: The game has yet to settle down. Foord takes advantage of broken play, earning a free-kick 35m out. The delivery bounces in the box and Foord is there again at the far post to hook the ball back across the face – but there’s no yellow shirt to profit. Nervy defending from Sweden, corner to Australia.

12 mins: Now they get down and play and cruise to the final third on the right, then win the second ball to approach the box again, but on both occasions Australia defend stoutly. The Matildas have been very well drilled defensively these Games, it’s been a rapid turnaround.

10 mins: Sweden have been a bit too eager to find Jakobsson running the channels. They seem crisp enough on the ball to play through the lines, but they’re lacking patience in the middle third in these early stages.

8 mins: Australia are so focussed on safety first there are no numbers ahead of the ball to break when the corner is overhit. The patience is eventually rewarded though with a neat move down the left and a sharp cross whipped over that Lindahl gets to just ahead of the leaping Kerr.

6 mins: Sweden are offering nothing in the way of a press, allowing Australia’s defence all the time in the world to pass it around harmlessly then pump the long diagonal. It’s a tempting strategy because it allows for space through midfield on the counter, which the Swedes take advantage of to free Jakobsson again down the right and from her cross Sweden are awarded the first corner of the night. The first delivery is cleared easily, but the second effort into the box needs a hurried clearance from Simon, conceding another corner.

4 mins: Sweden have settled the quicker on the ball, looking for short vertical passes through the lines to the feet of Asllani and Blackstenius, offset by the alternate ball into the channels for Jakobsson.

Asllani has the first shot on target of the night, rasping in a drive that Micah gets behind with a minor fumble. Australia yet to string an attacking phase together.

2 mins: A sloppy start from both teams with turnovers aplenty in midfield. Nerves clearly expected considering the stakes.

Canada await in the Olympic final, who will they face?

The teams are out in Yokohama for the national anthems. Sweden top to toe in their change strip of Prussian blue, Australia all in highlighter pen yellow.

I feel like I’ve made it abundantly clear already that Sweden are the real deal, and deserve to start as strong favourites tonight, but in case it needs laying on even thicker: Australia have never beaten Sweden in a competitive match. And Sweden have already knocked the Matildas out at the quarter-final stage of the 2004 Olympics and the 2011 Women’s World Cup.

But… Matildas boss Tony Gustavsson is Swedish and will know his opponents tonight better than any coach who has faced the Swedes in these Games.

Sweden are unbeaten in 10 matches in 2021 (eight wins, two draws). Only twice have they conceded more than one goal in a game, but they have scored three or more on six occasions. One of those draws was a 0-0 with Australia in June. One of those high-scoring wins was against Australia in the group phase.

Suzanne Wrack has been impressed with Tony Gustavsson’s impact as Matildas coach.

What has he done since he arrived? “Everyone is starting to be on the same page and see the same picture,” Gustavsson said. “We try to build the team out of the player’s strengths and not just out of ‘Tony’s tactics’. It’s not just my tactics, it’s about building the tactics around the key players in the key positions and trying to get the most out of them.

Samantha Lewis has been tracking the development of this group of Matildas, and their never-say-die spirit, for years.

Sweden are unchanged from their quarterfinal triumph over Japan.

1. Lindahl
4. Glas
6. Eriksson
9. Asllani
10. Jakobsson
11. Blackstenius
13. Ilestedt
14. Bjorn
16. Angeldal
17. Seger (c)
18. Rolfo